Sabine thought herself such a clever witch. Giving Paz her daughter’s soul and the vryko had cemented their deal. She would have power beyond imagining, no more competition from Kaia or any other sea witch, and an end to her enemies, all in one blow.
Watching Will slowly die next to that bastard partner of his was so satisfying. Trust Will to find the one demon in all of hell who wanted to be nice and help people. “Asshole.”
“You called?” Her husband appeared behind her, whole and hearty. And amused.
“You piece of shit,” she screeched and ran at him, exploding into her half-kraken form and bursting through the castle.
As everything crumbled, she did her best to crush him but knew she’d missed. She saw him watching her with Anton, that pathetic excuse for a demon, standing on the ground away from her destruction. So close to death...
Then, to her shock, a dark elf was suddenly there, in front of her, holding a sword that felt like dragon and fire. “You,” he snarled and sliced her throat before she could blink.
As she clutched her neck, trying to stop the bleeding, she heard him bitching about all the animals who’d apparently died during the skirmish on her island.
“I found baby deer ripped apart,” the elf cried, and actual tears trickled down his cheeks. “Squirrels and wolves. And so many birds, so many, forced to endure your cruelty.” He bellowed in a foreign tongue she’d never before heard.
She tried to ignore him as she trailed her tentacles toward the water to aid in her healing. But Anton and his stupid halfbreed of a son grabbed her.
“Good hold, Cho.” Anton grinned. “Not today, witch.”
“There can only be one White Sea Witch, Uncle Anton,” Macy Bishop-Dunwich said, her eyes sad. “Kaia is worth a hundred of you, Sabine, and you know it.”
Desperate, Sabine reached out with her magic.
But the dark elf was there, hatred burning in his eyes. “Your life is forfeit,” he said, clear as day, and sliced off her head. As she slowly died, her magic returned to her, just a spark.
But something soft and furry ate it, swallowing her soul whole. In an instant, her new world became one of pain and servitude.
For an eternity.
Pazuzu winked at her through green eyes and lifted a small gray paw to clean his face.
“Shadow?” She heard the elf gasp. “How did you get here?”
* * *
Orion wokewith Kaia wrapped around him like a constrictor, but he’d never been so happy to be smothered in his life. “Kaia?”
She woke and kissed him all over. “Oh my gosh, you’re here. You’re alive!” She burst into happy tears. “I almost l-lost you.”
Orion kissed her and couldn’t stop kissing her. Until several disgusted groans told him they weren’t alone.
“Get a room,” Kraft said. “You mated vampires are disgusting.”
“Get a life,” Rolf said. “You Kraft, not Orion. He’s got one. And a connection to some water gods, if I’m not mistaken. But that’s just what Iheard.I didn’t get toseeit, because Mormo shoved me with the B team.” He sighed. “I missed out on all the fun.”
“We did kill a lot of zombies,” Duncan reminded him, his tone dry. “And we did get to watch Onvyr behead a sea witch turned kraken and take over her island.”
Everyone paused.
Kaia realized what Duncan had said.
“Nice, Duncan.” Macy glared at him, and to his credit, he looked shamefaced.
“Sorry.”
Kaia wiped her eyes. “She needed to go. Maybe now she’s at peace.”
Orion didn’t think so. Sabine had made a pact with a demon, and she owed it a soul. Pazuzu didn’t seem like the type to go away emptyhanded.
