Chapter Eighteen
Zarik was right. There was nothing about our lives that was normal. Normal people weren't stalking the streets at all hours of the night, blades strapped to their belts, looking for monsters to kill. Monsters that shouldn't exist anywhere but horror movies.
Yet, they did. It was my duty to kill them. Regardless of my standing within the Order – or non-standing, as was the case – it was still a duty I held sacred. One I would continue to perform until I was no longer able to. Or no longer alive.
No, there was nothing normal about our lives, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
As I walked through the streets, lurking through the back alleys and keeping to the shadows, I pulled my hood down a little lower. I moved cautiously and quickly, knowing I had to be on guard not just for Scales or whatever other creatures might be skulking about, but for my former brothers and sisters of the Order. It was most definitely dangerous for me out there, but I had no choice.
I found myself back in the vacant lot where all of this had started. Where I'd first seen Zarik and my life was forever altered. It wasn't nostalgia that had brought me there though. I just figured that the manhole cover into the sewers was a main point of ingress and egress for the Scales.
My mission was simple – kill as many of them as I could. I was angry. The dark rage that had been hovering over me since my falling out with Jacob settled down over me, wrapping me up, and clung to me tightly. I was angry. Furious. And I wanted nothing more than to feel my blades slicing through those beasts, cutting them down. I wanted to see them falling dead at my feet by the score.
That was all I wanted. To bring death to as many of the Scales as possible.
The sound of a footstep scraping in the dirt behind me caused me to draw my blades and spin around in one smooth motion. A pair of Scales were advancing on me – already much closer than I was comfortable with. I'd allowed myself to be distracted and had let them sneak up on me.
“Dammit,” I muttered.
One of their tails lanced out at me. It was close, but I managed to deflect it with my first blade and brought my second blade down quickly, slicing through the tail. The creature howled in pain and delivered a vicious backhand that knocked me off my feet. I hit the ground with a thud, the air rushing out of my lungs.
The two Scales moved quickly and I managed to roll to the side a split second before the second creature's stinger buried itself in the dirt where I'd been just a moment before. I kicked out with my leg, catching the first creature in the side of the knee. Its leg buckled and it fell to the ground in a heap, clutching its busted leg, its wounded tail whipping about, spraying blood everywhere.
Jumping to my feet, I delivered a kick to its face that knocked it backward into the dirt and moved on the second creature. It thrust its stinger at me and I deftly spun to the side. Seeing an opening, I swung my blade and grinned in satisfaction as I buried it hilt deep into the creature's throat. It tried to scream, but nothing more than a wet gurgling noise escaped its throat. Blood poured from its mouth and I watched as its body began to grow limp.
I yanked my dagger free and spun toward the second, just as it was beginning to climb to its feet. Bringing my blade down, I heard and felt the crunch as I drove it straight through the top of the beast's skull. I pulled it free and the creature slumped to the side, dead before it hit the ground.
The shadows all around the vacant lot seemed to come alive with movement. I watched in horror as Scales – dozens of them – emerged, moving toward me. And I realized that I'd been so distracted, that I'd allowed myself to walk into a trap. They'd been waiting for me to show up, somehow knowing I'd be there.
For the first time in my career as a hunter, I felt a stirring of fear move through me. It was an electric sensation that sent chills crawling across my skin. It was a feeling I did not particularly enjoy. And in that moment, I really wished I'd taken Zarik up on his offer to come with me.
Zarik.
“Huntress,” one of the Scales said, its voice low and guttural. “You will come with us. Our King requires your presence.”
“Like hell I will,” I snapped.
Sheathing one of my blades, I grabbed the phone from my pocket and punched the button to dial him. The Scales continued to advance on me, getting closer by the second. A moment later, I heard Zarik's voice.
“Ella,” he said. “Are you okay?”
“I'm trapped,” I said quickly. “Scales –”
I dropped the phone to the ground and quickly drew my second blade as a pair of Scales rushed me. Stepping forward, I dropped and shoulder rolled and came up directly behind them. Without hesitation, I buried my blades into the backs of their necks, the bronze slicing through their flesh like the proverbial hot knife through butter.
I looked around and saw the ring of creatures around me getting tighter. My phone still lay on the ground and I could only imagine what Zarik was hearing. What he was thinking. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to get to my phone. If I didn't move, I was going to be buried under a mountain of lizard flesh. Or I'd be dead.
And since I didn't want either outcome, I knew I had to move.
I got moving, rushing straight toward the Scales who were blocking my way. Moving fast, I sliced and cut my way through the line of monsters who were trying to keep me penned in. Bodies fell, blood pooled, and I fought my way through the ring of monsters.
And it was then I realized my second mistake – I'd gone the wrong way. Standing between me and the alley I'd come down were dozens of the creatures. My only way out was down the manhole and through the sewers. It wasn't an appealing idea – in fact, I thought it downright sucked – but it was about my only option.
Sprinting to the manhole, I dropped down through it. I landed on my feet and stood up, blades at the ready.
“Oh, crap,” I muttered.
The trap had been sprung and I was caught. In front of me and behind me, were countless dozens of the creatures. I looked up and saw the heads of even more of them peering down at me from above. I had nowhere to go.
“Huntress,” came a voice from the darkness. “Our King requires your presence.”
There was the sound of a crack, followed by a sharp pain in my head – and then my whole world went black.