“Idiot. Foolish, foolish idiot,” he says, but I get the impression he’s amused. “The creature?”
“Deux…wants me. Consume me.”
His rage is something I can feel, though I don’t understand how.
“Well, let’s take care of him, then,” he whispers. “Wraith, Raz. Kill it.”
“With pleasure, Daddy.”
I hear a savage fight, but it goes on too long, and then all of a sudden, it stops.
“DAMN IT!” Ronit roars.
“Brio!” Lirin shouts.
I hear leaves breaking near me and someone crouches close to me. “I am sorry, Healer, he got away.”
“He is slippery. Thank you for trying,” I whisper to the winged demon.
I’m yanked into someone’s arms, and Reed’s hibiscus scent hits me hard, making me moan.
“Mei,” he says gently. “Come on. Let’s go.”
The tension is so thick even I can’t miss it. The two parties separate, but I get the feeling we haven’t seen the last of them yet.
Reed strokes my blood-crusted hair back and stares at me. “They say you aren’t hurt.”
“It’s not my blood,” I say in deep exhaustion.
“Brio?”
“Yes.”
“Is he?”
“Alive.”
Reed’s relief translates through his body. He carries me towards the others.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where? We can’t go back to the cave.”
I want to ask why not. I liked the cave. The cave was home.
“The house is ruined. Where else is there to go?” Lirin says low under his breath as if they are trying not to disturb us.
“We apologise to Diablos,” Ronit says like he’s announcing a death sentence.
Reed curses, but then we’re somewhere it’s much windier, and we’re further from the city, in a place that is much more elevated.
Diablos snorts, I’d know that sound anywhere.
“How did you get here so fast?”
“You’ve been out of it for hours, Mei,” Diablos murmurs.
“We’re sorry,” Ronit says stiffly. “We don’t know how we did that to your house, and it seemed better at the time not to admit it.”
