Page 77 of All the Devils are Here

“No,” I said. They were in a feeding frenzy. Hell, they might even be eating each other. Trin would be vulnerable. “They’re in a frenzy. There was blood… What if the magic keeps them like that?”

Ariel swore again and stood, disappearing.

I ran to the edge of the beach, and like a homing beacon, the sharks that had been surrounding the rock surged for the edge and for me, nearly hurling themselves onto the sand in a desperate attempt to reach me. Stumbling back, I was caught by heavy stone arms. They still wanted me. Would they ever stop wanting me?

“They’re going to kill him,” I managed. “They’re going to kill Trin.”

“Stay here.”

Laurent charged into the water in his gargoyle form. I could barely see him now, but it didn’t seem to matter to him. The wet sounds of hitting flesh and the groans of pain made me shudder.

Air moved past me, and Ban sprinted to the water in his feline form, attacking a shark with a vicious growl. I wanted to help. But I wasn’t like them. Even a small one of those sharks could bite my arm off, and then…

The air was chilly in the new absence of the sun, and there was no light here. The moon hadn’t risen, and without electricity I was standing in pitch blackness, shivering, listening to the sound of my mates fighting.

It went on forever, and I hated it. I hated feeling weak and small, even though that was exactly what this had been designed to do.

I wasn’t weak, and until now, I wasn’t someone who needed to be saved. Even after everything with the ballet, I would have found a way to do something after I finished grieving.

All of this had upended those plans.

Sloshing and splashing drew my attention, and I looked up from where I’d sunk down onto the sand to see two shapes coming toward me. They resolved into Ban and Laurent, but it wasn’t silent behind them.

“Where are they?”

“Trin is hunting down the rest. Ariel is making sure Prospero is where he needs to be. Ban saw the sharks and came to tell us. It’s how we knew how to get to you so quickly.”

“Is Trin all right?”

Ban shifted to stand upright, and there was blood running down his chest. I gasped, and his eyes glowed in the dark. “It is not mine, kitten. Well, most of it is not mine.”

“Laurent?”

His mouth was a firm line when he looked at me. “Let’s get you back to the house so I can look at you. Trin will be there shortly.”

“But is he okay?”

“He will be.”

Dread flooded my system. How badly was he hurt? The sharp terror of it was now familiar. But there wasn’t anything I could do. “I hate this,” I said softly.

Ban looked at me. “What?”

“That’s not what she means, Ban,” Laurent said, eyes never leaving me. “She’s not saying she hates us.”

“What? No.” I shook my head. “I hate feeling helpless. I hate not being able to help. I hate knowing you’re hurt because of me.”

“Ban,” Laurent said. “Give us a moment? We’ll see you at the house.”

The shifter dropped into his feline form and rubbed past my legs on his way past. No sign of any offense or hesitation. I ran my hand along his back and tail as he went.

“Are you going to tell me I’m overreacting?”

“Absolutely not.” He stepped closer to me, finding my waist with his hands in the dark. It was clear he could see better than I could.

Around us, the chaos of the water had settled, and the sound was back to the smooth, calming waves of the ocean. “You are not overreacting. Every single feeling you’re having is valid. I just wanted to reassure you.”

“Of what?”

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