Excerpt of Betrayal by A.S. Fenichel

Chapter 1  

Below Edinburgh Castle, Elizabeth Smyth and Reece Foxjohn turned into the corridor to the head demon hunter’s office. She had to keep her wits through one short meeting. Realizing she’d forgotten to breathe, Elizabeth drew a long gasp of air.

Relaxed as always, Reece stopped mid-stride and gripped her shoulder. “Stop fidgeting, Lizzy. He’s not going to bite you.”

Despite the cool autumn night, Drake Cullum’s order to report to his office had set her palms to sweating. Indeed, it happened every time she stepped into a room with him. “You don’t understand. How could you? Drake is all that stands between me and the street. If he decides I failed my training, I will have no place to go.”

“But that is not going to happen. We came to Edinburgh for a wedding, not a job evaluation. This meeting is just a formality because we are in town.” Shoulders straight, but not rigid, he held her gaze, his steady blue eyes perfectly framed by dark blond hair loose from its queue.

Reece’s friend and former hunting partner, Lillian Dellacourt had gotten married to her new partner, Dorian Lambert. It had been a surprise to everyone at the Highland training facility but had hit Reece hard. Still, they made the journey to be at the wedding.

“Maybe.” She fought the urge to grip her sword hilt through the pocket cut in her skirt.

“Absolutely. Now take another breath and stop acting like a scullery maid. You are a demon hunter.” A grin spread across his angular face and he leaned against the wall.

It sounded so wonderful coming from him. Reece was legendary among The Company. Even during his long recuperation from a demon’s poison, students would sneak by his sickroom to catch a glimpse of him. She’d volunteered to carry his meals and pick up the trays just to get to know him. Still, she wasn’t sure she’d seen the real Reece in all that time.

After pushing away from the wall, he walked around her and knocked.

“Come in.”

Drake Cullum occupied the lone chair in the book-lined room. He remained seated when they entered, his eyes narrowed on an ornate knife resting atop the fine wood desk.

Determined to be brave, Elizabeth straightened her spine and stepped closer.

Then the memory of the dagger threw her back in time to a musty church. She saw the strange tri-bladed dagger gripped by a bull-faced demon. Her vision narrowed to the point of the blade as it descended toward her throat. Her heart stopped. “What is that doing here?” Part of her wanted to run, but rage kept her glued to the spot.

Drake raised an eyebrow. “Do you recognize it, Elizabeth?”

“That’s the dagger they were going to kill me with. I’ll never forget it or the beast who wielded it.” The room closed in around her as the memories assailed her.

Demons dragged her into the old church and strapped her to an altar. The stench of death filled the space. The durgot priest’s hot breath turned her stomach. His bull face only inches from hers with no way for her to run. Bindings cut into her wrists. The monster snorted long guttural words, and a chorus of demons repeated. She’d not known what his words meant, but they rang in her dreams every night. The dark metal dagger had hovered above her throat. She was going to die by the hands of a devil. There would be no paradise for her soul.

Only damnation.

Demons screamed in agony as their flesh boiled. Steel clashed with steel and a feminine battle cry. The building crashed around her and in her hazy mind, hell swallowed her.

Drake spread a piece of fabric on top of the knife. “I apologize, Elizabeth. It did not occur to me that you remembered the events of your capture so clearly. I’d believed you were catatonic throughout the ceremony.”

With his hand on her elbow, Reece steadied her.

“I remember.” She took a breath and met her boss’s gaze. “I’m sorry for my outburst, Mr. Cullum. It surprised me to find the artifact here in plain sight. To be honest, I did not realize The Company had recovered the item.”

“Skane,” Drake said.

“I beg your pardon?”

“It is the Blade of Skane. At least that is what it says along the hilt.” Drake pointed to the words etched on the elaborate knife.

Fear blasted her confidence and became her greatest enemy. Unwilling to allow it, she removed the black cloth and examined the knife. “Where did it come from?”

“We assume the demons brought it with them.”

Reece circled the desk. “What is it made from?”

A deep frown pulled at Drake’s lips. “We don’t know. It is heavier than any known metal.”

The weapon had almost taken her life. “What do you think it’s for? I cannot believe they only meant to use it for the sacrifice of four common women.”

Drake covered the blade again. “I agree, but we are still researching the full potential of the weapon.”

Her stomach knotted to the point of nausea, but it was only a knife, and there were no demons here. Besides, she could take care of herself now. No one would ever stuff her into a sack or drag her away again, at least not without a fight. Perspective helped to settle everything back into place.

Reece leaned against the wall near the door. Casual, but likely he was growing tired. “What did you call us here for, Cullum?”

“I want to talk to you about your assignments.” Behind his desk, with his fingers steepled, he narrowed his eyes on them.

Nausea returned while she waited for her assignment to send her away from Reece. It was no surprise. She didn’t deserve a partner of such high caliber. Cullum would send her to some plodding village and partner her with another newly graduated hunter.

It didn’t matter. Nothing would keep her from getting her revenge on the demons. With or without Reece, she would do her duty as a hunter.

Drake turned toward Reece. “You will go to London. I hope to have you rehabilitated in the next few months. If you are not prepared to return to hunting, I would like to know now.”

