Chaos ruled so completely I didn’t realize Corson and Hawk were now pummeling each other until Hawk released a startled cry. My hand flew to my mouth when I saw that Corson had driven his talons straight through Hawk’schest.
Never had I thought to see Corson turn on one of his friends in such a way, but he showed no remorse as he placed his foot on Hawk’s stomach. When he shoved Hawk back, he ripped his talons free. Lurching to his feet, Hawk glanced at the bloody holes in his chest before his face contorted in fury and he launched atCorson.
What is going on?This wasnotCorson or Hawk or Jolie oranyof them. Something was making them act like this, and I had the sick feeling I knew what itmightbe.
Edging backward, I crept away from the house and deeper into the trees. When I’d last seen them, the horsemen had been leaving the gateway with their following of assorted creatures, but I suspected one of them had found their waytous.
I recalled the way Lust had dug her power into me until it became almost impossible for me to breathe. Recalled that I would have taken Corson then and there and not cared who saw us. I’d been on the verge of losing all control, and Lust had only been toyingwithus.
A horseman determined to annihilate could easily turn friend against friend, and ithadto be one of the horsemen causing this. But which one was it? Wrath, War, Greed, maybe Envy? For all I knew, it could be all of them working together to destroy mylovedones.
Adrenaline pounded through my veins, but my hand remained steady when I pulled my knife free and switched it into my left hand. I’d spent many days and hours training with weapons over the years. I could wield a knife as well with my left hand as I could with myright.
No matter how much training I put myself through though, my aim with a gun remained better with my right hand. My arrows would be quieter and less likely to draw attention to me, but I would never be able to fire them as quickly as I could a gun, and speed would probably be anecessity.
Pulling my gun free of its holster, I held it at my side as I stole through thewoods.
The only way to kill a horseman would be to take its head, like every other demon, but a gunshot would hurt the thing and maybe scareitaway.
Notlikely.
I didn’t think anything scared the horsemen, and if something did, I didn’t want to be anywherenearit.
I glanced back at the clearing as Corson yanked the black cloth away from one of the demons and held it triumphantly in the air. Another demon rushed across the yard and tackled him to the ground. I stopped as I was torn between continuing and rushing into the clearing tohelphim.
No, youcan’t!
I had to do something to keep them from killing each other, but I didn’t dare go any closer to them. Corson had been fine before he entered that clearing, yet he’d turned as raving mad as the restofthem.
If I tried to help, I could become entangled in whatever magic the horsemen weaved to trap their prey. It took everything I had, but I forced my attention away from Corson and back on hunting down whatever wascausingthis.
Please stay alive until I can stop this, I pleaded, unwilling to think about what it would do to me if Ilosthim.
Edging around the back of the house, I paused to set my knife down when the direction of the wind changed. Digging into the spongy earth, I scooped up a handful of dirt and rottingdebris.
Someone in the clearing screamed a tormented sound that died abruptly. The cry spurred mefaster.
I smeared dirt over my face and down the front of my shirt. I didn’t know where the horsemen were, if there was only one of them out there or more, but I couldn’t take the chance they would smell me. Lifting another handful of dirt, I ran it over my braid while my eyes continuously searched the woods for a predator. Behind me, the shouting and thuds of fists hitting fleshescalated.
Corson. I finished coating myself in dirt before reclaiming my knife and risingtohunt.
ChapterForty-One
Corson
The demon groaned when I pulled my talons free and threw him off me. Rolling, I scrambled across the ground to reclaim the velvety, black cloak someone had wrenchedfromme.
A booted foot stomped on my wrist when my hand curled around the cloak. I grunted as bone snapped and looked up to find Hawk leering down at me. Blood continued to seep from the wounds I’d inflicted on him and his eyes burnedwithrage.
Why did I stab Hawk?My groggy mind tried to figure that out, but the more I searched for the answer, the more it eluded me. After everything we’d been through together, I considered Hawk a friend, yet when he bent to pull the cloth away from me, I knew I’d kill himforit.
It belongs to me!I’d felt its softness against my skin and the rush of pleasure accompanying my possessionofit.
Hawk couldnothaveit.
Dimly, I recalled something far more important that belonged to me. A stirring of sanity slipped through the mass ofneedtwisting like worms in my brain. The scent of a woman and the sensation of pale blonde hair tickling my arm played acrossmymind.
I stumbled back when images assaulted me. The memory of love rose to the surface.Shewas mine; she made me better. I loved her strength, her stubbornness, and the way she cared forothers.
