A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #2)(19)

“I’ll take care of it,” I yelled at Hannon as I jumped, grabbed the top of the fence, and hauled myself over. We really needed to think about adding a gate back here.

A hand caught my ankle. A grunt, and the hand released.

As I flung my body over, I caught sight of Hannon with his axe again, readying for another blow. The male demon staggered to the side, howling with agony as he reached over his shoulder to the center of his back.

“Go, Finley!” Hannon yelled.

My feet dropped down, and I hesitated for a moment. No way was I going to go if the demons stayed behind.

A moment later, though, small hands gripped the top of the fence. The female demon planned to pursue.

“I’ll be back,” I yelled, turning to run.

“Don’t come back, Finley. It’s not safe for you here…”

The words drifted into the night as I put on a burst of speed, hearing the lady demon drop down to the ground behind me. Adrenaline surged through me, but my heart caught on Hannon’s words. Don’t come back. But where would I go?

The answer smacked into me, but I didn’t have time to absorb it. I ran through an alley and out onto the lane. I needed speed now, not stealth. The footsteps of the demon were fast on my heels, gaining.

Go, go, go, I urged my animal, pulling her as close to the surface as possible without letting her take full control. I need more.

This would be a really good time for four legs.

Power thrumming through me, we put on a burst of speed, tearing down the center of the lane. At the end, we turned right and blasted past my reading sycamore. The edge of the wood jiggled in my vision as we sprinted. The demon’s boots behind me ate up the ground, hot on my heels.

Almost there, I said.

I still don’t see why we can’t stop and kill her here.

Because if someone sees me kill her, they will know I killed her. In the wood, any manner of things can happen, like the beast getting both of us. Hannon can say I’ve died, they can pretend to mourn—

Okay, okay. I get it. Almost there.

Took you long enough.

A branch scratched my cheek as I burst through the perimeter of the Forbidden Wood. I ran a pace, wanting to get in nice and deep. That blasted owl screeched, closer to the perimeter than usual. It probably held a grudge because I’d tried to hit it with a rock. One of these days I would get it, just to make it bugger off.

Breathing ragged, I got to a small, open patch and staggered to a stop, playing up that I was tired. The female demon slowed, her large bosom rising and falling. It had never occurred to me that they might not be able to go on forever. Her heavily lidded gaze took in my sword and my stance; she was probably correctly ascertaining that I’d had zero training with a sword and likely didn’t know what I was doing with it. Little did she know that I didn’t need a tutor to figure out how to stick the pointy end into her person. Still, I did wish I’d grabbed my dagger instead. I had more finesse with it.

“Nice blade,” she said in a delicate purr. “No common girl has a blade like that. You must have rich friends.”

“Common girls know how to steal. By the by, do sex kittens know how to fight?”

“Even kittens have claws.” She wound closer with a seductive smile. Her magic curled around me, caressing, stroking. Bile rose in my throat.

“Gross. Stop that.” I took a step toward her. Time to get this done.

“Your eyes are glowing,” she said. “That means you have enough power to access your animal. Can you shift, as well?”

“No. You can, though, right? What sort of nightmare do you change into?”

She laughed. “Hmm. Sassy. I like that. Why don’t you give up this tough-girl routine and succumb to me? I’ll take good care of you, I promise. Have you ever had a woman lick your pussy? We’re better at it than men. We know what feels good, how best to tease your orgasm until it explodes through you. You’ll like it.”

“A woman? Maybe. A demon? Y’all can go fuck yourselves.”

“Oh, I do. Would you like to watch? Is that what gets you off?”

Damn it. I’d walked into that one.

“Come now, little pet,” she said, five feet from me now, no weapon in hand. Her fingers probably turned to claws in her demon form, though. She didn’t need weapons. “First I’ll pleasure you…” Her magic pumped through the air, thick and syrupy, coating my skin and turning my stomach. “Then we’ll go to the castle and see what is to be done with you. I bet the demon king would greatly like to meet you. He likes to toy with pretty things like you. Tell me, have you ever begged for cock? Crawled on your knees, desperate to be fucked?”

“Again, maybe. But not by one of you arrogant, fucked-up bastards. I want nothing to do with you.” I lunged, stabbing forward with the sword.

She twisted and stepped to the side, easily evading me. I turned the lunge into a slice, but the sword was too big and cumbersome. She darted into my reach, her hip in line with the hilt of my sword. She reached out, and her body changed color to a mottled red and orange, like her scales were flaking off. Horns twisted from her head, and her face flattened with slits for a nose.

She slashed down with her long claws, grazing my skin. I grunted but held on to the sword until my senses caught up to me. I dropped it, reaching for my injured arm with my free hand. She smiled, exposing yellowed teeth, and her tongue slithered out and tasted the air.