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Eilahn had broken two of the de its best to slash a claw across her throat while she struggled against it, her own face set in a fierce rictus I wasn’t wearing my duty weapon, but I had my backup piece in an ankle holster It took a few more seconds of Twister-worthy contortions, but I finally ed to yank the little Kel-Tec 32 out of the holster, shove it against the de shriek and released us both I rolled aside, gasping raggedly, but Eilahn apparently had no desire to let it recover to attack another day Her face twisted into a silent snarl as she pinioned three of the arainst the paveain, Kara," Eilahn said calered to ainst the creature’s head It went still, oddly hu at iveain had been set for it to perforainst whoever had sent it But I had to do this, and there was no way it wouldn’t hurt the de out of it like a pierced balloon Eilahn released it and straightened, standing over it as its liht began to stream from the holes in its torso and head Cracks appeared in its skin and the light flared to blinding levels A heartbeat later a ripping crack split the air, and the de behind only the sour smell of ozone and a rancid perfu hand I hurriedly shoved the gun back intothem deep into a pocket I knew I hadn’t actually killed the demon Since it wasn’t of this plane I’d simply sent it back to the demon realm It wasn’t a threat any

"Are you injured?" Eilahn asked, gaze sweeping overfootsteps I’d been hoping that the pop of h to draw attention, but apparently even a 32 was significant

"Look annoyed," I warned her as two uniforuns drawn

"It was firecrackers," I called to thee "Soht it would be funny to throw firecrackers out of their car at us"

Both officers relaxed at the sight of e and holstered their weapons "They’re lucky you didn’t pop thereed, adding a fervent snort for eht have"

Fortunately they seemed satisfied with our explanation, and didn’t look around for any detritus that firecrackers would have left behind Probably helped that I’d had e ready to flash, and there was no reason to doubt my story After the pair walked back toward the squad roo," she said, a slanced down at my arm My jacket was black so the blood was almost impossible to see, but there was definitely a rip, surrounded by a darker spot When I touched it ed out of the jacket "Darey shirt underneath, but I didn’t have any sentiers into the small tear, I ripped it wider

The syraza peered at the wound "It does not appear to be very deep"

"The bruise will probably hurt worse," I replied "It just needs a Band-Aid or so"

She retrieved the first aid kit froed the puncture The worry on Eilahn’s face didn’t abate, and I knew it ut

"This is the first time I’ve been attacked by a demon when there’s been no doubt it was meant for me," I said Earlier this year I’d had an unpleasant encounter with a creature called a kzak--a non-sentient denizen of the deent Ryan Kristoff had also been there, and I had plenty of reason to suspect that he’d been the true target of that attack

"Yes," she said "There is no et" Her frown deepened as she scanned the area, lifting her head as if she was scenting the wind, which, for all I knew, she was "Yet it was not trying to kill you"

I resisted the urge to say so trite like Coulda fooled ht "It didn’t put up ?"

"The graa was foolish to attack you when I was present" She turned her gaze on me "It had to have known that it would fail, and that its risk of destruction in this realreat"

"But it could hardly wait for when you weren’t around," I pointed out Eilahn was never far fro hts occurred to me "And, of course, thisfor the demonic lord who has it in for me"