Magic Trials (Half-Blood Academy #1)(8)

I smashed into a werewolf with a spear, a diabolic grin on my face.

A formidable force shook the street, instantly wiping away the smile twisting my lips.

I sliced at my opponent again and leapt as far away from the werewolf as I could, ignoring his furious bellow.

A bigger predator, the worst I’d ever felt, had arrived among us.





CHAPTER 2




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The fighting ceased as seven Dominion soldiers stepped onto the battlefield as if they owned it.

A dark foreboding seized me.

Right as I’d thought we could get out of this battle intact, a more powerful predator had appeared, and I had a hunch why.

Shit would go down.

I licked my lips and pulled my beloved bow from my shoulder.

“Stand down!” their ringleader shouted at us, his voice stern and manner imperious. “Don’t make any stupid moves if you want to remain in one piece.”

I rolled my eyes at his idiotic turn of phrase. Why wouldn’t anyone want to remain in one piece?

The Dominion soldiers surrounded us.

They hadn’t trained any weapons on us yet, showing they didn’t consider us a threat. I bet they could shoot faster than we could react. After all, they were elite Dominions, all of whom had the immortal gods’ blood in their veins.

Based on the three-bar badge on the leading man’s arm and an insignia of an eagle piercing through lightning on the chest of his armored uniform, I’d say he was a lieutenant.

Hazel eyes surveyed the remains of our fight from a hard face. Like all his soldiers, his hair had been cropped military short. The lieutenant flaunted his authority, but the formidable power I’d sensed earlier didn’t come from him.

My eyes searched for the source, but the lieutenant wasn’t kind enough to give me time to scan the newcomers. He stalked directly toward Jasper and Circe.

My chest tightened as my blood ran cold. The Dominions had come to take them away.

I stepped forward and blocked him. “You’re not taking them.”

Everyone gasped at my audacity, but I didn’t give a fuck.

I wouldn’t lose Jasper and Circe, but I also knew we might not get out of this crisis this time.

The ringleader’s face only hardened. “I don’t give a fuck how pretty you are, chick,” he snorted. “Get the fuck out of my way, or—”

At least he didn’t call me bitch, which was a nice change.

But I was done being nice. I was done being pushed around and being afraid all the time that one day either the demons or the demigods’ army would come to take the last of my family away from me.

I kicked the lieutenant in the chest. While he staggered back, surprised and angered, I let five arrows fly toward him and his soldiers.

“Run!” I shouted at Jasper and Circe.

But the stupid kids only formed up behind me, refusing to leave, despite me growling at them for their disobedience.

My arrows had no effect on the gods’ soldiers.

The Dominion lieutenant lunged toward me with a sword, only to halt midway.

He stepped back.

“Fun’s over, little minx,” a rich male voice said, and a shiver of pleasure ran down my spine, making me want to purr.

What the fuck?

A giant, masculine male built like a gorgeous statue of bronze strode toward me like he had just descended from the glorious Heavens.

I glanced at his feet to check if he rode on a chariot of fire before returning my gaze to his face. His light amber eyes laughed at me as mine traced the curve of his mouth.

For a fleeting second, all I wanted was to lunge at him to lick his lips. I also wanted to trace my fingers along his cut chest inside his long, black leather coat.

I blinked back to my senses and frowned at him.

He was the sole owner of the predatory power I’d detected earlier.

A human should not be able to sense any magic, yet I had this cunning ability—be it a blessing or curse—to not just sense it, but tell its type and grade. For some reason, though, I couldn’t categorize this man’s power. I blamed it on my lack of experience. I hadn’t seen much of the world.

I could tell, however, that this dangerous specimen contained top-of-the-line, ninth-degree power, which had to make him a demigod. Ten was reserved for Lucifer and the pureblood gods.

His power sang in my blood, as if calling to my own power, but I had no magic.

Vi had warned me to stay far away from any demon or demigod. It was too late now since I was facing a very powerful one right in front of me.

But I did not fear this demigod—who seemed to terrify everyone else because all round me knees went down and hit the dirty ground.

“Did you just call me minx?” I demanded, trying to make him feel bad for being a jerk. There might be a chance I could talk my way out of here. This demigod had stopped his lieutenant from attacking me with a scary sword. “No one calls me minx. I hunt and eat minx.”

He chuckled, as if my defiance only amused him, and that sexy male sound made my toes curl. Good thing he couldn’t see my body’s reaction. Add one more thing boots were good for—hiding how suddenly and completely turned on I was.

His gaze dropped to my lips for a heartbeat before returning to peek into my eyes, potent magic in his probe.