Page 1 of Capturing Sin

Chapter 1

Fire arced down my back.

A scream burst from my lips as I staggered forward, twisting to get away from the source of pain.

Mocking laughter rumbled from the demon, orange eyes glowing bright within a skeletal face. He lifted his claws to his mouth, forked tongue laving over the bloodied tips. “Mmm, tastier than the last hunter.”

I snarled, ignoring the wet heat running down my back and lunging forward with my knife. He dodged the first strike, straight into the second blade waiting. It slid between the bony plates that formed a natural armour across his chest, and I yanked sideways, cutting through the gap in his defences. He screamed as I sliced him open, black blood gushing down his middle. His claws dropped to his wound, and I sliced open his throat, finishing him.

The evil bastard probably deserved to bleed out slowly from the gut wound, but I couldn’t risk that he’d survive it somehow. Who knew how many innocent people he’d devour if I let him escape.

I turned, looking for the next monster.

Gunshots ricocheted through the old factory, sparking off rusted machinery. Moonlight streamed through broken windows, barely illuminating the nightmare inside. Blood and bodies littered the ground. Most were demons, but a few familiar faces had my heart clenching.

My squad—alpha team—wasn’t prepared for an attack on this scale. One crafty demon had led us into a slaughter.

Horned beasts closed in around Tia. Brain matter blew out the back of one, dropping it to the concrete. She swung her pistol to the next, but no bark of gunfire answered. Her hard features slackened in fear.

I was already sprinting towards them.

We’d all used up a fair amount of ammo on the patrol, catching too many demons slipping through the dark streets. I’d run out shortly after we’d been ambushed in the warehouse. Otherwise, I’d have picked off most of the demons currently distracted by Tia.

She yelled, drawing a short-sword from the sheathe at her back and swinging towards the two closest to her. She’d never beat four demons with just a sword.

Leo barrelled in, brandishing only a pair of short-swords. But my fiancé would be lethal with a pencil. He cut down one monster as they lunged for our teammate.

My blade sliced through the arm of another demon as it spun to greet me, getting lodged on a spike protruding from its elbow. I drew back, but his claws grazed my collarbone. Pain flared, but I shoved the sensation down, focusing on the monster and drawing him away from Tia.

Another beast growled beside me. I had a second to duck. Claws sailed overhead, and I swept my leg out, tripping the first demon.

But the second was faster than I expected. He slammed his fist into my ribs. Something cracked, and pain exploded, bursting through my side.

I wheezed at the sharp ache, limping backwards, blades raised.

The pair advanced on me with steady steps and vicious grins, sure in their easy victory.

To my horror, a third appeared from the darkness. The three of them herded me back, away from the other hunters. I swiped out with my knives to hold them off, but I could barely breathe with the agony threatening to pull me under.

“Leo!” I yelled, almost blacking out from the flash of pain.

My fiancé cut down his second demon, gaze finding mine. Familiar navy eyes widened, as if confirming how much trouble I was in. He took a step towards me, but a scream had him whipping around.

Tia cried out again, yanking my attention to her too.

A blood demon pinned her to the wall, fangs in her throat.

“Tia!” my fiancé yelled, panic lacing his tone as he raced towards her.

Leaving me with the three hulking monsters.

I didn’t have time to feel the disbelief at his choice.

The monster in the middle lunged forward. I stepped into his strike instead of away, taking him off-guard. I sliced his throat open as his claws sank into the meat of my other shoulder. My knife fell from my spasming grip.

Pain screamed from the fresh wound, and I hissed as I dropped beneath the other demons’ swiping claws, stumbling. I twisted with the momentum and sliced open the arteries in his thigh with a spray of hot liquid.

Gravity sucked me down as my strength drained out with the blood, leaving me too fast.

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