A long sigh from Reece, and he didn’t bother to attempt standing up straight. “I’ll not lie to you. I hold out little hope that I will ever be strong enough to hunt again.”

“Reece.” Her scolding tone divulged more emotion than she’d intended.

Reece held up a hand, stopping the string of hopeful words she had stored up for such moments. “However, I intend to try. Dr. Barns informs me I am healthy in spite of my feeling less than healed. Therefore, I intend to work toward regaining my former skills.”

Drake examined Reece. “I accept your reply for the moment. I’ll check on your progress in a few months. If you are in the mindset that you wish to continue, then I will decide your assignment.”

Reece stepped forward and placed his palms on the desk.

Elizabeth wanted to tell him to sit down, but the only chair belonged to Drake, and she didn’t have the courage to suggest he sit there.

“I will endeavor not to disappoint you,” Reece said.

Drake stood and gave him a nod. “Now go sit down before we have to pick you up off the floor.”

Reece looked at the lone chair, hesitated, sighed, lumbered around the desk, and dropped into the seat.

“Good. Now, since you won’t be fighting, I wonder if you would consider some strategizing? The London office would benefit from your leadership.”

“Give me a few weeks to build up my strength, and I will do what I can.”

The two men continued to talk of strategy, demon cells, and about people who worked in the London office. Neither one seemed concerned with her presence.

Since she’d never met any of the people they were discussing, the conversation had little meaning. She took in what she could about a man called Jamie and a trebox he’d recently discovered in Piccadilly. “Pardon me, gentlemen.”

Reece grinned.

Drake’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “What is it, Elizabeth? Do you have something to add?”

Steeling her nerves against Drake’s glare, she asked, “I’m wondering what my assignment will be, sir?”

Drake cocked his head. “I thought you understood.”

Perspiration dripped down her back in uncomfortable rivulets. “What is it that I’m supposed to understand?”

“You will be going to London.”

“To work at the office?” Nothing could thrill her more than going back to London to gain her revenge.

“I suppose that can be arranged if it is what you would prefer.” Drake’s gaze never faltered while he considered the notion.

Lizzy felt as if she were not quite part of the conversation, or had come in in the middle. “Prefer? Prefer to what, if I may ask?”

With his hand on his hips, Drake strode over and stared down at her. “You are no scullery maid now, Elizabeth. You should always ask and state your mind.”

The bubble of joy that she’d had during her training renewed, and an excited chill ran along her skin. “What is my assignment, sir?”

“Your first assignment is to see to the recovery of your partner, Reece Foxjohn. If he does not continue as a hunter, I will reassign you. Are you agreeable?”

She’d been wrong; there was something better than working in the London office.

Reece leaned his elbows on the heavy oak desk. Even if he couldn’t see or feel it yet, a spirit remained within him, a ferocity no amount of training could teach. His body might be fighting him, but determination burned in his gaze. The desire to survive and win smoldered there, and it was only a matter of time before the spark caught.

She wanted to be there when it did. “I accept the assignment. Reece will be back to fighting form in no time.”

Both men nodded.

Drake said, “Do inform me if you need anything to accomplish your goal, Elizabeth.”

“I will consider it and let you know.”

“Very good.” With a long glare, he assessed her before returning to talk of the London office.

* * * *

They stepped out of the castle. Alight snow had already dusted the ground. By the time the carriage crossed the few blocks to the hotel, the streets were thick with the stuff.

“I think we had better delay our trip to London until the weather breaks.” Reece eased from the carriage and handed her down.

She admired the winter wonderland. “I suppose we have no choice, but that means we could be wintering in Edinburgh.”

“It won’t be so bad, Lizzy.”

Determined to do her job well and get him back to the old Reece, she humphed. “Not for me. You will go and eat something, then get some rest. I suggest you put on some warm clothes. In an hour, I will collect you for a long walk.”

A crease formed between his eyes. “In this weather?”

“We will get you strong, Reece Foxjohn, if it’s the last thing we do.”

As they climbed the steps, he offered his arm. “If you’re going to put me through my paces in a blizzard, it may well be.”

* * * *

It was eight weeks of grueling weather before Elizabeth finally got her wish and started the journey to London. The roads were wet and the going slow. She was sick of travel when just a week earlier she’d been sick of waiting.

Elizabeth took the reins from Reece when he could no longer hold them up to guide the horses. He winced with every rut she couldn’t avoid. Though he’d grown stronger each day she’d pushed him to trudge through mounds of snow in Edinburgh, he still had a long way to go.

“Lizzy, where are we going?”

She’d turned down a lane away from the main road. “I decided to divert a short distance so that we might have a rest.”

Interest simmered in his stunning blue eyes. “Have you? And where exactly are you taking me?”

“It is a surprise.”

“Are you whisking me away for a tryst? If so, you might have just crawled above the sheets in the last posting house, my dear.” His grin was almost worth the embarrassment warming her cheeks.

Of course, he’d been a perfect gentleman at every inn and posting house. Though he’d told the innkeepers they were married, he made no overtures. He’d slept above the sheet and she below. In fact, there had been no flirting until now.

“I did not have the impression that would have been welcomed.” Her voice shuddered.

