Demon from the Dark

'Tis well enough for me.

Then his heart sank. She had thought that before last night, when he'd proved he was anything but.

Why could he not stop punishing her? Did he mean to take out all his pain on her, centuries of it?

He sank back, throwing his arm over his face. The things he'd said to her, the things he'd done. He'd revealed secrets he'd never told anyone—not even Kallen. And then he'd taken her in the dirt like a common whore.

He suffered from remorse so acute it physically pained him. Get to Carrow. Apologize. Make her understand. With those thoughts in mind, he rose and dressed, hastening to her.

As he came upon the cabin, the fog burned off, the sun appearing for the first time since their escape. Already it'd begun burning his exposed skin.

Shading his sensitive eyes, he saw that the door was open. Inside, the two witches were darting about. Packing?

His heart dropped to his stomach. Carrow was leaving him? He'd told her too much. I bared my soul, and of course, she found it lacking.

He grew panicked at the thought of losing the family he'd only just found, wanting to take back his careless words and actions. You've finally pushed her away, Slaine.

He strode up the stairs. Do not look at me as the others did, channa. He couldn't handle that from her, couldn't live with the fact that he'd spurned her and brought this upon himself.

She'd donned her sword and boots. It sounded as if Ruby was scurrying about in the back room. They truly were leaving him.

He swiped his forearm over his eyes and swallowed, wanting to say something, but he couldn't trust his voice. Then Carrow saw him standing in the doorway.

He didn't take a breath, dreading...

'There you are.' She crossed to him, rising up on her toes to kiss him.

Once her lips brushed his, he groaned in relief, yanking her into him. He tightened his arms around her as he took her mouth.

She sighed, responding so sweetly.

Until they heard straining noises coming from the back.

Carrow pulled away with a sheepish smile. Then she called out, 'Do you need some help, Ruby?'

In an exasperated tone, she replied, 'I told you I could do this.'

Hunched over and huffing with exertion, the girl dragged out the pack. She hauled it to his feet, then stood fully, placing her hand on her lower back. Her face was bright red from the effort. 'I packed it for you!'

'Am I ...' He cleared his throat. 'Am I to come, then?'

Ruby frowned, glancing from Carrow back to him. 'Duh.'

'What a great job, baby. Now, go grab a couple of lucky shells for our trip.'

As soon as the girl had left, Carrow wryly said, 'There might be a dead fish in there 'in case you get hungry.' '

Now that his panic had eased, his ire grew. 'Where do you think you are going? The plan you laid out was for me to search.'

'I had a premonition that something bad is coming here. I don't know when or how, and it could be hours or days. But we've got to leave. We'll keep to the trees to avoid the sun, and we can travel through the night, but we're running out of time.' When he said nothing, she added, 'Look, if you don't believe me, you can ask Ruby —'

'I will go with you.'

'You will?'

He could see now that he had no choice but to go. Just as she'd said last night, the witch didn't have to wait to get home to leave him. She could do it just as easily here.

And he couldn't keep her and the little one prisoners forever.

Carrow's eyes lit up. 'Y-you trust me?'

Malkom ... didn't. He'd finally realized he was incapable of trust—short of some kind of irrefutable proof that he was never going to obtain. But the alternative to leaving with her was losing her, so he would choose the lesser of two evils. He would make this leap. 'I want to return to your home with you and Ruby.'

'You're going to be so happy with us! I promise you.'

While she was delighted, he was filled with misgivings. He'd been given too fine and good a female. One he could never believe would truly love someone like him. Fate's cruelest jest so far—

A clanging sound rang out. The pots hitting each other. Carrow's eyes went wide. His fangs sharpened.

'Ruby!' she screamed, sprinting outside.

Chapter 45

As Carrow ran for Ruby, Malkom faced off against the intruders at the neck of the peninsula, waiting for them to reveal themselves.

She'd just reached Ruby at the beach, snatching the girl into her arms, when the creatures swarmed into their sanctuary, a ravening tide of fangs and insatiable hunger.

Wendigos. With their dagger-like claws and emaciated bodies, their clothes ripped to shreds. Already their rancid stench pervaded the area.

There were scores of them. More than La Dorada had with her. Their sheer numbers overwhelmed Malkom's traps. How could there be so many of them?

The answer came to her as Malkom roared, charging them with a breathtaking ferocity.

They'd infected others, increasing their number.

To keep the beasts away from Carrow and Ruby, Malkom met them in the sun. Would he know they were contagious? 'Don't let them touch you, Malkom!'

One scratch or bite...

'Help him, Crow!' Ruby's eyes were gleaming as she frantically tore at her collar. 'We have to help him!'

Though he battled the Wendigos savagely—snapping their necks while dodging their claws—the sun was taking its toll on him. Soon he was surrounded.

I can't draw them over here, can't risk Ruby. 'Stay here!' Carrow ordered her as she unsheathed her sword.

One of the beasts twisted its head toward them. It loped forward, fangs dripping. Twenty feet away, ten...

When it launched itself at Carrow, she ducked and sidestepped, swinging for the back of its neck. She beheaded it, but more turned toward them.

'No!' Malkom yelled. 'No, here!' He provoked them to attack only him, yet still half the tide veered in Carrow's direction.

'You stay behind me, Ruby! If I get into trouble, run for the calm beach and get into the water. Do you hear me?' Carrow glanced back when the girl didn't answer. Ruby was slack-jawed.

A vampire had appeared behind Carrow—one with red eyes. Reeling in shock, she raised her sword. Just as she was about to swing, she realized he looked familiar. But she couldn't tell when he was shading his face, recoiling from the intense sunlight.

'Mariketa sent me to retrieve you. I am Conrad Wroth,' he grated as his skin began to blister. 'For hours, I've searched this island.' He looked it, was sweating and dirty as though he'd traveled for miles. 'I'm to tell you about the Mardi Gras float you hijacked?'

'Ah, Hekate, you're legit.'