Page 76 of Viper

A stream of ultraviolet fire gushed past Viper, lighting up the strix who’djustbeen coming at him from the side. Before he could give Jester a nod of thanks, another strix advanced on him, all nails and fangs and long limbs. Viper was impressed it was still alive, considering its skin was a collage of blisters, burns, cuts, and rotting patches.

The demon vaulted its body right at him … but was incidentally knocked down by a wayward telekinetic strike from Dice. The strix zoomed backwards and hit the sand, sending itpuffingeverywhere. Before the strix could rise, Viper telekinetically snapped its neck.

An enraged hiss emerged out of a nearby strix, who then pinned Viper with a hateful glare.

Viper flicked up a taunting brow. “Problem?”

The demon rushed him, kicking up a cloud of sand. Viper slashed out his arm, telekinetically slamming the strix into a rock wall. The impact caused little stones to break away and patter the sea below as the body sank into it. But the strix surfaced, shifting into a bat in the process, and then bulleted through the air toward Viper.

He slammed up a telekinetic hand to stop its momentum and shoved it hard, sending the bat crashing into a rocky outcropping. Maybe the impact cracked its skull or something because, like that, the strix was dead.

A fiery whip slapped at Viper’s face, splitting his lower lip and burning a line along his cheekbone. Even as his injuredskin began to prickle and sizzle, he turned toward the new attacker; saw a strix charging toward him. Viper flicked a hand, telekinetically wafting up a shit load of sand toward the demon.

It coughed and rubbed at its eyes, stumbling to a halt. He took advantage, driving his teeth down hard into the prick’s throat. He gulped down blood, letting it heal his injuries, and then sliced downwards with an archangelic blast that split its body in a vertical fashion.

“Nice,” praised Omen.

Viper grunted, gratified to see that the battle was over. No strix were left. Ashes mingled with the sand and floated on the water.

“Well, I enjoyed that,” Rebel announced, shoving at the wet strands of hair clinging to his forehead. “Though I have sand in places it has no right being.”

Sting snickered, scrubbing away the bits of grit dusting his face. “Don’t we all?”

Jester crossed to Viper. “When these demons don’t return to the colony, the queen will know it was likely us who’ll kill them. This makes three times we’ve chipped at their numbers. She’s going to launch a mass attack eventually.”

Since it would enable his club to eradicate them in one swoop … “I look forward to the day she finally does.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

As her sister parked her car in the lot outside their complex later that day, Ella pulled in a steadying breath. Throughout her shift at work, she’d thought about her little chat with the blonde descendant, wondering just how truthful she’d been when claiming she wouldn’t expose Ella’s arrangement with Viper.

Ella wasn’t ready to talk about it with others yet. She knew her loved ones would pressure her to end it. She also knew that Luka would pressureViperto end it—especially since he was currently in full-on protective mode due to the notes.

Ella didn’t believe that Viper would cave to her anchor’s demands.Shecertainly wouldn’t. Luka would be pissed, and he could strike out at Viper. Then there’d be fighting. She didn’t want that.

But she might not have the option of continuing to keep her fling with Viper on the downlow. Not if the blonde intended to blab. So maybe it was best for Ella to be the one to tell her loved ones. They’d only react worse if they heard about it secondhand. She needed to start with someone, and her sister was the least likely person to overreact and call up Luka, banking on him ensuring the fling came to an end.

So when Mia went to exit the car, Ella blurted out, “Before we head inside, I have to tell you something.”

Her sister blinked, her eyes lighting with interest. “Ooh, I’m all ears.”

“You can’t tell anyone, though. Not even Mom or Jocelyn. I need to do that myself.”

“It’s a secret? Awesome. I’m even more intrigued now. What gives?”

“Promiseme you’ll keep it to yourself.”

Mia lifted a hand, palm out. “I solemnly swear to guard your secret—I will tell no one.”

Ella exhaled heavily and twisted in her seat to better face her sister. “Quick warning, you probably won’t like this. I don’tthinkyou’ll judge, but you might well call me all kinds of stupid.”

Mia’s expression registered surprise. “I would never call you stupid.”

We’ll see.“You know how this past week you kept insisting I wasdefinitelygetting laid on the regular?” Mia hadn’t bought her denials, but she hadn’t pushed too hard.

“Yeah,” Mia replied.

“Well, you were right.”

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