Chapter 27

Katya moved quickly through the trees, thinking over her conversation with Aleksandra. Despite how much she hated her father, Katya was like him in many ways. He had been a hunter too, except they didn"t just hunt animals but supernatural creatures that needed to be put down for preying on humans and those weaker than them.

Usually, the men in the family inherited the hunter gifts, and the women inherited telepathy and divination. Being cursed with two girls, he had been forced to accept that Katya was the next hunter.

Their tribe wandered between Skazki and Mir, and she had spent lengthy times in both. These days she only ever really came back to Skazki when Aleksandra"s persistent nagging became too much for her to handle.

Katya had an apartment in Moscow and one in Paris full of guns she could never bring over because they didn"t work in Skazki. It didn"t bother her too much because she never stayed in Skazki long. There were plenty of monsters to hunt in Mir, and it wasn"t like the Illumination ever got off their asses to help the Neutrals. It made Katya"s job as a hunter much more of a challenge to dodge the authorities and her targets, but she felt her skills went to better use in Mir.

Skazki"s people still taught their children about monsters and how to defend against them; the humans had forgotten about them, and that made them prey.

Their tribe had plenty of able-bodied men, not to mention Baba Zosia and Aleksandra, to keep them safe. She would still be in Europe hunting if it wasn"t for her sister.

Aleksandra had contacted her a week beforehand with premonitions of a war brewing and the world burning. Typical apocalypse shit that had forced Katya to come back to protect the tribe.

Aleki? Where are they? Katya had been running most of the day and was getting annoyed that she still hadn"t found them.

You are close. Keep going. Katya. The creature is dangerous. Be careful, little sister.

Katya could hear voices arguing in the direction of a stream that was close by. She loosened her bow from where it hung concealed underneath her leather coat. It also hid an impressive assortment of vicious weapons, including throwing knives and a short sword. In Katya"s opinion, you could never be too prepared.

Katya spotted the small group at the tree line. Two women and three men. The blonde woman with them oozed so much magic Katya was surprised the trees weren"t coming alive and dancing. They started to hold the woman down, and a knife flashed in the hand of the red-haired woman.

Not on my watch, she nocked an arrow and released it.

Anya waitedfor the pain of the blade, but it never came. She opened her eyes as an arrow thudded into the ground beside them. A woman appeared through the trees, loading another arrow into her bow as she ran. Izrayl morphed and charged her, dodging another fired shot.

"Oh, a volk krovi! It must be my lucky day," the woman said. The bow disappeared under her coat in a quick move, and a knife appeared in each hand. Izrayl launched himself at her, and she fell to her knees, sliding underneath him, her blade catching one of his legs. Izrayl landed and turned quickly for another assault.

"Stop!" Anya shouted with her ruined voice.

Izrayl attacked the stranger with a growl. She flipped over him, dodging his snapping teeth. Izrayl managed to catch her coat with his claws, and she hit the ground with a loud thump.

Izrayl stalked over to her, a deep growl rolling through him. The woman waited until he was crouched over her before she swung her arm out and punched him in the nose. Izrayl yelped in pain and surprise.

"That"s enough!" Trajan shouted, his voice echoing over the noise and confusion. "Izrayl, back down. You, woman, explain why you are attacking us."

She rolled to her feet and spat blood on the dirt beside her. "You were about to slice that poor girl up, and I can"t allow that."

"They"re helping me. They are my friends," Anya wheezed.

The stranger fingered the hilts of her knives as her eyes darted around the group. Finally, she lowered her weapons."If you are her friends, why the hell are you about to cut her hand apart?"

"She"s been poisoned, you presumptuous psychopath," Izrayl said, changing back into his human body. His nose was bleeding, and he had a deep gash on his thigh, where she had cut him with her knife.

"I"m sorry about the wound, wolf boy," she said insincerely. "My name is Katya, and I"m here to help you too. Would you mind putting on some jeans?"

"I would actually." Izrayl crossed his arms defiantly. "And we don"t need your help."

"Really?" Katya pushed him hard, knocking him down to the ground. A high-pitched, blood-curdling cry screeched overhead, and a black dragon swooped down, its claws snapping at them.

"What the hell is that?" Anya squeaked.

"Get her under the trees!" Katya shouted, nocking another arrow into her bow.

Trajan and Yvan grabbed Anya"s arms, Cerise her legs, and they carried her quickly out of the way. They positioned themselves around her so they could see which way the dragon was coming. Izrayl howled as the black dragon landed in the glade.

"Watch its head," Katya yelled to Izrayl as he went for its long snake-like neck.

A clawed foot caught him, knocking him out of the way like he was a puppy. Katya fired her bow and hit it in the chest. The dragon screeched in fury and lashed its head from side to side.

Swearing, Katya pulled out a short sword. Izrayl was back on his feet and doing his best to damage the creature"s wings, shredding them with his long claws.

"Look after Anya," Trajan said to Cerise.

"Be careful," Anya said quickly.

"I"ll be fine." Trajan smiled at her before going to help Izrayl.

Katya was fighting at the beast"s head, and Izrayl was biting at its legs and belly.

Anya stared, wide-eyed, as Trajan climb up onto the dragon"s back behind its wings. He shimmered for a moment, like a mirage, then the creature stopped fighting and sagged to its knees. It cried high and mournful as silvery smoke rose from it and started to suck into Trajan. The human glamor he wore shattered as he opened his mouth and let out a sound of otherworldly terror. Cerise leaped to shield Anya"s face and clamped her hands over her ears.

"Just breathe. Don"t look at him!" the keres commanded, but Anya"s body wouldn"t obey, and she sagged into Cerise"s arms in a dead faint.