Page 34 of Bitten By Desire

“Now,” I insisted, ready to put magic behind the word to force them all out of danger.

“Okay, okay,” Zoe said, stepping toward me. “It’s a good idea to get out of here anyway. Where to? Hazel’s?”

“No,” I said, thinking. “No. Back to…to Paris. Take us to a hotel.”

“I was hoping I could have a chance to catch up for at least a few minutes,” Daphne said as Zoe opened a portal for the rest of us. “But I guess that just isn’t in the cards. I’ll have to be patient.”

Footsteps echoed in the stone hall outside, and a dark shadow fell over the entrance to the cell.

“Hurry! Everyone through,” I yelled as they all turned to look. The woman came around the corner just as Sam took Tabitha from Daphne and stepped through to France.

The woman looked like a human with beautiful, long dark hair and eyes. She was dressed in a white suit with killer heels, and her lips were painted blood red. I knew immediately what she was no matter what kind of glamour she used. I recognized her facial structure. It was Sirena, the female demon from the other dimension. And she’d come herself to retrieve me.

“Freeze,” I commanded her as Julian ushered the others through the portal as quickly as possible. But instead of stopping, she paused long enough to smile before continuing toward me.

Panic seized my lungs and I forgot how to breathe. But apparently, my hand still worked because I struck out at the air automatically and my telekinesis worked. Sirena went flying across the hall and slammed into the stone wall.

A crack opened behind her, but she landed in a crouch, stood up, and adjusted her suit before resuming her march toward me.

Julian grabbed me as I made eye contact with the demon who blew a kiss. Just over my shoulder, a boom shattered the air, and bright blue flames burst to life. I screamed as Daphne moved into high gear and leaped for the intruder.

“Go!” she yelled.

The last thing I saw as Julian zoomed us through the portal was Daphne blown through the air and into the fire.

Chapter 11

Dry Spell Over

I was still screaming while Zoe closed the portal and Julian held me back, face buried in my neck.

She’ll be okay, he promised in my head, but even there, his voice trembled like he was saying a prayer and not a promise.

“We should go back,” Sam said, pacing as his eyes shone silver. “We can’t just leave her behind.”

Julian lowered us to our knees as I calmed, still shaken, and still shedding tears. I’d shed enough the past three months to fill the demons’ raging river of lava.

“I’d say you’re right, but I can’t.” My pronouncement startled everyone enough that they all stared at me. “Things were different for me in there.” I struggled to find the words.

Stroking my hair back, Julian silently told me to take my time. I pressed my eyes closed and took a few breaths, trying to work out what I needed to say.

“It enhanced my abilities. I was able to travel between dimensions, and I saw things. I think I have all the information, but I need to work it out, sort of like a puzzle.”

“But Daphne—” Sam insisted.

I raised my hand. “I know.” I let the heartbreak and fear come through my words so he’d understand how much I wanted to rush back in. “But that woman? She’s a demon and on the board of SHADE from what I can tell. They’re all demons. Every one of them.”

“I don’t care if she’s the devil himself. She can’t be infallible,” Sam argued, though he’d stopped pacing and his eyes had calmed to his normal shade.

“I agree,” I said, standing with Julian in tow. “But all we know so far is that she’s impervious to mind-bending and blows fire. If we rush in without more information, we could lose more people and end up making things worse for Daphne.”

Sam’s head dropped in defeat. “I don’t like this.”

“None of us do,” Hazel said, leaving an unconscious Tabitha with Zoe and coming over to rest a glowing green hand on Sam’s shoulder.

I smiled, knowing she was sending him calming energy. “One thing is for sure; she isn’t after Daphne. She’s after me. Which means she’ll hopefully leave her alone after Daphne stops attacking her.” I didn’t mention seeing her fall into the fire or that the reason she finally stops attacking will likely be because she can’t anymore.

“Now what?” Zoe finished tucking a throw around Tabitha then moved toward us with an illusion of confidence. But her aura shook with yellow fear and uncertainty.

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