He was having a hard time judging time. But he could hear things from the other side. He knew Vane was mated and he'd heard the times his brother had cursed him for being selfish by not waking up.
As if he wanted to be here.
Only Aimee had continued to whisper comfort to him. Take your time, Fang. Sleep well. When nothing else could reach him, he'd felt her gentle hands on his skin.
And that kindness had kept him going and made him weak as he longed for a world he wasn't sure he'd ever reach again.
But she wasn't there tonight. He didn't feel or hear her at all. And that emptiness was far worse than the horrors that made up this netherworld.
Fang cocked his head as he heard the Reaper approach. Glancing about, he tried to find a better place to hide.
There. To his left was a cave.
He headed for it, hoping there wasn't something worse inside it, waiting to attack. But as he neared the opening, a sharp white stab hit him straight in his chest. The pain was so severe it sent him skittering to the ground where he tried to rise again.
He couldn't. The agony was paralyzing.
The Reaper honed in on him.
Fang cursed. He reached for his sword, but another stab caught him and pinned him to the ground.
Unable to bear it, he screamed out and as he did so, he felt a jolt inside. Warm and fierce, it spread through him like lava.
It was his powers.
Gasping, he threw his hand out toward the Reaper and sent a blast straight at it. The demon screeched as it was fried on the spot.
Fang let out a victorious cry as he realized what had happened.
Aimee had killed one of the Daimons and freed part of his soul. Though he still wasn't whole, he at least had something better than his own two hands to protect himself with. For that he owed her everything.
"That a girl. Baby, I could kiss you!" He held his hand up and saw the small glow of power emanating from his fingertips. He threw his hand out and blasted the tree where he'd been a few moments before.
It went up in flames.
Clenching his hand into a fist, he had one more thing he was dying to try.
Fang closed his eyes and tried to shift forms so that he could be a wolf again.
Nothing happened.
"Damn it." He was still human.
It was okay. At least he had some of his powers back and right now that was worth everything to him.
"So you have a helper. . . ."
He spun around to find Misery there. How the hell was she able to do that? It was like she had a beacon on him.
On instinct, he shot a blast at her. She rolled away from it and returned it with one of her own.
Fang twisted away before it struck him and bent down to retrieve his sword. He slashed at her feet, but she was as quick as the wind.
Her laughter rang in his ears. "Cey! We have a new victim!" She smiled brightly at Fang. "By her actions tonight, you've opened the door for us. Thank you, wolf."
Fang lunged at her. "Don't you touch her!"
Laughing, she vanished before he could make contact.