Demon Hunters 3: Tainted (Stand Alone Series) (Demon Hunters.)

by Avril Sabine

  “Enough!” The man swung the gun wildly between Cassidy, Gabe and the girl.

  The moment the gunman’s eyes weren’t on her, Cassidy pointed at Gabe, then the gunman and then tapped her right wrist. She mimed throwing a blade. Gabe shook his head. She didn’t even have time to argue in any way before the gunman was looking at her again. “Drop the gun and walk away. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” She could tell him all about regrets.

  “Please. Please.” The girl’s sobs grew louder.

  “I said shut up!” The man turned the gun on the girl again.

  The world slowed down for Cassidy. She saw him pull the trigger. She didn’t have time to blink before she was carrying the girl from the path of the bullet. She felt wood splinter beside her as she dropped the girl on the ground under another tree, spinning to face the man. She was in time to see a small blade strike his wrist and the gun fall to the ground. His uninjured hand rose, his mouth opened and he screamed, pointing at Cassidy, eyes wide. In the background she heard the sound of sirens as she continued towards the man.

  “We’ve got to get out of here.” Gabe ran towards her.

  Cassidy pulled the blade from the man who backed away from her, begging her not to hurt him. She grinned at him and leaned into his face. “Boo.”

  He yelped, stumbled and landed on the ground, staring up at her. “Please, please. Stay away. Whatever you are, just stay away from me. Please. The fire. Take it away from me.” He slowly scooted back across the ground.

  Gabe grabbed Cassidy’s right wrist and tugged her away. “Come on. Do you really want to talk to the cops?”

  The world started to catch up to normal pace and she turned to Gabe with a shake of her head. She ran with him to her motorbike, pulling on her helmet as she hopped on. The moment she felt Gabe seated behind her she took off, heading in the opposite direction to the sound of sirens. After a few minutes she changed directions and headed for home.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  When they arrived home energy still sang through Cassidy’s body, making her restless. She turned to Gabe the moment they stepped inside and held out the blade to him. “I thought I asked for a shuriken.”

  “I told you no weapons.”

  “He had a gun. Besides, it’s a stupid rule.”

  “No, it’s not. We don’t use weapons against humans in case someone is recording the fight. Everyone records things these days. The last thing we need is to end up on Youtube.”

  Cassidy grinned. “And how would they explain a Youtube vid of a hunter fighting a demon? Or even empty air if the demon’s hidden.”

  “Cameras are better at picking up such things. And it doesn’t matter because people would think they’d recorded actors.”

  Cassidy shrugged. “He had a gun. I wasn’t about to stand around and wait to be shot.”

  “You’re lucky I had time to throw anything. What were you even thinking? Were you trying to get yourself killed? You’re not a demon.” His hands went to her shoulders, shaking her lightly as his grip tightened. “Damn it. He could have killed you.”

  “He didn’t.” She dropped the blade Gabe ignored and lifted her hands to push his away. “I have never felt so much energy. He had no chance of hitting me.”

  Gabe raised her left arm. “That’s because it wasn’t just your blood feeding the demon tonight. Judging by all those splatters on your arm I’d say you broke a nose as well as a jaw.”

  Cassidy took a step back. “That’s a stranger’s blood on my arm?” At Gabe’s nod she paled and ran to the bathroom. She heard Gabe enter the room after she’d scrubbed most of the blood off. “That’s disgusting.” She turned on Gabe with a glare when he laughed.

  “Glad to see you’re not as demonic as you looked earlier.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Gabe stepped close. “Your eyes were all flame. They’re not much better right now. And look at your mark.”

  Cassidy didn’t have to look at it to feel how it twisted and turned. “Fire.” She repeated the gunman’s word.

  “Yeah.” Gabe nodded as he brushed the side of her face near her left eye. “Fire.”

  Cassidy closed her eyes, trying to contain the power. It was impossible. She opened her eyes to stare at Gabe. “I need to hunt.”

