Ruined

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jax

There was a crash at the other end of the hall. But even with the demon’s improved vision, I couldn’t see what it was right away. I took two steps forward, and that’s when I heard it. A dull roar, followed by a chorus of footsteps pounding against the concrete. A few seconds later, Sam and Heckle came barreling out of the darkness.

“Go! Up the stairs. Fast,” Heckle huffed as they dashed toward me. Behind them, the roar grew louder and the sound of two racing footsteps became many, many more.

I took Sam’s hands and propelled her up the steps, Heckle on our heels. “What the fuck did you do?” I growled as we crashed into the cellar at the top of the stairs. “Rip you to shreds. Make you wish for death. Any of this ringing a goddamn bell?”

“It was her fault,” Heckle yelled. “She let go of my hand. The moment she did, they all smelled her.”

“No blame,” Sam huffed, breathing fast. “Spank me later.” She must have realized what she said, because out of the corner of my eye, I saw her cheeks redden. “I—”

“No, it’s fine. I’m more than happy to spank you later.”

And that was it. All the air we could expend. Now was all about running. A single glance over my shoulder revealed that the large group that had chased Sam and Heckle from the basement had splintered into several smaller ones. Heckle glanced back, but he wasn’t quite as graceful as me. He tripped, going down hard in the mud. It was horrible leaving him behind, and I’d regret it later—maybe—but I held tight to Sam’s hand and kept going. The crowd wasn’t after him. It was after her. He’d be fine.

Angry yelling grew closer and something crashed into me from behind. I went down hard, just enough air to yell to Sam, “Keep going! Don’t st—” Something hit my jaw, and stars exploded in my eyes.

I managed to dodge the next blow, rolling over to see a blond demon’s feral expression. It swung again, this time catching me in the gut. Azirak stirred and fury spread like fire. With renewed strength, I bucked the demon off and jumped up.

I was about to throw myself forward, but another demon came charging up, knocking my opponent down with a brutal blow. A quick twist, and the other demon’s neck lolled at an unnatural angle as its body hit the ground. Climbing to my feet, my unlikely savior flashed a disturbing smile. “Hurry, my lord.”

It reached for me but I jerked away. “Your lord? What the—”

“You need to—”

Another demon came up behind him and, in a move I’d never forget, twisted and pulled, removing my ally’s head clean off its body. Fuck! I started running. Azirak didn’t fight it, either. It seemed as eager to get away as I was, and that scared the shit out of me. It didn’t run from fights. It ran toward them.

It flashed an image of the decapitated demon, and then another of Sam. Sam. It wanted to find Sam.

The crowd had thinned, fights breaking out among the ones that had been chasing us. It seemed the crowd had split into two distinct sides. Ones who wanted us, and ones who, oddly, wanted to help. Ahead, a small circle gathered around something. As I got closer, my heart sped up. It was Sam. Heckle was in the middle trying to hold them back.

“Sam!” I yelled, bolting forward. I expected the demons to turn on me, hoping it would give her the chance to make a run for it, but instead the crowd split, clearing a path. Carefully, I moved forward as the crowed—a group of ten—whispered and stared. Several even stepped back.

A second later, they all fell to their knees.

“Azirak,” one of the male demons said. He was the only one to then rise and come forward. “It is not safe for you here. Zenak’s army is close.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” To Sam, I said, “Are you okay?”

She nodded and made a move to come closer, but the crowd was on its feet and closing in a heartbeat. Heckle threw up his hands. “It’s okay. The human means him no harm. She, um, belongs to him.”

Sam started to protest, but I shushed her. “What the hell is going on here, Heckle?”

The same demon that stepped forward first held his ground, eyes on Sam. “She is not his. She stinks of Zenak.”

“Whoa.” I whirled on Heckle. “Zenak? Is that the name of the demon that attacked her?”

“She has been tasted by one of his clan,” a demon wearing a young woman’s face said. She bowed her head and flashed a tentative smile. “My lord.”

“Your what, now?” Sam squealed. At the sound of her voice, the crowd tensed.

“Be calm,” Heckle warned her. “No sudden movements.”

“Who is Zenak? And you’re the second one to spit that lord shit at me. What the hell is going on?”

“Zenak is the leader of our opposing faction,” the female demon supplied. “He has, apparently, turned your human against you.”

“No, he hasn’t.” Sam shouted. “And just so we’re all clear, I’m not his human.”

The female demon looked confused. “Not his? Isn’t that your attachment to each other? To mate? I mean, humans are amusing, but that’s all. Sustenance and toys, really.”

“A toy?” Sam let out a strangled cry, and I was sure she’d launch herself at the female demon, but Heckle grabbed her arm and slowly shook his head.

The female demon glared at Sam. “Please, my lord. If you would step away from the human, we would all feel more at ease.”

My patience was wearing thin and I wanted answers, so to humor them, I stepped to the outside of the circle. Azirak rumbled, but I stuffed it down. “Someone better start talking.”

The male demon bowed his head. “Do you not smell the link on her?”

