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

pawswith brown claws, and his face had elongated. Two dark triangles,ears, had moved to the top of his head with wispy tufts of hairsticking off the edges. A stumpy tail peeked out from his bottom.It was a grotesque blend of man and beast.

Conall stood over the dead shifter,looking down impassively. Blood was smeared over his hands. Heglanced over at me, frowned when he saw me in Breandan’s arms. “Hewill never hurt you again,” he said bluntly.

That was an understatement, but Inodded once in thanks. He missed it since he looked away from us,expression unhappy.

Breandan leaned away to run his handsover my neck. I winced. It hurt, a lot. We healed fast and I couldguess the bruising was already a rainbow of color. When after a fewseconds it did not feel any better I rasped, “Why is it nothealing?”

“Bruising is not a fatalwound, and the skin is not broken. This is new to you so you willnot feel the difference, but your body can become exhausted to thepoint of death if you are not careful. Using magic is stressful onyour mind and body, as is healing. Where it can your body willconserve its resources. Since the–” His jaw clenched. “Since theshifter’s attack, your body is still preparing you for a fight, orto run away. And you have been running all day. Your reserves arenot replete.”

“You need to become muchmore aware of your surroundings,” Conall said chidingly, and nudgedthe mangled body on the ground with his toe.

Really? He was trying to turn thisinto a lecture? I made a rude noise. “Honestly, is now the time fora lesson?”

All day he had been throwing confusingsentences and scenarios my way, expecting me to ‘learn’ somethingfrom them. He was taking his role as my protector and Elderseriously. I forced myself to feel loved and appreciated ratherthan smothered and overprotected.

Conall said nothing in response to me,too busy looking the dead shifter over, and the look Breandangifted me with soon had me shutting up.

The grass surrounding me was primarilyshades green, but peppered with grays and browns, and theoccasional wild flower with spongy orange petals. The shading oflate autumn had swept over the shifters territory, and it waspretty. As far as I could see there was nothing but rollingterrain. The beauty of my surroundings was lost on me as I inhaledslowly and swallowed. My face contorted into a grimace at how muchit hurt.

I leaned my head against Breandan’sshoulder then rubbed my cheek into his neck seeking comfort. “Ican’t believe he attacked me. Why? And why did you kill him?” Iasked Conall who inclined his head at Breandan.

My fairy looked uncomfortable. “Conalldid not kill him. I did.” I looked back at my brother who literallyhad blood on his hands. “Your brother was bitten so I snapped theshifter’s neck. He was Changing, and not submitting to mywill.”

The unsaid was that this shifter hadhurt me, and it was clear a transgression so great would not gounpunished in Breandan’s eyes. If the situation was reversed, I nohad no doubt I would do the same thing in a heartbeat … if it meanthis protection.

“This does not bode well,”Conall said his voice dark and mad. “He was clearly a sentrywatching for intruders. We will need to make reparation to thePride he hails from.”

“Another time,” Breandansaid.

My trembling stopped and I forcedmyself to unclamp my hand from around Breandan’s waist and stand.My wings slammed out behind me and my tail cracked from side toside. What had happened that morning had made me moody, and shortof temper throughout the day, but this latest experience left mejittery. I plucked leaves from the mess of inky-black that was myhair, and caught Breandan’s scent before he touched me. Sunlight,earth, and rain. He came up behind me and his hands gently restedon my shoulders, squeezed, and then slid down my bared back to passover my wings. They twitched and fluttered at his touch and Idragged in a shaky breath.

Gods, to fall for someone so hardsurely you were bound to break apart. Unravel at the seams becauseyou are undone by how they make you feel.

He continued, lazily wandering to mywaist then lower, gripping my hips. I shifted, but instead ofbacking off he pulled me into him. My heart thumped doubly hard andI sighed when his hands left my hips to gently feel my neckagain.

“I’m fine,” I rasped andthumped him lightly on the back of his thigh with mytail.

His fingertips brushed my hair backfrom my neck then he pressed a kiss to my pulse point. He let mego. “I believe you, but I want you to relax. You’re tootense.”

I slanted a pained look over myshoulder at him. Not sure if admitting he was the main cause of myerratic heartbeat would be sensible. Gods knew what he woulddo.

“I want this over with,” Imumbled. “I want Devlin dead and I want the book back. No shifterwith grabby hands is going to distract me from that. The bruiseswill heal, eventually.”

He sighed and muttered, “This is notgoing to end well.”

My brows came together and I twistedround to look him in the face – unsure of what he meant. He glancedat Conall, truly unhappy, and his lips pressed into a thin line.Breandan was unbelievably skilled at controlling his expression tohide his reaction to things, and I had to watch him closely to seeif he was mad, pissed, or upset. Judging by how his jaw worked Iwas going for mad.

“What?” I asked, because itbecame apparent he had realized something before I had. “What areyou not saying? I tried and failed to keep the impatience from mytone. “Why have we stopped?”

I looked to Conall; the mighty warriorstrong enough to massacre a small army of his kind. He said nothingat first and I knew it would be a mistake to push him … no onepushed him.

Irritated and grumpy I waited – handon hip – for my bother to tell us which direction to take. He andBreandan sent each other a series of coded looks and signaled toeach other with their hands.

My gaze darted back to the rigid bodyof the dead shifter, blood