He ran his hand through his long hair. He needed a haircut, though she hoped he wouldn’t do it. “I must be losing my touch.”

“Are you teasing me, Reece?” Her pulse raced. It wasn’t possible his interest was sincere. It was only his way to make everyone feel wanted.

“I thought I was flirting with you, Lizzy.”

“Whatever for?” She slowed the horses, still confused by his change in treatment of her.

He gave a short laugh devoid of humor. “I am most definitely out of practice.”

She giggled. “Perhaps it is merely that your timing is askew. After all, we have been in each other’s company for months, and you gave me no hints of your regard. Every day we trained in the castle, and all you did was complain, never flirt. Since leaving Inverness, you had many opportunities to show me affection. Yet, here I sit, mystified by your trifling.”

He looked straight ahead and frowned. Maybe shame haunted him, but whether over his current behavior or his past, she had no idea.

He turned toward the lane in front of them. The front entrance of the house came into view. “Where are we?”

“Spero Hall.”

He sat up straight, his voice sharp for the first time. “Why on earth would you bring us here?”

It may have been the first time she’d seen him angry. Fascinated, she watched. “You needed a rest, I wanted to see the new hunter school, and the earl offered when we were at the wedding.”

He no longer looked quite so tired. Evidently anger had lessened his malaise. “I am not at all happy, Elizabeth.”

“I cannot imagine why not. If I’m not mistaken, you are quite close with Lord and Lady Tullering, and this is their house.” Belinda and Gabriel were the Countess and Earl of Tullering and they were demon hunters. When Belinda’s father had lost the right to host the demon hunter school in the highlands, Gabriel had offered Spero Hall and the pair had taken over the training of new recruits.

“How do you know they are my friends?” he growled.

Her chest tightened. She tried to remember what Drake had said about no longer being in service. The Company made her a hunter, and not even Reece Foxjohn should intimidate her. “I don’t know why you are so cross, Reece. We need to rest, and the school was on the way. His lordship kindly offered us beds for a few nights, and I see no reason not to accept.

“As far as how I know they are your friends, you forget that they were with you when you rescued me. I remember. Besides, you’re hunting with Lady Belinda and Miss Dellacourt is legend. Though I suppose I should call her Mrs. Lambert now. Or is it Lady Montlambert?”

“Call her the devil for all I care. You will learn that people say things they do not mean. We should have sent a note ahead. They will be put out.” He scowled from his thick eyebrows.

“I have met Lord and Lady Tullering on several occasions. It seems unlikely they will be unhappy at our coming.”

She maneuvered around a pond, which reflected the stupendous three story, sand-colored building, and pulled the horses to a stop in front of the house.

Reece crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to climb down.

“You are being ridiculous, but you may do as you please. Go on to London without me if you want. I shall find another means of travel and join you in a few days.”

“When did you get so bold?”

Her chest tightened with excitement. When had she gotten so daring? Elizabeth climbed down, grabbed her skirts with both fists, and ran up the steps to the front door. The house stretched fifty yards in either direction from the entrance. Large windows on two levels, with smaller on the third, gave the façade symmetry and added to the stateliness. Several spires and chimneys crowned the roofline. The faint clash of steel echoed from a distant field or garden.

The oak door rose several feet above her head. Head high, shoulders back, she banged the brass knocker.

Within, glass shattered and metal clashed. A loud thundering of wood had her reaching for the sword strapped beneath her full skirts.

Behind her, Reece took to the ground, and stiff as an old tree, began climbing the steps.

Finally, the door opened, and a butler who looked more like a street thug than a man in service to an earl stood, guarding the opening. He looked at Elizabeth’s weapon, his expression docile and unchanging. “May I help you?”

“Is everything alright? I heard quite a lot of noise,” she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “The foyer table was knocked over during a bit of sport. Who are you, if I may ask? Do you have an appointment?”

Reece reached the landing. “It’s alright, Faust. We come in peace.”

“Mr. Foxjohn, it is good to see you again. I’m glad you are recovering from your injuries.” While the stoic expression remained, something in Faust’s eyes did spark with pleasure at seeing Reece.

“Thank you. This is Miss Elizabeth Smyth. Is her ladyship at home?”

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Smyth. Yes. Please come in. I will tell her ladyship you are here.” Faust stepped back, his hulking form less threatening than it ought to be for a girl of her size.

Splinters of the demolished foyer table and a shattered vase littered the floor while two young people rolled around in hand-to-hand combat. Elizabeth returned her sword to its sheath. A short sword jutted out from the railing of the grand staircase, and two fighting knives lay abandoned nearby.

The butler didn’t even glance at the fray as he excused himself down a hallway to the right.

A moment later, the lady of the house walked, with the slightest waddle, across the foyer. She turned toward the fight, placed her hand on her round belly, and shook her head. “Billy, Rose, how many times have I asked you to try to keep these things outside or in the ballroom?”

She had not raised her voice, but the ruffians froze in place. They disengaged, made quick apologies, and rushed from the foyer.

Belinda turned toward the pair waiting at the entrance. Her smile spread from mild amusement to sheer joy at the sight of Reece. She walked forward and opened her arms.

Reece walked into her embrace. “It’s good to see you, Belinda.”

