Page 16 of Flirting with Death

"None of them are Orcs," Rai said.

"The hunter needs to be brought in alive," one of the two said, switching to English mid-sentence.

The other followed suit, and it was like they had flipped subtitles on for me. "We only need her blood, that is what the muse said."

Every single instinct wanted to attack and eliminate the likely threat, but Rai had an iron grip on my wrist. "They can lead us to Apollo's muse," he said into my ear.

He was right.

We waited them out as they flipped back and forth between languages, only giving me a part of the picture. When they parted ways, I only knew that the muse seemed to think that if they had me, that they would receive the tools to stay here. What if it wasn't me they needed, but my guys? I would never let that happen. If I could get to their encampment, I could eliminate the threat to my happiness, because as soon as the thought of them needing my guys filtered in, it grew roots, and I knew that was the solution. They needed them, not me.

As soon as Rai released my wrist, I flew from my hiding spot and sliced my blade through the demon's neck that wanted to kill me. The other two had headed the other direction. He fell to the ground without a sound. I left him where he fell and sprinted after the other two. This would end now. They were weak in the daylight, most of them sleeping off the previous night's devious acts.

I knew that at least one of my guys was hot on my heels. They were behind me, I could feel them. I was sure that they both would give me an earful about running into danger, but was it really a choice if it would save them? If I caught the horde off guard, then I had the upper-hand.

I wasn't thinking straight, that was the only explanation I had when the two I was chasing stepped into my path like I had rushed into their trap. My dagger held in front of me, I stalked closer, as they tried to cut off each side of me. The tall lanky-looking demon started muttering something beneath his breath, and a light formed on his palm as he held it up. He didn't have time to toss whatever magic it was at me before I shoved my blade deep into his chest. When I spun for the other one, three others were with him.

Trap.

I crouched into a fighting stance. The slight ripple in the air told me there was some kind of barrier between me and safety, but that was okay, I had taken out four at once before. Sure Bellamy had shown up to take care of the last, but I would have had them that time. Whoever had been following me was nowhere in sight as I searched the forest. If they so much harmed a single hair on either of my guys, they would pay for that mistake once I could get to them.

When two more added to their numbers, my heart thumped painfully in my chest. They were dangerous because they would sacrifice the few for the many. If I had been thinking clearly, I wouldn't have run off into this stupid situation. If I had never let any of the men in my life grab hold of my heart, I wouldn't have felt like I needed to protect them, but it was too late to cry over spilt milk, as my mom would say.

As the two demons approached, I swung wildly at them. If they needed me alive, they would have to get close enough to take me. And right now, I wasn't willing to go without a fight. They looked sort of like a troll with the green skin, but they didn't have the long tusks that the trolls normally had, and a fine liquid dripped from their skin.

Gross.

However, they matched their size. Identical grins lit up both of their faces, and I fell back, as if they scared me. Really, I wanted them away from the others.

My killing blows hit them one after the other. Both bodies fell like sacks of rocks. I didn't have time to celebrate the win before another wave came for me.

Round two.

The invasive thought had me grinning like a madwoman. They should run. The next were as easy as the first. The adrenaline coursing through my veins strengthened me.

I had taken out six before I realized that they just kept coming. A flash of light blinded me, and when my vision cleared, Alastor was standing next to me, his beast already in the fight. Then I blinked, not once, not twice, but three times. What I saw knocked my breath out of me.

Bellamy.

He was lethal as he fought his own kind. He didn't hesitate to drop them to the ground. As he killed one, his tail was wrapping around another to bring them close enough to slit their throats. His feral movements matched the beast as they took out the remaining threat. I joined them in the fight. My gaze met Bellamy's long enough to tell me I wasn't seeing things. He was really here, still breathing.

As soon as the final horde member fell, so did whatever barrier they had put up to keep the others out. Lex and Raiden came to an abrupt stop as they took in the carnage and the other men standing next to me.

"What? How?" I looked between Alastor and Bellamy. They exchanged a glance that spoke volumes. There was more between them than there had been before. Or maybe it had only changed into something different.

"Alastor healed me." Bellamy shrugged, like my mom hadn't tried to kill him to save me. "Takes the umph out of my heroic act."

“But you’re alive!” I didn't care how it happened, only that it had. I threw my arms around Bellamy, it was probably one of the first times I had touched him and didn't want him to zap my clothing away. When I pulled away I grabbed onto Alastor, holding him tight enough to squeeze the life out of him.

"You couldn't have sent a message?" I said as I pulled back.

CHAPTER 11

Alastor

The joy on my Goddess's face was enough of a thank you for me. I would save anyone she cared for if it would give her that happiness. Her question hung between us. The truth of the matter was, I wasn't sure I could save him. My healing didn't work on the damage from the blade.

"I didn't want to give you false hope."

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