Page 103 of Endless Terrors
My eyes flew open.
Space, I needed space.
I spun around and pushed Lucifer away, shaking my head. I could feel everyone around us watching, listening to every word, but I didn’t care. “I need a minute,” I said hurriedly, then added, “by myself.”
Lucifer must’ve seen something in my expression, because he didn’t argue. “Very well. But I’m sending two guards with you. On that, I’m afraid, I can’t bend.”
I was so desperate to get out of that room that I didn’t argue, either. “Fine.”
Overhearing this, another courtier was already moving to get Lucifer’s attention. I knew if I didn’t bother coming back, he wouldn’t be hurting for new date options. I heard her speaking to him in Enochian as I made my way out of the chaos. A staff member walked by with a tray of drinks. I snatched one of them, nodding my thanks, and headed for the closest doorway. Dagan and another guard followed me out. Others noted my departure, I saw as I left. Samael. The duchess. One of the servers, who drew my gaze because of her silver eyes—they reminded me of Laurie.
I couldn’t trust any of them, I thought as I walked toward the elevator. Hoping I’d get any worthwhile information from tonight had been a fool’s errand. Anyone in that room could be a spy, or have their own agenda, or just be bored out of their fucking mind and lie to me for the hell of it.
“Shit,” I muttered, halting as something else occurred to me. Where could I even go? There were probably people in the library, and I did not feel like listening to whatever they might be doing amongst the shadowed bookshelves. The guest suite was always an option, but that window wasn’t soundproof. The noise from the party would fill every corner of the room.
We were all standing in the elevator, which wasn’t moving, since no one had given it a destination. Silently, Dagan stepped forward and made a selection on the screen. It was the symbol for the roof. I’d just assumed people were up there, as well. The thought of fresh air and a place without any courtiers made my chest feel looser. Relief. “Thank you,” I said quietly.
Dagan still didn’t speak, and neither did the other guard. They must’ve been feeling tense, too. The elevator shot upward, and my leg jiggled beneath the dress Lucifer had given me. The second the doors opened, I lifted my long skirt and ascended the stairs. Once I reached the top, I walked across the roof without looking back, heading for that stone circle with all the gargoyles. Weirdly enough, I found them comforting.
But I’d only gotten halfway there when I heard the scuff of a footstep. Dagan never made a sound when he walked, so I stopped and turned, expecting to see a guest from the party. My gut was tight with dread. When I saw it was Lucifer’s guard, I let out a breath. My eyebrows drew together. I started to speak, and then … Dagan smiled.
It was one of the creepiest things I’d ever seen. His chin was dipped, his eyes rolled up to meet mine. I had witnessed Dagan’s smile before, and it hadn’t looked like that.
“Who are you?” I breathed. I was still holding my skirt, and when I felt a burst of pain, I registered that I’d clenched my fist so tight my nails had gone right through the gossamer material.
Dagan’s features began to bubble and shift. Seeing this, my mouth went dry. The movements reminded me of Finn when he transitioned from his humanoid shape to the wolf, or even Sorcha, on the few occasions I’d seen the faerie change her face.
I started to back away, only to discover the second guard behind me. She bared her teeth, and then her features started transforming, too. My breathing came faster as I swung back around to face the other demon. Because that’s what they were, I’d realized sometime in the last three seconds. If they’d come here to kill me, though, why hadn’t either of them drawn their sword?
“Who sent you?” I asked. I sounded much calmer than I felt.
The demon was still in the midst of its shift. Clothing and weapons lay scattered on the ground, along with pieces of torn flesh. The squelching sounds from behind told me the female demon was doing the same. But there was no time to take advantage of their distraction.
Within seconds, I found myself staring at their true form.
The demon drew to its full height of seven or eight feet and stared back at me with round, black eyes. Its skin was milky white and gleamed in the firelight, almost as if it were … wet. It had two long slits where a nose should be, and rows of teeth that looked like a shark’s. It was completely naked, and its arms dangled in front of it. Instead of five fingers, there were three long talons. This thing didn’t need a sword to slice through me, because those claws would do it without any difficulty.
Before I could react, the monster tilted its head back and let out a bone-chilling sound, something that made me think of a primal, scale-covered beast. A creature that had adapted in the dark.
Survive. Assess. The inner command—my training kicking in—steadied me. I swallowed the terror clawing up my throat and shifted into a fighting stance. My skirt instantly hindered the motion. Fucking dress.
At the same moment I took stock of the swords on the ground, evaluating whether I could reach one in time, another sound came from the left. My head jerked.
Eyes stared back at me. Dozens of glowing eyes that belonged to creatures hiding in the pockets of darkness. Some shone with malice, and others with blatant hunger. Not friendly, then, I decided faintly. The reality of my situation was hitting me.
With one demon in front, one demon guarding the elevator behind, and all those others off to the left, the only direction to retreat was toward the edge of the roof.
I was surrounded.
CHAPTER TWENTY
As a rising chorus of snarls, clicks, and chitters filled the air, I made a decision. If this was how I died, I wouldn’t go quietly. And I would take as many of these ugly bastards with me as possible.
I didn’t have my powers, but I wasn’t powerless. I went back into a fighting stance.
When the closest demon reached for me, I moved my body to the right. I kept my left foot planted, leg out like a tripwire. The demon fell forward and I slammed my elbow back into its gut. The instant it bowled over, I snapped my fist up into its face. There was a crunch and blood sprayed. Child’s play. I was already facing the next demon, a species with a snot-drenched snout and a crouched, humanoid body covered in coarse hair. It squealed in pain as I drove my heel into its ballsack.
The others were swarming all around me now. Too many of them. I kept fighting, making my way over to the swords. A claw caught me on the jaw, and one of the creatures bit my shoulder. I shouted in pain, then jabbed the sword I’d finally retrieved and cut into the side of the demon’s skull. Blood sprayed my face as I whirled, free again, and raised my head to face the next—
