by Sadie Hobbes
The other demon sprinted toward us, stopping when he was a few feet away to smile. “There you are.”
Chapter 30
I looked between the two of them, not waiting for one of them to make a move. I dodged toward the one on my right. He slipped to the side, but I sliced his arm with my blade as he passed.
He snarled. “That doesn’t belong to you. Give it to me.”
“Make me.”
His friend stepped forward. For the first time, I got a really good look at him. He was bigger than any of the others I’d seen. A good few inches taller than seven feet, and his horns were larger. He sneered at me. “That’s the plan.”
And in that moment, I realized that he was telling the truth. They hadn’t been looking for some random stranger. They’d been looking for me.
Or, more accurately, my sword.
An image of the demon from last night flashed through my mind. He’d disappeared as soon as he’d seen the sword. He must have told them I had it. Now they’d come to retrieve it.
The demon lunged at me. I leaped to the side. The other one charged, but I shot out a sidekick that caught him in the ribs. He stumbled back but stayed on his feet. The other one rushed up behind me. I twirled my sword in my hand and plunged it back into him, catching him in the gut. I jerked it out, stepping aside as the demon crashed to his knees. I slammed a roundhouse into his face. He crashed back onto the ground.
The second one snarled. “You’ll pay for that.” The demon lunged toward me, missing me by a wide margin. Then it danced out of my reach.
The second one stumbled to his feet, holding his large claw to his stomach. Blood oozed over his hand. He backed away, positioning himself so that he was blocking the alleyway between me and the street.
But I had no time to think about him, as the other one started in at me again. This time he swung his sword toward my chest. I dodged back before slicing forward. He yanked his hand out of the way. I missed him by two inches.
He stood across from me, shifting from side to side as if trying to find his in.
I frowned. Something wasn’t right. No demon ever fought like this. They started in on a victim and kept going. There was no retreating, no planning. They rushed in, used their strength to overpower their victim, and then they were gone or they were dead. But it was almost as if these two were drawing the fight out.
To stall me.
My heart jumped into my throat as my eyes focused on the demon across from me. If that other demon had reported back that I had the sword, then yes, they would come looking for me, but they would also check my home.
Which meant I didn’t have time for this.
I feinted left and then twirled right, slicing across the demon’s midsection before turning and slicing him from his groin to his chin. He didn’t even have time to scream.
The other demon stumbled back, but a sword sliced through his chest before I could make a move for him.
From behind him, Tess yanked her sword out and then impaled him again. The demon’s mouth fell open. The life drained from his eyes before he pitched forward.
Laura’s gaze was fixed on my blade. “Holy cow. That sword really does catch fire.”
I leaped over the demon sprawled in front of me. “They’re going to my home!”
I didn’t wait to see if they followed. I sprinted down the alley with a speed I didn’t know I had. I careened off the skeleton of a long abandoned car but didn’t slow. I needed to get home.
Visions of Noel, Micah, and Torr facing off against a group of demons alone took up residence in the forefront of my mind.
Please don’t let me be too late.
Chapter 31
I had never run so fast in my life. For the first block, I heard Tess and Laura right behind me. But then the blood pounding in my ears blocked them out as I tore down the streets. The demons had been stalling me. They wanted the sword. But this wasn’t the only one I had.
Stupid. So stupid to keep that sword. I should’ve given it to Graham or Marcus. I don’t even know why I kept it.
I tore down the street, the buildings I passed only a blur. The kids were alone in the building. The Sanchezes had gone to stay with Lisa’s brother and his family while Manny recuperated. His brother lived one town over. And right now that was probably a good thing. The Sanchezes would only be in the way if the demons went for the sword in my apartment.
I swallowed hard, praying that Torr was still there and at the same time terrified that he would place himself between the demons and Noel and Micah. I didn’t know whether I should pray he was there or pray that he wasn’t.
He’d never said it directly, but I was pretty sure that a traitor demon was not someone the demons would take pity on.
Up ahead, the apartment building came into view. Candlelight flickered through the apartment windows. I could see movement but couldn’t make anything out. And the street was quiet. It was possible it was just—
One of my apartment windows exploded as something flew through it. It took me a moment to realize it was too small to be one of the kids. It hit the ground in front of me. It was one of Noel’s books.
I dug down deep and pulled up more speed, crashing through the front door and barreling up the stairs. The door to our apartment was open, the frame shredded. I burst into the room.
Three demons stood with their backs to the door. Noel and Micah were backed up against the counter in the kitchen. Micah had wounds down the left side of his body from his shoulder to his feet. The right side of Noel’s face was bright red and already swelling.
And standing in front of them was Torr, holding the other demon sword as the demons advanced on the three of them. Blood soaked the side of Torr’s shredded shirt, but he stood his ground as the demons moved toward them.
Noel’s eyes were wide as she looked from Torr to the demons.
With shock, I realized she could finally see him. Micah appeared to barely be conscious.
“No!” The room burst with light as I leaped forward. I swung the sword with both hands, putting every ounce of strength I had into the leap.
