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Another one loomed in the doorway. This one had smaller horns but bigger muscles and deep red skin. No swords, just wicked looking knives strapped all over his body. They both had to duck to get in. They were at least a foot bigger than Malcolm. “Looks like a witch. Though I’ve noidea who this bloke is. Or how he triggered the trap. Should’ve only caught the magic one.”
Sofia glanced at the beaten metal that gleamed dully around Malcolm’s wrist. No doubt that had stopped him from triggering whatever booby trap she’d just set off and kept the demons from sensing what he was capable of.
“What the hell is this place?” he demanded.
“You was trying to enter the Cauldron,” the blue one rumbled. “That’s invite only. Everyone knows that. And you’re not invited. So now we feed you to the hounds.” He lumbered toward them.
Kitty hissed. Sofia flung out her wand hand, sending a jet of flame at them. Nothing happened. Magic fizzled at the tip of her wand.
“Ah, ah. No magic down here.”
Fuck.
She wasn’t terrible in a fight, but she sure hated getting other people’s blood on her.
Malcolm lunged for the biggest demon. He was all lethal grace. At the same time, the golden wolf burst from his chest, a shimmering apparition of snarling fangs and glowing eyes. It lunged for the other demon, going for his throat.
Like in the High Witches’ dungeon, his wulver soul wasn’t contained by the magic.
She stepped back, eyeing the fight for an opportunity to jump in and help. Kitty danced on nervous paws beside her. Not the best in a fight, that one.
Malcolm grabbed the big red demon by his collar and swung him away from Sofia, toward the other side of the room. The beast lunged out, swiping a huge fist. Malcolmducked, then delivered a quick uppercut that slammed the demon’s head back. He plowed a fist into its gut.
He was so fast, and his wolf so savage that Sofia just leaned back against the wall and watched. They didn’t need her help.
His wolf had the blue demon on the ground and was ravaging his throat and chest. Malcolm was grappling with the red demon, a battle of wits and muscle.
The demon landed a punch to his head that had him staggering back, blood trickling from split skin at his temple. Malcolm shook himself, then charged the demon, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around so that he could reach up and break his neck.
The sound turned Sofia’s stomach, but she was grateful to see the demon slump to the ground.
Malcolm looked up at her, fury in his golden gaze. His dark hair fell over his forehead and his chest heaved.
He looked so good it almost made her head spin.
“Are you all right?” he demanded.
“Fine.”
He nodded, then glanced at his wolf. It stood guard, its front feet on the blue demon’s chest. Blood pooled around the demon’s body.
“Check the hall,” Malcolm said as he walked to where they’d fallen through the ceiling and pressed his hands against it. “It’s blocked. The spell closed it behind us.”
Sofia peered out into the dark hall. “Empty.”
“Okay. We’ll sneak out. We’re not getting into the Cauldron.” He bent over the fallen red demon and heaved him up over his back in a fireman’s carry. “We need to get these bloody bastards out of here.”
“Are they dead?” she whispered as she crept out into the hall. The golden wolf dragged the blue demon behind her. Kitty joined in to help, pulling at his shirt with her teeth. Sofia doubted it did much good, but she clearly liked the wolf.
“I don’t believe so. They heal quickly. But I need to get them somewhere that doesn’t block my magic so I can enchant them into forgetting they saw us.”
“We should go left. Leads back to the street, I think.”
He nodded and set off, his heavy burden not even bowing his back. She’d forgotten how physically strong he was. But then, wulvers usually were.
The underground passage wound around to the right. Sofia kept her wand out, though she wasn’t sure it would work. Her heart pounded in her chest as they crept along. If anyone saw them—Malcolm carrying one and his wolf dragging another—they’d be shit out of luck. She just hoped no one checked the little room and saw the blood on the floor.
They came to a set of stairs and Sofia tried not to heave a sigh of relief as they made their way up. She peeked out to see another alleyway like the one they’d been in before. Empty, thank fates.
