Free The Witching Hour (The Grim Reaper Saga (Urban Fantasy Romance)) by Marie Hall Page B

still aware enough to roll them away from her.
    This had to end now. It was incredibly hard to overcome a reaper, but he felt too close to it for comfort.
    With one last shot of adrenaline Cian snatched Bezel’s arms and yanked them behind the demon’s back, pulling them up higher and higher.
    Bezel struggled to free himself, but to no avail, he was trapped. Cian planted a knee into the demon’s lower back for leverage. Bezel howled with rage, kicking out, barely missing his jewels.
    Cian hated to do this, but there would be no other way to stop the demon when he was fully entranced. With a swift upwards stroke he snapped both arms at the wrist.
    “Bloody hell!” Bezel cried, bucking Cian off his back and crawling away on his forearms. Instantly the silvery net faded. The chimera destroyed by Bezel’s pain.
    Dragging air into his lungs, Cian hung his head, spent. His body felt like it’d been thrown into a trash compactor. Everything hurt. But he couldn’t rest, not now. He stood on shaky legs and made his way to her. Grabbing the leather glove he’d had the foresight to stick into his pocket, he slipped it on--he couldn’t risk the chance of accidentally grazing her.
    Scooping her up, he cradled her slight body to his chest. Cian trembled, but not because of her next to nothing weight. She was so soft. Her scent wrapped around his body like a gentle embrace.
    Cian glanced at Frenzy.
    Frenzy sighed. “You know I’ll have to come back.”
    “But no more this week, Frenzy. Make this fair and give me a fighting chance.”
    Frenzy didn’t move or say a word.
    “Swear it,” he growled when Frenzy failed to respond.
    The reaper gave a slow nod. “For the kinship we share, I give you my word. But you know the Queen is not bound to this oath. I’ll do what I can.” Then he swiped his hand, opening the portal between the here and there and stepped through, vanishing.
    “Cian, you dirty bastard,” Bezel chuckled. A dark green mist sheathed the demon. The snap and crack of bones reforming sounded. “You knew how to stop me.” He shook his head. “You’re either incredibly stupid, or just plain screwed in the head.”
    Cian licked the corner of his mouth, tasting the drops of pooling blood. The spreading ache of his wounds a constant throb. “Both.”
    The demon snorted and hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “Mortally wounded my bindsmen. He’s in the dumpster, I’m sure praying for your services right now.”
    “I’m sure.”
    “Anyhow,” Bezel frowned and shoved a fist through his close cropped hair, “sorry ‘bout this. Lost my head. All that blood, then she showed up. Couldn’t stop myself.”
    Cian shook his head. “She’s safe, that’s all that matters.”
    “Yeah.” The demon shook his head and walked off, hands shoved deep into his pocket, appearing yet again as nothing more than a harmless frat boy on his way home from a late night binge.
    Cian couldn’t contain a sigh of relief; she was safe for now, at least from Frenzy. The Morrigan could still choose to send another. He fervently hoped that Dagda could somehow get her to agree to the terms. The Fae God had sent him back to the witch, surely he had some vested interest in keeping her safe as well.
    He’d bought some time and that was all that mattered.
    Not enough. Not nearly enough.
     
    ***
     
    Eve groaned. Did I die?
    Pain flared through her head like a nova about to burst.
    Probably not. Hurt like hell.
    All she could remember was demonic purple eyes, the taste of sulfur on her tongue and finally darkness.
    She shivered, feeling cold. But this wasn’t a normal chill. This was a marrow deep, soul-sucking abyss.
    Eve wanted to scream, rage, and cry all at once. Tears welled in her throat. A hollow mind-numbing void consumed her.
    Sharp bursts of pain came lightning quick and stole her breath. It was like an ice pick ramming through her brain.
    She hissed through her teeth. Panic and fear for her sisters hammered at her heart.