Free Demon Retribution (Shadow Quest Book 3) by Kiersten Fay Page A

inspection, she realized they were attached
to his skull.
    “ What the fuck!”
    Burning red eyes flashed open. His face
twisted in a snarl and he grabbed her wrist in a lightning fast
move, jarring her and causing the dark hat to slip from her
fingers. It landed with a soft thud.
    She couldn’t help but cry out, partly from
the pain and partly from surprise. He released her, and she jerked
back so fast she lost her footing. The carpet cushioned her
fall.
    Her body reacted while her mind tried to
catch up, and before she knew it, she’d slammed open the balcony
door and made the long leap to the glossy, wet ground. A bystander
screamed at her landing, but she ignored them, racing straight into
the street, dodging traffic.
    A loud noise crashed behind her, but she
didn’t look back. She knew it would be him chasing after her. In a
smooth jump, she cleared the low wall and then pushed past the cold
shrubbery into the park.
    Not a dragon! her mind screamed as she tried to keep the soggy,
rain-drenched earth from slowing her.
    Why would he lie? What was his purpose here?
She suddenly became aware that she really hadn’t garnered much
information from him. His intentions could be congruent with the
Kayadon. Maybe he came to trick her into giving up information,
unaware that she had none to give. Worse, she hadn’t actually seen
him destroy the bodies of those who had attacked her; she’d only
taken his word for it.
    When did I become so gullible?
    Was it because she’d been so desperate for a
real connection with someone? For information about her home?
    Heart pounding, she raced through a path
she’d walked a thousand times before, trying to organize her
thoughts. Why would he lie about being a dragon? What exactly was
he? She knew the horns were a clue, but the first thought that came
to mind seemed ridiculous. Only…what else could he be?
    He hollered from behind, his voice sounding
guttural, unfriendly. “Kyra! Stop!”
    She didn’t.
    A clearing was coming up fast, and she
prepared herself for a hard sprint, but he appeared in front of
her.
    The momentum she’d gathered was too great,
and she tried spinning like a football player to keep from slamming
into him. At the same time, he reached for her, snagging her around
the waist with one arm. The strength of his hold was inconceivable,
and she knew she wouldn’t get away unless she could knock him
unconscious.
    “ Just calm down for a
second,” he ordered. His other arm hooked around her.
    “ Let go of me!” She tried
to slam the back of her heel against him his shin, but he took
advantage and swiped both legs out from under her. Her body
splashed into a cold puddle of water.
    He followed her down and held her still with
his weight. “Can I explain?”
    She continued to struggle, growling, “Get
off me!”
    “ Settle down first, and let
me explain.” His voice was so calm and even. He wasn’t even
breathing hard.
    She, however, was sucking back air, finding
it hard to capture it in her lungs. “I told you, I’m not a trusting
person and the first thing you did was lie to me!”
    “ I didn’t lie. I just
didn’t correct you.”
    She paused and narrowed her gaze. “That’s
the same thing!” she bellowed and resumed her struggling.
    “ Maybe I should have
handled it differently, but I was afraid you would react badly to
the truth.” He gave her a look as if to say he’d been
right.
    Finally, she relaxed, not because of his
words, but because she was running out of energy. “What are you,
and why are you really here?”
    “ I’m a demon.” He watched
her eyes, waiting for her shock to wane.
    It didn’t take long; she’d suspected as
much. Although, she hadn’t known till now that they actually
existed.
    “ Everything else I told you
is the truth. Your sister and Ethan are with my family, and
they are coming to
get us.”
    She took a moment to digest the information.
Demon, on this planet, was a bad word. Begrudgingly, she understood
why