Lost Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 4)

There’s a huge square room full of various cages, all locked up with random people inside. They’re all gripping their cages in terror, watching the same horrific show Slade and I are.

Karma pushes her hand out, and skin flies off four bodies that are racing toward her. Her eyes are solid black with a red pupil, and her laugh is echoed, as though two voices are laughing at once.

Kya...

“Kya’s in there with her,

” I say quietly to Slade, watching as at least twenty men in black armor race after her.

“I know,” he says on a stunned breath. “This is really fucking bad.”

She spins, her foot kicking out, slamming into the chest of one, and he slashes her leg with his claws. There are several marks on her, but they all seem to be healing rapidly, the blood loss minimal.

I start to go in, but Slade rips me back. “She could skin you,” he says, his voice barely audible. “Create an illusion that doesn’t let her notice the ones in the cages. Cloak us all so I can get them out before Kya does something she’ll never forgive herself for.”

“She had to be the one to get Dice out,” I point out, drawing up the illusion anyway.

“Before or after she joined demons with Karma? Before or after she started skinning people alive? Do you want to chance it?”

Slade goes in under the cover of the illusion, breaking through the cage doors without making too much sound. Kya and Karma seem to be more focused on fighting or peeling the skin off the rushing bodies still pouring in.

They staged a trap for us, and turned it into a playground for true demons.

Newly released prisoners rush by us, racing toward freedom or dematerializing as soon as they can. I barely notice them because my eyes are fixed on the darkness spiraling around Kya and Karma as they share a body, demolishing everything in their path.

They smile when the screams grow louder, enjoying the torture and pain they’re inflicting.

I don’t notice that Slade has returned to my side until he’s right next to me.

“Ever wonder who the demon was that spawned the two of them?” Slade asks as the last prisoner is freed.

“Who?” I ask, still transfixed on the sight before me as the bodies continue to pile up.

They seem to be struggling to kill them as easily as they were, as though they’re growing weaker the more they exert force.

“I don’t know, but I’m guessing he was an evil son of a bitch. As soon as they drop, we’re going to have to rush in and finish off what’s left. You grab Kya’s body.”

Normally I wouldn’t take his orders, but I transport back to where I left her, snatch her from the wall, and return in less than a blink.

He looks at me, startled that I’m back so soon.

“How long can she be out of her body without risking it dying?”

“Her body is technically dead right now. She can stay out of it as long as she wants, but the body could start decaying. Usually a day or two at most is the best idea. They’ll both need to feed after this.”

He blows out a long breath.

“They can’t feed if they’re so drained they go comatose,” I growl, gently putting Kya’s body on the ground.

He grabs me when they get hit hard, slamming me into the wall. Their black eyes narrow to slits, and the red grows brighter in the eyes. Slade tosses me back, keeping me from transporting right at the last second.

“Go in front of her, and you’ll likely be skinned too, you stupid prick. Just wait.”

“For what? They can’t feed if they’re dead or too depleted!”

Black eyes turn to us, and Slade calls me a few names for being too loud. The energy resurges to his hands like he’s about to attack, possibly planning to knock her out.

“Karma’s pregnant!” I snap, slamming my fist into his face before he can stop me.