It’s wearing a suit for some reason. Even demons like to feel fancy, I guess.
(The ones that showed up before my parents disappeared wore suits too.)
It steps toward us, bearing a horrid grin, its teeth sharpened into points. I wonder if that naturally happened when he transformed into a demon or if he did that himself.
“You have something we want,” it says, words layered in a thousand different voices, strident and distorted.
“I’m out,” Ezra mutters.
“And what’s that?” I ask the demon, bravado pushing me forward. And if my voice shakes a little, it’s just for dramatic effect.
The demon smirks. “The codex.”
“Finders keepers,” I say, my body tensing for a fight, adrenaline lighting up my nerve endings.
Oh god, we’re all going to die.
Rook steps in front of me with his hands up. “Look, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna work, Crawford,” I whisper.
The demon tilts its head toward Rook. “No misunderstanding, weakling. That reward is ours.”
I take stock of our assets. We’re in a dusty attic. I don’t see any furniture or items that can be used as weapons, just exposed beams and struts and the huge plastered dome taking up the center, so big it hides the other half of the room. There’s an unconscious member of the Coven and six humans with varying degrees of magic and fighting skills.
Against one of the most powerful beings in existence.
I crack my knuckles and charge.
I’ve learned that when you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s best to make the first move so at least you have the element of surprise.
I intend to ram the demon in the stomach with my shoulder, but the hit never lands. Faster than my eye can track, its clawed hand shoots out, grabs my wrist, and, with a flick, sends me hurling into the dome. It cracks under the force, and I roll down it, landing in a heap on the floor.
“Elle!” Tolliver shouts.
My face is pressed against the floor and my head is fuzzy, but I’m lucid enough that I can feel Tolliver’s hand in mine, hear Poppy screaming and Ezra cursing. By the time I blink back to full awareness, Rook has already engaged the demon. The pain that had been muted before now surges through me as I push myself up enough to watch them fight faster than I’ve seen anyone fight before. Guess Rook’s putting those black belts to good use.
I try to stagger to my feet, my legs are shaking.
“Whoa, wait,” Tolliver says, but I ignore him.
“Poppy, protect the codex,” I croak. “CJ, protect Poppy. Ezra, find a way out.”
There’s no response. I look around to find Ezra has already left. Imean, good for him, I guess, but I wish he’d waited for the rest of us.
Rook is in the middle of a roundhouse kick toward the demon’s sternum, but it catches his leg before hurling him like a bowling ball, knocking over CJ and Poppy.
Tolliver grabs a flask full of golden liquid out of his bag, pulls the cork out with his teeth, and then chucks it at the demon. The flask hits it square in the chest, bounces off, and then crashes to the floor, releasing a puff of shimmering smoke.
“What’s that supposed to do?” I ask, coughing as I try to remember where I put my mask (Rule #29: Always carry a mask).
“Make it fall asleep.” Tolliver frowns. “No, wait. Catch fire! Hold on.”
He starts rummaging in his bag.
“Labels, Tolliver!” Poppy shouts, mask half on.
“We should run!” Rook snaps, CJ helping him to his feet.
