“We have bigger problems,” I informed, feeling the darkness inside me coil and spring to life, flowing through my veins. Others were coming. I could sense them. “We have company.”
A blue stream of lightning struck across the clearing, luminous and blinding. When the glow faded, the clearing was covered in…
Holy baby Jesus.
Demons.
Travis made a showpiece out of F-bombs. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Back to back we stood in a circle at the heart of the glade, surrounded by trouble of the worse kind.
“This is not how we are going down,” Chase rumbled.
“What do you suggest then, cuz?” Travis asked, seeing as our options were limited.
“The thing we do best—kick some demon butt. And, Angel…”
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, my heart in my throat.
“This would be a good time to figure out how you did that trick, like last time.”
I rolled my eyes. No pressure or anything.
“You always have the best plans,” Lexi grumbled.
And then the five of us were off, like a bra on prom night.
Demons scurried the woods like rats, running in all directions, streaming out of the trees, shrubs, and generally from every dark corner. They flooded the glade in all kinds of shapes and sizes, pushing into one another in their rush to steal life. They needed the strength because without it they were really just bumbling idiots.
There wasn’t going to be a rescue party this time. We were on our own. It all boiled down to survival—and I was damn determined to live.
One of the black-eyed jerks bumped into me, and for an instant I stared at him. Then he licked his black lips and his hand shot out, grabbing me by my ponytail. My head snapped back. His horrible mouth opened as he moved in close. I thought the sicko was going to kiss me, until I felt that familiar sting on my chest.
My eyes went wide. “Get off of me,” I roared and shoved at his chest with everything I had.
Staggering, the demon gave me a slithering hiss through his teeth before taking off in the opposite direction. I dragged in a breath of air.
“Suck on this, douchebags,” Emma said, letting an arrow sail over my head. It split off into two, implanting in the heart of two demons. She got all the cool toys.
Turning to where I had last seen Chase, I watched as he zigzagged in and out of my sight, heading directly toward Alastair. He had a one-track mind, and they had unfinished business, but he wasn’t making progress. Each time he dispatched a demon in his path, there were three more of the dirty scoundrels to take its place.
With a roar of frustration, he swiped the back of his hand across one, sending him soaring. The next one got the same treatment, swatting him backwards. Sadly this demon met an unfortunate demise with a tree. As I scanned the area, I noticed that the majority of the crowd was moving toward us—toward Chase.
How much longer could he keep up at this pace?
He must have come to the same conclusion, because my name bellowed from his lips. “Angel! Do something.”
Right. I was supposed to have some kind of awesome power over these retched things. Not exactly the kind of superpowers I’d been wishing for.
What, precisely, was I suppose to do? It was not like these powers came with an instruction manual. Inside my head was a holy mess.
Chase took a step back and another, seeing the ocean of demons advancing. A bit of his restlessness trickled inside me. Out of nowhere, a demon dropped from above, tackling Chase to the ground. Scrambling, Chase fought to get the upper hand, but all I could see was that thing’s grimy hand on his neck, squeezing. Something finally popped inside me.
“Touch him,” I seethed, “and I will turn you into nothing but dust.” I wasn’t sure how I planned to carry out that threat, but…
The demon snapped his jaw shut, goop dribbling down his chin. I cringed. Disgusting.
Step right up. Let’s get this show on the road.
“Now listen!” I screamed. “All of you. Harm my friends and I promise you won’t even see the pits of Hell again.” What was Alastair’s was mine, scary thought, but apparently it was true. I was part of the underworld whether I wanted it or not. All sacrifices come with a price, and this was mine.
Hundreds of sooty eyes turned, gawking at me and waiting on my every word—literally. Umm. Now what? I never wanted to be a leader, definitely not to a pack of misbehaved outcasts from Hell.
“Think you can hold them while I take care of something?” Chase asked, arching a brow.
I gave him a dry look. “What do you think?”
He flashed me a grin and then disappeared from sight.
“You’re handy to have around, Morgan,” Travis said, bumping me with his shoulder.
“She has her moments,” Emma added, coming to stand at Travis’s side.
“I am definitely not getting on her bad side; that’s for sure,” Lexi said, zapping to the other side of me. “No way do I want her to sic her dogs on me.”