Binding Ties The Sentinel Wars - Shannon K. Butcher Page 0,102
away with his boot. Then he crouched beside the Sanguinar and felt for a pulse.
Ronan groaned and his eyes fluttered. Silver light spilled out, casting long shadows along the ground. “Justice.”
“Yes,” said Joseph, clasping the man’s shoulder. “We will find justice for what was done to you. Hang tight.”
“No,” said Ronan before he conked out again.
Joseph got on his phone. “Nicholas, Ronan is hurt. We have no wheels. Send the chopper to my phone’s location.” He hung up and looked at Lyka. “Do whatever it is you’re going to do with that demon so I can kill it.”
She nodded and hurried to comply before he quit indulging her experiment and did what he’d been born to do: kill demons.
The creature had not been cowed by the kick Joseph had given it. It had already started inching its way back toward Ronan and the easy prey he provided.
Whoever had captured it had tied a gag in its mouth. The red fabric was dark and wet with saliva as it tried to chew its way through. Patches of wiry black fur splotched its face, reminding her of a spotted dog. Long claws at the tips of its fingers barely peeked out between layers of tape. It was trying to scratch its way free, and, given enough time, it probably would succeed.
The idea of touching the thing was repulsive, but she had no choice. The only time her gift had ever worked with a demon had been when it had come in physical contact with her. Being close wasn’t going to cut it. As horrible as the idea was, she didn’t doubt for a second that whatever Eric and the young were going through was much, much worse.
Lyka planted a knee on the thing’s chest. It lunged for her, bowing awkwardly in an effort to bite her. She increased the pressure and held one of her daggers against its cheek, right under its eye. It looked past her to where Joseph stood. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that his sword was drawn and ready for use, poised right above the demon’s groin.
“If you don’t move your weapon, all I’m going to feel this creature want is your sword away from its balls.”
Joseph backed off, but only a couple of inches.
Lyka pulled in a deep breath and put her hand on its pale, greasy, furred forehead.
Instantly, she felt its desire to feed, to kill, to rip flesh and bone apart and lap up blood before it could soak into the earth. The feeling was so strong and so real, her stomach growled with the need to feed on human and Sentinel flesh.
Sickened by the sensation, she pulled away and breathed through her nose so she wouldn’t vomit.
Behind the gag, the demon’s mouth widened in a smile. It knew it had upset her.
“This is a waste of time,” said Joseph. “All it wants is to kill.”
“If you don’t like it, stay out of my head while I do this.”
“Not a chance in hell, kitten. You’re not going into that pile of filth without backup.”
For some reason, that reassured her and eased her nerves. Knowing he was there was going to make this easier the second time around.
She hoped.
Lyka braced herself and laid her hand on the demon again. This time, she was ready for the horrible hunger and need for blood. She let all of that pass over her, digging deeper into what the thing really wanted.
She wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for or how to draw from it what she needed to know, so she tried forming a mental picture of Eric and showing it to him.
The instant it touched her thoughts, she felt a dark stain spread through her. Something wild and vicious took root, growing so fast, she was certain it would take over her entire world.
She didn’t know how to fight it. There was no defense against something so sick and tainted. It seeped through the cracks in her mind, twisting her as it went.
“Not my woman,” she heard Joseph growl.
A warm light suffused her, burning away the filth. She opened herself up to it, blasting away every mental barrier she’d erected. She needed Joseph inside her mind—needed his warmth and goodness to drive away the evil that had invaded.
The luceria hummed around her neck, growing hotter with every passing second. Tingling sparks of power showered down over her skin in a visual display. Everywhere the sparks touched the demon, its skin burned and blistered.