Free Darksoul by Eveline Hunt Page A

horse. “Now, Hazel, honey? I want you to tell me what’s wrong. I want you to tell me why you brought out every pointy thing in this house.”
    I grabbed her legs and hugged them to me, clutching at her pants. “Nothing’s going to happen to you,” I whispered. “The monsters won’t touch you. I’ll cut them up. I’ll cut them all.”
    She sounded alarmed. “Hazel?”
    “They tried to get me. They won’t get you. It was just four, five. How many more are there? How many more—”
    She stooped down and brought me into her arms, and I clutched her against me. “It’s okay,” I whispered. “They’re out there, they want me, they want you, but, Mom, if it’s the last thing I do, I will kill them—”
    “ Shh, shh.” A moment later she grabbed her phone and dialed up someone, her fingertips working magic down my scalp.
    “Allie?” she said, her voice quiet. “I ’m so sorry, darling, but we have to cancel tonight. Yes…yes, I was going bowling with Hazel…something came up. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.”
    I shuddered in Mom’s arms. She rose and got me a blanket, and warmth spread across my shoulders as she dropped the quilt over me. Like a wet cat, I stayed on the ground, shivering.
    After a while , she tried to put away the knives, but stopped on her tracks when I suddenly jumped to my feet.
    “No,” I said, going over and taking them out again. “No, no, no, no—”
    “Sweetheart,” she said gently. “I think the safest thing right now would be—”
    “No!” I shouted.
    She frowned. It wasn’t an angry frown, but rather a troubled one.
    “You have everyt hing you need?” I asked, trembling as I rounded up the biggest knives.
    “Yes.”
    “Then let’s go to your room. Grab some water. Some cereal bars. Come on.”
    She didn’t move. My tone wasn’t the most daughterly one, but I don’t think that’s what miffed her. “Hazel, it’s not the end of the world—”
    “Lock the doors,” I said.
    After a sigh, she did so. Then she followed me upstairs, silent. I engaged the lock as soon as we were inside her room. Grip deathly tight on the knives, I plopped down in front of the door.
    “Honey, if you’re going to be sleeping in here, you’re to use my bed. Do you understand?”
    My head shook with a twitch. “I’m not going to let them come in.”
    “Then if you’re going to be on the floor, I will be, too.”
    “No!” I shouted again. “Get on the bed. Get comfortable. You’re tired.”
    She paused. “Would that make you happy?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then I want you to look, okay? Look.” My eyes flicked to hers. She got in her bed, doing so slowly as though not to startle me. “I’m very comfortable. Mommy’s very comfortable. Okay?”
    “Sleep well.”
    “I’m going to turn off the lights now. Is that okay?”
    “They like the dark,” I whispered to myself.
    “What was that?”
    “Nothing. Sleep well.”
    K eeping an eye on me, she turned off one of her lamps. “I’m going to leave the other one on. You seem a little spooked. Is that okay, too?”
    I nodded.
    “I’m going to sleep, baby. I’m sure you’ll…you’ll keep them out.” Her voice broke in that last part, as though she couldn’t believe she was saying it. Dealing with her seemingly loony daughter must’ve been a handful. But I wasn’t crazy. I knew what I’d seen earlier that afternoon. Who cared if Ash had been with two girls at once and Hunter had shoved a cigarette up my nose, called me the ugliest chick alive, and once again reiterated his distaste for everything that had to do with me?
    I couldn’t care about them. Not right now. If those damned—creatures touched my mom—
    No. They would never touch her. Not on my watch. Not while I was here.
    Not ever.
    Incredibly, I managed to fall asleep sitting right there, guarding the door. I didn’t mean to. It must’ve been for only a few hours, because when I came to, the clock on Mom’s bedside table read three past two.
    And