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

They needed to come closer. Closeenough so that they were in punching distance. Close enough, sothat I could snap their neck in one of the three ways I had beentaught in Martial Arts. Damn, close enough so that I could bite andscratch the crap out of them if needs be. I had never killed anyonebefore, and I did not want to start now. But hell would freeze overif they thought I was going to die without taking at least one ofthem with me.

The Cleric with the crooked nosepulled something out from behind him. A silver blade. Nimah andAmelia recoiled then both growled, seeming to fill the dungeon withthe noise of an entire shifter Pack.

Runt wailed in the corner. It soundeddifferent than his usual sounds. A warning?

The Cleric brandishing the silverknife stepped forward and the shifter twins recoiled again, bothtaking hold of my shoulders to keep me with them. The touch waslike a full body hiccup and I shrugged them off. I hated strangerstouching me. The moment their hands left me the two other Clericsgrabbed hold of my feet and dragged me toward the door. Amelia madea high, strangled sound, enraged.

Still, they dragged me, and I dug myhands into the earth around me, snarling. I kicked my legs, and hadI not been iron drained and bound they would have flown with such aforce they would be dead. As it was, I was like a child strugglingunder the hands of her stronger parents.

I heard the clink of chains, the twistof a key in the lock, and I felt my irons give. I was no longertethered to the floor. The Clerics let go of my feet and I flippedround, planning to attack the lone Cleric first then face these twowith Nimah and Amelia at my side, but I moved a hell of a lotslower than I’d thought I would. By the gods, I was tired. I had nospeed, no strength, but I refused to believe I had nohope.

Two pairs of heavy hands landed on myshoulders and dragged me back.

Runt hurled himself onto the loneClerics back and buried his teeth into his ear. The Cleric howledand spun, trying to shake him off but the goblin-child attachedhimself like a barnacle to the Clerics back and would not let go.Blood splashed against the walls as the Cleric yelled and shook,trying to slash him with the knife.

Free from the fear of being cut withsilver, Nimah and Amelia flew at me, clinging onto my arms. TheClerics well-aimed kicks hit their backs and arms, but they held onto me. I caught the fear in Amelia’s eyes. Not for herself, but forme.

Runt flew through the air, and smashedinto a wall. He twitched on the floor, his arm and leg bent atfunny angles. His orb like eyes filled with tears as he watched me.He opened his mouth and a lump of bloody flesh fell out. An ear.Moving quicker than I thought possible he was back in his corner,cradling his arm and leg.

The knife-wielding Cleric staggeredforward, swinging the silver at the shifter twins. Their instincttook over and they let go. The Cleric with a crooked nosebackhanded Nimah in the face and sent her sprawling across thefloor. She smacked her head and was still. Amelia went crazy, eyeswild she lunged at him but he unhooked the tazer baton from hisbelt and rammed into her chest. The girl convulsed and fell to thefloor. Spasaming. The Cleric kept at it, prodding her with thetazer until her body was contorted and twisted almost beyondrecognition. The Cleric kicked her in the gut then he drew back hisbooted foot and brought it crashing into her face. She too wasstill.

Runt keened loudly, rocking back andforth in his corner, arms around his legs and eyes staring at meglassily.

The shifter twins were motionless, butI could see they were breathing by the dust that stirred by theirmouths.

I was dragged up, but I fought. Itwisted and turned. Bit with my teeth and yelled as they wrappedthe chain around my neck and yanked. I resisted, knowing if I wasdragged out that door something terrible would happen to me. Theyheaved on the chain and my feet slid forward. Again they pulled,and I stumbled forward out the door.

I was half carried and half draggeddown a narrow passageway, which was no more than a dirt tunnel. Itsmelt musky, and the oppression of it had me feelingclaustrophobic. My Cleric guard said nothing directly to me, thoughthe crooked nose Cleric behind me grumbled about his lostear.

I stopped fighting, realizing I wasgetting nowhere. My strength waned the more I fought, and I was notaffecting them at all. I needed to be calm and plan my next move. Iwas weaker and slower than I had first thought. I had no magic inthe iron-drenched hell, just my wits, which were thin and frayedfrom stress.

After a moments deep breathing, Itried to feel through the bond for Breandan. Almost nothing, afaint sense of despair and anger. He’d moved no closer since I lastchecked. Why was he not coming for me? Fear gripped me. What if hewas in trouble? What if he needed me, my power, and here I waschained and manacled, held by the Sect.

I concentrated on the bond again,trying to feel for fear and pain. No, he was not wounded I wouldfeel that.

As I tried to seek answers through abond I did not understand across a vast expanse of land, I noticeda darkness wobbling on the edge of my consciousness. It wasfamiliar to me and the boy it connected me too was trying to reachme through it, calling, searching.

“Tomas,” Iwhispered.

A heavy boot landed between myshoulder blades and I pitched over into the passageway. Dirt rammedinto my mouth and my head spun.

“Quiet,” barked the crookednose Cleric.

He pulled me up to set me on my feetthen pushed me on.

Soon, I saw a soft light up ahead. Mysenses were dulled, but I knew we were no closer to the earthsurface. From what I could tell, we headed deeper underground. Soonit was clear that the glow ahead was candlelight.

Blank, white walls, a bare concretefloor.

The