“I wanted to talk at the wedding, but everything went so fast, and I never got the chance. I’m so glad you are here.” She broke the embrace and touched his pale cheek.

Laughing, he glanced at her expanded figure. “It looks as if you will burst at any moment.”

She slapped his arm. “That is not an appropriate comment, Mr. Foxjohn. But it’s quite true. We expect the happy event soon.”

He kissed her cheek. “You look radiant.”

With a smile, she turned toward Elizabeth. “Welcome, Elizabeth. I heard you finished your education in spectacular fashion. You even managed to impress Brice.”

“Thank you, milady.”

“None of that. My name is Belinda, and I expect you to address me as such. You are a hunter after all.”

“What on earth happened to the table?” Gabriel, the Earl of Tullering, strode into the foyer.

“Billy and Rose were at it again.” Belinda waved at the mess.

He laughed. “Those two are going to make fine hunters.” He shook Reece’s hand and bowed over Elizabeth’s. “Good to see you, Reece. Welcome, Miss Elizabeth, I’m so please you took me up on our offer.”

Elizabeth curtsied. “I’m happy to be here. I’m so curious about how things are going now that the school is here at Spero Hall. I see you have some new students.”

Belinda took Reece’s arm. “Let’s go into the parlor, and I’ll order some tea. Reece looks about to drop, and frankly, I need to sit as well. You wouldn’t think a child could be so taxing, but I sleep more than I’m awake these days.”

Gabriel offered Elizabeth his elbow, and they headed down the hall. “We have several new students as well as some nearly ready to join the hunt. Brice seems pleased with the progress, and things are going well.”

Faust appeared from out of nowhere and opened the parlor door for them. It was unusual for a man so big to manage such stealth.

Belinda stopped. “Thank you, Faust. Will you see to the mess in the foyer?”

“The staff is already gathering to clean it up.”

“Make sure you have those two ruffians help you. No need to let them think they can destroy the house without any consequence,” she said, amusement still lightening her tone.

In comparison to the rather bare foyer, the parlor, lush with overstuffed chairs and expensive rugs, spoke of a life that had nothing to do with demons or hunting. Here lay the last vestige of a past life.

Her ladyship ordered tea, and sat.

Elizabeth sat on the settee, and Reece sat beside her. Red and tan fabrics, expensive vases, and statues on ancient inlaid tables gave the room a warm and lived in ambiance.

With his hand resting on her shoulder, Gabriel stood behind his wife. “How long can you stay?”

“Not long,” Reece blurted.

Elizabeth said, “A day or two. We are expected in London, and Reece and I have a lot of work to do to get him ready to hunt again.”

He glowered at her. “Wishful thinking on my companion’s part.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Belinda said. “You look far better now than you did when we saw you in Inverness, and I cannot believe the improvement even since Edinburgh. The cold hard winter seems to have done you good.”

“That is kind of you to say.”

Belinda waved her hand with a swift cut. “Pfft. I never say anything out of sheer kindness, Reece. You know that better than anyone. If I thought you were not improving, I would tell you.”

He let his scowl slip. “I know you would, my friend.”

A long silence hung over the room. Awkward pauses always made Elizabeth nervous. “Tell us how things are going here. Has the transition gone well? How is your father holding up?”

The tea arrived and Belinda struggled over her heavy belly to pour.

Elizabeth took over the task and accepted a grin from her hostess.

Belinda sat back resting her hands on her round belly. “The transition from the Inverness school to Spero Hall has been remarkably smooth. Of course, we’ve had to move anything we value to rooms where the students are not likely to go. As evidenced by what just happened in the foyer, things do get broken quite frequently. Otherwise, it has been fine. Brice arrived a few days ago and has taken over the running of the school.”

“And your father?” Reece asked.

Belinda’s father had been the overseer of the hunter school, and it had resided in his Scottish holding of Brendaligh near Inverness. Do to the earl’s misjudgment and secret keeping, the school and its stewardship had been moved into his daughter and son-in-law’s care.

“He has moved to London with my mother. He seems to be taking his new role very seriously. He even sent me a note warning of signs that the master might know where the school moved, and that we should be cautious of attack.”

“Do you believe him?” Reece’s question might have been impertinent, but they all knew about the strained relationship between Belinda and her father, the Earl of Shafton.

She sighed. “He believes it. We have tightened up security, but I think he’s just being overzealous.”

“Of course he is,” Gabriel chimed in.

Elizabeth sipped her tea. “Did your father tell you what these signs were?”

Adjusting her seat, Belinda caressed her unborn child. “As usual, he was very cryptic. He did say that there are fewer demons in London and something about the weather.”

“What does the weather have to do with anything?” Reece’s voice was incredulous.

“My father has a theory that the weather is affected by the demons. He says he’s been charting it for years. Evidently, the rainy spring we’ve had can be related to additional demon activity.”

The winter had been severe, and the spring rains kept them slogging through mud the entire way from Edinburgh. Maybe Shafton was on to something.

Reece laughed. “It is England. When is it not rainy, especially in the spring?”

Belinda smiled. “I said the exact thing, but he was adamant.”

Gabriel said, “So we’ve added security to the house, and everyone has been told to keep sharp.”

