Page 13 of A Hunter for Luna

As he grabbed for my arm, I ducked back, snarling, “Rot you!”

Something deep within me answered, a rush of power that exploded from my body in a whip of darkness. It hurt and felt good at the same time, like a lifelong pressure being relieved, but needing to break the vessel that held it in.

The leader stumbled back with a pained grunt, clutching at his face. "Void-eaten witch,"

My next blow caught him in the face, and with a wet ripping sound, his nose slid completely off his face. He screamed as the tide of rot continued across his face.

I scooped up my fan, whirling as a piercing scream shattered the air. Two of the men had taken advantage of the distraction to grab Rose. She kicked and thrashed in their grip.

Our father stood beside her, smiling at me. Only a fool would take that curve of his mouth as anything but the threat of pain. He wore a thick belt, close to a professional guard’s in appearance, though the rest of his clothing were normal long tunic and light cloak.

Panic clawed at my mind, icy tendrils of dread snaking through my chest.

If I had to go through him to get to my sister, then I would. I ran forward. He raised a fist and I skipped to the side, skirts swaying, and slashed at his face with the fan.

I thought he’d dodge it entirely, intending to push him back so I could maneuver, but the edge of the fan nicked his cheekbone, a tiny trickle of blood running down his cheek.

Fast as an angry cat, he blocked my progress and snarled, “If you don't drop the fan and yield, Rose dies. You’ve used all the power in your tainted blood killing that fool. There’s no way out, Lunetta. Moonchild.”

Moonchild. A bastard conceived from demons of the dark moon.

He’d never gone that far before. Sadly, it had no power to hurt me.

I dodged around him.

One of the thugs held a knife to Rose’s throat, his hand buried in her hair. She’d stopped screaming, her eyes huge with fear and pain.

Knowing my father, he met every word. I didn't want to drop the fan, but I was out of options.

It clanged as it hit the stones paving the alley. “If you touch me, the d’Alvarez will come for your head.”

“We’ll see about that. Hold her!” my father snapped.

Two of the remaining men strode to my sides, each grabbing one of my wrists in a crushing grip and pulling my arms far to the side.

My father undid his belt. As it kept on unwinding, I saw that he'd actually used a centurion's whip as his belt today, in preparation for what he meant to do. 4 lashes from that would lay my spine bare. I struggled, but I had no leverage, and the two thugs were braced and strong.

The whip hissed in the air before it struck, the thick sharp-edged cutting through the fabric of my gown and the light leather of my bodice as if they were wisps of fog. I jerked forward, gritting my teeth. I knew I'd eventually scream, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction for as long as I could.

Another blow fell, crisscrossing the first. My breath hissed between my teeth in something perilously close to a sob. The fabric of my gown flapped against my sides. Pain streaked through me, centered on the two stripes. Every movement hurt.

I panted in time with the pulsing pain, waiting for the third blow. He made me wait for what felt like hours before the third lash hit my back. Pain exploded down my spine, and I screamed. Rose’s scream joined mine.

Father laughed.

In that pause, heavy metal-shod sandals clattered on the stones of the nearby street. The sound caught everyone's attention. Rose, dropped all her weight straight down, breaking free from her captor. She bolted for the head of the alleyway.

Lithe as a little deer, she dodged his attempt to recapture her and ran straight into a burly man stepping into the alley. He wore the tunic of a d’Alvarez house guard.

He caught her, shouting “They're here! Gaius is down!”

Sofia, face drawn with pain, walked into view. She wore only a belted robe and her silver-streaked dark hair fell loose down her back. I’d never seen her in public so undressed.

She pulled Rose into her arms and stared down the alley.

An unseen, unfelt wind stirred her hair. She said, quite calmly, “You harmed my student.”

The cobblestones buckled, swallowing the men other than my father to their hips. Ghastly snapping noises and screams followed as the stones crushed the men, who thrashed and then lay still.

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