“If this is how you want to play this,” the demon shouted,moving to allow the dozen or so hellhounds to stand in front of him, “then so be it, bitch queen! Let them bleed for you,diefor you. Then I will cut those babies from your belly myself and feed them to the hounds!”
Disgust rolled through me, but I couldn’t do anything as I watched the first hound leap forward and try to clamp its jaw around Xerxes.
A breath caught in my throat as I watched the tall Primal swing his arm into the hound and knock it back into the others. Gunfire rang through the air as Sunniva and Lazarus let off several rounds of bullets. Some cut through the hounds, but that didn’t stop them. It angered the beasts, urging them on with a far more vicious attack.
Somehow, a visible shield appeared around the small group of us hiding away; Theon tried to hush one of the crying infants, while Otto continued to silently hold two of the smaller children to his chest, eyes staring into the dark tunnel, not at the battle playing out around us.
I couldn’t help but follow his stare. “Are you waiting for Dante to show himself?” I asked without looking at him.
“I have a feeling he will not stop us,” he replied, voice hoarse. “My son is a coward. And I do not know what I will do if I see him again.”
A shiver rolled down my spine as Otto’s dark eyes found mine. He said nothing else as he turned towards the fight, and I couldn’t help but do the same.
Cato’s ice magic chilled the air, especially as he sent spears through the hounds, skewering them to the ceiling and walls. Xerxes flung another hellhound off him, this time slamming it against the wall and trapping it in the stone with his own magic.
Hawk, though, circled the demon. I held my breath as the whip was put away, replaced by a knife, the blade long. It glinted in the witch light, the end already stained with blood.
Over Hawk’s shoulder, the pain demon looked at me, eyes shining with a familiar cruelty, with an excitement that made nausea churn in my stomach.
And yet, I couldn’t tear my eyes off them, not even when the demon launched his attack. He came at Hawk swinging, the blade racing through the air. But Hawk swerved, ducking beneath his arm, and slammed his elbow into the demon’s back. I choked on a sound as the demon only stumbled before righting himself and came at Hawk harder.
Several guttural howls sounded somewhere beyond the tunnel. Not in the direction we’d come down, but towards the exit.
No. More hellhounds appeared, at least a dozen.
But before they could throw themselves into the fight, they came to an eerie halt. They made no sound, and only the glow of their eyes could be seen in the darkness.
I looked to Theon, who stilled beside me. “Why aren’t they attacking?” I whispered, checking over my shoulder for their master. Only Dante had the power to control them. But when I searched for any sign of him, there was nothing but the thick darkness we’d walked through.
When I turned to Theon again, his eyes weren’t on the new army of hellhounds. I followed his line of sight and took in Otto’s still form, the glow of his eyes as he focused on the hounds.
“Is he…is he controlling them now?” I asked.
Theon cleared his throat. “I guess he is.”
Behind me, I heard a yell and spun to take in Hawk breathing hard as he stood over the fallen demon.
The half-Fae male looked up, eyes black, and met my stare. For a moment, I watched the war play out in his eyes as he considered whether he should slaughter the demon or keep him alive.
For me, it was an easy choice. He was a torturer, had hurt nearly everyone in this tunnel. He was vicious, wicked, and he felt no remorse for what he’d done. For Goddess knew how long, he’d been the perfect weapon for Dante to enact his cruelty, and the male saw no problem with that.
The last thing I wanted was to give him another chance. Ididn’t want him to continue being a nightmare to these children—to my mates.
It might not have been my decision; I probably shouldn’t act as judge and jury, but he also didn’t deserve to live.
Males like him, if given the chance, found ways to survive. Just like Dante would if he wasn’t taken out. Like Hyperion Black and the rest of that supposed High Council Dante had. If given the chance, they’d find a way to escape punishment.
And yet, I knew better than to take the choice away from those he hurt.
As if hearing that thought, Hawk bowed his head. He cocked his arm and slammed his fist into the demon’s face before the male could find his footing again. And then, black marks snaked their way up the demon’s arms and face. Horror filled his eyes as he looked back at me, fear shining in them as they rolled into the back of his head.
I didn’t flinch or look away this time as Hawk sucked the power from his body and claimed it as his own.
The pain demon went limp, falling to the ground in a heap. I blinked hard as I stared at his crumpled body, then Hawk’s bleeding eyes as he shuddered. He took a stumbling step over the demon towards us.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked Theon, taking a step forward, unable to take my eyes off Hawk.
“Is he bonded to you?”
