Inferno of Darkness (Divisa Huntress #2) - J.L. Weil Page 0,45

waiting for the Hunt to materialize. A part of me hoped against all hope that Ashor would be among them.

“Lexi,” Chase and Travis hissed, but their voices were like pesky flies, buzzing softly in the distance.

I swatted them away and took a step forward, pulled to the Hunt. The riders called to some deep part of my soul. “It’s the Wild Hunt,” I mumbled.

“No shit,” Chase cursed, tugging me back a step. “What do you want to do?”

Dread pitted in my belly, growing with each mounting second. One rider turned into two, which turned into three and so forth. I couldn’t see their faces. Not yet. If we ran and Ashor was among them… But if we stayed and he wasn’t.

Crap! I didn’t know what to do?

I should have listened to my gut, but my impetuous nature longed to see Ashor—burned for him to be among the riders. Where is he? Where. The. Actual. Fuck is he?

This can’t be happening.

Had Cayden betrayed me? Did Cayden squeal on me, run to his queen?

Through the white air, my gaze clashed with soulless eyes as dark as tar and grew wide. My muscles locked up, and fear slammed into me, knocking the breath out of my chest. I stumbled back a step or two into Travis, who caught me. Those monstrous eyes belonged to the very last demon I wanted to see.

Soren Clave.

The air felt like little shards of glass in my lungs, tearing me up inside, and all I could do was watch as the sadistic asshole rode straight to me. Soren pulled back on the reins of his Hellmount in front of me. The horse reared up, kicking his front legs as flames licked over his hooves, warming my cheeks. With a thunderous crash, the horse hit the ground, sending tremors under my feet.

“Hello, little demon,” Soren sneered in a way that made my skin feel as if a nest of centipedes was crawling over it. “What a pleasant surprise. I wondered when we’d meet again. I just didn’t expect it would be so soon. But it does save me the trouble of having to hunt you down.” His head cocked to the side as eyes born of evil raked over me. “Although, I would have thoroughly enjoyed doing so.”

Memories of how he had trapped his brother flashed through my mind, and my fear quickly turned to a roaring rage, drowning all rational parts of me. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?”

A twisted laugh went through Soren’s chest, his horse prancing under him. “Words can be powerful.”

Alongside me, my family formed a wall. “Where’s Ashor?” I demanded, getting straight to the point. It was why I was here, not to catch up with Soren.

Soren’s black cloak billowed in the wind. “Your mate? The one that abandoned you?”

Saved was more like it, but I kept my lips pressed together, my fingers curled into fists. I was about ten seconds away from knocking the demon off his horse and clocking Soren in the nose. I wanted to see his black blood coat the powder of white snow that had begun to blanket the ground. “Where is he?” I asked again with more force, feeling far braver than I felt facing this beastly demon.

“Soren,” one of the other riders said in a low warning.

Soren’s unnatural onyx eyes narrowed. “You’re a fool to come here.”

“Am I?” I taunted, attempting to confuse him and make him doubt his advantage. Soren could be his own worst enemy, a demon with such cruelty but lacking true confidence thanks to his mother. Definite mommy issues.

We stared at each other, long and unyieldingly, neither of us backing down. I refused to give Soren the satisfaction of watching me squirm.

“There is no place for you here, mortal. Or have you already forgotten what happened last time? Hmm,” he cooed, like a revelation just occurred to him. “Perhaps that’s it. You want to come back. That can be arranged. My mother would love nothing more than to see you again. Should I give you a lift?” He held out his thin, pale hand, nails long and tapered to sharp points, perfect for slicing open a heart.

Chase and Travis both snarled in protest.

The demon inside me growled, and I knew my eyes shifted into their unique shade of gold and aqua, yet regardless of the storm brewing inside me, I smiled at Ashor’s brother. “Why don’t you get off your high horse and come get me. Or are you