Page 106 of Huntress

“Thank you for not taking advantage of the situation.”

“I’m not a monster, Mistress.” He bent down close, his mouth hovering over her throat. “I meant what I said last night. Tell me how much you want me again when you’re sober, and I’ll believe you. I won’t touch you again until you ask me to.”

Elsie closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. With the night before heavy on her mind, the little heathen inside ‌her wanted to wrap herself around him and finish what they’d started the night before. It would be easy to give in, but she couldn’t live with the consequences.

“I won’t ask. That can’t happen again,” she said with such conviction that he sighed and straightened up, giving her space.

“I figured it would be something like that.” He sulked back to the room he shared with Morgan without looking back.

After taking a moment to compose herself, Elsie joined the others and had her breakfast. Pancakes with bananas and syrup on top, and a tall glass of orange juice on the side. She ate happily, grateful that nobody questioned her about the night before.

She spent the day avoiding everyone, slipping out while Riven and Perrie were too engrossed in a conversation about potions and elixirs to notice. Walking to the watchtower, she completed the full circle around the village twice, satisfying the urge to move her feet and getting a clear idea of where the salamander demon was coming in.

The answer was everywhere. The bright red of his magic signature crossed the circle in so many places that, when she paid attention while back in town, she wasn’t surprised to see traces of it on almost every street. He was obsessed with Frost Hollow, and probably knew it as well as the residents.

She noticed several small buildings that had already been damaged or fully burned. Either the villagers had quickly arrived on the scene, or the demon hadn’t been fully committed to the act. Salamanders were dangerous, but it seemed like he’d needed to build up the courage to cause more destruction as time went on.

Elsie stopped at the market and bought a handful of different fruits she’d never tried to share with her friends. Not once did she give in to temptation and reach down the line to check on Saint. Not that it would matter if she did. He’d been keeping his end of their bond shut down tight.

They all got together again for dinner, and this time Elsie avoided the tea altogether. Saint sat next to her as he always did, but he was closed off and cold, barely even looking at her. He felt like a stranger.

Anne joined them halfway through, pulling up a seat between Morgan and Perrie. He scooted over politely while the witch glared daggers at the redhead.

“I’m told you five got the lay of the land last night and understand the routine behind the night vigil,” she jumped right in without so much as a hello. “We suspect the salamander will come tonight. If not, he will come tomorrow.”

“He’s scoped out every part of this village,” Elsie told her, explaining what she’d found in her explorations. “That means every time he’s burned something, it was calculated. His targets are carefully chosen. Any idea if he’s connected his father’s death to certain people?”

“No.”

“We’ll take the watch tonight. If any villagers insist on being involved, they can stay in the towers and keep a lookout. Our sniper and the mage will be in the watchtowers. The rest of us will be on the ground.”

Chapter twenty-two

Chapter 22

Elsie paced down a narrow road for the fourth time that night when the lower watchtower’s bell tolled, three haunting, peace-shattering knells that rolled through the valley with physical force. Elsie turned on her toes and bolted toward the sound, hoping to intercept their target. They had no mobile radios to communicate here, so coordination was tricky, but they’d worked out a system. Three tolls meant the salamander was heading west.

In the upper tower, Morgan was already on the move, dropping to the ground and sprinting in their direction. Perrie had taken the western section, Saint the center, and Elsie the east, since she’d wanted the area with the most recent activity.

A flare exploded above the sleeping village, and Elsie marked the location in her mind as she picked up the pace. Perrie had already made contact with the salamander demon on the outskirts of town.

She jumped a fence, running through somebody’s yard rather than following the winding roads and wasting more time. She wasn’t sure Saint would back Perrie up. He’d been willing to patrol and make sure the salamander didn’t hurt anyone, but he’d sternly reminded Elsie that he wouldn’t be hunting for her.

Elsie ducked under a tree branch, then vaulted over a shrubbery, landing on a stone section of the road and sliding, falling to her knees to avoid crashing into the next garden gate. She hopped to her feet and kept going, the growing light ahead pushing her into a frantic pace.

Perrie had contained the demon in a field, but her barrier couldn’t force it out into the open. The witch stood with her hands up defensively, turning from one direction to the next, unable to find the damned thing. The clock had started the second the demon was trapped, and their limited time shortened the higher those flames burned. The smoke couldn’t escape the dome, and Perrie’s oxygen was running out.

They had planned for this, and as Elsie ran through the barrier, waving Perrie through to the outside, she placed her trust in Morgan. His magic would purify the air inside, giving them all the time they needed to deal with the fire salamander.

The demon was clever, hiding among the flames, blending in. The red flare of his magic didn’t quite match the fire. She pulled both of her daggers, ready for a good fight.

Her eyes watered, stinging from the smoke, and loud pops from the boiling liquid inside of plants exploding had her heart skipping a beat every time. Elsie kept her muscles relaxed, hands at her sides, alert and ready for whatever this demon had in store.

A plume of thick black smoke burst forward as the demon made its move. It streaked around the perimeter of the barrier, trying to find a gap to escape through. Elsie stood her ground, expanding her senses and tracking the creature even when he crossed behind her.

The smoke wasn’t enough to hide the demon from her. To Elsie’s eyes, he was a glowing network of magic, though he worked to keep the smoke screen up, trying to conceal his location. He’d employed a smart tactic that probably would have worked to confuse anyone else.

Her throat and lungs burned, and she did her best to hold back a cough. The pressure building in her chest was still bearable, but it wouldn’t last.