Page 100 of Bite of Passage
Cade limped his way to them.
Skarde maintained eye contact with Bannos.He resumed speaking in the demon’s language, words only the two of them would understand.A language he’d apparently picked up when the king of all demonkind tried to possess him last year.He’d rid himself of that demon—not easily—and killed it.But he’d kept parts of its essence, parts that made him faster and granted him the ability to communicate with demons.“Do you recognize who I am?”
“It’s not possible.Rune is dead.I’m the new king.”
Yep, he’s dead.But I can sell you this lie.“So you are.In your realm, where you came from, you may rule, but not here.Never will you be king here.”
The demon gnashed its teeth.
Skarde wasn’t impressed.
Arms up like an empress Petra ordered, “Kill him.Kill all the vampires!”
Bannos swung a meaty fist at the witch, connecting with her face.She flew into the wall, landing with her neck at an angle not compatible with life.Bannos didn’t spare her a second glance.
Told you so, stupid witch.Skarde shook his head.No summoner survived their attempts to bring forth and command something more powerful than themselves.
Time to do everything he could to convince this new demon king to leave their world.“I’m trapped here, bound inside this vampire body in a realm that only weakens us.The witches think they can control us.The humans are easy to possess, but their bodies aren’t strong and they have ways to banish us.You’ve been drawn here against your will, along with the others.The one way to survive in this realm is to inhabit a host body.The very air depletes our strength.It’s your choice whether you stay, but let me be clear.This is my world.”He projected the air of every entitled human royal he’d ever met.“It’smine.You will live by my rules if you stay.Rule one?Stay out of her.”He pointed the knife at Gemma.“She’smine.”
Bannos tensed.“Why should I believe anything you say?Your assassin tried to kill me before you disappeared.Obviously, she failed.”
Shit.Skarde couldn’t access Rune’s memories.
Bluff.
The demon growled and, blades out, it dove for his chest.Finally, he could fight brutally without worrying about disfiguring or killing Gemma.Moving twice as fast as before, Skarde sliced the demon’s wrists, forcing the knives Bannos held to the ground.A quick jab—make that two—between the ribs, and one for good luck into the stomach…a solid knee to the nuts, and Bannos was down.
“And what were you doing that I felt I had to kill you?”He stared until the demon submitted.He lifted Bannos by its hair and held the knife to his throat.“You’ll never obey my rules here, will you?I’ll kill you if you stay.But since you came over by force, I’ll offer you one last chance.Go home and rule that realm.Or die here, today.I don’t care which.”
“You’re still an asshole.”
He pressed the blade against Bannos’s neck, drawing blood.
“Home.I’ll go home,” the demon sputtered.
Skarde yanked the demon to its feet.“Let’s not meet again.Stay on your side of any new portals.”
He flung the demon toward the whirling light vortex of the gateway.It paused before it jumped, saying, “This isn’t over, Rune.”And then it vanished.
With an otherworldly roar, the manticore broke the crystals off their posts.
“Nowyou show up?Where were you ten minutes ago when this would’ve been helpful?”Skarde asked.He noticed Petra’s body wasn’t where she’d landed.Her header into the wall should’ve snapped her neck, but there was no sign of her anywhere.Damn it.Another witch he’d have to chase after to eliminate.Later.
“Thatwasyourshow.Even I can’t take down a demon.”
Skarde limped over to where Cade held Gemma on his lap.
“She’s alive.Unconscious, but alive.She’ll need blood if she wakes up.”His brother glanced up.
VanFliet limped over and frowned down at Gemma.“You think she’ll be okay?I mean, normal and not broken in her mind?She said she’d help me.”
Skarde kneeled and took Gemma into his arms.He shook her gently, being careful not to hurt her.“Come on, Gemma, wake up.”
Nothing.
“Please, Gemma.”He tried shaking her harder.I need you.
He bit his wrist to make it bleed and waved it in front of her mouth and nose.
