Crown of Darkness (Divisa Huntress Book 1) Read online

  “But the change is going to empower you, turning you into the Queen of Wands. You will be forced to defend yourself in an impossible situation. I see you under attack. I see you wearing the skin of your enemies. The Scorpio card symbolizes the house of your enemies. Chaos is approaching you. Your life will be ruled by sudden ups and downs—unpredictable.”

  The lines at the corner of her eyes tightened. “A new relationship is on the horizon that will bring lots of conflict into your life.” She tapped her nails over two of the cards, lifting her gaze to mine with a somber expression. “Ten of Swords and Death will bring much pain, but they will be necessary for you to heal from the wounds of the past.”

  Shit. I repeat, shit.

  4

  The Tarot reading stayed with me throughout the night, and I was annoyed I let it get to me. I should be enjoying myself, getting drunk, laughing with my family, kissing random dudes instead of mulling over dark thoughts and sipping my spiked apple cider concoction.

  Every single time I attended a party, I was reminded of how different I was. Even with my crew beside me, the separation between us and everyone else was obvious. They stuck to their side of the field and us to ours. It pretty much had always been this way, with a few polite interactions, a hey man, how’s it going, or what's up girl, but as soon as the pleasantries were over, they moseyed back to their side, no lingering. There were always a few exceptions like Emma and Angel had been. Colin too.

  The flickering thought of him brought a quick pang to my chest. Colin Michaels was the boy who had cared about me, regardless of what I was or the skeletons I hid deep in my closet.

  A few hours into the party and I was already counting the seconds until I could make my escape, using the excuse I had spent the night concocting. With a long sigh, I pulled my phone out and checked the time for the hundredth time, lifting the drink in my other hand to my lips. My demon was antsy, pacing inside me like a caged wolf on a full moon. I could feel my control slipping.

  “That bored, huh?”

  The deep voice startled me, and my drink sloshed down my chin. “Son of a bitch,” I hissed, shaking my hand in the air to flick off the booze. I lifted my gaze, tumbling into a pair of warm brown eyes.

  “Sorry,” the guy apologized with a dimpled grin. I took in his faded jeans, his windblown hair a few shades darker than my own blonde locks, and his broad shoulders. He was handsome in a boy-next-door way that was soooo my type. Perhaps the night wouldn’t be a waste after all.

  This guy held promise.

  I straightened from my slouched position on the tree stump, which I knew pushed my breasts up against my sweater. “Don’t be. It was my fault,” I replied, softening my voice and giving him a sweet smile.

  “Do you want me to grab you another drink?” he offered.

  I shook my head. “Nah. I managed to save half the glass.” Alcohol didn’t have the same effect on me as it did humans. My demon blood gave me a higher tolerance, but still, I wanted to keep a clear head for when shit got real.

  And it would.

  I could feel the malevolent energy whispering deep in the woods, blowing toward me as if to say, come out, come out, wherever you are. The demon inside me groaned, restless.

  “Mind if I sit?”

  Flames from the bonfire warmed my face, masking any traces of my demon. When that part of me clawed closer to the surface, my eyes turned gold. “Not at all.”

  He took the stump next to mine and gestured to the woods off to our right. “I’ve heard stories about this place—the things that roam among the trees at night, the strange sounds, the howling. Some say there are creatures as big as a bear with glowing red eyes and teeth sharper than a gator’s.”

  I lifted my brows. He had no idea, but every kid in Spring Valley grew up hearing these same tales. Little did they know how factual they were. “Are you superstitious?” I asked teasingly to keep the mood light and flirty.

  His full lips stretched into a lopsided grin. “It’s the equinox. Who isn’t a little bit tonight of all nights? Nothing like a good ghost story in front of a fire on a chilly night.”

  Emma came stumbling along, plopping down onto the stump beside me like a clumsy clown. I scooted over to give her more room, relieved by her presence.

  “Who’s your friend?” she asked, draping an arm over my shoulder. She was a drink away from being two sheets to the wind.

  “I’m not sure,” I admitted, slipping the plastic cup out of her hands. My partner in crime needed to sober her ass up.

