Page 85 of Demon Found

It would be impressive if it didn’t mean the assholes are all slinking out, abandoning me. Val starts to move for the door. Seriously? Her too? She nudges me hard as she passes.

“I’ll get boss man.” The words are barely a whisper.

The door clicks behind the last student and the strangers prowl toward me. I shuffle back, trying to keep them both in my line of sight.

“You like our presents?”

“Fuck you.”

“It’s time to come nicely, little girl. Las Ratas are calling. We won’t be denied.”

“I didn’t sign that contract.” Ihaveto keep them talking.

The door slams open and a stocky figure in a pastel print dress barrels in, flinging herself between me and the men.

Naeve. Oh shit, no.

“You leave Lorelei alone!”

“Oh, lookie here. Two for the price of one.”

“Leave her the fuck out of it.” I grab Naeve and try to propel her back out the door, swinging wildly with the pool cue. The men step up quickly, one on either side. I lash out at one, and the other slips under my guard. A stab of pain lances through my side just as Naeve wails. I double up as wave after wave of agony rolls over me. I grasp for Naeve, holding onto her tightly, her dumb perfume rushing up my nose.

“Up. Start walking toward the portal. Now.” A magically charged baton slams into my side, again letting off a surge of electricity and forcing a scream from my mouth.

No. No. No. Val is getting Chano. I just have to hold out. Stay here.

“Move or I’ll fry this one’s brains out. We don’t need her.” The taller man grips Naeve, yanking her out of my arms. He holds her tightly around the neck, his baton pressed to her temple.

Shrugging helplessly, I shuffle toward the door, dragging out each step. The Las Ratas men move us swiftly out onto campus grounds, straight for the portal, keeping us tight together, barely slowing when Naeve stumbles.

The high stone arch of the portal swings into view. Chano’s going to be too late. How will he even find us?

We’re ten meters from complete fucking disaster when I hear it. The baying of wolves. The shorter, meaner-looking guy pauses, glancing around.

Bursting from the tree line, half a dozen wolves head straight for us. With a yelp the Las Ratas guys try to drag us the last few meters. I throw my weight into my heels, reaching out for Naeve’s earth magic at the same time. Our magic weaves together, and without really knowing what I’m doing, I push our conjoined energy into the ground. Deeper and deeper, keeping us tethered to it, anchoring us. Rooting us here.

We come to a grinding halt. The men tug at our arms, and the tall guy slams his baton into Naeve. She shrieks but her power somehow clings to mine, even as she falls face first into the dirt.

Within seconds we’re surrounded by the shifters, all teeth and snarls. I’ve never been so fucking relieved to see Raff. The Las Ratas back up, trying to keep themselves between the wolves and us. I scramble round so I’m standing over Naeve’s prone body. They’re not hurting her again.

An enraged bellow echoes across campus, and moments later a fully shifted demon tears toward us. Chano. With their boss in command, it takes mere moments for the Maveriks to overpower the two Las Ratas members and sweep them away into the woods.

I bend, quickly checking Naeve’s pulse. It thumps reassuringly steadily, and I throw my head back in relief. We’re safe.

My eyes open to find two giant swirling orbs of purple demon ring glaring at me.

“So that’s why you couldn’t join the Maveriks. You're already caught up in Las Ratas.” Chano spits his words at me. He pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a deep breath. His eyes clear, and he shifts back to his human form.

“That’s not what this is—”

Chano grabs my arm, forcing me to stand straight. “We’re going to have a problem, little rat. I don’t tolerateratson my turf.”

Somehow the calm flat tone is far more terrifying than all his blustering rage.

He yanks on my arm again, swinging me toward him.

“You’ve got it wrong.”

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