Read Online Between the Bleeding Willows (The Demon Hunters Series Book 1) by D.A. Roach - Free Book Online

capture those loose demons and keep them from crossing into the Human Realm. Rya alone is a challenge, but we also have to combat the others aiding her.”
    The individuals seated around me—the few remaining elders who’d elected me to lead and who still advised me, my most trusted warriors and friends—they all were strong leaders. But I wondered how many of us would not be sitting at this table next time. How many would be wounded or dead after the battle to come?
    “I’m sure many of you have sensed it—a war between good and evil is on the horizon. Many years have passed since our Clan last faced a war, and many lives were lost. For years, we’ve just maintained the order restored by our ancestors, but without Lorcan, the tides are changing. We need to prepare. I want daily training stepped up, potion stores increased—Angeline, have Lena help you. Everyone needs to be ready for action. Any questions?” No one spoke. The faces around me were serious and worried. But what could be expected when delivering somber news? “Dismissed.”
    Everyone stood and filed out of the room, all but Angeline. The Caster hung back and approached me. “Killian, how is Cassidy?”
    “She is still out, but seems to hear us, so a bit better.”
    “Good. You need to get her out of here as soon as possible. You’ve taken the Clan oath to not risk mortal lives, and with this war coming, she doesn’t stand a chance.”
    I nodded. I knew she was right, but would Cassidy be well enough in time to crossover?
    Angeline squeezed my shoulder before leaving. And then I was alone in the meeting room. Exhausted from the wild ride that started since Lorcan had died, I pondered if there was any way to get the upper hand in this situation? Did options exist that I wasn’t seeing? I knew binding Rya would be the key, but we weren’t strong enough to take her on. She was the demon orchestrating all this chaos, and we were barely able to manage what she dealt us.
    I looked down at my tattoo and ran my fingers along the snake—our Clan’s symbol for balance. Every member got tattooed on their eighteenth birthday, the day they were full contributing members in the Clan. Cassidy now was marked for life and connected to me through that tattoo. Lena had tried every potion and herbal remedy, but Cassidy had been dying. And now I was bound to this mortal girl, and she to me.
    Stories passed down through the ages said our Clan descended from an angel—that he came down and mated with four women in the four corners of the Earth. These women gave birth to children who were half angel. When these children grew into adults, they were summoned by an angel to a crossover gate where they were tasked with keeping demons from crossing over. They easily crossed back and forth between the Human Realm and Demon Realm. As adults, they sought mates in the Human Realm and had children of their own. Wives and children not yet called to the gate could not survive a crossover. Then one day, one of our ancestors accidentally cut his hand in the mortal realm. His wife sucked on the wound to stop the bleeding. She had a small cut in her mouth, and it allowed his blood to mix with hers. With his half-angel blood now in her body, she felt energized and healthy; her mouth wound healed.
    She went to the gate to bid him farewell. But as her spouse crossed, she felt so connected to him, bonded, she ran after him and crossed, unharmed. There were many failed attempts until one day, a Clansman had the idea to try and tattoo his spouse with his blood mixed in the ink. It worked, and since that day, they have tattooed Clan members to aid in crossovers and to enhance their healing and strength. The one side effect was that the recipient is bound to the donor.
    My blood coursed through Cassidy’s tattoo; she was bound to me. While some might cherish the thought of being bound to such a beautiful and brave mortal, I was plagued with guilt for damning her to be forever connected and