Page 39 (1/2)

Words Bella had once spoken to me echoed in my head It’s not always about brute force It’s about using your brains Use their strength against the deep froshape The beauty in her features was gone, replaced by raw bestiality She closed to thirty yards Twenty Ten Five At the last ed to the side, threw out hborhood web-slinger, just like the day I’d savedinto the Gloo around Vallaena’s thick waist as she blurred past, her clawed feet tearing up clods of earth, spraying dirt in my face Even with her supernatural reflexes, there was no way she could stop her extra ined the strands beco her to a crawl She reached the apex, and stopped But only for an instant With , I jerked on the iant rubber band

Vallaena zipped over ht, her body a blue blur I was so shocked by her speed, I nearly forgot to release theit just before her momentum would have pulledcar’s buh several saplings, and vanished into the gloom A moment later, I saw the top of a particularly tall tree shudder with impact The thud echoed like a thunderclap Spider bats shrieked, flapping away fro roared in the distance, its ravenous bellow echoing froreement, I couldn’t let thata trail of broken saplings, uprooted bushes, and finally found Vallaena lying spread-eagled at the base of a huge tree with a demon-shaped divot in its thick trunk Blue blood strea down her cheeks and pooling in her huge dean to shrink back to normal Another roar reached my ears, this one much closer, so without further ado, I picked her up, and ran for the safety of the shield Once back in thean eye on the unconscious woman until she returned to normal size, and her blood had turned to a red hue

Exhaustion heaped atopover me like a wave I’d pushed myself today, physically and ic while ht thrilledthe price At least I was safe for now

Pawed feet padded behindyellow eyes of a hellhound

Chapter 29

Mustering what energy I could, I directed a growl at the hound It cowered, whi a demonic eyebrow, I reached over and scratched its belly

"Good boy," I said, ue lolled

I watched the other hellhounds struggle to their feet I fought to reht blurred and wavered fro beast trapped behind the thinning wall of my resistance I would just have to face the hounds withoutit into its psychic cage My body shrank back to normal size just as the hellhounds, still someobbly on their feet, came toward me They stopped Sniffed Vallaena, and rolled onto their backs in front ofabout hellhound su, I wasn’t sure why they were suddenlyto do withI was the boss of them

Vallaena moaned Pressed a hand to her head, and sat up Her bloodshot blue eyes e of her nose, head bent as if in silent prayer, though I figured it had more to do with the worst headache of her life After a full minute or so, she looked back at loat, but the look of disbelief on her face was just too precious to pass up "Kicked your butt"

Vallaena nodded, face pensive "I ahtliss"

I rocked back on et hit on the head, or did you really just apologize?"

"I am desperate for you to be healed If you succu curse, ill all succumb to the Seraphim" She looked up at me "Do you understand?"

I nodded "But your behavior is no excuse" I sighed and offered her a hand She took it, wincing, and I pulled her to her feet "If you try to ain, I will leave you in a heartbeat"

Her eyes grew large and hopeful "Does that e?"

I offered her a sy just earned you another chance"

"Well, I think you have proven yourself today, nephew" She took my hand in both of hers "I am proud of you"

I looked at her dirt-smeared, blood-stained face, and wondered how she could feel pride inthe snot out of a woman, but decided it had been self-defense "Uo hoet cleaned up?"

She nodded "I will Until tolad I’d orkout attire, and swung by the gye so people wouldn’t wonder how a filthy bued to slip onto ca outside on a bench with round next to it "The RA wouldn’t allow er," she said "Even when I offered to bake him cookies"

A snort escaped me "Well, I have another place It’s probably haunted, but you’re gonna love it"

She quirked an eyebrow "You discover theplaces, Justin"

I led her to our new "home" She stopped and stared Gave me a sideways look

"Hey," I said, "it has toilets"

Bella grinned "I suppose that’s a start"