Page 136

She shook her head. “The address only works once.”

“We have to find a safe hiding spot.”

They ran aimlessly through the narrow streets. The snarling kept getting louder. She couldn’t see through the thick fog, but she heard the screams. Heard flesh tearing.

“It’s a dead end,” Rylan said as they stood in front of a building at the end of the road.

Several people huddled next to them. Others came running down the street.

“Where else could we go?” she asked, pressing herself against the brick wall of a building. “Hide inside somewhere?”

The screams grew more distant, but through the white fog, black eyes and claws emerged. Three Feeders moved closer. Casters around them had bright shields glowing in defiance.

Rylan took a glass vial from his pocket, threw it in the air, and hit it with a spell. It exploded, and acid rained down on the demons. Their high-pitched screams pierced through her brain. She pressed her hands against her ears, but it wasn’t enough to keep out the noise.

Suddenly, a Feeder jumped on her. She tumbled under its weight and fell to the ground. The demon opened its large mouth. Sharp black teeth lodged into her shield. It cracked but didn’t break.

It snarled in frustration.

“Use your powers!” Rylan urged.

But she couldn’t wield Dark Magic properly. Perhaps her magic would kill the demon, but perhaps her powers would get away from her, like they had during training, and hurt or even kill innocent bystanders.

The demon smashed its teeth into her shield, and it fell away. No protective layer between her and certain death, she clasped her hands around the thing’s cold, wet neck. Spit dripped down the creature’s pointy black tongue. It smelled of something rotten.

Its teeth snapped together, inches from her face. They were coming closer and closer. She couldn’t hold back the Feeder much longer.

Rylan cast a shackling spell around the creature’s hands and feet, and it tumbled over.

She jumped up, ready to run. But something in her was getting twitchy. White spells, it told her, are so inefficient. White spells won’t kill them. Her Shadowflame pulsed in steady beats.

Next to her a Feeder sank its teeth into the neck of a woman. Her eyes turned solid white as the demon drained her of her powers. These creatures were siphoning powers to their master. Rakkley was gathering strength.

Rylan pulled her along. Bodies littered the road.

She renewed the shield around her. “How many explosive potions did you bring?” She cast a shackling spell, and a Feeder fell to the ground mid-gallop.

Rylan took two vials out of his coat. “Not enough to fight an entire cell of Feeders.”

This was by far the largest demon attack she had heard of in years.

They turned the corner, and two Feeders lunged at Rylan. One of them cut through his already weakened shield, and the other grabbed him and opened its mouth, aiming its fangs right for his throat.

The spell came so fast, Mira didn’t even recognize it was hers until the Feeder’s head severed from its neck and fell to the ground. As fast as he could, Rylan shackled the other Feeder.

Her Shadowflame danced wickedly on her hand as power surged through her. It felt like breathing freely.

She had just used Dark Magic to kill a demon. Staring at her right hand, she couldn’t believe it was truly her.

“In there, quick.” Rylan motioned to an open window at the base of a nearby building.

The alarms kept blaring.

She squeezed through the small window and landed in an old cellar. Rylan followed and shut the window behind them.

“Glass is not going to keep out Feeders,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

“No, but I’m hoping defenders will take out the demons before it gets to that.”