The demon that turned to face me only had time to widen his eyes before I cut him in two. His body from the waist up slid off his legs and toppled to the ground. The legs stayed upright for a second longer before they fell backward.
The second one charged. I was twisted slightly away from him, so I slammed a sidekick into his ribs and then twisted with a flying round kick to his knee. His legs buckled.
I twirled the sword around and, coming down at an angle, sliced through his shoulder down to his waist.
The final demon watched as the second of his partners crumpled to the floor in two pieces.
Shock splashed across his face as he stared at the pieces of his fallen comrades.
That hesitation spelled his death. I jumped toward him, somehow covering the six feet in one move. I twirled in the air, reaching out with the sword and catching the side of the neck. I pulled it through as I completed the circle, landing on the ground in front of him.
His head rolled from his shoulders. His body went still, standing upright for a second. I kicked it across the room. It crashed through the wall, part of it landing in Micah’s room.
My chest heaved, my whole body shaking as I looked at my small little family. The light in the room seemed to dim. “Are you guys all right?”
Torr lowered the sword, his whole body going limp.
Tess and Laura burst into the room behind me.
“Look out!” Tess bolted forward, her eyes locked on Torr.
I darted in front of him, meeting Tess’s blade with my own.
“Addie!” Tess’s mouth fell open.
I kept the pressure on her blade, forcing her to meet my eyes. “This is Torr. He’s a friend.”
Tess looked at me, then Torr, then back at Laura, who looked just as confused as Tess.
I met both of their gazes. “I’ll explain everything later. But they all need some help.”
My shoulders sagged in relief as I did the same. I turned to Torr. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he crumpled. I caught him before he could hit the ground.
Chapter 32
Graham
Stupid, stupid. He’d kept away from Addie for the last week. He hadn’t wanted to see that look in her eyes like the last time he spoke with her. Because she was right. The people of Blue Forks hadn’t been treated fairly. And he hadn’t even thought about it. He’d been just as spoiled and blind as the other residents of Sterling Peak.
He’d taken four shifts in Forks in the last week. The other nights, he’d been out of town with Marcus on a research trip. Every night he was here, he would patrol past Addie’s apartment, taking comfort in knowing that she, Noel, and Micah were sleeping quietly up there, safe.
But they hadn’t been safe.
He slammed the car to a stop, honking at the dividers on the bridge. Laura had just gotten word to him about the attack. Noel and Micah were hurt.
She said something about a demon being hurt as well. Graham didn’t know what that meant, because hopefully all the demons that had attacked them were simply dead. Jade Kwon, who was the Michael family physician for the last thirty years, rode shotgun. Marcus was in the back, and so was Donovan, whom he’d woken up after he’d heard the news. They both carried extra bandages and even had stretchers in the back of the car.
The bridge barricades were quickly removed. The last guard had barely gotten out of the way when Graham pushed the pedal all the way to the floor.
He didn’t drive very often. The resources needed to maintain the car were too precious to be used precariously. But tonight he needed to get to Forks as quickly as he could.
The drive itself somehow seemed to take too long and at the same time be instantaneous. He braked to a stop in front of Addie’s apartment building and bolted out the door. His breath caught as he sprinted up the stairs, seeing the doorframe completely shattered.
He burst into the room. Addie whirled around, standing in front of her bed while Laura and Tess attended to Micah and Noel on the couch. Micah was incredibly pale. Blood seeped from multiple wounds in his side.
He frowned. Why wasn’t Addie over with them? Why would she be across the room? That was when he made out the shape on the bed behind her. The demon was smaller than any of the other ones he’d seen. Growling, he unsheathed his sword.
Addie narrowed her eyes, pulling her own sword. “Don’t. You. Touch. Him.”
He was shocked by the vehemence in her voice.
Noel struggled to her feet from her position on the ground next to the couch. “He protected us. If he hadn’t been here …” Her voice cut off, tears welling in her eyes.
Donovan stepped into the room, catching the tail end of Noel’s explanation. His eyes widened at the sight of the small demon, but he didn’t say anything, just stepped aside so Jade could enter.
She bustled in and quickly started giving people orders. But Graham kept his gaze on Addie.
When Marcus appeared, she called him over. She conferred with him quietly, and then Marcus went over to Donovan.
Donovan’s eyebrows rose up into his forehead before he nodded. He grabbed a stack of bandages from his sack and made his way over to the bed. Graham followed.
Addie stood protectively in front of it. She looked at each of us, the warrior goddess he’d met on the beach back in full effect. “This is Torr. He’s my friend. I’ve known him for nearly two years. He’s lived with us all that time. He saved Noel and Micah tonight. He will not be harmed.”
Even though her voice broke on the last word and tears shone in her eyes, it was clear she was not making a request. She was telling us how it was going to be.
Donovan nodded. “I won’t hurt him. Let me help him.”
Addie studied him for a long moment. Finally she nodded, stepped aside, and lowered her sword.