  “Need?”

  She nodded. “I feel like someone’s hooked me up to the electricity grid.”

  Gabe’s lips slowly curved into a smile. “I can think of a better way to wear off all that energy.” The smile became a grin. “But hunting’s probably the safest option.”

  Cassidy laughed as she shook her head. “You coming with me?”

  Gabe wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, his lips a breath away. “Always.” He pulled back slightly. “Now let’s get out of here before I get myself killed.” He brushed a finger across her lips before he turned away, reaching out to take her hand and tug her along with him.

  Once they were on the motorbike, Cassidy searched for demons. She could sense Castigate off to the north. Obviously not a direction they should be going in. She quickly searched in a different direction. They were too minor. Then she found one.

  Grinning, she headed towards him. It took them nearly half an hour to track him down. She reached for her daggers as soon as she was off the motorbike.

  Gabe put a hand on her arm. “He’s not doing anything yet.”

  She shook Gabe’s hand off her. “But he will be. Why else is he following that couple along the footpath?”

  “Guarding them?”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “When he does something wrong then we can step in.”

  “It’s a stupid rule.” The energy raced through her, looking for an outlet. And the one she’d chosen was continuing to walk away from her.

  “Without rules you might as well be a demon.”

  She stopped walking to face him, growling between gritted teeth. “I’m not a demon.”

  Gabe raised his left hand. “Aren’t you? Then why do you feel exactly like one right now?”

  He was wrong. “I need to hunt. And you’re stopping me.” There was already too much energy racing through her, but the only thing she could think of to catch the other demon’s attention was to increase it. Running her fingernails across her wrist, she grinned. “Guess I’ll have to do something about it.”

  Swearing, he reached out to grab her right hand, but he was too slow. “One day you’ll call up more energy than your body can handle.” He spun to face the demon that came towards them.

  “They’re mine. I saw them first. Go find your own humans.”

  Gabe took out two of his blades. “We’re here to protect them.”

  The demon laughed. “A hunter and a demon together?” He turned his gaze on Cassidy. “Leave behind that pretty shell you wear and come hunt with me. If this hunter has bound you I’ll get rid of him for you.” His grin showed pointed teeth. “I haven’t had the pleasure of killing a hunter in years.”

  “Is that enough proof for you?” Cassidy asked Gabe. Her eyes remained on the demon, her daggers ready.

  “You admit to killing a hunter?” Gabe asked.

  The demon chuckled. “What are you going to do about it, boy?”

  “I don’t know what he’s going to do about it, but I plan to do plenty.” Grinning, Cassidy leapt at the demon, slashing at him with her daggers.

  He spun away, but not before she’d managed to cut him. Roaring, he attacked her with a sword he materialised. She darted past his blade, coming up behind him to strike at his back before she whirled away from him.

  “I offered to set you free.” The demon blocked the blades Gabe threw at him, moving to put Cassidy between him and Gabe.

  “I’m not a demon.” She struck out at him, trying to get out of Gabe’s way.

  The demon didn’t cooperate, continuing to keep her between him and Gabe. “Then what are you?”

  She hadn’t liked the word the first time she’d heard it.
But now it meant power. It also meant not cowering before a demon who could take her life or the life of those she loved. Her lips curved into a smile as she renewed her attacks, the power singing through her. “Tainted.” She could feel other demons in the distance, picking up on the power and heading towards them.

  “You were a hunter?” The demon continued to block her attacks, still keeping her between him and Gabe.

  “No. I was, and still am, human.” She could feel her humanity beneath the demon power and she didn’t plan to lose it.

  “With eyes like that? Not likely.”

  “Stop playing with him, demon girl. Can’t you feel the others?” Gabe demanded, trying to move to his right.

  Yeah, she could feel them. And she looked forward to it. A glance in the direction the two humans had been walking showed they were long gone. Dropping her daggers, she laughed as the power surged through her. She vaulted over the demon, a hand on his shoulder to push herself over. Grabbing his arm, she twisted it up behind his back, struggling to hold him. “Turn him into a pincushion.”