“I suppose it cannot hurt to be careful, though Shafton’s theory seems weak to me.” Reece took a biscuit from the tray and gobbled the sweet in one bite.

Most meals, she had to badger him into eating as if he were a fussy child. It was only a biscuit, but any sign of recovery gave her hope for the future. Maybe she’d really be Reece Foxjohn’s partner and not sent to some remote hamlet with some novice hunter after all.

* * * *

After tea, the housekeeper showed them to their rooms. Elizabeth had never stayed anywhere so lush. As a scullery maid, she’d lived at the top of the house in a very plain room with white walls, two beds, and a dresser. She’d always shared with an under-maid. As a student at the hunter school in Inverness, she’d had her own room, though sparse with only a bed, dresser, and a small writing desk. She’d spent many nights learning to read and write at that desk. Still quite slow at both, she planned to improve with continued practice.

The room in the Earl and Countess of Tullering’s home had a bed heavily draped in expensive gold fabric. Cream walls and a gold rug, which cost more than she’d earned in her lifetime, added to the wealth of the space. The writing desk’s tufted chair matched the bedding, and its curved feet added to the elegance.

Oh, how her life had changed in the course of a year.

A rosy-cheeked maid unpacked her small trunk and asked if she needed anything more.

Lizzy sank onto the bed. Despite keeping her spirits up for Reece’s sake, she was tired from the long days of travel. “No, thank you. What is your name?”

“Ann, miss.” She bobbed and went back to her work.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ann. You can leave that for now. I’m quite tired.”

Once the girl closed the door, Elizabeth flopped back onto the bed and closed her eyes. The heaviness of exhaustion blanketed her, and she slept until a loud scraping noise startled her awake. It might have been an hour or five minutes. She wasn’t sure.

Jumping to her feet, she shook off the foggy head left by her nap. She dashed into the hallway, ran to the next door, and knocked.

“Enter,” Reece shouted.

She turned the knob and stepped in. Shirtless in the center of the room, he gathered the pieces of a broken chair. Still too lean, but nicely formed, considering he’d been ill for so long. Muscles rolled along his back and arms as he lifted pieces of wood and stacked them near the fireplace.

Surveying the room for some danger and finding none, she asked, “Did you throw that chair?”

He stood up straight and with his hands on his hips, looked her in the eye. “I did.”

“Remarkable. I’m glad to see your strength is returning.” She picked up the displaced cushion and a leg, and placed them on his pile.

Crossing his arms over his chest his muscles bunched. “Are you not going to lecture me on losing my temper or the useless destruction of furniture?”

“Would you like me to?”

“Not particularly. It is just what I expected.”

His beauty staggered her. His bright blue eyes sparked enough to light the room, and his wet hair hung around his face like a fallen angel. Try as she might to ignore it, she longed to touch him. Her stomach tightened at the idea of lying beneath the sheets with a healthy Reece Foxjohn.

She forced her breath out. “I’ll leave the lectures to your mother. I see this as a good sign.”

They finished cleaning up the mess.

“Don’t you even want to know why I broke the chair?”

She shrugged. “You’re angry. I do not blame you. I would be angry too.”

He stepped closer. His breath warmed her cheek as he lifted her chin with one finger. “Since you will offer no lecture and have no plans to draw out my feelings, why not tell me why I’m so angry?”

Swallowing to clear the lump in her throat, she gazed into those eyes. She held herself rigid, despite the quiver of excitement his touch and proximity elicited inside her. “You think you’ve lost everything. You were on top of the world, and now you have to start over again and from lower than before. You doubt you can ever recover and fear you will end up a crippled old man.”

He gaped as he stepped back from her. His head hung, and the shoulders she’d been admiring slumped. “Dear God, Lizzy, am I that obvious?”

Her heart ached for him, and she stepped forward. Wrapping her arms around his middle, she rested her head on his bare chest. If heaven existed, she’d found it. She imagined an eternity snuggled against his warmth. “I do not think it is quite as clear to everyone, Reece. You put up a good front at the wedding. Lillian likely saw through it, but maybe not the rest.”

His arms remained at his sides, but his cheek brushed against the top of her head. “Lilly has known me for years. How is it you see through me so easily?”

“You forget I have spent part of every day for a year watching you heal. Plus, I know how I would feel if I had to start training all over again. You were probably already strong when you started training to become a hunter, but I was only as strong as heavy pots and buckets filled with water can make a girl. I would be in despair if I had to do it all again.”

One hand skimmed the center of her back. “And would you? Would you start all over again, if you lost everything you have gained in the last year?”

She tipped her head up and stared him in the eyes. “I would do everything in my power to be better than before.”

“And if you failed?”

“I would pick myself up and try again until I succeeded.” Her heart tripped.

His head lowered until full lips she’d longed for touched hers in a whispered kiss. She stiffened at the first touch and relaxed as his hand came up to cup her cheek.

He pressed his thumb to her jaw, and when her mouth opened, he swept his tongue inside.

The kiss reached through, around, and inside her. Rising on her tiptoes, she opened for him and matched his kisses with her own desperation. Yes, this was what she wanted, more of this man. Her imagination had not done the moment justice. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling it from the neat queue. Soft tresses spilled over her hands. She burned as she molded against him.

