He’d been already stalking her, setting her up, and she had no idea.
Christ!
He leaped down?—
A burst of searing gold flames flew into him. Kas crashed onto the paved yard with a loud thud.
Lore?
Shit!Kitten cuddled to her chest, Nia stumbled back as Lore’s flames burned hotter.
With a shriek, Kas vaporized then reappeared.
“Why the hell can’t you just stay dead?” he snarled, hair charred, skin melting from Lore’s fire. “I will kill you myself, then. Do you know what I am?” he roared.
Lore didn’t respond, his form a silhouette of fire.
“That flame you are will soon die!” Kas’ hands became a blaze of red fire.
Her heart jammed in her throat, Nia stumbled and tripped, falling on her ass, the kitten still cradled in her arms.
Nia, get inside the house, now!Lore’s voice swept through her mind, the sensation echoing with a vibration so otherworldly that she scrambled to her feet and obeyed.
The kitten yowled louder. “It’ll be all right, Ginger.”
The flames morphed into a deadly angel with his sunset wings spread wide. He faced the hellspawn.
A swarm of demons appeared in the yard, all in their hellish forms. The clay pots rose, smashing against the wall, plants and soil raining down. Kas dove for Lore and faltered a step. He blinked, then glanced at a seeping wound in his belly as if surprised.
Lore had scored a direct hit with his dagger.
Jesus, why couldn’t the demented demon die already?
Snarling, Kas hurled sizzling bolts at Lore from his still sparking hands. The horde charged for her open door, and she reared back. Lore flung out a hand, freezing them.
No longer in his humanoid form, Kas launched himself at Lore. Leathery black skin covered him from head to cloven feet. Twisted horns protruded from his brow. His mouth unhinged into a terrifying maw, revealing double rows of pointed, stained teeth and fangs.
His fangs extended past his lips, dripping venom—saliva, she didn’t know.
Dear God, that’s what I dated?
Lore dove into Kas, both crashing onto the debris from the ruined pots. They moved too fast for Nia to follow.
A series of sharp cracks reverberated in the air, like dry branches snapping. Kas fell in a tangled heap of broken bones?—
Lore straddled the hellspawn before he could vanish.
Kas snarled, his eyes a searing red. He bared his sharp teeth, muttering something in a strange, guttural language.
“This is your end, Bakasura,” Lore said, his tone cold, merciless.
A dagger shimmered in his hand, hissing and crackling with white flames. The demon emitted a guttural screech, but none of his minions moved as Lore plunged the blazing steel into the demon’s heart.
With a movement too fast for Nia to track, he severed the carotid. Kas gurgled, the sound cut short. He disintegrated, leaving behind only a pile of ash. Then that, too, seeped into the ground and disappeared.
Nia blinked, staring at the empty spot.
It’s over?
