Page 118 of Feral Possession

“Duh. Flying.”

“No.”

“No?”

“Too heavy for flying.”

“Did you just call me fat? Never mind.” She sprinted down the walkway, racing for the door.

Inside the lobby, she eyed the elevator, followed by the stairwell. Every second they wasted was a second they didn’t have. Stairs. Elevator. Bah! “We’ll never make it in time.”

“Leave to me.”

Dove stepped into the elevator. Lights flickered and dimmed. It was all the warning she had before her heart plunged into her stomach. Her stomach into her feet. Her cheeks into her ears. She stumbled into the corner, bracing herself on the railing.

“You know, astronauts usually train months for this kind of thing,” she shouted over the squealing cables, swallowing bile. Moments later, the door opened, and she stumbled down a short hallway onto the roof.

Once her vision cleared, she discovered Marcus lying on the ground, his flesh sizzling. Zion leaned over the top of him, lips parted. Dark blue tendrils wafted from Marcus’s mouth into the demon’s.

Zion was reaping his soul.

No. No. No!

Rage burned at Dove’s center. Shadows gathered in an inky pool beneath her, spilling up her legs. For a moment, she gaped at the sensation building at her core. It felt strong, powerful, and deliciously dark. Shadow’s power was hers now. Their combined energy, a heady combination. Oh, mamma. Screw being a pacifist. This little faerie was ready to rumble.

Channeling all the anger she felt, she splayed her hands, gathering the darkness. Black energy crackled between her fingers.

“Give me everything you’ve got, Shadow.”

“Everything?”

“Absolutely.”

“Yes, my queen.”

They’d only have one shot at this.

Narrowing her focus, she reached deep into her well and gathered every speck of power both she and Shadow possessed. They came together like two halves made whole. The two whirled inside of her, twisting tighter, gaining strength. Oh boy, it was a lot of juice. If the officials who’d called her an underachiever could see her now, they’d piss their starched undies.

“Like this game,” Shadow growled in her mind.

“Same,” she grunted, her chest near to bursting.

At her response, Zion glanced her way.

“You?” he snarled, raising his hand to defend himself. Too late.

Power exploded from her fiery palms.

Black energy exploded against the monster’s chest. It detonated with the strength of a thousand pissed off poltergeists. The power of the explosion threw Dove back into the wall. Oxygen slammed from her lungs, her bones splintering. She hit the ground.

Sirens screamed in her eardrums, ozone burning her nostrils. She coughed, rolling to her knees. With the back of her hand, she swiped blood from her lips.

“Holy crap,” she choked out. “What the… Marcus. Shit. Marcus!”

She scrambled to her feet and stumbled to his side. Marcus rested against the roof ledge, tossed there by the explosion. Zion’s smoking corpse rested a few feet away, unmoving.

Carefully, she rolled Marcus onto his back. Half of his face was scorched, his flesh burning. Much as he’d looked after her failed exorcism.

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