Page 57 of Court of Evil

“I am not one of you. I’m a hunter, and you? You’re trash, nothing more. When I’m done, this world will have forgotten all about you. I’ll wipe you and your entire likeness from our organisation.”

I slam the prod into his chest before he can speak. I do not want to hear anything he says.

He’s disgusting, and he deserves a painful death.

He took something sacred and corrupted it.

It might make me evil, but I’ll gladly become a killer to save our kind.

He shrieks and jerks from the electricity coursing through him. His hair stands on end and his screams get higher until I pull the prod away. He slumps to his knees, drooling and gagging, so I press it to his shoulder. “How do you like it?” I ask him as more screams split the air behind me. When I pull it away again, he lifts his head, his eyes bloodshot. I flip the prod and smash the glass bottle onto him.

The magic flows down him like water, but he screams as he melts under it. It turns to acid on his skin. His flesh and muscles melt to the floor, leaving nothing but his screaming skeleton. Stepping over him, I head to the table. The warlock’s head is turned away, his hair covering his face.

Eyeing the chains, I glance up at a particularly loud scream to see Addeus’s hand plunge through a hunter’s back and out his front as he lifts the man in the air, and then he brings him back down, breaking him, and buries his face in his chest cavity.

I turn back to the warlock and start to unwind the chains, but there are locks. Snarling, I pull out my gun and shoot them. They break, and I yank the chains off, letting them slither from his body. He doesn’t move, and I worry for a moment that he’s dead. The last one falls to the floor, and I lay my hand on his arm, making him jerk up, his long, tangled black hair falling back to reveal bright red, glowing eyes. I stare for a moment. He's beautiful, the kind that catches your attention, even covered in sweat and magic. His hair, a deep, obsidian black, is perfectly straight and hangs down to his waist. His face is pale, with sharp cheekbones and an even sharper jawline. He's Asian, maybe Chinese, and when his red eyes lock on me, I find myself swallowing hard. For a moment I stare at the symbol that glows on his left cheek before I force myself to focus.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I promise. “I’m here to help you.” He glances at the hunters on the floor and back to me. “Come on, time to go.”

He doesn’t speak as I help him from the table, his head hanging forward. He struggles as I walk us to the end of the table, grunting under his weight. Suddenly, he jerks me to a stop, his blazing eyes locking on the hunters still pouring into the area, and with a gurgled scream, he throws his hand out, palm up

My eyes widen as magic fills the space, and a dragon-shaped flame smashes into the remaining hunters. Their screams fill the air as they burn to death, the smell making me retch.

When it’s over, he slumps, and I catch him as he falls forward, smiling happily before he passes out.

Okay then.

“Uh, guys, a little help?” I call, and three bloodstained faces turn to me, equally as horrific and happy.

Fucking hell, when did my life get so weird?

CHAPTER 25

The warlock is out cold, and Tate is struggling under his weight, but the tempest helps her and effortlessly lifts him, looking way too proud as he waits for her approval.

“Good boy,” she praises, and his grin widens.

“We need to get him somewhere to rest before the hunters show up,” I interrupt.

The fae shrugs. “I can open a portal into the little tower we stayed in.”

Tate’s eyes widen. “Maybe don’t let other hunters know that. They might get upset.” She glances at the warlock. “I have a feeling it would be a bad idea if he woke up surrounded by hunters again. No, I think we need somewhere close. We don’t want him to lose it and incinerate us like he did them.” She nods her head at the burnt corpses.

“Magnificent, wasn’t it?” Addeus says.

Tate simply sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose and muttering to herself for a moment before focusing on us. “Right, enough talking. Let’s get out of here. I’m not in the mood to fight a war today, are you?”

“Always,” the fae and Addeus say at the same time, and then they share a wicked grin.

“I can help, mistress. I would win any war for you,” Tem chimes in.

She looks between us then meets my gaze. “Please be the only other sane one here besides me, which is not something I ever thought I would say.”

“Sorry, cupcake, but I lost my sanity a long time ago, as well as my ability to eat cheese, which I think goes hand in hand.” I grin, and she turns away and starts walking, clearly done with us. With no other choice, we hurry after her, the tempest calling out along the way.

“Mistress, wait, I can be sane for you! I’ll be the sanest person you’ve ever met!”

She simply flips us off over her shoulder, and Tem leans into me with a grin. “That means she likes us, right?”

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