Page 22 of Demon Monster's Little Human

The prisoners are running.

The elves barely spare them a glance.

They're focused on us.

Dain snarls. His claws flex, wings twitching like he’s fighting the urge to rip them apart.

My heart slams against my ribcage. “What do we do?”

His fingers tighten on my arm. “We fight.”

The first arrow flies

He moves before I can react, shoving me behind him, his wing snapping outward, catching the projectile mid-air. The force cracks the membrane, but he doesn’t flinch.

The second arrow doesn’t miss.

It sinks into his shoulder.

He growls, ripping it out like it’s nothing, but I see the way his muscles lock, the way his magic falters again.

The mine is interfering with him. The dark elves realize it, too.

They move in fast, closing the distance. Two wield spears, another channels magic through a curved dagger, the blade glowing sickly green.

Poison.

Dain sees it, too. He moves, too fast for their eyes to track, too strong to stop.

He closes the space in a blink, claws raking through the first elf’s armor, slicing into flesh.

A scream.

Another elf lunges at me.

I barely throw myself aside, the blade whistling past my face. I stumble, unarmed, too slow, too weak.

The elf grabs my wrist, twisting hard enough to make me yelp.

Dain turns his head. His expression changes.

Something sharp snaps inside him.

He doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t just attack—he demolishes.

The elf restraining me barely has time to react before Dain is on him, slamming his claws through his throat. Blood sprays hot against my face, against my hands.

The elf collapses.

Dain’s eyes are still burning.

I press a hand to my chest, breath shaking. “Dain?—”

“Move.”

Another magic blast rips through the cavern. He shoves me down, taking the brunt of it. The force sends him staggering, but he doesn’t fall.

The artifact pulses again.

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