Page 82 of Samhain Savior

“What?” Delilah asked, turning back, but I refused to stay a moment longer. She pulled, her skin heating beneath my touch, and as I hauled her forward, ignoring her protests, the glow emanating off of her began to pulse as her voice rose to a panic. “What did he mean?”

But I didn’t stop to answer her—mostly because I didn’t have a fucking clue.

Instead, I simply stepped into the shadow gate and dragged her through, getting the fuck out of Hell and leaving the Void behind us.

Hopefully forever.

Chapter thirty-seven

Delilah

The second Archer released my arm I spun away from him, but the gate had already snapped closed, leaving me with so many unanswered questions.

How could he?

That was the main one, but it had so many connotations. How could he drag me out of there when it seemed like Astaroth knew far more than he had let on?

Had I really freed all those tortured souls? I hoped I had, but the idea seemed impossible.

But the biggest question currently plaguing my mind?

How could Archer mark me the way he did, both with his sigil and his teeth?

None of those questions were voiced, however, because Vine beat me to it

“Boss?” He sounded completely unsure, and when I turned to look at him, his face was scrunched in confusion. “What just happened? Where’d you go? And why the Hell are you so, you know...horny?”

I startled, spinning to look at Archer to see what could have caused Vine to ask himthat, but I realized it was because Archer was still in his demon form, and therefore had horns.

Seeming to have just come to the same conclusion, Archer straightened, his wings, tail, and horns disappearing as though they were never there, leaving behind the handsome, stern-faced man I had become so familiar with. His clothes still hung off of him in torn rags, as did mine, and there was a hungry, haunted look in his eye that I couldn’t quite place.

“Archer?” Corson pressed when Archer didn’t seem inclined to answer any of Vine’s questions. “What happened? You were there one second, then gone the next.” He looked at me, concern in his gaze. “And where is Helena?”

Damn. I’d forgotten about her.

“She’s dead,” was all Archer said.

From beside us, Mal let out an indignant raven squawk where he perched on the ground next to Pandora, her tiny, spiny form wiggling back and forth on the grass before Shem’s headstone as she tried to catch my attention.

Seeing her there, my heart squeezed with joy, and I rushed over, scooping her up and cradling her to me while she chittered excitedly.

“You’re alright!” I breathed, feeling her tiny body vibrating in my hold. “I’m sorry I left you.”

“Left her?” Vine asked, scratching his head. “You were barely gone two seconds. She never even had a chance to miss you.”

“What?” I frowned. “We’ve been gone for hours.”

“No, you haven’t,” Corson insisted, Mal’s haunting caw echoing across the empty cemetery.

“Okay, but what if they have?” Vine’s question caused everyone to turn his way, and if I wasn’t mistaken, I thought he might have blushed. “I mean, look at them,” he offered, gesturing to our ruined clothes. “They look like they’ve gone ten rounds with the Behemoth. You don’t get that fucked up in a few seconds.”

“You don’t get bitten, either,” Corson said accusingly, eyeing the mark Archer left on my neck, and this timeIblushed, ducking my head and raising my shoulders tohide the mark that was still pulsing with a low thrum in my veins.

I hadn’t even had a moment to process what had happened in the Void, so I certainly wasn’t prepared to discuss it with Archer’s evil henchmen.

I immediately regretted the uncharitable thought. Corson, Vine, and Mal had been nothing but kind to me, even going as far as to defy their boss and all his growly orders to ensure that I was looked after during the craziness that had been the last two days of our lives. They might be henchmen—they might even be demons—but I was seriously starting to wonder if either of those things made them evil

“Hours?” Corson tilted his head in confusion, considering. Suddenly, he gasped, his jaw clenching. “Son of a bitch. You were in the Void. That’s why it only appeared that you were gone for a few seconds.”