Demon Hunters 3: Tainted (Stand Alone Series) (Demon Hunters.) by Avril Sabine

her head against the wall, wincing at the pain. “I haven’t gotten this far to curl up and die.” She forced herself to her feet. She’d salt the entrances and then figure out how to become the hunter rather than the prey. There was no way she was going to spend her time cowering in her house. Not with eternity stretching out before her. She’d go crazy if she did. Picking up the grocery bags, she headed for the kitchen, turning the light on as she entered the room. Dropping the groceries on the floor, she stared at the swords and daggers scattered across the table. She guessed Remedy had come here before he’d tracked her down at the supermarket. Picking up one of the daggers, she slid it out of its sheath, eyeing the sharp blade.
    Tomorrow night she was going hunting. Demons better look out because she wasn’t about to tolerate any of them in her town. She thought of Remedy. Okay, but only one.

Chapter Nine
    The next evening Cassidy kicked the stand down on her new motorbike and swung her leg over as she unbuckled her helmet to hang it on the handlebars. She glanced around, wishing she could see in the dark. She slid the two daggers out of their sheaths in her motorbike boots and closed her eyes. It didn’t help. She couldn’t hear anything unusual, but she could feel the demon. He had to be here somewhere. Her mark burned. Opening her eyes she sighed. Her first attempt at being a hunter wasn’t going too well. She didn’t have a clue what she should be doing. All those how-to videos hadn’t prepared her for tracking down demons. Hopefully they’d taught her something about fighting.
    She took a hesitant step forward then straightened her shoulders, forcing herself to stride into the shadows. She could feel him in her mark. Could feel the direction she needed to go. But she still couldn’t see him. There was a rush of air and she raised an arm as she ducked, feeling an impact on her blade. She spun, trying to see better. Maybe she should have waited for a full moon. How could she attack what she couldn’t see?
    Laughter filled the air. “What are you? Demon or hunter?”
    “Why don’t you come and find out?” Her words sounded way braver than she felt. There was another rush of air and the shadows seemed to leap on her. She screamed as her hair was grabbed and she was forced to the ground.
    The demon sniffed at her skin. “Either way, you smell delicious.”
    “Remedy!” Fear forced the name from her lips. There was no answer. She was going to die. It had all been for nothing. Months of nightmares, guilt, struggling to keep going and it was going to end here. Pressed against the ground and as helpless as a child.
    “So delicious. Hot sweet blood. I can smell it through your skin.” The demon ripped one of her daggers from her hand, throwing it away.
    She couldn’t move with her hair gripped tight against her scalp pressing her head into the ground, the demon’s body holding hers down. Blood. What had Remedy said about blood? Blood brings us forth. She felt gravel under her left arm and ground her arm into it. “Remedy!” Screaming his name, she wondered if she should have used his true name. But he’d told her never to speak it out loud.
    “Blood,” the demon hissed before he pulled her left arm to him. Then he was gone and Cassidy was free. She struggled to her feet, still clutching one dagger. She spun around, trying to see what was happening, but she could only hear noises. The rush of air, the beat of wings, then a scream of terror.
    “Mine. Do you hear me? Mine.” Remedy’s voice rang out over the whimper of the other demon.
    Silence fell around Cassidy. She slowly turned around, trying to figure out where Remedy was. She froze as she felt movement behind her.
    Remedy grabbed her hair, pulling her head back against him. “What were you thinking?” When she didn’t answer he demanded, “Well? I should kill you now. Better to die by my own hand then that of a minor demon.”
    She