“I know,” he said grimly, surveying the area. “What’s over there?” He pointed to a construction area blocked off by signs and strung tape.
“New stores moving in—they’re remodeling the area.”
“Good.” Taking her hand, he pulled her past the signs and under the tape. “We’ll lead them away from humans at least.” Then he tapped his ear. “Conn? We’re on the second level in the east wing. I sense three of them—maybe four.”
The oxygen in the air swelled, adding weight. Brenna struggled forward, her mind fuzzy. “They’re not attacking yet, but my head is beginning to hurt.”
He edged them along the roughly plastered wall. “Have you ever felt a demon attack?”
“No.” Her lungs heated, while the plaster scratched her hand.
“They’ll shoot horrific images into your mind, and then it’ll feel like a scalding blade is cutting your brain. The wound is not real, and you can push through the pain.” He drew a gun from his waistband and dodged into one of the empty stores.
She followed, sweeping her gun behind them. “Can you push through the attack?”
“Yes. After five years of torture, I can shield. Somewhat.”
Her ears rang. Adrenaline flooded her system. Rough walls and subfloor made up the octagonal room. Construction plastic hung from the ceiling, while toolboxes and flooring materials were scattered throughout. The smell of plaster dust tickled her nose, and she bit back a sneeze.
Jase pointed to a framed hole in the wall that would probably lead to dressing rooms. “Go in there and don’t come out until I get you.”
She shook her head. “You can’t fight three of them alone. I have a gun, and I know how to shoot.”
He whirled on her so quickly she stepped back, her ankle colliding with a stack of tiles. She would’ve fallen had he not grabbed her arm. His jaw firmed, his muscles undulated, and his eyes flattened to death. “Obey me.”
Her entire body tightened with awareness. With real fear. The vampire had morphed from man to killer within seconds. The hard face, she could handle. But the dead eyes? They broke her heart—while every instinct in her body screamed for her to run. Away. From. Him. So she nodded, and the second he released her, she scrambled toward the dressing rooms. But she stopped at the doorway, turned, and settled her stance.
The look he gave her chilled her bones.
Then the demons entered the room.
Chapter 9
Two males entered first, followed by a female demon. Brenna steadied her grip on the gun. A real female demon. They were almost a legend, they were so rare. This one had the white-blond hair and black eyes of a purebred. She was tiny, but power shimmered around her until sparks popped in the air.
The two hulking men also showed their heritage with fathomless eyes and white hair. Dressed in all black, with silver emblems covering their right breasts. High-up soldiers.
The woman flashed sharp teeth. “Miss me, Jase?”
He growled low and shifted to the right, his position allowing him to scan the entire room. “No. In fact, I hoped you died when my brothers demolished the Scotland headquarters, Willa.”
The woman pouted red lips, eyes sparkling. “Such mean language after such wonderful times in my bedroom.” She flicked her glance at Brenna. “There was no way we could work out. You always did like them helpless.”
Brenna cocked the gun. What times in her bedroom? Had Jase been with this bitch?
Willa’s smile widened. “A gun won’t stop me, witch, and considering you’re at death’s door, neither will you.” She sighed. “I had hoped for more of a fight when I killed your mate. ’Tis a pity.”
Jase flashed the grin of a killer. “Jealous?”
Willa hissed out a breath. “Of what?”
Cold calculation quirked Jase’s upper lip. “Of the pretty witch I decided to mate. You know, after you all but begged for my cock.”
“I wanted your marking.” Fire lanced through the woman’s eyes. She lifted a shoulder. “Besides, I’ve had your tongue in my mouth, vampire. We both know you wanted it.”
Bile rose up Brenna’s throat, and she shoved the acid down. “The Coven Nine isn’t going to allow this trespass on our land. Get out now.”
“Do you honestly think we’re afraid of the Coven Nine?” Willa swept her hand out, and the air chilled. “We’ve never taken your land because we don’t want it.”
Fury and fear steadied Brenna’s aim. “We both know you’re afraid of the Nine. Witches can handle demons, and you know it. Get. Out. Now.”
Icicles of pain instantly ripped into her brain. She fell back against the wall, crying out. Images of tortured children flashed behind her mind’s eye. She shook her head, aimed, and fired.
The bullet glanced off Willa’s shoulder, but the mental attack stopped.
Jase jumped for the nearest guard, his knife flashing. The soldier countered, slamming Jase into plastic sheeting. Shaking off the cover, Jase dodged forward and punched the soldier in the face, kicking back to stop the other guy’s advance.
Brenna gulped down fear and fired again. This round hit Willa in the chest. The demon snarled and attacked with brutal accuracy to Brenna’s frontal lobe. The explosion in her head weakened her knees. She kept firing as she went down.
Jase bellowed and grabbed his temples. Then, straightening, he shook his head and lunged into the soldier, knife out. Quick twists had the demon on the ground with a blade sticking out of his neck. The other demon tackled Jase and sent them rolling across the floor.
The doorway filled with Kell, Conn, and Moira.
Brenna gasped in relief even as her limbs went numb. The gun clattered against the wood. She turned her head, helpless, to watch.
Willa took in the situation, pivoted, and ran full-bore for the boarded windows. Wood and glass shattered as she flew through.
Moira skidded across the room, landing on her knees to cradle Brenna’s head. “Bren?”
“I’m fine.” Brenna pushed herself to sit, heated blood sliding from her nose and eyes. “Damn demons.”
Moira slid an arm around her shoulders, offering support.
Across the room, Jase and the third demon grappled. Jase flipped the guy onto his back and straddled him, fists swinging. The demon’s cheek caved. Yet Jase continued to punch. Hard, crazy, out of control, he broke every bone in the demon’s face.
A wave of pain cascaded out, attacking, from the guy with a knife in his throat. Conn instantly dropped to one knee and shot a fierce punch to the demon’s jaw. The guy slumped unconscious.
Jase beat the downed demon, who was out cold. Blood sprayed. Brain matter oozed from the guy’s ear. With a hard look at Moira, Conn shot forward and captured Jase in a hold from behind. Jase kept swinging, struggling against his brother’s grasp.
Conn yanked him to the side and off the demon. “He’s had enough.”
“He’s still alive,” Jase growled, fighting to get back to the ground.
Conn twisted and tossed Jase into the wall. “Enough. We need to question him.”
Jase shoved off the wall, his face a brutal mask. Cuts lined his cheek and jaw, while blood flowed from a gash above his right eyebrow. No recognition lived in his eyes. Slowly, he straightened, and his eyes focused. His chin lowered. A warrior after a battle—a warrior still in the battle. His fists clenched. His body vibrated. Then, he went cold. No emotion . . . nothing.
Brenna trembled against her sister. Good God. What had she done?
Brenna danced on the mats in the training room, waiting for the right opening. Her sister moved to the side, so she shot in and tossed Moira to the ground.