Page 49 of Protected By the Gargoyle
Focus. She had to think. Larissa knew the code. Roman had set it. What would he think of?
Larissa. Janie tried variations of her birthday, the month, date, and year. And then 0507 for May 7th.
Bingo!
The safe opened. When she pulled out the ancient-looking leather book that had brought so much anguish into their lives, she wanted to stuff it back inside, never to see it again. But she had to be brave. They were outside fearlessly fighting the demon. She had to do whatever she could to save them.
When she ran back to the rooftop with the book, Larissa was rolling on her side, groaning. Roman in gargoyle form hollered as he soared down to her. He must have just arrived to fight the demon with Arto.
Arto continued to grapple with the monster, but then the blood in her veins trembled. He hovered in the air, limbs dangling. The demon appeared to be doing something to him.
Takingsomething from him.
His life force?
Hell. No.
A shudder wracked her body.
Never. Never! NEVER!
She opened the book with fumbling fingers and flipped to the page Larissa had shown her.
It required an offering. Something the demons would want.
Although the consequences repulsed her, she had to do it. For Arto. For Larissa. For everyone who had ever risked their lives for her. There was no other choice.
She read the words in the strange language. Then she lifted her chin and declared, “I offer myself as sacrifice.”
CHAPTER15
ARTO
Why would Janie say that? Arto’s heart thumped with agony.
And what was she doing with that blasted book?
The hold on his body lessened. The demon’s drain on his energy was alleviated.
The monster’s face contorted with fury, and it roared. Then, the red hue of its coloring lightened. In fact, it began to turn translucent.
It then was pulled backward into the night, thrashing and hollering. It reached forward with its claws as if it could hold against whatever force was dragging him back, but there was nothing to hold on to.
Janie…
She must have used an incantation to call the demon back, but why would she offer herself as sacrifice?
He gulped. The horror flashed in his brain with the force of a fiery explosion. The aftermath of what happened would be catastrophic, spreading through his universe with cataclysmic devastation. He couldn’t let it happen.
Hewouldn’tlet it happen.
Able to move once more, he soared down to her. But something was happening to her as well. It dragged her through the sky like it had with the demon. To where?
The powerful vibrations that pulsed through the air charred him. Dark magic.
And it was claiming her.
Dark wispy tendrils pulled at her, like smoky tentacles, reminding him of the text that appeared to rise from that damned book.
