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“The power,” is what I thought he yelled. “You have the power.”

I scowled at him. This was not the time for him to quote some cheesy movie or pop song.

I jolted as a snake slithered across my boot, tangling itself against my leg as I struggled to get up. A sharp stab in my calf told me it had sunk its fangs into my flesh. Pissed off, I grasped the scaly body and hurled it away.

“Yes, because that’s what I need right now, a snake bite,” I grumbled, my chin radiating white-hot agony from the movement.

A broken face, an extremely battered body, and a hopefully not-poisonous snake bite was how I was going to face off with a motherfucking demon prince and his two hellhounds.

Yeah, I was going to die.

Even though I should’ve been focusing on the approaching demon and my doom, my eyes scurried to the side, at the invisible wall of air. Colton, thankfully, had not turned into a werewolf or lost his grip on reality quite yet.

Though he was pounding on the invisible wall, his eyes still glowing that otherworldly blue and his form having grown at least a foot. He was angry, furious, and obviously desperate to come to my aid, even if his worldview was currently being ripped in two.

Dante, on the other hand, was still kneeling in the dirt, as close as he could get to me with the impossible wall between us. His hands were clenched at his sides, eyes intent on me. He wasn’t trying to get to me. Not trying to save me. Yes, maybe because he understood there was some weird shit going on with the demon and the salt circle and maybe because he knew I was beyond saving.

But no. It wasn’t that. He was looking at me like he … believed in me. To save myself.

Now was not the time for him to get all progressive.

“You have the power,” he repeated again, softer this time, reaching his hand up as if he were going to try to stroke my face.

My own fingers twitched, as if they wanted to reach for him, grasp his jacket and inhale his scent one last time. Say goodbye.

But all I could smell was brimstone, rotting earth, and my own blood. And goodbyes were for people giving up. I was not giving up.

With intense effort, I pushed up from the dirt, favoring the leg that wasn’t scorching from the snake bite.

I shook my head, despite the pain that came with the motion. Then I turned my attention back to where it rightfully should go. To the demon prince.

“You need to come with me.” It extended a large, clawed hand in my direction.

“Oh, no thanks.” My words were garbled as I struggled to converse with what was obviously a break in my cheekbone. My eyes slid up and down its body. “I was taught not to go anywhere with strangers.”

The panes on the demon’s face remained as horrible as it had before, no emotions beyond the generally monstrous features. But I felt a wave of oppressive heat that felt like it burned a top layer of my skin off.

“You act as if you have a choice,” it murmured. “You called my name. You cannot escape me. And you are my trophy. With you, we will win this war.”

My vision started to blur as my calf burned and throbbed, telling me it was my unlucky day, and that fucking snake had been venomous.

Which probably made sense since the demon was making no fucking sense.

“Again, I’ll pass.” I squared off with the asshole, going for the knife in my jacket. One of the only weapons I had left.

The demon prince’s mouth stretched into a horrific smile. “Very well.”

Then he uttered a word so foreign, ancient, wicked, it made my ears howl in agony, a dull pop on the inside of my head telling me an eardrum might’ve ruptured.

The hounds at his side took it as a cue to attack. Clutching my left ear with one hand, my knife in the other, my equilibrium was compromised as I wobbled. Either from the snake bite, myriad of bodily injuries, or my ruptured eardrum, I couldn’t tell. It didn’t matter much. I tensed then ducked as they launched, stabbing upward. A loud yelp and a rush of cold, tarry blood covering my hand told me that I had gotten at least one.

I rolled quickly to escape the teeth of the second, feeling the icy breath of the creature dust my ruined cheek. It came after me quickly, growling, drooling.

For a moment, my vision went white, my body screaming in torment as it dove on me, feet pressing into my chest. The oppressive weight of the creature made my bones feel like they’d crumble. My skin sizzled where drool dropped onto it, agony making my gaze cloud as it penetrated my very soul.

I don’t know how I summoned the strength, but I barreled my legs upward into its belly, trying to kick as hard as I could with my boots, desperate to create some distance between me and the snapping jaws.

It didn’t do much, but my head was still attached to my body, even if it was now covered in hellhound drool. Skin melted off, creating worrying, oozing blisters.