“Can you stop my servants?” Lilitu murmured.“When they’re so hungry.”
“River, stay behind me,” I commanded her.
Reaching my hand behind me, I seized River’sforearm and jerked her to the side as Hawk fired his weapon. Lilituscreamed when the bullet pierced her back and tore through herchest. I felt the breeze of the bullet against my cheek but didn’tmove as it embedded in the beam beside me. The canaghs cried out inecstasy at the scent of her blood before leaping forward to defendtheir queen.
I dodged slicing talons before hitting threein the chest with a ball of fire that sent them spiraling away intothe gauzy material covering the room. Sparks and flames shot uparound the humans and demons sprawled out on the pillows beyond.They were so ensnared by the canagh’s spell that they barely movedas the flames spread around them.
I took a step to the side and pinned River tothe beam behind me when she tried to move around me. “You disobeyedme once; you’ll do as I say now! Stay behind me!” I snapped ather.
Her eyes widened, the violet of themshimmered and danced in the flames. Turning away, flames wrappedaround my wrists as I threw my arm out and set the hounds free.River’s hands landed on my shoulders. Her touch sent tingles ofpower over my skin, causing it to become electrified as the houndsbarreled across the floor. Between her touch and the swell of herpower mingling with mine, my flames leapt higher over my arms.
The hounds trampled half a dozen canaghsunder their massive paws as they raced around the room. Screamsresonated from the canaghs as bones and cartilage gave way beneaththe jaws clamping down on them. By the doorway, Corson and Baleworked on carving their way through those closest to them. Hawk andErin had risen from the stage with the other soldiers and werefiring their weapons as they approached us. Vargas stood near myside, shooting at any of the canaghs who tried to come at us.
All of Lilitu’s composure vanished as hermurderous gaze landed on River. I couldn’t let her live. Itwouldn’t matter to her if Lucifer wanted to keep River alive;Lilitu would do everything she could to see River’s life ended.
I kept River pinned against the beam whenLilitu leapt at me, her claws whistling through the air. I grabbedher wrist, snapping it back before driving my fist into her nose.Blood exploded from her once perfect face, causing the canaghs tocry out again as the flames continued to eat at the wood.
Lilitu’s free hand sliced across my arm,digging into the bone. I felt the crackle of River’s power againstmy shoulder before her other hand shot out from behind my back anda burst of golden-white light erupted from her. Like I’d seen herdo with Azote, this blast of energy and life streamed from herhand. It slammed into the center of Lilitu’s chest, sending herspiraling head over heels into Hawk. The coppery scent of Hawk’sblood filled the air when Lilitu’s claws carved down his sidebefore she fell on top of him.
Lilitu’s motionless body lay sprawled acrossHawk’s immobile form. Through the smoking hole in her chest, Icould see Hawk’s abdomen and the blood seeping across his shirt.The other canaghs froze as Lilitu’s heart stopped and the last ofher powerful blood spilled around her. The wail the canaghsreleased drowned out the roaring sounds of the growing fire. Theyfell around their queen; her blood slicked their faces and hands asthey eagerly lapped up the last of her lifeblood.
“Hawk!” River cried.
Vargas and Erin pushed at the demons kneelingaround their dead queen, trying to clear a path to their friend,but the canaghs wouldn’t move away from her. River squirmed againstmy back as the hounds prowled through the remains, consuming theirdinner. Corson and Bale killed the few straggling canaghs who hadyet to fall upon their queen and came to stand beside us.
I grasped River’s wrist on my shoulder andstepped aside to pull her away from the beam. “Keep hold of her,” Icommanded Corson and thrust River’s hand at him.
His fingers enclosed her wrist; his eyes werewary as he held her hand before him and surveyed River’s fingertipswith unease. The hounds bounded to my side, shoving through thecanaghs as I pushed them ruthlessly out of my way to get to Hawk.The canaghs snapped at and swiped their claws at me when I graspedLilitu’s shoulder and thrust her way.
The gaping wound River had torn into Lilitu’schest drew the canagh’s attention away from me and they fell ontheir dead queen once more. Hawk blinked up at me before his eyesclosed and his head lulled to the side. Unable to take the time toassess the damage done to him, I grabbed his arm, hauled him upfrom the floor and flung him over my shoulder.
Stalking back through the flames and cloyingsmoke filling the building, I held out my hand for River’s wrist.Corson shoved it eagerly into my grasp. River stumbled beside mewhen I pulled her forward, but I quickly righted her as I hurriedher through the growing inferno.
“Is he alive?” she breathed.
“Yes.”
She’s human. Herhumanity and love for others is one of her greateststrengths, I reminded myself as I tried to rein in myremaining rage and fear. That strength had caused her to destroyLilitu with a single blast because she’d hurt me.
Her humanity was also one of her greatestweaknesses. A weakness that had driven her to rescue her friendsand nearly gotten her killed.
“Wait!” River cried. “There are more peopleand demons in the shadows! We have to get them out of thefire!”
My hand squeezed her wrist when she tried todig her feet in. “It’s too late for them,” I told her and pulledher forward.
“You can’t know that!”
Turning, I wrapped my arm around her waistand lifted her from the ground. Whatever she saw on my face causedher to lean away from me. “Icanknow that,” I snarled. “There is no saving anyone else in thisbuilding. They are too wasted and too far gone to the canagh demonsto try.”
Her struggles ceased as I carried her out tothe porch and down the steps. I didn’t dare release her until wewere free of the carrou vines surrounding and shading the burningcanagh nest. I set her on her feet but kept hold of her wrist as Ibent to set Hawk on the dirt road. I didn’t trust her for a secondnot to try to rescue some of the others still inside.
Kneeling, I examined Hawk’s wounds. Bloodcontinue to spill form his body to pool on the dirt road beneathhim. His side had been sliced open deep enough to reveal the gleamof his ribs and some of the muscle of his abdomen. His breathingcame in shallow gasps and his skin was white, but I was fairlycertain he would survive.
The heat of the growing fire beat against myback as I glanced over my shoulder at the engulfed building. Theflames shot all the way up to the thick carrou vines, causing themto spark and wither. The stench of the vines, burning wood, andflesh filled my nose. None of the canaghs attempted to escape; theywere all too consumed by the bliss of their queen’s blood.
Taking a deep breath, I finally felt steadyenough to look at River again without saying or doing something Imight regret. The shadows lining her amethyst eyes made them standout starkly against her tanned complexion. I didn’t get a chance todecide what I would do with her before she threw her arms around myshoulders and buried her head against my neck.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I know it wasstupid. I know I put us all in danger, but I couldn’t leave them,not to that.” She trembled so hard, her body vibrated mine. “Not tothat.”
