Page 69 of A Touch of Brimstone

“Because I don’t have one. I’ve never borrowed magic before. I’ve seen magic taken from someone and they didn’t look to be in pain as it was done, just pissed off.”

“Like your sister?”

“I didn’t take her magic, it’s just restricted,” he corrected.

It still pissed her off.

Time ticked by. Dominic moved to the desk and grabbed a pen and piece of paper, scribbled something on it, and handed it to me along with the key fob.

“If I tell you to leave, go to this address. The emergency exit is out this door and to the right, okay?”

I nodded, taking the items. “Dominic, what’s wrong?”

His eyes narrowed at the door. “Nothing yet.”

I shoved the paper in my pocket, palmed the key fob, and continued to wait for Emmanuel. Ten more minutes passed then Dominic scrutinized the door and mouthed for me to go.

I ran.

Halfway to the exit I heard pounding feet and saw seven people flooding through the door, a silver-blue sphere of magic being released into Dominic’s chest. The woman in front stood in frozen disbelief when there was no effect. Swallowing a gasp, I hesitated for one moment before darting for the car. Hauling myself in, I started the car without adjusting the mirror and reversed, guilt and panic washing over me at the sight of newly arrived cars and more people spilling into the bar.

Once on the main road, I could think more clearly and my internal debate persisted. Out of the rearview mirror, I glimpsed another car turning into the bar’s parking lot. I couldn’t leave him.

Chuffing and huffing drew my attention, and I was startled to find Zareb had made himself visible.

I cursed under my breath, one hand going to my chest. “Are you trying to kill me? How did you get in here?” Great, I’m talking to hellhounds now. But if he could travel from the Underworld, answering me wasn’t terribly unrealistic.

Zareb’s response was a low rumble in his chest.

“I can’t leave him,” I repeated aloud.

The hound nudged my shoulder as if to tell me to keep going, but I swung the SUV around and headed back to the bar, parking it facing out so I could make a quick exit if necessary. In the trunk I found an emergency kit. I rummaged through it until I found three flares, and I snatched up the wrench. The only thing I could think to do was throw in the flares, hope they hit something flammable. If nothing else, it would be a distraction. If I had the Trapsen, I could notify Anand. Worst case, Helena.

A bloodied body crashed through the door and landed, his right arm twisted in a manner that wasn’t anatomically possible without a break. A clawed creature stood over him. It had Dominic’s features, clothing, and body, but there wasn’t anything human about him. This wasn’t the refined, coolly subdued man that I reluctantly found sexy as hell. This was an animal. A beast of the Underworld. His eyes blazed like fire, his magic thrashed the air, and blood—I was sure other people’s blood—coated his clothing.

Lips furled, he hissed at me. “Go!”

My feet were planted, eyes wide, horror-stricken, when he used his claws to slash the man’s throat. The spurt of the man’s blood jolted me into action. I ran to the SUV. A hand grabbed my hair and tossed me to the ground. My hand held onto the wrench but the flares dropped. I made a half turn and smashed the wrench into the person’s wrist. They released me with a shriek of pain. I rolled to my feet and swiftly turned and delivered another hit to the head.

Magic cracked into my back, sending me sprawling. Pain, awful pain, seared through me. Relief flooded me when I wiggled my feet and they moved. I scrambled back up and saw the magic thrower on the ground, fending off something I couldn’t see. Zareb.

I ran for the car, opening the back passenger door.

“Come on, Zareb!” I screamed. He waited until the attacker had stopped moving. The man was still breathing, but he hadn’t come out on the winning end. His shirt was shredded, blood trailed from bite marks, and he was curled in a protective ball, his hands covering his face.

The hound brushed past my leg as he jumped into the car, making his body visible once in. I rushed to the driver’s side and we fled.

There was no way I was going to where Dominic had instructed me. After I was far enough away that I couldn’t see the bar, I pulled over. Taking out my phone, I searched for hotels. I’d stay at one for a few days and figure the rest out later.

Zareb’s warm breath, grunts, and chuffing made ignoring him hard.

“Go home,” I told him. Hard, primal eyes leveled on me before his nose nudged my shoulder.

“No,” I told him. “Go home,” I repeated.

He pulled back his teeth, exposing razor-sharp teeth. My eyes slid to the wrench on the driver’s side. I didn’t want to hurt a dog, no matter how menacing he looked. And he really looked menacing. His powerful build, the amber glow of his eyes, and the ferocity of his stare made him look absolutely like a hound of the Underworld.

“Are you going to eat me if I don’t do what Dominic said?” I asked in a half-hearted tease.

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