“If you don’t move your weapon, all I’m going to feel this creature want is your sword away from its balls.”

Joseph backed off, but only a couple of inches.

Lyka pulled in a deep breath and put her hand on its pale, greasy, furred forehead.

Instantly, she felt its desire to feed, to kill, to rip flesh and bone apart and lap up blood before it could soak into the earth. The feeling was so strong and so real, her stomach growled with the need to feed on human and Sentinel flesh.

Sickened by the sensation, she pulled away and breathed through her nose so she wouldn’t vomit.

Behind the gag, the demon’s mouth widened in a smile. It knew it had upset her.

“This is a waste of time,” said Joseph. “All it wants is to kill.”

“If you don’t like it, stay out of my head while I do this.”

“Not a chance in hell, kitten. You’re not going into that pile of filth without backup.”

For some reason, that reassured her and eased her nerves. Knowing he was there was going to make this easier the second time around.

She hoped.

Lyka braced herself and laid her hand on the demon again. This time, she was ready for the horrible hunger and need for blood. She let all of that pass over her, digging deeper into what the thing really wanted.

She wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for or how to draw from it what she needed to know, so she tried forming a mental picture of Eric and showing it to him.

The instant it touched her thoughts, she felt a dark stain spread through her. Something wild and vicious took root, growing so fast, she was certain it would take over her entire world.

She didn’t know how to fight it. There was no defense against something so sick and tainted. It seeped through the cracks in her mind, twisting her as it went.

“Not my woman,” she heard Joseph growl.

A warm light suffused her, burning away the filth. She opened herself up to it, blasting away every mental barrier she’d erected. She needed Joseph inside her mind—needed his warmth and goodness to drive away the evil that had invaded.

The luceria hummed around her neck, growing hotter with every passing second. Tingling sparks of power showered down over her skin in a visual display. Everywhere the sparks touched the demon, its skin burned and blistered.

The thing howled in pain and retreated from the bright glow of Joseph hovering in her mind like some kind of avenging angel waiting to strike. It cowered in fear.

That’s when Lyka charged.

She shoved her way into the demon’s thoughts, digging deeper for what she needed to know. Eric and the young had been taken for a reason. They hadn’t been killed like so many others. They’d been kept alive, and this creature had to know why. Its reaction to Eric’s face had been far too strong for it not to have seen her brother.

Lyka’s head began throbbing. Sweat trickled down her body. She felt Joseph’s bright fury protecting her, but he was quickly losing patience. She had to work fast.

Not knowing what else to do, she found the trickle of power flowing into her and pulled on it. Maybe if she had more juice, she could find what she needed to know.

Then again, maybe she’d just burn this demon’s brain to mush and lose her chance altogether.

As soon as she called on Joseph’s power, it leapt to do her bidding. She felt it fill her, strengthen her, warm her. She was surrounded by it, filled with it. He had so much strength, and it was all hers for the taking.

She grabbed the demon’s face in her hands and showed him the image of Eric again.

This time, Joseph’s power amplified the vision, giving the demon no choice but to let her see its reaction.

It knew Eric. He was to be protected. Kept safe.

Why?

She shoved the question into the demon’s head. It flinched, but there was an image of a beautiful woman blazing in its memory. She had long, black hair, pale skin, and the kind of body that would make men kill just to be near her. Surrounding this woman was a feeling of reverence, obedience.

She was the demon’s queen. She was the one who wanted Eric.

Where is she?

There was no response, only the picture of cave walls and the shared warmth of its fellow demons piled together in sleep.

Joseph’s words came out through clenched teeth. “You need to stop now, Lyka. I can’t hold back its poison much longer.”

Poison?

“It’s trying to infect your mind. Can’t you feel it?”

She had, but now Joseph was holding that at bay, and from the strain in his tone, it wasn’t easy.

Still, she couldn’t stop yet. She still didn’t have the information she needed.

Lyka pushed harder, digging deeper into the thing’s thoughts. Its desire to please its queen washed over her, nearly knocking her out of its head with sheer force. She held on to her position, clinging tightly to the ground she’d gained.

What do you want? she demanded.

The image of that beautiful woman filled Lyka’s head again, along with a low, almost worshipful hum.

This demon didn’t just want to please its queen; it wanted her. Wanted to possess her, fuck her, consume her flesh and blood.

Lyka shivered in revulsion and tried not to let her disgust wash over her. Some of it clung, but she managed to shed enough of it to concentrate.

I can give her to you, she whispered to the demon’s mind. Take me to her and she will be yours.

The creature didn’t believe her, so she drew more of Joseph’s power into herself and pushed harder. The mental compulsion wormed its way into the demon’s mind and found fertile ground. She urged it to grow, to consume his every waking thought.

Take me to her and she will be yours. I swear.

“No!” shouted Joseph.

She didn’t understand what had upset him until she felt the weight of her vow to this creature crash down on her. She’d been so swept up in winning the war waging in its mind that she’d forgotten to guard her words. The vow she’d made was binding. Unbreakable. She would now be compelled to uphold her end of the bargain.

What had started as a lie to gain this demon’s cooperation had now become an imperative. She had no idea how she would manage it, but she had to find some way to deliver a powerful Synestryn queen into the hands of a demon who wanted to eat her.

Chapter 37

Joseph tried to rip Lyka out of the demon’s thoughts, but he was too late. She’d made her promise and was now bound by it.