I threw myself forward, past a wide-eyed Clark, still surrounded by the Legion. For a second, nobody moved. They were all caught off guard by my sudden movement. Mia whipped up her dagger and braced herself in front of Sarah, readying for a sudden attack. But she needn’t have worried. The cult wanted me. As soon as the shock cleared their systems, the ones who had been creeping toward my little group of humans turned tail and rushed after me.
Thankfully leaving the others behind.
Loosing a frantic breath, I twisted forward and focused on where I was going. I wasn’t entirely sure what my plan was now. Run? Sure, but where?
Just get the hell out of here, Eva!
Sucking a big gulp of air into my lungs, I raced down the dark tunnel, forcing myself to focus on the steps ahead instead of the pounding boots behind me. My breath fogged before me on the chill air. From what I could tell, three of the demons had followed. No more than that, or the tunnel would be full of the sound of rushing feet.
As if to punctuate my thoughts, the shattering sound of steel clashing against steel rang from the cavern I’d left behind. Roars and growls followed only a second later.Fuck. The Legion had been forced into a fight. That was the exact opposite of what I’d hoped would happen.
No matter. At least I’d drawn three of them away. With the Legion’s fighting prowess, maybe that was enough to even the odds. It wasn’t like I could turn around now and take it back. The cult members were hot on my heels.
A curve in the tunnel appeared just ahead. Gritting my teeth, I launched toward it, my lungs squeezing as I sucked in gulp after gulp of the frigid air. It burned my lungs. And just beneath it, the steady throb of my fucked-up rib was an insistent reminder that I could collapse at any moment.
Great timing, rib!
After I spun around the corner, I risked a glance behind me, my feet still charging down the tunnel. The three cult members—all male, burly, and tall—were only a stumble away from wrapping their hands around my legs and dragging me back to the hellgate, kicking and screaming.
Tears in my eyes, I whipped back to face the looming cavern ahead. I spotted the row of cages along the far wall, and then narrowed my eyes at the winding stairwell that would lead out of this dreary, terrible place and up to the safety ofInfernal’swalls.
If I could just get up those steps and out the front door, I might stand a chance. The seal’s powers only worked in here and not outside. Maybe I could lead them away, but even if I couldn’t, I might be able to find the demonic strength inside of myself to fight back. And at least I could use my wings.
Right now, I needed the darkness.
Not a sentence I’deverthought I’d say, but here we were. Desperate times called for desperate demonic measures.
My arms pounded by my sides as I struggled to pick up speed. The pain in my rib flared through my chest, blinding me. Tears leaked out of my eyes. Freedom lay so close up ahead. With a cry, I outstretched my arms toward the stairs, willing myself to reach them.
And then a strong hand latched onto my ankle, pulling me back into the deep.
I screamed. Another hand slammed against my mouth as the three demons surrounded me and pinned me to the floor. My head knocked against the stone. Darkness filled my eyes like paint across a canvas, slowly drowning out the white that flared through my vision, a brutal hope quickly snuffed out by the certainty I’d lost.
36
Eva
When I peeled open my eyes, I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but I knew it couldn’t have been long. The sound of the battle still echoed through the tunnels, and Caim’s roars filled my tired soul with a glimmer of hope. They were still alive and fighting, which meant we might have a chance yet.
Of course, I was stuck in one of the fucking cages—useless and hopeless all at once.
Blinking out the stars that dotted my vision, I glared out of the cage at the three cult members standing guard outside the locked cage. They were all facing the tunnel, waiting for their murderous friends to destroy the Legion. Assholes.
“Hey,” I called out to them as I slowly wobbled onto my feet. My rib still pulsed with pain, but I forced myself to focus on my rage instead. Pretty easy considering these three had trapped me inside a cage and the rest of them were trying to murder my boyfriend and my friends.
“Ignore her,” one of the guys mumbled to the others. “We did our part. Just wait for Clark to finish up the fight, and then he can take care of the Eve.”
“My name is Eva,” I said through gritted teeth.
The guy who’d been mumbling—he was the tallest of the three with jet black hair—stiffened. The other two both turned to peer in at me. The middle one had glimmering red eyes and wore a Yankees cap that cast dark shadows across his face. The other had a crooked smile that showed off his yellowing teeth. Gross.
Yellow Teeth Guy flicked his eyes up and down, sizing me up. “You promised me you’d let me become one of you if I helped you with this. Didn’t you say all you needed was her blood?”
I shuddered. Wonderful. So, despite what Andrea had told me, they weren’t done with making new demons yet. That explained how they’d doubled in size. They’d lured some humans into helping them win this fight with the promise of immortal life and superhero-like powers.
No wonder they’d trapped me in here.
“Sure, but Clark will handle all that,” Yankees Hat said.
