Hatred and fury surged through Ian as he pulled on the darkest part of his nature and drove his hand into the creature. His fingers froze, cramping with cold as he
gripped the shadow and wrenched. It screamed, an ear-splitting, animalistic rage that even his illusion couldn’t mask. The demon released Marley and tried to latch on to Ian, but its suckers couldn’t adhere. Like couldn’t feed on like.
Realizing what lived beneath Ian’s skin, the shade began to flail, struggling to escape. Ian wished, viciously, for a neck he could snap, a heart he could stop. But there was no killing the thing. It had no substance to damage. The best he could do was haul it back to its own plane and keep it from feeding on anyone else. On a curse Ian yanked them both back into shadow. Part of him wanted to linger, to cause the demon pain, but there was no time. He flung it away from him, phasing back into the light even as the thing shrieked in outrage.
Ian knelt beside Marley. Ice crystals coated her long lashes and her lips were blue. He laid a hand on her throat, found her pulse thready.
Her lashes fluttered, eyes cracking open. “Ian?”
“I’m here. It’s going to be all right.” Something vised hard around his chest, making it hard to breathe. He checked quickly for broken bones, abrasions. It was a fucking miracle she hadn’t broken her back in the fall.
“S…so…c…c…cold.”
Ian moved fast, aware that if he didn’t get Marley’s body temperature up and stabilized soon, she wouldn’t make it. Scooping her up, Ian insulated them from the illusion and left the barn at a limping run. The phony raid had chased the throng into the surrounding woods, so no one was around to see him head for a nearby outbuilding. He kicked in the door.
Marley’s head lolled against his chest as he carried her inside. “C’mon, love, work with me here. Stay awake.”
“You’re so…big…on…that,” she chattered.
Ian struggled to keep his voice light, to hide his fear. “I promise when all this is over, you can sleep for a week. In a hammock somewhere with white sandy beaches and drinks with little paper umbrellas.”
“Pro…promise?”
“Cross my heart.”
The shop was dark and smelled of mold and motor oil. Ian turned toward the office, relieved to find a ratty old sofa taking up one wall. He carefully laid Marley on it and hunted up something to warm her. A quick search of the premises turned up a coffeemaker in the waiting room. It was a start. He brought it into the office, set up a pot to brew. He found a space heater tucked beneath the desk, hauled it out, and turned it on full blast.
“H…h…handy.”
“They must’ve known we’d be dropping by,” he said, sinking onto the couch and pulling Marley into his lap. She wasn’t lax now. Her body shook so hard, her teeth rattled. God, God. She could’ve died. Ian cuddled her even closer, burying his face in her hair until he could keep his voice steady. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would happen.”
“And here…I…thought you were…psychic.”
He couldn’t laugh at the sarcasm, not while thinking how the situation could’ve gone even more horribly wrong. Brushing the hair off her nape, he saw the circular bruise forming just over her spine, and his gut clenched. With careful fingers, he brushed over the spot, wishing he could erase the mark from her skin.
“Ian?”
It was a fight to make his voice matter-of-fact. “No more traveling by shadow for you. I’ll get us some other means of transportation.” There was a veritable car lot outside. Somewhere in there would be one that worked.
Marley snuggled closer, body finally beginning to relax. “Kinda wishing for your f…fever now.”
“Think warm thoughts. Roaring fires. Hot bubble baths. Mulled wine.”
The coffeemaker beeped.
“Bad coffee will do.”
Ian slid her off.
“So what exactly happened?”
“You were attacked by a shade. A lower level shadow demon,” Ian explained, filling a small Styrofoam cup.
“A demon,” she repeated.
“Aye.” He folded the cup into Marley’s hands. Because they still shook, he kept his own wrapped around hers. But at least they had warmed a little and her lips no longer had a bluish cast. Something terrified inside him eased.
Marley lifted the cup to her mouth.