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But I don’t. Words stick in my throat like cold honey.
“Tell me, Clara. How long before you forsake him in favor of another vampire who begs you for your affections? How much power must we have to catch your eye?”
I stumble back like he slapped me, mouth agape.
Regardless of how much of a demon’s ass he can be, I trust him with my life. But there is still a limit to how much I can take.
The other two vampires round the bend, effectively ending our conversation.
“There’s only one way through this forest,” Cassius says. “We should keep going. We’ll lose light even earlier in here. At the rate we’re moving, I suspect we will reach the witch’s ground in another day or—”
Spinning on my heel, I snatch up my pack and fling it over my shoulder then stomp past Cassius and Della.
I don’t take more than a few steps before a strange clicking sound stops me in my tracks. The small hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Slowly, I turn to look back at the others, chatting quietly as they shoulder their bags.
My vampire companions all freeze. And despite the warmth of the forest, a chill races down my spine as the clicking directly above my head grows louder.
Chapter Fifteen
Clara
I lift my gaze,barely tilting my head to look at the creature. From the corner of my eye, all I can see is a fiery orange face and long, razor sharp teeth, too close for comfort.
Unholy demon shit… what part of the Otherworld did this creature spring from?
Cassius extends his hand. “Clara,” he says, calm and slow. “Walk toward me, and don’t make any sudden movements.”
I want to ask what the animal is, but the thin line of his lips and flaring nostrils tell me to keep quiet. He’s not looking at me but beyond, at the space over my head.
Slowly, I shift my weight off my right foot and slide it forward. An unbearable itch starts at the back of my neck pricking until I can’t bear it. and start to turn.
“Don’t,” he warns. Then to the others, he orders, “The two of you stay back… no matter what happens.”
I take another step then another. Heart pounding in my chest, I fight the instinct screaming for me to run. Not that my shaking legs could carry me far.
The toe of my boot hits a small rock, sending it skidding across the path.
A heavy thud shakes the ground, knocking me off balance. Then a deep, rumbling snarl vibrates through my bones.
Cassius’s eyes go wide just before the force of what feels like a large man rams into my back. I collide with Cassius as he rushes forward to catch me.
The creature shoves me again, and Cassius and I tumble to the ground. He twists, ending up on top. Then rolling to the side, he takes the creature with him.
Shimmying out of the straps, I turn toward him just in time to see a fox-like creature four times the size it should be pounce on him. Cassius raises the arm, and the beast clamps down. He grunts, using his other hand to push at its face. The creature is all muscle. Drool hangs from its snarling mouth.
Demons and saints… what is that?
It’s large. Impossibly large, with the body of a fox. Many of its features have strange proportions. The ears are too tall and wide, and the eyes that take up half its face glow demon red. A black stripe runs down its back and over the tail. The massive paws are an uneven black up each leg. The animal is covered in what looks like dried, muddy swamp water. Unlike any woodland creature I’ve ever seen, two short horns produced from its head curl back like that of a goat.
The stories about the animals that mixed with demonsare real?
Rearing back its head, the swamp fox lunges at his face. Cassius barely manages to get out of the way before it strikes.
Terror closes in on my throat and seizes my muscles. I can hardly breathe as I watch the demon-sent beast attack. Pushing my fear down, I pull the dagger out.
With the different magics in the forest diminishing their powers, the vampires aren’t used to being weak.
But I am. I can fight through the fatigue.
