Page 76 of An Oath at Midnight

Something small dropped from one of the tree branches along the edge. I squinted, trying to see what it was—

A dark figure shot up from the ground and started running—fucking sprinting.

Demons, creatures of all shapes and sizes, burst from the forest edge, making chase.

I gripped the fence, my heart hammering harder.

The small figure was dressed in black.

Short.

Curvy.

They turned to look behind them, and a long, black ponytail whipped out.

My entire body jolted.

Magnolia.

Oh fuck.

I gripped the fence about to jump it, to get to her—

Three pairs of strong hands grabbed me, yanking me back down, stopping me from getting to her, from helping her. I fought harder.

“Let me fucking go!” I snarled, losing my shit completely.

Payne gripped me harder. “You know what this is,” he growled into my ear. “Fucking look. Look at her.”

My heart was beating so hard that black spots were dancing in front of my eyes, not hearing him, not really. “Get the fuck off me.”

My brothers held me tighter, not giving me an inch.

“Your little witch has spent the last thirty-six hours fighting her way through a forest full of monsters to get to you,” Payne said. “To show you how much you matter to her. Don’t take that from her. Let her finish this.”

I gripped the fence so tight the wire cut into my fingers. No, that’s not what this was. It couldn’t be.

“She knows what you are, Bram,” Rook said, his voice low. “And still she’s running to you. She’s not scared, she doesn’t want you to rescue her, she’s on a fucking mission,” my usually quiet brother growled out. “Fucking look at her.”

He didn’t need to say it, she was all I could see. My wings exploded from my back, every part of me wanting to jump this fence, to snatch her from danger, to protect her.

A demon charged her from the left. Mags pulled something from her pocket and tossed it hard at the fucker. It screamed, grabbing at his now melting face. Several more came from the right. Her hands moved so fucking fast, grabbing and tossing throwing knives that were strapped to her chest, taking them down one after the other. Another one came from the left. Her hand shot out, and she slammed a knife into its throat, wrenched it out, then head down, arms pumping, she kept sprinting toward me.

“Holy fuck,” Talon muttered.

She was covered in mud and so much blood, I could smell it all the way from here—demon blood and her own—and my crow shrieked, its talons clawing at my subconscious to get to her. To get to my female.

She was close now, and when her eyes came to me, locking on, my fucking knees went weak.

There was a roar and a huge fucking creature broke from the pack, barreling after her on all fours. Fuck, it was gaining on her. My wings started beating.

“Wait,” Payne growled beside me. “She got this far without you. Trust her.”

The creature pounced, and Mags flipped into a seamless tumble, rolling to her back. The fucker was taken by surprise and couldn’t stop. Mags thrust her knife into its chest as the creature ran right over her, its own forward momentum dragging her blade down its belly, gutting it as it ran over the top of her.

Without missing a beat, she rolled, jumped to her feet, and kept sprinting.

Thirty yards.