Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(90)

A burst of wind gusted over us as the carefully constructed circle lost all energy. It was useless now.

Lilah had lost.

The sheer insanity glowing in her flaming eyes was disturbing. I snarled down into her face, fighting for a shot at her throat. She fought hard to reach the blade she’d dropped just inches away. In a cheap but determined move, Lilah slashed my face with her sharp fingernails.

My left eye burned, and my vision blurred. The bitch tried to blind me. Infuriated and wild, I got my fangs around her throat, and I bit deep.

Her blood filled my mouth. It tasted like burnt sulfur. I held tight despite the horrid taste and smell. I gave her a rough shake and felt the tissue begin to tear. It didn’t happen fast enough. Lilah got her fingers around the blade and, in a swift motion, buried it deep in my side.

I yelped, instinctively releasing my hold on Lilah. She withdrew the blade and swung hard for another blow. I scrambled out of reach, bounding across the sofa and out of the sunken circle. I didn’t make it far; the pain was too much.

I collapsed near Willow where I involuntarily shifted back to human. Naked and bleeding, I lay there shaking. Willow moved to block me with his wings, sheltering me from further attack.

“Juliet,” I gasped, my voice barely a croak. “Dragon Claw.”

Willow nodded, searching frantically for my sister in the thinning crowd of flailing limbs. I saw Arys grab Juliet, his lips moving fast as he shoved her toward the fallen Dragon Claw. Then, he came for me, drawn by my suffering.

Arys fell to the floor beside me, his eyes wild with panic. He reached to touch me but hesitated as he took in the extent of my injuries. Blood seeped from my side. Every labored breath forced more from the wound.

Darkness threatened to pull me under into unconsciousness. I strained against it. This was one little stab wound. I’d taken a stake between the ribs; I could take this.

“This is bad, love.” Arys pulled me gently into his arms, wincing at the pained sound I made. He clasped my hand in his, and the power sparked between us. “I think I can heal it. If there’s not too much damage.”

At his touch, my strength grew. I reached to touch his face, finding such sorrow there. “You know you can’t lose me.”

“I know you’re not ready to be what I am,” he said, wiping a scarlet smear from near my eye. “And, I don’t think I’m ready for that either.”

A scream rang out followed by Juliet’s angry shout. I dragged my gaze to her, finding her grappling with Lilah. The demoness still had some fight left, though the tears in her throat clearly afflicted her. She grabbed Juliet’s head and slammed it into the edge of the sunken circle.

Juliet’s growl was audible over the din. She gave Lilah a head-butt that would have stunned the toughest opponent. She followed up fast with the Dragon Claw, plunging the massive blade into the vampire’s chest.

The whole room fell silent, waiting. Lilah’s eyes were wide as saucers. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her body convulsed and exploded, raining down atop Juliet in a shower of ash.

Relief filled me. My baby sister saved the day. I couldn’t have been more proud, even if I was bleeding out on the floor.

The remaining few vampires second-guessed their loyalty. They disengaged from combat with Jez and headed for the double doors. The sound of snarls and the snap of fangs came from outside the room, beyond my line of sight.

Just one demon remained. He knelt before Shya with head bowed. Tension eased from me, and I lay in Arys’s arms, ready for whatever came next. Arys, however, did not share that acceptance.

He pushed healing energy into me, targeting the deadly hole in my side. I was dizzy. The room spun, and I struggled to focus. I tried to speak Arys’s name, but nothing coherent came out. Maybe it was too late. Healing through energy manipulation has its limits. Perhaps I was beyond them.

A deep sadness hollowed out my insides. I didn’t want the next time I faced Shaz to be as a vampire. He would cease to be the mate that made my wolf ache; he would only be food.

The light seemed to dim, and my vision swam. I was vaguely aware of the small group that gathered around me. Jez spoke soothing words in low tones to Juliet. They were both ok, and I couldn’t have been happier.

“She’s not going to make it,” Willow spoke in a low, hushed tone. “It’s a mortal wound.”

“What about you? Can you do anything?” Arys’s plea dripped with emotion.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could.” Willow made a small sound of distress and eased away, trying to give Arys a respectful amount of space while I died in his arms.

My eyes closed, and the promise of escape drew near. The sound of my sister’s sobs was especially loud. I slipped further into the approaching black, finding release from the pain there. The voices grew distant.

The last thing I heard distinctly was Shya’s calm, disaffected tone. “There’s something I can do. You might not like it.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

I came awake with a scream. It echoed in the silence of the vast room. Disoriented and shaky, it took a moment for me to figure out where I was.

I was still inside Lilah’s house. In fact, I was inside her circle. Sprawled beside me with eyes open in terror lay a man with his throat slit. One of Lilah’s sacrificial humans, he was dead.

My breath came too hard and fast. I hyperventilated as a series of broken images flashed through my brain. Lena, Raoul, my parents. I had seen them in my dreams as I hovered between life and death. Nothing coherent had lingered.