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The metal security gate had been rolled down over the entrance. I stopped, panting, my heart beating painfully hard as the checker—whose name tag saidThomas—grinned as he locked the security gate into place.
“I don’t think my father made the reality of the situation clear to you, Raelynn, so let me elaborate.” I whirled around as Jeremiah sauntered up, his other friend close behind. “Abelaum belongs to the Libiri. It always has, and always will. Sure, you’ll find some poor naive souls like Inaya.” He rolled his eyes. “But your classmates”—Thomas grinned at me—“your neighbors, the sweet old couple you walk by on the street, they’re ours.” Jeremiah paused, and chuckled softly. “Or, I should say, they’re mine. They’re allmine, Rae. And so are you.”
“No.” My voice came out as a whisper, weak with terror. Leon had to have seen them lock this place down. He would come. Any second now, he would come.
Glass shattered behind me, followed by a roaring and a sound like stone colliding with metal. Jeremiah didn’t look surprised, but his friends’ faces fell, their eyes widening as they stared at the monster trying to break in behind me.
Mymonster. Theonlymonster I belonged to.
“I thought Nick and Will were supposed to distract him, J,” Thomas said, his eyes flickering nervously to Jeremiah as another bang came behind me. I didn’t dare turn my back to them, but the screeching sounds of ripping metal told me that Leon was almost through.
Jeremiah slipped out of his jacket, tossing it carelessly to the floor. “They did. Their job is done. They had to be real dumbasses to not realize they were signing up for a suicide mission.” Jeremiah glanced over at Thomas, a wide, unnerving smile on his face. “Don’t be a fucking dumbass, Tommy.”
Tommy looked like he was going to be sick as a strip of torn metal flew over my head, crashing into the shelves and sending bottles of liquor shattering across the floor. There was a rush of heat, and Leon’s arms were around me, enveloping me, holding me close and safe in his arms. His shirt was damp, stained with blood, the metallic scent of it sharp in the air.
I could guess what had happened to Nick and Will.
“Oh, bravo, what a show, Leon.” Jeremiah clapped his hands. “A little slow there though, I actually expected you”—he glanced at the watch on his wrist—“nearly a minute ago. Damn. And here I thought youcaredabout your precious little human fleshlight.”
Behind him, Jeremiah’s nameless friend chuckled. “You should give her up to someone who’ll use her better—”
Leon’s arms left me in the same moment that the man’s head left his body. The headless corpse swayed for a moment, blood spurting, before crumpling into a heap. I clapped a hand over my mouth, nausea overwhelming me. Thomas began to scream, the sound ringing hollow in my ears until it choked off with a liquidus gurgle; Leon’s hand wrapped around his throat from behind, squeezing tighter, tighter, crushing his windpipe and then—with an audible crack—his spine.
My head was light as I stared at the carnage. Leon rolled his shoulders, moving himself back between me and Jeremiah. I pressed against his back, despite the blood on his shirt, whispering frantically, “Get me out of here, please, let’s go, let’s go, please.”
“Easy, baby girl.” He pulled me around under his arm, kissing my head. “Sorry I took so long.”
Jeremiah shook his head. “Damn, you’ve really got that sweet, caring monster act down to a science, don’t you? It’s pathetic how much she’s fallen for it, honestly. Impressive, Leon. I’m going to have to punish you for killing my father, but after that, I might still give you the opportunity to serve.”
Leon laughed. “Punishme? You’re about to go the same way as your father, boy.”
This time, when Leon left my side, I managed to preemptively cover my eyes. I expected a scream, a spray of blood—I didn’t expect the sounds of struggle.
Leon had Jeremiah pinned on the floor, his veins bulging thick in his arms, his sharp teeth bared as they grappled.Grappled. Jeremiah was matching his strength, somehow holding back those claws from going through his throat. It should have been impossible. Itwasimpossible. No human could match a demon barehanded. I’d seen what Leon could do.
But something waswrongwith Jeremiah.
His eyes were glazed, like fog had seeped over his irises. He was expressionless, the only real sign of his struggle being the bulging muscles in his arms and twitching in his legs. As Leon leaned down with his jaws open wide to bite, a drip of dark, thick liquid seeped from the corner of Jeremiah’s mouth.
They tumbled, a sudden flurry of movement before they clashed again and skidded apart. Leon rose slowly, his eyes narrowed, as Jeremiah remained crouched on the ground, panting.
Jeremiah waslaughing.
Leon pushed me back, toward the ruined metal security gate. Jeremiah raised his head, coughed, and more thick black goop dripped from his lips. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and stood, clenching and unclenching his fists, gazing at his arms as if in wonder.
“Goddamn,” he said softly. “Oh, that is a gift…”
His eyes darted over to us, slowly deepening to their normal color. I was torn between running outside, and staying close to Leon, but then Jeremiah spoke. So softly I could barely hear him, he said, “God chose me. Itchoseme.” He laughed again, nearly hysterical in pitch. “I made my sacrifices. Two,twoin my name.” He held up two fingers as if to drive the point home. “God rewards sacrifice. God rewarded me.”
“Get to the truck, Rae,” Leon said. “Now.”
I backed away, stumbling and nearly falling on the ruins of the security door, my shoes crunching on broken glass. The cold air outside smacked reality into me as I jogged toward the trunk, trying not to stare at the torn, broken body lying on the concrete, or the second corpse splattered against the side of the market.
What the hell just happened? How could Jeremiah be that strong?How?
I climbed into the truck, clutching my head in my hands, and jumped when only seconds later, Leon was getting into the driver seat. The tires screeched as he backed out and he slammed on the gas as he hit the road, pushing the truck to its limit. He avoided Main Street to take the long way home that curved along the bay.
“What happened?” I gasped, trying not to scream—or cry—or keep replaying the gore I’d just witnessed again and again. “Leon, how…how—”
