by Julie Hall
“Not exactly. More like a safe house.”
Turning to the left and right, fields of wheat stretched out in every direction. I cocked my eyebrows.
“Less emphasis on the ‘house’ part, and more on ‘safe,’” he said.
I eyed the red beast and curbed my need to pace. “Can that thing take us back? We’re miles, maybe states, away from my family’s house.”
“Which is why we’re here. You’re not supposed to be there anyway, am I right?”
My back went rigid. “And what would make you think that?”
“I know the rules. We’re never allowed to fight in battles surrounding our loved ones still on Earth.”
“Well, I’m different,” I bluffed—or maybe I was trying to convince myself. “I have this.” I pulled my sword from my back and it blazed to life, causing the dragon to lift on its hind legs and hiss at me. “What’s his problem?”
Morgan spoke some soothing words to the creature before it lifted off and flew into the distance.
“Hey, that was our ride back!”
“Don’t worry. Your sword just makes him uneasy. He’ll be back after we’ve had a chance to talk.”
I frowned at the sky where the dragon had disappeared. “Why would it make him uneasy? It can only do real damage to demons.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.” I gave him a quizzical look. “Why don’t you know more about this? I thought my story had made its way around to everyone in the realm by now.”
Morgan brought a hand to his face and pinched his bottom lip between his knuckle and thumb before releasing it. “Those of us on the fringes don’t get information quite as easily.”
I watched him suspiciously. His answers were plausible, I supposed, but something seemed off. “How did you get a dragon?” I asked. “Why don’t more of us fight with them? I’ll bet if we had dragons, we could wipe out a ton of demons all at the same time.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Morgan agreed, “but they are very rare. They were almost completely wiped out by the great flood. The ones that have survived are reclusive, and they don’t trust easily.”
What? Dragons had escaped the flood? First unicorns, now dragons. I rubbed my tired eyes. This was messing with my understanding of history. “How did you came across yours, then?”
“I wouldn’t consider him mine. He’s more of a temporary partner,” was all he revealed. He sat down in the middle of the golden field. The breeze blew the stalks around and over his head. “Would you like to sit and talk for a little while? I’d love to hear more about that amazing sword of yours. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I shifted from foot to foot. Now that my thoughts had cleared, my anxiety about getting back to help the other hunters and my family started to intensify again.
“Do you think you could call the dragon back? I appreciate the rescue and all, but I’d really rather get back to the fight and try to help out. I’m worried about my family and the other hunters. There were a lot of demons around when we left. My sword can be really handy in a fight. I just need to be more strategic this time so I don’t get tagged down.”
“How exactly does it work?” Morgan asked.
I looked down at him. One arm was thrown around his propped-up knee, and the other lazily supported the rest of his weight behind him. He didn’t look eager to take me back. Rescuer or not, I started to get a bad feeling about this situation. Was he trying to pump me for information? The details of my sword were the least important thing in my life right now.
“Maybe I could explain on the way back?” I tried.
Morgan heaved a sign. “I’m sorry, but after all the flying, the dragon’s most likely left to hunt and won’t be back for a while. Until then, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. I promise to take you back when he returns. Does that put you more at ease?”
This was just perfect. I was stuck with a strange hunter in the middle of nowhere, and despite his gentlemanly behavior, he’d orchestrated this trip—and our seclusion. I decided then and there that I didn’t trust him. I wasn’t giving him any more information until I got some answers of my own, or at least until we landed in more recognizable territory.
I took what I hoped was a discreet check of his weapons. Blades were strapped all over his body. Two on his thighs, another pair at his ankle. A blade—much longer than my own—looked to be strapped to his back in a similar fashion to mine. And his armor was different. It wasn’t the iridescent, metallic black my friends and I wore but instead was solid black. It was also stiff, not conforming to his body as our body armor did. I had no idea what was happening, but alarms were going off in my head left and right. I took a tentative step back, but it didn’t matter—there was nowhere to run, no cover to be found.
“What kind of hunter are you anyway?” I asked.
Morgan frowned, marring his beautiful face. “Audrey, what’s wrong? I only want to talk.”
My hand itched to reach for my blade. I bent my elbow in reflex, then fisted the hand at my chest. One of the biggest downsides to wearing a baldric rather than a belt scabbard was there was no subtle way to reach for my sword.
Morgan didn’t miss the move. His eyes flashed . . . with anger?
“Is your plan to use that on me? All I’ve done so far is pull you from danger.”
I narrowed my eyes. Information seemed to be the name of the game right now. I bet this next bit would help me discern his true intentions.
“This blade can’t be used against those who fight evil,” I said.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. So, you wouldn’t mind if I tried it on you?”
Morgan’s eyes narrowed in response. “Why would you think I was evil? I am human like you, after all.”
And there was the crux of the problem. I’d always assumed humans, any human, would be on our side. Was I about to be proved fatally wrong?
8
A Piece of Logan’s Past
“Audrey, get behind me.”
The familiar voice, laced with ice, caused my spine to straighten as I looked wildly around.
It couldn’t be. But it was.
