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“I promise.”He leaned down and kissed me hard.

Then the hounds, along with Rune and his demons, used the shadows to move in and surround the huge building.

I watched with my heart in my throat as Jagger, War, and Rune stormed the building from the front.Rome and Lothar had gone around the back with several of Rune’s demons—for tonight, at least, they were working together.

Shouts broke out inside the building, and the demons outside ran in to see what was going on.The sound of fighting grew louder—things breaking, screams, roars.

A moment later, a dark figure ran from a side door.“Did you see that?”

Brick followed my line of sight.“Someone’s trying to get away.Fuck.”

“There’s two of them.”Only they weren’t running away.They’d jumped into one of the trucks yet to be unloaded and were backing it up to the edge of the river inlet.“They’re going to dump the poison into the river.We have to do something.”

“Stay here,” Brick said, then he bolted across the field toward them.

As I watched, Brick yanked the driver from his seat, and they attacked each other.I couldn’t see the other demon, he’d raced around the side of the truck.I had to do something before he got in, finished backing it up, and dumped the barrels in the river.I couldn’t physically fight him, but maybe I could slow him down.

With no other choice, I sprinted as fast as I could across the field, calling my magic forth as I ran, letting it swirl and grow inside me to heights I’d never been able to get it before.Brick was snarling.He’d shifted, and his jaws were locked around the demon’s leg, shaking him hard, while the demon—oh gods, it was Tarrant, stabbed at him with a knife.

I threw out a hand, forcing my power into his shoulder, wrapping around it, searching for the weakest point, and forced it out of the joint.Tarrant screamed, and a bloody Brick dug his fangs deeper, shaking him harder.

Poe ran around the side of the truck and was headed for the driver’s side.I dove for it, bounding up and onto the seat and yanked the keys out of the ignition.I would not let these fuckers hurt anyone else.Poe grabbed my jacket and jerked me back.I hit the ground hard, and I gasped for breath, but managed to quickly scramble to my feet before he could advance on me.

He smirked.“Give me the keys, Sutton.Now.”

I shook my head and, lifting my hands, let my magic dance across my fingers.“Stop where you are.I’m warning you.”

“What do you think you’re going to do, you fucking traitor?”

With a growl, I tossed the keys as far as I could and they landed somewhere in the long grass edging the clearing, then I straightened my spine.“I’ll break every fucking bone in your body, one by one.”

His eyes flashed with fury, but he laughed, and it grated down my spine.

“Try it,” he said as he strode toward me.

I aimed my magic at him, but he didn’t slow.It didn’t touch him.

Poe tore his shirt down the front, revealing his chest, and the same sigil he’d carved into me.“You can’t touch me.”

I was screwed.

I turned to run, but it was too late.He dove on me, knocking me to the ground.Flipping me to my back, he grinned down at me.“Gotcha.”

Brick screamed, a sound like I’d never heard before coming from the hound.Shoving my forearm against Poe’s throat, I spun to Brick.He was battered and bleeding from deep wounds all over his body.I threw out my other arm, to fire my powers at Tarrant, to stop him from hacking into Brick—but Poe grabbed my wrist pinning it to the ground.

He shook his head.“No you don’t.Now you get to watch the pup die.It’s what a traitor like you deserves.”

Growls and snarls filled the night and Poe lifted his head, and bared his teeth.

The hounds, they were coming.

“Tarrant,” Poe yelled, getting his attention.

The demon stopped his attack on Brick, and turned to the hounds barreling down on us.He didn’t look worried, though, no, he smiled.Brick went flying, hitting the side of the truck and staying there, suspended, bleeding and barely conscious, while Tarrant lifted his hands, calling out words in a demonic language.

The hounds slammed into an invisible barrier, and were tossed back with snarls and growls.They rushed back, and Jagger shifted into his human form, slamming his fist into the invisible wall between us.He was standing so close to me, I could clearly see his face, and how it was contorted with rage.He slammed his shoulder into the barrier next and roared.But it was no use, Tarrant’s shield was too strong.

Tarrant closed his eyes then and called to Beelzebub, asking him to open a gateway.