Page 33 of Dating the Dealing Demon

I point and shoot into the pile of cyclops atop him, trying not to think about who or what I could be hitting. I’m not the badass gamer that Meg is, the save-the-world journalist Ava will be, or even the kind soul Rosemarie is. I’m just me—restless, daydreaming, jinxed, and cursed me. I’m even the flighty, powerless human that Theo’s mom accused me of being.

But right now, guarded by a dragon whose copper wings look too tiny for his pup-sized body, I’m the best shot this dimension has at shutting down that portal.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Theo

Of all the mates in all the realms across time, I got saddled with the unhinged human with a savior complex and a death wish.

Never mind how hot she looks stomping after Montejanus with a repeat-action pistol crossbow. Guns won’t do much in the hell dimensions thanks to a trick of the magic. My mate has improvised, and she’s done a ridiculously good job of it. She steps through the parted flames, firelight glowing red and orange across her skin even as the green of the other realm pulses through the room.

“Val.” I roar her name while tossing injured cyclops off me. I’d like to believe my claws and horns did the damage, but the mini crossbow bolts sticking out of them proves who tipped the odds in my favor. The two clinging to my wings look like hairy voodoo dolls.

Another cyclops barrels into the room. I’ve lost count of the fuckers.

Where did they even portal from? How did they get past the resort’s wards? Ora and my least favorite witches set these protections spells.

“What closes the portals?” Val asks in a yell.

“Same as opens it.” I can barely breathe after shouting at her with the ten tons of monster weighing down on me. “Demon royal blood.”

She wrinkles her nose, and I wonder how she can still smell the stench as overpowering as it’s been since the first cyclops showed up. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Then don’t. Take Montejanus and run.” The only thing louder than the pain screaming through my body is the instinct to protect my mate.

Val shoots a cyclops off my cousin with a loudpopand dodges those wrestling with me. “Hold still.”

“Busy right now.” I don’t hide my growl.

She swipes a hand over my wing. “Ugh.”

Her shudder has me questioning how I woke this morning wearing her. Did I misread the situation then? Or now?

Except she pulls her hand away, dripping with my blood. “Should be plenty to close a portal,” she says.

“Don’t—” I can’t say the rest, not with a cyclops punching me in the gut. What could she be thinking? Knowing her, she’s not. She’s acting first and will come up with a plan afterward. Claws tear into my left wing, and agony rips through me. Still, I push toward her, fighting through each excruciating step forward and dragging multiple cyclops with me.

Val steps closer to the portal with her hand outstretched, palm facing the opening and her fingers spread wide. With the other, she keeps the pistol crossbow raised. Montejanus flies beside her, and with blue blood dripping down her wrist, she commands Shadowvale like she’s been the castle’s mistress for decades.

If I didn’t want to haul her to safety and then spank her ass red for daring to put herself in this much danger, I might admit she’s the perfect candidate for a future queen of hell—brash, courageous, and completely reckless.

A shriek of pain from Dupree has her snapping his way, firing quick crossbow shots at the cyclops pummeling him. “Owww,” my cousin howls as one of the bolts hits him instead of the beasts.

“Oops.” Val’s eyes go wide, her hair flying around her face. “Sorry.”

In front of her, the home dimension of the cyclops looms. Tendrils of green mist snake through the opening. In the distance, I can see an army of monsters heading our way.

“Close the portal,” I yell.

“How?” she asks. Before I can answer, she says, “Shadowvale, a little help here?”

The castle floor ripples, lifting her into the air beside her dragon. Val throws her arms out, whether to sling blood at the portal or simply keep her balance, I don’t know. Blue droplets fly into the void.

I call on any of the old gods who might be listening. “Close. For the love of the seven circles, fucking close.”

A horn trumpets in the distance. For a pounding heartbeat, I worry that the horde will descend any second if that damn portal stays open.

The cyclops trying to muscle off my wings suddenly stops, whipping his top-heavy body toward his home realm. Another pauses in its chokehold that has me gasping. The third I’m pummeling goes still. All of them race to the portal.

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