the huntress 04 - eternal magic Read Online Free PDF Page A

daggers strapped to my thighs. Looked like I’d be doing this the old-fashioned way.
    The demon charged as I flung Righty at him. The black glass blade sunk into his eye. A horrific sound gurgled from his throat as he dropped where he stood, his fire-sword clattering to the ground and the flame dying. I hurried to him and crouched to pull the dagger out of his skull, gagging slightly at the squelchy noise. I wiped it on his shirt, then raced across the room to join Del.
    She was whirling through the group of demons, a phantom dancer with deadly intent. Her blade moved fast as a whip, turning to steel long enough to sever limbs and pierce hearts.
    Ever since she’d learned she was part phantom earlier this year, her deadliness with a sword had gone off the charts. She couldn’t be killed while in phantom form, so she’d gotten even bolder with her moves. Demons dropped like flies, which was good, because they kept appearing out of thin air.
    “Little help here!” Del called.
    “On it!”
    I flung Righty at a demon creeping up behind her. The blade pierced his chest. Before he even had a chance to fall, I nicked my finger with Lefty, using my blood to ignite the magic that connected the two daggers. Righty pulled itself out of the demon and flew back to me.
    As much as I’d loved these blades back when I hadn’t been able to use my magic, they now felt cumbersome and weak compared to my now-lost ability to shoot lightning from my fingertips.
    Del and I set up a pattern, her taking the demons on one side of the room while I took the other. Our blades flashed in the torchlight, and we dodged the artifacts and treasures, not wanting to trample anything. The bastard demons didn’t seem to care, though. They swung their fire swords with abandon.
    And there were too many of them. They just kept appearing.
    “We gotta run for it!” I glanced toward the corner where the dampening charm had fallen. It hadn’t worked, and we were being overrun here. Leaving it was the best option.
    “Agreed!” She lopped off one more head, then spun to charge the exit.
    We raced through the room and down the corridor, occasionally turning when the sound of footsteps grew too close. I’d fling a dagger or Del would plunge her sword, but there’d always be one demon shortly behind the other.
    My lungs burned with the strain as I pushed myself harder, trying not to lose my footing. The only way to escape these guys was speed, though I had no idea what we’d do when we reached the cursed hieroglyphs room. Try to outrun them, I guessed.
    We were almost to the hieroglyphs room when a demon caught me by the collar, dragging me back.
    I screamed as he raised his flaming sword over my head.
    Get it together!  
    I dropped my weight hard to the floor. The demon stumbled, but his grip didn’t loosen. I rolled, swiping out with my blade.
    It cut deep into his forearm and blood spurted, spraying my face with warm wetness.
    I gagged as his grip loosened, then yanked myself away and stumbled back. When I had enough room to move my arm, I flung Righty. The blade sunk into his chest, and he fell to his knees.
    Behind him, two more demons raced toward us.
    “On your left!” Del shouted. 
    I dodged, allowing her to race past me. She killed one demon with a powerful swipe across his jugular, but while she was corporeal, the other got her in the side with his blade.
    She screamed and stumbled away. I flung Lefty, aiming for the demon’s neck. It plunged in, and blood sprayed across the corridor. 
    As he fell, I raced to Del, who was leaning on the wall, her face drawn.
    “You okay?” I pulled at her shirt, trying to see her wound.
    “Yeah, yeah.” She raised her shirt to reveal a shallow slice. “Just a little one. But damn, those fire blades hurt. Like, incapacitate you hurt.”
    “Yeah, probably to stun you while they go in for the kill.”
    “Bastards.” She glared at the bodies on the ground. 
    They were already starting to disappear,