Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
He could find no ego in Silke. No desire for accolades. She thought of herself as the demon slayer. This was her sworn duty, and she took her job seriously. She didn’t think in terms of danger to herself, only of ensuring the protection of her village, the Bootsma family, Tora and now the Carpathians. As far as she was concerned, she needed to make certain everyone around her was safe.
The serpent’s scaly body was entirely engulfed in flames, burning so hot that white and blue ash fell to the floor in a fine powdery substance as the outside scales dissolved. Even as the creature died, it made one last effort to fling itself at Silke. She followed the motion with the crystal sword, the spiky end of the dragon lily petals blasting a volcanic red gel-like substance much like magma. The material was thick and coated the entire flaming serpent, stopping the forward momentum instantly. The gel formed a cocoon around the burning serpent, the substance acting like a fuel so that the demon burned hotter and faster. The thick accelerant didn’t allow for the creature to move. As more and more of its body turned to that peculiar ash, the slayer lifted the sword high and severed the head, spilling the serpent open so the fire swallowed it entirely.
She didn’t hesitate but turned toward the demon nearest the fireplace, who was smashing at the barrier surrounding him. It was only her powerful energy that kept all four demons from rushing her. Benedek found no sign of her strength waning. She didn’t look at the other three demons, who had gone wild; she only focused on one of the demons.
Each demon was a wicked-looking creature with four horns and what appeared to be two serrated saber-like teeth protruding from their mouths. Benedek had never seen a demon like these. They were tiny when they emerged, but growing larger now that they weren’t confined in a tiny crevice of the brain. The one nearest the fireplace was already approximately eighteen inches. The others were close in size right behind it and still growing.
The demons stood upright on two clawed feet. Spikes covered their torsos, arms and legs. Their hands were claws with long, very thick curved nails that appeared to be razor-sharp. Despite their fearsome appearance, Silke didn’t seem fazed.
Benedek felt her mind moving against the demon’s. Once again, his lungs burned for air. With the gentlest of touches, she drifted into the demon’s memories, sifting through them, looking for his origin. Her touch was so light the demon was unaware of her presence. She had already been in their minds; it was how she hooked them to drag them from their hosts. Benedek was amazed at her skill, at her ability to be so low-key that the demons—and even the ancients—hadn’t felt her entering their minds and moving through memories to get to what she wanted.
Silke sifted fast through the memories of the demon. There were very few. The demon had been a recent creation, a mutation wrought by mage, vampire and Lilith. Benedek found it interesting that the origins mattered to her. When he went into battle, no matter how dangerous or expert his opponent was, he simply destroyed it, even at great cost to himself. Despite the other three demons growing larger and becoming more agitated, she remained serene, didn’t hurry, merely sifted quickly through the demon’s mind until she found the exact moment when the creature became aware.
Benedek recognized the two mages. Xavier and one of his brothers, Xayvion. The two stood over a vat of noxious, steaming liquid. Crystal lights played over and through the liquid continuously. Along with the lights, repetitious chants played on a loop.
You crave fresh blood. You need to kill when you feed. The desire is strong and grows continually. Each rising the craving is more. Impossible to ignore.
The demon was being programmed from birth to target hunters, to amplify the dark whispers of temptation. The tiny microbes in the vats were designed to get hunters to join the ranks of the undead. The idea was clever. After feeling the effects on the ancients, hunters with centuries of experience and with the inability to hear those whispers of temptation for centuries, to hear those commands had been nearly overwhelming. They had been fortunate that all had taken vows and had such a strong code. And that Mataias hadn’t been affected. He was able to get the blood they all so desperately needed so none of them had to get near a human while feeling the curse.
Find and kill the slayer. Find and kill the slayer. Find and kill the slayer.
Not only was the demon programmed to hide in the brain of the hunter once injected into his bloodstream, but his goal was to get the hunters to seek out the demon slayers and kill them. Benedek knew his lifemate would have that knowledge now. She knew the ancients had been tainted with demon, and that they’d been programmed to kill when feeding and to find and slay her. That wasn’t the best way to start a trusting relationship.