Page 107 of I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker
Half of his men kept straight while he and the others turned left, heading for the front.
“You all go join the fight. We’ll head for Talkeen,” Raymond instructed the others, and they took off.
As the others ran, Raymond and I continued on our decided path. I couldn’t see the entrance, but he could. What I could see were the flickering bodies in my peripherals. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but I realized it wasn’t just phantoms caused by paranoia. They were shadow walkers, jumping in and out of shadows, getting closer and closer to us.
A minute later, we reached the center of the hollow hall. It sat behind a half-wall that wrapped around the two giant orbs floating in the middle. The orbs could be partially seen over the top of the walls that acted as a barrier, the only thing keeping the orbs in place as they performed a dangerous dance with each other. They weren’t still like I had pictured them. And they felt like magnets. Huge magnets with fuzzy edges that called to me.
“Keep your distance,” Raymond instructed me, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. “I know how it feels. But trust me, do not get anywhere near that thing.”
“Okay.” I gripped the holster on my waist, making sure my weapon was still there.
“The door is just ahead.” He pointed.
“Watch out!” a deep voice called out, and I turned just in time to see a man's fist coming straight for my face. I dipped down, dodging the hit and instead of meeting me, he met Raymond. My shadow walker grabbed the man by his throat and threw him back what looked to be at least fifteen feet.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Raymond was back by my side in a flash.
“Raymond, I’m fine. You know I can handle myself.” I stood, pulling the hilt from the holder, and the blade appeared. “Eye on the ball.”
“Right.” He looked away from me. “Because we have company.”
I turned to follow his gaze and saw several shadow spots opening.
“I thought they couldn’t do that.” I pointed at one of the spots. “They’re supposed to be weaker? Right?”
“Clearly, someone got their shit wrong.” He pulled his shirt off.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking the reins off.” He winked. “Remember how hot I am now.”
“Excuse me?”
“Trust me.” He kissed me, and then the shadows lifted from his body. Those tattoos that danced across his flesh outlined his body like a visible aura, and he glowed! The man actually glowed as his shadows snapped out like flames dancing around him.
He held his palm out to me, and a string of shadow passed from him to me. It formed a ring around my midsection, spinning like an automatic hula hoop.
Then, he took off. Raymond danced in and out of the shadows. Every time he appeared, he had a different man in his clutches. Most looked close to humans, but some of them did not. I watched him closely, holding my position as he fought. But I couldn’t stay there long because eventually, the shadows brought the fight to me.
A shadow opened to my left, and a hand reached out, but the spinning barrier around my waist shot out, slapping the hand away from me.
“Oh, shit.” I watched as it pulled back to me, then I searched for Raymond again. Just ahead of me, I caught sight of his hair as he stepped back into the darkness. “Okay,let's do this.”
It happened again. Another attempted attack, another defense from the shadow Raymond lent to me.
Let’s get it, girl!
Something inside me clicked when I saw Raymond disappear again. He was holding his own, and I had to do the same. I wasn’t going to let him or anyone else be distracted by the human on the field.
It didn't matter what came at me. If it attacked, I swung, I fought, I did whatever I had to do to survive. I hoped like hell I didn’t accidentally hurt someone who was on my side. Even though I defended myself, I tried not to kill. Injure, take them out of the fight, sure, but never kill.
I couldn’t say that for the other members of my team.
The shadow walkers danced in and out of the darkness, going in and out of view. But more often than not, when they returned, it was our men on top. The ones they fought no longer moved. Those who couldn’t use the shadows fought in plain view, and it looked like the opponent had some non-shadow walkers on his side as well, because most of the demons I fought ran right at me. No shadows to assist them.
I cut through a purple guy with a golden fringe hanging from his face. As he ran at me, heavy fists poised to crush me, I shocked him and ran straight at him. I dropped to my knees, sliding across the floor and activating the blade. It lit up just in time to cut through his ankles.
He fell and cried out as he grabbed his ankles and realized his feet were no longer attached.
