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“You’ll have to do better than that, little—”

I yank my walkie-talkie out and toss it at the demon When it hits, I make it explode The demon explodes too and its blood rains down on Juni Before it splatters, I transfor hiss Juni shrieks and tries to brush away the acidic blood A drop splashes over her left eye and it sizzles like an egg frying in a pan, washing the insect loose She hoith rage, hate and pain

I race towards the staircase I’ll grab Sharmila if I can and flee A een universes can’t lastto keep it open If I can evade capture for that long, Juni and the demons will have to return to their own—

The door next to Sharat the last second and erected a partial shield, otherwise I’d be dead But it cracks a few ribs and bones, and als

As I struggle to my feet, the door rises into the air, hovers a e to construct a weak barrier aroundBut dozens hit ho, thick shard alh the heart like a vampire

“Look at the pitiful hedgehog,” Juni gurgles as I writhe on the roof, trying to make the splinters pop out ofno worse than she did before “All pink, bloody and spiky I’ to slice your stouts out How do you like the thought of feeding on your own intestines before—”

A ball of crackling energy strikes Juni hard She shrieks with shock as she’s blown through the air, coe of the roof As she staggers to her feet, she looks for her assailant I look too and find hi on it for support, exhausted and the colour of death, but fired up for action—Dervish!

“Leaveanother bolt of energy This one hits Juni in her distorted chest, blasts her off the top of the building, and she yowls like a cat on fire as she drops

KID’S STUFF

Dervish takes out two of the deic to pop their brains like grapes They’re dead before they hit the floor The third glances up, sees that Dervish has beaten off Juni and disappears down the stairs

Dervish liet to Sharmila before he does She’s sluic into her legs to stop the worst of the pain and cauterise the open wounds The dehs Most of the bones are intact, but I can’t restore the flesh around them

“Will she live?” Dervish barks, hobbling close to inspect the dae

“Maybe But I can’t do s She’ll lose them”

He sighs, eyes drifting, then snaps back into focus “Where are we? What’s happening? Be quick”

“You had a heart attack We’re on the roof of a hospital You’ve been in a co them”