Chapter 40
Vander rushed out from behind the tree66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDIbb6Ne8r
and immediately rolled to the ground as two arrows embedded themselves in the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyv50Euwfk
dirt right where he had been standing. Despite being assassins and spies, it66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklOc3yZttM
seemed as though the Green Serpents were crack shots with the bow, but he66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fGmAv8AUP
decided to see what would happen when they faced someone who was expecting66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuvYCxc3oT
them. He scooped up a couple of rocks from off the ground and palmed them as he66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUED9eNqiox
charged his enemies.
More66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7i24O32wo
arrows were thrown at him, but it seemed as though they were drawn quickly66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUh05iYcpr
without much aim. Some whizzed over his head while others got stuck in the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltWWr0YNGX
ground a few feet in front of him. One came dangerously close to him, but he66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7U02Ws1CS
smacked it away with his sword. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted some66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfttQ7deqH7
movement. Taking quick aim, he threw a rock hitting a Serpent’s shooting hand.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYwbyj1op1
With a cry of pain, he dropped the bow, but drew a knife instead.
“I’ll66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeNui9ACQG
gut you.” He snarled and rushed him with the dagger poised low. Vander stepped66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXDp6L7jvz
back as the dagger was thrusted forward. He grabbed the serpent’s arm and66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63eWQZR1hC
yanked the poor man off his feet before slamming his palm into the guy’s nose.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGuzgmK13i
Blood spurted as his nose broke and embedded itself into the brain, killing him66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6f6JuYKI5X
instantly. He quickly lifted the body up as two arrows hit him in the back. He66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSHDW9uvut
rushed forward using the freshly made corpse as protection until he could see66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7YDoSQxRm
who he was looking for: three Serpents standing in front of him.
Unlike66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrh35kL4G8
the one he had just killed, these three looked like veterans. They had deep66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7unHC0qVZq
green face paint and wore outfits that helped them blend into their66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy6Y8Zfu1n
surroundings. There was a hardened look in their eyes as they stared at him.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSEeny9QOI
Knowing their bows would be useless if close combat, they lowered them to the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyYwbiafAf
ground then removed their quivers. Each one removed a large knife from the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHHazTXZ7m
sheathe strapped to their backs.
“You66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFH2vBE3Yo
might be a Blade, but you aren’t a match for all three of us.” One of them66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEgk7FWqHO
growled. As if practiced, they spread out keeping Vander between them. From66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeZrqKTQvx
here he could tell that the knives were poisoned, one wayward scratch would66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3rfKbtiBq
send him to the afterlife, but he couldn’t stay here as he was. That was just66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcSB8zg3F1
asking to be killed.
Vander66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqswJR3i3S
threw the dead serpent at the one in front of him. As he fell scream in a66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfksplV4hyV
tangle of bodies, Vander went to the left to handle the one there. He slashed66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpxGygp2GE
with his sword, but the serpent was nimble. He rolled over the sword strike,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCT9hH4aQc
landing on his feet. He stabbed with the daggers, but Vander grabbed the wrist,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6DKdrTbSy
guiding it away from him. He kicked out the back of the leg sending the Serpent66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbq2LApbrrN
to the ground. As he fell, he brought his boot up catching Vander in the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajt5c3MuAk
stomach and sending him flying onto his back. He rolled and brought his sword66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsxDnxoGmR
up in time to block the second serpent’s daggers. He pushed him stumbling66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHG1T7vlxoV
sideways then scrambled to his feet. Before the serpent could adjust, Vander66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyey6pWglbR
slashed his back open with his sword.
Blood66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpfmn7UUUH
sprayed as the man stumbled and fell to the ground. There was no time to check66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70vwYMEl1R
to make sure he was dead as another was on him. The man was a whirlwind with66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpfWXmJzKl
his daggers, spinning, slashing, and stabbing. The dagger cut his pants,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkvrLulHBa
jacket, and shirt, but luckily it wasn’t deep enough to draw blood, but soon66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jke7PIHCv
enough he could get past his guard. He wanted to keep one alive for66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMP7EagQPd
interrogation, but that didn’t seem like it would be likely. So, he waited for66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDgTkYhjov
a brief opening before cutting down with the sword. With a scream, one of the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3orNtwsioA
serpents’ hands hit the ground in a bloody heap. Before he could scream more,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTE0SCPju3S
Vander cut his throat.
“Die!” The serpent who had been66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5xKTAKP2j
tangled up jumped from behind him. Panic raced in Vander’s chest. He had66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiQW1pjmeU
forgotten about him and now it was too late for him to protect himself as the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO23V3DArgU
daggers raced towards his throat. Acting on instinct, he lunged underneath the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZBolHhtKe
daggers grabbing the serpent around the waist bringing them both to the ground.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAMbtzGLja
Vander’s fingers turned to claws as he tore out the man’s throat.
He could feel the demon clawing66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcT3nFSegZ
closer to the surface. It wanted out, a way to release its aggressions, but now66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkf7vSnHPzM
was not the time. Vander bit down on the impulse shoving the beast back into66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wh9t0GKdE
the recesses of his soul. Soon, but not now. He had to get Kiara and Eliza back66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBI84cq9u0W
first then all hell could break loose.
