Chapter 17

How the hell could he face her this morning? Harper had seen what he was, had backed away from him in terror, just as he'd predicted to Xavier.

Soulmates? Not likely. Not when she looked at him the way he imagined all women would.

Pacing in his bedchamber, the light of dawn having restored his body to human form, Jared tried to think of what he could tell Harper.

I'm better off locked up here, in my room, forever. Let the curse work its end. I do not belong to this world.

Remembering the terror on Harper's face, Jared groaned. What an ass he'd been, yelling at her to scare her further. Desiring only to lash out, to drive her away from him.

It was a poor defense mechanism, trying to keep her away from his beast form so she couldn't reject him as other women had.

Yet there was no denying his heated attraction for her, his deep-set admiration for her wit, her brains, and a very male appreciation for her other assets that were more physical.

That kiss yesterday, it had astonished him with the depth of sensual pleasure. He, accustomed to seducing women and getting what he wanted, had felt every nerve ending in his body roar to life.

Jared had felt as if he'd been sleeping for two millennia and suddenly awakened to find himself in a new, exciting world.

Not to mention how she aroused other feelings in him that no other women had, from a fierce protectiveness to simple curiosity. He wanted to know her, wanted to spend time with her and each moment away from her felt more torturous than when that bitch had cursed him with the Krampus form.

Forget her. Harper remained his concern. How the hell could he face her at breakfast?

Easier to remain in his room, have her meals sent to her. But cowardly, and damnit, he was not a coward. Much as he dreaded seeing her again, he longed to greet her.

Assuage her fears. What did you say to a woman who ran away from you, thinking you were the monster of her worst nightmares?

Be yourself. Be honest. Tell her what happened to you. You warned her never to lie to you. Does she not deserve the truth as well?

First, non-threatening attire.

Jared waved a hand and clothed himself in a navy and white baseball shirt, faded jeans and sneakers. He studied his appearance in the gilt mirror near the fireplace. Now he looked ready to play sports.

"Batter up," he muttered.

This was stupid. Sighing, he waved a hand and a crisp white dress shirt, red tie and charcoal gray suit appeared on his body in place of the more casual attire.

The same outfit he'd worn at the bar when he'd first met Harper.

At least in these clothes he felt more authentic, and not someone trying to make an impression (hey, I'm not a threat, no that wasn't me, the hairy beast with fangs and horns last night, look, this is a good suit. Beasts don't wear Italian silk).

As he headed downstairs to the balcony where they enjoyed dining, Jared had to laugh. Here he was, an experienced incubus, nervous about seeing a woman. Hellfire, he couldn't even recall the last time a woman made him nervous.

Because she matters to you, much as you hate to admit it. You really like her. You're starting to care.

Jared adjusted the cuffs of his shirt and scowled as he took the stairs in a brisk stride.

So intent was he on rehearsing his little speech to Harper, he didn't see her leaving her room and bumped into her.

"Whoa," she cried out, losing her balance, her arms pinwheeling. She sank against the wall and stared at him.

Oh, the power of that clear blue gaze, so beautiful and introspective and … soulful. Flustered, he cleared his throat as he steadied her, enjoying the warmth of her soft shoulders beneath his hands.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded, her expression inscrutable.

"I apologize." Jared went with his instincts. "For this, and last night, when I was beastly to you."

Harper didn't say anything for a minute as his heart hammered against his chest. If she was going to bolt, now was the time.

He gambled. "If you wish to leave the castle, I will make arrangements to bring you to a safe place where you may continue your training."

Harper's gaze never left his. "But you are a beast."

As his heart sank, she smiled at him. Such a wondrous, sweet smile that erased all his doubts and lifted his sagging spirits.

"A hairy beast." Mischief entered her gaze. "Now I know why you have that beard. I bet it's hard to shave every morning with all that fur."

Grinning, he rubbed a hand over his short-cropped beard. "It is a challenge at times. Though I do shave my legs in the shower. Kind of wears down razors, so I buy in bulk."

She laughed. "Try waxing."

He shuddered. "Torture."

Harper fell into step with him as they headed to the balcony off the dining room. "Did you sleep okay?"

As they reached the dining room door, he held it open for her. "I never sleep."

Harper gaped at him as they walked into the cavernous room. "Never? That's terrible. You must be exhausted all the time."

