The gallapos lifted its wrinkly brow, butthat was the only reaction it showed to Kobal twisting Pooh’s neckto the side. Kobal was by far the most powerful demon I’dencountered, but Pooh had a good thousand pounds and three feet onhim. A thousand pounds that didn’t slow Kobal as he jerked Pooh’shead backward, lifting the creature off its feet.
I gasped when it fell on top of Kobal, buthe didn’t seem to notice its weight as his fingers dug into thelarge slash Hawk had inflicted on Pooh’s throat. The veins inKobal’s arms stood out as he pulled backward, rending flesh frombone.
The creature slapped at Kobal over its back,its claws slicing at the air and at Kobal’s arms as it tried tofree itself from his unrelenting grasp. A sickening, slurping,cracking sound filled the air before Kobal tossed the head asideand flung the body off him as if it weighed no more than me.
He rolled to the side and onto his feet inone fluid motion while I sat and gawked at him. His eyes landed onme; his shoulders heaved, and the outline of his fangs could beseen inside of his lips as he worked to regain control of himself.Despite the murderous air surrounding him, he was the mostmagnificent and welcome thing I’d ever seen.
I wanted to crawl across the floor and throwmyself into his arms, but I didn’t think I would make it thereright now. Instead, I maneuvered myself so my back rested againstthe bearded lady’s cage. My head continued to spin, and my anklefelt like it was on fire as blood pooled onto the ground beneathme, but I somehow managed to keep from passing out, so that was abonus.
Hawk rose a few feet away from me. He leanedagainst the glass, ignoring the demon peering at him from behindthe glass as he struggled to catch his breath. Kobal took ashuddering breath before stalking toward me. His charred shirtclung to him, little remained of his pants, and his boots looked asif he’d been walking through coals.
He went through the fire above, Irealized.
The flames wouldn’t have hurt him, but he’dprobably knocked or torn down part of the bar to get to me. Lovefilled me when he knelt before me. His eyes held mine as he wipedthe blood dripping from his claws and coating his hand on theground. Reaching out, his claws retracted before he rested his palmtenderly against my cheek over what I knew had to be a large bruiseforming there. I turned into his touch, absorbing the warmth ofhim. His other hand went to the gashes in my ankle, and his jawclenched.
“I should have gotten here sooner,” hegrated.
“You’re here now, that’s all that matters.”I placed my hand on his cheek. The gold of his eyes faded away andblack filled them once more. “We had no choice, but to enter Hell.The fire and the lanavours were closing in on us.”
“I know.”
“The others, we had to leave them behind totry and draw the lanavours away. They couldn’t handle it in here.We have to find them and get them to safety.”
“We saw them. Shax is taking them back tothe surface. They’ll be fine.”
“I can withstand it in here. I’m able to getthrough, and so is Hawk.”
His eyebrows drew together over the bridgeof his aquiline nose. Before he could respond to me, Corson andBale strode into one of the aisles, drawing his attention to them.They each held one of the barker’s arms as they led the smirkingman down the aisle between them. Kobal’s nostrils flared, and avein throbbed to life at the corner of his eye.
Slipping his arms gently around my back andwaist, he held me against his chest as he rose. I placed my handson his shoulders, moving closer to him as I instinctively sought tosoothe the mounting tension in his rigid body.
The powerful flood of his life flowed intomy body, easing my suffering and helping to staunch the bloodspilling from my ankle. Kobal’s gaze drifted to the slices aroundmy ankle, and his eyes narrowed as he took in the flesh rapidlyknitting itself back together. His focus on my ankle drew theattention of the others.
Corson and Bale both looked like someone hadslapped them upside the head. Hawk glanced between me and the woundand back again. His fingers fell absently against the side of hischest where Lilitu had sliced him open. Unlike Hawk, I knew myaccelerated healing had nothing to do with demon blood andeverything to do with my Chosen bond to Kobal and the increasingstrength of my abilities.
The black of the barker’s eyes faded away tobe replaced with a silvery color before the black swirled forthagain. His gaze lifted from my ankle to me. The smug smile tuggingat his thin lips made me want to deck the guy. Kobal’s handstightened on me; I could feel the wrath running through him as hismuscles swelled beneath my touch.
“Can I set him on fire?” I asked Kobal.
“Maybe later,” Kobal replied.
The barker rolled his eyes. “It’s not like Iwould have let it kill her, Kobal.”
Before I could stop him, Kobal adjusted hishold on me and snatched hold of the barker’s shirt. The man’s eyeswidened as Kobal dragged him forward. Kobal’s lips skimmed back toreveal the glistening points of his four fangs. Corson and Baletook a step back as Kobal loomed over top of the man.
“You know what she is to me! You nevershould have allowed them to touch her at all!” Kobal snarled in atone that made the hairs on my arms rise. The barker kept his faceimpassive as he held Kobal’s gaze. I had no idea who this guy was,but he was either completely insane, or he had balls of steel.
“I also knowwhoshe is,” the barkerreplied. “I had to see what she was capable of. I am notdisappointed.”
His gaze traveled to my ankle, and for thefirst time, I looked at the slices there too. All that remained ofthe ugly gashes were scratches no worse than what a cat couldinflict. My eyebrows rose as I realized I was healing even fasterthan I had above. I didn’t know if it was because my powers werecontinuing to grow, or if Hell itself was fueling the demon part ofme now too.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill youfor what you allowed to happen to her!” Kobal spat and gave him asharp shake.
“It would be your right,” the barker said.“But she’ll be good as new soon, and you know I’m a powerfulally—”
“You’re a coward who retreated from thebattle when things got tough,” Bale interjected.
“Not true,” the barker replied.
