The Sweetest Burn

“Oblivion did a number on me, and crossing the realms is making it worse.” Adrian’s words were choppy between his labored breaths. “I’ve only got one more trip left in me, Ivy.”

I turned at once to the ranger. “Please,” I started to say, but then Adrian went immobile so abruptly, I looked back at him in concern. He was staring over my shoulder, and when I glanced that way, the ranger was no longer alone in the doorway.

Demetrius stood behind him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MY TATTOO ROARED to agonizing, glowing life, but with a surge of panic, I realized that I didn’t have anything to put into the sling. I should’ve stuffed my pockets with projectiles as soon as I realized that the weapon could manifest itself, but I’d been focused on trying to save Adrian. Then I’d turned my attention to saving the rest of the people, thinking with my heart, not my survival instinct.

Adrian drew me tighter against him, and I expected him to launch us through the gateway even though Demetrius was sure to follow. Could I pull the sling out of my arm and find something to hurl at Demetrius before the demon caught us on the other side? From how fast Adrian had traversed between the realms, I doubted it. Fear caused my heartbeat to slam against my ribs, but Adrian didn’t pull us through the gateway. Instead, he let out a low, almost satisfied-sounding laugh as he stared at his demonic foster father.

“Demetrius, I hoped you’d come back before we left. Zach’s on the other side of this gateway.” Adrian gave weight to the lie by flicking a taunting glance between the fireplace and the demon. “Come with us. I’d love to see him kick your ass again.”

Instead of responding, Demetrius looked my way, and those coal black eyes seemed to burn into mine. Whatever disguise Zach had glamoured me with didn’t matter; he knew it was me, and the virulent hatred in his gaze raised gooseflesh over me despite my close proximity to the fire. Then he turned his attention back to Adrian, and that hatred melted away. In fact, something like exasperated affection crossed his features.

“My son, haven’t you had enough of your rebellion yet?”

“I’m just getting started,” Adrian replied, his tone luxuriant with hatred.

The ranger laid a heavy hand on Demetrius’s shoulder, unable to see the ominous shadows that came from the demon. “This boy here is your son? He—”

One of those shadows sliced across the ranger’s throat, turning his words into horrible choking sounds. He fell to his knees, blood spurting out from his neck. Then that lethal shadow rejoined the rest of the swirls behind Demetrius after bending toward me in what could only be called a wave.

“How did you make it out of my old realm, anyway?” Adrian asked, with none of the shock I felt over what had just happened. “Ivy decimated it. You should be ash right now.”

“There are two kinds of demons,” Demetrius said, his tone light. Almost bantering. “The kind that stand around to discover what the Davidian can do with a hallowed weapon, and the kind that hasten to the nearest exit to avoid finding out.”

Adrian snorted. “So, you ran for your life like the coward that you are.”

“Name-calling?” Demetrius scoffed with mild reproof. “Such a human trait. Didn’t I teach you better?”

Adrian’s laugh was low and ugly. “Oh, you taught me many things that I will spend the rest of my life unlearning. Love to stay and chat, but Zach’s waiting.”

Then he flung us backward, and the gut-churning, free-falling sensations of crossing from one realm into another began. They culminated with me landing face first in a room that looked identical to the one we’d left, except that none of the furniture was broken and it was far warmer in here.

Adrian hauled me up before I could even say ow at my face-plant. “He’ll be right behind us,” he muttered, half carrying, half propelling me out of the room at a run.

I tried to keep up, cursing my wobbly, still-icy-feeling legs. “But you told him that Zach was here.”

He grunted. “That might buy us a few minutes, but he’ll call my bluff, guaranteed.”

“Then let me get something for the sling!” I protested.

Adrian’s arm tightened around me as he forced me to run down the stairs at a pace I could barely manage. “Don’t bother. If you’re close enough to hit him with the slingshot, then Demetrius is close enough to kill you with his shadows.”

I still wanted to grab something that could be used as a projectile, but Adrian’s ashen coloring combined with his labored breathing made me channel all my energy into running under my own power instead. He looked more awful than I’d ever seen, and it wasn’t just from crossing the realms. He’d gotten a full-body assault hug from Oblivion, and here I was, having trouble recovering after only getting a brief grab on the legs.

We made it into the main room downstairs when Adrian suddenly slowed. The family of four he’d pulled through was by the front door. Next to them was a police officer, and the cop went for his gun as soon as he saw us.

Adrian pushed me aside so hard that I fell. “I told you, no police,” he growled as he launched himself at the cop.

A gunshot went off and I screamed. Adrian’s velocity caused him to land on the cop, and for a few, frenzied seconds, the two of them rolled on the ground, knocking over anything in their way. I ran over, but in the moments it took me to get to them, another shot went off, and the pile of limbs went still.

“Adrian!” I screamed.

His dark gold head lifted. Blood smeared his face and he was paler than I’d ever seen him, but he managed a grin.

“Minions. Easy to kill,” he muttered. Then he slumped over the cop’s body, which was starting to disintegrate into ashes.

I rolled Adrian over, sucking in an anguished breath as I saw the bloody hole in his stomach. He’d been shot, and we’d used up all the manna we’d carried with us!

“Help me carry him over to the couch,” I told the father, who was staring in shock at the ashes that, moments ago, had been a police officer. “Help me,” I repeated. “Grab his legs, I’ll get his shoulders.”

After another dazed look at the ashes, the father complied. We got Adrian onto the couch, and I pulled out my cell phone, letting out a relieved sound when I saw that it still worked.

“What happened to him? What’s going on?” the mother pleaded as she clutched her two sobbing children.

“He wasn’t human,” I replied, dialing Costa’s number. “Adrian knew a minion would probably respond to a hysterical call about people being transported from a dark, icy version of this world. That’s why he told you not to call the police... Costa!” I said when he answered. “Where are you?”

“Where are you?” was Costa’s instant reply. “Are you out?”

“Yes. We’re at Scotty’s Castle and Adrian’s really hurt.” My voice cracked on the last word, but I refused to break down. Adrian’s life depended on me keeping it together. “We need manna and a way out of here. Right away.”

“Got it. We’re about forty minutes east of Scotty’s on 276, so we’ll be there soon.”

“Forty minutes?” I glanced at a window, which showed that night had already fallen. “That’s too long.”

In the dark, Demetrius could walk around freely on this side on the realm. I started stuffing every sturdy, decorative knickknack I came across into my jacket. They weren’t as durable as rocks, but they were the best I could come up with at the moment. Adrian had said that they wouldn’t do any good if Demetrius were that close, but I’d rather have a bad chance than no chance at all. Demetrius could show up any second. The minion cop had gotten here lightning fast despite how it had only been minutes since Adrian had pulled the family through the gateway...or had it been longer?

“How long have you been here?” I asked the father. At his confused look, I elaborated. “How long has it been since Adrian brought you through the fireplace? Ten minutes? Twenty?”

“About an hour,” the father answered, and his wife gave a frightened nod of agreement.

I almost whooped with relief. That’s right, time moved differently in the realms, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. Adrian had said that it might take Demetrius a few minutes to decide to call his bluff. With minutes there equating to about an hour on this side, we might have enough time to get away.