Free Jack Templar Monster Hunter by Jeff Gunhus Page B

come for you and I’ll have my chance. And nothing will stand in my way. Not you, not some devil-werewolf. Nothing. Got it?”
    “You fool,” Aunt Sophie whispered. “Even if you were a match for him, which you’re not, Ren Lucre will not travel here, so far from his stronghold. Jack will be taken to him.”
    “Ren Lucre,” I said, pronouncing it properly. The second I did, a memory flashed in front of me. The man this morning with the pale skin, long fingers and black nails, and those pale blue eyes that seemed to look right through me. Suddenly, I knew. “No, you’re wrong. He’s already here. He’s in town.”
    “No,” Aunt Sophie said. “I was to bring you to him. The journey takes several days.”
    “I saw him this morning,” I whispered, shivering. “I know it was him. I don’t know how, but I know.”
    “Then we must get you out of here right away!” Aunt Sophie cried.
    “No,” said Eva. “This is what I came for. We have the element of surprise. We need to seek him out.”
    Aunt Sophie bored into Eva with her eyes. “You truly are a fool. You don’t know what you’re facing. You don’t stand a chance.”
    “I think we should…” I fell silent as Aunt Sophie held up her hand.
    Aunt Sophie whispered, “They’re here.”
    Eva stood up straighter, her eyes darting to the windows in the front of the house. She clutched her sword and pointed it at Aunt Sophie.
    “I told you she couldn’t be trusted,” Eva barked. “You kept us here until they could arrive. Out the back door. Go, go, go.”
    We ran toward the back of the house but the yard was filled with rows of halfdecayed bodies gathered in a half-circle around the back of the house. Zombies.
    We turned and ran to the front door. It was already open and trolls and goblins streamed into the house, knocking over furniture and smashing holes in the walls for no good reason.
    Finally, Mrs. Fitcher, now in her Creach form, walked in with her mottled, black wings trailing behind her. She grinned when she saw me and gave me a wink. My skin crawled at the sight of her.
    “Hello, Jack,” Mrs. Fitcher said. “It’s so nice we could all get together a day early. I didn’t have time to get you a birthday present…so I got you two.”
    She turned to one side and my heart sank.
    Goblins dragged two struggling humans into the house.
    Will and T-Rex.
    Mrs. Fitcher smiled. “Isn’t that nice? This way, you won’t have to die alone.”
    T-Rex had a finger in each nostril and Will stared at me like he was mad at me for holding out on him.

Chapter Eight
    “W hy is Principal Fitcher talking about killing us?” T-Rex squeaked. “My grandma isn’t going to like this.”
    “And why does she have wings, Jack?” Will said, staring me down. “You knew all this was going on and you didn’t tell us. Some pal you are.”
    The goblins were about my height but thick with bulging muscle. They sneered, twisting their giant hooked noses as they shoved T-Rex and Will forward.
    I caught them so they wouldn’t hit the ground and helped them stand. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I was trying to protect you.”
    “Oh yeah?” Will said. “How’s that working so far?”
    “Enough!” Mrs. Fitcher shrieked, her wings flapping behind her and knocking picture frames off the walls. She walked up to Will and stuck a long pointy finger in his chest. “I have to bite my tongue all day long as I deal with you little human fleas at school. Here, I get to do anything I want. I could bite off your fingers. Cut off your noses. Do you boys understand?”
    T-Rex and Will nodded their heads.
    “Good,” Mrs. Fitcher said. She turned her attention to Eva. “I see you’ve met a new friend, Jack. The one-handed monster hunter. I’ve heard of you.”
    Eva held out the dagger on her left wrist . “Come over here. Let’s shake hands.”
    Mrs. Fitcher smirked. “Such an attitude, even when you face certain death. I admire that. Under different circumstances, I would