Evie

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask, trying not to yawn from boredom as I hold my sword at my side, resting on it while I stare at the Protector. He isn’t the typical type that comes after me, that’s for sure. Usually Protectors are all posh assholes in shiny suits, but this guy looks like a fake-leather store threw up on him.

“You must die, and I will be the one that finally–” his boring, predictable speech is interrupted when my phone starts ringing. I sigh in relief, not wanting to hear that same old speech again. I pull out my phone and see Hali’s name flashing. I answer and place it on loudspeaker, resting it on the dumpster near me.

“Yeah?” I answer, looking back at the protector as he runs towards me, his sword raised.

“Evie, when are you coming home? I’m starving, and you promised me Chinese tonight. The good stuff from Chingwa, not from the crappy one you like,” she says as I hit my sword against the protector’s, and swipe my leg under his, knocking him over. I kick his sword away from him, wondering why they even bothered sending this man after me. He is a worthless fighter.

“Yep, I won’t be long, and I’ll get that damn Chinese for you. Anything else?” I ask as the protector grabs my leg and calls on his fire rune, trying to burn me. I laugh, lean down, and remove his hand from my leg. I jump on him, and place my sword under his neck.

“Evie . . . what are you doing right now?” Hali asks, suspiciously.

“Err, nothing,” I reply, kneeing the protector between his legs when he tries to knock me off him. He whines, before coughing out in pain.

“I don’t believe that, but I want my Chinese, so I’m going to stay quiet. Later,” Hali laughs, and then the sound of beeping lets me know she put the phone down. Good, no fifteen-year-old should have to hear this.

“I might let you go, but only if you tell me who sent you,” I say, already knowing his answer before he opens his mouth. They always say the same thing.

“Never. I would never betray my people. Protectors never betray their blood, and we always protect,” he spits out.

“I’m your people, you idiot,” I try to reason with him, giving him one more chance.

“You are not,” he spits out, his voice rife with condescension.

“I’m a protector. I really don’t want to do this, but you won’t give up, will you?” I sigh deeply and then lift my sword, shoving it through his heart before he can reply. His mouth widens in shock as I pull my sword out and stand up.

“Death will find you. We will never stop hunting you,” he breathes out, just before his soul light leaves his body, floating up into the sky. I remember the first time I had to kill a protector, and I saw the light of his soul leave his body. It scared me, but then I saw it as what it truly is, beautiful. Beautiful that even an evil protector has light in his soul. That no matter how many of my own people I am forced to kill to survive, there might be a little bit of light remaining in my own soul. At least I can hope there is.

“If only things could be different,” I say, disappointed in yet another one of my kind. Pulling the pen and little notebook from my pocket that I carry everywhere with me now, I flip it open and rip out a page. I quickly jot down the same thing I do every time I am forced to kill those that come after me . . . my rune name. It is the very reason I am hunted, the thing that many people now fear, and yet, I have no idea what it actually says. I leave the note on his stomach and pick my phone up before walking out of the alleyway, down the empty street.

“Crappy Chinese, here I come,” I mutter, wishing Hali didn’t love that place. They don’t do the bacon fried rice that I love, or anything with bacon in it. The place sucks. I keep my eyes down as I walk down the empty streets of the small Scottish town where I live. The people here don’t come out after dark, too scared of the possibility that demons are around. Little do they know that demons wouldn’t be interested in a small town like this. It’s why I chose to live here. The flashing lights of the Chinese place come into view, and I walk across the road, pulling the door open and hearing the ringing of the little bell. The middle-aged Chinese woman looks up, rolls her eyes at me, and looks back down.

“Hello to you, too,” I mutter, but the woman doesn’t reply to me. I grab a Chinese menu off the side, flipping through it before looking back at the woman.

“I’m ready to order,” I say, trying to get her attention.

“Your child called and placed your order already, Evie.”

“She isn’t my child, more like a pain in my ass. I’ll just wait then,” I grumble, putting the menu back in its place.

“A young girl like you shouldn’t be out on the streets at night,” the woman says, stopping me from walking away.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m not afraid of demons.”

“No, your kind is never afraid of what they hunt,” she chuckles, as the bell rings behind her. She walks over to get my bag of food before I can reply to her. Not many beings can sense what I am, and I’m quite surprised a human had the ability. She hands the bag over the counter to me.

“How did you know?” I ask.

“My family have always been able to sense things. You should be careful at night, Miss Evie. Demons are not what you should fear.” With those cryptic words she walks away, leaving me standing in the shop alone and wondering if she is mad, or possibly, telling me the truth.