The moment Charlotte landed against the tree, the demon had already adjusted to her new position. It came from below, climbing the trunk with terrifying speed before launching upward. Charlotte tried to push off, but the demon's claws reached her first.
They tore deeply across her torso.
The strike opened her from below the ribs down across her abdomen in a brutal diagonal line. Blood exploded outward, hot and immediate, spraying across the tree bark and splattering onto the leaves below.
Charlotte's breath caught, then her claws lost grip.
The demon slammed into her fully afterward, and both fell from the tree.
Charlotte hit the ground first, the impact driving the air out of her lungs.
The demon landed above her, jaws opening wide.
