Fae of the South (Court of Crown and Compass Book 3) by E. Hall (libby ebook reader .txt) 📕

vulnerable, instinct goes out the window. Other times, it flies through windows, doors, and faces. My fists tighten by my sides.

The stink intensifies. I resist gagging.

The three guys corner the girl, backing her against a chain-link fence.

“Hey, leave her alone,” I shout.

They all spin to face me.

One laughs dryly.

Another smirks.

The third has yellow eyes.

The hairs on the back of my neck lift. “I said let her go.”

One steps closer. The other two remain beside the girl.

He opens his mouth and the foul stench causes me to stagger back. A slender hand grips my arm and I tug it away. Then he launches himself at me and clutches my neck. This time, I do gag, but lash at his eyes with my fingers, using my remaining breath to scream. Over his shoulder, the other two leer. The girl’s eyes, a vibrant shade of lavender, fill with tears.

Just then, headlights beam toward us, blinding the other two and providing a distraction. I knee the guy in the stomach and he lets go.

“Run,” I tell the girl. “Run.”

I don’t move fast enough and the other two pounce on me, knocking me to the ground. The ding, ding of a car with keys left in the ignition pierces my awareness. Tyrren lands a few punches to the attackers as I buck to my feet. Then they have him pinned.

“Trunk,” he yells. “Front trunk.”

Confused, I open the trunk of the car. A shining sword lies there like a treasure inside a chest.

Chapter 2

Tyrren

 

I can’t blame my best friend for wanting to help someone in a tight spot. But right now, I’m the one in need of help. I’d never endorse violence or car theft or most of the things Lea does with her spare time. But I’m also not one to judge. I haven’t been through her trials, never walked in her shoes. I’m here to keep her safe.

And I’m doing a terrible job of that right now. However, my father was a ninth degree red belt open weight champion practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He went on to open academies all over the world. He taught legions of people, including my brothers and me. I’ve learned sometimes being able to fight back isn’t enough.

However, right now, isn’t one of those times. I made a promise to myself to never, ever let anything happen to Lea again. I’ll protect her from the world’s monsters no matter what.

I pop to my feet, clinch the guy nearest me in an armlock, and then drive my knee into his gut. For one strange moment, he seems less muscle and bone and more like flubber, goo, something not quite solid. I land a solid punch across his nose. I blink a few times because the light pooling from overhead is dim, but he seems to flicker. I glance at Lea who shoves another one of the guys off her. The girl is long gone. Good thing too.

Lea socks the guy in the groin. Instead of wincing and howling in pain as I’d expect, he too flickers. Then all at once shrinks into a brownish-gray creature with leathery skin, horns along the jaw, and eyes the color of phlegm.

“Demons?” I ask aghast.

“Aye, Captain Obvious,” Lea says.

“But they were human a moment ago.” My knowledge of the world and reality as I witnessed it just collided and then exploded. Boom.

“I didn’t know they could change from a regular demon to human-looking though,” Lea mutters as she dodges one with pale green flesh and milky eyes.

I grew up knowing about the existence of demons and the work the police do along with vigilantes like Ivan and the Brooklyn Vampire Club to rid them from our world, but I’ve never seen one in real life. Neither has Lea to my knowledge.

The other two guys morph into demons and launch themselves at her. She rolls and pops up by the trunk of the car where I’d stashed the sword earlier. “Once a boy scout, always a boy scout. Is this your version of a Swiss Army Knife?” she asks.

“Trust me, it was unintentional. Someone was supposed to pick the sword up at the garage tonight. Huxley was weird about it. Didn’t want it at the forge or something.” With both hands, I grapple with the demon and thrust my elbow into its side. There’s an unsatisfying crunch and then a weird give. This whole thing is making me feel slightly ill. At least, there’s no blood—that I couldn’t deal with. Just goo, ooze, and slime. Gross.

“I’m not authorized to do this, but it’s been a tough night and I’m not going to let these nasty creatures roam free.” With that, Lea lifts the sword.

The sharp edge gleams in the light like a strand of silver thread. I was surprised when Huxley let me forge the entire sword myself—he said I was ready. After I lost my parents, hammering away on hot metal and subsequently hammering away my thoughts became more than a new hobby.

In a swift motion, Lea swipes at Demon Number One. It hisses but doesn’t move away from the blade fast enough. Good riddance.

She spins and then angles the sword at ninety degrees and rids the world of Demon Number Two. A spray of black tar hits the car, which I probably need to get back to the garage. I hope I still have a job.

Demon Number Three is a bit wilier and teases her toward the shadows. I take the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Lamborghini, rev the engine, and drive directly at the demon. It jumps onto the hood of the car, blocking my view so I swerve, narrowly hitting a pallet topped with construction materials.

I push on the gas as it clings to the hood.