  “Brett,” he supplied, looking adorable. “And you are…?” he prompted, fishing for my name.

  “Hername’sLexi,” Emma answered for me, her words slurring together. “You’re cute,” she added with a sloppy grin.

  Brett’s smile widened.

  Oh God. Where the hell is Travis? He knew better than to let Emma run loose when she was drinking. This human was a lightweight. My eyes did a quick sweep of the field, searching through the darkness for any sign of my idiot brother.

  “Are you going to have sex with him?” Emma attempted to whisper, but it came out an octave just below her normal tone. “He totally wants to get into your pants.”

  A choked laugh bubbled out of me and I gave Brett a sympathetic look. “Sorry. I think my friend is drunker than drunk.”

  His lips curved up, faintly amused. “Don’t worry about it. She’s not wrong, you know.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, but for now, I should probably help her. She’s my brother’s girlfriend,” I explained. She was family, and family came before dick. So much for taking Chase’s advice about getting laid. He would have gloated for weeks. My demon would find another outlet for release.

  Hunting.

  As soon as I found my dumbass brother.

  Brett, like the good boy he was, started to stand. “Let me help—”

  I waved him off while keeping one hand around Emma’s waist. “I got it, really. Stay and enjoy the party.”

  “It won’t be much of a party without you.”

  Damn. Why did he have to be cute?

  I chewed on my bottom lip as a group of girls strolled up to the fire, giggling and looking in Brett’s direction. They all had on outfits too skimpy for this kind of weather and huddled close to the fire for warmth. “Something tells me you’ll manage.”

  I steered Emma away from the only good thing about the fall festival and into the star-dusted night. It wasn’t like Travis to leave Emma alone, and the first inklings of concern tiptoed up my spine. “Where the hell is everyone?” I muttered.

  “Travis went to take a piss,” Emma informed me.

  I frowned. “Feel free to keep information about my brother’s bodily functions to yourself.”

  She giggled, and I gaped at the hunter. She wasn’t a girl that giggled. She laughed or chuckled, but giggling like a schoolgirl was not in her DNA. At least it hadn’t been. Alcohol really did do strange things to humans. “I’m in love with a demon.” Another string of giggles poured from her mouth. “God, he is amazing in bed.”

  “Again, more info you need to keep to yourself,” I retorted, partially amused, partially concerned. It was so nice of my brother to stick me on babysitting duties, and the longer it took me to find him, the more severe his punishment would be. I was not going to let him off easy for ditching his girlfriend like this.

  So not cool.

  Already unstable on her feet, Emma tripped over an empty bottle some jerk had tossed onto the field where the rows of cars were parked. She fell into me, and I struggled to keep us both from tumbling face-first into the ground. My eyes flashed at her, but as I opened my mouth to give her a stern reprimand, a movement caught my eye. A streak of red.

  The real fun was about to begin. This was what I’d been waiting for. The hunt.

  My muscles coiled, and I was about to take off into the woods that bordered the field when I remembered Emma. I couldn’t bring her with me—not like this. She’d never be able to keep up and would be a liability. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to her.

  Cursing my brother to Hell and back, I located his truck and shoved Emma inside, ordering her to stay put. I dug out my phone and sent Travis a text, telling him to come get his girl, and then I took off. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I had it on semi-good authority that a certain higher demon planned to wreak havoc on my little town tonight.

  Not on my watch.

  This demon and I had history.

  And tonight, I was going to kill the son of a bitch.

  After months of interrogations, hunting and tracking lesser demons, and torturing them for information on Sorrak, it finally paid off last week when I learned he would he would be paying visit.

  I plunged into the woods before I let myself think too hard about leaving Emma. My senses came alive, guiding me toward the demon. It would be hunting lost, incapacitated humans. I suspected it would be drawn to our little party for that reason. Crisp air penetrated my lungs and cooled the fire that raged in my veins. I relished the feeling.

  “Lexi!” Travis shouted from the parking lot, but I didn’t break my pace. I shoved on harder, ignoring the sting of branches against my arms. He didn’t follow me.

