Chapter 341. The Cost II

Chapter 341: 341. The Cost II

Maisie

I held myself still, hoping he wouldn’t smell the lie on my breath. Where were they?

He paused, considering for a moment. Then he snorted. "Some of us clawed our way to the top after your ancestors doomed us. Through blood and death and sacrifices. Your existence threatens those of us who hold power. You were a gift to me. And I intend to use you until there’s nothing left of you."

His wrist flicked and I grabbed what I could behind him, hurling it at his face. It was a book and it hit him with a thunk.

With a snarl he smacked it away, reaching for me where I’d slid away from the shelf, angling for the door again.

But he appeared to my left and I kicked blindly, shrieking when he grabbed my hair, claws digging into my scalp.

I began shifting to get out of his death grip, but he knew. Somehow, he knew every thought I had before I actualised them, and he smacked me again, so hard, I lost my bearings and thought processes.

"Open the rift, Maisie Adeline Adams," he sang as I coughed up blood.

I glared at him with boiling hatred as I staggered, leaning back into the wall for support.

"No?" he smiled, and I knew he was going to hit me again.

I waited for it. Knowing he was easier to catch when he was touching me. As predicted, he appeared a feet away from me, and I launched myself at him, surprising him.

I hadn’t attacked before, scared of hurting Gruer, instead choosing defense. But that wasn’t him anymore, and he was hurting me. I hoped he understood that I’d been left with no choice.

I had my arms wrapped around his shoulder like an embrace and I bit into his jugular.

He howled a blood curdling scream, trying to shake me off. His blood filled my mouth and my jaw tightened--

He grabbed my back and tore me off him, disregarding the chunk of skin in my mouth. I hit the ground, gagging and dry heaving, spitting out his blood and skin.

His eyes were wild and hateful. "You’ve done it now, you little... cannicula," he wheezed, stumbling as he clutched the bleeding hole in his neck. He stumbled, off-balance. "I would’ve been nice to you. Made you a cup of tea and cleaned you up. Now, I’ll put you in a cage like the dog you are."

He started forward, face etched with anger, but he had barely taken a step when a soft voice came from the entrance, "Maisie?"

Both out heads jerked up. Juliette was standing there, looking sweet in a white corset top and short jeans skirt. I heard the footsteps and worried voices of Regina and Jenny somewhere behind her.

But her innocent blue eyes darted from where I was bleeding on the floor, darkening instantly, before drifting to the demon across the room.

Juliette went still. "Y-you..."

His head cocked at her. A frown came over him, like he was trying hard to remember something. A hint of green flashed in his eyes, accompanying something close to panic, before it was gone again, and the demon chuckled. "The fool. He’s marked you. All the more for the taking, I suppose."

He jerked towards her and I cried, "Juliette, no! Go!"

Dragging myself off the ground, I ran into him before he could grab her. We both went down. His weight crushed me as he came on top of me and wrapped his fingers around my neck, strangling me.

I couldn’t breathe. My legs kicked under me as I felt my consciousness waver. If I passed out, it was over. He’d take me. He’d take Juliette. He’d take Regina and Jenny.

But I couldn’t get him off me--

A loud thunk came from ahead and he roared, letting me go.

"Leave her alone!" Regina shrieked, swinging a fire extinguisher into the back of his head with another wet, bloody hit.

Dark blood splattered across my face and I panicked when his face went slack for a second, and his eyes flashed green. "Regina! Wait! Don’t kill him!"

She rose the fire extinguisher high above her head, eyes wide with fear. "But he’s killing you!"

She brought it down. But he’d vanished, and Jenny’s scream brought my head up to the stone steps.

Terror froze me to the spot as the demon rose her off her feet with his fingers wrapped around her neck. His unblinking white eyes were on me, and fingertips morphed into black talons were raised high, poised and inch away from her chest.

He spat out blood from his lips. "Open the rift, Maisie Adeline Adams, or I’ll rip her spine out through her chest."

"Oh gods," Juliette breathed.

I felt Quinlan in my head then, his rage and worry. He was close. They were close. But I knew from experience that it one second was all it took for a life to be over. One blink. They wouldn’t get here in time, and even if they did, I saw the spite in his eyes. He would kill her for the fun of it. And she would die, just like her brother had.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I flung out and arm and cried as the power ripped out of me, thunder clasping behind my ears. My aim was wild and I gasped as the atmosphere behind Regina distorted and a tear began to form.

An explosion came from the main library, and a blur of silver slammed into the demon holding Jenny. The demon let out an unholy shriek as Jericho tore into his neck.

He dropped Jenny, and she hit her head too hard against the steps, passing out instantly. He went for Jericho, shoving him off him, but Jericho took him with him, and the far wall of the library exploded when they crashed into it.

"Adams!" Soren yelled, and I caught Quinlan’s scent almost immediately.

However, the second he stepped into view, those beautiful light blue eyes locking onto mine, Quinlan froze. His body jerked hard once and he crashed back against Soren, his eyes rolling back against his head.

"Quinn!" I cried as Soren caught him as his body continued to jerk, his limbs twitching.

He was having a seizure.

Soren’s violet gaze swung to me in panic as we both realized it at once. I was killing him.

And I realized someone was screaming. It was me. But Regina was too, because something was waiting on the other side of the rift.

A taloned hand that reminded me too much of what the dragon’s hand had felt like was wrapped around Regina’s forearm, trying to drag her through.

Juliette arm was wrapped around her waist, jerking her back, trying to keep her tethered here. "Maisie!" she cried. "Make it stop!"

I didn’t... didn’t know what to do.

I reached out, trying to cut off my connection to it, but it only ripped wider and a panicked sob tore out of me. It was all going to hell and I was a foolish, stupid girl, who didn’t know what to do.

Hands were touching my face. It was Soren’s. "You’ve done it before. You can do it again," he was telling me softly, pleading with me, but I was lost in the terror, and--and nothing was working!

I think I screamed that at him.

He jerked up my gaze to meet his sure violet ones. "It’s okay," he promised me, but nothing was okay, and his raised his hand. "I’m sorry about this."

Soren swung, and knocked me out.