But I was also a witch. I needed to be both if I was going to win this.
I leaped over a pew to gain some room from her. My leg protested, foot slamming into the wood as I fell to the ground.
Luciana climbed on top of it. “Nowhere to run now.”
I made a quick knot in the air, moving my fingers fast. Willing it to work. When the knot completed, the magic slammed into place. She hit the knot, and bounced back a few steps.
Thank God my magic held long enough for me to let the wolf out. But only in my hands.
My fingers lengthened, and I picked myself up off the ground just as she swung at me
I twisted and her fist went right past my face. She kicked and I blocked. Luciana might not have known how to fight, but the demon sure as hell did.
I let instinct take hold. All Dastien’s years of knowledge poured through me, and I used them as I waited for her to give me a window.
Her shoulder dropped, and I swiped. “Die!” I poured all my will into the word. My nails ripped across her neck, parting her skin as if it were butter. As her blood—black and red—slid cover my hands, coating my skin, I was glad Clauda’s magic was still holding.
I waited for Luciana to fall to the ground—to turn to ash—but she was still moving. Slower now.
“Die!” I yelled again, throwing more power behind the word. This time she staggered as I swiped my claws across her stomach.
I didn’t waste time. “Die!” I let the power fly as I hit her again. She froze and started to fall.
I caught her before she hit the ground and gagged at the feel of her demonic energy in my arms. Her heartbeat was slowing as blood pooled out of her, and I dragged her to the pit.
I stared down it, and hoped this was enough to put a stop to the chaos around me.
Dastien was still fighting demons. He was hurt, but not down.
The sounds of demons screeching and hissing, as we whittled down their numbers told me the tide was turning, but it wasn’t over.
I had to close the portal.
The little demons had stopped pouring out, but inside the pit a giant demon was clawing its way to the top. It looked like it was made of molten lava, scarring the rock with fire as it climbed. It spotted me and roared, moving faster.
I didn’t want to have to jump, but I had to throw Luciana in. Her magic had to be stopped.
As the demon inside Luciana died, her eyes turned back to her normal brown. Her skin wasn’t quite so green. Confusion crossed her face as she glanced around the church.
“I’m sorry for what I’m about to do.” My voice sounded much stronger than I felt.
Her life was slipping away. It’d been only moments, and I wasn’t sure she could understand me, but Luciana’s face relaxed like she was giving me the okay.
“Lord, save us from what she’s done. Help us stop the death.” I pushed her body into the pit. “Send these monsters back to hell.”
Luciana’s body tumbled as it fell. The demon roared as she passed it.
I waited, watching it fall, hoping that the portal would start to close, but nothing happened.
Oh shit. The portal wasn’t closing. The demon was moving fast.
A howl echoed through the church. Not a demon.
Dastien!
I felt his pain through the bond. Claws scored his back as demons surrounded him.
Closing the portal would kill off the demons that pinned my friends down everywhere I looked.