Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher (best novels in english .TXT) 📕

we are days behind and losing more time. Itis a trick, a spell, and I cannot see past it.”

I took in a deep breath and handed himback the hip flask, wiped my hand over my mouth. Some sleep,something to eat and drink, and I did feel a little better.Sharper. “Then we follow each trail. One each.”

“No,” Breandan said withforced evenness.

“Apart from the fact itwould be most unwise to leave you alone, Rae,” Conall saidpatiently, “what happens when one of us does find them? Or maybe wewill find more false trails that we cannot navigatealone.”

The were-panther – still seatedcomfortably on his hunches, and tail swinging from side to side –leisurely turned his head each time one of us spoke. His emeraldeyes were bright and aware and I knew he was taking in every word.His handsome feline face looked focused.

“Then we follow each one,”I grated through my teeth. “We pick the most likely, follow for awhile, and if we’re wrong we’ll backtrack and start again until weget it right.”

“And what of the time welose whilst doing this? What if we come across more trails that arefalse? We could spend days going in the wrongdirection.”

I opened my mouth to tell him I wasready to spend my lifetime hunting Devlin. Then I saw the stupidityin such words and my shoulders slumped. I burrowed the toe of myboot into the needle leaf strewn around me.

My voice was thick when I said, “Theremust be another way. We cannot just give up, and not just for thesake of my revenge. Lochlann needs the grimoire before he can startsetting things right, doesn’t he?”

Even if Conall would not give into aselfish endeavour – such was the nature of revenge – he was themost loyal warrior I knew. He would do anything to secure Lochlannthe fairy-lordship because he believed it was the right thing todo.

I looked up and found Breandan glaringat my brother, who sent him a short look of apology.

“Perhaps, there issomething else we may consider. It is not without itsdangers.”

“It is not a good idea,”Breandan said firmly.

Straightening, I cocked my head andtried to look attentive and brave, not desperate to crack someskulls. “Tell me and I’ll do it.”

Conall pointed a thick finger to thepanther who had gotten bored sitting and was purring rubbinghimself into my legs. “The shifters.”

My nipped intake of breath was loud inthe sudden silence. I gripped the fur at the base of the panthersand squeezed it. “Yes,” I hissed, new possibilities opening up likea carnivorous black hole before me. “A Pack of were-cats could readeach trail and save us time.” I dropped to my knees in front ofhim. “Could you or your kind help us?” My head snapped up toConall. “Which is the closest?”

“Byron’s Pack is close andof the Alpha’s he is the most civilized. This panther must be ofhis Pride.”

“You both forget I havealready said no.”

Breandan sent me a pointed look thattold me he was serious. I returned it with some extra ‘I’m doingthis so back the hell off’. I won, of course. He would not daredeny me this.

“Alright,” he saidflatly.

His eyes were trained on the pantherthat looked rather smug to be weaving between my legs. I stumbledwhen he lay down. He rolled so he was pressed into my shins bellyup begging for a tummy stroke.

I shuffled my feet from under him andaccidentally stepped on his tail. He let out a strangled screechand jumped up.

Breandan laughed – his deeper baritonestill managing to tinkle. It seemed the setting sun shone brighterand his smile made me blink. His silver eyes were breathtaking andfor a moment, I was lost, falling into the gaze that swept over melovingly. The moment changed, became charged and I was acutelyaware of his warm hands at my waist, that his lips were a shortsway forward away from mine. I remembered the feel of his mouth,the heady scent of him as he marked me as his own.

The shifter nipped at my leg thenburied his teeth in the material of my dress and tugged. The flimsymaterial tore a bit and I took the hint and movedforward.

“Will you lead us to Byron,hunter?” Conall asked politely.

The cat bobbed his head in agreementand plodded forward, back into the plain. He turned his head backand looked at me.

Breandan pushed me forward lightly.“It is an invitation.”

I blinked, not understanding. “Forwhat?” I asked mystified, and joined the were-panther. I pulled atthe fur on his spine playfully. He was so soft to touch and I didnot care that in reality I was intimately touching a being that wasa man when in human form.

He bunched his front and hind legstogether and leapt forward, taking off at speed that made my mouthdrop.

“To run,” Breandan said andwinked at me a moment before he and Conall took off too.

After a beat, I laughed and startedbehind them. I passed them quickly, and found myself following justbehind the cat’s tail. I tried to catch him up, but always his tailwinked in and out of sight. My feet pounded the grass and I foundmyself going faster. The earth was soft and springy. Unlike theforest, where you often had to jump and doge, here the land wasflat and flowed up and down in gentle hills. My wings fluttered andI extended them slightly and found my pace increasing. My tailwhiplashed out to steady my balance when I thought I would tumbleover, and then I was by the cat’s side, keeping up. I smiled andwith a last push took the lead, laughing as I did so.

Breandan shouted something; soundingterrified and I glanced behind, frowning. He panicked too much andtoo often.

Something brown and heavy crashed intome from the side, and I went down, rolling over the spiky grass.Something sharp dragged at my hip. I smelt blood, and the stabbingpain across my side told me it was mine.

I scrambled up and back up a pace, andhissed, the reaction instinctive.

A lynx stood fiercely before me, headdown between her shoulder blades. Her luminous amber eyes locked onme, and her whiskers trembled violently. The tufts on the top ofher ears were jet black and the ruff