Reece broke the kiss and stepped back, heaving breath and staring at her as if he’d never seen her before. “I should not have done that.”

Elizabeth gasped to catch her breath. The pleasant tightening in her lower belly knotted painfully. Tears threatened to push out, but she refused to cry in front of him. “I see. Well, what is done is done. I will see you at dinner.”

Before she could run from the room, he grabbed her arm. The temptation to hit him so hard he’d release her warred with her desire to nurse him back to his former glory. Maybe then, he would see more than a scullery maid when he looked at her.

“Please, Lizzy, don’t be cross with me. I wanted to kiss you. Just because I want something does not mean it is the right thing. I should not have forced myself on you, but I was caught up in the moment.”

Jerking her arm away from his grip, she laughed. “You think you could have kissed me if I was opposed to it? I am a demon hunter, Reece Foxjohn. Just because you have not yet seen me in action, do not suppose I’m not capable of stopping you or anyone else. I know you, but you clearly know nothing about me. You should rest. I will see you at dinner.”

She gathered her wits in the hallway before she ran to her room, bolted the door, and looked for something she could break. She paced the carpet, took up a pale green vase, lifted it over her head, and then set it back on the table with added care. Breaking the expensive glassware would not change anything. It would not make her his equal. If The Company could not do that, then nothing could. Above her station, he viewed kissing her as an error in judgment. His conscience would not let him take liberties with the help. She understood. In fact, over the years, she had wished more of her employers had been so honorable. Ironically, she hated him for the same virtue that made her admire him so.

* * * *

After dinner and cakes, Elizabeth returned to her room. While the company had been lively, exhaustion and anger left her unable to enjoy it. Less than fifteen minutes passed before someone knocked on her door, likely the maid. “I do not require assistance to undress, thank you.”

The door creaked open, and Reece peeked his head inside. “I would quite enjoy that task, but it is not why I have come.”

Maybe she would go for a walk in the garden. She could walk right past him, pull off her heavy skirts, and run in the trousers she wore beneath. If she ran far enough, perhaps her exhaustion would force sleep. Perhaps she would not even come back to the house. She could sleep under the stars. “What do you want, Reece?”

“I wish to apologize.”

“For what?”

Coming fully into the room, he closed the door. “I upset you, and it was the last thing I wanted to do.”

“What was the first thing?”

His eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?”

The conversation was pointless. She didn’t need his apology. What she needed was honesty. She longed to know why he kissed her and why he regretted it. “You said it was the last thing you wanted, and I would like to know the first thing you wanted.”

He grinned. “You are quite witty when you wish to be.”

She shrugged. “Either answer the question or go to your own room.

His eyebrows lifted and he cocked his head. “If I told you what I wanted, you would likely never speak to me again.”

Intrigued, her pulse pounded. “Really? Now you have piqued my interest. Tell me.”

He stepped closer. “The first thing I wanted was to kiss you until we were both senseless and cared nothing for the rest of the world, past, present or future.”

The wonderful flutter returned to her lower stomach. “And for that, I would never speak to you again?”

“It would change things, Lizzy. Perhaps I’ve already ruined everything with that small kiss. I should have controlled myself, but you were so sweet and luscious in my arms.”

“What would it change?”

He’d gotten very close, but now he backed almost to the door. “This kind of thing changes a hunting relationship, any relationship. We will need to work together, and I do not want to put distance between us. Please accept my apology for my earlier behavior. I am sincerely sorry.”

He really was sorry, but for what, she couldn’t be sure. Maybe his remorse came from upsetting her or for kissing her. She pulled her shoulders back and met his gaze. “I believe you, Reece. We’ll be fine.”

A very sexy grin played across his face, and he bowed before leaving the room.

Elizabeth stripped down to blouse and black trousers. She cloaked herself in a long-coat, checked her weapons were secure, and followed her desire for a long run.

Dew already covered the grass. She jogged through the formal garden to a gate that opened to a rolling field lit only by the moon and stars. Running as fast as her legs would take her, she headed for the trees to the north.

Her thighs ached. Breathless and lightheaded, she pushed herself further. She clutched the trunk of a small oak and gulped down air. Sweat poured down her face.

Movement deep in the grove of trees stopped her.

Likely a deer or hog foraging for food, but she couldn’t be sure at such a distance. It would not be good to meet an angry hog in the dark by herself. Training to kill demons would help in the face of a sharp tusk, but she didn’t like the notion of killing an animal she didn’t plan to eat. Of course, if she failed, a big hog would slice through her flesh in an instant, and there’d be nothing left for the others to find in the morning. A passel of hogs would finish her off, bones and all. A shiver shot up her spine.

Curiosity pushed her toward the movement. She crept deeper into the woods. No deer or rabbit scurried from her approach. Devoid of frogs croaking or crickets chirping, the forest screamed with silence punctuated by the occasional crackle of fire.

Firelight filtered through the leaves. Her heartbeat shook her to her fingers and toes, but she calmed her breath and eased forward on hands and knees. Careful not to break a branch or rustle the leaves, mud seeped through her trousers. Teeth chattering, she strained to keep even that sound at bay.

A break in the trees allowed her to spy on a small army of demons.

