Rapture Untamed (Feral Warriors #4)(50)

Olivia scoffed. "Why in the hell would I do that?"

"Rear attack!" Niall's call had her whirling in a quick arc. The sight she faced behind her chilled her as much as the one in front. While they'd faced the Daemon, four Mage sentinels had crept up from behind.Dammit, I shouldn't have been taken off guard.

Niall's call had alerted them all, but too late. Even as Olivia ran back the way she'd come, she watched Ewan tackled from behind by two Mage sentinels.

As the other two sentinels took on Niall and Delaney, Olivia raced to keep the first pair from overpowering and enthralling Ewan.

But even as she closed the distance between them, the big Therian went suddenly, totally still. Too late.

Goddess help us all.

Mage on one side, a Daemon on the other.

As she leaped at one of Ewan's attackers, the sentinel jumped to his feet to meet the steel of her blade with his own. All her fury, all her frustration, all her fear for Jag and the others poured into her knife arm and while her center of gravity was far lower than her opponent's, she was quick and strong and coldly driven. Within seconds, she'd cut off his hand, sending blade and appendage flying in a spray of blood.

As the Mage howled in pain, she took advantage of his distress to cut off his other hand. Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm and began stealing his life force through her fingers.

The wind kicked up in displeasure.

Her gaze strafed the battlefield. Niall, a strong, sure fighter, would have his Mage opponent down in a trice, but Delaney wasn't as adept at knife fights and appeared to be barely holding her own. Tighe had never intended her to fight. They all knew it.

He'd meant for Ewan to protect her in case they did have to take on one of the Mage.

But everything had gone to hell in a hurry.

As Olivia sucked her opponent's life force, his pain-filled eyes widened with understanding, an understanding he'd never voice. Before he could fall unconscious and give her away, she stabbed him in the chest and dug out his heart.

Just as her blade popped free of his chest, Ewan launched himself at her.

"Ewan, no!" But his eyes were dull with enthrallment, and nothing she said would make a difference. He'd fallen under the control of the Mage.

She dodged his attempt to tackle her to the ground, knowing well, after so many years, Ewan's every move, every strength and weakness. He was stronger than he was quick. And she, particularly after having taken the Mage's entire life force, was both.

As she fought Ewan, she saw Niall cut through his opponent's wrist, and watched as Ewan's second attacker went after Niall instead. Her old friend was a quick, skilled fighter. He should be okay, even against two Mage. As she watched, he ripped out the heart of his first opponent and turned to the second.

The blowing wind began to swirl.

But as she dodged a swipe of Ewan's blade that missed her hip by millimeters, her heart stopped cold. The Daemon swooped in behind Niall.

Olivia yelled, but to no avail. With one wickedly clawed hand, the Daemon dug deep into Niall's skull. With the other, he raked off a wide strip of bloody flesh from Niall's face.

The cry of pain that erupted from her old friend's throat went through her like a dull, serrated blade. Anguish and fury roared up inside her as she ducked beneath Ewan's stab and kneed him hard enough in the balls to send him falling backward.

She had to reach Niall. But as she turned to do just that, Delaney stepped directly in front of her, the two Mage at Delaney's back. The FBI agent's eyes, too, had turned dull with enchantment.

Behind them, Niall had gone still, no longer fighting, and she knew the venom must have conquered his brain. Even as she watched, the Daemon tore a second strip of flesh from Niall's skull ripping out one eye and drawing a horrible cry of pain from his nearly immobilized throat.

Olivia felt the blood drain from her face, a cold, desperate horror washing down her back. Niall would die unless she stopped the Daemon. Using her superior strength, she knocked Delaney's feet out from under her and rammed her elbow into the base of the woman's skull hard enough to knock her out cold, praying she'd remain safe like that.

The Daemon fed on pain and fear and would, hopefully, ignore an unconscious woman.

As one, Ewan and the two Mage came at her as if to tackle her to the ground. She slipped by two of them, but the third cut her off, and she found herself surrounded, unable to do anything but counter the steel blows with her own blades.

Niall made another horrible cry of pain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the Daemon had moved in front of him and slashed his gut wide open. With his clawed hand, the Daemon pulled Niall's intestines out of his body.

Dear goddess. She had to save him, but she was fighting for her own life, desperately trying to save herself.

Did she dare try to feed enough to scare off the Daemon? Could she possibly do so without hurting the others? The risk was terrible, for Niall already clung to life by a thread.

She had no choice. Out of options.

Olivia opened herself and fed at what had become her lowest level.

The Daemon squawked, but didn't move away. It wasn't enough. She increased her feeding strength until finally Ewan's and the Mage's attacks slowed. Ewan stumbled, and Olivia took the opportunity to escape the two remaining blades and vaulted for the Daemon.

If she could reach him, touch him...

Niall had fallen unconscious. Had she killed him when she fed? Had she stolen the last of his strength? Even as the horrible thought tore at her mind, the Daemon reached deep into Niall's chest cavity and ripped out his heart. And she knew whatever she'd done hadn't mattered.