Air froze in my lungs as I planted my left leg behind me. I’m not weak. The daimon landed right in front of me. I can hold my own. I sprang forward, using my back leg to propel me. Pulse pounding, I held tight onto the dagger as I whipped around the daimon. Our arms brushed, and I dipped down, swiping out with my legs.

The daimon went down, sprawling onto its back as I popped up. Instinct took over, and I raised the dagger. I didn’t think as I brought it down, slamming it into the chest. The dagger went through the torn shirt and into the chest cavity as if the daimon’s skin was made of water. There was little or no effort behind it. I couldn’t believe it. The dagger went clean through, nearly to the ground.

It jerked, back bowing, and then imploded in a shower of glittering dust. It happened so fast I nearly fell forward, catching my balance before I stumbled through whatever was left of the daimon.

“Holy crap,” I whispered, and then coughed out a startled laugh. I did it. I totally did it, and Seth—he thought I couldn’t do this, take out a daimon. But I did it!

Empowered by my proven badassery, I headed toward the group, where they were still fighting the remaining daimons. Seth took out a daimon, and like the one I got, it exploded into a strange shimmer. My gaze connected with Solos’s.

“Oh shit,” Solos said.

Seth spun around, and I swear he almost fell over. Shock splashed across his face, and then his eyes went luminous, a deep burning tawny.

Uh-oh.

Bare-chested and speckled with blood and God knows what else, Seth prowled toward me. “Please tell me I was knocked over the head and I’m seeing shit, because—”

A blood-curdling scream raised the hairs all over my body. I spun around, and inhaled sharply. A female Sentinel rushed me. Blood covered her face like a gruesome smear of red lipstick. Her blue eyes were unfocused, glazed over. There were no daggers in her hands. She shrieked again, and a part of me knew she wasn’t friendly, but she didn’t look like the—

“Josie!” Seth shouted, springing forward, and it all happened so fast.

Stepping into her attack, like I’d done before, I started to dip down to take her legs out, but she spun on me, forcing me back a step. Her arm cocked and she screamed again, swinging like a pro—like she knew exactly how to deliver a debilitating blow. I dodged the blow and thrust my arm back, about to shove the dagger forward, but I . . .

I hesitated.

Oh my gods, I froze for a second. Wrong, totally bad move, but she looked like any other Sentinel. She looked mortal. Human. Not some deranged Greek creature hell-bent on gnawing on me like a chew toy.