I twist the sword deeper. He screams out in terror as more souls seep from the incision.
“Don’t send me back. I can serve you.” He writhes against the blade, willing to damage the already rotting body in an attempt to escape.
“Look at how you squirm—trying to escape even as you beg. You’re in no condition to serve me. Why haven’t you found a new host?” I demand.
The hunter doesn’t answer. He stops thrashing. I dig the blade in even deeper. The only thing tying the hunter to this realm is my hold on his soul. He teeters on the edge between both realms. One snap of my fingers and he’s back in the depths of Hell.
“Tell me why you’ve sacrificed yourself, Hunter,” I shout.
“Don’t you feel him in the shadows? Have you really not figured it out yet?” The Hunter smiles, grabbing the blade and wrenching himself all the way through.
His body is engulfed in flames as his soul turns to ash, blowing away in the breeze. Under my feet, I can feel the rumble and shake of his arrival as Hell swallows him whole.
The shadows. My mouth widens in a devilish grin. The Leyak hasn’t taken a physical form. It’s manifesting as a shadow.How could I be so stupid—so arrogant—not to sense it?
I rip my sword from where it’s buried in the dock, flipping it a few times before tightening my grip. Shadows twist along the buildings, taunting me. The Leyak is hiding in the very element I command. I won’t be tricked. I shift into a raven, shooting awayinto the night sky, circling the town in search of the shadows hunting me.
On the ground, my shadows surge through the sleeping village. They wash over the town like an enormous tidal wave, splashing out in every direction, determined to find the cunning demon. Once they zero in, I swoop down and perch in the branches, silent and unseen, ready to plan my attack. I’ll only get one shot at trapping the Leyak. I watch through beady black eyes as it meanders through the dark alleys, between small shanties and cottages, prowling for its next victim—me.
Frustrated, the Leyak screeches from the darkness of its own shadows. “I know you’re here, soul collector.”
I smile, allowing the delight to creep slowly across my face as I shift—dropping from the trees and landing on my feet with a thud.
“And why am I here?” I growl, fighting the urge to charge into the darkness like a madman waving a sword.
Magic buzzes around me as my shadows form a protective barrier. It’s imperative I wait out the Leyak. I resist the urge to impulsively attack, harboring all my self-control to act with caution.
“You—are—here—for—me!“ it shrieks into the moonlight.
Doesn’t matter. No one in the village can hear him. Its voice vibrates at a frequency beyond mortal comprehension.
“Well? Are you going back willingly, or will it be a battle?” I ask, luring the Leyak in with my offer.
“It seems you’ve caught me red-handed,” it hisses.
A wicked laugh rolls off my lips. The Leyak says nothing more, silently evaluating its chances of survival should it face me. It howls—a gruesome, inhuman, defeated noise laced with fury. Its ambush plans are ruined. I stand still and unmoving, awaiting its decision. Finally, the Leyak strikes. It takes a more permanent shape, leaping off a nearby wall and launching itself for me.
I spin, dodging the attack. It screeches a battle call at an unnaturally high pitch. Its shadow-dusted wings flap once, twice, three times—before my sword slices through them, shredding them beyond use. It swoops sideways, avoiding the ground, and that’s when I strike. The Leyak aims its forked tail at my chest. But before it hits, I grab hold, wrap it around my arm, and yank the creature to the ground with a thud. With the threat subdued, I step closer, placing my heavy boot on what might be its shoulder—half shadow, half beast.
Then I step back, pulling on the creature’s tail with all my might. The Leyak screams, sensing what I’m about to do. It slashes at me with its claws, causing me to lose my grip and stumble backward, falling to the ground. My sword clangs to the ground next to me, just barely out of reach. I roll, reaching—
The Leyak barrels toward me, ready to end this.
No longer able to hold a shadow form, the beast charges, teeth and claws bared. Cool metal brushes against the palm of my hand. My fingers close around the hilt. In one swift motion, I roll and drive the blade into its shoulder—then kick it off with all my strength. Like one of the gymnasts in the circus, I roll and leap to my feet, taking a defensive stance, waiting for the next attack…
It circles me, each step deliberate, close but just far enough out of reach. I study it: the struggle of each breath, the sag of its wounded shoulder as thin membrane pulses bleeding freely from the stab wound.
“Give up,” I snarl. “Your end is imminent.”
“Not without you, Shadow Prince. The Divine have such a lucrative ransom on your soul, and that pretty little mate of yours.” It cackles. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. Did you really think you could hide her from them?”
My body shakes, consumed by white-hot rage. I fight the urge to lunge—deny myself the option. It’s trying to get me to strike. Instead, I smile.
The Leyak lunges, snapping at me, but I’m faster. I pivot, spin, and slice clean through its chest. Binding magic surges up through the tip of my blade, coiling around my arm. The Leyak’s carcass crashes to the ground, a rush of souls pouring out of the wound. I scramble to collect them in a large glass jar—these are worth preserving. I’ll present them to Lucifer as an apology for the delay. It’ll please him and the Ringmaster both. As I dig the blade in deeper, I lean over the Leyak as it struggles to breathe.
“Did you really think you stood a chance against me, puny Leyak?” I growl, shifting in a flash, wings spread wide, beating against the tendrils of shadow streaming from them. My teeth gleam in the moonlight as drool seeps from the corners of my mouth.
“Please, don’t send me back. I can give you information,” it pleads.
