All he had to do was transport Brianna back here and Kelly would do the rest.
Brianna picked up another book out of one of the boxes Naberius had brought in. Tracy had done a perfect job with the finances while Brianna had been gone. Everything was neat and tidy, and there was a new aroma of pine needles and cinnamon from the potpourri Tracy had placed around the store.
She slid the book onto the four-dollar shelf. It was a classic. Purgatorio by Dante. Fitting, she thought, as she ran her finger along the cracked spine. She was saying goodbye to her store, goodbye to the life she would leave behind. The familiar smell of books, the ringing above the door when a customer walked in, a blast of fresh air mingling with the pine.
Naberius came around the corner with a bag. He set it by the box. "That's the last of the books."
She nodded, refusing to meet his eyes as a well of tears threatened to spill. A burning in her throat, carrying the raw emotion of failure, left her unable to say thank you.
The sun would set soon, and she would go back to her house only to pretend nothing was wrong. That was the hardest part. She didn't know if she was doing the right thing by keeping her mission from Asmodeus. What would he say? What would the angels do? Fear kept her from telling him what he deserved to know.
She cleared her throat. "I'll be ready in a few minutes."
"I'll lock the back door."
Suddenly she didn't want to linger in her store. She wanted out. Being reminded of what she was leaving behind…
She had called her lawyer, had Tracy's name placed on the deed for the bookstore. Tracy would take care of the place. She'd take care of the regulars who frequented.
As she dragged the bag of books to her side she heard Naberius grunt, which was quickly followed by the sound of something cracking.
She bounded from the floor and raced to the back of the store. She came up short when she saw Naberius and the demon Leviathan fighting. Leviathan had Naberius shoved up against the wall, his hand wrapped around his throat. A hot breeze swept through the room, causing books to fall from their displays. Naberius's eyes rolled back in his head.
Pivoting on her heel, she bolted for her cell to call Asmodeus. She instinctively knew she'd never make it. Rough arms grabbed her from behind. She struck out with her legs, kicking his shins as her feet left the floor. His arm came around her neck, a steel vise cutting off her air supply.
Her surroundings faded, the bookshelves replaced with the stark white paint of her living room walls. She was dropped unceremoniously to the floor, stars dancing in her line of vision. She tried taking in great breaths of air, which only made her nauseous.
Before she could regain her composure, a sharp pain seemed to split her back in two. Snarling filled the air. Something was biting her.
The dog.
He had released his dog on her.
The growling and saliva from the bite put her into a panic, dredging up terrifying memories of the Nephilim attack. She tried to conjure up a spell, but terror had a hold of her. She could do nothing but flail around like a leaf in the wind.
Reaching around, she grabbed a hold of…hair. Short hair.
It wasn't a dog that had latched onto her.
Claws came around her throat, digging into her skin.
Not claws. Nails.
Kelly.
A strangled scream ripped through the air, a terrifying sound that didn't sound human.
It was her. The scream had come from somewhere deep inside of her. And she couldn't stop. She couldn't fight.
She was going to die.
Energy was being siphoned from her body. Her powers faded quickly. Her limbs were growing weak. Her head spun. Was this what bonding was? She recalled what Kelly said during their last encounter…
"You are doing exactly what he wants, Brianna. He wants me to bond with you, and the closer you come to me the less I am able to control myself."
Knowing the longer she allowed Kelly to take from her, the less chance she would have to fight her off, she forced clarity into her mind.
A spell. A spell. She needed a spell of protection. Fighting against the pull of energy Kelly was taking, she focused on the energy surrounding her. Energy from the rising moon and the setting sun.
"Fabric of life—"
Kelly growled, bit harder.
"—blood that ties, protect my flesh, from friend of mine."
The weight on her back was thrown from her, and a dizzying wind that carried the heat of the sun slid down her back. A roar of utter fury sliced through her home.
Leviathan was coming for her, and she lay powerless, spent. Her energy diminished, she could do nothing more than crawl away from the sounds of gurgling behind her. In the distance the dog clawed at the garage door, whining and barking.