One moment he had been the epitome of a warrior—calm, in control, calculating every move he could make before he made it, and a match for her in ways she didn’t want to examine too closely.
The next, he had been something straight out of a nightmare.
She hadn’t expected to land the blow on him. Part of her had believed he would block it, and when she had plunged the dagger into his chest, she had been as shocked as him.
And then he had transformed before her eyes.
Starting with his irises.
Onyx had devoured the violet, leaving only a tiny flare of it around his pupils, and his fangs had punched long from his gums, white daggers he had tried to sink into her more than once as he had fought her. Clawed her. A savage, wild, and terrifying beast.
She had been so confused as she had tried to defend herself, as she had tried to reach him, some foolish part of her believing that she could talk reason into him and save herself.
Or at least coax him back from whatever darkness had taken command of him.
Mackenzie pushed herself up, a muffled grunt falling from between her gritted teeth as pain blazed across her arm and chest. She sank back onto her ass and breathed through the agony that seared her, waiting for it to fade to a more manageable level. She had heard rumours about elves, that some of them had a darker side that could put even the demons of the Devil’s realm to shame.
She had always wanted to laugh at anyone who said such things and point them in the direction of her friend and fellow assassin, Jasynder. Syn was darkness incarnate, as unpredictable as the weather in the mortal realm. She changed in the blink of an eye, going from quirky and upbeat with a dash of crazy, to rip-your-balls-off and wear them while I decimate an entire legion of enemies mad.
Hartt had clearly taken a page out of Syn’s book.
There was the assassin who was calculating and controlled, who had actually tried to convince her to let him pay her off, and had looked as if he didn’t want to hurt her.
And then there was the monster who had been wild and powerful, dangerous and deadly, and unrelenting in his pursuit of butchering her alive.
Mackenzie fumbled in the right pocket of her burgundy leathers with her left hand, stifling a cry as her chest ached, white-hot fire blazing across it again. She sagged and breathed hard as she managed to wrangle her phone free. She had purchased it in the fae town in Scotland a few weeks ago and had brought one for Jasynder too, blowing most of their monthly budget.
Syn had scolded her, bringing up the very valid point that she’d had no proof the phones could work in Hell.
Thankfully, they did.
She dialled the only number stored in the smartphone and brought it to her ear. It seemed to ring forever before her friend finally answered.
“What shit are you in now?” Syn’s bright voice came down the line.
A small smile teased Mackenzie’s lips, warmth spreading through her upon hearing her friend’s voice, chasing away the lingering traces of fear. “Kitty has claws and bared them at me. Bring me a med kit? I’m just outside the town with the vampire infestation.”
Syn huffed, and Mackenzie could practically see her rolling her eyes. “Told you they were mean. It runs in the blood, sweetie. All men are bastards.”
A motto that Syn lived by.
“Just bring the kit and leave the scolding.” Mackenzie stretched her senses around her, making sure she was still alone.
She could teleport if forced to, but she didn’t want to risk it. It would deplete her, stealing the last of her strength.
“Already here.” Syn’s voice sounded behind her, and Mackenzie grimaced as she tried to turn to look at her friend. The demoness’s amber eyes widened, her red lips parting as she took her in. “Looks like kitty used you as a scratching post.”
Syn crouched in front of her and set the small black box down, opened it and ran her fingers over several of the colourful vials nestled among dark grey foam. She paused on a blue one and raised her luminous eyes back to Mackenzie’s face.
The demoness canted her head and lifted her hand from the vial to brush her fingertips across Mackenzie’s lips.
“Please tell me he punched your lipstick off.”
Mackenzie swallowed hard. Damn it. She should have