Demon Bound Read Free Page B

obviously recognized him—but he didn’t recognize her. A hijab covered her hair and forehead; layers of loose robes concealed her tall form. Her dark eyes studied him from beneath black brows.
    When he shook his head in response, the dusky skin over her jaw whitened and she looked toward the chamber entrance.
    Jake knew almost every Guardian by sight, and most by mannerism. She’d probably shape-shifted into this form to blend with the regional population, but he didn’t have a clue who she was.
    And he wasn’t going to get the opportunity to ask. Her weapon appeared in her hand: a tall staff topped by a long, curving blade.
    Which Guardian wielded a naginata? Jake wondered as he replaced his crossbow with his sword. Even Mariko, the Guardian who’d introduced Jake to the weapon, didn’t use it except for practice—the wooden staff splintered too easily.
    But this one had obviously been modified to withstand a Guardian’s strength and frequent use: the staff was fashioned of steel. To counter its weight, the blade extended half again a naginata’s typical length.
    With a wince, Jake glanced down at his own sword. He didn’t quite measure up.
    The Guardian’s gaze followed his, and when she met his eyes again, he thought humor quirked her lips.
    Use the crossbow, she signed. They’ll flare their eyes to see.
    Demons. Jake’s grip tightened on the sword before he exchanged it with the crossbow again. Their eyes shone crimson; in the dark, they’d serve as a bright red target.
    But rarely an easy one.
    The Guardian was watching the entry again, and the low psychic thrum of her Gift pushed through his body. Her fingers moved at her side. They’ve entered the bathing chamber. Three of them.
    No telling what her Gift was, except that it had helped her locate the demons. Jake couldn’t hear or sense them—but because she’d used her Gift, they’d have sensed her.
    She turned back to him. Do the bolts in your crossbow have venom?
    Yes. The shafts and arrowheads had been coated with hellhound venom—not enough to paralyze a demon, but it’d slow one down.
    Don’t miss, she signed, and with an elegant sweep, she caught the edge of his cell phone on the point of her blade and flicked it out of his pocket.
    Taking the hint, he vanished it into his hammerspace. Darkness surrounded them. Her hand clasped his, and he felt the brush of her wings before she tugged him into the air.
    Okay. Apparently, her Gift was the ability to see in the dark. Jake dangled beneath her, aware that they were flying upward, expecting to smash into the ceiling at any second.
    But she slowed, hovered, and maneuvered forward until stone was at his back, his side, and formed a shelf behind his knees. She lowered him onto the ledge, pressed her hand against his chest in an unmistakable Stay put .
    He heard the air rip through her wings as she dove away. A moment later, light flashed from the antechamber. A grating screech accompanied it, like iron fingernails scraping a rough chalkboard.
    What the flippin’ hell was she doing? Jake tried to stand, whacked his head on the ceiling, and bit back his curse. But he didn’t need to be silent to hear her. She wasn’t flying anymore, but running. Her footsteps would make it stupidly easy for the demons to pinpoint her movements. Crazy.
    And she’d stuck him up here in the corner, useless and—
    On the opposite side of the cavern, a shower of sparks fell. For an instant Jake saw her, the blade of her naginata slashing across the granite wall.
    Not so crazy, after all. Jake settled back down. The demons might not know there were two Guardians. Even if they did, she was forcing them to focus in her direction and making enough noise to cover Jake’s heartbeat. He’d be able to get at least two shots before they located him.
    In the antechamber, a female demon spoke. Another female answered her, then a male. Scarlet light gleamed across the floor before it was extinguished.
    The female demon sang