Jude laughs, enjoying his powerful hold over the night stalker I thought to be untouchable by any magic. Apparently he's only protected from witchcraft.
The blue eyes surround me, malice teeming in their twisted thoughts, as they slowly stalk toward me. I don't care what Gage or Kane said about not using my power. I refuse to go down without a fight.
"Alyssa, get the hell out of here!" Kane yells, essentially telling me to do what I was already planning, but before I can, Jude falls to the ground, choking on the air he can't find.
What the hell?
Kane looks to me, questioning whether or not I'm strong enough to take down a demon, and I shake my head.
The night stalkers look to their fallen leader, and the hold he has on Kane collapses as Jude struggles more beneath the phantom force. Then the chill, the scent, and the taste find me, igniting a depth of dread I'd forgotten.
The night stalkers in the room fall to their knees, crumbling from the force. Kane falls, too, and I rush to his side, instantly for
cing out my magic to surround him with the protection only I can offer without a blessing from the wielder of this invisible power.
"What the fuck?" He stands to his feet, but before he can back away, I pull him to me.
"If you let go of me, you'll die with them."
He looks at me, stumped by the fact he's the one feeling naive for a change.
"You're doing this?"
"No, but I know who is, and you're going to want to run. I can't protect you for long. Once he loses it, you'll be crushed."
"Once who loses it?"
I take a shaky breath as shadows pass through the dungeon, the whispering spirits slinking back into the grasp of the undead force radiating throughout the walls.
"Drackus."
Chapter 8
Daddy's Girl
The word rests heavily in the air, causing confusion and more disbelief in the eyes of the night stalker holding onto me.
"Why the hell would Drackus be here? How would he have gotten out of his prison?"
That's laughable. The world really does know very little about him.
It's not a prison; it's a home he stays in by choice. He's only barricaded by pointless magic - the light and dark's feeble attempt to feel in control of the man they fear more than anything else in the world. Good thing they don't know how strong Mom is.
I can't believe Drackus is here instead of Mom.
"That prison was futile to begin with. You need to go," I murmur forcefully while entwining my fingers with his. "He won't spare you no matter how hard I beg. He'll blame you for this."
Jude curses under his breath as his eyes find mine, and he gurgles out, "You. It's you. Fuck!"
His breath is stolen by death when he finally loses his connection to the world he never belonged in.
I start dragging Kane behind me, his dumbfounded steps quickly catching up as we race down the hall.
"He just killed a demon without even being in the room. Why is he here to save you?"
"Just get out of here, Kane. I'm serious. He'll kill you without so much as batting an eye. You've already felt his power, and that was just a taste of the pain you would have endured if I hadn't realized what was going on. You're obviously not immune to him the way you are the rest of us."
Suddenly, Thad rounds the corner, blood staining his hands and mouth - blood of the men he's apparently killed on his way to find me. He rushes toward me, but I hold a hand up.