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She never would have imagined a Demon could become one. Nor that it could survive in the Veil.

Thankfully, the water wasn’t deep. They bounced off the bottom and created a plume of loose, slimy sediment around them.

Emerie wriggled to free herself from between Ingram and the tentacles holding her down, but only gained enough room to yank one arm out. Her heart was pumping so heavily she thought her head was going to pop, anxiety making her lungs even tighter.

Bubbles burst out of Emerie as she screamed. The Demon rotated so it could place its hands on either side of Ingram’s back and towered over her with a sickening grin not even an inch from her nose. The gleam in his red eyes told her everything she needed to know.

Considering what it was, and that it had probably been stuck in this swamp, it would have rarely eaten a human once it was fully formed like this. It was delighted it had one now.

Tentacles parted, forcing a gap so it could get her free.

Just as it grabbed for her head, uncaring if its claws tore her open, a dark-grey hand wrapped around its slim forearm. Its red eyes widened before it was yanked downwards and to the side.

A drowned shriek pulsed in the water, and purple blood mixed into it. The tentacles released her, giving her space to kick.

Nothing could have stopped her from getting the fuck out of there.

She looked up, and the reflection of light wasn’t too far out of reach. She shot for it, sparing a glance down to where two frightening black creatures fought in a growing cloud of muddy sediment.

Wincing, her lungs feeling as though they were shrivelling without oxygen, she kicked harder.There, almost there.Just when she thought she wasn’t going to make it, her eyes clenching as though that would help her air last, she broke the water’s surface. Her gasp was agony and bliss all rolled into one, but it put her into a coughing fit when she breathed in water through the fabric of her mask.

She yanked it away from her nose and mouth before she waterboarded herself.

Splashing from her left had her frantically swimming to land when the Demon from before, the one that had stared at them from across the water, was slithering her way. It’d decided to brave it now that the octopus Demon was distracted by Ingram.

But panic clutched her like a set of claws when she met land.

Oh no! Fuck!The muddied edge was difficult to climb, like quicksand that swallowed her arms as she tried to crawl out of it. The ledge kept breaking off in thick lumps.

A cry of pain exploded from her when the Demon latched onto her shoulders and dug its claws in. It sliced down her back in deep, long rows, flaying her flesh open. Then it was gone, like it had been ripped from her.

She didn’t care to find out if that was true.

Whimpering with pain-filled tears falling, she managed to haul herself onto solid land.

Warm blood mixed with cool water as it sluiced down her back. On her hands and knees, she crawled away from the crumbling ledge and then staggered to her feet so she could figure out where the fuck to go.

She searched, and all she knew for certain was two things: she was lost, and she wasalone.

North. Go north.Emerie looked around, bouncing from foot to foot nervously. The forest was the same, no matter which way she turned.Which way is fucking north?!

The ferocious, frenzied snarl from behind her spooked her into turning. Clawing at the mud just like she did to escape the water, a hulking form with red glowing orbs and a white raven skull greeted her.

Fuck. Her friend wasn’t home right now, and she doubted she could leave a message on the door he called a brain!

Before she could react, the octopus Demon shot up behind him. With purple blood gushing from its throat and claw marks spanning diagonally across its face, it flipped Ingram backwards into the water.

Screw north. Screw this.

Whether the Demon realised it or not, it’d just saved her from certain death and had given her a small window to flee. It’s not like there was anything she could do to help Ingram; she wasn’t a fish, and she wasn’t strong or fast.

That, however, didn’t mean she wasn’t worried for him.Please be okay, please be okay!

Emerie bolted in the direction she thought they’d been heading the entire time. Her back ached, and it sparked pain all down her legs.

But she could run, she could move, and that’s all that mattered.

A roar vibrated through the forest and was so loud she thought the very leaves had trembled in fright. Soon she could hear the double thump of two sets of limbs giving chase, plus the intermittent slap and swish of a thick, long tail.