A tear slipped down my cheek. I didn’t want to die like this.
Desperation rose up inside of me in a sudden rush, like the waves against the shore. It filled me with an overwhelming heat. Invisible flames danced around my hand. The signet ring I’d tucked into my bra burned against my skin. The strange sensation built up inside of me until I could think of nothing else. It felt like it was going to explode within me, shattering me into a thousand pieces. Gritting my teeth, I let out a roar of pain.
The attacker’s eyes widened as a sudden, invisible force slammed into his chest. His feet left the ground, and he hurtled through the air, landing in a heap right in front of the exit of the alley.
My grip relaxed; my eyes widened. What the hell had just happened?
Slowly, the attacker climbed to his feet. Fury ripped through his eyes. I swallowed hard and glanced at the exit. Why, oh why, couldn’t I have thrown him somewhere else? He blocked the only way out.
“You havereallyjust made things incredibly worse for you.” As if in no rush at all, he brushed the dirt from his black jeans. “Your scream did nothing. No one is coming for you. And your little trick just then…whatever it was, it didn’t work. All you’ve done is make me very angry. I will relish in this kill.”
14
He strode across the alley. Heart in my throat, I fisted my hand again, trying to figure out what it was I did before.IfI had even done it. I still didn’t understand what had happened, but it felt like it had come from me. Or that ring. Of that much, I was certain.
So, now I just needed to do it again. Simple, right?
Except I had no idea what I’d done. Heat had enveloped my entire body, and then…it had lurched out of me and slammed into the attacker’s chest. Only he hadn’t caught fire. He’d just been thrown back.
It didn’t make much sense, but if I could do it again, I had another chance to escape. And I really needed it. As much as I hated to admit he was right, he was. If anyone had heard my scream, they weren’t coming. They would have been here by now.
Suddenly, I sensed a pair of eyes on me. Darkness filled the alley like a storm, and a heavy sense of despair shuddered through my body. It was almost enough to knock me to my knees.
“Mia,” a low voice spoke from somewhere nearby, but I couldn’t see the man attached to it. “Don’t move.”
Listening to a disembodied voice didn’t seem like it was in my best interests, but I also didn’t want to be stabbed to death. Not exactly the best two choices, but it was all I had.
“Sure,” I said, lounging against the wall like this situation was totally normal. “I’ll just stay here while you do your thing.”
Asmodeus slithered out of the shadows. Obviously, I’d had a hunch the voice belonged to him, but seeing him still made my breath catch. Pure and unadulterated danger rippled through his eyes, and the sword he held in his hands was...
Wait a minute. Was that a fucking sword?
He levelled it at the attacker. “If you touch her, I will fucking kill you.”
“Um…” My jaw almost literally hit the floor.
“Stay back, Mia,” he said, his voice so full of commanding anger that it shut my mouth. “Abaddon is feeling hungry for blood, and he struggles to understand the difference between friend and foe. I need you to stay back while I take care of this.”
“Should I be worried that you seem to think your sword is a living creature with a mind of its own?”
“As long as it makes you worried enough to stay the hell away from it, then yes. Very much so.” He stalked further into the alley where the silent attacker was eyeing him like he was a platter of juicy meat. Asmodeus growled, his entire body trembling with anger. “Get the hell away from her.”
“You’ve finally come out to play,” the attacker said with the hint of a smile in his voice. “Thought you were too cowardly to leave your little club to face me in the streets.”
I whipped my head toward Az, who lifted his glittering sword before him. “I’ve had better things to do than engage with someone as spineless as you.”
“Spineless?” The attacker barked out a laugh. “I’m the one out here taking care of things while you and your Legion are lost in your fancy drinks with your fancy friends.”
“Who are you?” Az asked in a low, dangerous voice. “Why are you killing innocent girls?”
“Innocent?” He laughed again. “They are anything but.”
“Mia has done nothing wrong.” Az took another step toward the attacker just as police sirens blared through the air. I whipped toward the sound, surprised. There were more of them? Were they coming here?
My stomach flipped. Had they heard my screams?
Logically, I knew this was a good thing. The cops would save me from, you know, getting murdered. Az wouldn’t have to go through with this weird sword fight, and the night would end without bloodshed.
