Page 184 of Huntress

The last one stepped close, his face inches from hers. “Almost forgot, Angus Cornick sends his regards.”

Chapter thirty-five

Chapter 35

The witch’s lips twitched into a dark, wicked grin, then he vanished with all the others. Elsie whirled to face the compound she’d just run from.

“No,” Saint groaned.

“Those sirens mean that whatever those witches woke up has pushed through the barrier, Saint. It’s in the compound! They need me.”

“Just an hour ago they abandoned you,” he stressed. “Mistress, those people back there cut you out of their lives the second you no longer perfectly squeezed yourself into the mold they made for you. They made their choice, now let them live with it!”

“That thing was Cornick’s latest gift for me. If anything happens to them because of it, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“There’s nothing to forgive! You didn’t ask for this any more than you asked for me. Stop accepting blame for the evil things that asshole does! Elsie, please. We don’t have to do this.” His eyes pleaded with her. “Let’s use this as a distraction and get the hell out of here. It will take hours for anyone to figure out we’re missing, and even longer to discover if we’re among the casualties. We’d have a head start.”

She said nothing, but the stubbornness on her face told him what he needed to know.

“You won’t,” he sighed in resignation.

“Mordane is the strongest person in this compound, and he’s not here. I know you don’t understand it, but I have to make sure my squad survives whatever the fuck those witches released.”

“They’re not your people anymore. And any one of them could captain their own squad by now, they’re capable of taking care of themselves. I need you more than they do. Please, we don’t need anything but ourselves, let’s go! We’ll run as far as necessary, finish our bond, and finally be free,” he pleaded. He took her hand and gently tugged her away from the compound.

She let him pull her for several steps, a confused tug of lust centering in her belly with his mention of sealing their bond. Gods, she wanted him and their life together. It didn’t help that he stared at her with the most dejected expression she’d ever seen on his beautiful face. She almost gave in and threw caution to the wind, deciding to figure it out as they went. Almost.

She couldn’t walk away from sixteen years of living among these people without at least making sure they survived.

“Even with our differences, they’re still my family. I can’t walk away from the last sixteen years of my life without making sure they survive. We’ll go after. We’ll run away and never look back, but first I need to do this.” Elsie shook herself free and stepped away from him, eyes begging him for understanding. She walked backward as he stalked after her.

“This isn’t your fight. Go to our room, grab our weapons, and pack us a bag. If we’re doing this, we should have a map and proper supplies. Get a head start, and I’ll catch up to you after.”

“Don’t be obnoxious,” he growled. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

“Then let’s hurry and get this over with. The sooner the threat is taken care of, the sooner we can go.”

They jogged back toward the barrier, the sirens and shrieks growing louder. Bursting through the trees into the dead zone, Elsie’s heart skipped a beat. The barrier’s blue glow was gone. The demon hadn’t pushed through; it had torn the whole thing down.

Hunter soldiers scattered everywhere, younger recruits running away from the training grounds while seasoned veterans ran toward them. Something dark and massive reared up against the sky, giving another shriek and plunging downward, moving too quickly for Elsie’s mind to process what the hell she was looking at.

“Elsie!” Marley ran up to them, with her sawback blade in hand. She shoved a radio and earpiece into Elsie’s hands. “In the absence of Mordane and the administrators, you’re the highest-ranking person left. Congratulations on your promotion, Commander.”

Elsie scowled—perfect timing for the higher-ups to take an unscheduled walk around.

“Cornick sent this fucking thing to kill her, right after you told her not to come to you for any future missions. Tell me why you think you deserve her help,” Saint growled, slowly turning to face the healer. The demon refused to put up with Marley’s bullshit any longer.

“What the hell is this bastard talking about?” she demanded.

“We met some witches in the woods, Mar. They summoned this thing as a gift from Cornick.” Elsie slid between her demon and the healer, settling a hand on his chest to keep him from pouncing on her.

Marley’s face hardened, but she kept her mouth shut. This wasn’t the time for arguments, accusations, or apologies. Elsie glanced back to give Saint a meaningful look, then strode off, expecting them to follow.

“Any idea what it is?” she asked.

“No, but it’s huge. And it might be a bug.”

That wasn’t a particularly helpful answer, but it was mildly horrifying. Too many insect demons were venomous. They tended to wield any combination of earth, metal, air, and water magics, with a handful of the older species harnessing the dark moon.