Marked For Death: A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel Becca Blake (fiction novels to read .txt) 📖

I shot Orion a side-eyed glare.

“You broke protocol, yes. But this isn’t a punishment. We have rules about taking mandatory leave after a partner’s death for a reason.”

“Ayla wasn’t just my partner. She was my friend.”

“The best ones are,” he said. “And that’s exactly why you need to allow yourself some time to grieve and move past this.”

“If you want me to move on, assign me a new partner and send me out on a hunt, so I can stop thinking about it all the time,” I said.

“Right now, with everything you’re feeling, there’s no way anyone could count on you to have their back in a fight. And you can’t risk an outburst with your magic.”

As much as I was itching to get back in the field, I knew Orion was right. Hunters who recently experienced a major loss were more likely to channel dark magic, which relied on volatile emotions. We had to be disciplined enough to suppress our emotions while using magic so we could channel our energy without going dark.

I wouldn’t trust someone who was in my state of mind to fight beside me. I’d be a liability in combat. Maybe I’d even get someone else killed.

“At this point, you’ve been off duty for a month, so if we’re going by the books, your mandatory leave is over. But you’re not returning to work until I clear you for it,” Orion said.

I sighed and set my empty glass down. “So, how do I convince you I’m ready?”

“You can stop isolating yourself, for starters.” Orion pulled up the sleeve of his jacket just enough to glance at his watch. “This year’s evaluations start in about an hour. I’m going with your dad. Why don’t you join us? You need a new partner, so you’re probably going to get stuck with one of the new recruits. Tell me who you want, and I can put in a good word.”

“Beats wallowing, I guess.”

***

After spending my morning in Ayla’s dark, quiet apartment, the bright sunlight and the clamoring of the Market Street crowds were oppressive. Or maybe that was the lingering hangover talking.

Orion and I headed toward the Courtyard, which was right at the heart of Haygrove. The town was small enough that most residents didn’t bother with cars, so the road that cut through the middle was always filled with people walking from one destination to another.

Haygrove’s distance from other cities and towns meant we never had any outsiders show up. If we ever did, we’d seem like just another Small Town, USA, right in the middle of nowhere. We had all the things you’d expect in a small town—a bar, a grocery store, an electronics shop. There were even daycares and schools for those who had kids.

For those who knew where to look, though, Haygrove’s true nature as a town full of demon hunters was obvious. Along with the normal places, we also had a blacksmith, an armory, and an alchemy lab. Not to mention the Shadow Academy, where every hunter trained before being sent out in the field.

It was the only place, perhaps in the entire world, for all I knew, where the existence of magic and demons wasn’t hidden behind closed doors. Everywhere else, those things were nothing more than fairy tales, and the Arbiters of Shadow worked hard to keep it that way.

We found my dad outside the training center, where the annual evaluation of new recruits would take place.

“She went out for some lunch,” Orion said. “Can you believe she didn’t even bother to invite us, Owen?”

I offered Orion a half-smile as thanks for covering for me, then turned my attention back to my dad. “I wasn’t expecting you to be home from your last hunt so soon.”

“I wasn’t either. They’ll probably send me right back out into the field again, so don’t get too used to having me around.” His smile turned serious as he searched my face. “Are you doing alright?”

I shrugged. “As alright as I can be.”

“She’ll be back out in the field as soon as we can assign her a new partner,” Orion said.

“I’m glad to hear that. I’ve been worried about you, Riley.”

“We should get inside and find our seats before they’re all taken,” I said, eager to find a different topic of discussion. Preferably one that didn’t involve the two of them fussing over me.

Inside the building, a group had formed around the wall-sized TV screen to watch the evaluations. Only notable members of the organization—the Council, commanding officers, and their families—were allowed inside the evaluation hall. Everyone else would have to sit out in the crowded lobby of the training center, or watch a recording later.

Orion flashed his credentials to the receptionist, who waved us back.

“Do you know what they’re doing for the trials this year?” I asked, as we climbed the stairs up to the elevated seating.

“Not a clue,” Orion said. “They don’t tell us that stuff ahead of time.”

“I’d assume there’s a reason they’re using the most effectively fireproofed room in the building this year, though,” my dad said.

As we found our seats, I saw what my dad meant. A pulsing orange glow coated the walls and floor, an enchantment to protect the building from fire.

Soon after we sat down, the Council of Shadows arrived. It was rare for them to make appearances together, since their duties kept them all so busy. I could only ever remember seeing half of them at most in the same place at any event I’d been to. Today, though, all ten of them filed into the front row.

At the front was the leader of the Council, John Grayson. It had been a few years since I’d seen him out in public, but I couldn’t recall him looking so old and frail before.

Marcus Thorne, the Councilman who oversaw the training of new recruits, held out a hand to assist Leader Grayson as he sank into the chair. Once the others settled into their seats,