Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(62)

“I don’t believe that.” I shook my head, unwilling to accept it even as I heard the truth in her claim.

I couldn’t let Lilah put doubts in my head. She wanted to appeal to any weakness I might have. I would not let her find one.

In a bold move that I didn’t take the time to think through, I dropped the circle and hit Lilah square in the chest with a blast that sent her tripping over a hound. She recovered quickly, glowering at the demons who stood by watching.

“This isn’t blackmail. I have nothing to gain from you. I don’t care who he is to you or what you think of it. Stay away from me. Stay away from those I care about. Otherwise, either he comes for you, or I send you back to the cage where you belong.”

Lilah adjusted the crown on her head and slapped the human girl attempting to smooth her skirt. “Incompetent idiots,” she hissed at the demons. “Grab the wolf. I need her alive.”

“No.” My shout was accompanied by a surge of energy that struck each demon, only momentarily disabling them. The force was staggering as it left me. “Just you and me, Lilah. No power. If I come out on top, you’re a prisoner. If you do, you get my blood.”

Could a demon be manipulated by a mortal? I thought of Arys as the challenge left my lips. He was so busy trying to protect me from himself, he’d forgotten about the real threat.

The hounds barked, an ear splitting sound that echoed in the vast library. I couldn’t stop the flood of angel power that oozed from me. It was uncontrollable. I was merely a vessel to be used. A blue flame engulfed both hounds and made short work of them.

One of the demon guards backed away muttering something about Shya’s mark on my wrist. The other, Brook, watched Lilah, waiting for her decision. She looked me over, lingering on my silver eyes. I saw her consider it. I think she even believed she could take me, but something held her back. She wasn’t willing to gamble with it, whatever it was.

With her long skirt sweeping out behind her, Lilah spun on a heel and uttered a loud command in Latin. I didn’t have to be fluent to get the gist of it. She returned to her throne-like seat and crossed one leg over the other, watching with red-hot intensity as her vampires and demons advanced on us.

“Kill them both.”

There was a pause, so small as to be near non-existent. Then, everyone started moving at once. In the melee, several vampires rushed me, separating me from Jez.

Most of them felt new; they hadn’t been undead long. I met the first one with a kick that threw him into another. I spun to block a blow by another with my forearm while projecting a steady stream of power at a lunging female. She burst into ash and dust, followed by the next two I hit.

I caught sight of Jez swinging with stake in hand and bared fangs. I had no doubt she’d hold her own just fine. A fist connected with my jaw, and I saw stars. It didn’t stop me from setting my attacker ablaze.

Every time I used the power, it grew more painful until I was crying out with each blast. My nose dripped blood steadily, and I regretted my choice to leave the Dragon Claw outside, a stupid decision. Yep, Arys was right; I was too reckless for my own good.

I punched a fist into the chest of a vampire who got closer to my throat than I should have allowed. Pulling his heart free, I tossed it so it slid to a bloody stop at Lilah’s feet. I didn’t have time to enjoy the glare she wore before another solid, undead fist connected with my face. Several of them piled on me, and I went down beneath them, the breath crushed from my lungs.

Though my brain felt like it might spontaneously combust, I forced my power into them, finding that undead essence within me that was all Arys and all dark. The last time I’d done this I’d inadvertently knocked down several other vampires as well, including Kale.

Despite the pain, I felt an immense sense of relief as Falon’s power exploded forth along with my own. The more I used it, the less it retained its hold on me. It was fading. I could feel the heart of every vampire fighting to tear me apart. All at once they burst, showering me in blood, bone and ash.

Though I’d hoped Lilah would also be affected, she sat smugly, protected by a shield of demon magic. She waited patiently, soaking in the chaotic energy saturating the atmosphere while I burnt myself out trying to stay alive.

I rose from the pile of ashen vampire remains and sought out Jez. Blood smears marred her face, and her eyes blazed pure wildcat, but she stood ready for more.

“Really, Lilah,” Jez said with an eye roll. “Did you honestly think that would work?”

Lilah didn’t answer. She nodded to Brook who whispered something that sounded like no language I’d ever heard. A pack of hellhounds appeared between Jez and me. The pack split in half, backing each of us against a wall. I was bracing to go down under a flurry of snapping jaws. Between the killer headache and the power, I was crashing hard now, and knew I’d never have enough left in me to take on each hound.

Jez abandoned any notion of taking them on in human form. Using her last precious seconds wisely, she shifted to leopard and faced them snarling. Being wolf meant giving up my power, no matter how fast it was draining. It also meant, if we got out of here alive, we’d be running through the city streets in a form that would draw far too much attention once the sun rose.

I could draw on power through Arys. Alerting him to where I was and what I was doing didn’t factor into this poorly thought out plan. I grasped for everything I had left in me and prepared to go down fighting.