Page 16 of Underworld
Dante’s pain was too deep. It cut into me and stole my breath, turning the bond between us into a conduit of agony and grief.
Unable to wait any longer, I shoved open the door.
“The demon has you wrapped around his pointy tail,” he continued, his back turned to me while Hendrik’s eyes grew wide at the sight of me.
My heart jumped into my throat and I froze mid-step as the bond between Hendrik and I snapped tight—not like my bond with Dante. No, this was…affirmation.
“We all know you want to be his bitch,” Dante continued, unaware of my presence. The scathing hatred in Dante’s voice turned my blood to ice.
“She’s here,” Hendrik said, disbelief making the hard edge of his voice soften. “She’s behind you.”
Dante growled. “I’m not a moron, you psychopath.”
Hendrik pointed. “Dante. Turn the fuck around.”
Dante’s grief and rage and I felt his power rise up in response. He thought this was all a sick game and he was tired of being the pawn. Dante roared and launched himself for the Dark Mage.
Hendrik might not be a Hunter, but his magic ran slick and metallic through the air, flinging Dante off with ease. He drew power from suffering and no one suffered more than Dante, if the fissure in my heart was any indicator.
A furious howl had me opening my eyes just in time to see Dante lunging for Hendrik once again, his recovery fueled by rage.
Hendrik reacted defensively, but this time he pinned Dante against the wall. “Look, Dante. FuckingLook!”
“I don’t want to see more of your lies,” Dante spat.
I started forward, but Orion caught me by the shoulder.
He’s not entirely sane right now, little star. He’s been like this for a year since Cole took him to his oath.
The sound of Orion’s voice in my head made me jolt.
Ayearhad passed. Since Dante had sacrificed himself to the rage demon in exchange for my life, what little good that had done. Cole hadn’t killed me, but he had allowed my death. Wasn’t that sort of the same thing? Fucking demonic loopholes.
Biting my lower lip, I caught Orion’s hand and twined our fingers.
Hendrik slammed Dante against the wall again—hard. “Just shut up, you muleheaded Hunter.” There was an edge to his voice I’d never heard before. Grief? Misery? I couldn’t tell. “Justlook.”
Dante smashed his head forward and slammed it into Hendrik’s beautiful face. Blood sprayed from Hendrik’s broken nose and in the split second the pain distracted him, Dante struck and broke free, taking Hendrik’s legs out from under him.
He had death in his eyes as he looked down at my Dark Mage.
“Dante,no!” I shouted.
Whipping his head up, he stared across the corridor at me, eyes burning a hot, molten orange.
“You’re not real,” he said, voice low and tight, the rage barely contained.
“The fuck I’m not,” I said, jerking free of Orion’s restraining hand and striding forward. “Why don’t you yank your head out of your ass before I have to do something about it myself?”
Dantemoved, coming for me with deadly speed and grace I’d never seen.
I had no protection against him. Dante moved faster than all of us, even Orion as the Hunter grabbed me by the throat and slamming me into the wall. Pain shot up my spine as one of my wings caught behind my back and crumped against the blow. My cry was cut short when Dante squeezed.
My magic had always responded to instinct—and most of all, to fear.
And right now? Dante scared the shit out of me. Yuri hadn’t been kidding.
“You’re dead!” he cried as he slammed a fist into my gut, catching my ribs that cracked under the blow.
