Page 102 of The Awakening of Essensia

He began walking slowly towards them, his arms swinging idly at his sides. There was an almost imperceptible limp in his gait, his left foot landing heavier than the right.

As he drew near, Elijah swore. The streetlight caught on the man’s face, revealing thick, blackened veins spidering across his skin. His eyes were white, his teeth that same poisoned black as the woman and girl from weeks before.

“They’re using poison to kill the hosts,” she murmured.

Elijah grunted his agreement, the sound low in his throat.

The girl’s face flashed in her mind. The pink bow. The long braid going up in flames.

Anger surged. She took a long breath, willing her pulse to slow.

You can be angry, Galfri had said, but do not let emotion control your essensia.

She took another breath, but it wasn’t working. Her head swam with drink and memory. She saw the daggers piercing the girl’s pale flesh, the cruel grin stretched across her face.

The man cocked his head towards her and his grin widened. When he spoke, his voice was guttural. “Pity you burned the last one. We have certain appetites for a sweet little thing like her.”

Vaelira gritted her teeth, her shoulders heaving, her breaths coming fast.

“Easy,” Axel warned.

But she couldn’t think past the rage searing down her throat, past the insatiable need to burn.

Then she lunged.

24

Punch Drunk

Vaelira heard only the thrum of blood in her ears and her ragged breath as she tore after the demon.

It was fast. Faster than any human. But Vaelira kept it in her sights, watching the way it glanced back at them every now and then, grinning.

Her essensia was a raging fire scalding her ribs, but she didn’t dare use it here. There were too many homes, too many ways things could go wrong if her aim was off, or worse, if she let the rage consume her again. Elijah ran up beside her. She felt him glance her way, but she kept her focus ahead.

“Where’s it going?” Willem called from behind.

“Chapel,” Erryn replied, her voice sharp with worry.

She was right, and Vaelira hadn’t noticed. She closed her eyes for a breath and forced the anger down. She needed to focus. Don’t let the rage win.

Sure enough, the demon reached the edge of the chapel square, crossing it at incredible speed before vaulting the steps in a single bound. It turned in front of the doors, smiling with teeth like tar, then it vanished inside, the heavy doors swinging wildly on their hinges.

Vaelira skidded to a stop beside Elijah. “He’s playing with us,” she said, breathless. “Like before.”

Elijah nodded. “He led us here on purpose.”

“We’re not going in, right?” Willem said warily. “It’s clearly a trap.”

“I second that,” Erryn said.

“You want to let a demon roam the city?” Vaelira said, struggling to hide her irritation.

“We should call the Guard.” Axel said. “Get reinforcements.”

“We’re already here. If someone’s in there—”

A scream cut through the night. Human.