“I was counting on that.”
The deadly promise in his voice made chills rise on her arms. This Az . . . he was different. From the moment he’d found Marna in those woods, a coldness had crept over him.
“Let’s see how fast they die,” he whispered even as he snagged her wrist. There was no warning this time. Just the wild rush of wind. The feel of a thousand skeletal hands on her body, and in the next instant, they were across the water. On the shore.
And she knew Az was about to hunt.
They’d appeared right in the middle of the area, less than two feet from a lounging shifter. When he saw them, the guy let out a startled grunt and jumped toward them with his claws up. Az wrapped his hand around the guy’s throat and lifted him into the air. “I want the witch,” Az ordered.
The shifter swiped out with his claws. Blood poured from Az’s shoulder.
Az just smiled.
That smile chilled her. This wasn’t the Az she’d come to know. This guy—he was something altogether different.
With his left hand, he broke the shifter’s wrist. Shattered bones.
“You’re dying,” Az told him. “It’s just a question of. . . how painful do you want that death to be?”
A faint glow appeared beneath Az’s hand as it gripped the shifter’s throat. Smoke began to rise from the panther’s skin as he convulsed.
“You can burn,” Az told him, “from the inside out.”
And he was.
“Az . . .” Jade lifted her own hand, then hesitated when the shifter started to speak.
“T-to the left. Th-third building. Witch’s—th-there . . .” The words ended in a choked gurgle as the shifter fell to the ground. His body was still smoking, but his eyes were open, and staring at nothing.
Jade turned away and glanced to the left. She saw the shadowy bodies of two more shifters coming toward her. Only they weren’t attacking as men. They were rushing forward on the silent paws of panthers. She opened her mouth to cry out a warning.
There was no chance to warn Az. No chance, and no need. A ball of fire flew from his fingertips and headed for the pouncing panthers. One cried out, a high, keening sound, and flew to the right. The flames slammed into the second beast. He fell to the ground and immediately began rolling as he fought to put out the flames. His fur vanished as he lost the body of the beast, and the man’s flesh burned as he transformed.
The other panther rose. Faced Az.
Az began to stalk toward him.
Okay, fine, so he had this. She’d take care of the witch. Maybe she’d even get some payback herself because it wasn’t like she’d ever forget that woman shoving the knife into her chest.
Jade raced behind Az. Counted the buildings. One. Two. Thr—
She kicked in the door. “Okay, witch, I’m—”
Heather was tied to the bed. Blood pooled all around her. The witch’s face had been sliced. Her body clawed. There was blood. So much blood. Yet she still lived.
How?
Jade swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat. Heather’s head had turned when the door flew open, and her dazed eyes locked on Jade.
“H-help me . . .” The witch whispered.
Pity tore through Jade even as she remembered . . . The knife shoved into her chest. “I’m taking his heart . . .” Only Heather hadn’t taken Brandt’s heart.
She tried to take mine.
Jade eased into the room. Her gaze searched each corner, all the shadows. No panthers waited.
“Please . . .” Heather’s strangled cry. “Need . . .” She tried to lift her hand, but the rope on the old bedpost wouldn’t allow her wrist to rise.
Jade crouched near the bed. Damn. Those slices were deep. And all that blood . . . “You’re going to be okay now.” No, she wasn’t. Not unless Az could get in there and help her.
His blood. That angel blood of his might be strong enough to save Heather.
“You’re going to be okay,” she told Heather again, meaning it this time. “Az!” Jade screamed his name.
The witch had suffered. So much torture. Jade didn’t forgive the woman for what she’d done, but dying like this . . .
No one deserved to die like this.
Jade yanked at the thick ropes around Heather’s wrists and managed to get the witch’s left hand free.
“Az!” She yelled again. She needed him, now. Dammit, if he wasn’t coming in, she’d have to go drag the angel off those panthers.
Jade turned from the bed, but Heather’s free hand flew out and wrapped around her wrist. “Sorry . . . so sor . . . ry.”