He shrugged, hiding his pleasure at her concern. "I've learned to deal with it."

When they were sitting at the table outside, their breakfast appearing on the table at his simple command, he decided to tell her.

"You saw me at my worst last night. Again, I apologize for my harsh words."

"You did warn me, so it's my fault for intruding." She added sugar and cream to her steaming coffee cup and then sipped. "What happened to you, Jared? I daresay that isn't your incubus form."

"Not sexy enough, though some women prefer hairy chests. I daresay mine wins the prize for that."

Harper smiled, but looked troubled. "Tell me what turned you into a Krampus."

"You saw what I am. You know I am an incubus." He buttered a slice of toast and set it aside. "I seduce women at night. It's my nature. One night, several decades ago, I made the mistake of trying to seduce a woman with significant power. A witch."

Toying with his knife, he gazed out at the magnificent snow-topped distant peaks. Never had he told this story before, and every word felt like acid in his throat.

"Excuse me if it takes me a while to tell this. I haven't wanted to think about that moment in many, many years."

Harper moved the chair closer to him. She touched his hand. "It's okay. Take all the time you need."

Studying her hand he took a deep breath. "It's best I say it quickly. Her name was Serena."

Harper's gaze went wide.

"She was beautiful, but in a superficial way. I will not go into details, but I tried to seduce her with the usual words of adoration and love. When it didn't work out, and she rejected me but wanted to get to know me better, I promised we would get together soon."

"You mean, you told her ‘I'll call you,'" she said dryly.

"Something like that. I told her I would spend the holidays with her in Vienna, her favorite city. After two weeks, she tracked me down. Saw me with another woman. It was Christmas time. I had forgotten all about her."

"You lied." No condemnation in her voice.

"Yes." Somehow it felt good to admit it. "It was in my nature, and I felt no guilt about it. I simply looked at her and laughed. Told her to get lost, I was busy."

Harper winced. "Ouch."

"Later that night, I was walking through the streets of Vienna when she appeared and told me I was a curse to women. A beast who was the opposite of good and kind. The kind of monster who no one could ever love. She cursed me to become Krampus every night after midnight and keep that form until sunrise."

Moisture formed in her eyes as she squeezed his hand. "That's terrible. I understand how hurt she was. But still, a little over the top."

Jared shrugged again. He couldn't tell her the way to break the curse, for it was forbidden.

Not that he wanted to tell her anyway, because this wasn't about him. It was about her, and training her.

They were not soulmates. Never could be soulmates. He ceased believing in such myths.

"I'm sorry, Jared. That is a huge burden to carry, and the way I acted last night as if you were some horrid beast, I'm sure that didn't help."

"I am a beast, Harper." Jared withdrew his hand. "Don't waste your time thinking I am not. It's been so many years I've forgotten what it feels like to be a man after midnight."

"Is there a way to break the curse? There has to be."

Dread mingled with an even worse emotion surfaced. Hope. Hope was a horrible feeling, because it could get crushed time and time again.

He preferred to feel nothing.

Jared pushed away from the table. "Eat your breakfast and if you do not wish to leave, we'll resume your training."

The stamp of her on her expression was hard to ignore as he walked away.

They spentthe better part of the day training in the courtyard. Jared taught her to dodge bolts of energy, and repel them with her own powers. When Harper had successfully averted a surprise attack, he seemed satisfied.

Still, Harper wondered if training here was enough. Here in the safety of the castle, behind the thick stone walls, nothing could touch her. But in the wider world, she had a target painted on her back.

And there was the matter of him turning into the beast she feared the most… after midnight. While she appreciated his trusting her with the origins of his Krampus form, she wished he would consider ways to help her break it.

He'd done much for her in the time since he saved her from the demon at the volcano and she wanted to help him in return.

Best to concentrate on the training Jared provided in using her powers rather than the curse holding him hostage. A sore point, she could tell, and she felt it in her bones he didn't want to discuss it further.

Even though she wondered if Serena the witch was the same one who cursed him as the servant he employed. Maybe later, when Jared seemed less tense, she could ask him.

"You're not concentrating," he roared.

She dodged a firebolt he suddenly lobbed at her and threw coldfire at it, dousing the flames, Harper realized he was not in a mood for discussions about the curse.

