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She tapped the com in her ear, heard Crane though his voice was cutting out, and tapped it off. The com units were necessary, but most of the time she found them annoying as all hell.
The steady drip of water could be heard, like a sad echo bouncing against the concrete. When did Cormac develop an obsession with water? The hem of her dress was dragging through puddles of it, and, with a curse she extended her long nails and let their razor-sharp ends slice through the fabric until her legs were bare.
“You should do the same, Ana, it’s much easier to maneuver . . .” Jaden’s words fell into nothing as she looked up to empty space. “What the hell?”
Ana was gone.
She whirled around, her hair flying and water spraying out from her feet. There was nothing there. It was as if the shadows had swallowed the vampire. She stilled as her senses expanded, and she scented the air. There were no trace signatures, no scent . . . nothing. It was if she’d never even been there.
Jaden tapped her com unit, and whispered hoarsely, “Ana?” She waited a few seconds and then cautiously moved forward. Again she whispered, “Ana?” There was nothing but static.
She tried again, “Nico.” Again, nothing but silence.
Jaden gritted her teeth together and exhaled slowly as she focused all her senses and tried to read past the never-ending darkness. Something slithered across the floor, near her feet, and she jumped to the side, her arm arcing forward with the dagger held ready, and the Glock aimed as well.
The beady eyes of a rat stared up at her, and she resisted the urge to kick the bloody thing, hissing, instead, as her jaguar bled through. The rodent froze, as if it knew something dangerous was in sight, and scurried away.
She took a second to center herself and started forward. Something was there, just ahead.
Her eyes narrowed, and adrenaline rushed through her body, feeding her jaguar into a state of excitement. The mission was dangerous, but there was a part of her that craved the danger. It made her feel alive. It made her remember her purpose.
The shadows swirled and parted, the gray becoming mixed with light, and as the energy manifested fully, she was ready.
A loud hiss and clacking noise began in earnest, definitely a demon, and she rushed forward, her arm extended in a deadly arc, and faltered at the last second. It was Julian’s face, his eyes and lips that snarled down at her.
What the hell?
Jaden’s hesitation cost her, and she felt a burn as the demon’s fist knocked into her chest and sent her flying backward. She landed, hard, and pain radiated out as her head connected with the concrete.
Confusion threatened and, for a dazed second, nearly won, but her jaguar roared to life, and a snarl erupted from between her teeth as she rolled to the side and pushed herself up.
Jaden held the dagger loose in her grip, welcoming the burn beneath her flesh as her jaguar made noise. The power of her animal was exhilarating, and she smiled at the demon as it hissed down at her.
It no longer looked like Julian, and she knew it had been the dark magick at work. She’d not make that mistake again.
The demon was in its true form, standing nearly seven feet high. Thick scales covered its flesh, and they glowed with a luminescence that was beautiful. A total contrast to the nasty evil that lived within.
Its eyes burned fire, and, as it snarled, the teeth dripped poisonous saliva. She remembered the pain of a demon’s bite as she stared up at the thing. There was no way she was letting it get close enough to break skin.
She began to make quick calculations as it smiled and rotated its head, the clicking of its teeth still riding the air. She needed to get close enough to it to cut its head from its body without letting it take a bite out of her. In the confined space, she knew it would be difficult.
“You should run, little kitten, make the game that much more enjoyable.” The demon’s voice was multilayered and fell from its mouth in waves. It took a step toward her and swiped its long arm. She jumped back and gritted her teeth as it began to laugh. “I’m hungry, and it’s been too long since I’ve had fresh meat.”
The fucker was playing with her like she was a goddamn mouse.
Jaden gripped the Glock tightly in her other hand and arched an eyebrow as
she looked up at it. At that point, she had nothing to lose.
“Eat this, asshole.”
The demon stopped and opened its mouth to speak, but Jaden aimed and fired the Glock point-blank into its mouth. The force of the hit spun the beast around, and its entire head glowed green as dark liquid spewed from every orifice.
She jumped back as the demon toppled, and the poison arced outward. An awful keening sounded from deep within its chest, and, as it fell forward, she jumped through the air, her arm going wide, and she separated its head from its neck easily.
Jaden landed on the other side and turned back to the demon’s body. It was twitching, a small burst of energy that slowly died to nothing. She looked down at the Glock and smiled.
Declan’s charm worked on demons. Good to know.
