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“We’ll never make it in time.” Vivian rubbed her frozen thighs and met Liam’s eyes. “It’s us they’re after.” She turned to Jericho. “Take Alex to the cave. We’ll lead them away from you, run them in circles, then double back and meet you there.”

“Vivian’s, right,” Liam said before Jericho could even think to object. “Zion gets his hands on Alex, she’s screwed.” If the power-hungry zealot was willing to go to such extremes to get the dagger, what would he do if he discovered it was Alex who’d brought down those copters?

Jericho nodded, though his tight expression said he wasn’t happy about splitting up. “May the gods protect you, my friend.”

Liam clapped him on his shoulder, then pressed his palm to the top of Alex’s head. “When she wakes, tell her I said she did good back there. Tell her I’m proud of her.”

Vivian’s heart tripped at the affection in her mate’s tone. It was a shame Alex wasn’t awake to witness it herself.

Before Vivian could wax sentimental, Liam grabbed her hand. “Got a bit more in you?”

“Of course,” she said, certain she didn’t have a choice.

Side by side, they raced into a clearing in the pines, making sure they were seen. Voices rang out. Zion’s men and the demons had them in their sights.

“Time to haul ass,” Liam said, and off they raced.

Sure enough, the males chasing them altered in their direction. They headed right for them, away from Jericho and Alex.Come and get us, you bastards.

For what seemed like miles, they ran. Through snow drifts, over rocks, zigzagging through the pines.

All too soon, Vivian’s energy dwindled, her legs threatening to give out. The frigid air had frozen her lungs in her chest.

“This way.” Liam directed them along a trail at the bottom of a steep incline. She prayed he didn’t expect her to climb that intimidating ridge.

“There they are,” an unfamiliar voice shouted. Over her shoulder, she spied several horned demons closing in on them. Flames flickered in their glowing palms.

Oh, how she was going to give Dante a taste of her whip when she saw him again.

Over their heads roared a massive fireball, and an explosion of snow rained down on them.Merde, that was close. “They missed,” she panted, flooded with relief.

Thunder rumbled high above them as though the sky had cracked open. Liam glanced up. “Fuck me. They didn’t miss. They’re bringing the mountain down on us.”

“What?” she gasped.

“Avalanche,” Liam shouted.

Before she could process what was happening, a galloping stampede of churning white hurdled down the mountainside. In an instant, the ground rolled out beneath them. Snow rushed over their heads. Drowning in slush, they slid down the steep incline.

Liam clung to her, his big frame caging her as they tumbled. Together, they were two boneless dolls tumbling in a cement mixer of ice and rocks. Vivian sensed Liam’s massive body taking hit after hit after hit. Hers as well. Pain sparked along her back and legs. Her arms shook with the effort it took to hold on. What seemed like miles later, they came to a stop.

Liam’s body rested on top of her. The snow packed around them like a coffin filled with concrete. Vivian’s chest squeezed, struggling to draw oxygen into her lungs. What may have been several feet of frozen debris buried them. Panic seized her, claustrophobia closing in. Air, she needed air.

Using every ounce of her remaining strength, inch by painful inch, she managed to drag her arm to her chest. At last, she scraped the snow from her face, making a pocket. “Liam,” she wheezed.

The steady thump of his heart assured her he was alive. And yet his heavy weight remained limp. Tears burned her eyes. “Liam!” She thrashed, moving inches in the full-body straight jacket. They were encased in ice. Buried. Frozen solid. Trapped. Trapped!Trapped!

Her head swam, vision tunneling.

Voices shouted, the sound muted. An orange glow shined down from above. Blessed be. The fire demons were melting the surrounding snow. Her terror eased. Their enemies had come for them. They wouldn’t be buried for long. Problem was, once they were free, they’d be at the demons’ mercy.

Think, Vivian. Think.

The dagger. She had a distinct memory of Liam buckling it to his thigh. Had it survived the avalanche? She forced her hand between their bodies. Still, she couldn’t bend far enough to grab it. This was hopeless.

Just a bit farther.Her ribs ached. Farther still. Finally, her fingers closed over the sheath. Tears of relief stung her cheeks. She popped the cover free. Somehow, she’d focus the demons’ attention on herself and the soul sword, drawing them away from Liam. She grasped the hilt.

Bright light encompassed her body. She squeezed her eyes closed against the blinding glare. It was the same light she’d seen when they used the dagger at Pyrrhos. Another portal? Panic seized her. Dante’s throne room wasn’t below them this time. There was nowhere to go but down, deep into the earth’s core. This wasn’t a good thing.