"Stop taking out your frustrations on me, Jared. Why can't you blow off steam like other men and watch football and yell at the television instead of hurling fireballs at me?"

Harper tucked and rolled as he threw another one, which followed her. It singed her bare arm, making her cry out. Oh damn, that hurt, burned so bad. She rolled again.

"Use your magick, damnit!" he yelled as he tossed another fireball at her.

Closing her eyes she imagined soothing coldfire surrounding her body. The burn vanished. Harper's eyes flew open.

Blue coldfire encased her body in a protective shell, preventing the fireball from penetrating and hurting her.

Through the blue haze she saw Jared nod, clench his fist. The fireball vanished. She pulled the coldfire back into her body as he came over, and helped her to stand.

Jared examined the slight burn on her forearm. His caress felt cool and soothing, easing away the ache. Or it was her own powers, for when she glanced at the burn mark, it had vanished.

"You have to be more careful, Harper. Demons aren't going to give you a chance to react. Or a second chance."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Harper doubled over, gulping down deep breaths. The way he'd attacked her was scary.

Far worse was the fact another demon would not hesitate, or give her breaks. The attacks would keep coming.

Dragging in another deep breath, she straightened to see him quietly observing her. Arms folded, he leaned against the stone wall, his expression guarded.

"I mean it Harper. I'm absolutely fucking serious. Saqara is not giving you a second chance. If he sees you, he will drain you, slowly, toy with you and it will be excruciating."

She fingered her ponytail. "I'll do my best to avoid him. Where does he live?"

Sauntering over to her, he gently tweaked her swaying ponytail. "He used to sleep below the slopes of the volcano you visited, until you woke him by igniting your coldfire magick. Now? Best guess is beneath the slopes of Mt. Fiery, a volcano in Guatemala."

"This demon guy, he likes the hot stuff."

Jared did not smile at her joke. "Yes. Last time he caused Mt. Fiery to erupt in 2018, several dozens of innocent villagers were killed."

Harper swallowed hard. "That's horrible. Those poor people."

"He likes to roam over the destruction he caused, and since that was the last volcano he stirred up, he's probably there."

"I'll make certain to avoid that volcano." Harper began to pace. "And look out for him."

"It's not enough. He'll be searching for you." Jared rubbed his bearded chin. "We need to test your powers outside this castle if you are to survive, Harper. I can train you for a millennium, but until you face the outside world, you won't know how well your defenses work."

"Like a simulation versus flying a real airplane?"

Jared nodded. "Best place would be someplace crowded."

Suddenly she had a real craving for fun, for people and laughter and socializing.

"I know a good place. The Funky Alehouse back in South Florida."

Raising his dark, sleek eyebrows, he stared at her. "A bar?"

"It's crowded and public. Well, it will be in about two hours, when the happy hour crew arrives." She stretched her arms, feeling the pull of muscles she'd barely known she'd had. "And I could use a drink."

Jared frowned. "I don't know…"

"C'mon Jared. Live a little. Let's have some fun."

Glancing upward at the sky, his frown deepened. "It's late afternoon. Perhaps tomorrow. Earlier in the morning."

"Jared one does not go to a bar called the Funky Alehouse before noon. Besides, they aren't opened."

Sensing his deep hesitation, she went to him and hooked an arm through his. "You'll be with me, so what could happen? Besides, you wanted to see how my powers would work in public."

He glanced down at their interlocked arms. "Perhaps for a little while. Do they have food?"

Harper beamed. "The best honey garlic chicken wings in town."

He made a face. "I certainly hope they have other offerings than garlic. I do have vampire friends, you know."

Her turn to stare at him now, as he released a deep laugh. "Gotcha."

Harper rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Let me shower and then let's go."

An hour later,they were seated at the bar. Feet dangling off the stools, they ordered the Alehouse Pug, a craft beer Harper thought tasted like cherries and Jared called "a young man's wet dream."

A stamped copper counter covered with clear plexiglass showed the scars of previous drinks. It was Friday, not prime time for the football fanatics or other sports aficionados, but the happy hour crew began to drift in, taking seats at the bar. Harper moved her stool closer to Jared's.

Two men joined them close by, asking the bartender to turn the television to a sports game. Jared watched them with a sly smile.

"Skins. Normals," he mused.

