He cracked open his eyes as I ripped off my t-shirt and attempted to pack his wound. “Run.”
I’d maybe pay attention to what he had to say if he wasn’t bleeding out. “Why aren’t you healing?”
“Claws. Poison.”
Well that didn’t bode well for me. And it explained why my side felt like it was engulfed in acid.
A peal of laughter reached my ears as I attempted to push Agaliarept’s guts back into his body.
Whoever had let out that creepy laugh was approaching. I could feel them stalking closer.
“Hand over the knife, witch, and we’ll let you live.”
What were they talking about? Were they planning to steal the Dagger of Truth?
“Mine,” I slurred as my vision dimmed. “Dead body.”
“Wewilltake it from your dead body, thank you.” That menacing chuckle again. “But it’s not yours, is it?”
I frowned. How did they know I had the Mistilteinn Dagger? Then it finally clicked. They wanted the knife from the apartment. I’d shoved it in the sheath in my boot and forgotten about it.
“Go fuck yourself.” If they wanted the knife, it was because they were the ones who’d killed those poor demon women. And it could help lead back to them.
The voice laughed again and I realized it was a woman. “Kill them both,” she ordered.
The world was getting soft around the edges. Distantly, I knew the lesser demons were gathering to charge us, and I fought to get to my feet.
I made it as far as my knees, barely staying conscious. Enemies surrounded us– I could see their bodies in the edge of my vision, blurred as it was. This was it.
The night sky suddenly lit up with an opalescent, purple-gold light. It shimmered and danced, trapping us inside, protecting us from the demons.
I gaped at its beauty, even as my hands shook with relief. Help was here. The lesser demons began to run into the ward, screaming in frustration as their prey was stolen from them. I crouched over Agaliarept, facing the demons, my knife clutched in my hand.
If he could set this ward, the least I could do was keep his body safe while it attempted to heal.
The lesser demons exploded, turning to mist. In a split second, there was nothing but puddles of blood and goo where they’d stood. The beast was gone too, and the world went eerily silent. Footsteps approached as I slumped over Agaliarept’s body.
“Little witch,” a voice crooned. When had I closed my eyes? I managed to crack them open, and Samael’s face danced in front of me. He was frowning, and his silver eyes were so dark they appeared black. “Lower your ward, Danica.”
“Not mine,” I slurred. “Agaliarept’s.”
His face hardened. “If I have to break it, it’ll hurt,” he warned, and I frowned in an attempt to understand.
“Can’t set wards,” I explained, hating that my discussion with him was using the last of my precious energy. “I can only break them.”
“Very well then.”
A look of what might’ve been regret crossed his face as he slammed his hand against the shimmering golden purple glow, and the ground rose up to meet me.
* * *
Samael
“How is he?”
“The poison struck deep,” the fae male said, tutting as he worked his magic. “He’s lucky to be alive. The healing spells will be particularly brutal due to his other injuries. If he wakes, it may not be for some time.”
I closed my eyes briefly. The hellhound and the lesser demons had both been summoned to attack my second and the witch. Both had been unconscious ever since— Agaliarept fighting to cling to life, and Danica…
