Read Online Pretty Dark Sacrifice by Heather L. Reid - Free Book Online

deeper into darkness, and Aaron had no power to stop it. Now he was nothing but a stone cast from heaven to burn up in the fire of his descent, and he wondered if he would ever hit bottom.

Chapter Eleven

     
     
    “Aaron! Wait!” Quinn stumbled forward, hands outstretched, her fingers grasping at the empty air. A trickle of tears grew to a flood. Quinn couldn’t stop herself from drowning in emotion. He was physically gone, but his presence was everywhere. She could smell his damp, earthy scent on her clothes, in her hair, as if she’d been swimming in a river.
    Quinn. You’re losing control. Keep your barrier up, Azrael hissed, one sword coming loose from his scabbard, but it was too late. Coils of fog exploded from the graves around her, too many to count. They were surrounded. When Azrael slashed at one, two more sprang from the earth.
    I can’t. A million cold lances pierced through her exposed mind at once, digging deep beneath her thoughts. Quinn tried to picture a wall of light, but there were too many, and she couldn’t break away. Tears stung her eyes. Iced wind and dark shadows swirled around her, catching her scarf, knotting the ends of her hair.
    The Qeres dagger burned against Quinn’s calf, calling to be freed. Reaching inside her boot, she slipped the blade from its sheath, but before she could use it, shadowy ropes punched through the dirt on either side, grabbed her ankles, and yanked her feet out from under her. She tumbled backward, the wind knocked from her lungs as the dagger was knocked from her hand.
    Whispers, a dozen overlapping, accusing voices swarmed her ears, and her palms pushed to keep them out. Weight like that of a thousand cinder blocks dragged at her limbs, and she jerked sideways, her cheek planting in the mud.
    Digging deep, Quinn searched for a spark, anything she could grab onto to bring her defenses back up, but she couldn’t focus. The demons were everywhere, slithering inside her mind, confusing her, distracting her.
    Whips of fog twined around her body, binding her inch-by-inch with living rope, just as they had in her earliest nightmares, but this wasn’t a dream. She kicked and flailed, but the fog entombed her. Tendrils of living rope coiled around her throat. She screamed, but the noose pulled tight, digging into her windpipe, cutting her cry short. Rolling on her back, she clawed at her throat as the tendrils snaked across her neck and mouth. Fingers of gray mist tied around her wrists and pulled her arms flat to the ground, binding her fast.
    Marcus, Reese, and Jenna were all on their feet now, staring at Quinn, eyes wide. Quinn wanted to scream at all of them to run, but the demons reached into her mouth and stilled her tongue.
    Dark shapes swarmed her, crawling over her body, sucking at her essence. Azrael’s swords glowed and arched as he hacked away at them, but they kept coming, swarming him, pushing him back, and separating her from her protector one inch at a time.
    Marcus rushed to her side, confused at seeing his friend flung around by an invisible force. Quinn shook her head in warning, too late. A hooded figure rose behind him and plunged a dark hand straight into this heart, stopping him cold. Black pupils ate all the white around his eyes as the demon forced its way inside, possessing him.
    “I should have saved him that night, not you. You should have been left to rot at the bottom of the river.” It was Marcus’s voice, but with all the usual warmth and charm drained from the tone. Reese and Jenna circled in from the other side.
    You are but one, we are many. Reese’s lips curled into a snarl. She knelt next to Quinn, eyes full of ink. The demon had a full hold on her now. It cocked her best friend’s head.
    Leave her alone. Quinn squirmed and kicked against her misty bonds.
    You all called us here, and we came at your invitation. Do not be a bad hostess. Let us feed. We are so hungry.
    You want to feed? Take me, but leave her alone. I have so