Will of the Witch [Legacy, BK 2 - Completed]

Chapter 7.3

JOHN

The demon slammed into to me with the force of a train, taking me to the ground and forcing the air from my lungs. I didn't have time to think, just react as I pushed the staff between us, struggling to keep its gaping mouth and sharp teeth away from my face. Pain flared across my chest as its claws sank into the front of my shoulders. Desperately, I reached for my magic, straining against the invisible wall that separated me from it.

Someone was screaming and it took me a moment to realize that it was me.

The demon froze, its muscles quivering at the sudden lack of motion, its attention focused above me out in the thick of the jungle. Seconds passed, my heart beating painfully against my sternum as I fought against the demon's weight to breathe.

Like a giant pissed off cat, it hissed at whatever it saw before it turned tail and ran, bounding off in a different direction altogether.

I stared off after it for one disbelieving moment, then fell back, closing my eyes in relief.

So close. I'd come so close to dying.

"John!"

Ezra dropped to his knees next to me, Hunter and Avery, a mere second behind him, did the same. I looked up at them, and Ezra breathed a sigh of relief.

Avery help me sit up, the deep claw marks on my shoulders pulling painfully. "These look pretty bad," she said, leaning in.

I winced, curling in on myself as she cautiously touched the edge of one.

"We need to get these cleaned," Hunter said. "And stop the bleeding."

"We need to get out of here," I said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to be around when whatever scared the demon away finds us."

"Is that what happened?" Ezra stood, looking into the woods as the demon had. He walked towards the trees, peering through the big waxy leaves, only hesitating on the tree line instead of running from whatever he saw.

"Hassim," Suon called, stepping quickly over to Ezra. "We must leave, quickly. The demon will return, and others hurt."

Ez nodded, though I could tell that he was still focused on whatever he saw in the trees. With no other warning, he screamed "Wait!" and took off into the jungle at a dead run.

Suon barked orders and a couple of the other warriors took after him.

"Where's he going now?" Anissa said, coming to stand near us. She and Tessa had gathered the bags and items that had been scattered in the attack, stacking them neatly.

"The hell if I know," Avery mumbled, then looked up at her. "Would you find me a waterskin, please?"

"Sure."

As the girls started to fuss over finding water and a clean cloth, my eyes passed over the fallen warrior on the jungle path. A few of the others were working to get the man on a makeshift litter and quickly bandage his wounds. There was a lot of blood.

That could have been me. Hell, two minutes ago it was.

"Do you think you can stand?" Hunter asked.

I looked up at him and the hand he'd extended to me. The summoners pendant tied on his wrist caught the light of the dying sun, making the stone look a dark red instead of black.

Taking his hand, I fought a groan of pain on the way up. On top of losing my power, now I had been beaten to shit as well. Talk about having a bad week.

Avery handed me my staff. The wood was scraped up a little, but it was still in one piece, thankfully. I leaned against it, testing it with my weight. It held strong,