  Gabe launched blade after blade at the struggling demon until he burst into flames, howling as he returned to hell. As soon as the demon was gone, Gabe began to gather up his blades. “They’re coming in fast. Are we staying or going?”

  Picking up her daggers, she searched the area, power still singing through her body. There was nothing strong coming for them. Only the minor. But there should be enough of them to make it challenging. “We stay.”

  Gabe laughed, dropping an arm around her shoulders as they faced the direction the first wave of demons would come from. “I should have known. Especially with how much power is still pouring off you. Remember you’re meant to be using it up, not adding to it.”

  “Are you tired? Having trouble keeping up?”

  “Not at all.” His lips met hers for a moment, then he stared down at her. “Hunting is my second favourite pastime.”

  She grinned at him, not bothering to ask what his favourite was. With that expression, she didn’t need to. “Then why are we waiting for them?” Shrugging his arm off her shoulders, she raced forward, meeting up with the first demon halfway down the street.

  By the time the next few arrived, they’d dispatched the first one. The next two were starved for power. She could feel their hunger for hers. She wasn’t about to give it up. It had been too hard won.

  Her daggers streaked through the night, a blur of motion as she attacked and blocked, trying to keep out of Gabe’s way as he threw his blades. At one stage of the night, he ran out and Cassidy drew the demons away from him so he had a chance to collect his weapons.

  As dawn arrived, Cassidy sank her dagger into the demon she had pinned to the ground, a weary smile forming as it disappeared in a mist that hung on the air for a few seconds. She looked up at Gabe who held out a hand to her. Taking it, she rose to her feet.

  “Ready to go home?”

  She nodded. “Now I am.” Her smile widened. “How about you?”

  Chuckling, he slung his arm around her shoulders. “More than, demon girl.” He walked beside her towards her motorbike. “You want to be passenger this time?”

  “Not likely.” She swung her leg over the motorbike, pulling on her helmet. Searching the area she found that even Castigate was gone. And the few minor demons that were able to roam during daylight hours were nowhere near them. Once Gabe was behind her, she headed for home. It had been a good night’s work. Hopefully tonight would be just as easy. But she doubted it. She couldn’t stop thinking about how much power Castigate had. She wasn’t about to let that keep her from going after him. She owed him for what he’d done to her family.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Cassidy lay beside Gabe, staring at the ceiling as she listened to him breathing. She rubbed her thumb over the ring, feeling it turn slightly. Tonight. It would have to be tonight before she chickened out. If she left it too long she might come up with excuses of why she shouldn’t go after him. There were certainly plenty of them to choose from. The one that came to mind first was that he was far stronger than her.

  Gabe rolled towards her, pulling her close. “Do you have to think so loud? I was trying to sleep.”

  “I’m going after Castigate tonight.”

  “I know.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  Gabe smiled at her. “We’re going after Castigate tonight.”

  She pulled away from him so she could sit up. “You don’t have to come and how can you say you know. Are you a mind reader now?”

  Gabe rolled onto his back, still smiling. “No, but I’m starting to be able to read you. All your sighs and restlessness just now. And who were you saying goodbye to last night?”

  “None of your business.” She slid across the bed and swung her feet over the edge. “And who says I was saying goodbye to anyone?”

  “I rang my family and talked to them last night. Then Riley took me to see our priest before he dropped me off at the gym.”

  She couldn’t risk him. There was no way she was going to let anyone else she cared about die. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t need help.” She rose to her feet, backing away from the bed.

  Gabe hopped out of bed following her until she stopped near the door. “We’re not going to lose. I’ve got an idea.”

  “It’s not one of your religious fanatic ideas, is it?”

  “No. Just one of the few family rules I haven’t gotten around to breaking before.” He grinned. “I knew you were going to be a bad influence on me.” He took another step closer.

