The Witch's Tool (The Witch's Tool #1)

Delayed Pain

JACE

Grabbing Zee hand, I turned and ran after Lyris. I had no clue know how Lyris was making it through the darkness so easily but still I followed, hoping she knew where she was going. But it did not matter where we were going, as long as it was far away from the Skin-shifters.
Yes apart of me wanted to crush a few of them and with the magic pumping through my veins and booming in my ears I honestly felt like I could. But not today. Today it was more about survival. For all of us.

I had to get Zee to The Order. They would protect her and hopefully shed more light about everything concerning her. Her powers for one, needed to be thoroughly explained.
How can one from darkness be light? It just didn't make sense.
Now it made sense why I never sensed the darkness in her, there was not. She was pure, pure energy and magic.

Lyris came to a sudden halt and we stopped. She moved her head sideways, like she was uncertain of where next to go.

"Lyris ─"

She held up a straight finger and continued gazing around.
Shit. I hoped we weren't lost.

Then a burse of energy formed like an axe, green and bright shot from her hands and she turned to look at me.

"Looks like we will be fighting after all."

***
Surrounded. Like a bunch of fools. How the hell did this happen?
I directed that question to Lyris.

"It was a trick. They were being cloaked, I did not sense them until they wanted me to."

"Ambush." I muttered under my breath and drew Zee closer to me.

"Yes. And from what I can sense, there is quite a number of them. And very strong."

Zee moved up beside me and addressed Lyris. "How do you, sense them?"

Lyris took some time before answering. "Their aura. It's like black smoke that inserts itself inside my lungs and sends chills running through my blood." she shrugged and continued.
"Well that's how it feels to me. And the stronger the feeling, the closer they are."

"Twleve." I turned to look at Zee, her eyes looked like they were shining withing as they looked all over the place.

"What?"

"Twelve. " she repeated, finally looking at me. "There are twelve of them out there."

Amazing.

Even Lyris turned to look at her. "You know how many they are?"

"Yes. I sensed it before but I wasn't sure about it until you explained.
It's like they're fogs of black smoke, I guess that's for their aura; bad?" Lyris nodded. "Well then yes, I can see them."

I looked at her with something akin to amazement.

Lyris stepped forward, "You can see them?"
Zee nodded.

Lyris gave her another hard look before turning around. "How close are they?"

"I think you know the answer to that. But they aren't moving. They're. . . Waiting?"

I looked from her and out into the darkness, beyond the trees. "Waiting. Waiting for what?"

Zelenia eyes brightened and her face grew slack. "Thirteen. There's thirteen. One just showed up, he. . ." her hands tightened around mine. "Wings. He, has wings."

A loud screech echoed through the night that caused shivers to run along my skin. Then I heard Zee gasp and the Skin-shifter ─ with wings appeared, looking like the real spawn from the devil.