We parked our cars a mile away from the abandoned amusement park, sure there would be patrols around the area. In silence, Aidan, Cole, Landon, Ash, Caleb, and I moved into the amusement park grounds, and I tried not to think about what we would find. How Brooke would be. What was happening to her. Because every time I allowed my thoughts to wander, my chest hurt and it was hard to breathe.

We had agreed Tessa and Amber should stay behind, because of the nagas and their spells. They would be close though, and we would contact them in case we needed back up.

Douglas had already texted us, saying two nagas had come for Edna and her little boy, and he had taken them out easily. The old man was still badass.

“Naga at two o’clock,” Aidan announced.

We waited until the naga was closer. Aidan and Landon jumped the guy and knocked him out. To make sure he would stay out of the way, Cole cuffed him to the gates around the wooden roller coaster.

Three more times, we had to take out patrols while we walked the grounds, searching for Brooke.

I gritted my teeth, tired of being quiet. “Next patrol, we interrogate before knocking him out.”

“Not sure that’s a wise idea,” Cole said.

“I agree,” Landon said. “He could scream and warn the others.”

“I don’t care,” I snapped, eyeing my victim coming down the path created by the old, rickety wooden stands.

I took down the naga and pulled him inside one of the stands. Landon and Aidan held him, while I kept my hand over his mouth and asked, “Tell me where to find her?” I pressed the side of my dagger to his throat. “Utter any other word, and you’re a goner. Got it?”

Wide-eyed, the naga nodded, and I dropped my hand but pushed my dagger harder.

He groaned. “She’s at the carousel pavilion, on the beach’s edge.” And then he yelled.

“Shit.” I brought the hilt of my dagger hard against his temple, and he blacked out.

Landon and Aidan dropped him and tied him to a wooden column.

“Hate to say I told you so,” Cole said.

“Do you think they heard us?” Aidan asked.

“I guess we’ll find out soon,” I said.

At the same pace as before, we moved toward the carousel pavilion. After a few minutes, it was clear no one had heard the naga. That was a relief. I hated to lose the element of surprise.

We hid behind a wooden fence around the teacup ride and watched the octagonal pavilion housing the carousel.

“I can see five nagas,” Caleb said from the other side.

“I can see three more,” Ash said.

“And we don’t know how many are inside,” Landon added.

“Why are they in their human form?” I asked. “That doesn’t make sense. They are strongest when in their natural form.”

Caleb shrugged. “That makes it easier for us, so don’t question it.”

Aidan pulled out his favorite dagger. “Are we trying to knock them out? No killing?”

“I would prefer that, yes,” Cole said. “The police know there’s something shady happening around the docks. I don’t know how we’ll spin this tale so it makes sense to humans, but we can think about that later.”

“Okay, so no killing.” Caleb nodded. “Got it.”

“Everyone ready?” I asked.

After all the hunters said, yes, we fanned out, a few feet from the perimeter of the pavilion. A long whistle sounded—Cole’s signal—and we attacked. Six of us and eight of them. Aidan and I engaged two nagas each.

It was hard to fight while defending your life and trying not to harm to your opponent. With a powerful punch to the gut, then to the jaw, I was able to knock one naga out. The other man was on me half a second later, his fists aimed at my head. Dodging his attack, I crouched down and swung my leg out. The man fell back, hitting his back hard on the packed dirt ground. He groaned and I took that opportunity to shove my heel in his face. The man dropped unconscious.

A growl came from behind me. I spun as more nagas—this time in their natural form—appeared from behind the stands. Even after seeing them on summer solstice for the last eight years, I still wasn’t used to them. They slithered toward us with their serpent-like tails, showing off their proud, human chest. Their red eyes shining, they bared their teeth and hissed at us. Fins sprouted from their dragon-like heads, giving them a grotesque appearance.

The nagas advanced. Three, six, ten, fourteen … there were too many.

To hell with not killing. I pulled out another dagger from a scabbard and readied myself, my feet apart and my hands up. Three of them came at me at once. I swiped my dagger wide, slashing one of the nagas in the chest. Dark green blood dripped from his wound, but he didn’t stop. He brought both claws down on me. I jumped back and bumped into the wall. The naga raised his claws, ready to shred me, but I spun to the side—right into the four claws of one of the other nagas. I landed a strong roundhouse kick to the naga’s chest, but he didn’t even flinch.

Shit.

Instead, the naga closed his claws and punched my chin. I stumbled back, toward the pavilion’s doors. The three nagas came at me again. I didn’t think. I simply pushed through the door and ran into the pavilion.

I faltered.

Right ahead of me, dim lights shone overhead, illuminating the broken and rusty carousel taking up most of the room. Seated on a bench with her wrists tied to the two pillars flanking it was Brooke. Her eyes met mine and my heart stopped.

“Watch out!” she screamed.

I spun as a naga lunged at me, claws out. I sidestepped it, but others were coming. I looked around and saw the other hunters entering the room, chased by the nagas. Realization dawned on me, and I let out a string of curses. Bringing us in here was part of their plan. They knew we were coming; they let us through.

And now we were surrounded.

The naga right in front of me bared his razor-sharp teeth at me. He leaned closer and snapped his teeth as if he would bite me. On instinct, I stepped back and bumped my legs on the raised platform of the carousel. Right beside a beaten man tied to a metal pillar. Strom lifted his chin and his gaze landed on me. A couple of bruises dotted his cheeks and chin, and blood caked his sweater.

Once more acting on instinct, I raised my dagger and let it fall—cutting the ropes from around Strom’s arms.

Even though he looked tired and broken, Strom scrambled to his feet and backed away, getting clear of the others.

“Get him!” someone cried.

The fight began anew.

The nagas came at me, and I jumped on the platform, wanting to get closer to Brooke to be able to cut her ropes too.

A tall naga slithered over the platform toward me and I gulped. Nagas were big, but this one was huge. He growled at me before swiping a big claw in my direction. I ducked underneath and moved to the side. I landed a turning sidekick to the naga’s ribs. Taking advantage of my position, I turned and did a jumping back kick right into the naga’s chest. It stumbled back a foot, but before it could recover, I kneeled on the ground and brought my dagger up into his chest.

I pulled the dagger back, thick with dark green blood. The naga fell back and tumbled off the platform.

My eyes scanned the place—there were more nagas than before and the hunters were losing the fight. We would lose it if we didn’t do something to our advantaged soon.

But first, I had a girl to rescue.

I turned around to the bench.

And faltered again.

The ropes had been cut and Brooke was gone.