Free Hunters (Spirit Blade Part 1) by M. A. Nilles Page B

choice."
    Damn liar, it wasn't. Only one man had stood by her and never once pretended to be something he wasn't, and he was drawing further ahead of her, about to be skewered for fighting against the oppression that ruled their world. Nothing Kaelen could say would change her decision, despite her fear of what Je'Rekun's allies might do to her.
    "Nadia. This isn't our fight."
    "Yes, it is. Why are you still with me?" She quickened her steps to keep pace with the pack ahead. The least she could do was to learn where they were heading.
    "Maybe I still care. I don't know."
    She let out a huff. "You never cared. It was all about embarrassing me, making me seem weak and unfit to be a demon hunter. I was just a game." The betrayal cut through her, pushing her after the demonlords. She didn't want to be alone with Kaelen and hear his excuses.
    One of the tigers looked back with a warning growl.
    "They'll kill you," Kaelen said from her side.
    "At least I'll die for a friend…something you might learn from."
    "Nadia. Nadia, wait."
    A hand clamped on her arm pulled her to a stop. She tried to pull away, and when she couldn't, she put her fighting skills to use. He was not holding her back.
    Kaelen blocked and moved with her, avoiding punches. When she thought she might finally have him, he twisted and caught her around her throat with his other arm. Thick and hard, his muscles tightened around her throat while he held her wrist twisted aside.
    With her free hand, Nadia clutched at his sleeve, aware that he was stronger, and calculated how to escape. Her quickness had always been her advantage, rather than size. She had slackened in her training too much in teaching Je'Surana.
    But she had the dagger.
    Her right hand dropped to her side. Kaelen squeezed her throat and twisted her arm, distracting her from her attempt.
    "Listen to me," his voice ground in her ear. "Forget the dagger."
    The demonlords drew farther from them through the trees. Loneliness crept through her at the prospects of losing the only man who had actually ever cared about her.
    "I didn't leave you willingly. It wasn't my choice." Kaelen paused, his swallow loud in her ears. "Yes, I was ordered to…to show how weak you were as a woman, but I didn't object for the same reason many of the men at the training center wouldn't have objected. You were one woman, but we could have gone into Kinaan for the satisfaction of a woman. Unlike them, I saw something intriguing—vicious determination and gentleness. I was the one seduced by this young woman, but Commander Rovan saw it, saw us, and knew it wasn't a matter of me using you as he ordered. He sent me away and threatened to kill you if I said anything. It wasn't my choice, Nadia."
    Anger burned through her and welled in her eyes. "You had a choice." She choked on the secret still buried but stirring to rise by the revival of memories and heartache. "If this is your apology, it's too little too late."
    He let out a heavy sigh and relaxed his hold.
    Taking advantage of his slack and needing to flee that part of her past, she twisted to escape his hold and raced through the trees to reach the demonlords. A storm rose inside, a storm of secrets and emotions that could not be reconciled with his supposed confession. For all she knew, he lied to try to use her again.
    But he hadn't taken the dagger when he could have.
    It made no difference. He had still been selfish, thinking only of himself and his career than what would become of her. He could have saved her instead of leaving.
    She had overcome that part of her life and would not go back. They had all used her, Kaelan and Commander Rovan to discredit her as a woman demon hunter and the sorcerers to add power to their damned weapon.
    No more.
    She was her own person. She would live for herself and prove them all wrong. She would play a part in saving that world, even if no one else believed it could be done.
    Lord Je'Kaoron had believed, had risked his life many times and