Demon Kissed. Patti O'Shea

Andras might be a demon slayer like she was, but it was unlikely that he had the ability to conceal his energy. Few did. That meant they had to get out of here before the demons read his presence. But how had he found her?

      A demon went sailing, landing on the ground about ten yards away from where they stood. If he looked to his left… But he didn’t. The dust hadn’t even settled before he leaped to his feet and charged back into the fray.

      “We need to leave while they’re busy,” she whispered. “Come on.”

      But when she tried to move, Andras locked his arms around her again, stopping her.

      “Wha—“

      “Not now.”

      “But those demons—“

      “Aren’t the problem. Be quiet.”

      She scowled. Did he think that his Y chromosome gave him insight into the situation that she didn’t have? She was the one who’d battled two of these males and she probably had as much experience at demon slaying as he did. Bree started to push away from him, but her shoulder twinged and she bit back a groan.

      Before she could make a second attempt to get free, motion caught her eye. Another demon strolled toward the fray. She hadn’t realized he was there.

      He paused to watch the fight for a moment before resuming his progress toward the combatants. Something about him, about his lack of concern over the others, made her tense.

      In a glance, she pegged him at a couple of inches over six feet—tall, but not quite as tall as Andras. His blond hair gleamed in the moonlight and the ends brushed the shoulders of his black turtleneck. His chest was broad, his movements graceful. With his elegant demeanor, he should have been a vampire. Hell, Bree would have preferred a vampire.

      One of the fighters caught sight of the newcomer and froze. As his motionlessness registered, the other males stopped and followed his stare. And went as still as the first.

      This was so not good.

      Her gaze turned to Andras. The grimness of his expression made a lump lodge in her throat. Months ago, she’d watched him take down a demon powerful enough that she would have thought twice before engaging, and if he was concerned now, there was good cause. Her hand clenched around her dagger.

      “Gentlemen,” the demon drawled. He had a slight accent that she thought might be Russian. “You can leave now, thank you.”

      Nobody moved.

      The blond male smiled and it was so cold, Bree’s heart began racing. “Not a wise decision. You’ve no hope of overcoming me.”

      “Five against one,” the leader of the trio said. The other four shifted positions, aligning themselves on either side of him to show unity.

      “So be it.” With a flick of a hand, the newcomer sent out ropes of fire from his fingertips. They hit the leader square in the chest, but the male didn’t go down.

      All five demons simultaneously fired at their adversary.

      “Move. Quietly,” Andras whispered, and grabbing her hand, led her through the shadows near the wall.

      Bree squelched the urge to look over her shoulder to see what was happening. With the debris on the floor, she needed to watch her step or risk tripping over something, and any noise would bring six demons down on their heads.

      A high-pitched scream made her swallow hard—some instinct told her it was a member of the gang. How powerful was the blond demon? A second cry echoed through the warehouse and Andras picked up the pace.

      They were about halfway to the exit when they startled a rat. In its panic, it grazed a rubble heap and dislodged a piece of wood. A small board clattered as it hit concrete. Loudly.

      Andras moved just short of a run now, but the demons would have heard the sound even in the middle of a fight.

      He stopped abruptly and Bree plowed into his back. Stomach sinking, she went up on her toes to peer over his shoulder. Everything inside her froze. The blond male blocked their path.

      Bree tried to stand next to Andras—she’d fight with him—but he shifted, keeping her squarely behind his body.

      “Step aside,” the demon ordered. “She’s my kill.”

      CHAPTER TWO

      The command for Andras to move shocked Bree. Demons didn’t waste time talking to humans, not even slayers, so why had this one bothered? Deciding it didn’t matter, she started forward, only to freeze midstep.

      “You’ll have to go through me to touch her,” Andras said and she could hear the promise in his voice. The man was willing to die for her. That was the last thing she wanted. If anything happened to him…

      Bree moved again, determined to fight beside Andras, but before she got there, a scuffing sound made her whirl.

      Two demons were coming up on their rear, the same pair she’d barely escaped earlier. Both appeared battered, but they’d heal fast. She’d have to protect Andras’s back and let him take care of the blond male without her.

      Gathering up her remaining power, she used it to create an energy shield around herself. It wouldn’t block a physical attack, but it would stop the fireballs that demons threw. She only hoped it lasted through the fight.

      Without giving them time to position themselves, she charged toward the two, dagger raised. Their surprise didn’t last long enough.

      The demon she targeted deflected her strike, and her blade sliced air. Damn.

      Using her momentum, she spun out of range of the shorter demon’s talons. She risked a quick glance at Andras. He and the blond male were brawling. That wasn’t a shock. What stunned her was the demon wasn’t shooting fire and he hadn’t extended his claws, and Andras wasn’t using a blade.

      Her stomach knotted up. Demons were stronger than humans; Andras couldn’t hope to win with his fists. Sometimes even a knife—

      Bree pulled her attention back in time to avoid another swipe from the shorter demon. Kicking out, she caught him below the kneecap before going for her other foe. He evaded her strike and made a grab for her leg.

      He was quick, but she was quicker, and she jerked away from his hand. Her landing, though, left her off balance. Bree felt the tip of a claw slice across the back of her jacket, but the leather protected her.

      Locating the nearest demon, she slashed down with her dagger. He darted out of range, but he fell over a pile of refuse.

      Before Bree could put him down for the count, the shorter demon shot a couple of fireballs and charged forward, face contorted. She tried to dodge out of the way, but she wasn’t fast enough. The fire connected with her shield. It wobbled and she held her breath until it stabilized. If that went down, she wouldn’t last long.

      Neither of the pair seemed to realize how weak her protection was and she had to keep it that way. Drawing in a shuddery breath, she worked to regain her equilibrium. She needed to end this before they discovered how vulnerable she was.

      The demon on the ground tried to get to his feet and she shifted, ready to put him back in the dust. She didn’t get the opportunity. The shorter demon came at her, ready to defend his partner. As he reached her, she grabbed him and used his momentum to send him sailing over his friend.

      Her rush forward stopped abruptly when she heard a crash behind her. Andras! Bree spun, her gaze frantically searching for him. He had to be okay, he had to be.

      She couldn’t see either male. “Andras!”

      No answer. Knees shaking, she took a step toward where she’d last seen him. She wouldn’t let anything to happen to him.

      The blond demon appeared from behind a large crate and Andras followed. They were circling, each completely focused on the other.