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Before I made a conscious decision, my boots headed in that direction. I exited the side street into a small, empty parking lot blocked in on three sides by buildings. Hawk climbed out of a pile of trash, scraps of paper fluttering in the wind, while a female dux demon crawled toward him, her mouth dripping saliva.
Roxie ran behind the demon to attack, but another beast tackled the female raven to the ground. Her sword tumbled over the pavement, skittering in my direction. Two more dux demons peeled out of the shadows.
Prickles slithered over my scalp at the crazed look in the demons’ eyes and their eerie, skulking movements. Something wasn’t right with them. Why were dux demons attacking ravens when it went against the accords? Sure, a few evil pricks would rebel here and there, but four in a group?
The female demon dressed in leather pants and bright orange boots that matched her curls lunged at Hawk while two males bypassed Roxie as she struggled with a lanky demon.
My world slowed to a crawl as the three monsters converged on my best friend. Sweat dampened his dark blond hair, a cut spilled blood down his temple, and tears ripped into his black shirt to reveal bruised and bloodied flesh. His brown eyes widened, the usual gold filaments dimming when he realized the odds were heavily against him. Hawk was good, but not one against three nasty dux demons good, at least not yet.
Roxie, my pathetic replacement, should have had his back instead of trying to fend off one skinny monster that I would have already taken out even before Fane’s bite and the Infernal Sol.
The universe left me no choice. To walk away would be to condemn the guy I’d loved from afar for two years. It didn’t matter that he broke my heart; I’d rather his still remain beating.
My breaths leveled, and my pulse calmed. I snatched Roxie’s fallen sword and sprinted toward the demons stalking Hawk. The farthest one didn’t notice me until the blade sank into his neck, his unnatural citrine stare falling on me as his head twisted around and then detached from his neck.
His body landed in a murky puddle, spewing drops of oil and water on my boots.
The broad one with spikes down his neck and shoulders snapped his jaws as he came for me. Nothing except hunger registered in his yellow-green eyes as if he’d been starved for years and driven mad.
I didn’t hesitate to lift the sword and decapitate him, my reflexes so fast that he didn’t have time to fight.
A ragged breath blew out of my lungs. I was good, but not that good, especially after undergoing that powerful spell. If anything, I should be sluggish or even dizzy. Saliva turned to ash in my mouth. Was the Infernal Sol giving me strength when I hadn’t consciously reached for its ominous power?
Roxie’s shrill cry pierced my spiraling thoughts, and I jumped over the two beastly corpses to get to her. I kicked the thin demon off her and slammed my fist into his chin. He staggered to the side and then chased me as I darted into the shadows of a tall building before Roxie could spot me.
Time was running out, and the window for any escape narrowed with each passing second. My fate would be doomed if Hawk or Roxie caught me, so I had to kill this demon and get the hell out of Dodge.
“Hungry.” He licked his lips with a forked tongue. “Your soul smells like heaven.” Claws extended from his scaly hand.
I took a fighting stance, my fingers tightening around the sword’s hilt. “Trust me, this soul is more hell than heaven. You’ll only choke on it.”
“Hawk!” Roxie screeched as the monster he fought slammed him into the wall.
While distracted, the demon punched my cheek, and I stumbled back, scraping my shoulder against the rough brick exterior as I lost my balance.Son of a bitch.Blood trickled down my face from the split his hit caused.
The demon grabbed my arm and shoved me into the side of a rancid dumpster, the metallic thud ringing through the night. “Give me what I want, shifter.” He used his rough hands to pry my mouth open.
A low, deadly snarl curled up my throat, and the demon paused at the sinister cadence. Even in his hunger-induced mania, he sensed that I wasn’t like other shifters. This presented me with an opening, and I shoved my boot into his knee to kick him off.
As he rushed toward me again, I jabbed the sword into the center of his chest. His lips curled back to display those jagged teeth stained with black blood.
“That won’t kill me, wolf.”
“This will.” My movements went into warp speed as I yanked the blade out and sank it into his neck.
The demon’s gasp turned into a strained gurgle as black liquid oozed out of his mouth like oil from the ground. I kicked his sternum, and his head toppled off, rolling into a pile of trash and sending a few fat rats scurrying into the alley.
Beyond the shadows, Roxie searched for her sword like an idiot while the last demon pummeled Hawk. Cold fear pumped through my veins, recalling the fae that pretended to be my best friend in the Underworld. Thankfully, Hawk was never in Lord Karn’s captivity, but danger certainly had him by the throat now. I could either wait for Roxie to get her head out of her ass while Hawk suffered, or I could save him and kiss my escape goodbye.
Fast as lightning, I dashed forward, yanked the six-foot-six demon off Hawk with more strength than I thought myself capable of, and swung the beast around by the horns curling from his temples. My sword sliced through his neck and severed his head before he could so much as growl.
The dux demon’s body dropped to the ground with a thud, and his head rolled into the pile of trash Hawk had climbed out of earlier.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins. It all happened so fast. Maybe there was still a chance neither of the ravens saw me.
My muscles tensed, and my feet angled toward the closest building where shadows draped over the edges—until a sharp gasp expelled from Hawk.
Fuck.