They’d made camp, fed a fire, and prepared weapons.

Wiry trebox covered in grayish green scales sat on rocks around the camp, sharpening blades, acting as lookouts. Malleus, twice the size of a man, covered in green slime with bulbous heads, tossed hundred-year-old oak trees into the fire like matchsticks. Four of the hairy little beasts with the poisonous bite scurried here and there. Only the size of a five-year- old child, this was the type of demon that had nearly killed Reece with its razor-sharp teeth.

Downwind, she could likely sneak back unnoticed. Elizabeth backed away as slowly as she had come. Sure her heart would lodge in her throat and force out the scream pressing behind her lips at any moment, she cleared the forest and crawled across the field. Luck had hidden her from the demons when she’d made her run to get away from Reece. Only a fool would tempt fate twice. By the time she reached the garden gate, she was soaked through.

She carefully closed the garden gate behind her, then ran for the house. Mud splattered down the hall with every pounding step. She burst into his lordship’s private study without knocking.

Belinda rose from the settee and Gabriel from the chair behind his desk. They both stared at her wide-eyed.

She tried to catch enough breath to tell them what she’d seen.

“Demons?” Belinda cradled her abdomen with one hand and grasped her sword from inside her skirt with the other.

“In the woods. To the north.” Lizzy gulped another breath. “At least a hundred.”

Gabriel’s eyes darkened and he rounded the desk. “Rouse the house. Start with Brice. He will be in the south parlor at this hour. I will go to the upper floors and wake the students there. Bella, go to the cellar and barricade yourself in with the servants.”

“Like hell,” Belinda said. “I will send the servants down, but I will be damned if I am going into hiding while my home is under attack.”

“You have to protect the baby,” he said.

She lifted her sword. “I promise you, I will.”

Elizabeth ran for the south parlor and told Brice what she’d seen.

Brice’s strong jaw ticked during her telling. He’d unbound his long hair for the night, and his dark eyes turned wild. “I’ll get the weapons ready. You may have given us the advantage we need, Elizabeth. Well done.”

Never having been in battle, Elizabeth shuddered just below the surface while excitement tingled in her fingertips. Would her training be enough? Would she live to see the dawn again? She ran up the steps and down the hall, banging on bedroom doors as she went and ordering students to report to the ballroom. By the time she reached Reece’s door, he stepped into the hall.

“What the hell is going on, Lizzy?”

“Demons in the woods.”

He scanned her from head to toe. “What happened to you?”

“I was out for a run. I saw them.”

He grabbed her arm so firmly he would leave a mark. “What were you thinking? You could have been killed.”

Pushing hard on his chest, she dislodged herself from his grip. The mud on her hand marked his white blouse. Her chest tightened, and she clenched her teeth to keep from saying more than she wanted. When she tucked her anger away as fuel and not fire, she took a breath. “We will all likely die in this war, Reece. Perhaps if you stopped treating me like a child, you could see beyond the end of your nose. You had better either arm yourself or go to the basement with the servants.”

She hadn’t meant it to be cruel, but he slumped, and guilt washed over her. “I am not a complete invalid, Lizzy.”

“Well, then go get your guns ready. We’re going into battle.” She left him standing in the hall and continued to wake the rest of the house.

Downstairs, twenty students and instructors had gathered with Lord and Lady Tullering in the ballroom.

Reece straggled in behind her and leaned against the wall. He had his pistols and a rifle, which he used like a cane.

She wanted to tell him to get into the basement. He was in no shape to fight.

Gabriel spoke to him.

Reece nodded.

Gabriel slapped him on the back before striding farther into the room.

Brice took control of the ballroom, lifting his hand. “Quiet down. I know most of you are not ready for this, but demons are within our borders, and we will only have the upper hand for a short time. Those of you who are better shots with either gun or crossbow will lead the way and take out as many as you can. Elizabeth said their numbers were around a hundred, and we will need to even the playing field if we are to succeed. After that, it will be a sword fight. If anyone feels they are not ready or able to fight, go to the basement and protect the servants and staff. There will be no shame.”

Turning toward the door, Brice asked, “Reece, are you able to lead the first wave?”

He looked tired. Her muddy handprint still marred his shirt. “I am able.”

Elizabeth wished she’d worked harder on her aim with a gun. She wanted to keep an eye on him, but he had his job, and she had hers. It meant waiting for the first wave to complete their task and charging in with her sword.

Brice said, “We need a few to stay behind and protect the house. Belinda, you will stay here.” He put his hand up to stop her from protesting. “You are in no condition to go traipsing across the fields. Be happy I do not order you to the basement. Send a message to London in case we fail. Protect the house if they break through.”

Belinda’s jaw worked from side to side, and she pulled her shoulders back, making a stand. “Yes, sir.”

“Does anyone have anything to add?”

When no one replied, Brice began organizing groups by their particular skill. Hand to hand combat, sword, throwing knives, he made up squads, each with various talents.

They were short on fully trained hunters, so Elizabeth found herself leading a squad of students across the wet field toward the woods. Two tall, muscular men murmured together about being led by a girl, but they followed her from the house along with a rather rotund man of perhaps twenty.

She said, “Stay close and don’t get killed.”

