The Spirit Seducer (The Echo Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

expression.
    “My mom,” I whispered. He couldn’t have heard me over the noise, but his eyes softened. He nodded and lunged forward at the warriors who stood between him and my mother. He slammed his spear into one, and a long-bladed knife I hadn’t seen him palm into another.
    The two warriors folded in on themselves, their gurgles of pain lessening as they exploded into ethereal flotsam that shimmered just like the cloud.
    Those warriors with Coyote weren’t human.
    “What are they?” I asked.
    “Demons,” Layla replied, her voice as breathless as mine. “It’s okay though. Zeke can handle them.”
    The man Layla referred to as Zeke slashed through the chest of a third fighter while another tried to slide around behind him. Zeke slammed his elbow back, catching the warrior in his chin, and he skittered backward, slamming into the fence near us.
    Blood dripped from the demon’s mouth, his jaw hung from an awkward angle. My eyes darted back to Zeke, who continued to work his way through the demon-soldiers with a methodical and lethal grace. His movements so perfectly choreographed that the inhuman warriors appeared clumsy and slow.
    Mom screeched as one of the warriors grabbed her. She snatched up one of the glass pitchers of tea and slammed it into the demon’s face. He staggered back into another warrior. I yanked, but Layla’s firm grip kept me from leaping to her defense.
    “You can’t, E. She made me swear.”
    The beautiful birthday cake my mother had made and the other pitcher of iced tea fell from the table, forming a sticky mess across the concrete floor. Four of the warriors darted forward, outside of Zeke’s reach. They surrounded my mother and Coyote, who’d crossed his arms over his chest and watched the fight with burning eyes.
    Zeke shoved his spear into one of the warriors, who shrieked, high and horrible, before he, too, shattered into bits of glittering dust.
    My mom’s mouth screwed up with fear as a soldier rushed forward. Mom swung her pendant, which was now wrapped around her wrist, the metal chain clutched in her fist. She caught the warrior across his jaw. His face morphed into that of a cat as he snarled in pain, backing away. A deep laceration lay open and pink on his muzzle.
    Bits of the clay spilled across my mother’s pale shirt.
    “You can’t take away Sotuk’s protections. He and Sussistanako birthed you. He’s your god as well as mine.” But even as Mom spoke, the warriors surrounded her. Before she could flatten herself against the wall, the tallest demon, the jaguar-faced warrior who’d stared at Layla, pinned Mom’s arms to her sides. His eyes were bright with malice as he lifted her off the ground. She kicked and screamed.
    I tugged ineffectually against Layla’s hold, cursing her for doing nothing to help my mother.
    Zeke fought two of the demons, who darted in and around him, keeping him from reaching my mother.
    Coyote laughed, a deep boom of pleasure, and the jaguar-warrior swept my mother toward the sandy vortex of their cloud, as easy as tumbleweeds rolling in the wind.
    “I looked forward to more of a fight,” Coyote said on a sigh.
    “You can’t do this! Sotuk won’t allow it,” Mom yelled as she struggled.
    Coyote cocked his head to the side, his nostrils twitching. “He’s not stopping me.”
    I used my free hand to pry away one of Layla’s fingers.
    “I made some alliances of my own, Almira. I am the law of the land,” Coyote said.
    “Sotuk will not allow it,” Mom repeated in a shaky voice.
    Coyote raised his arms outward. “Then, stop me.”
    Layla sobbed, but she held me firmly as I struggled, frantic to help. Zeke continued to power closer to my mom, spearing one of the beasts and shouldering past another. Two more stepped into his path, ensuring he wouldn’t get to my mother before the jaguar-demon pulled her into that wind tunnel.
    Mom screamed, her fear lashing my heart. She continued to buck and writhe against the warrior’s