The Warrior God (The Ares Trials #1) - Eliza Raine Page 0,38

from it. Something stepped out from the shadows at the end of the alleyway.

“How did I not see you there?” I breathed, staring. It was only a little taller than me, but had massive leathery wings that were torn and covered in spikes. Its body was leathery too, with a small piece of fabric hanging from a belt to cover its genitals, and it had legs that looked more like a bird’s than a human’s. But my eyes were drawn back to its mostly human face. It was as though half of it had been melted, all the features on the right-hand side a good inch lower than those on the left. Tufts of thin hair stuck out over its skull and I couldn’t have told you the thing’s gender if my life had depended on it.

“It’s my job to blend in.” I felt my eyebrows rise. How could a creature like this blend in to anything? I heard a thump from behind him in the alley and another scream, this one muffled.

“What’s going on back there?” I asked. Energy was swirling through my middle, building fast.

“None of your fucking business.”

True. But not good enough.

“So, do you just guard alleys while someone else does the beating?”

“The boss only hits on folk who don’t pay,” the thing grunted. So, this thing was a mob-heavy. This really wasn’t any of my business. Maybe I should just walk on.

“You can go and screw yourself, you fucking bully! I’d rather you killed me than took everything away from her,” I heard a voice in the alleyway cry.

They were giving themselves up to defend someone else. A lover, a wife, a child? Either way, my interest was piqued. From those words I knew that this person had courage and honor. Another thumping sound echoed from the alley, along with another cry.

Red slowly descended over my vision. I cocked my head at the thing in front of me. “Move.”

The thing just snorted, its lopsided mouth quirking into a smile. I shrugged, then darted forward, dropping into a crouch and hitting out hard with my fist. I caught it exactly where I wanted to, right in the muscle in the side of its thigh, and it gave a small shout as its leg crumpled beneath it. Before its knees had hit the ground I was back up, kicking out hard and catching it under the jaw, which was now waist-height. There was a sickening crunch, then the thing’s eyes rolled back into its head and it tipped slowly backward, unconscious.

I turned and strode into the alley. As I got further into the gloom I could see a large man, shirtless and tanned, dark hair slicked back from his hard face, pinning a boy against the rough wall.

“Hi,” I said, and the older guy’s head snapped to me.

“Grothia?” he called loudly.

“If that’s wing-thing back there, they’re gonna need some medical attention,” I said. The boy’s eyes widened as the guy’s narrowed.

“This is none of your business. Leave.”

“I can’t,” I said, with another shrug. “You’re right, this has nothing to do with me, but I can’t help feeling that your punishment of this young man exceeds his crimes.”

“You think you’re some sort of vigilante?” he said, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “It’s been some time since we’ve had one of those in Erimos.”

“Put him down,” I said. I was painfully aware that not twenty-four hours ago I had been holding Joshua against a wall in the same position. My guilt morphed into anger, more strength pulsing through me.

Slowly, the guy slid the kid down the wall, and the boy’s own hands went to his throat as soon as he let go. One side of his face had a long red line running down it, and I immediately looked for the blade that must have caused it. Sure enough, the glint of metal shone in the guy’s left hand as he turned fully to me.

“You don’t look like you’re from around here, little girl,” he said. “So I’m going to give you a chance to turn around, and walk away.”

I squinted past him, to see if the kid could escape down the other end of the alleyway while I distracted the jerk, but it was too dark for me to see. The boy stayed where he was, hand on his throat. Oh well. I’d have to knock the goon out then, same as I had with wing-thing. “No, thank you,” I said, and slid my flick-blade from my