Shadow Visions: Shadow Warriors, Book 2 by Gabriella Hewitt Page A

could cost Ixa her life, just as it had his family long ago. A piece of his past reared its ugly head. He had underestimated his enemy before, and it seemed he was destined to repeat the same mistake. He vowed not to fail again. His eagle spirit screeched and clawed his insides, demanding to be released.
    Manuel turned to see Ixa squaring off against the remaining tzitzimime. This one looked scraggly and weak but no less deadly.
    “Police. Freeze.”
    “Get out of here,” he ordered.
    “I’m not leaving,” she snapped back.
    Damn stubborn cihuatl was going to get them both killed. His emotions warred with his eagle spirit. He had half a mind to drag her out of the house to safety, but the other half of him admired her bravery. Still, he would not be disobeyed.
    “Leave now. Your weapons are useless.” He called up his will and pushed it on her. He felt her resistance. He knew she was no ordinary human, but her level of power shocked him.
    “A bullet can slow him down and it’s all I have.”
    He wanted to argue, to tell her she wielded a greater power, but his momentary distraction was all the tzitzimime needed. The demon rushed him and they both tumbled backwards, knocking into a coffee table that broke under their combined weight. Manuel used both his hands to squeeze the tzitzimime’s throat. The demon tried frantically to break the hold. Manuel spared a glance towards Ixa and saw she stood in a police stance with one arm supporting the other.
    A gunshot exploded and black slime splattered from the demon’s arm. Green ooze dripped down, burning through skin and flesh. Manuel grimaced and the demon seized the opportunity to break free. The tzitzimime leaped off him and launched himself at Ixa. She ran behind a large recliner, keeping the piece of furniture between them. The tzitzimime grabbed the chair, lifted it into the air and tossed it aside like a child’s toy.
    Manuel jumped on the demon’s back before he could attack Ixa. The demon whirled around the room, bumping into the sofa and a side table, trying to knock Manuel off. From the corner of Manuel’s eye, he caught sight of Ixa aiming her weapon.
    Another gunshot sounded. Pain tore through Manuel’s rib cage. His grip loosened and he fell to the cool tile.
    Excruciating pain seared in his gut and his lungs struggled for air. She’d shot him. He placed a hand over the exit wound in his chest. Blood poured between his fingers. He tried to keep his eyes on the demon and Ixa, but his vision blurred. He had to get back up. He had to take the demon down. He could not fail.
    Inside, his eagle raged for freedom. Losing blood and strength, he was unable to control his beast any longer. The eagle rose up and pushed to the surface. The eagle didn’t hesitate. In a flurry of bone and feathers, the eagle reshaped his battered body. The eagle pressed him down and took over. Maneuvering within the narrow confines of the living room, the eagle moved with speed and agility, taking the demon by surprise. The bird of prey plucked the eyes from the demon’s head. The demon screamed an agonizing sound that shook the house’s structure. Deep within, Manuel watched his eagle make another pass, coming in like a heat-seeking missile, its beak aimed for the tzitzimime’s chest. Hunger and the desire to kill drove the great bird forward. It ripped through skin, bone and muscle, and yanked the heart from the body. The demon sank to the floor. Victorious, the eagle let out a screech.
    In the middle of the living room a shimmering circle appeared—the doorway to the netherworld. The eagle heard the woman cry “Wait!” but it didn’t care. Deep within his animal spirit, Manuel tried to get the bird to turn around but his beast refused to bend to his will. The smell of fresh meat and the need to satiate its hunger were too strong. The eagle spread its wings, and with a great push of wind, picked up the tzitzimime’s body in its talons and headed directly for the