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Colton rushed at the angry demon as Riley threaded her way through the cars to catch up. The familiar hum of a pathway opening alerted her to a newcomer, and she skidded to a stop. A demon she didn’t recognize formed between her and her mate.
“Priestess come with Somar. King reward.”
Riley flinched at the grating sound of Somar’s voice. His grey body was smaller in stature than a soldier demon. She assumed he was a jackal, but he didn’t appear to have the tentacle-like fingers of the last one she encountered. “Rewards are nice, but you won’t be getting that one.”
Somar held up one finger before a small fingernail lengthened into a piercing claw. “Somar scratch.”
“Scratch? That’s the best you can do?” Riley mocked.
Somar growled. “Venom make Priestess sleep. Somar get reward.”
Ice slithered down her spine, but she didn’t let it show on her face. “That’s sweet but...”
The door to the ladies’ washroom on the exterior of the mall, burst open before Deruthel exited, covered in blood.
He smiled, his fangs dripping crimson to the oily skin of his chest, when he met Riley’s gaze. “Hello, Riley.” He said, before moving towards her.
Her heart stammered in her chest as her warrior warned this was a fight she couldn’t win. Deruthel was huge, so she wasn’t being told anything she didn’t know. She backed away, looking for the nearest pathway to exit.
Colton abandoned his attempts to get to Halak and marched towards Deruthel. “Get away from her, you demon mutt.”
Deruthel’s red eyes flicked to Colton. “I am a purebred. A general in the king’s army. You are the mutt.” His eyes roamed over Colton’s alpha. “You don’t have enough demon blood to keep as a pet. Our rodents are stronger than you.”
“Colton stop,” Riley said.
Colton paused four cars away from the massive demon. “Why?”
Riley ran a finger loosely over the black Mercedes, she walked beside. “I think Deruthel is proud of his heritage. Perhaps he wants to share his plans. Who knows, maybe he’ll make me a better offer than the shadows have.” She injected a coy lilt into her voice. She may not have the strength to fight a demon like Deruthel, but she was an excellent actress.
Deruthel snarled at Colton, but turned to Riley. “I can give you immortality. You will see worlds beyond your imagining. Be a queen until you take your last breath.”
She put her finger to her mouth as if pondering his offer. “If I go with you, will you stop taking the other women?”
“No. We need many to fortify our ranks.”
She let out a long breath as the hum of several pathways surrounded her. “Why do you need these women?”
“You will find out. You have been bestowed in an imaginable honor. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise,” Deruthel said with a flicker in his eyes.
Her face hardened. “Then I’m going to have to decline your offer.”
Her heart leapt as cougar clan members exited several pathways, but her excitement stilled when they were trailed by reapers.
The eerie silence of the parking lot was replaced by growls and the hard thumps of fists meeting flesh. She crouched down, putting her hands to her ears as a reaper screeched to his death. The piercing sound causing her eardrums to bleed. She was thankful the demons had chosen to attack at the mall’s closing hour, when the shoppers had left. The cars remaining were that of the employees, and they were yet to exit their jobs, probably cleaning up or cashing out the tills. They had little time before those employees discovered the battlefield in the parking lot.
She stood up, moving through the combatants until she spied Colton. His fingers flickered in the air as black script dissolved. Whoever he sent a message to, she hoped they got here soon. Her heart stuttered when she noticed Deruthel closing in on Colton.
Colton turned as the large demon slashed his chest, forcing him to fall back. Blood dripped from the torn flesh, streaming down his abdomen, and he growled as he flexed his claws.
Deruthel smashed the window of an SUV with the side of his fist, causing the alarm to blare. A temper tantrum from a toddler the size of a dump truck. His upper lip quivered as he assessed his opponent. Both men growled as they launched at one another.
One moment she was watching her mate and Deruthel slash one another. The next, she was propelled forward, skidding along the pavement. Gravel embedded in her hands as she pushed down to stay her momentum. She flipped onto her back, looking up at Breck’s snarling face.
“Did you miss me?” Breck asked snidely.
Breck moved over her, straddling her legs as she lay on the ground. She almost laughed at his idiocy, but feigned fear. “You have no idea.” She kicked up with all her strength, catching him squarely in the balls. He screamed, clutching them as he backed away, giving her time to scramble to her feet.
His red eyes flickered with hatred as he released his genitals. “You will pay for that.”