  My feet flew over the earth, barely touching the ground. This time I’d brought my boots, no heels to break or slow me down. My daggers were craftily concealed in my clothes. The wind tossed my hair, but I didn’t mind. My sharpened eyes picked out every detail as I tracked the demon. Something was different though. There were no scarred marks on the ground or hot spots in the air.

  Something was wrong.

  My demon felt it before I did, an awakening within me. I spun around, scanning the woods. A woman’s scream shrilled over the howling winds, silencing the
demon inside me for one heartbeat.

  Fear.

  It had been a long time since I’d felt true fear—the kind that rendered a person immobile, but it was gone as swiftly as it had breezed over me.

  The chilled air became a sudden burst of ice that pricked at my skin. Winds screamed like a banshee, making me wonder if I had really heard a woman’s voice moments ago, or if it had been the wind playing tricks on me. I stretched my hearing out further, and in the distance, I picked up faint traces of dogs barking, accompanied by what sounded like hooves pounding in a stampede.

  What in the actual hell?

  The ground under my feet trembled in a series of quakes that rolled and rolled, growing stronger with each passing second. I placed a hand on the trunk of a tree to get my bearings. This wasn’t a mere lower demon I was after, and it was most certainly not a higher demon, so that posed the question… What the hell was I hunting?

  Or was it hunting me?

  I shuddered at the thought, but once it took root, I couldn’t shake the feeling. I was in over my head. Glancing over my shoulder to where I’d come from, I measured the distance back to the party. If I went for backup, it might be too late. Whoever or whatever was out here would be gone by the time I returned, and my curiosity, no matter how dangerous the situation, had been aroused.

  I had to know what could make the ground tremble. And what threat it posed to those I loved.

  “Screw it,” I muttered, my breath coming out in a cloud. My feet were moving again. Judging by the intensity of the tremors, I was getting close to him.

  Another mile and I skidded to a halt, darting under a red oak tree. Its full, crimson branches drooped low to the ground, offering the perfect concealment. I stayed crouched against the tree, hugging its trunk. The bark scratched at my cold hands, but I barely noticed. All my concentration was on the small grove in front of me.

  A ghostly mist swirled over the mossy ground as thick flakes of snow hailed from the sky in a wintery blizzard. Snow? Illinois was known to have strange weather, but snow this early was still an oddity. I watched with a mixture of horror and fascination as six horses burst through the trees, galloping like a raging storm, eyes blazing red, nostrils snorting flaming smoke, and their coats blended with the darkness. These weren’t just any horses. No. They were beasts of a different nature—Hell’s mounts.

  And their riders weren’t like any demons I’d ever crossed. Clothed in black, hooded cloaks that masked their faces, I couldn’t help but wonder if they had faces at all. They were Soul Hunters—phantom riders. I gulped.

  A woman with auburn hair was tied to one of the horses. She was forced to run alongside them or be dragged if her feet gave out, and by the looks of her, that had happened on more than one occasion. Dirt and blood splattered her porcelain skin, and her dress was tattered and torn.

  My nails dug into the bark as I fought down the compulsion to run out and save her. From deep down inside, I knew she couldn’t be freed. The Soul Hunters had claimed her, and there was nothing I could do to spare this woman’s life, not without giving up my mine.

  Damn. Damn. Damn.

  The six horses pranced in place under their riders steely commands, pausing in the center of the clearing. A pack of Hellhounds flew in behind the steeds, snarling and barking, eyes wild with hunger.

  Was this the Wild Hunt?

  It couldn’t be.

  My mind recoiled at the thought, but I couldn’t deny what was in front of my eyes. I’d heard rumors, myths told as ghost stories, legends crafted by demons of this group, but here they were—the riders of Hell that came in the dead of night to collect souls.

  Over my dead body.

  That wasn’t a sane thought.

  Keeping still, I held my breath, not even risking the small action of inhaling and exhaling. These Soul Hunters weren’t like any demons I’d come up against. They were … I didn’t know anything about them, which put me at a disadvantage.