Vander spent some time going66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWPKW7ITWC
through the pockets of the dead serpents to see if they had left behind any66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0bwixtX4x
tools for him to use. He found several poisoned knives and needles, but the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieJfdH7Q6A
rest were weapons that would be too much for him to carry so he discarded them.
Before leaving66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFnuNrqopD
the area, he dragged Briar and Forest’s bodies back towards the road. He never66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYDkftuoeE
should have brought them here. This was his penance and his alone. Now they66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1edwZhGGCN
were dead. He would have to carry that burden, but he swore he would make the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6pmrSjTCZ
Serpents, and Eve, pay for what they had done.
He remembered the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBXA75Qd2B
village from his travels across the country. He knew that it would be heavily66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsW54rZPHm
fortified, especially now that the challenge had been issues towards him to get66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpR7Gcdv8n
the queen back. He would have to come prepared. So, he scooped up a bow along with66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocX1iHkhCh
a quiver of arrows. They would know he was there, but only after some of them66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mQerLZu3K
had died.
The sun was66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOy5dbX7Z9
beginning to rise when he spotted the walls through the forest. The village was66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUn2bvVqY3
aptly named because it bordered the forest. This was a hunting village, taking66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVDlIldjYq
out small game and deer to feed everyone. He wasn’t quite sure when the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUcbgFxdf7
Serpents moved in, but it must have been recently as they have had no reports66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJMCv2CvWc
of the village being under attack.
As he looked at66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NWJjkU9wk
the front gate, he noticed several men wearing green cloaks and talking amongst66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPKPO41BjI
themselves. Without caring about who they were, Vander notched an arrow to his66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTshakUOZL
bow, took aim, then fired. The arrow took a guard in the throat and before the66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVEzbHIhQe
others could react, several more arrows flew into parts of their body. One took66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3npkMricGh
an arrow in the shoulder, while the third took one through the knee. Both went66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraHR12dFMe
down screaming, but they weren’t killing shots. It was enough to bring more66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8xdx95ElA
Serpents out for him to kill.
They were pouring out of the village66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi1QQ3Tv2Z
now to get vengeance for their fallen comrades. He only had time to take down66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlkvm8oAcG
two more before the rest were on him. He tossed aside the bow and quiver and66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSbXmktPKr
drew his sword to strike against his attackers.
The first one went down with barely66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPnIsC3YRi
any effort. He sidestepped out of the way and ran him through. He blocked a66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pHucCtlfa
strike from the next one then pushed him aside, but soon he was overpowered by66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNobWIsGNM
the sheer volume of people. As he raised his sword, one kicked his wrist66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoby2dFJ1v
sending it spiraling out of his hand. He was punched in the jaw and knocked to66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡut67jjYYl9
the ground. He tried to fight back, but several pinned his arms and pointed a66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8IREB5TLN
sword right at his neck.
“Stop!” Vander heard Eve shout. She66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjjBa5PTFY
pushed her way through the group and if he held out any hope that she hadn’t66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2n1F2VGhSH
betrayed them the look in her eyes combined with what she was wearing sealed66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflnHnhs7tl
her betrayal in stone.
She wore a sleeveless green shirt66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXF4foVnfEP
showing off lean muscles and a massive snake tattoo going down her left arm.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8onqlSHYEk
Her hair was pulled back but covered with a green hood. She wore two daggers on66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ1Vb6xbI2
her belt.
“So, you did betray us.” Vander spat.
“Betray you?” she laughed. “I was66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeBKhjtfYK
never apart of you.” Now that he got a good look at her, he realized that she66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSGGqsnhKn
had been messing with him from the beginning. She was broader than she looked66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXe8wOpdnz
before, more heavily muscled. She wasn’t sixteen, she was likely someone older66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8UawKcDWL
than he was. It also explained the gaps in the recruits’ skills. She had been66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAiVtrqxTM
playing them for fools since the very beginning.
“They trusted you,” Vander struggled.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuBzKQ9vTL
“I trusted you.”66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSFXtZLli1
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“I’ll have to make a visit to66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZmt308hq6
whoever your informant is.” She grinned. “He almost ruined everything, but66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFW7L8mkUA
luckily you were so easy to fool. Get him up.” Vander was hauled to his feet by66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLPdkYsGUB
several strong hands. “We will take what we need from you then I will spend a66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEFG44V664
lot more time cutting you to pieces. I’ve always wanted to hear you scream.”
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Maybe, just maybe, Peyton will come66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCx3E7uhvT
here himself that way he could show everyone that he was innocent. He would66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6Mt8KFuUX
have to bide his time and wait, however. Hopefully his reinforcements would66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyVpLsdLnB
arrive to save them, but he shouldn’t count on it. If Peyton knew they were66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfAtcKcpar
mobilizing the army he would make it quick. For now, he willed his body to66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSBhVRpIDZ
relax. However, he wasn’t going to let them get away with it. He and the demon66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nCbqemSXO
were going to have a lot of fun before they were killed.
