Page 4 of Mortal Magic (Shadow Shifter)

The man from the mist growled. “You can’t own anything when you’re dead, demon.”

Halak dropped her to the ground, backing away. “You are too late. She is ours.”

Her eyes met that of her Saviour. She knew exactly what the sadness in that look meant. She had seen the same one on the police officer who had arrived at their house to inform them her mother was dead. Her father had begged him to be wrong; that there had to be some kind of mistake.

She groaned when white lightning seared through her blood, boiling her intestines, and making her body arch on the pavement.

The man with ice-blue eyes knelt beside her. “Luke, take care of the demon. I will take her.”

Luke dashed after Halak when the demon dissolved.

The dark-haired man with blue eyes cradled her in his arms as he jogged down the alley towards the forest. “My name is Colton. I will stay with you until this is over.”

“He was a demon. They are real,” she whispered.

Colton’s arms tightened around her when her body convulsed. “Yes.”

As she inhaled his masculine scent, a sense of calm infused her soul. A peaceful gateway to the end. Still, she didn’t want to leave her father in this world alone. “Where are we going?” She asked as they entered the forest.

“I’m taking you to my home. What is your name?” he asked.

“Riley, but I need a hospital,” she bit out through clenched teeth. Praying, she remained conscious.

Colton’s jaw tightened. “No hospital can help you. There is no cure for demon venom.”

The truth was painful, but it brought with it a sense of relief. She wasn’t crazy. The vision had come true. “I’m dying.”

His finger caressed her arm. “I’m sorry, Riley. I wish I possessed some reassuring words, anything to bring you comfort during this time, but nothing I say or do will avert your death.”

CHAPTER3

Riley clung to Colton as he jogged through the forest. His gait was fluid, as if he had lived his entire life there. A permanent resident of the wild mountainside. She longed for that kind of freedom, but the scorching venom coursing through her blood was crushing her ability to breathe. The searing heat stealing her humanity along with her life. There was a moment of regret as she accepted that her father would live out his days, wondering why she had abandoned him. Hoping he remembered her at all. She inhaled the scent of the sexy man carrying her.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, needing the distraction of his voice more than the answer.

Colton’s arms tightened around her. Securing her to him as he spoke. “Like you, I was human. We were attacked by reapers and my parents were killed. Successful transitions are few and the younger the subject, the less likely they are to survive. I was lucky. Not only did I survive the transition, but the cougar clan leader Steele took me in. He treated me like a son, trained me and gave me a life. A purpose.”

“Cougar clan? I thought of you as the mist man. An angel of death come to collect my soul and take it to heaven.”

He smiled sadly. “We are of the shadows, but it looks very much like black mist. I must admit, I have never been mistaken for an angel.”

“I didn’t think you were real. I didn’t think any of it was real. Halak was supposed to be a monster I made up to deal with my trauma,” she whispered.

“I’m not sure I understand. I’m sure the demon was a shock and I’m surprised he told you his name, but why would you question your sanity?”

She grabbed her mouth, shaking in Colton’s arms as her body convulsed. She expected to release her stomach’s contents, but it settled after a few moments. “I was seeing a psychiatrist. I saw him in my visions. They have plagued me for the last year. I also saw a man evolve from the mist, but I never saw your face until today. None of this was supposed to be real.”

“It sounds like you're describing foreshadowing, but that is not a human ability.” Colton paused at the base of a tree. “We’ve arrived at my home. Hold on to me while I take you up.”

She tightened her grip around his neck, focusing on the claws that extended from the ends of his fingertips. He pierced the bark, scaling the trunk as easily as he ran through the trees of the forest. His movements were fluid as he flipped over the railing and landed on the wraparound porch.

The house was nestled amongst the branches, with the leaves rustling in the soft wind. It created a comforting lullaby to her impending death. The entire tree seemed to move, waving to her its final farewell.

The exterior was painted in a multi color of brown and green. The camouflage pattern making it impossible to distinguish it from the evergreen that surrounded it. The thick planks of the deck supported the aerie style home and allowed the occupant a view of the valley. A masterpiece of construction that would become her final resting place.

Colton opened the door and took her inside.

The front room was open with wood flooring and a large picture window that ran the length of the wall that overlooked the deck. The decor was sparse, but modern and neatly arranged. Two white leather couches sat on either side of a pine coffee table.

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