The Demon's Song Read Online Free

watched, horrified, as
     the man raised his head, glaring at her with burning red eyes. He opened his mouth,
     snarling like a feral animal.
    Fangs. He has fangs. He can’t have fangs, he can’t—
    Then he lunged for her, his inhuman scream ringing in her ears.

Chapter Three
    Phenex knew something was wrong the minute Sofia disappeared into the curtained alcove
     where the restrooms were. Centuries of expertise in causing trouble had given him
     a sixth sense when it came to finding it.
    Funny…she hadn’t struck him as the type to attract problems. Then again, she attracted
     the hell out of him.
    Not really caring how it looked, Phenex cut the song short and stood. He set his guitar
     on the stand, ignored Luc’s glare, and leaped lightly from the stage. In a series
     of steps so swift they were invisible to human eyes, he was standing at the curtains.
     He knew he’d get an angry lecture later for using his power so openly here with so
     many humans around, even though he doubted any of the mortals in attendance would
     even notice what had happened—a blink, and he’d been gone. Still, the vamps took great
     pains to hide themselves. Small wonder. Vamps might not be hunted by demons, but they were hunted. Yet his rapid movement had been necessary.
    He smelled blood.
    The little blonde who’d taken Sofia away from him turned just as the ladies’ room
     door swung shut. She jumped a little when she saw him, but none of the fear in her
     wide eyes was for him.
    “Where is she?” Phenex growled.
    “She said get help. Sofia. Something’s wrong. Sara…and the noises…” Her hands fluttered
     nervously up to her throat, and she’d gone as pale as some of the vamps in here. Even
     if he’d been a creature inclined to comfort, he wouldn’t have. The smell of blood
     was everywhere, thick as molasses, cloying.
    “I’m the help. Stay here.” Phenex slammed into the bathroom just as a high-pitched,
     feral scream filled the small room, echoing off the tile. He bared his teeth, fangs
     deadly sharp in their own right, and launched himself at Sofia just a split second
     after a dark shape came flying out of an open stall toward her. The instinct to protect
     was as overwhelming as it was unfamiliar. In that moment, all he knew was that he
     needed to be a shield… her shield.
    The vampire’s scream stopped abruptly with a choking gurgle, but Phenex never made
     contact with either Sofia or her attacker. Instead, he found himself springing to
     his feet empty-handed on the far side of the bathroom, whirling to engage in the fight
     he knew was coming.
    I missed her…how did I miss? I never miss…
    It was a shock to see Sofia land a hard punch to the vamp’s windpipe and then slam
     her foot into his crotch before hunching into a fighting stance. The well-dressed
     vamp staggered, then crumpled, clutching his throat and collapsing to writhe on the
     floor. He wouldn’t be down long, but somehow, this beautiful, out-of-place human had
     managed to save herself, at least for the moment.
    Phenex could only stare at her, torn between irritation and admiration.
    “You’re going to want to finish him off before he gets up,” he finally said. If Sofia
     had a bloodthirsty streak, he figured, that just made less work for him. And he wouldn’t
     be the one getting bitched at for making a mess in here.
    Sofia didn’t seem to hear him. When she drew in a shuddering breath, Phenex saw the
     truth—she was terrified, almost beyond reason. That was when he felt it again, that
     rush of instinct insisting that he protect her. The words that fell from his lips
     came before he could think better of them.
    “Hey. It’s okay. I’ll take care of it. Hang on.”
    Then she finally did look at him, those sea-glass eyes burning bright. She looked
     like a hunted animal. The vampire at her feet gagged again, but this time he managed
     a word.
    “Bitch.”
    “I only see one bitch in here,” Phenex said, knowing that in