Read Online Hellsbane 01 - Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro - Free Book Online
Authors: Paige Cuccaro
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jarring sensation shot through me, quaked along my arms and rattled me to the bone. I staggered back, and the demon advanced. He swung for my neck, and instinct took over once more.
I spun. The dagger sliced down my back, ripping my T-shirt but missing my skin. The momentum of my turn carried me around, and with me, my sword. The upswing caught him across the chest, opening a line of black ooze from hip to shoulder across his checkered shirt.
Arms open, the demon spared a surprised glance at his chest. I didn’t think, I just acted and drove my sword deep into his gut. He doubled over, his hand grabbing the blade, eyes wide.
An instant of regret tightened across my shoulders, knotted my stomach. He looked so human, so pained, and I’d caused it. Dammit, this wasn’t me. I couldn’t do this; I couldn’t hurt people.
And then the demon’s sorrowful eyes turned cold, his lips snarled back. He grabbed the bottom hilt of my sword, just below my hands, holding it so I couldn’t pull it free from his body. He raised his dagger and swung. I let go of my sword and stumbled out of reach.
The next thing I saw was Liam’s blade slicing through the demon-man’s neck from behind. His head wobbled for an instant, a ring of black ooze growing just above the folded collar of his shirt. Then suddenly, the head tumbled off his shoulders and the body collapsed, quickly disintegrating into a smoldering pile of goo.
“Took your sweet bloody time getting your sword,” Liam’s words huffed between labored breaths. “Keep that feckin’ thing on ya from now on. Damn near met me end waitin’ on ya.”
“Me? The thing practically got in the car with me. Look what he did to the back window. Where the hell were you when I came out?”
“I was waitin’ ta see if you had any natural fight in ya,” he said. “Seein’ if you could take the bastard on your own.”
“Really? You could’ve just asked. Sheesh.” I sighed. The guy had saved my butt. “Thanks, though. Y’know, for stepping in.”
Liam gave me a wink and a nod. “No trouble a’tall, lass.”
I grabbed my sword from the pile of melting demon goo and turned back to my Jeep. Liam was right about one thing. I’d have to keep the sword on me from now on. Apparently, demons weren’t apt to schedule their attacks at my convenience. Rude .
I unlocked the back—pretending hard that the plastic window wasn’t ripped to shreds. Crap . It was gonna cost me a fortune to fix.
The special sheath was shoved in the corner, under the backseat. I assumed Eli put it there; I don’t know how or when. I grabbed my jean jacket from the backseat, shoved it on to hide the rip in my shirt, then grabbed the sheath. It was more of a plain leather pocket than a sheath, wide enough to hold the hilt with its cross of metal where the blade would form, deep enough so only the top, rounded pommel and an inch of handle would stick out to grab.
With a simple thought the blade disintegrated, dissolving into a million sparkling particles that expanded outward, fading to nothing until only the hilt remained in my hand. The leather sheath pocket had loops on it and I slid my belt through so it sat at the small of my back.
With my belt fastened again and my hilt attached, I propped my hands on my hips. “Okay, leprechaun. Spill it.”
Liam leaned against the car next to mine and smiled. A breeze ruffled the wild, kinky strands of his hair. “Spill what, lass?”
“Well, let’s start with how you were able to move so fast in the restaurant. You were a blur,” I said.
“Aye. Pretty awesome, wasn’t it?” he said.
“Yeah. It was. How’d you do it?”
“I told ya, we’re the best of both worlds. Whatever they can do, we can do.” He shrugged. “Or damn near it, anyway.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Isn’t this something your magister should be answerin’ for ya?” he said. “Or better still, he should’ve told you from the start. Why do you think he didn’t?”
“I
I spun. The dagger sliced down my back, ripping my T-shirt but missing my skin. The momentum of my turn carried me around, and with me, my sword. The upswing caught him across the chest, opening a line of black ooze from hip to shoulder across his checkered shirt.
Arms open, the demon spared a surprised glance at his chest. I didn’t think, I just acted and drove my sword deep into his gut. He doubled over, his hand grabbing the blade, eyes wide.
An instant of regret tightened across my shoulders, knotted my stomach. He looked so human, so pained, and I’d caused it. Dammit, this wasn’t me. I couldn’t do this; I couldn’t hurt people.
And then the demon’s sorrowful eyes turned cold, his lips snarled back. He grabbed the bottom hilt of my sword, just below my hands, holding it so I couldn’t pull it free from his body. He raised his dagger and swung. I let go of my sword and stumbled out of reach.
The next thing I saw was Liam’s blade slicing through the demon-man’s neck from behind. His head wobbled for an instant, a ring of black ooze growing just above the folded collar of his shirt. Then suddenly, the head tumbled off his shoulders and the body collapsed, quickly disintegrating into a smoldering pile of goo.
“Took your sweet bloody time getting your sword,” Liam’s words huffed between labored breaths. “Keep that feckin’ thing on ya from now on. Damn near met me end waitin’ on ya.”
“Me? The thing practically got in the car with me. Look what he did to the back window. Where the hell were you when I came out?”
“I was waitin’ ta see if you had any natural fight in ya,” he said. “Seein’ if you could take the bastard on your own.”
“Really? You could’ve just asked. Sheesh.” I sighed. The guy had saved my butt. “Thanks, though. Y’know, for stepping in.”
Liam gave me a wink and a nod. “No trouble a’tall, lass.”
I grabbed my sword from the pile of melting demon goo and turned back to my Jeep. Liam was right about one thing. I’d have to keep the sword on me from now on. Apparently, demons weren’t apt to schedule their attacks at my convenience. Rude .
I unlocked the back—pretending hard that the plastic window wasn’t ripped to shreds. Crap . It was gonna cost me a fortune to fix.
The special sheath was shoved in the corner, under the backseat. I assumed Eli put it there; I don’t know how or when. I grabbed my jean jacket from the backseat, shoved it on to hide the rip in my shirt, then grabbed the sheath. It was more of a plain leather pocket than a sheath, wide enough to hold the hilt with its cross of metal where the blade would form, deep enough so only the top, rounded pommel and an inch of handle would stick out to grab.
With a simple thought the blade disintegrated, dissolving into a million sparkling particles that expanded outward, fading to nothing until only the hilt remained in my hand. The leather sheath pocket had loops on it and I slid my belt through so it sat at the small of my back.
With my belt fastened again and my hilt attached, I propped my hands on my hips. “Okay, leprechaun. Spill it.”
Liam leaned against the car next to mine and smiled. A breeze ruffled the wild, kinky strands of his hair. “Spill what, lass?”
“Well, let’s start with how you were able to move so fast in the restaurant. You were a blur,” I said.
“Aye. Pretty awesome, wasn’t it?” he said.
“Yeah. It was. How’d you do it?”
“I told ya, we’re the best of both worlds. Whatever they can do, we can do.” He shrugged. “Or damn near it, anyway.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Isn’t this something your magister should be answerin’ for ya?” he said. “Or better still, he should’ve told you from the start. Why do you think he didn’t?”
“I
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