Page 65 of Cry for Help

“The Flock.” I echoed his words, understanding dawning on me.Christ, I was slow sometimes.

Somehow, the temperature seemed to be dropping by the moment. Stolas’s arms tightened around me, but I began to shake. So...Cold...

Murmur lay in front of me, with Stolas behind.

I didn’t know how I knew, but I felt him slipping away with each breath. If we didn’t get out soon, Murmur was going to die.

“Maddie?” Caim’s weak voice echoed through the silence. “Stolas? Are you there?”

I woke with a jolt. “Was that—?”

“I heard them, too.” Stolas interrupted, unpeeling himself from my side. He approached the wall, placing a hand on the concrete. “We’re here.” He lifted his voice. “Are you okay?”

“The food is shit.” Malphas joked.

“They didn’t feed us.” Caim pointed out.

“Exactly!” Malphas growled.

I rolled my eyes but had to admit that I was so hungry. It was hard to take my mind off the sensation when my stomach threatened to eat itself.

Stolas shook his head, drawing attention to the feathery tufts of the dark hair sticking out in all directions. He caught my gaze and brushed his fingers against the lapel of his jacket.

He pulled off the jacket and held it out to me. I snatched it, wrapping myself tightly, as I breathed in the warm scent of jasmine.

“Couldn’t you fly out of here?” I suggested. “Your bird forms aren’t as big as Murmur’s, are they?”

Stolas’s cheek twitched. “I’m not leaving you here.”

“Is that Maddie?” Malphas called out.

“Can Caim and Malphas get through the bars in bird form?” I suggested. “There are no windows to the outside, but they could move to our cell.”

Stolas’s lip pinched, and he laughed humorlessly. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Stolas relayed the suggestion to the other demons, and though it was met with silence, a minute passed before two small black birds hopped in front of the bars. One with a large beak and the other with a spotted chest. A raven and a thrush.

I stepped back from the bars as Caim and Malphas came to our cell, hoping through the gap with ease.

I couldn’t stomach the sight of two small birds expanding into the full-sized Caim and Malphas. Their bones twisted, andtheir flesh stretched and expanded from their dark feathers.

When Malphas stood on two legs, he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around me. He lifted me off my feet and swung me from side to side. I let out a small involuntary squeak.

I patted his back.

“Warm welcome aside,” Caim rocked on his heels. “We really need to get out of here. I heard all that shit Behem was spilling about eating the Sídhe.” His jaw hardened, and he glanced down at Murmur. “Withdrawal symptoms?” He guessed.

“He’s not going to last long.” I felt Murmur’s life force like a loose water hose, thrashing about as it leaked his vitality into the air. “We need to get out of here.”

Malphas pulled back an inch, pressing his hands to my cheeks as he held my eyes. “Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“He didn’t hurt you?”

I shook my head.

Malphas breathed a sigh of relief.

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