Then he felt it.
“This way!” He ran through the brush as fast as he could. Birds scattered at his reckless pace.
At the end of the path, the trees broke to a clearing. And not just any clearing—there appeared to be a hole in the very earth. One that dropped straight down to what seemed to be hell itself. Devyl barely caught himself before he fell into it.
“What the devil is that?” Alabama breathed.
“Eye of Mama D’Leau.” Rafe crossed himself as the hole began to quickly fill with bubbling water.
Alabama scowled. “Who and what?”
“She’s a goddess,” Devyl explained. “She protects these lands and people. And in particular the sea. You cross her and she’s capable of all manner of evil.” He glanced to Rafe. “Can you get her to help us?”
“I can try.” Rafe rubbed his hand gently against his necklace that his mother had made for him. “Mama! I implore your kindness and offer you my faithful heart and loyalty. My mother taught me to respect you and Papa Bois, and all your creatures of the land and sea. Now an evil jumbie—a douen—has taken a friend. Will you please help me and my friends find her? I implore you, my lady, in all grateful humility.”
Biting his lip, he waited for a full minute as the water swirled more and churned angrily about, threatening to spill over the banks of the hole.
Then it went perfectly still.
Not even a single ripple. It was as if the whole thing had frozen over.
Rafe sighed regretfully. “She’d probably respond better to Belle.”
That was the theory until a bright red mist blew up from the water. Shimmering and dancing, it formed the likeness of a beautiful African sea goddess. Her eyes were made of Tahitian pearls and her lips the color of vibrant coral. She smiled at Rafe.
“Son of Masika, you have been faithful. Let my light guide your way.” She opened her hand and breathed across her palm. The moment she did so, a small ball of bloodred light appeared. Like a beautiful firefly, it bounced and hovered.
Mama D’Leau faded back into the waters and vanished into the waves. Waves that evaporated until nothing remained but the giant hole in the ground.
The light quickly headed for the forest.
Devyl and his companions ran after it.
Unlike them, the tiny light had no trouble whatsoever locating the douen.
The problem was? It wasn’t alone. In fact, it had spawned well.
Alabama cursed as he saw the large circle of demons that surrounded Mara. Rafe gulped audibly.
And Devyl smiled at the sight. He’d be feasting well tonight. Or dying painfully.
Either way, he’d be free of Thorn.
10
Marcelina could neither move nor breathe as the stench of sulphur invaded every part of her being. It felt as if the demons around her were pulling out her life force, molecule by molecule. As if they were draining her powers with excruciating slowness to cause as much pain as they could.
They laughed while they did it. Unable to protect herself, she couldn’t even cry out for help. Never had she been so helpless.
Worse? She still didn’t know how she’d gotten into this position.
One moment she’d been walking with what she thought was a small child, looking for a doll, and the next—
She’d been slammed to the ground by an unseen force.
Then bound in a vortex and held up for them to feast upon. How could they do this to her? She didn’t understand it. She was more powerful than this. No one, other than Du, had ever bested her in anything.
Yet they’d tricked her with nary an effort. She still reeled from the ease with which they’d worked their magick on her.
Suddenly, she heard them screaming. Heard the sound of their agony.
“Mara?”
Tears welled in her eyes as she heard Du’s deep, resonant voice nearby. Never had his ancient accent been so welcome to her ears.
Or at all, for that matter.
Even more relief flooded her as she felt his grip on the ropes that held her bound. For the first time ever, she was grateful he was here. Grateful to feel his strong grip on her hands.
With a fierce grimace, he tore her bindings away and scooped her up into his arms.
Sobbing in relief, she clung to him and buried her face against his neck. The scent of his skin and the hardness of his body anchored her and reassured her that she was finally safe and that no one could harm her.
A beast he might be, but he would always keep her safe. That much she knew beyond doubt. If not for her own sanity, then to at least protect his own life.
He was her beast, and never had she been more grateful for it.
Devyl hesitated at Mara’s embrace. At the warmth of her breath on his skin as she clung to him. Never once had she touched him so intimately. She sank her hand into his hair and fisted it there to hold him as if he were sacred. As if she were desperate to keep him close.
“Thank you,” she breathed against his ear, causing chills to rise up along his arms and back.
And other things to rise he was best to not think upon.
He gave her a bashful grin. “You’ve got to quit falling into such messes, my lady. One day I might not find you and then what would happen to us?”
She laughed nervously. “Perhaps you should teach me to use a sword, then?”
He arched a brow at her teasing tone and knew better than what she suggested. “A Deruvian swordmaiden?”
“Why not? You’re a Druid warrior.”
She had a point. It would be no more unlikely or out of character than his own past. “Perhaps I shall teach you, then.”
He set her down by Rafael and Alabama. “Would you mind escorting her back to the ship while I finish this?”
She hesitated at his tone. “Finish what?”
“I’m not sure you want to know my answer, given how they need to be dispatched, lest they return to prey on more hapless victims. And since their primary targets would normally be the children of Rafe’s orphanage…”
She placed her hand on his arm. “Do whatever you must.”
And with that, she headed back toward the docks with Alabama, leaving him to stand in total stupefaction after her departure.
Rafe gave him a knowing grin. “You’re gaping, Devyl. And, no offense, it’s scaring me.”
Indeed. He was flat-out floored by her words.
Baffled beyond rational thought, he set about destroying the demons’ remains while Rafe left to join the others. Yet he couldn’t quite get the strangeness of the day from his mind. What had caused Mara to change so drastically where he was concerned?
To touch him when she normally couldn’t look at him without sneering. Dare he even hope that …
Don’t think it. You know better.
She hated him.
Nothing had changed. It never would. Ever since Thorn had brought them back, she’d been as frigid and vicious to him as always.