Logan stood to my left, having appeared from thin air. His posture was rigid, muscles bunched as if anticipating a fight—or holding himself back from one. His sword was drawn and ready, his gorgeous eyes fixed not on me, but on Morgan. Without his helmet, his light hair—longer than I remembered—ruffled slightly in the wind.
My eyes shifted between him and Morgan. “What’s going on?” I unsheathed my blade, its heat warming my gloved hand.
“Audrey, don’t get any closer to him.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” I admitted.
Logan’s tone was so menacing I scanned the area for another threat. I didn’t sense a demon, but who was to say my internal demon-radar was flawless? It hadn’t worked on Satan, after all. There was a blur of motion and I found myself behind Logan. His broad shoulders and muscled back offered a shield of protection. I found that comforting. I wished I didn’t.
“What are you doing?”
“Protecting you.”
“Touchy, touchy. Relax, Logan. We were just having a chat.” Morgan spoke with an English accent that wasn’t there a moment before.
They knew each other?
“I doubt it was just that,” Logan said, his voice even icier.
I peeked around Logan’s shoulder. Morgan was still seated, looking as unconcerned as ever.
“So, there’s no demon?” I asked.
“No, luv, he’s trying to protect you from me. Although I didn’t anticipate he’d get this worked up.” Morgan’s smile was pleased.
“Don’t call her that.” Logan’s voice lowered even more.
“What . . . luv? I didn’t realize that endearment was already spoken for, mate.”
Waves of fury came off Logan. I sheathed my blade and lay a reassuring hand on his arm, confident that Logan with a blade was formidable enough to protect us from one seated hu
nter—even a strange one. Maybe if he calmed down, I’d figure out what was going on.
“Logan, what’s happened?” I whispered into his ear.
My human shield remained mute. Frozen except for the tightening of his fist.
“He’s just overreacting luv, like usual.”
“You. Are. Not. Allowed. To speak to her.”
Morgan cocked an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Are you worried history will repeat itself, or is it more than that?” He laughed softly. “I don’t remember bringing out this much of a protective streak in you when I was your trainee. I suppose we’re both your former trainees at the moment. Isn’t that right?”
Logan’s voice dripped with an emotion I couldn’t identify. “She’s nothing like you, Morgan. She’s stronger. She’d never be seduced by evil.”
What? This was getting interesting. Confusing and intense, but definitely interesting. I looked around Logan at the young man sitting in the field with new eyes.
“Well, I did have help with that, if you recall. Part of the blame for what I’ve become will always lie on your shoulders.”
Logan tensed impossibly more. “I’m well aware. I’ll always carry the shame. But you still chose your path. It didn’t have to be like this. Now you have an eternity of suffering to look forward to. But he won’t have her. Never her.”
“She’ll make her own decisions, Logan. Your job isn’t to protect her. Not as her mentor, and not as her bonded. One of those positions has already been filled. My guess is there’s someone else willing and waiting to fill the other.”
Morgan tilted his head so he could see me around Logan. His eyes filled with lasciviousness. “She is rather lovely. I understand the appeal.”
Logan moved so fast he blurred, but his sword only struck air. Morgan had ducked and rolled away, drawing his own weapons. His movements put him between Logan and myself.
As I stared at Morgan’s back, his armor changed just enough to look like scales knitted together. Dark shadows clung to his weapons like smoke. A black-bladed sword was clenched in his right hand and a mace with a spiked ball appeared in his left.
I jerked my sword from its sheath.
Logan’s eyes widened a fraction before narrowing with determination. He’d recovered his stance and readied for another attack.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, mate,” Morgan said with deadly calm.
“There are lots of things you wouldn’t have done if you were me,” Logan retorted.
I stepped closer to Morgan, allowing the heat of my sword to emanate off the blade. The blaze was so hot it burned blue. Even from a few feet back, some of the scales on Morgan’s armor begin to scorch. It was then I realized what his armor was made of.
Demon skin.
“Unless you want to see how easily my weapon cuts through demon flesh, I suggest you put down your weapons,” I said.
I only caught a flash of Logan’s surprised expression as I focused on the threat in front of me. Morgan was not the hunter I’d assumed him to be. Still keeping his eyes trained on Logan, Morgan replied to him rather than me.
“You see, Logan, she doesn’t need you to baby her. She has a backbone of her own.”
I touched the tip of my sword to Morgan’s back as a warning. He hissed and arched as the scales sizzled before ashing into shadows, leaving part of his back exposed. Yet he didn’t drop the weapons pointed at Logan. I gritted my teeth. My sword hand quaked with restrained anger.
“I wasn’t taught to cut down humans, Morgan, but with your back unprotected like this I don’t think it would be too hard to hit something important.”
“Oh, luv, you have no idea what type of man you are protecting. But I never intended to fight you, so here is my act of goodwill.” Morgan lowered his weapons as he spoke and they, along with his armor, dematerialized. I blinked once, then twice. How was that possible on Earth?
