Page 45 of A Shadow of Betrayal

That's the weird thing. Every time I’ve encountered a Demon, a burst of excitement twists through me before the fear sets in. I used to think I was mad, that the link I had to the nightmares that stalked my dreams made me crazy. Only now that I know who I am, that I’m an Umbra Hunter… Well, I guess the burst of excitement all makes sense now.

I feel a small smile form across my lips as I stare at the monster in front of me. Its wicked sharp teeth shine in the dark of night, making its mouth look way too big for its tiny little head, and I take a step forward, letting the weight of the blades in my hands ground me as the Demon snarls, its reflective eyes trained on my face.

Reflective, not black.

This is one of the Demons that liked to mess with me but had never attacked. The ones that would ignore me if I pretended I couldn't see them, so I’m not sure how this is going to go down. If this were the soulless black eyed Demons, I know how they work. The way they hunch down before they launch their large bodies at you, the way they snap their sharp teeth together before they bite. The way they rake their claws through your flesh and howl in victory…

I stare at the Demon in front of me, waiting for it to make the first move, bracing myself for it to attack, only… it doesn’t move. I lower my blades slightly, keeping my eyes on the Demon in front of me while I hold my breath.

Why isn't it attacking? And why have they never attacked me before if that's what they do to the other Hunters?

The Demon watches me, its hideous face relaxing as it stares back at me, almost like it's as confused as I am. Its eyes flicker from me to something over my shoulder, and for the first time since it formed from the shadows, does it show any form of aggression. The Demon releases a rattling hiss from its chest, its wiry arms stretching to its side as it hunches down, its strong legs flexing like it's about to pounce.

“Meyer!” Jordan shouts again, this time much closer than he had been. I glance over my shoulder, realizing it's not me that the Demon is getting ready to attack, but Jordan, who is running back toward me, bow in hand and an arrow drawn, aimed straight at the Demon in front of me.

“Wait!” I shout, holding my hand up, needing to figure out why this Demon hadn't attacked, but it's too late. Jordan loosed the arrow he’s holding, and I watch it fly over my shoulder and slam into the Demon’s chest, making it roar in pain. Its reflective eyes flare with a fiery glow as its black claws lengthen, and it charges, its shoulder hitting me straight in the chest, sending me flying through the air.

I gasp and throw my arms out, trying to catch myself as I crash to the snow several feet away. I roll through the white powder as my fingers claw into the ground, trying to slow my momentum. When I finally come to a stop, I look up at the night sky, hearing the roars and screams of both beast and man as the torches at the top of the walls ignite by themselves, bright yellow and orange flames flickering to life.

“What the hell?” I cough out, my now sore head tilting to the side as I watch the magic flames dance above me.

Lifting my head, I watch as five older men slowly descend the steps to the Castle, black and gray cloaks on their shoulders and identical green magic sparking at their fingers. More flames erupt on long-handled torches attached to the Castle by the door, adding to the light in the courtyard, turning our dimly lit battle into a bright horror scene. Red blood soaks the ground; men and Demons alike are sprawled over the snow, unmoving.

“Oh, shit!” I wheeze, my lungs trying to refill with the air the Demon had knocked from them when I was hit. A large hand clamping around my ankle makes me scream right before I'm dragged through the snow a few feet, skidding to a stop just as the shadow Demon’s clawed feet land on the ground where my head had just been.

Sitting up, I watch as a man dressed in black jumps in front of me, the swords he has gripped in each hand spin with incredible speed. My eyes can’t keep up with their movement. The Demon roars and attacks the man, but he jumps back, then spins, evading the deadly claws with ease while exchanging strong blows with his swords. In a matter of seconds, the Demon is on the ground, its reflective eyes darkening with death. The man curses and kicks the dead Demon’s body before spinning in my direction, pointing a finger in my face.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he yells as my eyes connect with the familiar bright green eyes of Creed Regalis. “You just fucking stood there and let the Demon hit you, then stayed on the ground for it to finish up the job!” he roars, his typically happy-looking face twisted in rage as he reaches down and grabs my wrist, yanking me up.

“Creed?” I gasp as I’m pulled to my feet. His green eyes darken in anger as his hands move to my waist, moving over my corset. His hands are so large they span most of my waist and stomach.

“Can you breathe, alright? How do your ribs feel?” he asks, prodding at my tender ribs, and I wince a little, sore from the Demon hitting me so hard. “You can’t fucking heal yourself, Meyer! Stupid girl! Why the hell are you down here?” he snarls, his hands never stop moving, trailing from my ribs up to my shoulders, poking and prodding, looking for any damage.

I shove at his hands and shake my head. “I’m fine. Just a little sore,” I mutter, my cheeks heating in embarrassment as he glares down at me.

“If you can’t defend yourself, you need to go back inside!”

“Umbra Regalis,” one of the older men that just arrived shouts, and Creed looks up, shooting the man addressing him a scathing look that would freeze the blood in my veins if directed toward me. “Where are your brothers?” he asks, and I look around, realizing the courtyard is much quieter than it had just been. A few wounded Rangers limp toward the large stairs, as the rest of the people rush toward the Castle walls, running through the now-opened gates and out into the night.

“I’m sure they are at the source of the problem, Sir,” Creed grinds out. He sounds more than a little upset about the remark, but I can't tell if he’s mad that his brothers are out there without him or that the man talking to him is not. It's obvious that the men with the magic somehow took out the Demons in the courtyard, and I’m kinda pissed at missing that.

“Meyer!” Jordan shouts before I’m scooped up into his arms. “Fuck, I thought you died, then I was trying to figure out how to tell Theo I killed his Angry Girl and… Hey, let go!” Jordan snaps at Creed when he keeps my arm clutched in his grip, hindering Jordan's movements. Creed's glare slowly shifts to Jordan, and I watch as his jaw ticks to the side.

“If you value your life, you will release her,” he grinds out, his eyes narrowing on Jordan's hands wrapped around my waist. “Right. Now.”

I instantly start wiggling out of Jordan’s grip and send Creed a venomous look as Jordan slowly sets me down and steps back, putting his hands up in surrender. “She’s all yours, man,” he says with a wicked grin, and I glare at him too.

What the hell? What happened to having my back?

“First of all, I’m not his,” I snap at Jordan, making his smile fall. “And secondly,” I yank my arm from Creed’s and glare at him. “You don’t get to boss him around like that. What's your issue, Creed?”

“My issue?” he snaps, his shoulders straightening as he squares up with me.

“Oh, shit,” Jordan gasps as a bright burst of fire erupts from the other side of the wall. “Time to find Theo!” Jordan shouts, grabbing my hand and yanking me after him as he sprints toward the open gates.

“Ranger Smith… MEYER!” Creed bellows behind us, and I can’t stop the giggle that breaks free as we dash out of the courtyard.

TWENTY-THREE

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