“No, don’t!” Michael yelled at her.
“—veni,”she finished, pulling free of his hold.
“You tied a hellbeast to you,” he rasped.
Like she cared.
The enormous hellhound prowled over. A low, deadly growl rumbled in its thick chest, a warning to stay clear.
Michael didn’t move, his fingers clenching around his sword. The Guardians hung back, arms tensing at their sides as if about to summon their weapons.
“Don’t touch him,” she snarled.
The hound’s huge head butted her biceps, eyes like burning coals watching them all with an unwavering stare.
Wrapping her arms around her shuddering body, Shadow stalked off into the forest.
Something heavy attached to her back dragged behind her, hitting the branches. More pain bled along her spine and in her shoulder blades, but it didn’t make an impact, shrouded in her agony as she was. The hellbeast prowled alongside her.
“Dammit. One of you go with her,” Michael snapped. “The rest come with me, let’s find the bastard.”
Ely appeared on her other side in a flash. “Shadow, withdraw your wings.”
Wings? Her mind too numb to question Ely as to why she would have wings now, Shadow automatically drew the heavy appendages closed, and the weight on her spine disappeared.
She had to get out of there—
Her entire body wavered and became air. She dematerialized to the city, back to the underground. In her molecular form, her senses heightened even more, and she latched onto the fading taint of the demon she would decimate for killing her mate.
Shadow coasted toward the place Tolvi—no, fuckingMammon—now inhabited.
Several demons in human glamour guarded the lair. As she took form in front of one, she rammed her obsidian dagger into his chest. A shriek ricocheted. She spun around, ducking another coming at her. Ely reformed in a flash, spinning a long black staff with deadly spear points at both ends. She attacked, sending the demon screeching backward. Blood flowed.
The stocky demon grabbed her arm and smirked, his eyes like bleeding moons. “The dark lord will be pleased—”
“We’ll see about that.” Shadow kneed him in the groin. He reared back, squealing.
More demons rushed her. She leaped back, but one seized her by her long hair. Teeth gritted, blade palmed, she twisted and lopped it off.
The demon tripped back, eyes widening at having her locks in his hand. She flung her dagger, embedding it in his sternum.
Her obsidian summoned, she raced across the pitted surface, leaped onto a fallen pillar as two demons rushed her, and propelled herself forward, cannonballing over their heads. She sliced one across the carotid as she landed on her feet. The other spun toward her, and she hurled her blade straight into his throat.
Four more demons emerged from the gloom in their true form—gray, wrinkled, leathery bodies, skeletal faces, and sunken holes for eyes.
“Female,” one hissed. “Our lord awaitsss.”
“Too scared to face me?” she sneered and let her resummoned weapon fly.
The demon roared and lashed out. Shadow ducked, his clawed fist slammed her shoulder, and she fell. It stood over her, like a decaying cadaver—
A chilling growl erupted.
The demon turned. An enormous shape leaped through the dank air, crashing through the hellscums like dominoes. The hellhound snatched the demon near her by his midriff and crunched down with its razor fangs, shaking him. Arms and legs flew in different directions. The remaining curs split, disappearing into the oppressive, fetid air.
Breathing hard, Shadow rolled to her feet and tried to sniff them out…but their stench had faded.
The hellhound prowled close by her as she strode to the wall, determined to break through into their lair. She ran her fingers over the stone’s rough surface for an indentation to a hidden door, for anything…and nothing Frustration grew. Dammit, it had to be here.