  Cassidy held up a hand, pressing against his chest to prevent him from coming any closer. “I thought all your family rules were important to you lot and to do with the way you fight demons.”

  “Some things are more important than others.” He stepped to the side, brushing her arm out of the way so he could close the gap between them. “I’ve been thinking about what you told me about the night you and Remedy became inseparable. There’s no easy way to break the bond between you, not without a really high chance you’ll die. You did a good job of that binding. So we have to deal with Castigate before he destroys Remedy.” His hands slid across her back. “I don’t want you to die.”

  “I don’t want you to die either.”

  “Good. We agree on something. So come on, off to the kitchen.”

  Cassidy frowned as Gabe led her to the kitchen, tugging on her hand when she slowed. “No matter how many times I replay your comment it still isn’t a logical conclusion to that conversation.”

  Gabe glanced towards her with a fleeting grin as he stopped at the kitchen sink. Letting go of her hand, he picked up his blade that lay on the stainless steel sink, beside the clean dishes in the draining rack. “Grab out the cling wrap for me.”

  Cassidy pulled the roll of cling wrap from a drawer and gasped when she turned to see Gabe run the blade lightly across his arm. “What are you doing?”

  “Tear me off a piece of that, will you?”

  Cassidy handed him a length of cling wrap and watched as he smeared it with blood before wrapping it in on itself. “What am I meant to do with this?” She stared at the bloody cling wrap he handed her.

  “Put it in the fridge until we hunt. Wrap it around your wrist when you need an extra boost. But I’d really prefer you didn’t use it when I’m occupied since it’s going to be painful for me.”

  “You’re giving me your blood to use?” Cassidy stared up at him. When he nodded, she threw her arms about him. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

  “In that case you’ve definitely been hanging with the wrong people. I’d say a single rose would have to be nicer. This is practical.”

  “I know what your blood means to you. Don’t joke about what you’re doing. Thank you.” She rose on tiptoes to press her lips against his. Warmth spiralled through her as her arms tightened around him.

  It was Gabe who ended things this time. He pulled back, a slight smile as he star
ed down at her. “As much as I’d like to continue this, I think we should prepare for a visitor.”

  “I need to see him. I’ve got something to ask him.” She headed for the fridge, putting the bloody cling wrap in the shelf at the top of the door. She stared at it a moment longer before she closed it to turn and meet Gabe’s eyes. “Do you really think we’ve got a chance?”

  He held her gaze steadily. “Yes.”

  “This is nice to see. Some distance between the two of you for a change.” Remedy strolled into the kitchen.

  Gabe grinned. “I know. It surprises the hell out of me too.”

  Remedy pointed a finger at him. “Don’t start, boy.” He turned to Cassidy. “Why did you want me?”

  “I didn’t call you.” She frowned. “At least I don’t think so.”

  “You’ve been tugging at me for the past few minutes since the sun set. So again, why did you want me?”

  Well that was handy to know. She’d only been trying to figure out where he was. “I need you to teach me how to fight. Without weapons.”

  “And what will you give me in exchange?”

  “I didn’t have to give you anything last time.”

  “And see what happens? Now you expect to make more demands on me and have them met.” Remedy shook his head. “Nothing comes without a price for a reason. I am not your slave to be at your beck and call. Now what will you give me in exchange?”

  Cassidy stared at Remedy, then her eyes dropped to her demon mark before falling on Gabe who hadn’t moved position. She was going to do it anyway, so why not call it a payment. She rubbed at her wrist, feeling the scab beneath her palm, wondering if it would ever have a chance to heal. As she watched him, Gabe ran a finger across the cut he’d made earlier, his brows raised. Cassidy nodded. Gabe stared at her a moment longer before he slowly nodded, his lips curving into a grin.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Cassidy turned back to Remedy who had quietly watched the exchange. “I will give you some of his blood before sunrise.”