Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Xavier looks away as he talks, not liking that Antonio is trying to take charge, but also not wanting to argue. He’s only holding back for my sake.
I agree it makes more sense for the vampires to lead the way. They’re faster, stronger, and frankly better equipped for whatever we’re about to walk into. I fall to the back of the group with Mabel.
She’s wearing a blue dress that reminds me of Cinderella and brand-new white tennis shoes that are already picking up dirt with every step. The contrast is almost ridiculous—like she wandered out of a fairytale and into a nightmare.
“This is the second time I’ve been on a hunt,” she says, looking around with wide, curious eyes. Then her eyes land on me, and her expression softens. “The first time was more fun.”
“It was,” I tell her, remembering how we killed a succubus at the nightclub. It was fun. But this…this isn’t fun. This is life or death and it’s my life on the line. It’s always a bit of a mindfuck to think about Mabel being a member of the Order. Even though she wasn’t permitted to hunt—because back then women were seen as nothing more than glorified cooks and weapon cleaners—this could have been her life.
We move deeper into the woods, the air growing cooler, thicker. The pale moonlight struggles to break through the dense canopy above, leaving everything cast in muted greens and grays. The further we go, the quieter it gets. No birds. No insects. Just the sound of our footsteps and the faint rustle of leaves underfoot.
Then Xavier stops so suddenly the rest of us almost run into him. I feel it a second later, like a cold finger being slowly dragged along my spine.
“What is that?” she whispers.
“Something demonic,” I reply, tipping my head to the side. The gemstone that blocks the demon’s connection is in my pocket, feeling suddenly heavier. I brush my fingers over it, debating for a moment whether to take it out and throw it as far as I can. Let the demon into my head so it can see what’s happening. But that’s a risk I’m not ready to take.
Xavier is at my side in a flash, positioning himself between me and whatever’s coming. His body is tense, ready.
“It’s not him,” I say quietly. “Something else.”
Theo doesn’t wait. He moves forward, a little too eager, like he’s been waiting for an excuse to tear something apart.
Something crashes through the brush ahead of us.
It happens fast—too fast for anyone human to react—but Xavier is already moving. He slams whatever it is against a tree with a force that makes the trunk shudder.
It’s a man, well, what’s left of one.I conjure a string of light, illuminating the dark woods so Leo, Antonio, and I can see. The man’s eyes are inked over, letting us know he’s possessed. But something is wrong—it’s like the demon is functioning at half power.
It snarls weakly at Xavier, making a half-assed attempt to get away. Blood is smeared across his face, and when he opens his mouth to growl, I can see several of his teeth are missing. Whether they’ve been knocked out or pulled out, I have no idea. Blood drips from his mouth, and losing his patience, Xavier snaps his neck and drops him, the crack of bones echoing throughout the forest.
The demon inside doesn’t leave immediately. Instead, the body trembles and seizes as it makes its escape, slowly oozing out from the eyes and nose.
“What happened to no murder?” Leo asks.
“I did him a favor,” Xavier says shortly, stepping over the body. “I could smell the organ failure from several yards away.”
“Did you know him?” Devon asks, glancing between my brothers.
“I don’t recognize him,” Antonio says, crouching briefly before standing again. “But the dagger on his belt is standard Order-issued.”
Leaving the body where it fell, we keep moving. The sense of dread grows heavier, settling into my chest like a weight. The air feels thicker, harder to breathe. Demonic energy can have that effect on a person, and this is the time where most people get that “I need to leave” feeling. It’s not as heavy as before but still, I can sense how wrong this is.
How unnatural.
We don’t make it far before we find another body. This one is worse. He’s sprawled on his back, arms twisted at unnatural angles. His face is frozen in an expression of pure terror. And his eyes are gone, looking like they’ve been burned from the inside out, leaving behind only dark, hollow sockets. Bits of melted eyeball stick to his face, look like goopy eggs that haven’t been fully cooked.
“I’m no expert,” Zeke mutters, nudging the body with his foot, “but this isn’t a good sign.”
“Definitely not,” I say absently, pressing my fingers against the small pinprick wound in the center of my right hand.