Free Between the Bleeding Willows (The Demon Hunters Series Book 1) by D.A. Roach

chamber.”
    She stared at me, assessing me.
    “That’s an order, by the way,” I said casually as I took a sip from my cup and sat back in a relaxed position.
    “And what about you and the others harvesting? You’ll be at risk and you won’t be able to detect dangers without me there.”
    “I realize this. It’s not an ideal situation, but I guess we’ll just have to use our senses and do our best. It’s a half-day journey, maybe longer with the carts. Besides, if we lost you, there would be no point to any of this. We’d be doomed the moment you were gone. Your spells would fade, demons would be unbound, and it would be Hell on Earth. You’re staying put.”
    She sighed and sipped her tea. I could see her trying to come up with a good argument; her body language made it evident she didn’t like my decision. “When do you leave?”
    “Sun up in two days.” I set my empty tea cup down. “I saw some of the new trainees. Jackson has worked wonders with them. Very promising.”
    “Jackson is a good warrior. He would expect the same of anyone underneath him.” Angeline set her tea cup down as well and looked closer at me. “Something else is troubling you.”
    There was no hiding anything from Angeline. “Cassidy hasn’t shown any improvement in the past couple of days. Lena wants me to think about what to do with her if she fails to improve.”
    “Ahh yes, that is what I sensed. Guilt. And some affection toward her.” I tightened my lips, not sure how I felt about Angeline knowing I had any particular affection toward Cassidy. “Listen, Killian, you did not initially lure her over here. She seemed fated to be a part of this world. There is something special about her that I have yet to figure out, but she would have found her way here regardless of your involvement. You must let this feeling go.” Angeline stood and took our empty cups to her washbasin. “And I sense that she will come out of this soon, so do not give up hope.”
    Hearing those words eased some of my anxiety. I stood. “Thank you, Angeline. As always, you enlighten me with your wisdom.”
    She escorted me to the hall. “You’re welcome as always.”
    I needed to see Cassidy, so I headed to the medical unit.
    Lena was organizing her bandaging shelves. “Lena, take a coffee break. I need a moment with Cassidy.” I did not have to say that’s an order this time; my tone of voice told her that it was. She stood and left the room without exchanging a word or glance with me. Cassidy lay still on the bed in the back of the unit, unchanged from earlier. She had been here for some time, unable to care for herself or speak for her needs.
    Walking over to the basin, I filled a small bucket with water and soap, then grabbed a small wash towel and headed over to the bed. I cared about Cassidy and wanted her safe. What caused my emotions to shift? The bond we now shared through the tattoo or seeing her laying her defenseless? Or maybe it was both? I wet the towel in the soapy water and squeezed it out, then began washing her extremities.
    Her skin was soft and flawless except for the long scar she’d acquired from the husky demon-bait with the knife. She had a slight pink hue across her freckled cheeks. The tattoo looked good on her. Cassidy was tough. She’d lost her boyfriend, fallen through a gate to the Demon Realm, and been attacked while trying to save a girl. The tattoo and scar made her look badass. I washed the parts of her that were uncovered; I’d let Lena take care of cleaning her other parts. Returning to the washbasin, I rinsed the bucket and refilled it once more to wash her hair. It had been days since she’d crossed, and if she was trapped in her body, at least it would be clean. Her brown hair swirled in the bucket, and I used my hands to bring the water up to the hair near her face. Then I placed the bucket on the floor and lathered her hair with some herbal cleanser. I brought the bucket up to rinse her hair the best I