Page 55 of Hunted in the Shadows
She looked young. Malnourished. Terrified. And though her eyes were drenched in darkness, eerie in every way, the creature’s expression lit up at the sight of me. Perhaps she thought a meal had wandered into her grasp.
She pressed her hands against the tank.“Mistress. I found you. You’re here.”
I gasped. Her mouth hadn’t moved, but I could hear her voice in my head, clear as day. The sensation reminded me far too much of the Ancients, and that alone tempted me to move on and ignore her. But I stayed rooted in place.Mistress?
“What do you mean you found me?” I breathed.
“They plan to strip my flesh, to steal my bones and scales and blood.”The siren made a mournful humming noise.
A voice roared from above. “Shut the fuck up!” The tank rattled as a hunter on the other side kicked it.
The siren regarded me desperately.
“Free me,”she said in her silent voice.
I shuddered. “You… You drown people,” I whispered. “Innocent people. You eat them.”
The siren shook her head, face twisting into desperation.“My tribe’s creed prevents seeking man prey without provocation. Have mercy, Mistress. I want to go home.”
She might be lying. Or she might not.
But my heart lurched. I saw far too much of myself in her, and I couldn’t stop thinking—who were these hunters protecting through these barbarous torture methods?Who?
I couldn’t stop the first spread of ice that emanated from me. My spellwork webbed up the glass, beginning at the corner and spreading fast. There was a split second when I could have reeled it in, butstars, I couldn’t make myself do it. Instead, I lifted my hands, magic pulsing bright beneath my skin, and let it pour out unchecked. I froze the side of the tank facing me, obscuring my view of the siren. I couldn't see her anymore—just the thick reflection of my own spellwork over the grimy glass.
Even when the crackling ice broke the quiet, drawing a hunter's startled voice, I didn't stop. I couldn't.
I stepped out of the way just before giving a final thrust—a blow that shattered the frozen glass with a deafening crack. Water exploded from the tank. I veered away, but a wave slammed into me and stole my breath, splattering my wings. I landed hard on my back, my view of the sky swimming in doubles. The siren spilled out and clawed into the narrow gap between the walkway and the main building, vanishing into the brackish depths.
Commotion exploded behind me, shouts amounting to “What the fuck was that?” ringing out.
I pushed myself up and tried to fly, desperate, groaning—but my wings clung to my wet skin, heavy and sodden.Useless.
A shudder wracked me—painfully aware of how exposed I was as I scrambled for cover on foot. The crates around the shattered tank were shoved aside and nearly smashed into me. I threw myself out of the way, but it wasn't enough. In my desperate dive, I found myself staggering face to face with a hunter scanning the deck—two guns raised. His eyes locked on me.
“Sweet Jesus in Heaven…” A half-burned cigarette fell from his mouth.
“What is it?” a voice demanded from behind him.
“It's—I think it's a fucking fairy! Get the iron!”
He stowed one gun to free his hand and lunged for me.
I was grounded, but I still had my magic. I could survive this. And for once, the moisture in the air was on my side.
I shouted the offensive spell, sending a flurry of razor-sharp icicles behind me as I bolted in the other direction. Pierced flesh squelched, followed by a shout of pain.
As I sprinted, I was struck by the distance to the nearest cluster of trees.Too far. There was no foliage to hide behind—only the open walkway and the unforgiving water dozens of feet below.
I cursed, crashing to my knees as my foot caught on a gap in the old wood. As I scrambled to stand, I heard the front doors fly open. More hunters were coming.
I managed three more steps before a hand caught me around the middle. My wings screamed in agony, crumpled against my back. My ribs threatened to shatter under the tremendous pressure.
“Got it!” It was the cruel voice of the machete-wielding guard, the one who had kicked the siren’s tank.
There was no time to hesitate, to consider mercy. If I didn't actnow, I'd die. Somehow, a clarity gripped me despite my heart pounding like a drum in my ears. Rather than pull ice from the air, I focused under the man's skin. Blood vessels froze and shredded within his fingers, his palm, then burst through his skin in pinkened crystals.
His howling curse deafened me as he spiked me back onto the boards.
