It gagged, hissing and pulling away from me as more smoke leaked from the cracks in its skin. “What have you done? Who are you?”
Rubbing my throat, I felt the necklace dangling against my skin again. I let out a breath and smirked at it. “I’m Lilith fucking Whitlock, and I’m going to pass this trial.”
It let out a God-awful screech before the world fell away like puzzle pieces. Reality distorted in front of me as my clarity came back.
I stepped back, breaking eye contact with the red-eyed abandoned and getting my footing ready for a fight. “Stay the fuck out of my head!”
Its teeth flashed as it smiled, and then it rushed forward in a blur of smoke.
My muscles tightened, and I dodged, pushing my hand into its back to knock it off balance. It stumbled over, gracefully turning back to face me.
“You can do this!” Blaise banged on the wind wall between us. “I have all the fucking faith in you.”
My chest fluttered from the praise, and I widened my stance, waiting for it to make its move.
It rushed at me again, but as I went to dodge the attack, it switched course. It turned, standing directly behind me, and sliced into my back.
My breath caught as excruciating heat burnt my flesh in between my shoulder blades. “Fuck!”
“Lilith!” Kai’s voice sounded far away as I stumbled forward.
I strained my leg muscles to keep standing and turned to face it. Its claws had pieces of my flesh hanging off them and dripped with my blood. I gritted my teeth as the pain continued to radiate from the wound.
The creature let out a haunting laugh and tried the same move from before as it charged.
This time, I was ready for it and threw an elbow to the side to block its arm. I brought my leg up and kicked it in the side. The force of my kick sent it flying into the wall. It got up, unfazed, and went to lunge again.
The white-hot pain spread up my neck and down my legs, but I tried to ignore it. Just as the creature relaunched at me, my knees buckled, and a harrowing scream tore from my chest.
“Enough!” Kalyke boomed, causing the creature to stop mere inches from my fucking face. My flesh dropped from its teeth, plopping onto the ground in front of me. “Carmilla, if you would be so kind?”
She nodded, excusing herself before leading the abandoned out of the room.
I slumped forward onto my hands as the wind barrier was brought down. Thaddeus was the first to reach me, pulling me into a careful embrace. Kai and Blaise were right behind him.
Gabriel walked over and waved a hand over my back. A warmth spread over the pain, subduing it. An itching-feeling tugged at my wound, and in moments it was completely healed.
“Holy fuck,” I breathed out. “That feels so much better.”
“I’d say so,” Thaddeus bit out. “Their claws are laced with venom.”
“I’ve never seen anyone that was able to fight off a mind attack from a red-eyed abandoned before,” Kai said. “I’m proud of you.”
“You kicked its arse, Poppy.” Blaise rubbed my shoulder.
I tried to hold in the excitement about not dying. My fate was still in the Order’s hands. Even if the guys were impressed, it didn’t mean they were.
I faced Gabriel as the guys helped me back to my feet. “You can heal?”
“I’m an angel,” he said. “Of course I can.”
“Did I pass?”
His eye twitched, but he forced a smile with a nod. “You passed.”
The guys visibly relaxed, and I fell against Kai, who wrapped an arm around my waist.
My muscles throbbed, but at least there was no more flesh missing. “Are we going home now?”