  The winds howled at their approach toward me, as if the elements identified what danger rode tonight. I swore even the trees shrunk away. With each step, the mounts let an audible snort, releasing Hellsmoke into the air.

  “Please,” the girl cried, tears tracking down her pale cheeks. “Let me go. Please. I’ll do anything,” she begged.

  “Silence!” one of the riders roared. His voice was smooth like silk but had a razor sharpness that sliced through the night as if he could cut through stone with his words alone.

  “Your soul has been claimed. There is no escaping,” another said with more roughness. He yanked on the chains wrapped around her wrists, and she tumbled to the ground, landing on her hands and knees with a thud.

  I winced, imagining all too clearly the pain she must have felt.

  She cried out again, and I couldn’t take it. Her fear tainted the air, and my demon surged forward. Stupid. It was a stupid move, but my rage became a song in my blood. I knew the moment I stepped out of the shadows, they had already sensed me, and it would only be a matter of seconds before they pinpointed my location. I should have run.

  Running would have given me a chance to escape death. To live. But now …

  Now the hunt would claim me as it did a few nights a year and there was no escaping death. Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity. Fuck.

  I was going to need a goddamn miracle to get me out of this mess, but in the meantime, perhaps I could save the girl. It was an impossible mission, but who didn’t like a challenge?

  All six hooded heads whipped in my direction; even their horses turned at once. It was an eerie feeling having that many eyes of the dead rake over you all at once. Turns out that Soul Hunters did, in fact, have eyes … and faces. Although still hidden in part by shadows, I could make out some of their features. I had expected sunken skull like faces, grim reaper style, but no. They looked human, which I found even more disconcerting. It was easier to kill when they appeared as demons or had spectral traits, like scorching red eyes or sharp fangs.

  Could these guys even be killed? I mean, technically they were already dead, right? No different from a lower or higher demon … I hoped.

  I recovered from the shock of their human features quick enough, reaching for my weapons. “Anyone ever tell you guys that being an asshole is a sin?”

  With a simpering smile, one of the riders dismounted. “Well, hello, luv.” It was the bastard with the smooth, velvety voice. Pretty sure it was damn unfair that a servant of Hell be graced with a voice that was near orgasmic. He strutted toward me with swagger and fluid ease.

  Flipping a dagger in each of my hands, I rooted my stance and said, “Your worst nightmare.” I was proud of the bravado in my voice. It came out level and strong, cocky even. I silently thanked Chase for all his lessons on how to be an arrogant bastard.

  His grin didn’t falter. “This night just got interesting. Soren, take care of her.”

  “It would be my pleasure,” the one called Soren replied. He was thinner in stature than the others, but something wicked trembled in the air when his eyes fell upon me.

  My shoulders squared as the rider swung his leg over his horse and dropped to the ground. “I have a feeling you won’t find my blade very pleasurable.”

  Soren chuckled, flipping the hood off his head to reveal a face that might have been handsome if it wasn’t for the gnarly scar marring his cheek. He was tall—well over six feet with dark hair. But it was his eyes that stopped my heart. He had the eyes of someone who enjoyed inflicting pain for shits and giggles. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this. You can guarantee it.”

  “Come on then,” I lured, waving him forward with the tip of my dagger. The metal glinted off the moon. I dared a glance at the whimpering girl, making a mental note of where she was in relation to my position. Freeing her was going to be the real test.

  Soren was confident, and I was banking on that being his weakness. So fast that my enhanced eyes barely saw it, he slashed out with a whip of chains just like the ones holding the woman. I leaped back, the links of metal singing just past my face.

  Surprise flickered in his eyes. He wasn’t used to dealing with someone who was more than human. His black gaze flecked with gold narrowed at me, and he sniffed the air. “Half-breed,” he growled.

  My demon eyes flashed a moment before I struck, aiming for his exposed side. He swung down at my wrist with his hand, connecting, but I somehow managed to keep my grasp on the dagger, regardless of the throbbing. My heart stumbled in my chest. I forced a grin to curve over my lips. “I told you I was your worst nightmare.”