Page 51 of Huntress

“I should have acted sooner. Done more,” he muttered angrily, but Elsie shook her head fiercely.

“Blaming yourself won’t change anything, and it certainly won’t make you feel any better.”

He raised his head and glared at her. “What would you know of it?”

Elsie barked out a humorless laugh in response. What would she know about guilt over losing a child she was responsible for? Idiot. She snatched her dagger back from him and slid it into its sheath.

“You think we haven’t all been there? Every single member of my squad has blamed themselves for not being good enough, fast enough, or strong enough to save someone.” She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. “Do you think you’re some precious princess who feels things nobody else could possibly understand?”

Mutt scowled at her, and she continued.

“Before we came here, you blamed all the wrongs of the world on us. Hated us for it. Hated me. All without knowing what we actually do,” she accused. She swiped at her eyes, relishing the anger that was helping her shake off the grief.

“Now you’ve seen first-hand how cruel demons can be. They tore that defenseless child apart for fun. Remember this day, puppy. I hope it leaves a strong, lasting impression.” She looked up, staring him in the eye. “We aren’t always the fucking bad guys.”

Elsie leaned back to stare at the sky. “Do you know what we’ll tell her parents?”

Mutt shook his head.

“We’ll tell them that her death was instantaneous and painless. She never saw it coming. They’ll never know the pain that their daughter endured.”

“Why lie to them? What do you gain by shielding them from the truth?”

“The truth is our burden to bear, not theirs,” Elsie answered. “We do not share that burden with anyone, not even the victim’s family. It’s a kindness that only we can give. We’re trusted, and they’ll believe us.”

Mutt’s frown deepened as he thought about that. “Wouldn’t people be more cautious if you told them the truth? If they’re told it isn’t so bad, they might get too brave and start wandering.”

“The girl is dead. Taken from the safety of her own home, tucked away inside a barrier meant to prevent this kind of tragedy. Her death perpetuates the terror humans have of demons. Humans are weak. They’re prey in a world of predators, and they know it. Every single day they live with the fear of what will happen if their barrier fails.

We tell them she went easy because it is kinder, for them and ourselves. I have to knock on her mother’s door, look into her terrified eyes, and deliver the most horrifically heartbreaking news she will ever face.

We can either relive the trauma and scar them with reality, or we can give them some measure of peace. We tell them that their child did not suffer, that she was not in pain, and that she felt no fear. That it was over in the blink of an eye. Until you are faced with terrified, grieving parents…” she sighed, letting the sentence drop.

“The lie is a kindness,” Mutt muttered, a lost expression on his face. She knew he was thinking about having to watch the deaths of his own family.

“It’s why we take what we do seriously. If I can prevent one more child from suffering her fate, I’ll do whatever it takes,” Elsie said quietly. “Even if that means taking out an entire colony of demons.”

She opened the cargo pocket on her thigh and produced a book of matches. “Help me gather some wood. I’m going to give them a proper send-off.”

He looked at her for a long moment, eyes searching, then nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

Chapter twelve

Chapter 12

“Captain?!” Grady and Morgan jogged over.

Morgan’s usually flawless appearance was ruffled, with a cut on his cheek, and Grady had a hole in the knee of his uniform, showing a deep, oozing scrape. Elsie assessed him for injuries as he approached. She saw no limp and no visible blisters from envenomation; he’d heal up in no time.

“How many?”

“Two, you?” Morgan answered as they approached. Mutt pivoted, slightly placing himself between the hunters and his mistress. She was wounded, and they reeked of unspent aggression.

“Four.”

Sneering, Grady bumped his shoulder into Mutt’s, pushing the demon away from Elsie to check in with their captain. He checked her for injuries, a worried expression on his face. The demon curled a lip, but stepped back when Elsie threw him a dirty look.

“Marley is on her way.” The sniper swooped in to take over for Grady, thoroughly looking her over. He grabbed her hand and raised it to inspect the cut on her side. She had a few cuts and scrapes, but she’d only gotten one shot of the venom. The wound looked nasty; the skin around it was already inflamed with a building infection.