The Spirits' Guide

Chapter 11

Iris licked her lips as she stood from the fallen creature before her. After the initial fight, more demons came, sharper teeth and claws.

She hissed as lifted her left hand. Seeing the stump, she was thankful that she had the ability to grow it back, although it was going to take months to fully heal.

Looking around, she saw the hand itself next to the body of the demon that took it. Picking it up, she shoved it in her pocket, she would do something about it later.

It really shouldn't have been surprising. The demon was raising its clawed left arm behind her. Iris had assumed that the demon was going to slam it down on her head.

It had startled her when the demon's right arm slammed into her side, leaving her open for attack. When Iris blocked the next attack to her left side, the demon sliced her hand off.

She grunted as she thought about the demon and the fight but was pleased to know that even though she had lost her arm, the demon had lost its life. A simple blessed knife to the heart was all it took for the tall being to fall and return to dust.

Demons weren't too difficult to deal with, if the hunter knew what they were doing and were facing a weak devil.

Iris turned away from the ashes and walked to the nearest subway station. Before she could step onto the main street of the city, she felt someone calling for her.

It wasn't as though she heard a voice asking for her attention, it was more of a feeling of knowing that someone wanted to speak to her.

Iris turned back to the shadows, staring into them. Was there someone there with her? Were there more demons?

Stepping closer to the shadows, she relaxed slightly. There was nothing in the darkness beyond trash and rodents.

Still, the feeling persisted. She could only wonder if there was someone using a blue... Owen.

Iris sighed. The boy was not going to give her a second of peace. She cautiously turned her back to the shadows and slowly walked to the main street. It wouldn't take her long to get to him.

Again, she was stopped before she could step into the lights of the city's busiest district. However, this time, she was stopped by a blaring pain.

Iris grunted, almost screamed with agony. She felt as though her body was being ripped apart, molecule by molecule. Gasping, she glanced at the rest of her body, only to find that she didn't have one.

Right as she began screaming, she was swallowed up by darkness.

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Owen opened his eyes when he heard the clicking of heels. Why did a girl who hunted demons wear heels? Wouldn't they just be in the way of running after it or in a fight?

"What the hell do you think you're doing? How the fuck did you do that?" A hooded Iris snarled at Owen. Were they not past needing the hood and what happened to her hand?

He stared at the stump, wondering how she managed to receive such an injury.

Iris hid her damaged arm with a vicious snarl. Owen jumped away from the witch. He felt his heart hammer against his ribcage as Iris stepped closer to him.

As quickly as the snarl came, her attitude changed. She was oddly calm compared to how she had greeted him not two seconds ago.

She looked at him curiously as she circled him. Owen got the strange feeling that he knew how dying animals felt when the vultures came.