Page 102 of The Tracker's Dawn: Sunderverse
He chuckled.
I secured his other wrist in place and tied that end to the table as well. “Is it too tight?”
“No, it’s fine.”
As I placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, my heart squeezed tightly. The back of my eyes stung, and I had to clench my teeth not to cry.
“It will be all right, Toni,” he reassured me for thenthtime.
He was the one tied to a table, moments away from being invaded by a demon, and yet, he remained courageous and able to offer me the support I needed. I inhaled deeply and pushed my turbulent emotions out of the way. I had to keep my cool. I couldn’t let fear get the best of me.
“It will,” I said, conjuring every bit of self-assurance I could muster.
Jake nodded and smiled, and I could tell by the small measure of relief that entered in his expression that he’d also found comfort in my words.
Slowly, everyone took their places around the pentagram. My pack, the people I loved. Damien cracked his fingers, then flexed them. He craned and loosened his neck, moving his head in small circles several times. Bones popped as he made circles with his arms and bent his knees to perform several squats.
“I’m a little stiff,” he said when he noticed everyone watching him with interest.
I smirked suggestively in Rosalina’s direction.
“He’s actuallya lotstiff,” she whispered, then snickered.
When he was done with his calisthenics, which was exactly what they looked like—just the thing that had been in vogue during his prime, no doubt—Damien turned to Lucia.
“Are you ready?”
“I am,” she answered, quickly lighting the candles like before.
I was glad for her simple response and absence of bravado, which were so common in her. It meant she was taking this moment seriously as she should.
Damien inhaled deeply and conjured the demon. “From the depths of hell, I command you to come forth. The circle will bind you. The flames will charm you. Velthgrek, you are summoned.”
The demon appeared in its dog guise again. It blinked its big eye and wagged its stubby tail.
Keeping the fiend under control, Damien turned to Eric and nodded firmly. Eric started toward Jake, a dagger in hand. Reluctant to cause Jake pain, I had asked Eric to make the cut where the demon would enter, but now that I saw Eric approach with the blade, I realized I was being a coward. As upsetting as it would be to inflict pain on my mate, I had to be the one to do it. He was about to put himself through hell for me, forus. I needed to walk the path with him for as long as I could.
I hurried forward and touched Eric’s shoulder to get his attention.
“I’ll do it,”I mouthed.
He frowned as if askingare you sure?
I nodded, took the blade from his hand, and walked to Jake’s side. My eyes met his, and I tried to tell him how much I loved him. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I needed to be brave. Jake was the one facing the true challenge, and he hadn’t once shied away from it. It was only right for me to face this small task with courage.
I lifted the blade, making sure my hand didn’t shake as I pressed its sharp tip to the inside of Jake’s right biceps. Pausing, I held steady until he gave me the go-ahead with a single nod.
Exerting a moderate amount of pressure, I slid the blade downward. Its sharp edge made a clean, straight cut. Blood immediately seeped from the wound, sliding around his thick muscles.
Behind me Velthgrek went crazy, making snarling sounds and pawing at the concrete floor.
Quickly, before the wound healed, I stepped aside. Damien’s gaze went around the circle, letting us know he was about to release the demon. His copper eyes remained locked with Lucia’s, who bent her knees and stretched her arms toward Velthgrek, her expression pinched in concentration.
“On the count of three,” Damien said. “One... two... three!” He flicked a hand down toward the edge of the pentagram and, using magic, swept a section of the chalk away, breaking the circle’s integrity.
A split second later, Velthgrek turned to smoke and shot toward Jake. I gasped and hugged my arms around my torso to stop myself from running to his side.
As the demon zipped past, I panicked, afraid Lucia would not be able to get hold of Velthgrek again, but the jetting smoke drew to a near halt a beat later. My sister grunted with the effort but held fast.
