Marked For Death: A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel

by Becca Blake

  Besides being a second father to me, Orion was also my commanding officer. Sometimes, that came with its perks. Him knowing me well enough to track me down when I wanted to be alone wasn’t one of them.

  “I’m fine. I don’t need you to look after me.”

  He downed his drink, then set the empty glass on the table. “I didn’t take it well either when I lost my first partner. It was his own damn fault, letting himself get blown to hell, but I couldn’t help thinking it was mine, you know?”

  I did know. I’d been experiencing the same guilt myself for the past month. “It was my fault, though. I shouldn’t have broken protocol. I left her to die.”

  “Sometimes we have to make tough decisions in the field. You did what you thought was right.”

  “I should have been dead, too. The only reason I’m not is because the idea of me wallowing in my failure amused the demon.”

  “So, here you are, wallowing? You’re sure showing him, Ry.”

  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, the small audience silenced.

  Leader Grayson picked up a microphone and cleared his throat over the training center’s intercom system. “Welcome, Arbiters. Our new recruits have trained hard this year under Councilman Thorne’s guidance. Today, they will show us how much they have learned and prove whether they are ready to join the Arbiters of Shadow.” He handed the microphone over to Marcus, then broke out into a raspy coughing fit.

  Marcus patted the older man on the back, then accepted the microphone to continue the introduction speech. “Today will be a defining moment in these individuals’ lives, just as your evaluations were for each of you. The trials today will determine their futures with us, and though they’ve been training hard for the last year, this is the day they truly become Arbiters.”

  He continued with a long speech—the type of inspirational nonsense that was why I hated attending events like this.

  We alone stand against the forces of darkness to protect humanity! We uphold our sacred traditions that have kept the world safe for countless generations!

  Hunting demons was an important job, but it wasn’t a glamorous one. We did what we had
to do, and that was all. There was no reason to romanticize it.

  I’d heard it all plenty of times before, so I tuned the rest out. When everyone else applauded the end of the speech, I joined in.

  “We kindly request that those of you who are here in person remain respectfully silent today, no matter what happens, to allow the trainees to focus on the trials ahead of them.”

  A bell rang over the intercom system as Councilman Thorne sat down, and the first trainee stepped into the now-silent gym. He carried himself with his broad shoulders squared and his chin held high. Black hair, shorter on the sides than on the top, fell lazily in his face, as though the only thing he’d bothered to do that morning was run his hand through it.

  I elbowed Orion in the side. “That’s Jacob Thorne.”

  Judging by the murmuring around us, I wasn’t the only one who noticed that the first recruit of the day was Marcus Thorne’s son.

  From below the balcony where we sat, two men armed for battle rolled out a metal crate. A loud clattering sound echoed through the room as the thing inside the crate banged against its walls.

  “Your trial this year is simple and straightforward, Mr. Thorne.” Councilman Thorne’s voice was cold and disinterested, as though he were speaking to a stranger rather than his own flesh and blood. “Defeat the creature inside this crate, and you will pass your evaluation. We on the Council wish you the best of luck.”

  Jacob’s gaze shifted from the balcony to the crate, then back again. “Thank you, sir,” he said with a stiff nod.

  Marcus folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. Tight lines formed on his face as he squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, his stoic expression returned.

  The metal of the crate groaned as the two men swung open the door and sprinted out of sight.

  The crate faced away from the crowd to conceal whatever was inside. I hovered over my seat, craning my neck, but all I could see was Jacob Thorne’s wide-eyed expression frozen with terror. His hand rested on the hilt of the sword strapped to his back, but he didn’t move to free it from the sheath.

  A low growl escaped from the crate, and as the lights dimmed, the orange glow from the enchantment rippled out across the shimmering wooden floor.

  Jacob took several steps backward as a monstrous creature emerged. Its body was low to the ground, its strides slow and measured as it prowled toward him. The power built into every movement was a spring waiting to be released at a moment’s notice. Embers fell to the floor, which still shimmered with the protective enchantment.

  Hellhound.

  The word darted across my consciousness like a shiver up my spine and transported me to the club in Omaha. Flames raged all around me. My throat burned in the air, thick with smoke, and I gasped for breath. And the body—Ayla’s body at my feet, charred and—

  An arm wrapped around me, pulling me gently down. “Riley?”

  My father’s voice, deep and soothing with all the comforts of my childhood, pulled me back to the present. “It’s alright. We’re safe up here.”

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Orion muttered, looking out over the scene below. His features hardened and his posture straightened in a way I had only ever seen the few times I’d been in battle with him.

  Evaluations were always challenging, but they were never dangerous. I remembered that point being stressed while I was in training. The training program had never even included encounters with real demons, let alone throwing them in as a surprise for our evaluations.

  Everything about this was wrong.

  On the floor below, Jacob Thorne took a few more steps back, then turned and sprinted away, his sword still in its sheath.

  As he ran, the hellhound’s prey instinct kicked into action. Jacob dove for cover behind the crate as the hound rushed after him. Too focused on its prey and not enough on its environment, it ran right into the side of the crate. Dazed, it shook its head, flinging more embers from its mouth.

