Riley booted the cell door open but grabbed the thing before it hit the wall. They hurried along to the silent cells.
Even without lights, Týr could clearly see the human children huddled on the grimy floor in both cells. Their hair lank, clothes torn and dirty, tears staining their grimy faces. A blond boy of about five hung onto a younger kid, dull eyes watching them.
Assholes probably had them under a spell or something. They would all need their memories scrubbed of this horror.
Kira was already examining them, checking for injuries.
Another boy in the shadowy corner, curled against the wall with his knees drawn up, snagged Týr’s attention. The faint scent of candy drifted to him. Tomas? He strode over, hunkered down, and gently touched the lad’s thin, brown cheek, his skin sporting an ashy tinge. Dark, dull eyes lifted to stare blankly at him, but the boy’s terror abraded Týr’s psyche like a fist in his chest. There, on the side of Tomas’s neck were twin puncture wounds. Blood oozed down his throat. The bastards were already feeding. Týr eased Tomas up, and he wavered on his feet. Damn, he was too weak.
“Tomas!” Kira rushed to his side. “Oh, sweetie!”
The moment Týr picked him up, he started fighting and kicking in sheer terror.
“Tomas, stop, it’s me, Kira,” she whispered, stroking his hair. “We’ll get you out of here, we promise.” He dove from Týr’s arms into hers, wrapping his thin limbs around her, holding on tight. Despite him being quite small in build, Kira couldn’t carry him for long or move fast. Týr tried again, but Tomas refused to let go of her. Dammit.
“Let me,” Riley cut in.
“Tomas, this is my brother, Riley,” Kira said, worry darkening her eyes. “He’ll take you out of here. I can’t carry you, sweetie, you’re getting too big.”
A shaky smile lit Tomas’s pallid features. “See? I’m growing.”
“Yes, you are.” She rubbed his shoulders affectionately. “But we need to get out of this place, okay?”
Riley stroked the boy’s head, and suddenly, as docile as a tame cat, he let Riley take him. The other kids, equally quietly followed him out.
“That boy’s gonna make my life hell back on Earth,” Týr muttered, grasping Kira’s hand and making tracks down the corridor to the front room.
Her soft laughter wrapped around him like a wave of light. She wheeled around and slipped both of her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. “You don’t know how happy I am that we found Tomas, or how glad I am to hear your droll—”
A deafening ruckus exploded and all hell broke loose. Demons appeared in a shuddering grayish flash, slitted ruby eyes fixed on them, blocking their exit.
“Riley!” Týr roared, heart thumping in fear as he thrust Kira behind him to evade a sizzling firebolt. “Get Kira and the kids outta here.”
“Can’t flash,” Riley snarled. “Warded against it!”
Fuck, fuck, fuck!“Stay behind me!” Týr yelled at Kira. A bolt struck him in the chest. He stumbled back, unable to breathe, his lungs were probably wrapped around his spine. Flames from the hit rolled off him harmlessly.
The demon screeched. Assholes here would know better than to attack him with fire now.
“Catch,” Riley shouted, tossing an iron sword at him. Týr leaped up, snatching the blade midair, and flipped to his feet. More bolts, energy-bolts this time, flew at him, one gouging the skin of his biceps like a freaking meteor. A feminine grunt had his focus snapping over his shoulder—
Motherfucker!He let out a string of vicious expletives at the sight of Kira fighting off a huge, lumbering demon. She ducked the male’s blows, and as he grinned and swooped in, she kneed him in the balls. The demon shrieked and grabbed his nuts, his knees buckling.
Adrenaline pumping, Týr swung his sword, beheading the scourge in front of him. He spun around just as Kira rammed her blade into the demon’s heart. The scum collapsed. Scaly, lizard-like demons with whipping tails fell from the ceiling like roaches and attacked him. Terrified childish screams ricocheted. A bald, humanoid demon dragged the two blond children with him.
Shit. Týr fought through the surging demons. He had to get to the kids, but the horde hemmed him in.
“You’re too late!” Baldie laughed, slapping his palms on both kids’ chests. The luminescent threads of their life force streamed out in tendrils and rushed into him. He groaned in joy, dropping their lifeless bodies.
“No!”Kira sprinted over to the other children huddling against the building. She stood in front of the kids, arms spread out like a fucking shield as the demon strutted to her, powered by the life energy he’d just stolen.
The bastard!Shouting out an age-old warrior cry, Týr swung his sword like lightning, severing limbs and heads. He cannonballed over the others coming at him like a swarm of dung beetles—several blows landed on his face and head. Damn hellscums! He swung his sword in a merciless arc, clearing a way—
“No, you fuckin’ don’t!” Riley snarled. Suddenly, he had Baldie pinned against the wall. He grabbed the demon’s head and twisted, yanking it off as if it were a toy. Blood sprayed.
A shimmer in the air formed, and Dare appeared, grinning. “Tower’s taken care of. Hell—” He blinked at the shuddering, headless body. “That’s a sight sure to traumatize.”
“Riley, get them out of here.Now!” Týr barked. “I’m going to bring this fucking place down!” As Riley rushed Kira and the kids toward the exit, with Dare at their back, Týr took off after the bastards fleeing for freedom. He willed his ability to the forefront. Heat swirled, thundering through his veins and brightening to an orangey-red glow like lava about to blow.
