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The puddles shiver.

Kole waves his hands over the ground in front of us and it begins to split open, allowing the weeds to grow thicker and wider. One snakes toward Zephyra’s ankle, but she simply thrusts her heel into it and spikes it where it lays.

A figure emerges from the darkness.

Kim stumbles forward, pushing me aside.

My wings flicker and threaten to fade as worry infiltrates the fury.

“It’s you,” he mutters.

Zephyra grins.

Another flake of skin peels away, exposing red raw muscle. Then a slice of her cheek. But she barely seems to feel it.

I throw fire into the darkness to illuminate it, and my breath hitches in my chest.

“Fuck.” Kole mutters from behind me.

“A Venatrix demon,” Miranda says.

“The one that killed his wife?” I whisper.

“The very same.” Zephyra has folded her arms in front of her stomach, even though her arms are nothing more than just muscle and bone now, dripping with skin that melts away from her and dissolves in mid air.

Her hair starts to sizzle and burn away from her skull. She scratches a bald patch and rolls her eyes, muttering, “It will take forever for that to grow back.”

Kim splays his fingers. But he has no weapons. Nothing.

“Kim, move and I’ll—” I try to speak to him but he shakes his head.

“No. It has to be me.”

“It has to be him,” Zephyra says, laughing.

Kim runs forward. He isn’t thinking. He is blind with rage and the lust for revenge. When he reaches the demon, he hurls himself at it and it takes him with ease, wrapping its arms around him, lifting him into the air then slamming him to the ground.

Zephyra claps her hands and turns to watch.

For several horrifying moments, we are powerless to help as Kim attempts to physically fight a creature four times his size.

The fifth time it slams him to the ground, he can barely right himself again.

“Kim, please,” I shout, my powers wavering.

“We should go.” Miranda tugs my sleeve. “We should go now. I’m sorry for the boy but we have to go.”

I look wildly from Kim to Kole. Kole nods in agreement. “Finish her and let’s go.”

“Ah ah ahhh.” Zephyra has heard us. She turns to look at me, her face still melting, then she snaps her fingers and the demon picks Kim up, wrapping its arms around his neck. “You stay.” She meets my eyes. “And you stop playing kill the vampire queen.” She flicks a piece of flaking skin. “And I let him live.”

Kim shakes his head and yells, “No. Don’t do it. I don’t care what happens to me.”

Kole takes my hand. We should go, Little Star. Kim chose vengeance. It was his choice.

I look from Zephyra to Kim. I can’t.

Kole’s lips tighten into a thin line. “Then I will do it for you.”