Page 16 of Devoted

Damn it. Where were they?

“But yeah, Dante is the only one who can kill this thing.”

I retreated one slow step back the way we came, Luca mirroring my movements. “And who the fuck stole our boat? I doubt these creepy things know how to drive. Come on. Slow and easy. We get through that door then we close it behind us.”

“Gods, stop talking. I’m going,” Luca ground out, the toe of his boot scraping across the floor. “Don’t rush me.”

“You know how I get when I’m nervous, Luca. If I don’t talk, I might do something stupid, like stab it, and last time, I got the shit burned out of me by one of these things, so don’t tell me what to do.”

“Remind me to partner up with your husband next time,” my brother whisper-shouted. “At least he doesn’t complain nonstop. He just grunts out a word here and there.”

The thing tipped its head to the side as we fell back another step, then two more Ashbound emerged from the doorways to our right, flanking us. In fact, all those doors were wide open, and from the openings scampered a steady stream of rats, running for their lives.

Oh gods, Em, this is so not good. The sour scent of my brother’s fear filled the air, the three creatures honing in on him like wolves scenting prey.

Yeah, no shit. Any ideas?

Try not to die. Luca palmed his gun. That’s number one on my agenda right now.

“I’ve got two full clips,” Luca said in a monotone. “I empty one into the closest creature and your fire-breathing husband will come running, right?”

“So will everyone else in the palazzo, including Blackwood’s goons and a bunch more of these things,” I reminded him, squeezing my eyes closed. I couldn’t believe what I was about to suggest, bile rising in my throat. “What if they can’t go in the water? If we jump off the dock, would they follow?”

“You can’t swim, Em.” Luca ground his teeth together, flipping the safety off his weapon. “So, stop talking crazy and come up with something useful.”

“Gods, I’d rather face the water than these things.”

Actually, I’d rather face neither, but right now, the water gave me a better chance of survival. Besides, Luca could swim.

He’d keep me afloat.

We were still twenty feet from the door. As fast as these things moved, we’d never cross that distance before them. But it was either we go back the way we came…

Or into the water.

I shuddered and took another slow step, my boot scraping over the stone.

“Why do I get the feeling they’re toying with us?” Luca kept his weapon leveled at the closest Ashbound as we edged backward, the creatures mirroring our every move. Then Luca stopped.

Uhm, Ember, we have a problem.

Yeah, no shit.

No, like we really have a problem. Luca jerked his head behind me. As if our odds weren’t bad enough, two of Blackwood’s private guards materialized right behind us, their black uniforms unmarked except for silver stars on their collars and gloves, like gauntlets, made from black leather. They smiled, full of darkness and malice, and my palms began to sweat.

The Ashbound were to our left, water to our right, the guards blocking our way through that door, but I knew which poison I’d pick.

The guards were flesh and blood.

They could be killed.

One of the guards lifted his gloved hands, turning his palms toward the ceiling.

Fine. We’d fight our way out, then. I drew my right arm back, blade held loosely between my fingers, aiming for the asshole’s throat.

My entire world tilted, Luca slamming me down onto the dock as a plume of reeking darkness streaked above our heads and collided with the stone wall behind us, the entire palazzo groaning from the impact.

Dark, curling shadows evaporated overhead, like a contrail from a plane, and a chill trickled down my spine.