With hand signals, she motioned to the group behind her. Without looking, she knew Brie and Ruman were coming up on her fast.
Cold shivered over her hands and up her arms, a burning that reminded her of her Carnwennan.
She dropped to her knee, ignoring the gravel that bit into her skin and sent one knife flying through the air. The blade sung in the silence. A solid thud followed ten feet to her left and a squeal erupted. A bright flash came next, illuminating the grime in the alley. The unmistakable singed smell similar to burnt antifreeze filled her nose.
"Damn. I didn't even notice it in the shadows." Ruman's cold gaze settled on her, always assessing, judging as if he found her lacking.
"The creature wasn't there a moment ago." Caly retrieved her knife, realizing that she had picked up the characteristics of the blade. It soaked into her, binding her, the demon and the blade together. And there wasn't a damned thing she could do about it. It was too late to change anything.
Ruman would be gone soon. It was maybe better this way.
Brie inhaled sharply. "You must be careful. The more you tap into the power, the harder it will be for you to turn back. If you go too far, you'll remain trapped with the remnants of the demon you carry."
Caly stared at the couple, all her emotions locked away to do what needed to be done. Nothing mattered but the upcoming battle thanks to the demon's help to mute her feelings. "Watch your backs, and I'll take care of my own."
Before she could walk off, Ruman grabbed her arm. "What in the name of all that's holy do you mean? You're not invincible."
Caly gazed down at his hand, the masochist in her relishing the warmth of his touch. Disturbed by the hint of emotion trying to break through her shield, she jerked away. "Take care of your girlfriend, and I'll take care of myself."
Caly pivoted and strode away. Her stomach knotted, leaving her gut raw like a rough night on the town. She'd made her decision. It was the right choice, the best choice for all three of them.
Caly took another ten steps before the blade signaled trouble.
* * *
By the time Ruman shook off the shocking coldness of Caly's words and moved to go after her, Brie placed a restraining hand on his arm.
"Don't. Now's not the time." The ponytail she wore bobbed when she nodded to the building ahead. "There are too many inside for this to be an easy battle. As much as we don't want her to fight, we need her. All we can do is protect her as much as she'll allow us." She dropped her hand.
Her small frame trailed after Caly. What Brie said might be correct, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Fist clenched, he increased his stride to catch up with the two women, his blood boiling with unspent anger. When they rescued Henry, he would sit Caly down and explain how things would work.
Behind him, the group divided. The main division headed to the building next door. The rest followed in his wake. They were quiet, as quiet as humans could be, but they were not silent.
The demons knew they were coming.
The entrance opened into a large lobby. An ornate elevator stood forgotten and silent at the opposite end of the room. The gold and silver leaf flaked, showing the corroded surfaces underneath. Once a source of pride, the place had fallen on hard times, tarnished by years gone by. Twin windows dominated the wall above the door they entered, while the rest of the room remained in shadows.
The group broke in pairs, moving in tandem to keep their backs covered as the teams surveyed the seemingly empty room.
An archway to the left opened to a flight of decrepit stairs. The only other opening was an empty doorway at the far left corner that led further in the building.
If cornered, very few avenues of escape were open to them. The demons had the advantage.
"Look who's here." Henry opened his arms in a parody of welcome. "Caly and her demon friends."
Caly tensed. She had to have guessed this was a trap. To have it confirmed, however, was a different matter. In three strides, Ruman placed his body at her side, ready to shield her if needed then waited for her signal.
"Henry. I see you're alive and well." Her lips tightened. "And the call?"
"Was to get you here, although the demons' unexpected arrival was an added bonus. I must say, you got here a lot quicker than I expected." He pulled out a large blade in one hand and a gun in the other. With the gun pointed at her chest, he motioned to Caly's hands. "I know how skilled you are with those knives. Drop them."
Caly didn't move. The hammer pulled back, clicking loudly in the hollowed out room.
"Now."