He stood between us in plain street clothes, a black T-shirt and dark-washed jeans. Logan and I kept our weapons up and at the ready. Regardless of my bravado, I don’t think I could have actually struck him, but he didn’t need to know that. I looked to Logan for direction. His focus was solely on the young man standing between us.
“It seems the two of you have a little talking to do. I’m going to let you have at it, then.” Morgan shoved his hands into the pockets of his low-rise jeans. “Besides,” he continued, “I believe my ride is here.”
My gut tightened when I spotted the red dragon overhead, moving toward us at an impossible speed. As it swooped down from the sky, Morgan lifted his arms, grabbed hold of its claws, and was lifted from the ground. He used the momentum and flipped forward to ride astride the creature’s back.
“See you soon, luv!” he yelled and winked at me before skyrocketing off.
My eyes were still glued to Morgan’s retreating form when Logan jerked me back against him. His protective arm wrapped around my stomach. Suddenly heavy, my head tipped back to rest on Logan’s chest. As adrenaline seeped from me, my sword became too cumbersome to hold. I let it fall to the ground and extinguish.
It happened again. Just like in the alley after my encounter with Satan, electricity zinged between Logan and me. I jerked in his arms. But this time he didn’t let go. He held tighter and the energized current faded.
“I feel . . . tired,” I admitted. I was owed an explanation for what had just happened, all of it, because the game had just changed.
Changed in a big way.
But bone-deep exhaustion overrode my desire to know. I wasn’t sure I could even handle an explanation right now.
“Exposure to evil will zap your strength quickly. Like coming off an adrenaline high.” Logan’s words vibrated in his chest, and so I felt as well as heard them. “Between the dragon and him,” he all but spat, “you’ve had an overdose on evil. Come on, we’ve got to get you rested, and then we can talk.”
I took a deep breath and then a shaky and reluctant step out of Logan’s embrace. I chided myself. I shouldn’t have found comfort there.
I reached down and returned my sword to its sheath on my back, then turned and watched Logan return his weapon to his scabbard. His eyes were haunted.
“Any idea how to get out of Kansas?” I asked.
He chuckled a humorless laugh. “This is Ohio, not Kansas. Come on. We’ve got a hike ahead of us.”
We walked for almost a half-hour before coming upon a church. It was the first church I’d been to since I had died. It was a simple structure—nothing fancy about it. The white paint on the siding looked like it had seen better days, but the landscaping was well kept and the stairs leading to the sanctuary had recently been power washed. Someone cared enough for this small congregation to take care of upkeep.
We entered the open doors, and a refreshing charge of energy flowed into me. I stood soaking it in . . . whatever it was.
“This way,” Logan beckoned.
As quaint as this little place was, I had no idea what Logan was up to. “What are we doing here?” I asked as I followed his lead.
“Getting back to where we should be. What do you know about churches on Earth?” He moved toward the front where the pulpit stood.
I planted my hands on my hips. “Are you serious?”
He rolled his eyes. “Just humor me.”
“They’re places of worship?” I had no idea where he was going with this.
“So, you don’t know about the portals then?”
Portals? Like the one in my closet for my faux birthday party? No one had ever mentioned anything like that existing on Earth before. “Portals?”
He nodded and then crouched to examine the floor of the raised dais. Only half his attention was directed toward me.
“The Cliff’s Notes version is that churches across the globe are interconnected with each other by portals.” His hand swept lightly over the polished wood as he spoke. “Once you find the trigger point in each of them, you can activate a portal and use it to travel t
o any other church.”
“Any church? Or does—”
“Found it.”
Without further explanation, he settled his hand on the ground and murmured something I couldn’t hear, then stood. As if he’d hit a power button, a shimmering oval the size of a person appeared on the back wall. It was strange enough to cut off my train of thought.
Hesitant, I took Logan’s outstretched hand. He didn’t give me a chance to think as he yanked me through.
We emerged in an all-too-familiar location.
The breath in my lungs caught as my eyes scanned the surroundings. This was a bigger church than the one we’d first entered, but there was still nothing fancy about the large room we now stood in.
Padded seats that went back at least thirty rows had replaced the ten pews of the former sanctuary. The ceiling height had expanded as well, vaulting a few stories into the air. The walls were painted a soft blue-gray color, and the floor was mostly gray on gray geometric industrial-grade carpet, the kind you see most often in heavily-trafficked public places like schools and hospitals.
There was nothing particularly spectacular about this place, except this was my church. A stone’s throw from my home. I’d grown up in this building.
“Audrey?”
I had difficulty tearing my eyes from the comforting sights. “Did you know this was my church?”
“Sorry, I didn’t think to warn you this might happen.” He reached a hand up to rub his neck. I recognized it as one of the gestures he commonly used when he was uncomfortable. “I just picked the closest location I knew of. I hope this isn’t too upsetting for you.”
I shook my own head to clear the cobwebs of memories. “No, it’s really fine. I just wasn’t prepared, that’s all. A bit of a shock. I’m fine. Let’s get back to my house. I know the way from here. We can walk.” I started toward the rear exit.
“No.” Logan’s voice echoed off the empty sanctuary walls.
“Excuse me?” My fist found its way to my hip once again.
