Page 64 of The Mating Fire
A gray mist fogged the air, dropping the temperature several degrees. The stench of sulphur and decay overtook the fresh, pine air.
Sucking down a breath, Harper glanced at Jared.
In his incubus demon form, he looked formidable, ready to take them all. Muscles flexed as he stretched his arms.
“Stay here. I’ll be back.”
“Jared,” she started to call, but he had vanished.
Gone, as if he’d never been here. Damn, this was her battle, and she was the reason for attracting these demons.
Where did he go? Surely he couldn’t have abandoned her. Not now.
Maybe this was the ultimate test of her powers.Hey, let’s attract some lethal demons ready to shred you into bits and see if you can defend yourself before you end up on some demon’s food platter.
Adrenalin rushed through her veins, fueling her magick and her determination to fight.
The mist grew thicker and menacing, rolling toward her. Biting cold pierced her skin, making gooseflesh rise on her arms. With a primal snarl, three shadowy figures began taking shape.
Harper’s fear rose several notches.
The demons had smooth pink flesh, slits for nostrils and red mouths with dozens of triangular, sharp teeth snapping together.
One had tentacles, several of them, reaching out. She saw whirling, sharp edges at the tips, like circular saws. One tentacle snapped out toward her, but she dodged the blow. She tossed a bolt of energy at the demon, which shrieked and vanished into an explosion of bright red fire.
Harper summoned her coldfire and tossed it at the other demons, who dodged the energy bolts.
Suddenly Jared appeared, wrapping his arms around her waist. Jared in his human form.
“Forget it,” he roared. “You’ll only attract more.”
She felt the tendrils of a nightmare wrap around her. Not losing her friends and everything she knew. It was this. Demons intent on killing her.
She was running out of time to save herself.
Chapter 18
Jared returned them to the castle in a dizzying flash of teleporting. When they landed in the same courtyard with the archery target, she gasped at a sudden, sharp pain.
Harper glanced down at her side. Crimson wetness. The slick, coppery scent of blood.
Her blood.
The demon’s tentacles had gotten to her after all.
Grimacing, she touched her shredded shirt. Her fingers came away stained red. Now in human form, Jared swore in a low voice.
“I’m sorry. I should have spirited you away sooner.” Kneeling, he ripped apart her shirt, exposing the wound seeping blood.
“Where were you? Taking a break? You left me alone!”
“Recon.” He grimaced as he gently touched her torn flesh. “When there’s a couple of demons, there’s certain to be more, many more. I had to dematerialize to where they emerged to see if there was a portal.”
“And?” She winced at the burning pain.
“Not one I could see, which is bad news. It means you’re the magnet.”
“I’m a demon magnet. Terrific. Why couldn’t I just be like other sexy women and attract weird guys instead of tentacle demons who want to kill?”
