Void Domain, Book 04 полностью

As Shalise looked at her, she said something that Shalise did not catch. Even if the demon had been louder, she doubted she would have understood. It sounded more like she was gargling curses under her breath.

Glancing back towards the battlefield, Shalise had a good idea at what.

Sword-doll stood over the pieces of at least four demons. All but one were being dragged down into some portal on the floor, much like the one that had swallowed the incubus Shalise had… killed.

Shalise shook her head. She couldn’t just stand around here.

Prax had been silent since his snipe gripe about being left behind. Shalise could feel him thinking and stewing, though she couldn’t tell what about. Probably his mother.

With all the speed of an extremely careful snail, Shalise inched a foot away from the demon back towards the direction from where they had come.

No! Prax shouted in her head.

Shalise froze as Maoa whipped her head around.

One gauntleted hand flashed out.

Shalise cried out as the nails of her gauntlet scraped against the top of her head.

With a fistful of her hair in hand, Maoa yanked Shalise’s face right up against hers.

In shock, Shalise nearly dropped Juliana. That she did not was thanks only to her fists involuntarily clenching.

“You escaped once before. I can,” she leaned in, nose touching Shalise’s hair, “smell it on you. A familiar scent. Thank you for not killing Orgaz and Tzlip. Otherwise I might still be stuck in my cell.”

Maoa gently, almost tenderly ran a finger over the brand on Shalise’s chest.

It felt like ice cubes.

Shalise sucked in her stomach, trying to put as much space between the finger and her skin as possible.

“Carrying out another prisoner? I should have thought of that first. Lucky for me, my imps proved worthless in killing you.”

The finger on her stomach continued dancing over her brand, tracing light circles over it. At the same time, Maoa’s grip on Shalise’s hair lessened, though she did not let go completely.

“W-what are you saying?” Shalise didn’t bother trying to whisper her words. Face to face as they were, there was no chance Maoa wouldn’t hear.

You escaped, Prax said. He sounded angry. The glare that Shalise could feel only emphasized his anger. But there was a hint of happiness. Or maybe smug pride. And she thinks that I am a genius.

That’s why he sounds smug, Shalise thought. If she wasn’t close enough to Maoa to smell her breath, she might have rolled her eyes.

Instead, her eyes widened. That was where she had heard her voice before. She was the person who had shouted at the imps just before they attacked.

Unfortunately, Prax spat out before her thoughts could go anywhere, I believe she desires a ride out.

Shalise’s heart skipped a beat. “A-a ride? My head is full enough with just you here,” she said.

Maoa nodded despite the comment not being meant for her. One lithe finger pointed up towards Juliana.

“I am happy we could come to an accord. This battle is–”

As she spoke, Maoa turned her head back towards the fight.

All at once, her eyes widened. She shoved Shalise back before leaping backwards.

Time slowed to a crawl.

No sounds reached Shalise’s ears. Her peripheral vision showed no movement in the battle to the side.

Despite it having been racing just a moment before, her heart didn’t beat.

Maoa’s expression had frozen in a snarl as she flew backwards in an arc.

Except, Shalise realized, Maoa isn’t the only thing moving.

From the very bottom of her vision, a shiny, silver line rose up a few inches from her nose. It was about an inch wide, but it stretched from one end of her vision to the other.

As it got higher, Shalise could see herself reflected in the edge. She only recognized herself by virtue of understanding how mirrors work. Her shocked expression had been bloated by Prax’s muscles.

The silver blade lifted up and out of Shalise’s vision.

And everything started moving again.

Shalise continued falling back until Juliana crashed into the wall with a loud clatter.

This time, Juliana’s leg slipped out of Shalise’s grip. She still had a hold on Juliana’s arms, but the sudden weight swinging down knocked Shalise off-balance.

They both fell into a pile.

Throughout her tumble, Shalise kept her eyes on what was before her.

Maoa landed a short distance back, bent over with her claws spread out down by her sides. She looked far more feral than the scary-yet-human-appearing demon that had been speaking to her just a moment before.

A lithe leather boot stepped lightly just in front of Shalise.

She followed the boot up past the tucked-in pants and brown long-coat to a pale face framed by silver hair. Two mercury eyes met Shalise’s own. The corners of her lips tipped down before she turned her head towards Maoa.

Heavy leather gloves tightened around her sword.

Shalise didn’t blink and she still missed the moment that the sword-doll moved.