Page 81 of Huntress

Grady threw a rubber ball against the floor, bouncing it against the wall and catching it, over and over for hours. His squad mates were too lost in their own thoughts to be bothered by the rhythmic thud, thud, thud. He kept seeing Elsie, seconds from dying, only to be saved by that damned demon. The scene played in his mind on repeat, each time just as real as when he’d experienced it.

Banks kept sitting down, then hopping back up a few minutes later to pace the floor, chewing his fingernails until they bled. So many had died right in front of him, only to be reanimated, forcing him to kill them all over again. Weak, and defenseless humans.

Marley and Trenton mulled over a deck of worn cards, barely speaking to one another in hushed whispers. Too many times, the long pauses between moves led them to forget whose turn it was, but putting the cards away meant resigning themselves to their thoughts.

Steve stared out the window with a blank expression on his face. Every now and then he’d take a deep breath, blinking and looking around, but before long he settled back into dissociation.

Perrie only managed a couple of hours of fitful sleep before waking with a high-pitched shriek, arms flailing. Trisse lunged to his feet, knife in hand, his eyes wild. It took him a second to realize that everything was okay. Slowly sheathing the knife, he sat back down.

Finding Morgan right next to her, the witch wailed, burying her face against his shoulder, her muffled sobs carrying through the car. Morgan held her tight, stroking her hair and wiping her tears.

Roz appeared at the connecting door from the front, scanning the car with a sharp frown before disappearing back inside without a word.

Morgan spoke softly, telling Perrie sweet old fairytale stories to help calm her down. Eventually, she fell back to sleep, cradled in his arms.

Elsie observed her people grimly, her jaw tight. Thoughts of what they’d done–what they’d witnessed–would plague them like ghosts, haunting them for the rest of their lives. Unless they got help, it could drive them to an early grave.

When the tram pulled into the compound and came to a stop, the squad clumsily came to awareness, bumping into each other while grabbing their gear and weapons. Trenton settled a hand on Steve’s shoulder, and the younger man looked straight at him for several seconds before recognition came to his eyes.

“We’re home.”

“Oh.” He looked around, confused for a second before wobbling to his feet. “Thanks.”

Elsie stood and stretched, placing herself in front of the door, anxiety burrowing into her stomach. Mordane and Roz joined them from the front car as Elsie spoke. “Time’s up, guys. I need answers before you get off.”

Steve shuffled over first; his usually happy face had aged five years in the course of their mission. “I’ll be staying with you.” He briefly held her gaze, then exited.

“I’ll stay for now.” Trisse refused to meet her eyes. “The second you lose control of that thing, I’m gone.”

Elsie bit the inside of her lip, watching him leave. His belief that she would lose control over Saint was stronger than his trust in her, and that stung. But at least he was giving her a chance.

“I know you’ll do what needs to be done when the time comes,” Banks said gruffly. “I’m staying.”

Grady muttered something about not taking orders from some other captain, while Perrie and Morgan gave softer, positive replies before scurrying off. Elsie’s nerves tensed. The most outspoken pair were the only two left.

Trenton dropped his bag on the floor between them. “I have conditions.”

Elsie’s brows rose. She hadn’t opened this to negotiations, but she was willing to hear him out. “Shoot.”

“If he harms a human, or anyone on this squad, he’s dead. If he interferes in our operations, helps another demon escape, or stops us from healing you, he’s dead.”

Elsie bit back a retort. He wasn’t leaving any room for compromise. “Action taken under any of those scenarios will only be carried out under my discretion.”

“I will decide if your discretion is compromised.”

Elsie’s insides squirmed. She didn’t want to agree to any of it. There were way too many ways Trenton’s conditions could go wrong. Any little accusation would potentially result in Saint’s death. She looked over to where he was gathering their things and shook her head.

Saint glanced up, sensing her attention on him. He’d been listening, but hadn’t thought anything of her second-in-command’s threats. They’d been threatening his life since the moment they learned of his existence. It didn’t matter to him, but it reverberated through Elsie’s end of their bond. It mattered to her. She tried to be cold toward him, but the girl was too damned soft.

He sighed and moved to stand at her side, his dark eyes meeting Trenton’s. They scowled at each other for a long moment, then Saint nodded. “Deal.”

Elsie’s mouth dropped open, but Trenton seemed satisfied. He nodded, picked up his bag, and exited the tram.

Marley stopped right in front of Elsie, eyes smoldering with unfettered rage. “I’m staying. Somebody needs to watch out for you, and when Mutt proves me right, I’ll be the one to kill him.” She walked off without looking back.

Saint snickered, and Elsie elbowed him in the ribs, which only made him smirk.

“What was that all about?” Mordane asked, having monitored the whole ordeal.