“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask, trying not to yawn with boredom as I hold my sword at my side, resting on it and staring at the Protector. He isn’t the typical type that come 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–” he gets interrupted in his boring, predictable speech when my phone starts ringing. I sigh in relief, not wanting to hear that speech again. I pull out my phone and see Hali’s name flashing. I answer it, placing it on loudspeaker, and resting it on the dumpster near me.

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

“Evie, when are you 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, calling his fire rune and trying to burn me. I laugh, leaning down, and grabbing his hand off my leg. I jump on him, placing 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 as 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 could let you go, but only if you will tell me who sent you,” I say, already knowing his answer before he says it. They always say the same thing.

“Never. I would never betray my people. Protectors never betray their blood, 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.

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

“Death will find you, and we will never stop hunting you,” he crackles 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 is, beautiful. That even an evil protector, has light in his soul. That no matter how many of my own people I have to kill to survive, there might be a little bit of light left in my own soul. At least I can hope there is.

“If only things could be different,” I say, disappointed in another one of my kind. I pull out my pen, from my pocket, and my little notebook I carry everywhere now, ripping out a page. I quickly write the same thing I do every time I have to kill one of them that come after me. I write my rune name, the very thing that they hunt me because of. The very thing that many people now fear, and yet I have no idea what it says. I leave the note on his stomach and pick my phone up before walking out of the alleyway, and 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 I live in. The people here don’t come out after dark, too scared of the possible demons 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 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, looking through it before looking back at the woman.

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

“Your child called and placed your order already, Miss 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, and 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 has. 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,” and with those cryptic words she walks away, leaving me standing in the shop alone, wondering if she is mad, or possibly telling me the truth.