Fiona raised her sword and swung it at the demon, who spun just in time and took the barest nick from her blade. It faced her, revealing the eerie features of some type of Caoineag half-breed. Not a demon, then. Caoineag, as Highland banshees were called, were fierce and deadly. A full-breed Caoineag would still be in the forests, but this one woul
dn’t be limited by that and would have all the powers of her banshee brethren.
The Caoineag shrieked, a wail so high and sharp that Fiona’s ears felt like they’d exploded. The pain nearly sent her to her knees, but she stiffened and raised her sword again. She struck and missed.
The Caoineag yanked her own sword from the scabbard at her side, flipping long black hair away from her face. The banshee’s sword clashed against her own with a ring of metal. Pain sang up Fiona’s arm from the collision, and she fought back, striking hard.
Fiona landed a blow to the banshee’s arm. The banshee shrieked, but held onto her sword and swiped it across the front of Fiona’s hip.
She gasped. Though shallow, the wound burned like acid. Shite.
As Fiona stumbled backward, she caught sight of another demon out of the corner of her eye. He was an enormous, hulking beast. A demon of some kind, no doubt, and his huge head swung as he glanced around frantically, looking for the threat that had killed his partner.
Then his head toppled from his body.
Ian. She couldn’t see him, but gods, was he strong, to take such a big demon’s head straight from its body. He would have had to leap into the air when he struck.
Fiona returned her attention to the Caoineag. With a burst of strength, she took advantage of an opening and plunged her sword into her opponent’s gut. The banshee shrieked and fell to her knees. The piercing cry made Fiona crash to her knees as well, her head ringing.
She pried her eyes open, searching frantically for the other enemies. Her gaze raced around the room until it fell upon a pale, slender individual whose skin was traced with geometric black tattoos.
He was standing right in front of the drawer that held the book.
Nay. She stumbled to her feet as Ian surged toward the demon. In his haste, he seemed to have lost his invisibility. One of them just had to reach the demon in time. Before he—
The demon reached into the drawer, then disappeared. The book went with him.
“Nay!” Fiona collapsed to her knees again. “Nay!”
“Fuck!” Ian yelled.
“He’s— he’s—” Gone. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. He’d grabbed the book and aetherwalked to safety.
It was gone. A sob tore from her throat. Her fists clenched painfully around nothing. Her future was gone. But worse, the tool that could incite divine war was about to be in the hands of the rogue god who wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
“Shite, Fiona. What are we going to do?” Ian’s rough voice pulled her back from the edge.
She drew in a ragged breath. She had to get it together. “You’re partners with Logan. I know it. Contact him. Ask for his connection, the Mythean who bartered his deal with the god.”
Ian said nothing.
“Doona screw with me, Ian. There’s no way Logan knew to bring you in here unless you were friends.”
“Fine. We were. But he’s gone. I’ve no way to get in touch with him.”
The severity of his voice convinced her. Damn it. She tried to shove her panic aside as her mind scrambled for options. “I’m calling Lea. She might recognize his description. We have to know what afterworld he went to.”
“Gods, it could be any of them. There’s no way to know if he’s native to the afterworld he just went to.”
Her heart thudded sickeningly. Ian was right. But it was their only shot. She yanked her cell out of her pocket and dialed Lea. Her words tumbled over themselves as she described the demon.
“Damn,” Lea said. “You went in alone.”
“Of course I did. What did you expect?”
Lea sighed. “That you would. And thank gods for it. The university has just gotten together a team to send out in an hour, but they’d have been too late. I’m going to have to do some research to identify that demon.”
“We doona have that kind of time.”