Mystic (The Soul Seekers 3)

then.”

Though the warning was intended for me, I’m not the only soulless body in jeopardy.

The beast hurls itself against the back wall, causing the wood to splinter and crack until it starts to give way. Leaving me only a handful of seconds to decide what to do next.

Do I fight him?

Slay him?

Beat him to a pulp and watch him bleed into the ground?

Or do I try to grab Daire and get the hell out of here?

With her idle body sprawled across the dirt, she appears so defenseless, so vulnerable, there’s no question I have to do whatever it takes to get her to safety.

I’ll fight the demon if it comes to that.

But only if it comes to that.

The demon continues to beat down the wall. His claw breaking through first, followed by a foot, as Suriel screams and shouts from inside, egging him on.

I lunge for Daire’s body, scoop her into my arms, and race for Kachina. Remembering too late that Kachina fears me. There’s no guarantee that she’ll help.

Though she is inclined to help Daire.

She runs up beside me and lowers her neck, allowing me to drape Daire over her back, just as a loud crash rings out from behind, and the demon lumbers straight for us.

thirty-three

Daire

Long after Cade has left, Phyre remains in her car. Her face hidden in the palms of her hands. Her shoulders spasmodically jerking as though crying.

She drags a deep breath, peers into the rearview mirror, and wipes a careful finger under each eye. Taking a moment to consider the tears she’s collected, before drying her hands on her legs and driving away.

With a gentle nudge from me, the raven soars alongside her. Trailing her over a series of gutted dirt roads and random turns, with seemingly no destination in mind. Until she pulls a quick U-turn and speeds toward Native Land.

The reservation?

What could she possibly want there?

If she can’t get the twins, will she go after Chepi?

Or is she simply licking her wounds with a visit to her childhood haunts?

The raven grows fidgety, hungry. Irritated by this extended bout of hospitality, he wastes no time in squeezing me out. Leaving me to wake with a start, surprised to find myself draped in Dace’s arms as Kachina races furiously beneath us.

“What happened?” With bleary eyes I squint toward the horizon, trying to determine our location. “Where are we? Where are we going?” I gaze up at Dace, noting the look of extreme apprehension masking his face. The way he keeps looking behind us, as though we’re being chased.

“I’ll fill you in later.” He drags hard on the reins, urging Kachina to a much slower pace, though it takes her a while to obey. She’s lathered and restless and as spooked as Dace seems to be. “You okay?” He presses his lips to my hair, clutches me tighter against him.

I nod, shift deeper into his arms, and peer past his shoulder. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to worry about. Whatever it was, it seems to have passed.

“What’d you see?” His voice is tight, distracted, as he peers behind us again.

“I watched Phyre try to get with your brother. But I intervened before it could go anywhere.”

“Cade was into it?” Dace greets the news with a look I can’t read.