Something changed in the room, and she felt the flicker of magic all around her. Carl’s eyes had gone feral, glowing golden in the dim light. She hoped he wouldn’t hurt her rescuer—she didn’t think he would—he’d be too busy chasing her.
She only needed seconds. Just enough time to get out the door and into the alley that ran alongside the bar. Once there, she could shift and head down the beach. She dared not go back to her villa; she had to presume Carl knew about it, which was a bummer. She’d have to replace everything, but that was a small price to pay, and she still had plenty of gold.
Carl yanked the man’s hand from his chest, but the other two crowded in, blocking his path.
This was it.
She whirled around and ran.
Chapter Three
Carl stared after her, mouth open. How had the little cat got the better of him? He’d never known a shifter capable of standing up for his or herself. But he was hardly dealing with a normal shifter. Could this be some latent power wakening?
He needed to move and fast. She would shift, and he’d never find her. Not in his human form anyway. And this was far from an ideal place for him to change. While Shera’s cat would blend in, his wolf would stand out like a…wolf.
Maybe he should have told her a little of what was at stake. Not the demon stuff—Ash had been adamant about that—but maybe about the demon gold she had stolen and the repercussions of that theft. But he hadn’t expected any opposition. She’d surprised him. She was willing to die rather than live as a slave.
Time to go after her.
He raised his hand, took the other man’s fist in his, crushed it, and shoved him back into his friends. They all fell, crashing into the table behind them. And he was gone.
At the entrance he paused, glanced around. To the side of the building, an alley ran down toward the sea. That’s where she would go to shift. He turned down it, staring into the shadows, but nothing moved. He breathed in, trying to catch her scent. At the end of the alley, something slunk low to the ground, merging with the darkness. It hesitated at the opening onto the street, turned, and he was caught in a bright green glare. Then it was gone, streaking across the sand.
Carl raced after it. “Shera, stop!” He had a hunch she would ignore him, but it was worth a try.
While she was on the beach, he could keep sight of her, but if she headed into the town he would have to track her through the streets and alleys. She could go much faster, and there was a possibility he would lose her.
He changed his direction so he was on the town side, between her and the buildings, and kicked up his speed. He was gaining on her. She glanced back once, and panic flared in her cat’s eyes.
He was almost on her when a faint rumble filled the air around him, and a shiver of magic rippled across the beach. A portal opened right in front of him, and a whole load of demons popped up.
“Shit.” They cut him off from Shera, and he had no choice but to slide to a halt. For a moment he’d thought it might be Ash, but they were strangers, and they looked far from friendly. “Keep going,” he muttered. If Shera kept running, she might still escape them.
He stood with his hands hanging loosely at his side, and it occurred to him that he might not come out of this alive. He’d fought demons before, but never with odds like these. His other option was to shift and try to run for it, but they were already circling him, closing off his escape route, red eyes glowing.
He’d faced death a few times. He lived a violent life, and it was only to be expected that he’d die a violent death. A shiver of regret ran through him, and he looked past the demons to the beach beyond, silvered by moonlight.
The cat streaked across the sand, but glanced back over her shoulder then stopped, standing still at the edge of the sea.
Fucking idiot. What the hell was she doing?
“Run!” he yelled.
Then the first demon leaped toward him, and he was fighting for his life.
…
The heavy scent of sulfur burned in her nostrils.
Shera’s tail twitched as she stared back down the beach, a growl rumbling in her throat. Her cat’s eyes saw clearly in the dim light, but Carl had disappeared, completely surrounded by demons.
Where the hell had they come from? And what did they want?
One demon flew across the sand and another took his place. Carl was fighting hard, but no way could he win against so many.
But it wasn’t her problem.
Was it?
She hadn’t asked Carl to come after her. And maybe the demons were after him, not her. Or maybe they were just random thugs, and this was pure coincidence. Yeah. How likely was that? Besides, from their appearance, she guessed they were soldiers, though she’d never seen them before. And it made no sense for Asmodai to send demons to bring her back—not when he’d already sent Carl.
She tried to leave, but somehow she couldn’t complete the movement, and the growl rose again.
Whoever they were, they would kill him.
But if she went back, they would likely kill her as well. Or worse.
Oh God.