Cloak Games: Rebel Fist by Jonathan Moeller

Author:Jonathan Moeller [Moeller, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Azure Flame Media, LLC
Published: 2015-12-09T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7: Militia

Russell looked back and forth between us, blinking in surprise.

“You…all know each other?” he said, but the woman laughed.

“Corvus?” said the woman, shifting her minigun to one hand. “Corvus? You told her your name was Corvus?”

The Shadow Hunter I had known as Corvus shrugged. “I needed an alias.”

The woman laughed again, and Corvus sighed.

“What the hell is so funny?” I said, exhaustion, terror, and confusion warring for dominance in my mind.

“When he first joined our family,” said the woman, “before my time, mind you, the others called him Corvus because he was so grim and dour. Corvus the raven, as it were.”

“I had my reasons for both,” said Corvus.

Her laughter faded. “That may be, but I didn’t think you’d want to be reminded of it.”

“Some things we should never forget,” said Corvus.

“I suppose,” said the woman, “but…”

“For God’s sake!” I said. “What the hell is going on?”

“Well,” said the female Shadow Hunter, “my name is Nora. My real name, by the way, not a fake one. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, I’m charmed,” I said. My brain pointed out that displaying rudeness to a Shadow Hunter holding a minigun was probably not the best idea. Besides, she and Corvus had just saved our lives. “Thanks for…um, well, showing up in time.” I looked at the remnants of the slaughtered anthrophages. The gray body parts and the black slime that served as their blood had created a ghastly swamp at the bottom of the ramp. “We were screwed.”

“Yes,” agreed Nora. “You were doing quite well upon your own, though. Usually when anthrophages go after human targets, the end is predetermined, and rather grisly as well. They’ve been after you since…”

“July,” said Corvus, walking closer. “Conquest Day, in fact.”

“You’ve lasted nearly three months with anthrophages after you?” said Nora. “That is most impressive.”

“Thanks,” I said, watching as Corvus approached. I tried to figure out what to do next. Corvus and his friend Nora clearly didn’t want us dead. If they did, the two Shadow Hunters could have let the anthrophages eat us.

Yet why turn up in Milwaukee in the middle of a major Archon attack?

“Wait,” said Russell. “Those tattoos…you guys are Shadow Hunters?”

“I’m afraid so, dear,” said Nora.

“There really are such things as Shadow Hunters?” said Russell. “I mean, I’ve seen movies and read books about Shadow Hunters, but I thought they were legends.”

“No, I’m afraid we are quite real,” said Nora. “Most of our depictions in popular culture are terribly inaccurate, though.”

“Um,” said Russell. “You’re not here to kill us, are you?”

Nora laughed. “Certainly not. We do not have a writ of execution for you.”

Corvus stopped a half-dozen paces from me. I met his gaze without flinching. His eyes had turned brown again as the Shadowmorph withdrew its power, but I saw no hint of his intentions upon his face. He really was quite a handsome man…

Once again I tried to push that thought out of my head.

“So your name really isn’t Corvus?” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Your name isn’t really Katerina Annovich?”

“No,” I said.

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