Snow Fright

by Kaye Draper

  I rolled my eyes, fighting the rising madness in myself. "Stop fucking monologuing and get to the point."

  He flipped me off. "Monsters like you are good for only one thing. To be used. You need someone in charge to control your tiny animal brains and put all that power to good use. Our country needs power like that. Imagine the soldier you would be with the right... master."

  And that? That as about all the stupid shit I could take. I was so ready to be done with all of this. I stepped forward, letting the beast take over. "Leave, Cloud," I growled. "I'll meet you upstairs."

  I was just conscious enough that my remaining sliver of humanity didn't want her to see this. Bad enough when I'd killed in self-defense. Terrible and wounding to be forced to kill. But to do it because you wanted to? I might not come back from that.

  I didn't wait to see her go. I lunged.

  The man screamed then bucked beneath me, reaching out a hand as if to save himself. I felt a pulse of magic from him. So, he must have some witch blood then. I could barely taste it in him as I dug my teeth into his neck and ripped out a chunk of flesh.

  "Stronger than you..." he gargled at me before I finished ripping his throat out.

  “Say that again, motherfucker!” I spat at the lifeless body.

  There was a rush, like the breaking of the ward when we had entered the room. I pulled myself from the brink of madness to see what he had done.

  On the wall behind us was a bloody handprint... right over where some sort of symbol had been etched into the wall. A ward. Which he had just broken.

  And I felt them.

  Oh my god, I felt them.

  Metal scraped and squealed against concrete as the creatures in those dark cells broke free of the now unwarded prison. I felt them hone in on me. Felt their power and their magic, and their rage.

  I leapt away from the fallen human as the first of the beasts came into the dim light of the workroom. Cloud was behind me. Of course she was. She would ignore everything I said.

  "Run, Cloud," I got out. Then I was buried under a thing that would give even my crazy ass nightmares. It was huge, like a bear, but hairless like a human. It was all teeth and claws that shredded my arm and torso, leaving a burning trail. Poison dripped from its gaping maw, which was filled with uneven, pointed shark’s teeth. It smelled of death and rot. Like the bear creature I had killed months ago in my forest... like the gryphon thing Cloud had hunted.

  I gagged as I grappled with it. It was stronger than it should be, even for its size. And I could feel some sort of magic humming through it. It was poison. And that rage. It wasn't like sensing the creatures that lived in my forest, or anywhere in the wild. This was... human rage.

  They had done it. They had moved from gathering information to carrying out their sick experiments. And we were all fucked.

  I kicked the thing in the gut at the same time Cloud's tomahawk flashed, scoring deep into its neck. It let me go, but then stood and squared off, ready to leap, ignoring the axe that was still sticking out, imbedded in the back of its thick neck.

  I crouched and growled, the monster in me ready to take on the world. The thing swiped a massive paw at me and I ducked. There was a loud crack and a splintering pain in my skull and I went tumbling to slam up against the stairs. I pushed myself to my feet and realized the thing had just snapped one of my horns off. The wendigo madness beat at me, demanding I devour everything.

  But Cloud's hand was on my arm, biting into my skin, tugging with inhuman strength. "No. Tess for the Gods' sake no! Run."

  I snarled at her, then looked back at the room. Where dozens of strange, warped, and incredibly powerful creatures were ambling toward us with rage and death in their minds.

  Shit.

  Cloud tugged on me again, then pulled me into the shadows with her hunter magic. I tried to fight it. The wendigo was too riled up. The threat too great. I needed to kill, rend, feast.

  Even if it would end up with me dead.

  We stumbled out of the shadows just in front of the innocuous-looking stone building. It looked like it could be the corporate office of a bank or something. Not the evil lair of torture that it was.

  A roar shook the place. The bear thing was furious. Hunters and witches milled around us, stuffing wounded people into black vans. Some had guns at the ready, taken from the organization. Cal was awake again, and was shouting orders at a group of org people, who were apparently cooperating.

  There was a line of others handcuffed to the railing by the front steps. I had the smug thought that we were about to be spared the trouble of deciding what to do with them.

  Then the wendigo madness was surging upward. I growled and shoved it down, my vision going red.

  "Get everyone out of here!" Cloud was shouting, her voice full of command. "Now. Go! They're coming, and we can't stop them!"

  I'll give them credit, for a bunch of unorganized and divided groups at war, they sure as shit recognized the voice of authority. They hauled ass.

  But it wasn't fast enough. The creatures burst through the doors, breaking glass and tearing metal. They descended on the handcuffed org assholes first. I didn't feel too bad for them.

  But they would be coming for us next.

  "Go!" I shouted as the last van lingered, waiting for Cloud and me.

