Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark 10)

The sorceress was awkwardly pressing the man's gory hand to the back of her collar. "I can't get his thumb to press flat."

Fegley remained conscious, watching all with a stupefied expression.

Carrow set Ruby down and motioned for the hand.

Lanthe tossed it. A blur of glinting metal appeared between her and Carrow.

"Ah-ah, not so fast!" Ember said triumphantly, holding up the hand she'd just nabbed.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Carrow snapped. The sorceress had been "uick before her tor"ue had come off. Now her speed was mind-boggling.

"I'm fast as flames, witch. And I'll be keeping this."

Portia traipsed beside her, donning her own mask and gauntlets. "We like the odds, with all of you powerless. Ember, do immolate the warden."

Ember aimed a burning palm at Fegley.

Carrow covered Ruby's eyes just as the man's went wide. He screamed as the sorceress burned him to cinders.

"Remember what we told you, Ruby." With a last seeking look at the girl, they disappeared.

"What did they tell you?" Carrow demanded, yanking her away from the smoking pile to the other side of the room.

"That I can be like them." She rubbed her eyes against the ash. "I only have to kill a sorceress to become one."

"You're not killing anybody!" Carrow said irritably. "First of all, you're too young. And second, no one's paid you to do a hit. We'll talk about this when we get home." She just stopped herself from saying "young lady."

"There goes our thumb plan." Lanthe muttered a curse. "Looks like we're fighting our way out of here." She rooted through a container of weapons, digging out a sword. "Good thing I'm handy with one of these."

"I'm not too shabby myself." Being friends with a legendary swordswoman like Regin had its benefits. Glancing around for a good weapon of her own, Carrow snagged a short sword and sheath, strapping the latter around her waist. Then she stilled. "Wait, Lanthe. Look at the smoke along that back wall. It's getting blown away."

"You think it's another chamber?"

"Could be." They hurried over, shoving away a shelf to reveal another panel. Carrow worked the tip of her sword along its border, levering it open a crack. Lanthe hooked the edge with her metal claws, and together, they heaved it open.

A gust of fresh wet air rushed over their faces, blowing their hair. A tunnel sloped downward before them.

"It's got to be an escape route," Lanthe said. "Probably goes all the way to the shore."

Carrow scanned the area. "But the ground's still "uaking. Do we risk the tunnel or the melee outside?" Risk Malkom outside?

"I like our chances in the tunnel," Lanthe said. "And Vrekeners hate anything confined and underground."

Even though Malkom had threatened her, Carrow found it difficult to leave him behind, was gazing over her shoulder. I'll find him again. Once she got Ruby to safety. "Then let's do this. Fast." She lifted the girl into her arms. "You ready, kid?" When Ruby worried her lip, Carrow pasted on a smile. "It's a good thing you've got Lanthe and me with you, because your posse is never going to believe the adventure you're having."

Lanthe added, "They'll be eaten up with jealousy, of course."

"So here we go, kiddo." At the entrance, Carrow s"ueezed Ruby tight, laying a palm protectively over her head. "On the count of three. One, two, three!" She took off running, with Lanthe just behind them.

Dust showered them at intervals, but Carrow kept her chin down and her legs moving.

"Air's getting fresher!" she called back. "Almost there!"

Another "uake had her stumbling, sidestepping to right herself. "That was a close one - "

Lanthe's scream echoed down the passageway.

Carrow skidded to a stop, speeding back to the last corner they'd turned. The Vrekener. He had his fist gripped around Lanthe's ankle, dragging her bodily back into the smoke. The sorceress was kicking wildly, resisting the limping Thronos, her gloved hands digging into the dirt. Her sword lay just beyond her reach.

"Let her go, Thronos!"

His gnarled wings flared menacingly, spanning the width of the tunnel. He wore no collar.

Carrow set Ruby down, shoving her back under a roof support. "Stay right there!" she ordered over her shoulder as she charged back to help Lanthe.

But before Carrow could reach the sorceress, the Vrekener popped her in the face with one of those claw-tipped wings, knocking her back on her ass. She scrambled up again, drawing her new sword.

When he struck once more, Carrow ducked, sliding under his wing as if stealing home base. She thrust the blade up into his vulnerable skin there.

Blood gushed; he roared in pain, dropping Lanthe's ankle to remove the sword.

Carrow grabbed Lanthe's hand, dragging her up. Yet before Lanthe could get to her feet, Thronos tossed away the sword and clamped his blood-soaked hand over her leg once more.

He wrenched the sorceress back, but Carrow kept a death grip on Lanthe's hand.

When another "uake rumbled, Lanthe cried, "Save Ruby!"

"I'll save you both."

In a deafening rush, rocks began to tumble down from the ceiling, filling the space between Carrow and Ruby.

"Crow!" the girl screamed. "Where are you?"

Carrow jerked her head over her shoulder. She could barely hear Ruby. "I'm coming!"

As she faced forward again, Lanthe yanked her hand away. "Save your girl! I'll be okay!"

Smoke thickened, rubble building around them.

"Crow, hurry!"

"I'm so sorry, Lanthe," she whispered as the Vrekener snatched her friend into the darkness.

Heartsick, Carrow sprinted back to the stones that separated her from Ruby, crouching to dig frantically. "I'm here, baby. Just hold on!"

Though she was able to remove the smaller stones, the boulders wouldn't budge. She clawed at them, gaining no ground. Remembering her short sword, she raced back for it, returning to stab the blade under one of the larger rocks. Nothing.

Through a narrow gap in the bottom, Ruby was able to poke out her hand.

Carrow dropped to her knees to take it.

"Don't leave me, Crow!"

"Never! Do you hear me? But I've got to let go so I can find something longer to lever these rocks loose." Like a pipe, or a spear. "I'm going to be right back."

"Nooo!" Ruby shrieked, clutching Carrow's hand, digging her tiny nails in.

Biting back tears, Carrow forced herself to pull free, even as Ruby cried, "No, Crow, no, no, no!" She began hyperventilating again. "Please, please, don't leave me. I'll be good, I w-won't sing anymore. ..."