Deals With Demons by Victoria Davies Page B

saw the way his thoughts turned.
    If Saleel killed her quickly it would eliminate the need to fight. Surely Devlin wouldn’t continue if she was dead. There would be no point and demons were nothing if not calculating. They did only what was to their best advantage. Saleel was banking on her death ending the battle. He could kill her and escape. There was no downside in his mind. Well, except for one.
    Talia flinched as she read how Saleel wanted to prolong her death. The deranged demon wanted to truly enjoy it. Without Devlin, he would have made her scream for hours. But Saleel was a pragmatic demon. Pleasure was all well and good, but when the price was his personal safety, he was willing to forego his more sadistic desires.
    He took a step towards her even as Talia raised her gun.
    She pulled the trigger without hesitation. Demons moved too fast to chance having second thoughts. It was him or her, and she had zero qualms about killing when her life depended on it.
    The first shot caught him in the heart but, with his changed demon form, she doubted the wound was more than a scratch. Demon skin was like armour when they converted fully.
    Automatically, she adjusted her aim. The second bullet took him in the throat.
    Saleel faltered but didn’t stop.
    Talia aimed for his forehead and fired. Again and again she pulled the trigger until she heard nothing but the useless clicks of an empty clip.
    Her attack hadn’t killed Saleel but to her surprise it had slowed him down. Dropping the gun, she drew both of the daggers sheathed on her wrists. If this was her end she’d go down fighting.
    However, before Saleel reached her, Devlin rose from the darkness like an avenging angel.
    Her bullets had slowed Saleel enough for the other demon to catch up. Devlin raced for Saleel and thrust his clawed hand into Saleel’s back in a brutal assault.
    Saleel froze, staring at her with surprise.
    Talia was equally stunned, rising from her fighting stance. She watched a slow dribble of blood trail from Saleel’s lips, staining his perfect, pale skin.
    Before her, the demon of her nightmares choked on his own blood. Part of her was horrified by what she saw. Bullets hadn’t pierced his flesh, yet Devlin was strong enough to drive his hand through the armour-hard skin? She shivered. Devlin had powers she hadn’t even guessed at.
    “Do you know what I’m holding?” Devlin voice split the stillness. The sound that emerged from his lips was rough and guttural, far from his own voice.
    “Yes,” Saleel choked out the word.
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    “Good.”
    Devlin jerked his hand out of Saleel and the demon dropped to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. In Devlin’s bloody hand, Talia saw Saleel’s still heart.
    Devlin squeezed the organ until it exploded in his hand, his face expressionless. He shook the mess to the ground and stepped back from his kill.
    Slowly, he raised his gaze to Talia’s.
    She looked at him without any mask, unable to hide her feelings. In truth, she didn’t know what she felt. For a long moment she could only stare at him until her gaze dropped to Saleel’s lifeless body.
    Devlin had frightened her with his strength and brutality, it was true. But more importantly, he had killed her monster. He’d fought a deadly battle for her and won. Devlin might be terrifying but nothing changed the fact that he was still her hero.
    She took a stumbling step forwards, then another, until she stood before him. Before he could speak, she carefully wrapped her arms around him.
    Devlin stood frozen in her embrace, as if he were unsure whether his touch would be welcome.
    Stepping back from his stiff body, Talia looked up to meet his eyes. She showed him without words that nothing he did would ever turn her away. Especially not when his actions saved her life and endangered his own.
    Devlin smiled slightly, his demon-black eyes bleeding back to his natural green. He looked past her and snapped his fingers. Blue