He grabbed my elbow. “Lizzy, don’t. Just let them be.”
I turned with a scowl and pulled my arm free. “But she doesn’t get to encroach on my world. It’s not right. If it had been up to her, I’d be a pile of ashes right now or a demon’s permanent blood bag.”
He sighed and rocked back on his heels, his eyes resting on my face. We’d all been through so much when Margaret Thatcher’s demon set its sights on me. I’d nearly died the day she came to collect me. It was all Granny’s fault.
I couldn’t take the silent lecture of a warrior’s duty oozing from Gabe’s solemn face, so I turned back to focus on the hikers. They were already past us, fading into the thick branches of the pines. Any bits of conversation they were having reached us in garbled bits that made no sense.
Every muscle in my body tensed to run after them. In only a few seconds, I’d catch up. The shock on Granny’s face would be worth Gabe’s lecture afterwards. Maybe I’d even flash my gun in front of her eyes, see how she liked it when death was staring her in the face. It was the least I could do, after all the courtesy she’d shown me. A little fear might do her good. She thought she was so invincible.
I nearly sprang into action, when Gabe’s warm hand on my shoulder stopped me.
“Lizzy, let’s go. She’s not worth another moment of your time.”
Angry tears stung to the corner of my eyes. He couldn’t understand the utter betrayal of having a family member toss you aside like a busted toy. Granny’s actions had left deep wounds in my heart. There was no telling how long they’d take to heal.
Despite my anger, I took a deep calming breath and nodded at Gabe, letting him lead me in the opposite direction of my grandmother. A few more miles southeast and we’d be safe on the lawn of Westward Manor, home of the Nephilim warriors that guarded the Hell Gate on our continent. It was the place I now called home. Decked out with a sprawling mansion, training complex, and stables, it was unlike any home in the South Dakota Black Hills. I’d never get used to the luxury that spanned every nook and cranny of the place, although I certainly didn’t mind trying.
We were only a mile away when I caught a flurry of activity out of the corner of my eye. Coming in fast were two ferals, their teeth bared. The first took the shape of a tall curly-haired man and the second, a tiny blonde woman. I barely had time to shout out a warning and wrap my fingers around my gun before they pounced, throwing both of us to the ground.
“Watch out,” Gabe yelled, yanking the sword from his back and jumping in front of me.
My head rang with a fierce joy. Finally, my chance to beat Ashley and show Gabe my worth as a Nephilim warrior. I could use a little stress relief and demons made the perfect punching bags. Unholstering my gun, I stepped out from behind Gabe’s protective stance and steadied my aim on the little blonde’s chest.
“Get back,” he yelled, swinging his sword to slice through the man’s chest.
I ignored his warning and pulled the trigger of my 9mm, burying a silver bullet in her torso. He had nothing to worry about. I’d taken out demons twice her size. If anything, she should be afraid of me.
The gunshot only managed to enrage the demon. Her lips peeled back into a snarl, revealing a black hole where her mouth should’ve been. In a flash, she charged and knocked the gun out of my hand, sending it spiraling far out of reach.
“Lizzy, get out of the way.”
Gabe skewered the tall demon with a smooth lunge of his blade, sending him back to Hell in a shadowy cloud. He turned to swipe the blade at the blonde, but found me in his path and stumbled.
“No,” I shouted. He’d seen me take down plenty of demons. There was no reason to start babying me now. “This one is mine.”
A weightless sensation had begun in my chest. It grew until my skin glowed with an intense light that burned like a thousand papercuts. Panic erupted in my head, but I didn’t have time to react to my strange new glow. The demon took advantage of my momentary distraction to charge at us both, her claws wrapping around our ankles.
We fell hard on the ground in a dull thud. The demon clung to my torso and dragged her claws along my stomach, shredding my flesh. A scream tore from my throat, but I still managed to pull the silver dagger from my boot and dig it into her ribs. Not a kill shot, but enough to get her to roll off me.
Lying next to me was Gabe’s still body. The small trickle of blood running down the side of his cheek told me he’d banged his head on a rock. Violent red filled my vision. She’d hurt my partner. For that, she had to pay.
“Come on,” I hissed. “Come and get me.”
She crouched down like a lion ready to pounce, the thin strands of her hair lifting in the gentle fall breeze. Eyes as dark as coals watched me, cool and calculating. I’d seen dozen of demons just like her speed through the forest since I began training. They were fast, but I was always faster.
That was probably why she caught me unguarded when she sprung forward at a speed unlike any demon I’d faced so far. Without so much as a fight, she plucked the dagger from my loose grip and returned it to me, sunk deep in my flesh. The only thing I could do was scream in agony as the shock clouded my eyes and sent me hurling toward the ground in a bloody heap.