The female smacked the male in the back of the head. “Fool. It’s obvious that Azirak’s mind is clouded. He doesn’t remember who he is and what he must do. Do you really think he’ll be able to smell a link?” The female bowed her head and sighed. “I’m sorry, my lord. There are rules we are bound to. I can say no more.”

“Say no more?” I roared. Azirak raged, flashing pictures too fast for me to really understand. There was blood, and an uneven, rocky terrain. One I recognized from earlier flashes the demon had shown. Thousands of bodies strewn across a blood-soaked field. Fire burned on scattered patches on barren land, the smoke drifting toward a pale gray sky. When it ended, I felt like someone had punched me in the gut.

“Are you well, my lord?”

“If you call me that one more time without telling me what the fuck it means, I’m going to rip your goddamned heart out,” I spat.

The demon cringed, nodding enthusiastically. “Yes, my—Azirak.”

“We want nothing more than to tell you of the glorious past, and of the future we plan to forge, but it is physically impossible. The words will not spill from these pathetic human lips.”

I took a deep breath in an attempt to stay calm. “Okay. So what can you tell me? Anything useful?” I turned to Sam. “Anything about the demon that fed from her? Or how about this link you’re talking about?”

“We do not know the name of the demon that has fed from the human, only that he is one of Zenak’s—your enemy. There is one among us who might be able—”

“Havat,” Heckle interjected. “That’s why we’re here. He’s offered an exchange.”

The male demon nodded. “As expected. When some demons feed, they have the ability to create a link between themselves and their prey. Think of it as a symbiotic relationship that’s beneficial to the demon.”

This sounded bad. “Beneficial how?”

“The linked human is like a limited extension of the demon. It’s the part that takes all the bad so the demon doesn’t have to. If the demon is injured, the linked gets the wound.”

“What about the human?” Sam asked. The crowd turned, surprised. It was almost like they’d forgotten she was there. “What if I got hurt?”

The male demon kept its eyes on me. “It might feel pain, but it’s not going to do the demon any real damage. However, if the demon dies, the feed dies.”

“And the reverse?” Sam asked. “If I die?”

“If the reverse were true, and your death would kill our enemy, you would be dead already,” the female replied with a steely grin.

The idea of Sam taking physical damage because this demon, whoever the hell it was, had fed on her made me sick. We had to find a way to break this link.

“You said something about using Sam against me.” I had to keep my head in the game. “How do you mean?”

“If the demon is strong enough, it can actually control the feed. Make it do what it wants. Hurt itself—or someone else.” The male demon gave me a pointed glare. “If you have an attachment to this particular human, then it is no wonder Zenak sent one of his stronger soldiers to feed from her. I could easily have her attempt to assassinate you while you are using her.”

“Whoa,” Sam sputtered. Her face turned bright red. “Using me? No one uses—”

I cleared my throat while Sam glared at me from inside the circle. I’d definitely hear about this later. “If that was this Zenak’s plan, wouldn’t it have gone down already?” It was horrible, but the look on Sam’s face was priceless. I couldn’t help pushing it. Besides, it’d be worth whatever punishment I got. “My human toy was attacked a month ago.”

“There are many possibilities,” the male demon said. “Perhaps the link is weaker than anticipated. Possibly the soldier didn’t get enough to finish it. Or, maybe Zenak is biding its time.”

The female nodded. “Either way, Azirak is in danger. With even the weakest links, if the human is compromised in any way—substance abusers make great feeds—the demon can control them. This means any rested or altered state.”

“Great,” Sam mumbled. “So as long as I don’t do shots or fall asleep, I’m no danger to him?”

“Why, though?” I asked, ignoring her. “If it targeted Sam specifically to get to me, there must be a reason.”

The demon hadn’t followed Sam back to Harlow to kill her. I was the target all along. It linked to her to get to me.

“You are Zenak’s sworn enemy. It wants you dead, of course,” the male demon supplied. “And if that should happen, then we all lose.” He took a step toward me, and for the first time, flashed a truly threatening smile. “Your fondness for this human is a liability now that she is tied to your enemy, but out of respect, we will give you a chance to find the demon and get it to break the link. If you fail, we will break it ourselves.”

Sam brightened and a swirl of hope surged around her shoulders. “So we can break the link?”

“Of course,” the female said. She flashed Sam a disturbing grin. “Should the demon who fed from you choose to break the link, you will be free.”

Sam snorted, deflating. “Like that would happen.”

“Your death will also sever the connection,” the female added “It may not harm our enemy, but it will free Azirak from the danger you present.”

“Not my favorite option,” Sam mumbled, folding her arms.

The male shook his head and turned to me. Bowing, he repeated, “If you are unable to break the link, we will be forced to break it for you.”

He was saying that I had to find this demon and get it to break the link; if not, and I understood them right, they were coming to kill Sam? No fucking way.

“If I’m your leader, then I command you to leave her alone,” I seethed, drawing myself up. I’d take them all on if necessary. One by one and piece by piece.

The demon seemed unimpressed. With a resolute shake of its head, it said, “We cannot take chances with your safety, my lord.”