by Maya Daniels
I twirl away from the second blade that catches the fabric of my shirt, tearing it open and exposing the bottom of my breasts. Dropping on the floor, I spin around and stretch one leg out, sweeping the feet from under the hunter. He collapses on his back with a grunt, and I pounce on him, my knees digging hard into his chest. Remembering what everyone told me about the covers on their faces, I grab hold of it, yanking as hard as I can.
His head separates from his body, the fabric still attached to his face. With a disgusted grimace, I throw it away, standing up. The shifter stares at me like he’s never seen me before. I expect fear or revulsion, but only curiosity sparkles in his feline eyes.
“You’re welcome.” Everything else I am going to say leaves my thoughts when I hear Astara’s outraged cry.
I’m sprinting in the direction of her voice before I even fully turn. My heart is in my throat, the dark blotches where the still-fighting hunters are dirtying the pulsing bright colors blurring my sight. I stop dead in my tracks when I see that she is not hurt.
It’s much worse.
Zoltan stands stock still, fists clenched, and a muscle jumping angrily on his chiseled jaw. Alex and Cassius flank him on either side, both holding daggers dripping with black potion under his chin. His entire body is vibrating in rage, but he doesn’t move. When I see Cassius's daughter standing right behind them with a hand pressed on Alex's back, everything becomes clear. All the fighting has stopped, everyone staring at the entrance of the portal. A hunter thrusts his blade at my chest, but I spin, grabbing his arm and wrenching it out of his socket. The hunter screams a bloodcurdling sound when his arm dangles in my hand. I drop it at my feet, my eyes never leaving Zoltan’s.
“I knew you had it in you, Franky.” I recoil from Andrius’s voice a second before he steps through the portal.
Dark energy comes off him in waves, darkness dancing like a living cloak around his shoulders. Moving closer to where they hold Zoltan, his gaze traces my body slowly up and down, lingering on the exposed glimpse of my breasts. Bile rises in the back of my throat.
Another hunter inches closer from my side and my arm shoots out, my fingers gripping his throat and my nails digging in his windpipe. My hand curls, sinking into flesh, blood drenching it to my wrist. I open my fingers, releasing the blob in my hand to follow the crumbling body of the gurgling hunter to the ground.
“She is magnificent.” Andrius claps his hands in glee, his eyes glittering with madness. “Isn’t she?”
“It’s me you want, Roberti.” Taking a step closer, I ignore Zoltan’s glare. “Let him go.”
“Why should I do that?” He sounds like we are discussing the price of potatoes at the market. Anger bubbles in my chest. “When I can have you both?”
“You’ll have a lot of dead hunters and might even lose your useless life if you don’t let him go.” Sliding my feet on the floor, I inch closer. “If you think I’ll come willingly after you hurt him, you are crazier than I thought.”
“I won’t hurt him.” Andrius, in his right mind, slaps Zoltan’s face good-naturedly. My chest vibrates from the vampire’s growl. “He is leverage.”
“Why are you doing this?” I think I see Leo’s tail slinking on the side, but I can’t be sure. I slide closer. “What is it you want?”
“It’s not what I want, Drake.” His face twists in anger. “It’s what everyone wants. Don’t you see?” Spreading his arm around, he points at the people around us. “Who decided that vampires are the top of the food chain, that the rest of us should crawl at their feet? You think the shifters and the demons don’t loathe being guards. Being treated like the dirt under their shoe. Well”—He grins with no humor—“let’s see them now. There is a bigger power in town.”
“That’s it? You are doing this for your ego, you stupid fuck?” I see a hunter inching closer from the corner of my eye, but I’m too angry to care. “You are killing innocents in Sienna, and in the Academy, so you can feel important. You really are a moron, you know that right?”
“You’ll see things my way soon enough, Drake,” Andrius snarls. “Now get your ass through the portal, or it’ll go down. Alex was smart enough to get enough of your blood to bring all the portals down. Let’s see how you feel knowing it’s you that is responsible for so many deaths.”
“You will not pin this on me.” But his words stab me in the chest. What the shifter said to me in the dining room ringing in my ears. “It’s all her fault.”
“Don’t listen to him.” Fenrir materializes next to me, his power holding by a thin thread, ready to explode and knock us all over. “He is full of shit.”
“Should I kill him now, and we fight?” Andrius leans forward in anticipation. “What do you say, Fenrir? With Zoltan dead, you can have her all to yourself.” He leers at me, making my skin crawl.
“He won’t kill him,” a woman’s voice hisses to my right and I stiffen when I catch a glimpse of white clothing. “He’s bluffing, don’t be stupid. Let him take him; you can get him out.” It sounds so familiar it takes a moment to place it.
“What the fuck?” hissing under my breath, I’m grateful Andrius is focused on the Fae at the moment. “Myst?”
“I got you, chicca. That asshat manipulated me, as well. I knew Alex was up to something.” She inches closer, raising all the red flags in my head. Fenrir says something I don’t hear.
“And I should trust you, why?” Everything is so messed up right now I want to scream until my throat is raw.
“You shouldn’t.” She snickers like a nutcase. “But the enemy of my enemy is my friend. He won’t kill the hunk. But he can bring the portals down.”
“Fuck me.” I breathe and she snorts.
“You’re hot and all, but I don’t swing that way.” When Fenrir fidgets next to me, I know he can hear us and that my time is up.
“What will it be, Drake?” Andrius glows in glee. “The Daywalker or Sienna?”
All eyes turn on me. I feel their gazes like hands grabbing at me, pulling me down a never-ending abyss of torment. My eyes lock on Astara’s, my friend begging silently for me to save her brother. Everything I am shatters into tiny pieces. I die inside as I still breathe. That crazy bitch better pray she tells the truth.
“I choose Sienna, you crazy motherfucker.”
Pushing off the floor with both feet, I sail through the air with everything I have, aiming for Zoltan. My arms are outstretched, and I can almost feel the fabric of his shirt under my skin. They pull him through the portal just as the fighting starts again. I drop on my knees. He let them take him with a proud smile on his handsome face.
Astara’s scream rips my heart out.
To be continued.
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From the Author
Dear reader,
Thank you for enjoying my worlds, and the creatures that live in them. Daywalker Academy has just started, and many twists and turns are in the works. Stick around, and cheer Francesca on her journey through Sienna, as well as the human realm. After losing Zoltan, I’m sure she can use it. Or maybe Fenrir will step up? That Fae is up to something for sure. It won’t be long until you continue their adventures. If you liked reading this book please leave a review, it tells authors which story you are looking forward to, so we make sure to write those sooner :)
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Maya xxx
Also
by Maya Daniels
Daywalker Academy series - PNR/UF
Investigated Book 1
Infiltrated Book 2
Instigated Book 3 - coming soon
The Broken Halos series- PNR/Urban Fantasy:
The Devil is in the Details Book 1
Speak of the Devil Book 2
Encounter with the Devil Book 3
The Devil in Disguise Book 4
To look the Devil in the eye Book 5
Better the Devil you know Book 6
New Blood Rising series- Dark PNR
Risorgimento-Rebirth Book 1
Rovesciamento-Overthrown Book 2
Riconoscimento-Recognition Book 3 - coming soon
Stand alone-Dark Fantasy romance/ Mythology:
The Cursed Kingdom
Hidden Portals trilogy- PNR:
Venus Trap Book 1
The First Secret Book 2
The Obsidian Throne- coming soon
Semiramis series-Urban Fantasy/PNR:
Who am I - Prequel to the Semiramis series
Semiramis Awakened Book 1
Semiramis Reborn Book 2
Semiramis The Vessel Book 3
Remembrance Book 4 - coming soon
