Page 42 of The Monster's Desire

“Direct hit,” Echo says, laughing.

Ridge ignores him.

“Can you slice my wrist?” I ask as the wolf walks us over to the runestone.

Ridge complies. He pushes up Echo’s sweater and slices my skin with a sharp claw. My magic immediately buzzes through my system, giving me some relief from the pain. Dark smoke circles the runestone. Dipping my pointer finger into the blood that hasn’t yet turned to smoke, I draw the sigils in a careful pattern.

It takes less than ten seconds for the blood to soak into the stone and evaporate from sight. Now that’s done, it’s just a whole lot of waiting and bleeding.

Ridge takes a seat on one of the polished stone benches that circle the lookout. Echo stands staring out over the edge. The scenery is beautiful. It’s lush and green, and you can tell it’s full of life by the sounds of the forest. My magic can pick out lifeforms or signatures, but I’m currently exhausted. Who cares if there are deer or squirrels watching?

“I suppose I’m on my own for sustenance?” Echo asks coolly.

“Best of luck catching a deer,” Ridge says, his eyes flashing with his wolf.

“Shocking.” Echo takes a seat on the ground near us. “Well, I hope you have enough to fuel her, because I’ve nothing left.”

Ridge is a comfortable pillow. My face nuzzles against his chest, and I don’t judge myself too harshly for enjoying being all up on him. Sure, we just met, but also, I saved his pup’s life, and he’s become a reliable source of food and magic replenishment. Twenty-four hours doesn’t exactly a pattern make, but he seems like a pretty reliable guy.

My heart pangs when I think of Sam.

I can’t help but wonder if he’ll return once I make it back to Haven. It’s a silly thought. I don’t know that I’ll even survive North Falls. The more I obsess about Sam, the more light-headed I feel.

“If I pass out...” I mumble. My eyes are heavy. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay awake. “Just cut me open again. Until I close the runestone, all my magic will flow into it to replenish the ward.”

Ridge grips me tightly as Echo curses.

“Call it if you’re that weak,” Echo says.

“I’m mortal,” I say around a yawn. “I’m not about to die. Just maybe take a nap. I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I drove all day yesterday. I’m exhausted, but I can finish this column.”

My eyes pop open as my magic starts to hum in a way that indicates imminent danger. The strange pulsing going on can’t be confused with anything else.

“Some type of trouble is headed our way,” I murmur as I scan the tree line.

Ridge stands, setting me down on the stone bench. The normally cool stone is warm and pre-heated from Ridge’s body heat. He shifts to his wolf and prowls around, scenting the air. He snarls and howls. I’m not a wolf expert or anything, but I’m sincerely hoping that call is for reinforcements.

“I’m drained,” Echo hisses. “What a fucking disaster. I’m actually thankful to have the beast as backup.”

“You can have the little bit I can spare,” I tell him, shoving my still bleeding wrist at his face.

Echocio studies me intently for a few seconds. “I’ll manage. I’m much more difficult to kill. You truly trust me to keep you alive?”

I shrug. “You said that we’re teammates. I tend to trust people until they give me a reason not to.” I mean, he kind of has, but I don’t have a lot of options at the moment.

Echo pulls my wrist to his mouth and takes several small pulls of blood. The cuts today are nowhere near as drastic as the gashes I needed to heal Brock. Echo groans. His tongue flicks over his teeth and his eyes flash white.

“Such a contrast to the master I’ve served for three-and-a-half centuries.” He runs a cool finger over my cheek. “I told you, we’re a team. Try to protect yourself while I kill a few brazen demons.” He rolls up the cuffs on his shirt, like he’s about to have dinner and doesn’t want to risk staining his sleeves. The dark tattoos lining his forearm flex as he moves. I’m strangely transfixed by the way his veins pop out. “And I guess a few vampires interested in meeting their final death.”

My ears are weak in comparison to Echo’s and Ridge’s. I don’t pick up the sound of the pounding feet until they’re nearly on top of us. The horde of lesser demons spills out of the forest several seconds later, and the putrid smell follows.

Ridge viciously attacks. He mauls an envy demon with brutal efficiency. It’s small and malformed, but its teeth are horrifying. There are at least two dozen demons heading for us.

Echo moves too fast to register, but I do see the bodies fall as he finishes them off.

My magic pulses again, and instead of focusing on the tree line, it’s focused on the cliff. I spin around in time to see three higher demons climb over. I try to hit them with a pulse of wind, but my magic is unable to do anything to help.

The runestone hasn’t been closed.

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