A Soul of Steel by Troy A Hill

Author:Troy A Hill [Hill, Troy A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: TH Media
Published: 2018-10-16T22:00:00+00:00

26

Demon

Behind me another glow began. Gwen must have conjured some light. I didn’t take my gaze off the shifter. Cadoc’s eyes were wide, but he wasn't bleeding, so I counted myself ever so slightly ahead in this face off. Unfortunately, Cadoc’s sword was on the other side of the werebear. No chance to grab it to replace my own.

The creature laughed and lifted the young lord around so they were nose to nose. He ran his tongue along his half-formed muzzle.

“You will all die tonight,” the creature growled in its strange accent. He twisted Cadoc’s arm until the sword clattered to the rocky floor, and the light of the goddess faded from it. The shifter raised Cadoc off the ground at arm’s length. Its other arm pulled back for a death blow.

What had Bleddyn told me earlier? We protect our friends…

I had a split second to figure out whether I should go for the blade or dive in without it.

I kicked my blood demon fully awake and pulled energy from her. Blood energy to give me unnatural speed and strength. I was still in control of us, barely. I’d find some way to explain my preternatural speed later to Cadoc and the guard – IF we lived to have that discussion.

I snatched Soul from the cave floor. My blade met the claws before they struck Cadoc’s neck. I levered with my undead strength and pushed the creature’s paw away from him. The beast threw Cadoc to the side and struck at me. Despite the pain from my wounds, I pulled more energy from my demon and spun with preternatural speed away from the blow. Recognition dawned on his face. He had seen my speed and felt my strength. Panic set into the creature’s eyes.

“Draugr!” the beast hissed at me. His language was from the Nordic tribes. I knew the word well. It was their word for “those who walk again,” or blood witches as the Witch Hunters liked to call us.

Behind him, Gwen edge along the wall, as she inched closer to Bleddyn and Rhys lying in the pool of blood on the floor. Blood! I smelled it. My demon wanted to lunge at the guards near Gwen, and feed from them. My fangs grew in my mouth, and my demon focused on Siors, Gerallt and Afon. Their eyes were wide with shock, and their mouths hung open. But each of them had a bare sword in hand.

I jerked my gaze back to the creature. I was no threat with my normal blade. Cadoc’s magical blade was a step or two behind me. A growl grew in the shifter’s chest. Damn! I needed magic to take him on. Magic that could hurt him, like he could hurt me. Damn it! Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

I pushed the energy the goddess was sending me into the sword. Without it to offset the weight of the sun, still in the sky outside, I had to open the door to the cage I kept my demon in.

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