He faded out, becoming a mass of dark and twisted shadows. Lunging to my feet, I let out a battle-worthy scream and swung my arm around, aiming for the center of the black goo. The blade burned bright, the color of hot coals.
My jab never landed.
A smoky hand caught my arm. The touch was bone-chillingly cold. His voice was an insidious whisper among my thoughts, like a snake slithering inside my head. Do you think I’d fall for that? Pleassse…
He twisted. I heard the CRACK before I felt the pain. My fingers twitched and the blade fell to the ground, shattering into a dozen shards like nothing more than fragile glass. I screamed as a wave of pain crippled me.
That wassss for my b rother.
A shadowy hand circled my neck and lifted me off my feet. And thisss isss b ecaussse you annoy me.
Baruck threw me backward. I hit the ground hard and then slid several feet through trampled corn. Stunned, I stared up at the pitch-black night sky.
Tell me where he isss.
Gasping for air, I rolled onto my feet and took off for the trees. I ran. Holding my arm protectively against my chest, I ran as fast as I could, my sneakers slapping against the hard-packed ground and crushing grass and fallen leaves. I didn’t look back. Looking back would be b ad. I tore through the woods, smacking at the low-hanging branches. Déjà vu floated through me as I stumbled over exposed roots and the uneven ground.
Baruck came out of nowhere, moving past in a blur of shadows. He solidified right in front of me, throwing me off. I skidded to a stop, spinning around. He was there, too, and he knocked me to the ground.
“Did you get it out of your system, yet?” A cruel smile formed on his pale lips. “Or do you want to run more?”
I scrabbled across the dirt as I gulped in every ragged breath I could. The horror made it hard to gain any sense of control. I was out of time.
Baruck lashed out. His arm didn’t hit me, but I flung back and landed with a dull thud on the ground. The air knocked out of my lungs. Small rocks dug painfully through my jeans.
He reached down, sinking his hand in my hair and coiling it around his fist. I bit down on my lips to stop from crying out as he dragged me behind him. Material around my knees tore open. Pain radiated through me, threatening to consume me. I was sure he would pull every strand of my hair while ripping the skin off my knees.
He gave another painful yank, and I yelped. “Oops.” He stopped. “I always forget how painfully frail your kind is. I don’t want to accidentally pull your head off.” He then laughed at his own remark. “Not yet, at least.” I grabbed his arms with my good hand, trying to lessen the pull, but it wasn’t much help. He brought me into the path of branches, roots, and boulders. My muscles were screaming in protest and I hunched over, beginning to feel dizzy and moments away from succumbing to the pain.
“How are you doing down there?” he asked conversationally. Baruck abruptly pulled my head up. Sharp pain shot down my neck and back. “Doing well, I see.” He stopped, and I fell the small distance to the ground. We were near the edge of the woods again. He loomed over me. “Tell me where he is.” I put my skinned up hand on the ground, panting. “No.”
His booted foot jerked up, slamming into my side. I knew something broke. Something pretty damn bad, because there was wet warmth running under my shirt.
Tell me.
Wincing, I curled up. The coldness of his true form chilled my very soul.
He came closer. There are worssse things than what isss physisscal. Perhapsss that will motivate you.
Baruck grabbed me by the throat again, lifting me onto the tips of my toes. He leaned in and roughly pulled me against him. His face was inches from mine, consuming my world.
I can take your esssence; drain you until your heart ssstopsss. It does nothing for me, b ut jussst imagine the ssslow unending pain. Tell me where he isss.
I wasn’t brave, but I wasn’t going to turn Daemon over to him. If Baruck defeated him, he’d go after Dee next. I’d never be able to live with myself. I wasn’t that weak of a person. I wasn’t a liability out here.
I said nothing.
He pulled back and shoved his hand into my midsection. I could feel it—his shadowy hand inside me, turning every cell cold. The small space of air between us constricted and pulled. The air in my lungs came out in a painful rush.
Just like that, I could no longer breathe.
My lungs seized as he continued to breathe in my air. The burning in my throat and lungs turned quickly to a scorching fire as sharp pain radiated out over every limb. Every cell in my body screamed, begged for relief, and in protest as my heart stuttered abnormally. It wasn’t precious oxygen that he stole from me, but the very energy that kept me alive. I was losing strength fast, and the panic that was consuming me hadn’t helped. My hands were numb and my one good arm hung limply at my side. Everything slowed and the pain dulled a little. I vaguely felt his hand leave my throat, but I could not move. His powers had me hooked to him as he fed.
He said something, but I could no longer distinguish the words. I was so tired, so heavy, and only the fiery pain in the pit of my stomach kept me from slipping away. My eyes drifted shut of their own accord, and I felt him take another heavy inhale and the pain flared again.
Something snapped within me, like a cord stretched too thin. It broke and recoiled with relentless speed. A flash of bright pale blue light exploded behind my closed lids, and I was momentarily blinded. A roaring sound invaded my ears. Death had come for me.
Death sounded painful, angry, and desperate. Not peaceful. I thought that was unfair. After all that had happened, couldn’t death have welcomed me with warm arms and visions of my dad waiting for me?