Demons (Darkness #4)(14)

A male went down, rolling away. Three steps had the demon halving the distance to Sasha, faster than thought. Claws swinging.

Shit.

Charles staggered forward, skin on fire. Magic scored him like razor blades. Sweat drenched his face.

So this is what the warning stages of magic shock felt like. Now he knew why Sasha wanted to hold back more often than not.

“Almost…” Toa went down on one knee, yanking the magic away from Charles. Trying to keep it centered. Trying to split his focus. To play Superman.

Dominicous stepped forward with Stefan, shaky on his feet, ready to combat the demon regardless of the magical balance in which he teetered. Another roar shook the ground from the bear, followed by one from a massive tiger.

A quick wave of fear crossed the Boss’ face before determination rushed back in. He stepped toward Tim, cutting him off, trying to cover the hole he thought Tim would leave if he got scared and ran. As he did so, he left a gap…straight for Sasha. The creature saw it, saw her, right before Dominicous slid over, covering the path to her with his body.

“Focus, Stefan. Focus on her,” Dominicous yelled, somehow bracing for that galloping, clawed, grinning monster. Also playing Superman.

“She laid the spell.” Toa went down to his knees. He wavered, his brow dipping low over his eyes. Then his eyes closed. Hands met concrete.

The magic in the link whipped wildly, stabbing Charles before ripping away nearly completely. Then back. Toa hung his head, struggling for control. Struggling with a spell so intricate Charles was lost.

The demon lurched toward the Boss. Swirling magic sparkled along the Boss’ flexed arms, his sword at the ready. His eyes flashed excitement and wrath ready to be unleashed.

Before he could run forward to meet it, though, leaving Sasha open again, Jonas barreled through. Brawn and snarls, orange sword whirling, the crazy male slashed. The sword cut through the demon hide, eliciting a hissing snarl. A dagger blossomed out of nowhere, Jonas’ manic grin one to match that of the demon. Orange blazed and seethed around his arms, turning his body into a weapon. He slashed with them, raking the creature’s arm, ripping leathery skin off like peeling a banana.

Sasha stared straight ahead, as if she could still see the demon through a wall of males and fur. Sweat beaded her brow. Her breath came in fast pants. Her thumb stroked her whistle.

“Stefan…” she whispered.

Toa’s head bent, panting as well. Dominicous stepped forward to slash the creature but staggered, the magic pulsing in the link swung from one person to the other wildly.

Three wolves and a mountain lion vied for position, trying to close Sasha off. Jameson was there, fighting them back, keeping them from her, but also from the fight. Keeping himself from it as well.

“Fight together!” Charles screamed despite himself, his vision clouding, going dark. Pain screamed at him, stabbing then ripping away, leaving him dizzy in its wake.

Jonas was flung to the side, a gaping hole in his arm where a claw had gouged.

“Stefan…” Sasha pleaded.

“Get her out of here!” the Boss screamed, his sword flashing up, ready for the strike.

“Give her more magic!” Toa yelled back, on hands and knees. “She cannot disengage once the spell is laid. It is too intricate—”

“I can’t give to her and fight it off at the same time,” the Boss growled. “She’ll have no protection! I will trade my life for hers if needed.”

“Instead you’ll accomplish the opposite!” Toa’s head drooped, the magic whipping through the link in hard slashes, pounding Charles, then back toward Toa, then to Dominicous. Painful chaos.

The bear fought to get through. The demon bore down. The Boss’ sword came up, as fast as that thing, but before he could lope off an arm, its whole body convulsed.

Its screams cut off at exactly the same moment Sasha fell. Charles dropped his sword in order to catch her, only getting half her body in time, her face scraping the concrete. He cradled her in his arms, half falling on her in a wave of dizziness. He quickly checked for a pulse, his heart in his throat, barely able to see and not caring.

“C’mon, Sasha, be okay,” he prayed, his fingers finding the spot on her fragile neck. Her head lolled.

“We’ve disbanded it,” Toa said in a hiss, struggling to get up. And failing.

Charles glanced through the crack in bodies, his vision clearing in a wave as the link dissolved. To an oily black smear across the concrete. The burnt hair smell had turned into a smell of charred flesh.

“If it wasn’t for you, would she have made it?” Dominicous asked Toa, shaking like a tall building in an earthquake.

“I was able to cut it off around her spell. Had she had more power and energy, she would’ve disbanded it quickly and easily. She needed more energy. More power. Only one person could’ve supplied it—through a blood link.”

A beat in her neck pushed back at Charles’ fingers. He sighed in relief as Jonas came running up, blood gushing out of his arm. Behind him loped the huge tiger and a mountain lion.

“She needed you,” Toa accused the Boss, still not able to stand.

The Boss stared back, uncertainty warring his blank mask.

“If you won’t use your blood link, Stefan, you need to allow someone else to enact one. She cannot be this vulnerable again. You nearly killed her,” Toa pushed, anger contorting his face into something out of a nightmare.