Chapter 20

Chills scrape through my insides. Nova is screaming. Fear and rage rattle my veins but I stay quiet, stay in the shadows.

Miranda didn't know I followed her here, just like she didn't hear me following her across the green. She thinks she's sealed the room, locked the others out, and with them any chance of Nova escaping.

But she's wrong.

Nova is tied to the bed, her shirt torn open. Miranda — or the demon living inside Miranda's skin — sheds its witch-shaped chrysalis and becomes its true self. A monstrous creature with tentacles and scales, its inky black eyes fixed on her.

It starts to speak, but I stop it in its tracks.

With one quick leap, I jump from the corner of the room and clamp my jaws down on its arm. Its tentacles writhe and hiss. It shakes me off. I lunge again, my jaws snapping, aiming for its throat.

It swipes at me with a clawed hand, but I dodge, my wolf reflexes keeping me just out of reach.

We circle each other, the demon"s gaze never leaving mine. I can sense its power, the dark energy that radiates from its twisted form. But I have power, too, born of my love for Nova and my determination to protect her.

To finally be of use.

I jump to the left, then dart right, my teeth sinking into the demon"s shoulder this time. It howls in pain and rage, its tentacles lashing out, trying to catch me. I let go, then twist and roll, using my smaller size to my advantage, then leap up and bite again.

I have hold of two tentacles. I bite down. Its teeth puncture the inside of my mouth, but I keep biting.

The demon's blood is hot and acrid in my mouth, but I don't let go. I shake my head violently, tearing at its scales, feeling them give way beneath my fangs. The creature screams, a sound that seems to shatter the air. But then, with a final, desperate lunge, I lock my jaws around its throat. I bite down with all my strength, feeling my teeth puncture its hide, sinking deep into the pulsing darkness of its veins.

The demon convulses, its tentacles flailing wildly, two of them half hanging off. And then, with a sickening crunch, I feel its windpipe collapse under my jaws. I hold on, even as its thrashing grows weaker, until finally, it goes limp, its black eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling.

I release my grip, panting heavily. The demon's body begins to dissolve, melting away into a puddle of foul-smelling tar. I turn my attention to Nova, shifting back to my human form as I rush to her side.

"Nova," I whisper, my hands shaking as I fumble with her restraints. "It"s okay. I"m here. You"re safe. I've got you."

Her eyes flutter open. "Sam," she croaks, her voice hoarse from screaming. "You came."

"Always," I promise, gathering her into my arms as the last of the straps fall away. I hold her close, feeling her heart beat against mine. "I'll always come for you, Nova. Always."

She clings to me, her body shaking with sobs. I stroke her hair, murmuring soothing words, even as my own eyes sting with tears.

Over her shoulder, I see the remains of the demon, now nothing more than a dark stain on the floor.

"Get this off," she says, pulling at the gemstone that is still stuck to her belly.

"I'm not sure we should…"

She ignores me, ripping it free with a grimace, and leaving an ugly red welt on her beautiful skin.

As she rubs her stomach, I lift her into my arms, cradling her against my chest. She feels so small, so fragile, and my heart aches for her. I know she"s strong, stronger than anyone I"ve ever met, but right now, she needs me to be her strength.

I carry her out of the room, navigating the dimly lit corridors of the museum. The others are in Mack"s room, and that"s where we need to be. Together. Always together. All of us.

As I push open the door, the sight that greets me makes my stomach clench. Mack is lying in the bed, his face pale and drawn. He looks worse than I"ve ever seen him.

Tanner and Kole are at his side, their expressions grim. They look up as I enter, their eyes widening at the sight of Nova in my arms.

"What happened?" Tanner demands, rising to his feet.

"Miranda," I reply, my voice tight. "Yuri was telling the truth. It wasn't her, it was some kind of demon. It had her. I killed it…" I trail off, looking down at Nova. She's still clinging to me, her face buried in my chest.

Kole steps forward, his hand outstretched as if to touch her, but he hesitates. "Is she hurt?"

I shake my head. "I don"t think so. Not physically. But it did something to her powers. She couldn't use them, and it was using some kind of stone." I lower Nova into the bed opposite Mack's. Tanner rushes to her side, and I point out the place where the stone fused to her flesh, and where she ripped it free.

"It's okay," she says, blinking up at Tanner. "It doesn't hurt too much, but Sam was right about Miranda." She sucks in her breath, and now I understand. She's not crying for herself; she's crying because if I was right about Miranda it means I was right about there being no cure for Mack.

Sitting up, she nudges Tanner to one side, crosses the small space between the beds, then curls into Mack's arms. Instinctively, he holds her close and kisses her forehead. Even in his weakened state, his need to protect her is as strong as ever.

I step back, my heart in my throat. A moment ago, I was jubilant. I saved her. She's okay.

Except, she's not okay.

If we lose Mack, none of us will be.

Tanner puts a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. "You saved her, Sam. You got her back to us."

"What was it?" Thornfield's voice floats over from the corner of the room. He still looks like he wants to rip my throat out every time he speaks to me. When I don't answer, he clarifies, "The demon. What was it?" he looks down at his hands, which are holding a glass full of blood. "I assume the real Miranda was killed? And that it took over her body? Used her as a host?"

I blink at him. Is he showing sorrow? "I don't know. It sort of split her open, climbed out of her body. It was big, black, had tentacles."

"Where? Miranda's quarters?" Thornfield strides toward the door.

"There's no point," I call after him. "It's gone. It dissolved when I bit it."

"Solaris…" Kim speaks up. "But it couldn't have been. They're incredibly rare."

"Solaris?" Thornfield frowns.

"They can only be killed by werewolf bites," Kim says. "Lucky you were there, Sam. They're?—"

Kim is cut off by Thornfield, who beckons for him to follow as he throws open the door. "Come with me. Now. I need to know what this thing was."

Kim hesitates, but when he looks at Mack, and Snow, and the others, he nods slowly. Thornfield might be leaving for his own ends, but Kim is leaving because he knows we need to be together.

Just us.

Perhaps for the last time.