Page 80 of A Spark Of Revenge

THIRTY-EIGHT

Meyer

Iwalk away from Valen, trying to act normal as I freak the hell out. Something is wrong. For some reason, I can see more than I could before; there are suddenly shapes in the dark. The pine trees are no longer dark outlines against the night sky, but trees with branches and pine needles I can see clearly.

I rub my sore wrist and glare down at it. The man from the dream had taken my hand and burned something into my skin, but when I look down, there’s nothing there. I even ran my thumb over the skin to make sure there wasn’t some weird bump under the skin, but it's perfectly fine besides the dull ache in my joint. Jordan looks up as I draw closer to the Regalis bloodline and winks at me, nodding at the empty spot next to him as Monroe continues to yell at them all. I glance to my left, studying the wall that had been decimated the night before but now stands tall and slow my steps.

“How the hell did they rebuild that overnight?” I mutter, then shriek when Jordan stands next to me and nods at the gray stone.

“Your blond scary guy did that while Theo's mom was getting the Rangers together after the Russians got here,” he explains. I purse my lips, impressed as hell. I didn’t know that was something Valen could do, but he did say he was a strong magic user.

“Valen’s not scary,” I huff out as I stare at the wall.

“You’re delusional and are looking through rose-colored glasses. The only Demon who may be slightly more terrifying than Valen is Lennox,” Jordan mutters, grabbing my hand and yanking me with him as Monroe suddenly shouts for us all to move our asses toward the gates.

“We’re going beyond the gates?” I ask in confusion. Jordan nods, checking his arrows and bow before counting the knives he has strapped to him and touching the handle of his kalis, taking a mental count in preparation for battle.

“Yes. We stay behind the walls if there are too many Beastia simply because they are too deadly to meet on the battlefield. But doing that means we run the risk of getting cornered like last night. If Razar and you hadn't led some of them away, it could have been much worse for us.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” I mutter, following Jordan and stopping in front of the gates as they slowly are opened, the giant hinges creaking in the cold as the courtyard lays still, waiting for our signal to move. I feel completely out of my depth here, because I'm not a soldier like the Hunters around me. I’ve only been training for a couple months, yet there is some sort of rightness in me as I stand there with the Regalis bloodline, and I realize for the first time since coming up here… I feel like I belong. Even though I had the chance to leave, I stayed.

Elaine and Lennox are the first to move, followed by one of the badass-looking Russian women, who has long black hair streaked with gray. She’s on her own horse and riding at Elaine's left while Nox takes her right.

“You ready?” Jordan asks, an excited smile crossing his face as he bounces up and down on his toes, shaking his hands out at his side as he tries to stay loose.

“Nope. Not even a little bit,” I reply, but can't help but smile in return.

“Move out and head to the south,” Monroe calls out as the Rossi Senior does the same, motioning for everyone to move toward the designated areas. “Remember to not cross the boulder line out in the clearing. Archers are stationed on the wall, and you will be caught in the crosshairs,” Monroe continues to instruct as our feet crunch on the frozen snow below us.

My eyes widen as I look around the dark field, seeing things I’ve never seen without the sun out. Something shifts inside me, and I swallow, desperately trying to ignore the sensation of something bad about to happen.

“There,” Jordan whispers, pointing to the center of the large clearing where the path bends and heads down the mountain. Five tall figures ride on horseback, their forward motion sure and steady as they stride into the clearing, then pull their horses to a stop. Elaine, Lennox, and the Russian Senior are a ways ahead of all the Hunters, and a thread of worry fills me when I realize if they were to be attacked, there would be no one there to help them.

The sound of a branch snapping in the trees about a hundred feet from where we stand on the north side of the wall makes me snap my head in that direction just as a low howl breaks across the clearing. The trees suddenly shift, branches swaying as rogue Hunters in different colored fighting leathers run from the trees, storming us from all directions with no warning. I hear Lennox yell, and the Hunters respond, blades drawn as the Hunters and Rangers around me begin to run forward and attack.