Harper shrugged, feeling curiously detached from men she once wished to know better, but felt too shy to approach. "Whatever passes for normal these days."

"Want to see the normals go nuts? Watch this." He winked at her, then tugged on his left ear.

The channels on all the big screen televisions turned to a shopping network selling pottery. Next he tugged on his right ear and the channels all changed to a fiery television evangelist. Sputters and shouts of indignation followed much louder than the preacher"s diatribe.

"You are terrible," Harper giggled as she drank more beer.

"Terribly good," he murmured clinking glasses with her.

"Got any other tricks you can demonstrate?"

"I am not a circus sideshow." Jared drew himself up straight. "I'm a professional."

She giggled again, the beer creating a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. "Changing television channels is for amateurs."

Jared traced a bead of condensation down his glass. "Want to know another good trick I did? This will impress you."

"I'm hard to impress, sir." Harper's nose tipped to the air. "But do tell. Spill the tea."

At his questioning look she sighed. "The tea. The gossip."

"Ah. Well, you know all the fuss over that hot pink tumbler that everyone wanted, so many people in fact…that they camped out at retail stores to get one?"

"Don't tell me you invented that drinking cup. I know because it was around for a long time."

"It has been," he agreed. "But I drove the frenzy around it. I created the need. Simple thing, really. With social media these days, it's quite easy."

Harper shook her head. "Do you ever do anything good?"

He shrugged. "Not truly in my nature. I am a demon."

She wondered about that. Definitely he had powers, and his seductive nature loaned itself to being an incubus, but he wasn't evil. She sensed Jared hid his true nature from others.

Maybe like me, he doesn't want to get hurt again.

The sun began to sink lower by the time they left the bar and went outside.

"Now where?" she asked. "Can we go someplace else to test out my powers? All we tested out was your ability to change television channels."

"True. We could return home to Peru."

Returning to the castle wasn't a good idea. The stone walls felt restrictive, prison-like. How he tolerated it, she had no idea.

"It's early."

He craned his neck, looking up at the sky. "How about more training, only this time in the open? I'll assume my incubus form. There's a field in northern Florida that is a perfect place for battle."

Jared teleportedthem to a meadow she'd never visited before. Harper looked around with appreciation. Pink and lavender wildflowers carpeted the meadow, and a live oak tree stood as a lone sentinel amid the blooms.

"This is a good spot – wide open – for you to test your powers."

"Or to simply relax and enjoy nature. Trees. Flowers. Wide open meadows." Harper was tired of lessons. After the fun they'd had, she didn't want to return to the serious Jared.

Not replying he stepped away. Jared transformed before her stunned gaze. His incubus form had leathery wings ending in sharp tips, short but prominent black horns atop his head. His black hair was shoulder-length, flowing like silk. A leather loincloth covered his bulging sex.

Jared flexed his muscled biceps. Metal armbands engraved with odd carvings seemed to tighten.

Harper licked her lips, watching him. A demon, but a sexy one, whose scent enticed her. She inhaled deeply. The air seemed sweet and replete with the scent of wildflowers, pine and meadow, and pure male.

This should be a challenge. Jared as a human proved distracting, but this…

"Defend yourself, mortal." His voice sounded deep, threatening.

Dying sunlight glinted on his sharp black horns. Horns that could nick and tear and pierce.

Kill.

Lethal combat with an incubus demon who'd walked the earth far longer than her, who had battle skills beyond her meager attempts.

"I'm not going fight with you, Jared." Holding out her hands, feeling the sun's warmth, she wiggled her fingers. "You could hurt me."

Worse, I could hurt you.

"I could surprise you. Better, you could surprise me." Jared backed away a few steps and folded his arms across his chest. "We'll never know until we try. You need practice, Harper. You need to test your powers on a demon form and this…"

He stretched out his wings. "Is the best you've got right now. If your magick can hurt me, we'll know you can adequately protect yourself against another demon on a power hunt."

Harper's good mood vanished. Was this to be her life, a roller coaster of emotions and experiences, with happiness not lasting long before hurling toward the next disaster? Always having to watch her back because some hangry demon wanted to drain her dry?

"I can't attack you." She held out her hands as if to push him back.

Without another word he lunged and slashed at her with talons that suddenly emerged from his fingers. A line of fire burned across her palms.

"Ow!" She stared at the lacerations. "What the hell did you…"

No warning, he lunged again. This time she danced away, holding out her hands.

