The other Narakas’ eerie black orbs fixed on her like a dog after a bone. He countered her every lunge and parry, never really striking her as if waiting for her to tire. Asshole. He spat. Ugh. She darted back onto the hallowed ground and safety.
Why aren’t the Guardians here?
Another figure appeared in front of her, a silver dagger in his hand.
She blinked. “Laex? What are you doing here?”
The dark-haired demon glanced at her and shrugged. “I followed this lot from the underground.”
“Wrong metal for the blade, Laex.” He was a demon, didn’t he know that? “Only iron kills them,” she yelled over the rustling rain, her gaze rushing back to Nik as he slew the demons attacking him. “You need to get out of here, or you’ll die!”
“Then I do—” Laex nailed a Narakas in its massive chest. “It was the only weapon I had.”
A blade swung at Nik, and he stumbled.
Christ, she pressed a hand to her chest in terror, feeling as if her heart would escape her. Just as fast, Nik wheeled back at the demon who wounded him, beheading him with a swing of his sword.
Laex moved to leap into the fight. She dived forward off the church porch, grabbing his arm. “No, don’t. It’s dangerous.”
“Yeah, I’m not that brave,” he muttered, stepping back.
But witnessing what the Guardians faced most nights, her heart hammered in her throat. Nik fought with deadly precision, and she saw just what made him so lethal. The cold, focused way he worked, shutting out everything. The Narakas fell, heads rolling. They disintegrated moments later.
Amidst the cacophony of shrieks and fighting demons surrounding Nik in a circle, a silver sword glinted. She peered through the rain…and caught a glimpse of white hair and dusky skin. Her heart stuttered. Tolvi!
He leaped at Nik—
Before she even found her voice to yell, several ice lances nailed Tolvi. He stumbled back as if in shock. Nik’s sword arched in a dizzying speed, and he beheaded the demon.
Shadow blinked. It was over? Tolvi was dead?
Oh, thank God.
“Hmm, the Guardian’s exceptional,” Laex grunted from her side. “Too bad, Tolvi was a piss-head.”
Shadow wholeheartedly agreed. Piss-head? She frowned. It seemed too weak a word to describe the jerk. Tolvi reeked of menace.
“But, it’s not over.”
“What—?” Her head snapped back, a steely arm banding around her neck.
“It’s time…” Laex whispered in her ear, dragging her away from the church and into the forest before her shocked mind could process.
“What the hell, Laex?”
His blade pressed into her throat, freezing her struggles. “Don’t bother yelling for your Guardian. He can’t hear you. This little weapon,” he stroked the blade against her skin, “is spelled and protects us from detection. I couldn’t get to you while on hallowed ground but counted on you stepping away and stopping me from getting hurt. Predictable female.”
Fuckin’ traitor! Shadow elbowed him in the stomach.
He grunted. Digging the dagger harder against her neck, he yanked both her hands to her back with his free hand. “I thought it would be harder to get you to my master with your immortal companions always around, but divide and conquer still works, even now.” He laughed, sounding so damn proud of his achievements. “While the rest of the Guardians are busy elsewhere with little demon fights out in public, it left you open.”
“Why?” she demanded, blinking the rain from her face. “Nik saved Joyce. Don’t you know anything about loyalty?”
“Ifound her. I only required their powers to break her free,” he retorted. “Why? Because my master tasked me with a job—to find you and bring you over. Also, I was promised a huge bounty for you, and mostly because you irritate me with all yourgood little deeds,” he spat, his hatred palatable.
How the hell could she have been so wrong about him?
“Now Joyce’s rushed off to the damn Shelter. After all I’ve done for her. But she’ll soon see the error of her ways.”