  Jacob collected himself and finally unsheathed his sword. A calm expression took over his face as he drew out his magical energy. When he came out from behind the crate, that magical energy tore through the air with enough force, the other observers and I could feel it brush over us like a breeze.

  The hellhound stumbled and fell with what looked to be a successful sleep spell.

  “Impressive,” Orion muttered beside me. “Those are pretty difficult.”

  It didn’t last.

  As soon as Jacob started moving toward the hound, he lost control of the spell. Fear, or some other emotion, must have taken hold and shattered his concentration.

  The hellhound woke with an enraged snarl. In a single terrifying movement, it lunged at Jacob and pinned him down. He cried out in pain as the hound raked its claws across his shoulder. Blood leaked onto the floor, catching the reflection of the beast’s glowing eyes.

  With his sword out of reach and the demonic creature atop him, Jacob Thorne would have no hope of surviving.

  My gaze darted from Jacob to Orion, whose tense body hadn’t moved an inch since they released the hound. Beyond him, Marcus Thorne’s expression remained unwavering as a hellhound prepared to tear his son apart.

  This guy was about to die, and no one, not even his father, was going to do a damn thing about it.

  Before anyone could stop me, I leaped the eight-foot drop from the balcony and rolled into my momentum. Orion and my dad screamed for me to come back, but I ignored them.

  I wouldn’t let someone die right in front of me when I could stop it. Not again.

  I knocked the hellhound off balance just as it let loose a stream of flames. Instead of hitting Jacob in the face, the blast flew into the air.

  He took my outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet. The hellhound looked between us before settling its furious gaze on me, the one who had robbed it of its kill. It opened its mouth to let out another blast of flame. I calmed myself, shutting out all emotion to channel my energy, and a magical shield surrounded me in a bubble of safety. The hound’s fire disappeared with a loud hiss as it connected with the ward.

  The creature howled with rage and crouched down, preparing to attack once more. I pulled back the energy from my ward and stood firm, waiting to dodge its attack.

  Before the hellhound could come for me, a blade tore through its neck, and it dropped. Blood and sparks spurted from the wound as Jacob withdrew his sword from the beast’s flesh.

  Across the training room, somewhat obscured by the shadows beneath the balcony, a dark figure caught my eye. Stark, milky-white skin and green eyes with an ethereal glow popped out of the darkness. My skin crawled beneath his steady gaze, and a growing sense of unease forced me to look away. When I looked again, the figure had disappeared. But the chill I’d felt while looking at him remained.

  I turned around to face the crowd and, more importantly, the Council. Orion stood next to Marcus Thorne, his hands animating his words. My father stood beside him. I couldn’t hear what either of them were saying, but I was sure they were pleading with the Council to go easy on me for interfering.

  Marcus sat with his arms crossed, his face paler than usual. He didn’t seem moved by Orion’s speech.

  I’d broken the rules—big time.

  And I suspected my mandatory leave was about to go from temporary to permanent.

  Chapter Three

  Time stood still.

  I had everyone’s attention, and the weight of their stares was suffocating. The only person in the room who wasn’t staring down at me was Orion, who had taken his seat again and now rested his head in his hands. Whatever pleading he and my dad had tried to do, it didn’t look like it worked.

  Even my father stared down at me, his mouth hung open in horror.

  “Riley Collins.” Marcus Thorne folded his glasses and returned them to his pocket. “I see
m to remember your evaluation ending three years ago. Did it not?”

  “It did.” My cheeks burned.

  “Then, please. I’d love to hear you explain what exactly you’re doing standing on that floor in front of us all again.”

  “I couldn’t stand aside and watch him die. The rest of you were going to just… let it happen. Your own son, and you were going to sit up there and watch him die a horrible death.” The rest of the words caught in my throat.

  Marcus let my response hang in the air for a long and uncomfortable silence.

  The woman next to Marcus stood up. Celia Lawrence was notable, both for being the newest member of the Council and for being the only woman who had ever joined them. Her braided black hair was pulled up into a bun on top of her head, and the white dress she had chosen for the day was striking against her dark skin. She rested a calming hand on Marcus’s shoulder as she spoke.

  “Ms. Collins. Riley? You recently lost your partner, didn’t you? To a hellhound, no less?”

  I nodded, unable to get the words out.

  “Well, of course you couldn’t stand aside today. Perhaps,” Celia continued, this time addressing Marcus, “since Riley just lost a partner, we can assign Jacob to be her partner instead of issuing him a failure on his evaluation. The two of them seemed to work well together.”

  Marcus tapped a finger on his lips, considering her proposal.

  “Agreed,” he said. “We can’t have further interruptions like this, however. So, Ms. Collins, I trust you’ll see yourself out. As will you, Mr. Thorne. Let me be clear that no one else will interfere with today’s evaluations. No matter what happens.”

  The two men who had freed the hellhound from its crate grabbed Jacob and me by the arms and escorted us to the exit of the training hall.

  “I didn’t need your help.” Jacob slammed his arm into my chest, shoving me against the wall. His hazel eyes burned with rage, and if I hadn’t just fought a beast that came straight from hell, his expression might have frightened me.

  “It looked to me like you kind of did.” I shoved him away. “From where I was sitting, it looked like you were about to die.”