Jordan's hand grabs mine, and he yanks us forward. “Stay by my side,” he demands, and I nod. “I’ll watch your back. Use your blades first and try to take them out before they get close,” he instructs, pulling out his bow and arrows, notching one on the string and letting it fly so fast I almost don't see it. We all spread out as the enemy rushes at us, the sounds of screams setting my teeth on edge as I palm two blades and swallow hard, suddenly realizing these are people I’m going to kill… not monsters.

A knot lodges in my throat at the thought, but then I see a big, burly rogue Hunter set his eyes on Jordan and lift his bow, taking aim. I growl under my breath, and I let my blade fly, no longer concerned with the people I kill as long as I keep my friend safe.

My aim is true, and the thrill I get when I hear the man scream in pain makes me sick. Blood courses from the man's parted lips, and I can feel a feral smile twist on my face, darkness pooling in me as I watch the man die. In the next moment, I whimper and step back, realizing what I just did. Something is definitely wrong with me. I’m going to have to ask Nox to make sure something didn't happen during that dream because ever since I woke up, my senses have heightened, my excitement for blood and danger is no longer a thrill that races down my spine but a physical need… something I’m starting to crave. I felt it when Nox commanded me to leave the rooftop earlier today. In the moment, I wanted to challenge him, to make him submit to me the way he was trying to force my own submission.

Fuck! This isn't good.

My eyes fall on two large monsters racing toward Jordan, and I scream in warning. He’s moved farther away from me, and I curse when he spins and takes aim with his bow, but I already know that's not going to stop the Beastia. I sprint forward just as one of the monsters launches itself at Jordan. Cursing, I throw another blade at the monster just as its big paws bring Jordan crashing to the ground. Shit! I wish I knew whatever magic Razar had done to the blade he had given me for the last attack, that would be really handy right now.

Jordan yells and brings his sword directly up into the soft part of the Beastia’s body, making it release an ear-piercing scream as I release another blade. It strikes the monster in the neck, making an arc of dark blood stain the snow near Jordan’s head as the second Beastia crouches to attack. I jump in its way, not wanting it near my friend. But just as I reach for my sword, a massive black Beastia barrels into its side, taking it off its feet and rolling through the snow.

Wasting no time, I grab a throwing blade in each of my hands and rush over to where Jordan is, bringing my blades down with a shout, aiming for the black pools of death that stare back at me. The Beastia’s blood-curdling howl cuts off as it falls forward. Jordan rolls over in the snow and stands, bringing his sword up as more Hunters swarm us.

“Billy and I have these. Go help him!” Jordan shouts, and I twist on my heel, eyes widening as the large Beastia slowly shrinks, its needle-like fur receding until a naked Razar is all that's left. He’s hunched over in the snow with deep wounds etched into his back. His flesh torn like paper as he hisses a curse through his teeth, while the body of the one he had just saved me from lies motionless at his side.

“Razar!” I yell, rushing forward and grabbing a cloak off one of the dead rogue Hunters on the ground nearby. Just as I reach him, Creed also approaches, his eyes running over Razar as he bends and grabs another cloak, tearing the fabric with his hands and running over, tying it around Razar’s waist as he grunts in thanks.

“Where the hell have you been?” Creed asks, moving some of Razar’s hair away from his eyes as I place the cloak I grabbed over Razar’s shoulders. The Demon stiffens and growls, but Creed whacks him upside the head and glares at him. “Knock it off.”

“There were Wraiths waiting for us halfway down the mountain. All the Hunters from the Gatehouse are dead,” he rasps, and Creed and I curse at the same time.

“Fuck. Okay. I’ll let Nox know. There aren't as many Hunters here as we were led to believe, and the attack so far has been incredibly uncoordinated. So we should be able to handle this wave of them easily,” Creed mutters, and I sigh in relief as Creed stands up and hands Razar the sword he has strapped at his hip and nods at me, raising a brow as he grins. “You got her?” he asks, and Razar nods, growling at me like a rabid animal when I roll my eyes in annoyance. Then I quickly throw one of my remaining three blades at the Hunter dressed in colors I don't recognize. The men are acting like it’s me who is wounded and not the Demon.

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