Rohan and I crept into the hallway, following it toward the center of the house where it opened up to the second floor with a wide staircase. While Rohan went into the kitchen, I glanced up at the cathedral ceiling and the grimy skylight.
In the second that it took me to look up, Samson appeared in human form. I shivered at the way his eyes tried to pierce my skin. Determined not to give him the upper hand, I called my magic up, letting it coat me in a bright blue glow. Lightning bolts slithered over my skin like animated tattoos.
Gathering electricity between my fingers, I played with the strings of crackling blue and silver current, twisting and stretching them like they were taffy. Then I flung my magic at Samson. The current caught him across the face and chest like a net. His glamour fell away in patches, revealing the ravaged skin of his demon form, now bleeding from my attack.
Samson whistled a few more notes at me.
"Hardly a puppet." With another ball ready to go, letting it dance over my fingers, I moved close.
Samson laughed. A cruel sound. "You have no idea how many people are pulling your strings."
I chose to take his words as game playing of his own and not some demon intel about more people with me on their hit list. I patted his bloody cheek in mock affection. "I'd give a shit, Samson, but I ran out a while back and haven't restocked."
Red eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Come to save the damsel in distress?"
"Nah," Rohan said from behind me. "Just watch your ass get pounded by a girl."
The demon's glamour fell away. As his peacock feathers majestically unfolded behind his humanoid demon form, there was a rush of air and a blur of motion. Adramelech flew across the room, smashing into the back wall hard enough to partially break through it.
I blinked. Drio now stood beside me, his fist still raised from the blow he'd dealt the demon. Note to self: being hit by speedster Rasha, bad.
Drio's lips curved in a sadistic smile. "I didn't want to miss any of the fun."
Adramelech disappeared, leaving a demon-shaped imprint in the wall, and a handful of bent peacock feathers fluttering to the ground.
The damn whistling started up again. Rohan and Drio ran upstairs, while I retraced our steps here on the main floor. I'd cleared every room and skidded back into the stairway area when a commotion overhead caught my attention.
Adramelech managed to fight pretty well given the giant tail he carted around. He executed a low spinning kick, intended to take Rohan out, but Rohan jumped it, landing on the other side of the demon.
Drio blurred toward Adramelech but the demon judged the approach correctly, managing to jump up and nail Drio with a two-footed kick in the chest. The hunter flew backward, but recovered quickly, springing forward into two consecutive handsprings, his legs jackknifing out in front of him.
He caught Adramelech around the neck, twisting to pin him to the ground. The demon's tail twitched once, twice, and then Drio's skin started to bubble. Drio roared, trying to pull free as his arm burst into flame, but he was stuck until Rohan kicked him clear of the demon.
Rohan decked Adramelech, catapulting him backwards over the low second-story railing. The demon crashed onto his back at my feet. He threw me a wink, hooked a hand around my ankle, and we disappeared.
He'd transported us to a low-ceilinged attic. Patchy sunlight trickled through the gaps in the roof. I rushed him but he caught my hands in one wrist. My skin heated painfully under his touch. Electricity crackled between my skin and his, but he only laughed. "Knock yourself out. Can't feel a thing for all the scarring."
I jerked free. "You're a douchebag and should be plowed under like mulch."
"Volunteering for the gig?" Hearing Samson's all-American accent coming out of this ruined flesh was disorienting to say the least.
"Yeah. I'm a real humanitarian."
"You're a real little actress. I'm impressed with your performance."
"Thought you didn't like being fooled."
"Oh, I don't. You're going to die for that. But I appreciate showmanship. I've left you a gift. Rohan's gig was … illuminating. In so many ways."
I eyed the stairs but Adramelech blocked my escape.
He glared at me. "Are you listening?"
"Not really. But don't stress yourself. Long-winded villain plans are generally where I leave to go to the bathroom."
I feinted sideways and dashed forward. The demon caught me. Perfect. Now up close and personal, I wrapped my arms around his waist, brushed his tail away, and fired a burst of electricity into his sweet spot.
Since we'd forced his true form using the ritual blade, only the use of that blade on his kill spot would end him, but my blast surprised him enough to give me a chance. Adramelech instinctively jerked backward at the feel of my magic. I pulled free, yelling for Drio as I sprinted down the stairs.