“I am William.” The stout man offered his hand. He spoke like a man who’d been well educated.

“Elizabeth.” She never stopped moving as she shook his hand. “Those two are Miles and Joseph, good fighters but not too bright.”

She glanced at Miles and Joseph, both tall and lean, with eagerness in their eyes. “And you, William, are you a good fighter?”

He shrugged and pointed toward the row of knives tucked into a cross-strap along his chest and belly. “I’m rather good with throwing knives.”

The band of hunters crawled in the grass toward the woods. By one in the morning, they waited several yards inside the shadows of the forest.

Guns and bows ready to take out as many demons as they could before the enemy scattered or charged, the first team crouched to her right. Even though he was pasty and covered in sweat, Reece lay on the ground with his rifle resting against his cheek.

As if he felt her gaze, he turned and gave her a smile and a wink before returning his attention to the demons’ camp. He held up one arm, and when he lowered it, the camp exploded with gunfire. Arrows flew, most of them hitting their mark. They focused their fire on the larger malleus and the poisonous pravus.

Slimy giants tumbled to the ground one after the other. Hunters targeted them first as they had superior strength. Speed saved three of the small poisonous pravus. Screeching, they ran up tree trunks.

Demons screamed and scattered. Some of the nasty beasts encircled the fire in the center of the camp with their backs to the flame.

Elizabeth searched the trees for pravus demons. Movement to her right, she turned and lopped the head off a trebox as it darted toward the field.

Her first kill.

A strange fuel spread through her, and she ran yelling toward the encampment. “William, look to the trees. Miles, Joseph, with me.”

Sparks flew toward the heavens as Miles pushed a malleus into the flames.

The beast caught fire but rushed toward them despite his flaming skin.

Joseph stood in its path as it lifted a broad sword. His eyes widened, and he attempted a counter attack.

Elizabeth raised her sword and leaped forward.

Joseph countered too slow and off balance. His death was imminent, unless she moved faster.

With a sharp kick, she caught the demon behind the knee, forcing its sword wide of the mark.

Joseph spun away from the blade.

Elizabeth slid between the demon’s tree trunk legs and thrust upward. Gore splattered her as she pulled back her sword, rolled to her feet, and avoided the malleus’s wildly flailing arms and blade.

A knife whooshed by and lodged in the demon’s forehead.

Burning, it tumbled to the ground.

William readied another knife and scanned for his next target.

Miles and Joseph fought back-to-back beside her and between them killed better than fifteen demons.

William came through with expertly tossed blades, reducing the number of demons charging them.

The trebox fought with short swords similar to hers. No matter how many she killed, another lurked behind it. Her arms ached and her legs wobbled.

A high-pitched scream rang from above, followed by a thud on the ground behind her.

Elizabeth spun, sword raised.

Hairy, with pointed teeth and stubby legs, a demon sprinted toward her. She crouched and readied her sword. This kind of beast had poisoned Reece and left him in his current state. Rage fueled her as she tracked the unpredictable demon.

Gunfire discharged to her left, and the pravus dropped.

Pale, sweaty, and glaring, Reece stepped beside her. He took a breath. “That was particularly satisfying.”

A trebox rushed in from her right. She whirled and sliced its ribs.

Miles pounced and drove his sword through its chest.

Calm settled over the woods. The hunters stilled, waiting.

Elizabeth let her sword down for the first time since entering the woods.

The campfire exploded, shaking the ground. Hunters leaped away.

Elizabeth ducked and shielded her face. Dirt and embers pelted her.

She brushed away bits of fire like a swarm of bees, before her blouse caught.

When the debris settled, a dim image of the master stared at her from the blue flames. Sharp pain struck inside her head, and she winced, clutching her skull.

“You are already mine.” His voice rang in her head.

“I belong to myself. You will never own me again.”

Reece stood at her side. Miles and Joseph took positions behind her, and William at her other side.

Trebox demons skulked in from the trees. Other demons, hiding in the woods, cried for the master’s protection.

“I am master!” He knocked them off their feet. The fire smoldered out and the master disappeared. Maybe he’d expended all his energy with anger. Perhaps there were acceptable losses in the war for Earth.

Demons rushed where the image had been, but their god had deserted them and left them to die.

Gabriel called out from the other side of the camp. “Keep one for interrogation.”

A trebox charged her.

Elizabeth screamed her rage and sliced the monster from neck to groin. Steaming in the cool night air, its entrails poured to the ground. She spun to kill the next.

Reece and three shocked students stood, staring at her. Reece smiled. “Well done, Lizzy.”

She caught her breath and bit her cheek to remind herself she’d survived. “You did well too. Are you alright?”

“Nothing a glass of brandy, a bath and a good bed will not cure.”

Despite two other skirmishes, one group managed to keep a trebox demon alive. Bound, they dragged it toward the house. She didn’t envy the task of interrogation.

Wrapping one arm around Reece’s waist, she let him lean on her as they turned toward the house. One student and an instructor had been lost. Most of the other wounds were superficial. The bodies and injured were carried out of the encampment.

Where would they send her body when the time came? Perhaps The Company would bury her in an unmarked grave somewhere in the countryside. No one would visit, but it would be fine to be out in the fresh air.