Sacrifice: The Demontouched Saga (Book 5) Read Free

slow down to a crawl once I’m across the street and into the front yard of the blue house I saw from the tower. It is one of the larger houses in the area, a two story split foyer with three sets of windows on each side. Even more impressive is the attached three-car garage. Whoever owned this house before the Rising had to be proud of himself as it much bigger than the others.
    In front of the house, attached to a polished marble bird feeder is the orb. Around the sides I make out metal bars holding it in place with a steel plate on top to hold it in. I’m not sure why they put it here, but it really isn’t important. From here I don’t want to give them a chance to retrieve it.
    As I get closer I notice the bars protruding through the top with large nuts and washers holding the plate in place. Not exactly the type of security that I’ve come to expect from these things, but I’m not about to complain.
    Without a wrench, I loosen the nuts the best I can using my hands. It is slow, painful work, but I’m making progress. Within a few minutes I have one nut off, followed by another two minutes later.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” I hear when I’m halfway through the third.
    I turn around to see two large men behind me. One is big and tall, almost built like an NFL linebacker if it wasn’t for the spare tire he’s hiding under his shirt. The other one, is almost a perfect contrast. Short and skinny with a variety of piercings throughout his face and ears.
    I decide not to speak, knowing they won’t care for my answer anyways. Instead, rushing forward to meet the two in melee. Wanting to take out the weakest target first I head for Pierce, swinging my sword at his head. He dodges the blow with a burst of speed I expected out of a man his size. What I didn’t expect was his strength. The moment my blade passes over his head, missing him by nearly a foot, he thrusts his fist into my gut, sending me flying into the street behind me. Before I even stand up, Linebacker rushes forward lining up his field goal attempt with my skull.
    I roll out of his path, swinging my sword in a low arc, slicing off his foot. Pierce doesn’t give me a chance to revel in my victory, however, as he knocks me back to the ground with a vicious clothesline.
    “Once I’m finished with you, I’m going to hang your body from the front gates as a reminder of what happens to those who attack us.”
    Before giving me a chance to give him a witty reply he grabs me by the throat, lifting me a few feet off the ground. I try to kick and claw my way free, but without any luck. After a few seconds my body gives in to the lack of oxygen, reducing what little effect my blows had on him.
    With a last ditch effort, I place my hands on his head. Sensing my resistance he rewards me with a quick thrust to my gut with his freehand, stopping any chance I had at completing my exorcism.
    “Time to die,” he says, cackling maniacally.
    I open my eyes to take one last look at the world when the end of a sword juts out of Pierce’s mouth. With one swift twist, the blade decapitates the man, sending the top half of his head to the ground. I gasp, noticing the one responsible.
    Azrael.
    After a few seconds the body finally catches onto the fact the head is no longer in charge and it drops to the ground, releasing me in the process.
    “You looked like you needed a hand,” Azrael says, wearing the same deep brown hoodie as the last time I saw him.
    “What are you doing back?” I say, rubbing my neck.
    “We’ll talk later,” he says moments before running down the street and into the action, leaving me sitting on the pavement to contemplate the ass whooping I just received.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    - 3 -
     
     
     
     
     
    “Go take care of someone who really needs it,” I say to the nurse sent over to look me over. From her appearance I can tell she loves her line of work, but there is an aura of authority that radiates from her that