Laex moved to leap into the fight. She dived forward off the church porch, grabbing his arm. “No, don’t. It’s dangerous.”
“Yeah, I’m not that brave,” he muttered, stepping back.
But witnessing what the Guardians faced most nights, her heart hammered in her throat. Nik fought with deadly precision, and she saw just what made him so lethal. The cold, focused way he worked, shutting out everything. The Narakas fell, heads rolling. They disintegrated moments later.
Amidst the cacophony of shrieks and fighting demons surrounding Nik in a circle, a silver sword glinted. She peered through the rain…and caught a glimpse of white hair and dusky skin. Her heart stuttered. Tolvi!
He leaped at Nik—
Before she even found her voice to yell, several ice lances nailed Tolvi. He stumbled back as if in shock. Nik’s sword arched in a dizzying speed, and he beheaded the demon.
Shadow blinked. It was over? Tolvi was dead?
Oh, thank God.
“Hmm, the Guardian’s exceptional,” Laex grunted from her side. “Too bad, Tolvi was a piss-head.”
Shadow wholeheartedly agreed. Piss-head? She frowned. It seemed too weak a word to describe the jerk. Tolvi reeked of menace.
“But, it’s not over.”
“What—?” Her head snapped back, a steely arm banding around her neck.
“It’s time…” Laex whispered in her ear, dragging her away from the church and into the forest before her shocked mind could process.
“What the hell, Laex?”
His blade pressed into her throat, freezing her struggles. “Don’t bother yelling for your Guardian. He can’t hear you. This little weapon,” he stroked the blade against her skin, “is spelled and protects us from detection. I couldn’t get to you while on hallowed ground but counted on you stepping away and stopping me from getting hurt. Predictable female.”
Fuckin’ traitor! Shadow elbowed him in the stomach.
He grunted. Digging the dagger harder against her neck, he yanked both her hands to her back with his free hand. “I thought it would be harder to get you to my master with your immortal companions always around, but divide and conquer still works, even now.” He laughed, sounding so damn proud of his achievements. “While the rest of the Guardians are busy elsewhere with little demon fights out in public, it left you open.”
“Why?” she demanded, blinking the rain from her face. “Nik saved Joyce. Don’t you know anything about loyalty?”
“I found her. I only required their powers to break her free,” he retorted. “Why? Because my master tasked me with a job—to find you and bring you over. Also, I was promised a huge bounty for you, and mostly because you irritate me with all your good little deeds,” he spat, his hatred palatable.
How the hell could she have been so wrong about him?
“Now Joyce’s rushed off to the damn Shelter. After all I’ve done for her. But she’ll soon see the error of her ways.”
“So she saw what an evil bastard you are? Good for her.”
He twisted her arms harder. Shadow gritted her teeth at the pain. “Shut the fuck up. She will be mine. Now, we’ll wait for my master.”
“Tolvi’s dead, in case you didn’t see that spectacular beheading, you ass!”
“If you say so.” He stroked the blade over her carotid. “But you met real power when he first snatched you, not that a pitiful human like you would know any different.”
Fury pounded through every cell. She had to get away from this smug jerk before whoever he waited for came. But she didn’t want to telepath Nik and distract him. Her fist clenched. “You’re going wish you never crossed my path.”
He laughed. “Let’s see about that.”
Chapter 30
The wet air stirred, more Narakas pests took form, like looming pillars of coagulating blood. Nik growled. Fucking Tolvi. Even dead, he still had his minions coming.
Hell, he’d sent those Narakas to hunt Shadow in that alley where Nik had first seen her weeks ago. He wanted to kill the bastard all over again.
The Guardians formed in a flash, swords braced, spreading around the demons. Finally!
“Nik?” Týr yelled amidst the cacophony.
“Just clean out the damn pests!” he snapped back. “I’m gonna get Shadow outta here—”
Sudden fury splintered his mind like lightning, stalling him. Shadow!
He spun toward the church, where he’d seen the demon, Laex, with her just moments ago. At the empty porch, blood thundered in his ears. Did she dematerialize?
No, she’d tell him if she’d done so.
Shadow? Nik telepathed her but hit a block. Where the hell was she?
Laex would have taken care of her. Unless…
The double-crossing fucker!
Fear twisting his gut, he flashed, tracking Shadow through their soul bond to a small, grassy clearing a short distance from the church. He reformed in the rain and faced the demon he’d once helped.
Laex held Shadow in front of him like a damn shield. And smirked. “You can’t do anything, not while I have her—”
Scowling, Shadow stamped on the scum’s foot with her heel. Laex grunted. She freed her hand. Her obsidian dagger took form. She shifted, ramming the blade backward, into Laex’s gut. He yowled and stumbled away. Fury bleeding off her, Shadow wheeled around and kneed him in the balls. He doubled over, and she kicked him hard in the head with her booted foot. He flew back, crashing into the undergrowth.
“Guess you didn’t know I could do that, did you, you traitorous hellscum!” she spat at the knocked-out demon, waving her blade.
Hell, his female was pure badass.
Breathing hard, she glanced back. And a gorgeous smile lit her beautiful face.
The ruckus of snarls, grunts, and clanging swords from the other side of the clearing continued. Sword in one hand, Nik strode over, dragged her drenched body into his arms and kissed her hard.
“Let’s get outta here. The others can clean up this mess—”
A hiss sounded. With preternatural speed, Nik shoved her aside, ducking the hellfire bolt flying at them. It struck a branch, shattering the wet wood. Shrapnel flew. He dove in front of Shadow, shielding her. Damn skatá—fuck! Pain hit him in his back like a punch through the heart. Teeth clenched, he wheeled around. A lanky, dark-skinned demon sailed past him, brandishing a glowing, black-edged silver sword he’d yanked free from Nik’s back.
He would slaughter the mofo—Tolvi?
“Tolvi?” Shadow rasped in confusion.
But he’d just killed the fucker?
“Tolvi was merely a minion,” the demon drawled. “His hideout suited me, as did using his image as glamour. Alas, it was him you killed…” The demon’s corporeal body shimmered, and he morphed into an angular, pale-skinned asshole with a shock of red hair. “I am Mammon—”
“Then you’ll die, too!” Nik fisted his sword, needing to end this damn fucker, but his muscles tensed, his grip on his sword slackening. He hung on to his weapon only to stumble about like a drunk.
What the fuck?
Shadow watched in growing horror as Nik lurched backward as if in slow-motion from Tolvi’s attack, or, fucking Mammon as he called himself now.