Brighid's Mark by Cate Morgan Page B

her heart. The moment before the violence began had always been a perfect moment for her. Perfect calm, perfect focus, perfect peace. Perfect.
    She reached around and curled her fingers about the worn leather grip of her sword. The demon’s eyes flared as she drew it from the scabbard. “Remember me?” she whispered.
    It did.
    Callie felt the Loa enter Liam’s dreamscape, causing it to stretch to watercolor hues and reform to accommodate the new presence. It reminded Callie of that first step from the real world to the Otherworld, the Tír na Nog. The teacup spin teased her equilibrium before settling into a vaguely unbalanced waver. The air snapped and fizzed along the fine hair on her arms, thickening until her ears popped.
    Whatever Liam was doing, it seemed to be working. Yshotha stumbled as the dreamscape shifted. Callie compensated in the bend of her knees, then took the opportunity the Loa provided, and ran full tilt at the demon with weapon drawn.
    Her blade sliced across Yshotha’s ribs, right into fiery veins. Lava splashed across her jacket, raising the smell of burned leather. Fire flared all around as the demon screamed. She ducked and rolled to avoid its swinging, massive arm. For such a large beast, it moved faster than she expected. She could take no chances—one hit could easily crush her.
    Warm air breezed by as she spun out of the path of another fist. Then she lunged to strike behind its knee. She had no idea if Yshotha had tendons or not—either way she figured such a wound would prove painful if not debilitating.
    Yshotha snarled and swatted at her. She flung herself bodily over its fist, shifting her center of gravity and hitting the ground in a heavy tumble. It jarred every bone, knocking her breath away. Come on, Liam. Come on come on come on …
    She held her ground, waiting for another fist to come flying her way. When it did, she dodged it and dove between its craggy, smoldering hooves, going for the other knee.
    She missed. Swearing, she made an impatient second attempt. She managed to knick the demon’s leg, spewing more lava, but in its blind fury, Yshotha slapped the blade from her stinging hand. Her sword spun away with a forlorn, metallic clatter.
    She somersaulted back just in time to avoid being pancaked all over the dreamscape. Breathing hard, she slid the knives from her boots and charged. She hurtled an arm, used a lava-bleeding knee to hoist herself midair. Pivoting built a little extra momentum, enough to embed her blade in a network of chest veins carrying liquid fire to its heart.
    Lava spewed in all directions, searing her face and hair. Callie pushed her endurance past the pain, a muffled scream escaping past clenched teeth. She reached with her other knife and started to climb like a slightly demented Fay Raye bleeding and burning up the façade of a demonic King Kong.  
    Her rise didn’t last long. Yshotha tore her from its chest and shook her hard.
    Any time now, Liam.
    A final breath-stealing squeeze that snapped more than one rib and Yshotha tossed her like a broken toy across the ground. Callie landed hard enough to shatter bone, rolling, spraying gravel. She stuttered to a slow, broken stop, able to draw in only a whisper of breath. One of her broken ribs punctured a lung.
    Callie dug her hands into the rough ground, pushed herself painfully to her knees, and looked up. Yshotha limped toward her, satisfaction flaring in its eyes.
    Fair Brighid and all her feuding relations, this is going to hurt .
    Craggy toes slammed into her side like a van hurtling out of between , and she flew, turning almost gracefully before falling once more.
    She blacked out before she hit the ground.
     
     
    Liam’s hand shook as he poured rum into his cupped palm. He tossed it in a wide, curving arc along the rough outline of his makeshift circle. “Legba, you know me. I have found the demon Yshotha.” He poured more rum, swung it in another arc. “A champion battles it now, but