Page 21 of Drawn to the Demon Duke
There. I have it. And once I bring it back to Haures, everything should go back to normal…
Look at me. I didn’t have to traverse a maze like Sarah, hoping to find my baby brother at the center. Instead, I braved these supposedly deadly shadows to retrieve a flower and, darn it, Idid.
I got my heroine moment after all, even if I won’t get my happy ending?—
A deafening roar rents through the darkness, so loud that I squeak, dropping down, only just managing to keep from losing the flower at the same time.
My ears echo, but it’s not just the aftermath of the roar.
It’s anansweringcry. A warrior’s cry.
Ademon’scry.
I knew I wasn’t alone in here, but now I have proof that it’s not just those strange shadowy critters following me. There’s someoneelsein the shadows, and they’re in trouble.
I don’t even think about it. Standing up again, I give myself two seconds to make sure the ashbalm flower is okay. When I see the flame is still flickering, bright as ever though it doesn’t burn me where it fell against the top of my hand, I adjust my hold on it.
I cradle the flower in my cupped palms, and then I run.
CHAPTER 8
SHADOWS
SUSANNA
Bear.
That’s the only word I can think of to describe the shadow creature that’s battling against a Sombra demon male I’ve never seen before. Mainly because his red eyes burn through the darkness as he lets out another warrior cry, echoing the one that had me running toward the sound.
Now, should I have runtowardthe sound? Probably not. But if there’s one thing that both Mom and Mindy imparted into me growing up, it’s not to be just another bystander. That’s how kids keep going missing. If you can help, do so.
Of course, they never expected that I’d find myself stumbling upon a battle between a creature that manages to dwarf on of the seven-foot-tall demons who live in this fiery world, but the idea is the same. Despite being a ferocious demon himself, that raging grizzly bear-type shadow beast is bearing down on him with all the fury of a bear back on Earth.
Immortal, I remember. That’s what Glaine said. Sombra demons are immortal, but tell that to the monster who looks likehe won’t stop until he rips the other demon from shadowy limb to shadowy limb.
These woods are dark. Like, totally dark. Even so, there is something about watching the shadow creature and the demon dude move that helps me pick them out among the other shadows. Almost as though they’re just one shade lighter than the pitch-black woods so, if I squint, I can find them even if they’re quiet.
But they’re not quiet, are they?
The beast roars. The demon howls back, trying to get the beast to back off, but I guess it doesn’t work because, right as I cradle the ashbalm flower to my chest, tiptoeing closer so I can see what’s going on without making myself a second target, the shadow bear with glowing white eyes the size of baseballs rears back its arm, then swings with so much might, it slams into the demon, knocking him to the ash.
It’s friggin’ quick, too. Before the demon can get up and protect himself again, the shadow bear-monster-thinglumbers toward him, pinning the demon with a paw the size of a serving platter.
The demon bucks. He can’t get up. The hit must’ve knocked the wind out of him, leaving him on his back as the bear gets ready to swipe at him again.
No.
Cupping the ashbalm flower with my left hand, I reach down with my right. Digging in the ash desperately, I search until I find another bone fragment. I try not to think about how easy it was to find a length of bone like that in here—though if bears battle demons, that might explain it—and just jump up, making as fierce of a sound as I can.
Okay. I kind of sound like George of the Jungle, that cartoon I used to watch growing up in the late 60s. Or maybe Tarzan.I don’t know. I don’t really do much to frighten the bear, and when I throw the bone at it, I think I just made him angrier.
Great. So now that he’ll slaughter the demonandme.
No. I can’t let that happen.
Think, Su.
Think.