"Defend yourself." Unsmiling, he attacked again.

Not gonna get the drop on her again. Harper snarled and blue fire shot out of her hands, hurling at the knife-like talons striking, trying to make her bleed.

She retreated at the same time he did. A shiver ran down her spine as Jared advanced, his dark eyes smoldering with intensity. His mere presence sent tingles of sensual need rushing down her spine, mingling with the alertness of a coming battle.

"Ready or not, here I come." Jared"s voice was like velvet, smooth and alluring.

Harper tensed, her determination burning bright. She knew that mastering her abilities was the only way to protect herself from the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

Without another word, Jared reached out his hand, his touch sending fiery sparks flying between them. Harper closed her eyes, focusing on the energy coursing through her veins, channeling it into a blazing inferno of coldfire.

Flicking out her fingers, she unleashed a torrent of blue flames, the intense coldness radiating from her fingertips. Jared's own power crackled in the air around them, but was doused by her coldfire.

Suddenly he was airborne, flying above her and then landing as quickly behind her. Jared flicked his wrist, sending a rush of fire toward her. She easily repelled it.

"See? I can handle you," she said, shaking her head. "This isn't any different from what we practiced at the castle."

"Oh?"

An arched eyebrow, and a knowing smile.

Sweat dripped down Harper's pale brow as she danced around Jared, her gaze centered on his lethal talons, the sharp hooks at the V of his wings.

Power shimmered inside her, magick she held at bay out of concern for Jared. Poised, she watched his body for the tell, the move that accompanied every strike. Fingertips tingling with pulsating coldfire itching for release, she waited.

For such a large, muscled male, he moved with sinuous grace, obsidian wings unfurled, creating shadows on the flowers. His bare feet crushed the delicate blossoms as he circled around her. Gaze burning with a fiery glow of his power, he unleashed the darkness within him.

Just a little.

She sensed he held back. Because of her? No, something else made him resist using all his dark powers.

"Harper," he purred, his voice a seductive melody, "You know you cannot win against me. Not without your magick. Embrace the coldfire within, and let it be your shield."

With a flick of his wrist, Jared's talons elongated.

Harper"s heart raced as Jared lunged at her. Instinct overtook reason. Blue coldfire roared out of her fingertips. The luminous power created sparks of cobalt blue dancing in the air before sailing toward his chest.

His heart, the most vulnerable organ.

Jared"s talons slashed through the blue stream and cleaved it in half before it touched him.

He shook his head, scowling at her. "Faster, you must be faster, Harper. Do not give your enemy time to react, to do as I just did. Strike the most vulnerable heart of your opponent."

This time she countered with a surge of coldfire that twisted into ropes of power. Instead of directing the stream at his heart, she aimed lower.

Coldfire slammed into his groin, igniting it in a shower of blue sparks. Gasping, Jared clapped hands over his genitals, wheezing as he reeled backward.

"Well done," he squeaked.

Harper rushed over as he bent over, wincing. "I'm sorry! You said to hit where it would hurt most."

"I did." He drew in a deep breath. "Son of a bitch, so I did. Give me a minute."

As she put a quivering had on his shoulder in comfort, he straightened, and struck. Suddenly she found herself flat on her back in a bed of soft petals, staring up at Jared straddling her waist.

"I told you, Harper. Never let your guard down."

Her eyes narrowed. "You were injured!"

"No compassion, no surrender. If you even show a glimpse of pity, they will cut you down and slice you to ribbons."

Snarling, she slammed a bolt of coldfire into his chest, sending him hurling backwards. Harper sprang to her feet, energized and ready.

"I can take you," she panted.

He made no move toward her, only watched. "Can you?"

A rush of overwhelming sensual arousal slammed into her as if she'd been pumped full of high octane aphrodisiacs. Her entire body clenched, the space between her legs aching and empty and needing, oh dear heavens, she needed so much. Instantly she went from tensing for battle to tensing for bed. Images began playing in her mind, no matter how fiercely she tried to keep them at bay.

Lying on satin sheets, her nude body rubbing against the softness as her nipples went diamond hard. Wet with her arousal, she held out her arms, welcoming him, whimpering as he stood by the bed with a triumphant smile of satisfaction.

