Anemic yellow eyes narrowed. “If any of them come sniffing around here, then I will find those you care about and take my time in making them wish for death…”
An image flashed through her mind. It was as if she’d fallen into the depths of a hell that spoke of endless agony…of fire.Scorching heat flashed through her mind. Eternal darkness, figures strung up, the horror in their screams reverberating inside her skull as skeletal entities fed on their flesh—
Stifling her cry of terror, Shadow stumbled back from thevisions.
Tolvi flicked his hand with a scowl. “Take her back.”
The two stinkweeds grabbed her arms and flashed. Shadow shut her eyes, dizzy from shock and the unrelenting pain. Minutes later, they tossed her down and disappeared in a flash.
She lay on the cemented ground in the familiar tunnel, a haze of agony, dread, anger, and frustration consuming her. The bastard wanted Nate, but she couldn’t hand him over, and even if she wanted to, Nate was like mist, appearing and disappearing every so often. She hadn’t seen him in months.
Two days? She had to figure out what the hell to do fast before the innocent people in The Refuge got caught in this mess—
Oh, God, Eddi. She had to warn him, too.
Dammit. He could be anywhere during the day. Okay, she’d go to the garage first and alert Aba.
Urgency spurring her, Shadow rolled to sit up—Christ! She gritted her teeth at the agony searing her torso. Tears stung her eyes. When she could breathe again, she lurched to her feet and glanced at her bleeding chest.
Gingerly, she pulled off her ruined top and bra, then put her turtleneck on back to front, the solid fabric concealing her wounds. Mouth clamped, she untied her denim jacket from her hips and pulled it on, covering her exposed back, then shoved the bloodied bra into a pocket. There was no sign of her backpack.
Swiping her damp eyes with her knuckles, she hurried through the dim tunnel until she came to the metal ladder leading to the surface. Maybe Aba would help heal her wounds.
“Where the hell were you?” At Nik’s harsh demand, she squeezed her eyes shut, wanting so badly to run to him, spill everything. “I’ve been searching for you for hours!”
Hours? Shadow shook her head free of the pained haze. Wherever the demons had taken her, time moved faster, it seemed. It’d been mere minutes for her. She cut his hard features a quick look. He appeared a little pale beneath his tan. But no one cared about her except for Eddi.
She shrugged. “I was hiding. I couldn’t take on those numbers, and you appeared to be doing a good job.”
The nerve on his chiseled jaw started up again at her blasé response.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Sucking in lungfuls of stinky air, she grasped the rusting ladder. Working only on adrenaline, she climbed the corroded rungs, each step causing the wound to stretch, adding more to her agony. She shoved at the manhole lid, but it refused to budge.
Move, you stupid lump of metal.She thumped the iron covering with her fist, again and again, ignoring the pain tearing her knuckles.
“Shadow, stop.” A hard body pressed up against her back. A callused hand grasped her wrist, ending her pummeling. His enticing male scent enclosed her. Shadow wanted to lean into him, wanted him to wrap his arms around her, to hold her, so this immense coldness seeping from her very soul would ease, and she wouldn’t feel so alone.
Nik let her go and held onto the side of the ladder near her arm. He reached up with his free hand, and with one small shove, the lid slid free. Shadow hurriedly scrambled out of the manhole and into the humid night, landing on her hands and knees. The moon cast a silvery sheen over the looming buildings. A dog barked somewhere in the distance.
Inhaling the rank smell of waste, she pushed to her feet. As she straightened, black spots blurred her vision. She swayed and fell, crashing into a dumpster.
“Shadow—” Nik grabbed her. “What’s wrong?” This time there was no mistaking the hint of concern and power in his voice, demanding a response. His nostrils flared. “I smell blood. You’re hurt.”
She shook her head, fighting the faintness. “Scraped my knuckles shoving the metal lid—see?” She held up her bruised hand. If she’d nourished her nodes properly, she would have healed in a few hours. And Tolvi’s goons wouldn’t have accosted her so easily.
Goddammit, Nate, why did you steal from him.
Nik’s brows drew together, his pale eyes skimming over her. “It’s more than this scrape…” His gaze settled on her chest. He grasped her neckline.
“No—” She pushed at his hand with the strength of a fly. Too late. He tugged down her top, and she flung a palm on her injured sternum, holding her top in place, biting back a flare of agony. His expression darkened at the lesion on her breast. “What the hell happened?”
“What do you think?” she rasped, struggling not to whimper. “Demons appeared out of nowhere. I got hurt trying to escape.”
His mouth thinned. He held out his hand, and a faint, silvery-blue light coalesced, warming her skin before fizzing out. “Fuck—” he cursed, then lowered his head, and his warm tongue glided over her wounded breast, shocking her.
“Wh-what are you doing?” she squeaked, grabbing his head to push him away.
