At the thought of her getting caught in the middle of our fight, fire explodes through my veins. With two swords in hand, I vanish in a cloud of smoke, andreappear crouching on top of the hellbeast. By the time it registers my weight and attempts to grab for me, I’m plunging both blades into its back.
The swords sink hilt-deep into the monster’s charred flesh, but it isn’t far enough. I push out more dark magic, making the blades grow and twist inside its torso, until the hellbeast falls forward with a wet crunch. Thankfully, it doesn’t move again.
My eyes flick up from the dead creature beneath me, scanning the alley for any sign of Joseline. I can just make out a sliver of her dress sticking out of a recessed doorway in the next building. Knowing I’ve used far too much magic already, and that I’m about to use even more to get us out of here, I slide down from the hellbeast’s form and sprint in her direction.
The woman I find waiting for me hardly resembles the snarky, fiery female I danced with at the club. For one, she looks stone cold sober, staring at me with wide eyes. For two, she looks terrified.
Here I thought she wasn’t afraid of anything.
“Come on.” I offer her my hand, but she just stares at it in disbelief.
“What the hell is that?” Her eyes track down the alley to the crumpled hellbeast, which is already beginning to disintegrate. Once they die, it only takes a few minutes for their forms to dissolve; twenty minutes and it’ll be like the thing was never here.
“A hellbeast,” I say, gesturing to my hand. “We don’t have time for explanations. We have to get out of here.”
Reluctantly, she takes it, and I drag her to her feet ina swift motion. She’s still breathing fast, fear pouring off her in steady waves.
“But what do you… these things just roam around?” Her eyes search mine for any sort of explanation. “How come no one told me? How come…”
“Technically, it was hunting me,” I say, immediately regretting it.
Her brows shoot up toward her hairline, and she attempts to take a step back. “Hunting you? Why is it hunting you?” Realization flashes over her features, and her eyes grow wider still. “Is it hunting the band?”
I want to answer all her questions, to soothe the nerves that are surely eating her alive, but I don’t have fucking time right now. I need to get her away from here; I need to warn Sebastian.
If there are more, I need to get these fuckers off my tail.
“Listen to me,” I snap, my voice sharp enough to get her attention. “I’ll explain everything later, but right now we need to fucking go. One of these things isn’t a problem, but an army of them…” I let my words trail off, hoping she gets the picture.
Judging by her horrified expression, she does.
“Right,” she whispers, her eyes darting frantically around the alley like more creatures will appear at any second. “We should… go.”
“Hold on to me,” I urge, reaching for her hand and dragging her close. I don’t miss the way her breath hitches as her eyes shoot up to lock with mine. “This might be a little uncomfortable.”
“What do you mean?”
I don’t bother answering as a black torrent of smoke whips to life around us, spiraling like a mini tornado. Joseline squeaks and throws her arms around my neck, catching me off guard, and I grab her by the waist.
The air around us squeezes, the blackness growing until the alley completely disappears, and we vanish into the air.
Chapter 21
Joseline
When I open my eyes again, we’re standing in my hotel room. My arms are still locked tightly around Tobias’ neck, my chest pressed firmly against his muscular torso. For a moment, I’m taken aback by the closeness, heat spreading through me from every point of contact.
Then panic slams into me full force.
“Holy shit,” I gasp, taking a hurried step back to put space between us. “Holy shit. Holy shit.” My mind is a mess as I spiral, running through everything that just happened.
I was almost killed by a demon.
And I was saved by… another demon.
“Sweetheart, you’re fine.” Tobias’ voice makes it through my frantic thoughts, but I can’tcalm down.
The panic lancing through me is overwhelming, all consuming. My breaths come faster, and my hands start to shake. I squeeze my eyes closed and try to focus on my breathing, failing to fight off the panic attack that’s quickly overrunning my system.