Across the room, Jade worked on Micah. Addie watched her with those big eyes of hers. Graham could tell she wanted to be next to Micah, but she didn’t trust the rest of them not to harm Torr. How had she met the creature? And why did she think it was her friend?
A shiver ran through her. Goosebumps had broken out on her arms. A cold wind was blowing in through the shattered window.
He slipped his jacket off and draped it around her shoulders. She looked up at him, and the worry in her eyes nearly undid him. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and promise everything would be all right. That he would make everything all right.
But he couldn’t make that promise. Everyone she cared about was in the room and injured. She was barely holding it together. The only clue to that, though, was in her eyes. But as quickly as she let him see that moment of vulnerability, she dropped the wall over her emotions again. “Thank you.”
She returned her attention to her three wards, her gaze continually shifting between Noel, Micah, and Torr.
The doctor finally sat back. “Micah’s going to be all right. He needs rest, and he’s lost a lot of blood. With rest, food and luck, he should be back to normal in a few weeks.”
Addie grabbed on to the back of the chair, her legs weakening. Graham stepped closer to her, not sure if she’d welcome more than his presence. She nodded. “Thank you. Could you look at Torr now?”
Jade shot a glance at Graham. He nodded. “See what you can do.”
She grabbed her bags with a shaky hand. With regret, Graham stepped away from Addie and picked up Jade’s bag. “I’ll take it over for you. We won’t let him hurt you.”
“It’s not that. It’s just … I’ve never been this close to one before.”
“He’s not like the others,” Addie said.
Jade looked up and met her gaze, reading something there. She gave Addie a small smile. “I know,” she said softly.
Jade inspected the damage along the side of the little demon’s body. Donovan and Marcus had been holding bandages there. They were stained red. Graham was always surprised to see that their blood was red. He didn’t know why he expected it to be a different color.
Jade had them pull the bandages back. She tsked, looking at the wound. “This is going to need some stitches. Can you tell him that?”
“He knows.” Addie sat down on the bed. She reached down and took the demon’s hand, cradling it in her lap. She placed her other hand on his forehead, running her hand over it like you would a child.
Graham couldn’t seem to look away from her treating this demon like it was one of her children. Donovan’s look of incredulity mirrored his, making Graham feel better. He wasn’t the only one struggling with this new Addie revelation.
Tess tapped Graham on the shoulder and nodded toward the stairs. He indicated he’d follow her, but it took him a minute to pull his gaze from Addie. Finally wrenching himself away, he followed Tess outside, flicking a glance at the scorch marks from where the demon bodies had disappeared.
He stopped just outside the door, grabbing ahold of Tess’s arm when she started down the stairs. He didn’t want to go that far away. He ran a hand through his hair. “Here’s good. What happened?”
“In an alley a few blocks from here, Addie was fighting off two demons. But they were toying with her, trying to keep her there. She thought they were going after the other sword. She left it back here in the apartment. We sprinted back here, but she outran us. That woman is fast. By the time we got back here, Addie had taken down the three of them. She literally cut them in half.” Tess shuddered. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“What about the other one. Torr?”
“Noel and Micah were hurt, and that Torr …” Tess shook her head, looking around as if an explanation for what she’d seen would appear. “He defended them. He placed himself between the demons and the kids. That was how he got injured. Noel was right: if Torr hadn’t been here, I don’t think they would have survive
d.”
Graham stared back into the room. He knew Addie was a woman of secrets, but she had a demon for a friend? And how hadn’t anyone else seen this guy? Had he been hiding in the apartment this whole time? Was that even possible?
Tess lowered her voice. “Noel said that she’s known the demon as long as Addie, but I saw her face. She wasn’t telling the truth. I’d bet anything she was just as shocked as anyone when it appeared and defended her. But she’s trusting that Addie knows what she’s doing.”
Graham looked back to the room where Addie sat, still holding the demon’s hand, but her gaze continually strayed over to Noel and Micah. Noel might trust what Addie was doing, but Graham wasn’t so sure. What the hell had she been up to?
Chapter 33
Addie
Torr’s chest rose and fell. I watched it, worried that at any moment it would stop. I held his hand, but he seemed to have fallen asleep or unconscious.
The doctor worked on him, stitching his side. I winced for him as the needle first went into his skin. “It’s okay, Torr. I’m here.”
I felt Marcus and Donovan’s gaze on me, but I didn’t care. They were not my priority. Torr was.
Graham stepped outside with Tess, leaving only Marcus, the doctor, Noel, Micah and me.
I glanced over at Noel and Micah. I’d barely said two words to them since I’d arrived.
The doctor noticed my glance. “It’s okay to go to them. This will take another couple of minutes.”
I grasped Torr’s hand more tightly.
“I will not let any harm come to him. I promise.”
I read the commitment in the doctor’s eyes. I ran my hand over Torr’s head one last time and then stood.
Marcus watched me go but then returned his gaze to Torr, an unreadable expression on his face. I knew he was cataloguing everything about Torr, filing it away, and I hated it. Torr wasn’t a specimen. I wasn’t sure what he was—son, brother, friend, but definitely not a specimen.