Echo (The Soul Seekers 2)

The demon has taken his place.

He hooks a sharp talon around the handle, drags the blade free, and tosses it to the ground, where it falls to a thud at his enormous clawed feet.

The sight so astounding, so unfathomable, I’m left blinking in confusion. Unable to make sense of why Cade stands monstrous and grinning before me, the knife and dart abandoned at his feet, as Dace collapses to his knees, blood gushing from the wound his brother should bear.

Cade glances between us, his face impassive, his voice toneless as he says, “Told you we were connected. Though I guess I failed to tell you how deeply. So let me enlighten you now. In order to kill me, you need to catch me in human form. But be warned, I will not go alone. I’ll take my brother right along with me. And believe it or not, I prefer to keep him around.” He turns toward me with glowing red eyes that fix right on mine. “Oh, I may rely on Coyote to keep him in line from time to time—the wounds he inflicts on Dace bear no effect on me. Which is something you both need to consider the next time either one of you gets another homicidal urge.”

His words leave me speechless, numbed. I stare between the two of them, horrified by a truth made suddenly real.

Killing Cade means killing Dace.

It’s an incomprehensible choice I could never, ever make.

Yet I have to.

It’s what I was born to do.

Is this what Paloma meant when she warned me that a Seeker’s life requires great sacrifice?

Did she suspect all along we were doomed from the start?

Cade looms before me, his monstrous face taunting as though this is his idea of big fun. While Dace ignores the rush of blood now streaming from his neck and grabs at Cade’s ankles, his knees, trying to stop him from getting to me.

But in full demon mode, Cade wields incredible force. He won’t go down easily. He kicks Dace away, barely sparing him a backward glance as he says, “Don’t worry about him. He’s hurting, no thanks to you. But your aim’s not that good. You missed the main artery. Thing is, that’s twice you’ve tried to kill me. Leading me to believe I can no longer trust you. You’ve run your course, Seeker. You’re the end of the line. It’s been interesting, but don’t think for a moment I’ll miss you.”

Behind him, Dace leaps for the knife, willing to sacrifice himself in order to save me.

A selfless act that assures me he’s still in there.

Somewhere.

I haven’t lost him entirely.

But he’s no match for Cade.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Cade’s already snatched it.

Already coming at me in a blur of gleaming red eyes and two-headed snakes that shoot from his mouth.

Already shoving that two-sided knife straight into my chest, the blade making an awful scraping sound when it shoves past the key.

I stagger backwar

d. My gaze swimming with the sight of his ghastly demon face bearing down on mine, as my hands fumble at the gash in my flesh. Watching in dismay when they come away drenched in red.

“Hurts, don’t it?” Cade grins. Allowing those two-headed, soul-stealing snakes to leap from his mouth, going straight for the gaping hole he’s left in my breast.

This is just like the dream. Just like the prophecy. Only I’ve managed to change the ending. Instead of Dace dying, I’ve taken his place.

I cling to the thought as I watch it unfold. Watch it as though it’s happening to somebody other than me.

My hands flopping before me, useless and weak. Wanting so badly to tell Dace that I love him—that I’m sorry to leave him like this.

But the words are soon drowned by a torrent of something metallic and bitter that clogs up my throat.

Blood.

My blood.