Page 1 of Court of Evil

PROLOGUE

Ilift my head groggily, blood dripping from my parted lips. At least two ribs are definitely broken, maybe more. Betrayal lies thick on my tongue as I stare at the men I trusted with my life.

We are family. We have been together for years. I might not have always agreed with their methods, but I agreed with the end result—until now.

As the elite of our kind, we have survived things no others have by trusting one another and fighting side by side, but as I stare at them now, all I see are strangers—strangers willing to hurt innocents and torture and imprison me, one of their own, to get what they want.

They are corrupt. It has taken me too long to see it, and now I am left without any options or freedom. Everything we have built lies in tatters, and my dreams and hopes are broken, along with my body.

“I am sorry, Tate,” Eric, one of our youngest and newest recruits, calls as he heads to the cell door.

“You will be,” I snarl.

“You won’t make it out of here alive,” Major Black replies as he wipes his blade clean of my blood and grins at me. I knew thefirst time I met him that he was capable of evil, but it was aimed in the right direction, until it wasn’t anymore.

“We’ll see about that.” I smirk, even as it causes agony to ripple through me.

He simply spares me a disgusted look. “We could have been great together, Tate, an unstoppable unit. Such a waste. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have some hunting to do.” I watch him walk away, feeling such intense hatred, I’m surprised he cannot feel it.

The outer door slams shut, followed by Black’s mocking laughter, and I let fury fill me.

They won’t get away with this.

I won’t let them.

I will hunt down every inch of evil within our house and destroy them.

It’s time I become a monster rather than just hunting them.

Sometimes, it takes evil to fight evil, and before this ends, my soul will be as black as theirs.

CHAPTER 1

Four years ago . . .

Ihoist my duffle higher, and the material catches on the worn shoulder of my trusty leather duster. The other shoulder houses my patch, which identifies me as a hunter. Some of them aren’t smart, so it’s better to make them aware of who I am right off the bat so they don’t shoot first.

It’s cooler up here, which is nice because my leather gloves aren’t filled with sweat.

My waist-length ginger hair is held back by two braids interwoven with my trusty wire—easy to conceal and even easier to use. I prefer my guns and blades, but in a pinch, the wire is useful in cutting off heads or choking people. You can never have too many weapons.

My bright eyes zone in on the base. It looks like any other skyscraper, apart from the fact that it’s in the middle of butt fuck nowhere, not on any maps, and surrounded by trees and grass. It’s the hub of the northeast sector. All new recruits pass through here for training. This land is covered in traps, cages of monsters to hunt, and everything a new hunter could need—all owned by ashell company that is listed as some form of resort to keep prying eyes out.

It’s been two years since I passed basic, but watching the newbies run drills brings back memories. It isn’t easy being a female in the hunters’ guild. Nearly all members are males, but I never had a choice. My father was a hunter, and even though he wanted a son, he got me and he trained me just like he would have taught a son, so when it came time to apply when I turned eighteen, I didn’t hesitate. He is gone now, but his training remains with me, as does the need to carry on our legacy and honour him and our beliefs.

Blowing out a breath, I quit stalling and set off towards the sixty-floor glass skyscraper. The building is heavily fortified for both ground and air attacks. We have bases scattered across the country, but only four main hubs—north, south, east, and west. They’ve been attacked in the past, and they always fail, but this base is the longest standing tower of the four.

It’s where the best of the best come.

My dad wasn’t top brass, just an everyday hunter, and that’s how he liked it—not because he was no good, but to keep me and my mother safe.

I keep walking until I reach the entrance, a concrete wall stretching as far as the eye can see, making this the only exit and entrance. Turrets and outposts with guards are positioned on the sides, and I sense the current of electricity in the air that alerts me to alarms and cameras.

It isn’t normal for humans to be able to sense that, so I keep my ability hidden. Some of us are just . . . sensitive, as my dad liked to call it. Either way, it’s a trick I use often. I’ll use everything in my power to keep myself and my team alive, even the things they don’t know about.

Stepping under the arched concrete gate, I feel magic flow over me—stolen or traded magic. We look the other way if they help, a necessary evil when you are fighting monsters.

The sign above makes me grin.

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