Her hearing returned with a sharp pain in both ears about the same time as she saw the ten demons standing in the shards she’d lain in only moments ago. Most of them looked somewhat female, apart from the huge creature standing in the middle, pointing at Kesh with a clawed hand the size of a dinner plate.

“…over the girl and I won’t rip your throat out.”

Selma just caught the tail end of the biggest of the demons’ sentence, but it was enough to make her shudder. That rough voice laced with cruelty could only belong to Naharan.

“She doesn’t belong to you—she belongs to my brother, as you well know. Remember how you tried to steal her from him, and in the process betrayed everything that is sacred to our kind?”

Kesh nonchalantly tipped the rocket launcher so it rested against his hip, but despite his seemingly relaxed pose, he was obviously ensuring he kept his body between Selma and the danger before them.

The Prince snarled at the mention of Kain and spat on the floor. “The presumptuous filth is not worthy of her. She belongs with me—with royalty. Besides, where is he now? Not here, guarding the Breeder. He left his imbecile of a baby brother to do that. It seems to me he doesn’t deserve the honor of a mate. This is your last chance—give me the girl or die.”

Kesh’s response was to fire his weapon.

Everything exploded into movement and noise. The demons managed to throw themselves out of the way in time, causing the rocket to connect with the far wall with a fiery boom.

The concrete shattered into pieces. Selma threw herself to the floor behind Kesh as the demons attacked, shrouded in a black cloud of sizzling magic and protecting her head with her arms.

Shouts and growls tore through the air, and through the mayhem she heard Kain’s voice. Their trap had snapped shut. Now all that was left to do was hope they were stronger than the prince and his followers.

“Let’s get you out of the way, hmm?” a dark voice grunted above her, followed by a set of strong arms lifting her from her the floor.

Selma shrieked at the unexpected touch, but she caught a glimpse of the demon who pulled her from the center of the battle’s face and relaxed some. It was Kirigan.

He took her to the edge of the warehouse, his fingers skimming over the cuts on her face in a brief check of her wellbeing. Then he put her down behind a couple of crates.

“Stay here. You cannot get hurt.”