Page 69 of Till Death

“You’re an ugly motherfucker, aren’t you?” I managed to get out.

I kicked at the monster’s underside and somehow managed to roll away before it crushed me. It hit me back instantly and a wave of pure pain crashed through my system. We shoved to our feet at the same time and ran at each other, colliding as I threw my fist into its gut.

I’d lost Bertha somewhere along the line. I’d tear the sucker apart with my bare hands if I had to. My light rose and flared along my arm. I brought it in front of the creature’s face, our gazes locking, and a flash of pain flared in its eyes, although it didn’t go down.

My muscles tensed and bunched, light curling inside and I sent it spiraling out like a whip.

The creature backed up long enough for me to hunch and grab Bertha, swinging her in an arc and bringing her down, but not before a second demon struck and slammed its tail into the back of my knees. I went down hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs. My head hit the floor, stars bursting to life in front of my eyes.

The second demon struck and slammed me into the opposite wall.

Cole. They were going for Cole. Was that why they’d tried so hard to get inside?

I struggled to my feet and stalked after them as another beast launched itself at my back, dropping me to the floor again. We tangled together with fists and fangs and blood. The walls rattled under the force of our fight but the beast inside of me refused to relent. Not until I’d saved Cole. Today was the last day that Amon would tear apart my life by the seams. Or so I thought, until a single yowl pierced the haze of bloodlust in my head.

The kind of sound that got your heart drumming and terror rising to chill the bones.

I was on my feet in seconds, my legs wobbling to the point where I had to lock them together just to keep standing.

“Sean.” His name came out in a whisper.

He and Wyatt had been knocked down, crashing against the floor with their bodies at odd angles. Eli stood over them with his sword hefted high and my heart squeezed with relief until I saw the blood pouring out from the side of Sean’s head.

“No!” I couldn’t lose Sean. He had to be okay.

“Shit.” Andre materialized at my side, his eyes shining with the promise of death and vengeance. “This is not good.”

I grabbed hold of his shirt with my free hand and only then noticed my fingers trembling and stained with blood. “You’ve got to help him.”

“I’ll do my best,” Andre agreed before he ran to Sean’s side.

Hurry, I begged silently as light struggled to break free. My nerves were shot and jumpy and the demons kept coming. They poured in through the ruined doors like water from a dam. There was no time to break down. No time to do anything except slash my sword against another demon’s back and take satisfaction in its roar of pain. It fell to its knees with blood oozing from the wound.

I fought like a madwoman. Blasting my way through one after another in retaliation for what had happened. Andre dove over Sean and dragged my friend away from the general mele.

He had to be okay, I thought again.

Even when the terror inside of me gave me doubts.

I was forced to my position in front of the doorway again with Cole howling behind me and horror consuming me with each passing second.

How much longer would we be able to keep this up?

Gritting my teeth, I tightened my grip around Bertha’s handle and strode toward the attacking demons, raising their heads to the air and drawing in the scent of blood.

“Don’t hold back on me now, guys,” I begged them. “We’re just getting started.”

False bravado only got me so far.

Especially when the tip of a wing hit me in the midsection and I shot away through the gloom, straight through the doorway until I skidded to a stop. I bared my teeth against the pain, Cole only feet away still trapped, and stumbled up to my feet again. By the time I managed to put a little distance between my body and the trap…it was too late.

One of the demons had made it into the room. I threw my weight against him as we both slammed down and a claw swiped through the edges of the trap.

Breaking it.

Freeing Cole.

A dark chuckle licked along my arms and I twisted around to see Cole burst through the trap and stretch up to his full height. He bolted, making his escape.

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