If she’d blinked at that moment, she would have missed the transformation of the two Averys. Their skin darkened to a dull, storm-cloud gray, the surface mottled and rippling like burn scars. Their bodies curved, shoulders hunching, then lowering as they dropped to all fours. Their mouths stretched, jagged rows of teeth sliding from widening jaws that took up most of their faces.
They each took a man, rolling him on his back, then urgently pawing away the clothing covering his abdomen.
With their attention drawn to the men whose hard spasms caused their hands and heels to clatter on the floor, slowing the demons’ efforts as they stripped them, she dropped the mirror. Legs weak, she slid down beside the bed, reached for the basket, and withdrew the wine bottle already filled with holy water. She pulled out the cork and quickly reached into the basket for the hemp bag filled with rose thorns, pricking her fingers in her haste.
Her teeth chattered as she counted out thirteen and dropped them into the bottle. Then she pushed against the bed and stood.
The creatures’ large mouths were lifted, eyes closed as they let loose howls. The moment before their heads bent to rip into the captured men’s stomachs, she leapt beside them.
“Stop!” she shouted, holding the bottle in front of her.
Both creatures pivoted to face her, eyes glowing a bright fiery orange. They each took two steps, noses lifting to catch her scent.
Cait fought the fear caging her diaphragm and dragged in a deep breath. She raised the bottle higher and took a step back.
The beasts rocked backward on their haunches, then sprang forward.
She waved her arm in a wide arc, shaking the holy water from the bottle. “I banish you,” she shouted, then leapt to the side, out of their path.
The water sprayed, splashing against the demons as they hit the wall where she’d been standing. They bounced off it, shaking their heads and howling as droplets sizzled on their skin, burning through. Fire flickered around the edges of wounds, which widened, eating at their flesh to reveal a gray gelatinous interior that melted to the carpet, the stench of sulfur rising in the air.
Cait reached for the bag and grabbed more rose thorns, cramming them with shaking hands into the bottle. Then she held the mouth of it to the edge of the gray goo.
“With thorn and blood, water and will,
I banish you to the bottle.
With thorn and blood, water and will…”
Not eloquent. But the spell worked. Over and over, she repeated the incantation, until, with a long slurp, the final bit of goo rushed inside the bottle.
Cait scrambled for the cork, stoppered the bottle, and then tossed it quickly into the basket. “Holy shit. Oh shit!”
With the wind whirling in the room slowly dying away, her legs gave way, and she sank to the floor, rocking on her knees.
“Cait?”
His voice. Hoarse but familiar. The voice she never thought she’d hear again. Her Sam was alive. Eyes burning, she lifted her head, craning her neck to glance toward him.
He was on his knees, his bare, reddened chest heaving. “What the fuck? What are you doing here?”
She almost smiled—Sam being alpha meant all was right with the world. “I’m here saving your ass.” Tears brimmed her eyelids and poured out.
With slow, jerking moves, he crawled toward her and gathered her in his arms.
She slid her wet cheek against his chest, listening to the dull but wonderful sound of his heart beating.
“Leland let you out of his sight?” he asked, his voice muffled and thick.
“I came with his blessing.”
“Me and him have to have a talk.” He pressed a kiss against her hair. “Do you… do we have a way back?”
She glanced up and across the room. The wall was once again solid.
A groan sounded behind Sam, and she leaned around for a look. “Officer…”
“Mills,” the policeman said, staring down at his reddened chest. “Thanks, I think.”
Her lips twitched. But then she jerked away from Sam. “We have to get to the elevator. Now. Can you two walk?”
Sam grimaced but pushed up from the floor. For a second, he swayed on his feet, then moved to the other officer, holding out a hand to grab his arm and help him up.
Cait snagged the bottle from the basket and went to the door. “Quickly, before he gets to thinking my threat was a little empty.”
“Not even gonna ask,” Sam muttered.
As fast as the two men could move with shambling steps, they made their way down the hallway to the elevator.
Eddie straightened when he saw them approach, his foot wedged against one side of the doors to hold the car open. His glance took in their odd appearance. “Almost decided you weren’t coming.”
“Good thing you waited,” she said, keeping her voice hard although the effort drained her.
Sam glared, his chest expanding as he realized who the man was. Then his head turned toward her. “You put your trust in him?”
“Gimme some credit. I threatened him with all my powers,” she said, waggling her eyebrows.
Sam groaned. “This time, your ass’ll be sore for a week.”
Eddie chuckled, standing aside with a hand holding the door as they passed.
When the three of them were in the car, he stepped back.
“Not coming with us?” she asked, solely out of politeness, because she knew she was going to have her hands full with explanations.
Eddie shrugged. “I feel a little safer here.” He leaned toward her, his gaze sweeping her head to toe with a lustful glint in his eyes. “Sure you don’t want to stay behind too?”
With a sudden push, Cait shoved his hand off the door. The doors whooshed closed to the sound of his laughter. She hit the button for the first floor.
The elevator shimmied downward. When next the doors opened, the view was of a quiet foyer.
Cait stepped out, glanced around, and then let out a relieved breath. Same shitty place she’d left.
A commotion sounded from the stairwell.
Leland slammed through the door, eyes wild, Jason on his heels.
When Leland spotted them, he stiffened and adjusted his tie. “See you found Sam.” His nose wrinkled. “They need to fumigate that third floor. Smell of rotten eggs comin’ out of the vents. And I’m not done with that TV crew. Get the footage. I don’t want anything more leakin’ out on YouTube.”
Cait nodded, realizing they were back to the moments after the room had filled with noxious fumes and she’d lost sight of Sam. Back to the horrible moment—but with a much happier outcome. Her throat tightened.
Leland didn’t know he’d shown her his softer side. No one knew that Sam had died. Maybe Morin would, from his timeless shop. Only she understood how close they’d all come to a terrible, permanent loss.
Her heart throbbed, which meant Sam wouldn’t remember their encounter in Morin’s bedroom loft.
Well, damn. Back to square one. And with the gleam of retribution burning in his gaze, she guessed she was lucky all he wanted was a pound of flesh. Or to pound hers, anyway.
In anticipation, her bottom winced.
“This thing over?” Sam asked, eyeing the bottle in her hand.
Cait held it up. The goo inside was moving. Still alive. “I’m not sure where to dispose of this.”
“I’m assuming… demon?” At her nod, he asked, “Want it in the office safe?”
Sitting in the safe right beside the pail where another demon was trapped in silvery splinters of glass? She’d have to get with Morin to figure out how best to safely get rid of the remnants. She’d been too busy to get rid of the first demon.