Demons (Darkness #4)(51)

“Of course. You know me; I like to get it right before I use my knowledge to its full potential.”

“But you didn’t get it right with Trek.”

Soft laughter echoed across the clearing. “Not yet. He’s a fool, but a useful one. And you’ve kept him safe and sound for me, thank you for that. I will pick up that project after this. With all your magic workers here, who is left to protect your homestead?”

“We’ve always had more talent than you, Andris. We have plenty more magic workers at the mansion, and more still in other outcroppings.”

“Yes, but not the best. Speaking of—” His honey-spun eyes flashed to me. “Sasha, so good of you to come. Do you think you’re ready for this?”

“I have a white mage, too.” I jerked a thumb at Toa. “And your practicing has really helped my understanding of how these little suckers exist. I can blink this thing out lickity-split.”

“Are you so sure?” Andris asked in a silky voice.

Nope. I absolutely wasn’t. Especially in the face of all that confidence. But he didn’t have to know that.

“Let’s get the show on the road,” I drawled. “I’m not in the mood for drawing things out.”

“Of course.”

A flare of brilliant orange lit up the clearing, a translucent circle shimmering around the demon. Its face turned straight again, its eyes glancing from one face to the next. When it got to mine, it stopped. A tiny smile quirked plump lips.

“A power play among masters. But you are so young. Such a young, pretty thing.” The words tickled my ears and seduced my senses. They sparkled and shimmered, wrapping me up and sucking all of my focus toward it. I didn’t want to look away. I didn’t want to breathe. I only wanted to listen. “I will enjoy feasting on your young flesh.”

“What, no riches and wealth of power?” I asked sardonically, barely hearing my own voice, my magic pushing into that circle and feeling around the spells contained there.

“I have no need of riches. I have my own wealth of power. But, oooh, your magic feels nice. Clean. Uncorrupted. Yes, a good feast it will be.”

“Sasha…”

The name flapped around my head, trying to work into my consciousness. My name. Someone was calling me.

“Sasha.”

I could barely turn my head with the draw of the being in the center of the circle. My gaze, hating to be away from that soft, glowing face, focused on a pair of onyx eyes, squinted with worry.

Stefan.

My heart leaped, trying to connect with that other half. My other half. Trying to find solace within him.

My mind bowed, ripped away toward a new focus. The mists cleared from my thoughts. I stared at that impossibly handsome face.

“Stick with me, baby,” Stefan said earnestly. “Stick with me.”

In a flare of light that had all the warriors flinching, the circle fluxed … and winked out. Everyone braced.

Mayhem.

Huge black wings spread out behind the demon, oil slicked and holey. A loud screech, like a bird of prey, erupted from its throat. Fangs grew from its mouth as claws elongated from its fingers.

“Kill him!” Andris pointed directly at Stefan.

The shifters lurched forward, growls and snarls drowning out the seething beast within that circle. Stefan’s warriors pushed forward, swords held high. Stefan stepped with them, shoving me behind him.

The line of magic workers filed in front of me the next instant, blocking me off. Dividing me from Stefan. Flashes of pale gold light zinged toward the demon, shimmering before molting into black and singeing away.

Another screech.

The demon’s claws ripped out and sliced, tearing a throat from a badger. The wings, fluttering now, slashed and maimed anything it touched, as if the ends were made of razor blades. Animals and men both fell to the sides, blood splashing the air-riding clumps of flesh and fur, as the demon shredded through the crowd.

Stefan rushed forward, his sword out, no longer directing people, focused solely on his enemy. He knew it challenged him, and he rose to meet that challenge head-on.

“We must blood link!” Toa shouted above the din. He grabbed my arm and hauled me backward. “We must link! Stefan is lost. He is manic—look at him!”

The angel turned, her decrepit wings spreading out behind her, one tearing through Stefan’s duster, slicing a line of red into his back. He ripped off the leather, huge muscled arms swirling with white-crusted gold. Movements silky and graceful despite the awe-inspiring power and strength, he charged through the fight, violence and destruction, leading by example.

But Toa was right—his face, like that of Jonas and Jameson, was single-minded focus infused with pain. His head—all their heads—probably flashed with memories. With nightmares. The things that woke him up screaming were the things he was battling now. In the flesh. Without me.

I glared at Toa, wild-eyed. “We don’t have time for a blood link. What about Dominicous? Can I focus on that?”

“We could never pull him out in time!” Toa pointed to my new father, deep in the fray, fighting right alongside Stefan. Battle rage had taken over the lot of them. This was how they dealt with attacks, leaving the magic workers to sort out the rest.

But the magic workers weren’t enough. Without me able to link, we’d have to rely on the other circle—except, they fought their huge flux of magic between them, their fear making the link unstable. Their magic worked too slowly—by the time they cut out the demon, most of Stefan and Tim’s men would be dead, including my future mate, my new father, and all my new friends.