Demon Day Penelope Fletcher (which ebook reader TXT) 📖

was not the time to be sick. I dryheaved once, twice, making a disgusting retching sound before I gotit under control.

A knife flashed in his palm as he doveon top of me, roaring in anger. I jerked my head to avoid the tipspearing my eye. I rolled, taking him with me and we brawled on thefloor. He rained punches and kicks down on me as I hissed, bit, andscratched, too wild to think about fighting properly. Screwgraceful stances, I fought for my life; teeth and nails would do mejust fine. Managing to pin me under his knees – squirming andcursing – he slashed the blade across my back. I screamed the burninstant and intense. He shifted off me and I scrambled up to crawlforward, only to get the blade brought down full force into myshoulder. Screaming did not describe the harsh cry torn from mythroat as the tip of the blade punctured my skin then sank down,the edges radiating an intense burn through my arm and side. My armbuckled and my cheek hit the wood.

Breandan beat his fists on the glass,silently roaring his frustration. I watched as the iron eroded hisskin and left smears of blood.

Cleric Tu paced around me, eyesbloodshot and crazed, unfocused. His arm swung into view and I sawhe had a new tattoo, a rune of power noting his new rank in theSect hierarchy.

I shook my head in disbelief, mentallypreparing myself for the next attack. I needed to focus and takehim on as a Priestess not a rabid animal as I had been. Now if Icould only stop my entire body trembling….

“Priest?” I asked withconvincing calm.

“Those old men have seenthey need a warrior like me.” He pointed a finger and spun it oncein the air above his head. “Liking the cage? It was built with youdemons in mind. Particles of silver and iron have been blasted ontothe surface to weaken you.” He shrugged. “I often wondered if wewere wasting our time on such a thing but now … its true value hasbeen proven.”

“You truly think this isworth something? You think because you trapped me here that you’rea warrior,” I scoffed and this time it was easy to invoke theemotion. The idea was laughable. I jerked my head toward Breandan,till trying to pound a hole through the glass. “That is a warrior.My brother, the Elder of my family is a warrior. I am a warrior.Hell, Runt the goblin is more of a warrior than you are. You are agods damned lunatic.”

He lunged for me. I rolled out theway, but his heavy boot landed on my bad shoulder, knocking thebreath out of me. Another kick to my stomach had me curling into aball, tears in my eyes. Winded, I was dragged up. Cleric Tu twistedmy arm behind my back and the stabbing pain was enough to make mecry out.

He snatched up the gun he dropped topress the barrel to my cheek. The particles of iron around the rimsizzled as they touched my skin.

Breandan dug at the glass wall with adagger, but was not getting far since the iron drained his fairystrength. He backed up and a swirling blue orb of fire appeared infront of him and hurled itself onto the glass. It dissipatedwithout leaving a scratch. Three balls of blue flames greater insize thumped into the cage in quick succession but nothinghappened. Breandan’s face was dark with rage and he yelled at Rowho fumbled with the control panel to open the door.

I lifted my chin, refusing to beafraid. I turned my head, the iron burning a trail along mycheekbone as I did, and locked my gaze with Breandan’s.

Time halted, and I sawdesperation in his eyes. Fight.His voice echoed in my head.

I was so tired, weak. I couldn’t do itanymore. I was not strong enough to keep fighting for a life I wasnot even sure I wanted. Something as big as being the fairyPriestess was too big for me … too big for Rae.

Ro stopped trying to open the box andshouted at Cleric Tu through the glass, banging his palm againstit. He cocked his leg up to kick at the keypad in an attempt getthe door to slide open.

My defeat, my acceptance ofthe end had Breandan sinking to his knees. Please. He pressed his palm to theglass. For him.

My breath caught in my throat and Iheard my own heart stop. Breandan tried in desperation to coax meinto fighting again. I knew of whom he spoke. How could he not see,not know how absolutely infatuated and devoted I was? My eyesalmost closed but snapped open when the fear of dying in darknessinstead of basking in silver light came to mind.

With death breathing down my neck onceagain, I acknowledged the truth I was too terrified to say aloud. Iwould live for him, and no other. No one else would ever hold asmuch appeal, and not because of the bond, but because of who hewas. The boy who would risk his life to save a vampire he hated tomake me happy. The one who would turn his back on everything he hadever known to have a chance at being with me.

“For you,” I whispered asmy eyes drifted closed.

Cleric Tu breathed in deeply, I heardhis finger slip onto the trigger to cradle it. The man was baskingin my death before it had even happened. To think all the respect Ihad once had for him.

Pain exploded in front of myeyes.

Selfish!

Fight him.

It was not loud, butunfalteringly, and unreservedly present in the hushed reverence ofthe moment of my death. Invigorated and incensed by emotion fedthrough the bond, I stood, faster than light, and pivoted on theball of my foot. Gasp. Tu looked down atthe empty space in of his hands. Thump. I twisted his hand back. Click. Thegun exploded.

I did not see the bullet tear throughhis skin. I heard it. The flesh of his stomach caved in and blewout his back spattering his guts on the glass behind.

Eyes wide, face etched in shock hestaggered back.

The gun clattered to thefloor.

I stumbled back, barely registering myown movement, my mind