Ruman knew how much it cost her to release her blades, yet she nodded her agreement. Arms out, she turned sideways and crouched. Her gaze never left Henry's face. She set the knives down on the dulled, chipped tiles and rose.
"Now what?"
With a twist of his wrists, he motioned her with the gun to step aside. "Move."
"No." Caly raised her chin and stood her ground as if a gun wasn't aimed at her. Ruman tensed. Though he admired her calm, he wanted to yell at her for taking such foolish risks.
Henry narrowed his eyes and pulled the trigger.
Ruman charged forward, but too late.
The bullet splintered the floor two feet in front of her right boot. Chips of tile and wood flew up in the air, peppering them.
Caly didn't so much as move a hair as small spots speckled her arms and shoulder. The sight shot all his protective instincts into overdrive. Before he knew it, he was in motion to tear that bastard apart with his bare hands.
How dare he think to hurt what was his.
"Halt."
Ruman stopped, shifting to face Henry. Rage poured energy into his body, until he shook as he fought for control. His stance relaxed, waiting for the chance to pounce. One small move toward Caly, and Ruman would show him that it was physically possible to shove someone's head up their own ass. Relishing the thought, he smiled and gazed unblinkingly at Henry.
"You think this is funny?" Henry brandished a knife, the blade falling short of doing any damage.
Needing Henry closer in order to eliminate him, Ruman lifted his hand and urged Henry forward, taking pleasure in antagonizing him.
Henry might be stupid, but he wasn't a fool. He ignored the taunt, and turned to Caly with a superior look. "You should've listened to me instead of openly consorting with demons." His lips curled in a sneer. "You risk all of our lives over a worthless djinn and your demon lover."
He looked between the two women and shook his head. "Your counterpart is much prettier." A crooked smile crossed his face. "It's a shame she has to die."
Caly instinctively shifted closer to Brie. But not fast enough. The barrel swiveled in Brie's direction.
The gun barked as he fired.
"You bastard." Caly barely heard Jarred's shout.
Disbelief swamped her as the bullet took Brie high in the meaty part of her shoulder. Caly battled instinct to go to her, terrified that because Brie was part human, another shot would kill her.
Brie clutched her shoulder and lifted her chin. Though pale, she was still in the game. In silent agreement, she spanned outward, creeping closer to Henry so slowly, Caly could scarcely tell she'd moved. Caly did the same, forming a semi-circle with Ruman and Brie on either side. He wouldn't be able to watch them all at one time.
"Henry." A woman's soft voice came from behind him. The petite woman sashayed down the stairs in a leisurely fashion, her movements graceful and oddly hypnotic.
"Felicia, go back to our room."
"Why would I want to do anything of the sort?" She smiled slightly at him, dismissing him as she surveyed the room. Her attention landed on Caly and lingered.
For a fraction of a second, Henry hesitated. "Felicia, honey. Why don't you-"
"Oh, do shut up." With a sweet smile, Felicia swung out sharply, her fist connecting to his temple. Henry collapsed in a heap. The weapons he'd held clattered against the hard floor.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Caly crouched, her hand inches from her blade when the creature spoke.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Even before she finished, the room filled with a dark fog. The air became murky, condensed as shadowy outlines took shape. Faces and bodies appeared eerily out of the mist one part at a time. In seconds, a contingent of demons was fully formed and ready for battle.
They were surrounded.
Caly's smile was all teeth, and Ruman recognized the look of trouble.
"Then I'm lucky I'm not you." In cadence, both Caly and Brie attacked. Brie disappeared and reappeared behind the demon stalking Caly, snapping the creature's neck, incapacitating him for a few seconds.
Caly twisted sideways and kicked the demon's legs out from under him. Brie leapt back as Caly slammed a knife in the stunned demon's chest.
The handle quivered. The creature stared at it in shock. A wail filled the room loud enough to shake the windows. The demon dissolved into dust. Before the sound faded, the blade thudded to the ground and a sweet, charred smell filled the room.