Page 303 of Halfblood Deceived

“Human,” Aella said, only then realizing he was wearing a black cassock. “Priest,” she hissed. Despite all she’d learned about the cruelty of the church, it was still hard for her to understand how alleged holy men and women could be accomplices to such barbarities.

The priest grunted and tried to pry himself free, but he was no match for Aella.

She twisted his arm until his bones broke and then smashed his head against the white wall. His skull produced a sound similar to an egg cracking. He was dead before falling to the floor.

Good riddance; Aella thought. He’d kept Aiko prisoner. He deserved to die.

They all deserve to die! Aella inwardly raged. And I will kill them all with my bare hands if I have to.

Eli was still on fire, but he wasn’t whining anymore. Aella hoped he was dead. If he was still alive, she’d have to deal with him later. Her priority was making sure Aiko was safe.

She went to Aiko’s cell and opened it.

The child ran toward her at once and hugged her waist.

Aella ran her fingers through her short hair. “I’m getting you out of here, even if that’s the last thing I do. Stay behind me, and if I tell you to run, you run, alright?”

Aiko sniffed and pulled back. “Yes.”

“Good,” Aella said. She picked up the dead priest’s gun and led the way upstairs.

Aiko stayed right behind her as she’d promised.

They reached the top of the stairs and found three doors. Two were wholly metallic, and one had a window.

A male peered in through the window, his eyes wide as he saw Aella.

She locked the door from the inside, using the fourth key, before he’d recovered enough to bang it.

Aella kicked open one of the other doors. It led to a cleaning supply room. She turned toward the other and kicked it, finding a short hall and another door.

“This way,” Aella said, entering the hall.

Aiko followed right behind her.

The other door wasn’t locked, and it opened up to the indoor pool.

Aella looked around, found a metallic chair, and used it to jam the door.

There were two ways out of the natatorium. Both led back into the manor’s main floor—one would take them to a room only the males used, and the other would leave them near the kitchen.

A gargoyle came in through the door leading to the male-exclusive room. The same one who had seen her and Aiko escape. He ran toward Aella.

She fired at him.

One of the shots hit his shoulder, electrocuting him, but he kept coming after her. Aella went to meet him halfway, still shooting. He dodged most shots. One hit his leg—but he started to morph into his stone self.

Aella kicked him in the balls.

That, unfortunately, didn’t halt the transformation and only made him more enraged. He morphed into his stone self—horned, with bestial features, but wingless—breathing like an angry bull.

Aella heard Aiko scream.

“Stay back, Aiko,” Aella said. Her skin was too tight, her bones were too tight, and her head was pounding, but she wouldn’t let them get their filthy hands on Aiko again. Never again.

The male lunged for Aella. She dodged him and jumped on his back with her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

He sent his elbow against her ribs.

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