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Ruby's heart pounded hard, and beneath the sheet that covered her she clutched a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other. She was quite sure Aunt Mildred had never intended for her good silver to be put to use this way, but knowing all that she knew now—she didn't think her aunt would mind.
Just as in the dreams, a darkness rose from the jade cat. It looked like a hole, a vast nothingness, and Ruby choked back a scream. The eight had warned her, and still here she was, tied to the bed and offered as sacrifice to a demon. Offered by a friend. A fork and spoon seemed precious little in the way of defense, but she would, by God, fight with all she had until she could fight no more.
Just as in her dreams, the blackness began to take shape. The eyes were fiery red. Marielle was so excited, so overjoyed at the appearance of the demon who had seduced her with dreams of forever, that she trembled from head to toe and smiled like a woman on the verge of a big orgasm.
"Wacko," Ruby muttered. Marielle either didn't hear or didn't care.
The darkness drifted to the bed to hover over Ruby. More and more it looked like a cat. She gripped her weapons tightly.
Not yet, a serene blending of soft voices whispered.
The thing Marielle called II Gatto Nero began to look solid, not so much a hole in the world as a large, fierce cat. There were likely claws—she had seen the claws in her dreams—but at the moment she had eyes only for the face above hers. The eyes were hideous, red like fire and blood. The teeth were wicked, white and sharp and hungry. The fur was black as night, and did not look soft like a kitten's coat but was instead thorny and rough, as if it would cut like shards of glass if touched. Not that she wanted to touch.
The image above her occasionally shimmered, shifting from almost real to insubstantial illusion and back again. Suddenly, Ruby could not resist the urge to open her mouth. She had seen this in her dreams, too, and knew what would happen next.
Not yet, those comforting voices called.
Were they kidding? She didn't have much time left!
The cat placed its mouth close to hers, as if moving in for a kiss. Oh, what a horrible, rotten smell! She had not been subjected to the stench in her dreams. Her heart was pounding so hard and fast she could feel it. Her heart wanted to escape, but there was no escape, not that Ruby could see. Now? she thought.
There was a pause, as the cat above her inhaled and with that breath began to draw Ruby's soul from her body. It hurt! She felt as if a part of her was literally being ripped from deep within her. Eight voices whispered, Now!
Ruby swung her hands up as hard as she could, burying the fork and the handle of the spoon into the flesh of the demon. What she struck was not entirely flesh. There was no blood—but the thing howled as if in pain, and it drew away from her. Ruby took that opportunity to shift her weapons. She stabbed at the ghastly face, aiming for the eyes. The tines of the fork pierced the demon's left eye, while the spoon glanced off the side of its face.
The thing growled and screamed, and Ruby was vaguely aware that Marielle was protesting, too, though not as loudly as the big, solid cat, which was now very annoyed. Great. She'd only made it mad.
The door to her bedroom burst open, and four men rushed inside. One of them grabbed Marielle and pulled her away from the bed. Another snatched up the jade cat. Two moved toward the demon.
One of them was Zane.
"Silver!" Ruby shouted. "He doesn't like silver!"
* * *
The noise coming from Ruby's bedroom had drowned out the sound of four men breaking down her front door. Zane's heart had almost come through his chest, as again he had thought they were too late.
They followed the unnatural din, and without hesitation Zane kicked in the door. Ruby was tied to the bed, offered as an unwilling sacrifice, but her hands were free. She clutched a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other, and when the demon cat turned toward the intruders, he had only one eye.
II Colletore. He was solid, and Ruby was alive.
Julio grabbed Marielle and dragged her toward the master bathroom, throwing her into the windowless room and closing the door on the hysterical blonde. Terence grabbed the jade cat and placed it in a leather sack, which was tied to his belt. This time it would not hide!
With Aiden beside him, Zane faced the demon—and Ruby shouted, "He doesn't like silver!"
Zane shifted his sword to his left hand and drew a silver dagger that was hanging from his belt. He heard the others making adjustments, as well. Julio fired a bullet at the demon, but it had no effect. Surely no one had thought to bring silver bullets. In all their research, there had been nothing about silver!
Research or not, silver made a difference. In the demon's one red eye, Zane saw frustration and confusion. Time was running out; his ninth soul was fighting; and for once, for once, the Brotherhood was not too late in arriving.
Zane used the silver dagger to swipe out, aiming for the place where the heart should be. The demon's shape was that of a panther. Did that mean the heart was in the same place? Was there a heart? The demon screamed, emitting a loud, catlike shriek that cut through Zane's brain like a hundred burning needles. A mere four warriors of the Brotherhood fought against II Colletore with whatever silver they had available. Knives, mostly, though while the demon howled in protest, Julio jerked the silver cross from around his neck and threw it into the gaping, tooth-filled opening.
The cross flew into the demon's mouth, and while II Colletore howled, Zane took careful aim and swung his sword with all his might. With the head and body separated, the black cat fell to dust. It had not taken a soul this time, and so was weakened. The demon had not retreated into the jade, where it would be frustrated but safe until the proper moon came again, but was destroyed. As what was left of the terrifying thing fell, several bits of bright light rose, separating from what remained of II Colletore, rising to the ceiling of Ruby's bedroom.
Zane looked to the bed, where a bound Ruby sat still clutching her silverware. She used the fork to gesture to the streaks of light, and he realized that she was counting. She counted twice, then breathed what seemed to be a sigh of relief as she looked at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Eight," she said. "All eight are free, now."
And with that, she collapsed onto the bed.
Ruby took a deep breath and tried to calm herself while Zane untied her ankles. Everything had happened so fast! She was alive, she had her soul, and Zane wasn't one of the bad guys. He was a good guy. A very good guy.
