Her fingers clenched and unclenched, her body flexing and tightening in a way it never had before, as if it were preparing for something. Pure rage built inside her gut and she let it. She let it fuel her for something she didn’t understand but felt so incredibly right.
The demon charged her, knife in hand, but instead of his blade slicing into flesh, she spun and kicked him in the jaw like some dormant muscle memory had fired to life.
He came at her again, snarling and cursing, and Scarlet didn’t think, instead she allowed her body to take over and jabbed the heel of her palm into his windpipe. The startled demon grabbed his throat, and with a growl she’d never unleashed before, she sunk her nails into his shoulders, brought up her knee, slamming him hard in the nuts, then jerked her head forward, smashing her forehead straight into his nose, crushing it.
The demon crumpled to the floor, and without thought of what she was doing, or how she knew to do it, she scooped up the knife he’d dropped, wrenched back his scaly head, and sliced its throat. And she kept on slicing until the demon’s head fell from his shoulders.
Panting, she watched as the demon turned to ash before her eyes, disintegrating into nothing. Shaking, she stumbled back a step, unable to comprehend what she’d done. How she’d done it.
Who the hell am I?
It was always there in the back of her mind, ever since she woke here—who she was, where she’d come from. Where the multitude of scars on her skin had come from, or what she’d done to have such a strong body, muscled and limber.
She was a fighter. She could fight.
A large ring of keys lay among the demon’s ashy remains and she snatched them up and moved to the chain locked around Tobias. She was getting him out of this cell. Now.
He lay there, pale blue eyes open, watching her.
“You’re awake.” She glanced back at what was left of the demon. “I-I didn’t have a choice. But you’ll be okay, now. I’ll make sure of it.”
He opened his mouth, and nothing but a gurgled rasp came out. Scarlet tried key after key, desperately searching for the right one, terrified another demon would come. Finally, when she slid the next one into the large, rusted padlock and turned, the chains fell away.
Tobias tried to stand, struggling with the effort.
“Wait.” Scarlet tore a thick strip of fabric from the bottom of her tunic and wrapped it around his stomach, knotting it to try and staunch the blood coming from the gaping wound.
Then quickly shoving her bowl and rag in the large pocket of her cloak, she helped him get to his feet. She was a lot smaller than him, but she was strong.
He opened his mouth again, but still he couldn’t speak. Going by the way he shook his head, she guessed he was telling her to leave him, to save herself.
“Not happening, big guy,” she said and pulled his arm around her shoulders. Wrapping hers around his waist, she took most of his weight and, gritting her teeth, helped him limp to the door.
He squeezed her shoulder and made another gurgling sound, trying to stop her again.
“I know a place, somewhere you can hide until you’re stronger. They won’t find you.” What the hell was she doing? They were in Hell, what happened afterward? It wasn’t like they could just leave. Would he be forced to hide for the rest of eternity?
She glanced up at the male beside her, and those blue eyes she dreamed about at night and was desperate to see every morning when she woke, were locked on her. It didn’t matter what happened to her, she couldn’t see him like this again, she would risk everything to keep him safe.
The feeling was so strong, it was as if some fundamental part of her that she never knew existed had broken free.
“Let’s go,” she said, and after peeking out and making sure the way was clear, she led him out of the cell. “Hold on to me, and don’t let go.”
“Never,” he said in a barely audible rasp, finally finding his voice. “Never again.”
Again.
Chapter 20
Gunner glanced down at Luna. Her eyes were closed as they flew over the city, reaching out for Azel. He tightened his arms around her. That monster wasn’t getting close enough to hurt her ever again.