Gasping, she doubled over, trying to eradicate the sensual onslaught of his powers, but he kept flooding her mind, making her weak with sheer need. Sex, all she could think about was sex and she needed it now, needed it with him and only him…

Harper flung back her head and moaned as the images changed, and Jared joined her on the bed, kissing his way up her trembling, naked body, then delving between her thighs.

"So you see, my dear, my weapons are not only fire." He sounded raspy and breathless.

Harper looked at him, really looked at him. Sweat beaded on his temples and his body quivered much as hers did.

Had she had this effect on him? The mighty incubus, wanting to seduce her as much as she wanted to be seduced?

Harper reached out to touch his face. His dark gaze glittered. Glancing at her wounded hand, his expression tightened.

"I hurt you."

He picked up her palm and placed a single, gentle kiss on her cut. Stunned, she watched the skin knit together.

Their gazes met. "Did you just…" she began.

"I don't know."

"Your touch healed me. I'm sure it did." Harper gestured to his wings. "Let's try again. Give me all the dark magick you have."

An unknown emotion touched his face. "My dear, you are strong and you can protect yourself. But I cannot unleash all my dark power to train you. I risk crossing over."

Self-preservation nudged aside her growing love. "Crossing over into what?"

He gazed into the distance. "You do not wish to know. Life can be a delicate dance between light and darkness for beings such as myself."

Odd. "You mean demons? But are you really a demon, Jared? Because demons don't do that dance. They're already committed to the dark side. Total relationship, not flirting with it like you."

His gaze narrowed. "Do not make me into someone good, Harper. Overestimating me can land you in deep trouble."

She wanted to help him, ease the torment glimpsed in his deep, dark eyes. Harper had only instinct to guide her.

"I can't make you into someone you aren't, Jared. Stop thinking you're this big, bad demon." Harper flicked out her fingers, showing the blue glow surrounding them. "You said this demon Saqra wanted to kill me and drain my powers. If you were truly evil, wouldn't you want the same?"

He looked away. "Perhaps I want something from you as well, only not quite as destructive. But maybe damaging in its own way."

The cryptic words roused her curiosity. "What do you want from me, Jared?"

No answer, for his attention sharpened on the meadow's far edges. A sudden gust of wind whipped through the dying grasses. Harper"s instincts kicked into overdrive. Jared turned, every muscle tensing.

The wind blew harder, howling like a banshee. Were banshees real as well? She didn't know, only that whatever approached was not friendly.

"They've found us," he announced, his body tensed as if for battle.

"Who? What?" She strained to see the edge of the field as the wind increased.

"Demons. I scent about two or three. Not too powerful, but bad enough."

A gray mist fogged the air, dropping the temperature several degrees. The stench of sulphur and decay overtook the fresh, pine air.

Sucking down a breath, Harper glanced at Jared.

In his incubus demon form, he looked formidable, ready to take them all. Muscles flexed as he stretched his arms.

"Stay here. I'll be back."

"Jared," she started to call, but he had vanished.

Gone, as if he'd never been here. Damn, this was her battle, and she was the reason for attracting these demons.

Where did he go? Surely he couldn't have abandoned her. Not now.

Maybe this was the ultimate test of her powers. Hey, let's attract some lethal demons ready to shred you into bits and see if you can defend yourself before you end up on some demon's food platter.

Adrenalin rushed through her veins, fueling her magick and her determination to fight.

The mist grew thicker and menacing, rolling toward her. Biting cold pierced her skin, making gooseflesh rise on her arms. With a primal snarl, three shadowy figures began taking shape.

Harper's fear rose several notches.

The demons had smooth pink flesh, slits for nostrils and red mouths with dozens of triangular, sharp teeth snapping together.

One had tentacles, several of them, reaching out. She saw whirling, sharp edges at the tips, like circular saws. One tentacle snapped out toward her, but she dodged the blow. She tossed a bolt of energy at the demon, which shrieked and vanished into an explosion of bright red fire.

Harper summoned her coldfire and tossed it at the other demons, who dodged the energy bolts.

Suddenly Jared appeared, wrapping his arms around her waist. Jared in his human form.

"Forget it," he roared. "You'll only attract more."

She felt the tendrils of a nightmare wrap around her. Not losing her friends and everything she knew. It was this. Demons intent on killing her.

She was running out of time to save herself.