shaved off. The sofa dipped after it was almost sliced in two. Each time the harbinger missed, the feline would sneer or let out a chuff of disgust.
Still, Leticia redoubled her efforts. Items fell, crashed, shattered, and snapped. But the feline remained untouched.
It sniffed at her and twitched its tail, communicating how very unimpressed it was. The harbinger’s heart was pounding hard and fast now with a fear that the feline delighted in. The scent of said fear was wafting from her like the sweetest perfume, making satisfaction unfurl in the demon’s belly.
Licking her lips, she looked to Eric for the briefest moment, as if to ask him for help, but he was still engaged in a struggle with Finn. “Will you just fucking die!” Leticia flicked her hand hard, and a wave of sharp power slightly scoured the feline’s flank, shaving off fur but not cutting into flesh.
The demon bared its fangs and scratched at the floor with its paw. It sent Leticia a telepathic image of herself lying dead in a puddle of her own blood. Then it pounced.
Leticia backpedaled fast and skirted the sofa, placing it between them as if it would protect her. The feline chuffed in disdain at her cowardice.
A loud cry of sheer agony burst out of Finn. The hellcat looked to see the male clutching at a heavily bleeding chest wound. Devon pushed to the surface, worried for him; urging the demon to help—
A blazing pain sliced the feline’s ear, almost ripping it off. Redhot fury surged through its veins. It leaped on top of the sofa and roared, letting out a thin stream of fire that rippled along the rug and licked up Leticia’s pants, chewing the material.
She squealed in shock. A wave of Leticia’s hand put out the flames, but the feline could smell charred flesh, knew it had scored a hit.
Cheeks flushed with anger, eyes bright with fear, Leticia tossed a series of hellfire orbs in quick succession—one, two, three. The first two missed. The third slammed into the feline’s shoulder; it was like being bit by a boiling hot rock, and it made the demon awkwardly slide off the sofa. It landed on its feet, hissing at the burn on its shoulder.
Ignoring the pain, the demon leaped over the sofa and roared again, directing more flames at its prey. But Leticia had already scrambled backwards and put distance between them. Still, the fire licked at her bare arm.
She screamed as the searing heat scorched her, making blisters pebble her flesh. “You fucking—”
The feline dived at Leticia, knocking her flat on her back. She held the feline’s head in place with both hands, screaming as it clawed at her belly; ripping, burning, and charring her skin with its flaming paws. The smell of her blood and terror only spurred it on.
It shook its head hard, trying to break free of her grip so it could sink its teeth into her throat, but she held it firm. The feline kept on shredding her stomach with its claws, slicing it open and tearing at her insides until its paws were slick with her blood.
Her screams faded, her eyes clouded, her grip weakened … and the demon sank its hard-as-steel, razor-sharp teeth into her throat and yanked, ripping it out.
“Fuck, no!”
Something heavy careened into the demon’s flank, sending it skidding along the floor. Seeing Eric bent over Leticia, the demon righted itself and bared its blood-stained fangs at him.
Eric’s fists clenched as he turned to the feline, his eyes blazing. “You fucking killed her.”
The feline’s head whipped to the side as a psychic blow slammed into its head, almost dazing it. With a chuff, the demon gave its head a little shake, clearing its cloudy vision … and saw that every bit of glass from the floor was hovering in the air. A muscle in Eric’s cheek jumped, and then the pieces of glass rocketed toward the feline and sank into its skin.
The feline bucked with a roar of agony as pricks of pain stabbed its head, flanks, neck, legs, and paws. The shards sank deep, one even went down its ear. The larger pieces were wedged into the feline’s skin, but there was nothing the demon could do to pull them out. Blood soaked its—
A psychic blow to its spine made its legs crumple, and the feline landed on its stomach. Then Eric was straddling its back, pummeling it with fists that felt like slabs of granite, driving the pieces of glass