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The walk back seemed to take forever Muscles crarowled and burbled while supernatural hunger clawed at my sanity I wanted to run, but I also didn’t want to waste what little supercharged energy I had left if the vaain I reached the toroaned The girl next to hi him to wake up She saw me and shrieked Then she realized it was me

"Did you see where they went?" I said

She nodded, a wild look in her eyes "They were screa into stuff It was like the Devil hione"

"Good Let me see if I can break you out of there"

Her eyes widened in hope I took out the horn and placed it in the gap between the padlock and the hasp I gripped the base of the horn and jerked The ave way a littleand hard The padlock screeched and popped open After pulling it off, I yanked the door open

Dad groaned and peered at the girl through cracked eyelids He jerked away "No, I won’t do it," he said in a weak, groggy voice "Let her go"

"Dad, it’sin front of him

His eyelids fluttered open "Justin? How?"

"Don’t worry about it I’et you two out of here"

Dad sniffed and wrinkled his nose "Brimstone We’re in terrible da…" He trailed off and his head lolled

I tugged where the chains were bolted to the wall but I ht as well have politely asked theth left in rily The deer clawed my insides and dery that I ht lose control She seeainst the wall like a rabbit facing the wolf

I torethe chains They were old-tith, it would be hard to rip them open

Elyssa’s lock picks

I unzipped her pack and dug through it until I found the little pouch with the tools in thehtest idea how to use them I dumped theh therabbed it and ja with it, the old mortise lock clicked and the padlock popped open

I pumped my fist "Yes!"

After a few ratefully but didn’t go quite so far as hugging er bordered on unbearable but I had too ive in Dad was too weak to walk on his own and too heavy for the girl to carry Elyssa was still unconscious as well

"I hate to do this," I said to the girl, "but I have to leave you here with them"

"Can’t you take me with you?" she asked "Please I’ve been trapped here for days, maybe weeks"

"There aretwo people withbut watch as they finish us off" My story right now, I don’t think I can resistwhisper

I laughed despite the situation "No I feed on eht now"

"I know But in ht also have sex with you and drain you of everything"

She cringed even farther away That simple prey-like movement increased my desire to pounce and take her Every demonic fiber in my body demanded it I closedon irl would help me save them Maybe I could controljust feet away froravity Her sacrifice would save those I cared about theaway froirl "I’m not a monster"

"You don’t look like one," she said in a quavering voice "None of them did"

I shook my head violently, as if that would clear it It only o for help"