After it landed, she saw its face clearly for the first time. Strangely, it reminded her of a wooden mask. Weathered with deep lines all over its features, the eyes were nothing more than slits, and it didn't appear to have eyelids. For that matter, it didn't seem to blink.
In one word, they were ugly.
As if it sensed what she thought about it, it turned to face her and let out a piercing shriek. Apparently in freak-speak, that was some kind of rallying call because the moment it started, the others stopped to glare at her and Jess.
It was never a good thing to be the center of unwanted attention, and right now she felt like Carrie at the prom. Or more to the point, the only steak in a dog kennel.
Her heart pounded as fear tackled her to the ground and held her there.
Moving with an eerie fluid grace and a speed that shouldn't be possible, they ran in her direction. Jess went to fight them, but they actually ran past him and kept going full speed.
At her.
Abigail's eyes widened as she realized they didn't care about the men. She was the target.
The only target.
C-r-a-p.
She braced herself for the fight. What am I doing? There were more than a dozen of them, and there was only one her. One. While it was noble to be brave, it was stupid to be suicidal. Fighting a dozen ... when she didn't have a weapon and didn't know how to kill them flew right past the realm of noble and landed solidly in the kingdom of stupid.
To quote her favorite play of all time ... Run away! She turned and headed for the desert as fast as she could.
Jess went cold as the tsi-nooks ran for Abigail. His vision darkened at the same time fear for her rushed through him. For one second, he was mortal again, and then the sensation was gone.
"Oh no you don't." His powers surged in a way they hadn't in decades. Suddenly, he felt stronger than he ever had before. Something deep inside him snapped, and out came what he could only describe as an inner warrior. One who knew the taste and feel of the tsi-nooks' blood on its hands.
No one would harm Abigail.
He went after them. And as he neared her, he realized her eyes were turning red. The demon was taking possession of her again.
It could be a good thing.
Or a really bad one.
Since the tsi-nooks, much like a traditional Daimon, preyed primarily on human souls, they might not want any part of a gallu demon. Or if they were like the new generation of Daimons, eating her soul might charge their powers and make them stronger.
Either way, he wasn't going to chance it. Not tonight.
Jess reached deep inside and tapped the only other power he did his best not to use. One so strong and painful that later it would make him wish he were dead.
But first, it would save their lives.
Closing his eyes, he conjured a gun-and not just any gun. The one that had made him infamous. An 1887 lever-action Winchester with a five-round tubular magazine. Not that it would need that tonight. His powers would make sure he didn't run out of rounds.
The smell of blood permeated his nostrils. His nose always bled whenever he accessed this power, which was why he almost never used it. That and the vicious headache he'd have later from it. So much for Dark-Hunters not getting those.
But if it kept her safe, it was worth it.
Abigail froze as she caught sight of Jess approaching her with long, determined strides. The desert wind whipped at his long black duster, stirring it back from his muscled body. The grim lethal glare on his chiseled features promised the tsi-nooks hell wrath and then some. This wasn't the tender man who'd made love to her while cramped in a tiny car. Nor was it the goofball who joked with and teased her.
This was the fierce, cold-blooded killer who'd left legions of dead and a legend so terrifying that one marshal had surrendered his badge rather than take Jess's horse into custody.
True story.
And Jess had been only seventeen at the time.
No wonder his partner had shot him in the back. She doubted anyone with a brain would ever assault this version of Jess Brady while he was facing them. Even she had a chill running down her spine as the hairs along her arms and neck raised. While she was pretty sure he wouldn't hurt her, she really didn't want to find out for sure.