  Cloud was half-way there, but she was standing there looking at me, her hand out. "Come on, Tess."

  I shook my head. She took a step toward me and I growled. "No!"

  "Tess," her voice dropped a notch lower, and it shook. "Come here. Now. Don't you dare."

  I knew she was thinking the same thing I was. I had refused to take her hand and go with the humans once before. It had nearly killed us both.

  And I was going to do it again. "No. They'll follow me. Their power, and their anger... their hurt. It will follow me." Because I was one of them.

  I saw someone grab Cloud and wrestle her back toward the van as I spun away. "Tess! Please!" Her voice broke. I had never heard my stoic Indian warrior chick sound so broken. "You can't leave me behind!"

  But I could.

  And I did.

  As the monsters behind me finished with the org assholes and turned their attention on me, I couldn't seem to take my eyes off that last departing van.

  Death stepped from the shadows. "My beautiful Tess," he said calmly. As if we weren't being rushed by monsters. "You managed to avoid the dark."

  I shrugged. "Sort of."

  He lifted a hand. "But the darkness found you anyway, didn't it?"

  A weak laugh as I fought the tears. "It always does."

  Then death reached out and touched my head.

  Chapter 15

  "Tess!" Cloud fought against the hunters who still held her down, physically and magically.

  She watched out the back window of the stupid black van as they bounced and swayed along the dirt road. She watched as the monsters turned toward Tess. As the woman stood all alone.

  As death appeared.

  Then the specter of a god lifted his hand. The ghostly hand that took life, that freed souls to dance in the heavens with the Great Spirit. And it placed that hand on Tess's head.

  Cloud screamed. She raged. The hunters were bruised and bleeding, but still they wouldn't release her. "No!" She watched Tess fall, lifeless, to the ground.

  Something in her broke. Her heart shattered, and she felt as though breathing was too difficult. The van turned a bend in the road and she slammed her head against the metal wall. "Tess," her voice was broken and ragged.

  She was cursed. Truly the gods lived only to feast on Cloud's immortal heart.

  Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks as she came apart. She was supposed to protect Tess. Tess was hers. But she had failed again. Blackness came to her, numbness. She had lost so many people. So many she was supposed to be able to protect.

  She had failed again and again. But she kept on going. Because her life's purpose was to hunt the monsters.

  And because she onl
y lived as long as she drew the blood of her enemies.

  She decided then and there. She would help these people that surrounded her. The hunters and witches who looked to her for guidance in this botched battle.

  Then she was done. She would not feed again. She would let the dark finally take her. Her duty was long since served. If the gods didn't understand that, then she was content to consign herself to hell. Surely it couldn't be worse than losing Tess. Than losing them all. Everyone she had lost.

  She finally stilled, and the hunters released her.

  "Okay, Cloud?' One of them asked in a hushed voice.

  She nodded. "I will be."

  And she would be. Once they got back to the commune and the hunters and witches had a plan to get rid of the rogue monsters.

  Then she would find a quiet place and wait.

  I will see you again soon, she silently promised Tess. Wait for me.

  About the Author

  Did you enjoy Snow Fright?

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  You might also enjoy my paranormal romance/urban fantasy series the Demon’s Call Series.

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  About The Author

  Sometimes our biggest strengths come from our deepest pain. Kaye Draper writes magic and romance, starring a cast of creatures with feathers and teeth. Her books span genres from urban fantasy, paranormal romance, steampunk fantasy, and sci-fi romance, to magical realism. Romance and conquering inner demons are her favorite themes and her books range from sweet to steamy to erotic. Kaye also advocates for self-development and mental health in her non-fiction work Love Letters to Myself. She loves the outdoors and still hopes to be abducted by fairies. She may have more in common with her characters than she cares to admit. Visit her website kayedraper.com, her blog Write Me, Twitter, or Facebook.

  More books by Kaye Draper

  Wendigo Girl Series

  Beauty And The Feast

  Creeping Beauty

  Mangled

  Snow Fright

  Tommy (short story)

  Cloud (short story)

  Demon’s Call Series

  Moonlight Calls

  Blood Beckons

  Destiny Decrees

  The Demon’s Birthday Present (short story)

  Earth and Sky Saga

  Earth And sky

  Rise And Fall

  Darkness And Light

  Gods And Angels (coming soon)

  Fantasy Romance

  Redemption

  A Secret Sky

  Paranormal Romance

  Survivor

  Come Love a Fey Collection

  Kelpie (novel)

  Pooka (short story)

  Mer (short story)

  Crow (short story)

  Wyvern (short story)

  House On The Hill (short story)

  Young Adult

  Kami Cursed