CHAPTER 13 – Hunter

Joanna drew a seraph blade, and called its name. It flared to life and burned like glowing ice. The demon, low on its haunches as it crept forward, leaped back with a hiss. Its eyes reflected the light with flashes of red. It stalked forward again, but didn't circle like she'd learned they were apt to do. That meant one thing.

Asher cursed behind her. "It's protecting its den," he muttered. From that she deduced that there must be more than one. She heard him pull out his own weapon, but it was all background noise. Her focus was on the creature in front of her. Its curved canines were wickedly sharp, and it growled again as it started stalking forward.

Her old fear scrabbled at the back of her mind, but she effectively shut it out. The demon tensed and sprang with a snarl. Joanna knocked it aside with the flat of her blade, a stiff blow to the side of its head. The motion was reflexive and packed with power. The demon fell to the side and skittered back, claws tearing up moist soil and dead leaves.

This time Jo attacked, slashing with her blade. She caught it across its muzzle and it screeched, lashing out with claws. Joanna jumped back, but it caught the edge of her gear and sliced a hole in her pants with ease, like a hot knife through butter. Her stomach contracted.

She was breathing fast, her whole body tensed and singing with adrenaline. She could smell the acrid demon-scent, like poisonous decay. The light was fading fast, the forest quickly filling with darkness. Joanna attacked again, and it reared up, snarling, teeth dripping. It went for her throat and she struck out with her blade, plunging it deep into the demon's chest. It crumpled, folding in on itself into nothing. Joanna's heart soared with her victory.

But a howl echoed through the trees and it took Joanna a moment to realize the noise hadn't come from the demon she just killed.

There was no time to celebrate her success. A second Caulker had crept to the edge of the hole, eyes flashing red, and leaped out at Jo as soon as the other was killed. Joanna barely had time to raise her blade–she wasn't going to make it–

Asher suddenly stepped in front of her, graceful as a dancer, and kicked the demon aside. Of course, he'd had her back the whole time. Even though Joanna was grateful he'd just stepped in, she was glad he'd let her kill the first on her own. But there wasn't a spare moment to think about it. The demon attacked again, going for Asher this time. There was desperation in its movements, and it was much more aggressive than the first. Asher blocked it and Joanna slashed at the demon's side, black blood spilling over her blade.

It snarled and snapped at Joanna, but she twisted out of the way and Asher took her place, attacking swiftly. It was just like when they sparred, but this was perfect teamwork, perfect focus and balance of each other's movement. It felt amazing, like second nature. She met his gaze for a split second and they both grinned as they attacked in unison. A textbook term Remington had taught her flashed in her mind. Parabatai. She jumped in when the demon clawed at Asher and knocked the blade from his hand.

But something was different about this demon from the first, she realized suddenly.

"Move!" Asher shouted, and Joanna jumped back. Facts ran through her head, the way they did after she'd studied long and hard for a test. Female Caulker demons have long, whip-like tails, composed mostly of muscle and skin coated with mucus. The barb at the end of the tail is made of the same material as its claws–

Joanna was a second too late. Its tail wrapped around her forearm half a dozen times and jerked tight, the needle-sharp claw at the end digging into her wrist, right where her pulse beat. She cried out and fell to her knees as pain shot up her arm and into her chest, her skin burning. Her seraph blade fell from her hand as the tail tightened and bit into her skin, blood welling up and making her arm slick.

Asher's dagger flew, end over end, and severed the tail with a neat snick. Black blood sprayed from the end and the part around her arm went limp, sliding to the ground with a dead thump.

The demon let out a high pitched shriek that grated against her eardrums. The stump of what was left of its tail was lashing and splattering more black blood. Joanna's own blood ran down her arm, a red glove, and dripped from her fingers. The demon leapt for Joanna, still shrieking.

"JOANNA!" Asher was running, reaching to pull out a weapon, but he would never make it in time. Jo's knees sank into the wet earth as she picked up her blade in her left hand. Time slowed as she brought it up in an arching streak of icy light and sheared right through the Caulker demon's throat.

Its momentum caused the body to collapse on top her, throwing her back. Burning black blood splashed across her neck and a long, canine tooth brushed her cheek for an instant before the demon vanished, leaving only the faint stench of fleshy decay.

Joanna lay there, panting and staring up at the leaves of the trees blowing in a faint breeze, seraph blade still clutched in her left hand. Who knew training ambidextrously would come in handy? she thought with the ghost of an almost hysterical smile.

Her arm throbbed a steady beat, streaming blood. Her chest rose and fell as she gasped for breath, light-headed. Her cheek was cut, and the demon blood burned.

But she was alive. She had done it. She'd killed her first demon. And her second, with some help.

"Joanna." Asher was by her side, and she struggled to sit up. His face was streaked with dirt and ichor, but no blood. His grey eyes were wide with concern as he reached for her. She gasped and hissed in pain when he touched her injured arm, jerking it away from him.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, almost frantic. "But I have to get the stinger out." Joanna looked down, and with faint nauseating feeling she realized the clawed end of the tail was still imbedded in her skin, even while the rest of the tail had fallen off.

"It's not poisonous, is it?" she asked, forcing the words out through the pain.

"No," he replied, and with a sharp yank he pulled it free, more blood gushing. Joanna's head spun dizzily.

"I really don't want to bleed to death, Asher," she said breathlessly, finding it hard to focus.

"Not after that amazing display of kick-ass skill," he agreed, and she smiled faintly. His stele was out and closed her eyes against the burning. When she opened her eyes the world focused again, some of the pain dissipating. Her arm was no longer bleeding, but it was red and raw, still bloody and painful. The burns from the demon blood stung.

Asher helped her to her feet. Cradling her arm, she looked up at him and grinned.

"You're right," she said. "I kicked ass." He laughed, loud and carefree, and the stupid grin never left her face. Then she gritted her teeth as her arm jostled. "How come it still hurts?"

His laughter faded. "Don't worry," he said. "I know just the trick to make it feel better. C'mon, follow me."