Between the Bleeding Willows (The Demon Hunters Series Book 1) by D.A. Roach Page A

major battles. I'm doing the best I can, but we need a new necromancer. And soon."
    "I know you're doing the best you can," I reassured her. But we didn't have a backup necromancer.
    Angeline spoke again, “I also brought one of our Harvesters for an update.”
    Harvesters crossed over to the surface of the Demon Realm twice a week. There they would hunt small and medium animals and creatures and gather Vinka fruit, Mackleberries, various nuts, and Elderleets within the four acre grove we protected with spells. The food they returned with provided nourishment for the Clan and ingredients for potions. Usually Ben was the Harvester that reported at our meetings, but today a younger Harvester sat near me.
    “Hello, Killian, my name is Will. I am one of the Chief Harvesters. I regret to inform you that our grove is depleted and we won’t have enough Vinka fruit to last the month.”
    In my years of command, I had never heard the words “our grove is depleted.” We could survive without one of the other crops for a short time, but the Vinka fruit was not just for eating; it had a hard seed inside that Angeline used in many of her potions. She claimed it was the sole ingredient that intensified the potions, making them work as long and as hard as they did. “A month of battle or just a normal month?”
    “A normal month.” Will’s voice wavered, and he cleared his throat.
    Crap. Not what I wanted to hear. “How did this happen?”
    Angeline spoke up. “I’ve needed more Vinka seed since Lorcan passed. My spells and potions aren’t strong enough on their own to keep the binding chamber functioning.”
    Turning toward the short, thin Harvester, I asked, “Will, where is the nearest crop we can gather more from?”
    “There is another grove about a half a day’s walk through the mountain pass,” Will informed me. “But it’s outside our boundaries, and we’ve never collected from there before.” He was nervous. Outside our boundaries meant it was in unprotected areas, areas where the wild creatures ruled and dominated. Where the demons that were lose lurked. “And because we need the carts for transport, we’ll have to use the tunnels.”
    The room erupted in quiet commotion. My brave team leaders looked at me with fear in their eyes. The tunnels were shut down years ago after the Incident and all Clan members travelled via crossover since then.
     
    ***
     
    My friends and I liked to play a game called Brave or Not. The premise to the game was someone had to run fast and deep into the dark tunnels. The person who went the farthest won. The rules were no lights allowed and no touching the other person. Since honesty was important to the Clan, the two competitors announced the winner when they returned, and no one second-guessed it. I was undefeated, and they marveled at my lack of fear. But I was good at hiding my fear and putting on a brave face. My hands, wet with perspiration, were shoved in my pockets till the game began. My breathing quickened, but my father had taught me to breathe through my clenched teeth to slow it down and appear brave.
    Sky had a crush on me and attempted to impress me daily. Tall and lean, she raced fast like a rabbit and took great pleasure in beating my pants off on a daily basis. I liked Sky, but I hadn’t realized her interest until the day my then-best buddy, Jax, dared Sky to beat me in a game of Brave or Not. Sky had never played this game, as most girls were smart enough to steer clear of it. But she hated to lose and was eager to impress me and win my affection.
    “Are you ready to eat my dust?” she teased.
    “Remember, to win, it’s not the fastest that matters, but the farthest.”
    She smiled at my warning and said, “Winner picks the prize.”
    Jax stepped in. “And what are we playing for?”
    “Sky will do my laundry for one Harvest cycle.” Her mouth dropped open, which made me snicker. A full Harvest cycle was about ninety days, but there were no