Binding Ties The Sentinel Wars - Shannon K. Butcher Page 0,112
He fell to his knees, bleeding to death fast.
Eric’s blood trickled down Treszka’s pale temple as she looked at Lyka. “You’re next.”
Chapter 43
Joseph shoved Lyka aside as he charged Treszka. No way in hell was he letting this demon get his hands on his woman.
Eric’s hot blood hit Joseph as he passed. The man had only a few seconds to live, and Joseph wanted the Slayer to know he was avenged before he died.
Before he could reach the demon, a blast of searing power hit him, slamming him back into the stone wall of the cave.
Joseph shook his head to clear it, but everything was a little slower and hazier than it had been a minute ago.
“Really?” she said. “You really think it would be that easy to kill me?”
She stepped over Eric. Lyka was at his side, frantically trying to save his life. Blood surged out from between her fingers. She was drawing power from Joseph at a steady rate, fumbling to find some way to slow Eric’s bleeding.
As much as Joseph wanted to help, he didn’t dare let his attention slip from the demon queen headed his way.
She looked him up and down with approval. “I had considered using a Theronai to father my offspring. Now that I see you, I almost wish I had. If only your kind was as hearty as the Slayers. I really didn’t think a Theronai would be strong enough to survive playing with me, but now I wonder if I was wrong.” She lifted a hand. “Perhaps next time.”
Her attack hit him with an invisible force.
Joseph’s world exploded in pain. He felt like his skin was being ripped from his body one cell at a time.
He couldn’t think, could barely see. His hearing was fine, filled with the sound of his own voice lifted in agony.
Run! he tried to tell Lyka, but nothing got through. Their connection was already full, roaring with the flow of power.
Then suddenly, the pain was gone. He slid down the wall, rocks scraping his bare back. Even that felt good by comparison.
When his eyes finally started working again, he saw Treszka lying on the floor, pinned in place by an iridescent band of energy. Lyka’s hand was raised, bloody and trembling as she held the demon down.
“She’s yours,” said Lyka to the demon wearing bits of silver duct tape and hovering tentatively nearby.
It eased from the group, moving closer to its queen.
The tracking device was still glued to its back, where Nicholas had put it.
Treszka screamed and thrashed against Lyka’s bonds.
Another rush of power flowed out of Joseph as she strengthened the magic holding the demon in place. It was already wobbling, weakening with every passing second.
That’s when Joseph felt what she was doing with his power and realized that not only was Lyka pinning Treszka, but she was also using a tiny shield to patch Eric’s artery and slow the bleeding.
She was still new to wielding magic, and multitasking was draining her fast.
Joseph didn’t have much time left to act before his window of opportunity closed.
Tracker Demon inched closer to Treszka’s feet and pushed her velvet skirt up her legs. It lowered its mouth and a long black tongue spilled out to lick its queen’s skin.
Revulsion churned in Joseph’s gut, but he didn’t let it slow him down. As long as this demon lived, Lyka would be bound by her vow to it. She’d be trapped by her word, unable to kill the demon queen that was hell-bent on taking all of them down.
Joseph pulled sparks of power from the earth surrounding him to fuel his body. His skin tingled and glowed as he attacked, slicing off the head of Tracker Demon in one single blow.
The instant it died, Lyka screamed and siphoned off a huge rush of energy. Joseph fell to his knees under the strain of providing what she needed. A couple of seconds later, he saw Treszka’s head twist hard and keep twisting until her neck broke. Her body went limp and the taint of power around her dissipated.
The rest of the demons that she had controlled paused for a second in confusion before they realized they were free.
No longer held by the will of their queen, the demons charged.
Chapter 44
Lyka was better at killing than healing, but for Eric, she was determined to learn the skill fast.
As soon as she knew Treszka was dead, she popped a shield over herself and her brother and went to work.