A bloody Nyoka stood eight feet from her. A dried-out, desiccated, mummified man was at Nyoka’s feet, along with a small containment vessel. It was about six inches tall, narrow mouthed, broken. A demon—achort—was twirling from it.
Karson was also moving slowly across the room. Toward Angie. His sword extended.
What the hell had he missed in those fifteen seconds?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Angie
The back door ripped open, folding to either side like tinfoil. No fresh blood was in the chiseled circle. Not fully activated.
EJ’s door blew wide. The oven tipped, skidded across the room.
I activated mygauntlet. Took two steps. The oven slid into the circle. Light flashed, red and heated.
Everything happened in overlapping elements, like a deck of cards tossed, all falling at once.
Shiloh landed atop Konstantin, swords in him. His in her.
One down.
Walter raced in. Nyoka appeared in the open door to the church, eyes glowing. Had she beenshadowed? Waiting on us?
Asshat’s gaze was on me.
I tossed amolassesworking through the doorway at Nyoka. Another at my ex. The amulets activated. Both vamps looked stunned when they slowed to sloth speed. I pulled two more amulets.
Walter screamed, “I demand Sangre Duello of Willim Danil Yorath IV! You will fight me now and die!”
I tossed aninvertedhedgeover Nyoka. A short-term prison. It wouldn’t hold the possessed woman for long, not even if she had taken a fresh dose of the elixir. It landed close enough and initiated, covering her.Two down.
“Darling!” Karson said. Something in his left hand. A sword in his right. “I’ve waited for you.” Viscousness in his eyes. Satisfaction. He flicked his thumb over the small thing. Still slowed by themolassesworking, he said, “You’ll be mine again!”
He began an underhand throw.
Julietta Ravensport popped toward EJ.
Shiloh, wounded, moved to intercept Ravensport.
EJ raised his sword and sang out the words, “Stadaidh tú!” It was an Irish command for “You will stop.”
Shiloh stopped. Mid-motion.
Ravensport didn’t.
EJ’s and Ravensport’s blades clanged even as he finished thewyrd.
I took another step.
Walter and Willim engaged. Swords rang. Blood flew.
Karson released thatsomethingat me. It spread out like a handful of green and orange dust. In midair, orange light spilled out.
Chort. A big one. It too was slowed.
Battlemagic tried to rise within me. A golden green spark. It puffed away, like a match that didn’t light.
I activated my null staff. Thechortelongated, like taffy stretched and twisted. The staff sucked the demon into its interdimensional trap. My left hand blazed with pain. The stench of brimstone filled the frigid air. It hurt to breathe.
