“You know, I’ve heard that kind of shit before from other bad guys, and you know what happened?” I pulled a sword from my back and pointed it at him, swirling it slowly.
“Tell me.” He smiled, like he knew a secret I didn’t.
“They always end up in pieces.” I lunged toward him and he dodged my first strike. His hands came up with a speed that screamed ‘demon’ and knocked my blade back as I went in for a second hit. He lost two fingers and a huge slash opened up on the back of his wrist. Alex tried to work his way around, to knock the demon off balance, but it was hard to be stealthy with the rising water.
“Come on, demon,” I snarled, knowing I needed to calm the rage in me, but struggling to do so. I was too worried about India and Kyle.
Simon, or what was left of him, looked at his fingers, and then looked at me. His eyes were no longer red, but a single blue tone. He was no Tracker, just a kid pulled into this to make me go where the black coven wanted me to go. Fuck. The prophecy said they needed a Tracker and I’d shown up for them.
They’d used the kid, and used my parents to get me here, only the whole thing had backfired on them. I’d laugh only if it weren’t for the kid in front of me that I was going to have to kill. He was going to pay the price for the coven getting me to show up.
Simon’s eyes were full of pain and confusion. “Why?”
Oh shit, I didn’t think he’d be able to come through with the demon in control.
“You’re possessed by a demon.” I lowered the tip of my blade. How did I explain to him there was no way for him to come back? I knew it, but shit, I didn’t—
He dove for me, his eyes glittering with hatred as they slid back to a solid glowing red. With my sword down, he hit me in the chest and drove me under the water. The icy cold slid over my head as I dropped my sword, knowing he was too close for me to use it. Damn it all. Even with my eyes open, the dark water was too murky to see through and fuck, his hands were around my neck. I grabbed for a knife, but couldn’t reach any of them. Fear and anger raced along my synapses and I fought them both as I tried to keep the panic at bay. My lungs burned as I held my breath and the little bastard’s hands tightened around my neck, cutting off blood flow. There was a heavy thump and then I was pushed all the way to the floor. I could almost see Alex jumping on the demon’s back, trying to help, but instead pushing me even further down. Fuck, this was bad.
I wrapped my hands around his and tried to pry his fingers open, but they were like vice grips around my neck. Skin to skin, I knew I had no choice but to do things the way Erik had taught me.
Love is not an easy thing to think about when someone is choking you under water. I thought about protecting India and Kyle, about Pamela and Alex. But mostly about Liam. The anger and panic slid away from me and my hands tightened on Simon’s, but not fierce and digging in—like I didn’t want him to let go.
Power rushed through me, stemming from my heart, from the love I had for those in my life. Without warning, his hands were gone and I sat up in the frigid waters, gasping for air. Simon stared at me as the demon expelled from his body. Like pull taffy, the demon’s essence yanked and dragged the kid a few steps before letting go with a pop, fading into the air.
Simon looked at me for a split second, his lips curling into slight smile, his simple blue eyes never leaving mine. “Thank you, I will help you if I can.” His eyes rolled into his head and he fell backward into the water with a splash. I gritted my teeth against the hurt that swelled in me as I struggled to my feet. The kid should have had years ahead of him, years where he could’ve had a life.
And how was he going to help me? He was dead, as much as that hurt. I ignored the hot tears that streaked my face, so at odds with the water that was so fucking cold and rising fast.
I went to the door and put my hands on it. Nothing had changed; I didn’t know how the hell I was going to get them out. But neither could I leave them. “Is there anything on our side that could help?”
A muffled no was all I got. Alex whimpered. “Gots to be faster. Water coming.”
Of that, I had no doubt. Shivering, I turned to look down the hallway, wondering if there would be anything I could use to pry the door open. I stared at my feet, and my dropped sword stared back at me. The cold must have been getting to me, freezing what was left of my brain cells. I leaned down, and had to put my head under the water in order to grab my sword. Shaking so hard I could barely function, I put the tip to the door’s locking mechanism. It was thicker than anything else I’d ever cut with my spelled blades. With a hard thrust, I jammed the blade deep into the heavy metal. Resistance met me and I wondered if the door was spelled too. To be safe, I put my hand on the door in order to dispel any lingering magic on it, but felt nothing. Which meant it was just a freakishly strong door. Sawing my blade back and forth, I worked it down and through the lock. A tidal wave wash of water swept down the hallway as the door opened.