Roaring, Maloch flew several steps away. A snap of his fingers, and a long black whip appeared in his hand. The thing sizzled a fiery gold in the night air.
The fucker had to know a demonic weapon of that power couldn’t be on the mortal realm without the others sensing it. It sparked and crackled with flames.
A cruel smile split Maloch’s bloody face. “Did you really think you could win against me?”
Blaéz shoved into Maloch’s mind, wanting to turn the fucker into ash, but hit a psychic block. The bastard had shielded himself against his ability. Blaéz summoned his sword. The tattoo shimmered and took form in his hand, the ancient script settling into the gleaming black blade in a flare of power.
He swung his sword as Maloch lashed out. The whip whistled through the air and recoiled in a hiss as Blaéz struck, slicing the hellish weapon in half. Just as fast, it rematerialized into a new one, but the cut off end licked Blaéz across his belly before disintegrating. Pain spread. Teeth grinding down, he leaped into the air, his weapon coming down hard in a deathblow.
Maloch evaded, got slashed across the chest. He snarled, mumbled a few words, and a portal shimmered open in the ground. His minions climbed out of the gateway, scuttling around their master like dung beetles.
His fear for Darci growing, Blaéz mind-linked with one of the warriors—had no idea who,trouble—get here!
He shoved into the minion’s mind and let loose his power. One by one the demons exploded, turning to dust as he beheaded the ones coming at him.
A familiar vibration in the air and the other Guardians appeared, flanking him. They would have sensed the insidious sensation wherever they were and tracked it here.
Snarling, Týr plunged his sword into a demon’s chest. “What the fuck is that thing?”
“Hell’s whip,” Blaéz snapped, shooting a sharp look over his shoulder at Darci who still stood frozen near his car.
“Freakin’ shitheads!” Aethan grunted from his left, evading a demon bolt. “Go. Get her to safety, we have this.”
As they dove into the horde, Blaéz spun for Darci, but the fiery whip lashed out like lightning and lassoed around his arm, yanking him back. Unbelievable pain spread as the taint of the evil slid though him…damn bastard!
* * *
Nooo!Darci watched in horror as the pale-skinned demon who’d haunted her childhood dreams yanked Blaéz back, the whip wrapped around his arm. He stumbled. Regaining his balance, he switched hands with his sword, and sliced the whip. The cut off end loosened and fell. Blood seeped from the wound on his bicep, drenching his slashed sleeve.
She shuddered at the agony he must feel, yet Blaéz didn’t even flinch.Oh, God, please. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of the dagger he’d given her, barely aware of a dull warmth coursing through her palm.
A familiar fragrance of candy and roses drifted from behind her. She spun around. Her gaze widened in surprise. “Nora?”
“Yeah.” Her friend folded her arms over her chest and continued to survey the brutal fight. Instead of the cocktail dress, she now wore cargo pants and a t-shirt, her hair pulled in a ponytail.
“What are you doing here?”
“Making sure this confrontation ends the way it should.”
“No, you can’t be here, it’s dangerous!” Then Nora’s words sunk in amidst the guttural cries and clashing swords. “Why are you interested in how this ends?”
“Because I’m under orders. Find you, and trap the warrior. It’s one of my abilities to find mystical missing objects.” Her flat dark gaze met Darci’s. “And you, my dear friend, are mystical—possessor of a god’s soul. You are an excellent vessel in shielding, I must say. At first I wasn’t sure, but when I hugged you, I knew.”
Darci stepped back, feeling like she’d fallen off a cliff as it all began to make sense. Nora’s brother searching for an artifact…a vessel…Her?But they were friends, how could Nora deceive her like this? “Why?” she rasped.
Because she’s a demoness, her mind chanted.Maloch’s her brother.
“Notwhy—buthowI tracked you.” Nora rubbed her forearm. “Your warrior’s soul left a trace of its essence after it slipped Maloch’s hold all those centuries ago. He trapped and bound it with a spell to our blood moon to summon your warrior. It was all I needed. Oh, you did get your warrior to drink that whiskey you took him, right? See, it strengthens the tie between him and Maloch. It’s why Blaéz opened the portal for him. He can’t kill Mal. Well, you know what will happen if he does…your warrior dies, too.”
Blindsided by Nora yet again, Darci could barely get the words out of her constricting throat. “Wh-what did you do?”
“Whatever I had to, for this moment to occur. I put a little something in his drink.”
Fury exploded in her head like a volcano, Darci struck out with the dagger. Cursing, Nora ducked and knocked the blade from Darci’s hand. With everything in her, Darci punched Nora in the face. Pain vibrated up her arm but made little impact to the one crushing her chest. “I trusted you—you were my friend!”
Rubbing her jaw, Nora snapped, “Next time don’t trust so blindly! You invited me into your home, dropped everything when I called. My brother tasked me with the job of finding the warrior’s lost soul, I accepted. It led me to you…I didn’t expect the friendship that sprung up between us. But I had a job to do.Mal—” she yelled to her brother, “let’s get this done with!” She grabbed Darci. Before a scream tore from her throat, everything became an opaque blur as Nora flashed them away.
Back on her feet a few moments later, Darci wavered unsteadily and found herself on a deserted pebbly beach with tall trees looming on one side. The water lapped gently on the sands on the other. There was no place to run, except through the forest.
