Page 88 of Kiss of Magic

Make. Me.

With a roar, Beast leapt for the demon. He let his rage take over – the violent ferocity that was swamping his thoughts. The ferociousness that had once made him feared throughout the Forbidden Zone. A brutality he hadn’t unleashed since he’d been with Nat.

The demon met him in mid-air. Its strength surprised Beast. He rarely met a creature as strong as he. Tentacles slashed at him, their razor tips drawing blood, but he managed to twist and turn to keep them penetrating too deeply.

He stabbed at the thing’s body. His claws were as hard as diamond but they skittered off the carapace, leaving not so much as a scratch. Beast went for its skull instead but it was the same result.

In desperation he swiped at the thing’s eyes. This time he had more success. There was a viscous popping sound beneath his claws and the demon shrieked.

It stepped up its assault, snapping ferociously at Beast’s face and neck. Beast managed to get an arm between them, bellowing in pain as fangs tore at flesh and bone. Using his other hand he smashed repeatedly at the demon’s head until it let him go.

They circled each other warily. The demon was missing a couple of eyes but was otherwise unscathed. Beast, however, was bleeding from several lacerations and had all but lost the use ofone hand. Worse, he now knew the demon’s strength. Any hope that he could overpower it evaporated.

It doesn’t matter. All that matters is Natalia’s safety.At least the pain of his wounds was focusing his mind. It cut through the blackness and allowed him to think with more clarity. He would lead it further away from the Haven. He could do that much, at least. He leapt upwards into the trees.

Up here, he had an advantage. Even with one arm, he could move swiftly and gracefully. His feet were as good as his hands, perhaps better. He swung from branch to branch, propelled fluidly by muscles designed for this very task.

Behind him the demon crashed from one tree to the next. Powerful, yes, but ungainly among the foliage. Beast glanced back and felt a spark of hope. The demon wasn’t as comfortable off the ground as he was.

It grabbed at the branches clumsily, switching between limbs and tentacles, advancing more through brute strength than any kind of natural ability. Beast was easily able to stay ahead of it – in fact, he had to make sure not to lose it. He wanted it to keep following.

But they couldn’t go on like this forever. The demon was indefatigable whereas he was weakened and losing blood. He had to end this while he still could. But how?

He wished he could ask Nat. As a slayer, she had an encyclopaedic knowledge of killing monsters. There were very few things she couldn’t handle with her Cerulean blades. They could cut through most things.

But not everything. Sometimes, she had to find another way.

He remembered the story she’d told of her battle with a basilisk. She’d been trapped in a cave and its scales were immune to her blades. She’d won the battle, though. She’d used its size and strength against it.

He sped up until he was lost to the demon’s view. When he was far enough ahead, he stopped in a sturdy Feyir fir. Silently, he climbed into its uppermost branches and waited.

The demon appeared below him. It balanced on a branch and peered into the forest, trying to find its prey. Its tentacles waved sinuously, cutting grooves into the bark wherever they came into contact. Beast steeled himself. Then he dropped.

The demon snarled as it was borne down by the heavy weight landing on it. They plunged out of the tree and fell.

The blackness in Beast’s mind intensified. A red mist descended, making it difficult for him to think or reason. One thought rose to the top of the seething mass of fury circling round and round.Kill. Kill!

He didn’t hold back.

He ignored the slashing claws and teeth, and instead grasped a thick tentacle with his good hand. It thrashed convulsively, threatening to take his skin off with the bladed end. Grunting with effort, he wrapped it round the demon’s neck.

They landed on the forest floor with a jarring thud. The demon took the brunt, smashing face first into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves of agony through Beast’s arm but he barely felt it. His bloodlust was over-riding everything.

The tentacle was still wrapped round the demon’s neck and he hauled on it with all his strength. The creature arched backwards, tongue wriggling obscenely.

You. Are. Not. Strong. Enough. To. Kill. Me.

“Maybe not. But I’m bettingyouare.”

He grasped the end of the tentacle. The razor-sharp tip sliced through his palm but he ignored the pain. Using every ounce of his strength, he drove it down between the demon’s shoulder blades.

It shrieked as the point pierced the bony plates. Black liquid seeped out and Beast grimaced as it spattered his flesh. But hedidn’t let up. His muscles bulged as he forced the tentacle as far and as deep as he could.

The demon screamed, a high-pitched tone that hurt his sensitive ears and sent animals bolting through the undergrowth.

Beast gave a final, vicious twist and heard something give. The demon flopped gracelessly, its limbs dangling.

He didn’t need to check it was dead. He knew. The strange connection between them was severed abruptly, and the last of the malignant blackness faded from his thoughts like a dream.

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