Day of Sacrifice (Day of Sacrifice #1) by S.W. Benefiel Read Free Book Online Page A

waist.
    “It’s not safe here, I should have come alone,” he whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck. “We’re going to go behind that abandoned building over there and transport. Now laugh.”
    Flora laughed her best flirtatious girl laugh and tucked her head into Julian’s chest, letting him lead her behind the vacant storefront. With one hand he pushed her up against the weathered wood of the building and scanned the landscape.
    “I’m sorry I called you sugarwings. That was so stupid. I didn’t know your being a Guardian was a secret,” she whispered, sure he could feel how fast her heart was beating through his hand on her chest.
    “Its fine,” he said, his voice low, his eyes still surveying their surroundings. “I’m the one that messed up. I counted three unfamiliar faces at the fruit stand, any of them could have been contracted to kill you and I just paraded you right in front of them.” Satisfied that no one had followed them, he took his hand off of her and covered her body with his. Pressing her closer to the building, he unfurled his wings. “Here we go.”
    “Not so fast, angel.”
    A shot rang out at close range, ripping through the top of Julian’s right wing.
     
     
     
    He fought against the debilitating pain, focusing instead on protecting Flora, blocking her from view between his uninjured wing and the building. He turned his torso toward Daniel, and was met with a pistol butt to his forehead. Blood seeped into his eyes, but he held firm. Shrugging his arm out from under his injured wing, Julian reached out with amazing speed and took hold of the gun barrel. Wrenching it from the old man’s hands, he backhanded him across the jaw. Daniel swayed sideways into the building and then slid to the ground.
    Flora dropped the bag of fruit.
    What Julian needed was a plan. One: Find out what Daniel knew about Flora. Two: Kill Daniel. Three: Get Flora back to his house.
    “Don’t move, Flor,” he cautioned.
    He felt her nod her head against his side. Julian stepped away from her and grabbed Daniel by the beard, yanking him to his feet. “Talk, now, you disgusting old fool.”
    “There’s--” Daniel began, wincing when he spoke. “Godsdamn it, I think you broke my jaw.” He spat a bloody string of saliva and a couple of his rotten teeth onto the ground.
    Julian raised his hand to strike him again.
    Daniel cowered. “There’s a reward. Fitzgerald’s had associates out here spreadin’ the word around this morning. Be on the lookout for a male Guardian and a female Sacrifice.” He dragged a shirtsleeve across his mouth. “You weren’t hard to recognize.”
    A scream sounded behind Julian. He whirred around, expecting to see Flora apprehended. Instead he saw a burly man cradling his burnt hand to his body and a red hot gun in Flora’s.
    “What?” she said, shrugging her shoulders and dropping the gun on the ground. “He was trying to sneak up on you.”
    Two men came around the corner, sawed-off shotguns aimed at Flora’s head.
    “Shoot her!” cried Daniel.
    Julian turned as three men armed with knives came at him from the other side. His eyes met Flora’s and an understanding passed between the two of them. Her hands exploded in flame.
    Julian punted Daniel in the head, knocking him out, and launched himself at the other three men, using his injured wing as a shield. They took turns slashing at him with their blades, staying just out of his reach. One man, hopped up on adrenaline, tripped over his own feet and wasn’t quick enough to make his retreat. Julian found his opening, grabbing the man by his neck and lifted him in the air. He squeezed the man’s neck until it broke and then threw him at the feet of the two other attackers. They didn’t back down. Damn, the reward for Flora must be enormous .
     
     
     
    She warmed up by throwing a series of fireballs at their feet. She thought it was only fair that she not kill them straight away. The first man with the burnt hand