Shit.
Mr. Vandozer frowns, watching the cyclops spinning around, but then he turns straight toward us. He finishes his shift back into his demon form and stalks forward.
My pulse races. Manuela leaps forward to pull me away, but she’s too late and I’m too slow.
Mr. Vandozer lunges through the mirror and grabs me by the throat.
60
Run, Little Human, Run
The demon’s clawed hand crushes my windpipe.
Candice!Jarron screams through our bond. He roars in rage, and in that moment, I get a flash of his situation.
Blood has soaked his shirt from a wound in his chest. It’s oozing, pooling around him. He’s up high, somewhere most of the soldiers inundating the palace cannot reach him, but his heart is slowing.
He’s burned on part of his body and bleeding from a slice to his neck.
He can’t last long like that.
Black peppers my vision. Neither can I.
Magic slices into my attacker’s chest, making him drop me to the floor. A shimmering orb forms over my body before the demon can grab me a second time, but he doesn’t direct his rage at me.
Instead, he leaps at the strongest of my two protectors, claws and teeth flying. Manuela’s eyes widen. The force field around me drops and begins reforming in front of the dryad witch, but it’s not fast enough. Mr. Vandozer charges through the half-formed magic, claws digging into both shoulders and teeth slicing into her neck.
Another monster is there half a second after. A massive black wolf clenches down on the demon’s arm, causing blood to splatter.
He roars in rage. One slash and Thompson is flying into the wall with a crunch.
They’re going to die, I realize. They’re going to die protecting me.
Don’t you dare,Jarron warns.
I grip my potions tin tightly and breathe deeply, ignoring Jarron’s words.
Then, I swing feet first through the portal into the Cosmic Council meeting room, now filled with lifeless eyes. My feet slam onto the ground. My heart throbs, but my mind is sharp.
“Shit,” Bea mutters.
“You’ve come to play, little girl?” The cyclop’s voice booms.
An instant later, the Orizian demon follows me through the portal just as I was hoping. His chest rumbles. His pale wings flare.
He meets my eye just before the glass smashes to bits.
I swallow. Well, I achieved one thing for certain, my friends are no longer in danger from the council.
Vincent laughs, a terrible screeching sound coming from the pale skinned demon.
My only escape is gone, and I’ve got very little in my favor here.
I cross my arms, feigning confidence.
Candice!
This time, it’s my turn to close off our link. I can’t deal with the distraction.I have to do this. Trust me,is my final message before I push his presence to the far reaches of my mind.
