Page 104 of I Accidentally Summoned A Demon
She bent to pick up the scarf but paused. Down an adjacent street was a bridge with a steep ledge on one side. The snow eased enough to reveal a person standing on the ledge. Her eyes widened, and she ran, leaving her scarf behind.
At home, Nex drifted about the kitchen, following a recipe of Kat’s mom’s that Kat had been craving. Pasta from scratch was a first. He analyzed the instructions and groaned, then checked his phone again. No messages from Katherine. She usually texted him at least occasionally, and the snow was falling heavier.
He was dialing her number when Lucian appeared in front of him. “Nex, angels came into the realm. I don’t know how we missed them, but one had contact with Kat. And a couple of hours ago, they released a demon. They were trying to keep it quiet, but it’s here, and I’ve heard she’s been marked. Marcus is headed to the bookstore.”
“How the fuck did we miss that?” Nex growled, dialed Kat’s number, and raised the phone to his ear. He paled. Straight to voicemail. Trying her work number was equally useless. “Fuck.” He rushed out the door and shifted to his demon form, wings breaking through his skin when his foot hit the pavement.
He landed at the bookstore in seconds, not bothering to hide. No humans were out in this weather. The darkened bookstore accelerated his fear.
“Shit,” Lucian spat, pacing back and forth.
Marcus ran up to them. “Did you find her?”
“Does it look like I fucking found her?” Nex snapped his gaze around. A red scarf caught his eye. Snagged on a bench and whipping in the wind.
He sped down the street, picked it up, and inhaled Kat’s scent. Intending to use his tracking abilities, he picked up a fresh scent when the wind shifted. Kat’s and another’s. Another demon. His head snapped to the side toward a bridge, fiery curls catching his eye. Kat approached the demon, who looked like a regular human about to go off the edge.
“No.” Nex sprinted down the street, too far away to push his voice into her head. “Katherine!”
Kat thought she heard someone calling through the wind, but she couldn’t lose focus on this person about to jump. Approaching slowly, she hoped she’d say the right thing. “Hey,” she said softly.
The person stiffened but didn’t turn.
“It’s okay. I just want to talk. My name’s Katherine. What’s yours?”
The person’s voice was dry and uneven. “Doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter.” Kat stepped closer. “You matter. Has someone made you feel like you don’t?”
The person said nothing, but it sounded like they were crying.
Kat inched forward, clutching her coat. “I know this time of year is hard. Christmas passing. . . . It’s not easy to get through holidays when you’re hurting. I get it. Sometimes that pain feels unbearable.”
They almost looked back.
Kat moved closer. She set a hand on their back, and they stiffened again. “Please come down. Please. Why don’t you come home with me? I’ll get you warmed up, and we can talk.”
“Talk?”
“Yes, talk. About anything. Doesn’t have to be about this. Here.” Kat held out her hand. “Let me help you down. It’s okay.” Kat held her breath through the silence.
Then, slowly, they placed their hand in hers. Her breath released, and she smiled, helping them off the ledge. That’s when the voice she’d recognize anywhere reached her. It echoed in her head and in the world for other people to hear.
“Katherine, don’t!” Nex yelled. “Get away from it!”
Kat spun and found Nex speeding toward her. Humans weren’t supposed to see him move that fast. She turned back to the person, but what stood beside her wasn’t quite a person. It seemed human, but something was off. A smile grew until most its features were overtaken by a wide mouth.
“How good of you." It snatched her wrists. "Perhaps it’ll be enough to keep you out of hell,” the demon said before it threw her off the edge.
Chapter 37
An Angel to Visit
Katherine’sscreamechoedthroughNex’s mind until it became a permanent part of it. The sound burrowed inside him, tearing at the soul he didn’t know he had until he met Katherine.
Do not let that fucker get away.I’ll deal with him later.Nex’s voice boomed in Lucian’s and Marcus’s minds. He raced forward and jumped off the bridge, released his wings, and dove after Kat.
Frigid air pricked at Kat’s face like thousands of tiny needles. The distance between her and the rocky terrain closed fast, and she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to do anything but flail and scream. She landed in Nex’s arms with athumpmoments before she hit the ground. Holding her close, Nex flew away from the demon. Kat shook in his hold, but with the wind and how fast he moved, he couldn’t comfort her until they got home. In a way, he was thankful the demon threw her. He’d been certain it would kill her instantly. Throwing her over the edge gave him time to get to her.
