to deliberately miss a hit. He was testing his demon and with it, his control. I chewed on my thumbnail, boots beating against the carpet. It hadn’t been long. There was still time to find him, to help him.
…decided to stretch his wings…
I almost laughed. Allard had no idea what my brother was capable of. If he decided to stretch his wings, we’d know it.
The ground jerked, lifting the hotel floor with an almighty groan and dropping it just as quickly, throwing me against a chair. The walls shuddered. The door creaked and popped open on its own. I reached for the wall as a crack twitched through the plaster.
Allard…
He was drawing on the earth—his element—and fast. If he was in trouble, so were the rest of us. I dashed for the door, and a thundering roar tore through the air. The sound bored deep into my ears, threatening to crack my skull open. I yanked on my demon, poured her strength into my veins, and called on her toughened senses to armor me.
The larkwrari was free.
Chapter 6
D emons scattered . Some rushed in toward the bungalows while others fled for the safety of the hotel. I couldn’t blame those that ran. In the center of the garden, the larkwrari tore at anything that moved. Free from its cage, its serpentine body seemed to have doubled in size. Sunlight washed over its pearly scales, each the size of a shield. It swung around, thrashing its tail through the palms, tearing with its claws, crazed with rage.
Allard was nowhere in sight. But Joseph was here. Fire had gobbled up his human vessel, revealing the winged demon beneath. His wings flicked open, scattering burning embers at their multi-jointed tips. Ash and smoke poured off his muscular bulk. In full sunlight, he looked every inch the beast straight out of hell.
The larkwrari whirled. Its huge eyes widened. It pulled back, reared up on its hind legs, and drew in breath so deep its ribs expanded.
Oh, no!
I bolted forward, fast and light, pulling my element from every source I could find. There wasn’t much cold to tap into in a sunbaked ocean city, but I snagged enough and flung my element in front of Joseph. A sweeping fan of ice burst open as the larkwrari vomited up a wave of viscous liquid. The goo splashed away into the bushes.
“Get back, half blood!” Joseph snarled, his demon lips and teeth distorting the words, twisting them up into little more than grunts and growls, but I heard him clearly enough.
I looped my ice over us, even as Joseph’s heat beat at my back and eroded my strength. “It’s flammable, numbnuts. You want this whole place to go up?”
“Get outta my way!” He swept me aside as easily as swatting a fly. My ice shattered—too weak in the city’s heat—and rained over him in hissing chunks.
The larkwrari turned its massive head and now appeared to be stomping toward Ocean Avenue. Joseph’s wings flexed. He rolled his broad shoulders.
“Where’s Allard?” I called.
Either Joseph didn’t hear, or he chose to ignore me. In the next step, he spread his massive wings and launched himself skyward.
The ground trembled. Debris skittered and danced. All kinds of elements swirled, making it difficult to pick out Allard’s unique touch, but he was nearby. He had to be. Why wasn’t he fighting the larkwrari ? I stood still, melted ice water dripping from my fingers, and sent my elemental touch outward, but it was no use. Too many elements swirled. Too many demons charged up to fight or flee. I couldn’t separate whose element was whose until a soothing lick of liquid swept up my spine a moment before a blade touched my throat, and the demon yanked me back into his arms.
“Don’t make this difficult.”
Torrent! How was he alive? I tensed, but his blade dug in, and his left arm wrapped around my waist, clamping me hard against him. Warm blood trickled over my collarbone. “I killed you,” I hissed.
“You missed.”
“I never miss.”
He shifted his left arm and rode his hand down my
…decided to stretch his wings…
I almost laughed. Allard had no idea what my brother was capable of. If he decided to stretch his wings, we’d know it.
The ground jerked, lifting the hotel floor with an almighty groan and dropping it just as quickly, throwing me against a chair. The walls shuddered. The door creaked and popped open on its own. I reached for the wall as a crack twitched through the plaster.
Allard…
He was drawing on the earth—his element—and fast. If he was in trouble, so were the rest of us. I dashed for the door, and a thundering roar tore through the air. The sound bored deep into my ears, threatening to crack my skull open. I yanked on my demon, poured her strength into my veins, and called on her toughened senses to armor me.
The larkwrari was free.
Chapter 6
D emons scattered . Some rushed in toward the bungalows while others fled for the safety of the hotel. I couldn’t blame those that ran. In the center of the garden, the larkwrari tore at anything that moved. Free from its cage, its serpentine body seemed to have doubled in size. Sunlight washed over its pearly scales, each the size of a shield. It swung around, thrashing its tail through the palms, tearing with its claws, crazed with rage.
Allard was nowhere in sight. But Joseph was here. Fire had gobbled up his human vessel, revealing the winged demon beneath. His wings flicked open, scattering burning embers at their multi-jointed tips. Ash and smoke poured off his muscular bulk. In full sunlight, he looked every inch the beast straight out of hell.
The larkwrari whirled. Its huge eyes widened. It pulled back, reared up on its hind legs, and drew in breath so deep its ribs expanded.
Oh, no!
I bolted forward, fast and light, pulling my element from every source I could find. There wasn’t much cold to tap into in a sunbaked ocean city, but I snagged enough and flung my element in front of Joseph. A sweeping fan of ice burst open as the larkwrari vomited up a wave of viscous liquid. The goo splashed away into the bushes.
“Get back, half blood!” Joseph snarled, his demon lips and teeth distorting the words, twisting them up into little more than grunts and growls, but I heard him clearly enough.
I looped my ice over us, even as Joseph’s heat beat at my back and eroded my strength. “It’s flammable, numbnuts. You want this whole place to go up?”
“Get outta my way!” He swept me aside as easily as swatting a fly. My ice shattered—too weak in the city’s heat—and rained over him in hissing chunks.
The larkwrari turned its massive head and now appeared to be stomping toward Ocean Avenue. Joseph’s wings flexed. He rolled his broad shoulders.
“Where’s Allard?” I called.
Either Joseph didn’t hear, or he chose to ignore me. In the next step, he spread his massive wings and launched himself skyward.
The ground trembled. Debris skittered and danced. All kinds of elements swirled, making it difficult to pick out Allard’s unique touch, but he was nearby. He had to be. Why wasn’t he fighting the larkwrari ? I stood still, melted ice water dripping from my fingers, and sent my elemental touch outward, but it was no use. Too many elements swirled. Too many demons charged up to fight or flee. I couldn’t separate whose element was whose until a soothing lick of liquid swept up my spine a moment before a blade touched my throat, and the demon yanked me back into his arms.
“Don’t make this difficult.”
Torrent! How was he alive? I tensed, but his blade dug in, and his left arm wrapped around my waist, clamping me hard against him. Warm blood trickled over my collarbone. “I killed you,” I hissed.
“You missed.”
“I never miss.”
He shifted his left arm and rode his hand down my
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