Hidden Runes
A Demon’s Fall Series
G. Bailey
Contents
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Description
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue
Prologue
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Epilogue
Book Three
Prologue
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Epilogue
Book Four
Prologue
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Epilogue
Bonus Content
Description
108. Hali
109. Hali
110. Hali
111. Hali
112. Hali
113. Hali
114. Hali
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About the Author
Hidden Runes © 2020 G. Bailey
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.
Cover Design by Daqri Combs.
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Thief. Runaway. Assassin. What happens when your rumoured name destroys your life? When the very runes engraved on your skin since birth, are a death sentence?
Evie doesn't remember a life before she was on the streets, a life before thieving to live and killing to stay alive.
When a royal family she didn't know anything about goes missing, Evie finds herself thrown into the royal court of the protectors, and they demand her help.
Help in exchange for a chance at freedom and the name that's haunted her, forgotten. A name she can’t even read, a name she doesn’t understand.
But when three Royal protectors are tasked with helping her get into hell, her demon ex who is literally from hell, stalking her . . . will Evie ever be free?
This collection includes-
Runes of Truth
Runes of Morality
Runes of Black Magic
Runes of Royalty
Exclusive bonus novella- Death Marked Witch.
For all the people that live in books. For all those that live in worlds only made up by dreams and words.
Prologue
“I . . . I am so sorry for this,” I mumble, kissing my niece’s forehead and wishing I didn’t have to leave her here. If there was any other way . . . no, I can’t even think like that. I look up at the flashing lights of the hospital, my heart breaking with every little step towards the entrance. It shouldn’t be like this; nothing about this feels right. Protectors do not leave their own on the streets, and she will be all alone.
“We will never forget who you are, Evelina. My sister's life will not have been forfeited tonight for nothing, because you will survive," I whisper to her. I place the basket on the steps and make sure Evelina is covered up in her blanket, with only her arms out. I glance at her beautiful face, her now dark-blue hair, and her rune marks on her little arms. Only two weeks old, and her life is changed forever, with only her hair as proof anything happened at all. The door to the hospital opens, and I turn, walking away. I know the humans will keep her safe. They cannot see her runes. They will just think she is one of them until she is older, and her powers emerge. I hear Evelina start to cry, and then the soothing voice of a human comforting her. I pause and call one of my runes, opening a portal to my home. I know when I leave here, I cannot come back. Not ever.
“Where is she?” the keeper demands as soon as my portal opens into the hall. They all are standing there waiting for me. Not that I expected anything less, I had just hoped I could escape the same death sentence as my sister.
“Gone,” I respond.
“Tell us, or we will force you. The child needs to be destroyed; she is a monster!” the keeper growls. I slide my sword out of my sheath and look up at the glass ceiling to stare at the stars for a second, wanting to keep the image in my mind. The beauty of the night is a wonder.
“For Evelina,” I shout, and thrust the sword straight through my heart.
One
Evie
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask, trying not to yawn from boredom as I hold my sword at my side, resting on it while I stare at the Protector. He isn’t the typical type that comes after me, that’s for sure. Usually Protectors are all posh assholes in shiny suits, but this guy looks li
ke a fake-leather store threw up on him.
“You must die, and I will be the one that finally–” his boring, predictable speech is interrupted when my phone starts ringing. I sigh in relief, not wanting to hear that same old speech again. I pull out my phone and see Hali’s name flashing. I answer and place it on loudspeaker, resting it on the dumpster near me.
“Yeah?” I answer, looking back at the Protector as he runs towards me, his sword raised.
“Evie, when are you coming home? I’m starving, and you promised me Chinese tonight. The good stuff from Chingwa, not from the crappy one you like,” she says as I hit my sword against the Protector’s, and swipe my leg under his, knocking him over. I kick his sword away from him, wondering why they even bothered sending this man after me. He is a worthless fighter.
“Yep, I won’t be long, and I’ll get that damn Chinese for you. Anything else?” I ask as the Protector grabs my leg and calls on his fire rune, trying to burn me. I laugh, lean down, and remove his hand from my leg. I jump on him and place my sword under his neck.
“Evie . . . what are you doing right now?” Hali asks, suspiciously.
“Err, nothing,” I reply, kneeing the Protector between his legs when he tries to knock me off him. He whines before coughing out in pain.
“I don’t believe that, but I want my Chinese, so I’m going to stay quiet. Later,” Hali laughs, and then the sound of beeping lets me know she put the phone down. Good, no fifteen-year-old should have to hear this.
“I might let you go, but only if you tell me who sent you,” I say, already knowing his answer before he opens his mouth. They always say the same thing.
“Never. I would never betray my people. Protectors never betray their blood, and we always protect,” he spits out.
“I’m your people, you idiot,” I try to reason with him, giving him one more chance.
“You are not,” arrogantly declares, his voice rife with condescension.
“I’m a Protector. I really don’t want to do this, but you won’t give up, will you?” I sigh deeply and then lift my sword, shoving it through his heart before he can reply. His mouth widens in shock as I pull my sword out and stand up.
“Death will find you. We will never stop hunting you,” he breathes out, just before his soul light leaves his body, floating up into the sky. I remember the first time I had to kill a Protector, and I saw the light of his soul leave his body. It scared me, but then I saw it for what it truly is: beautiful. Beautiful that even an evil Protector has light in his soul. That no matter how many of my own people I am forced to kill to survive, there might be a little bit of light remaining in my own soul. At least I can hope there is.
“If only things could be different,” I say, disappointed in yet another one of my kind. Pulling the pen and little notebook from my pocket that I carry everywhere with me now, I flip it open and rip out a page. I quickly jot down the same thing I do every time I am forced to kill those that come after me . . . my rune name. It is the very reason I am hunted, the thing that many people now fear, and yet, I have no idea what it actually says. I leave the note on his stomach and pick my phone up before walking out of the alleyway, down the empty street.
“Crappy Chinese, here I come,” I mutter, wishing Hali didn’t love that place. They don’t do the bacon fried rice that I love, or anything with bacon in it. The place sucks. I keep my eyes down as I walk down the empty streets of the small Scottish town where I live. The people here don’t come out after dark, too scared of the possibility that demons are around. Little do they know that demons wouldn’t be interested in a small town like this. It’s why I chose to live here. The flashing lights of the Chinese place come into view, and I walk across the road, pulling the door open and hearing the ringing of the little bell. The middle-aged Chinese woman looks up, rolls her eyes at me, and looks back down.
“Hello to you, too,” I mutter, but the woman doesn’t reply to me. I grab a Chinese menu off the side, flipping through it before looking back at the woman.
“I’m ready to order,” I say, trying to get her attention.
“Your child called and placed your order already, Evie.”
“She isn’t my child, more like a pain in my ass. I’ll just wait then,” I grumble, putting the menu back in its place.
“A young girl like you shouldn’t be out on the streets at night,” the woman says, stopping me from walking away.
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m not afraid of demons.”
“No, your kind is never afraid of what they hunt,” she chuckles, as the bell rings behind her. She walks over to get my bag of food before I can reply to her. Not many beings can sense what I am, and I’m quite surprised a human has the ability. She hands the bag over the counter to me.
“How did you know?” I ask.
“My family have always been able to sense things. You should be careful at night, Miss Evie. Demons are not what you should fear.” With those cryptic words, she walks away, leaving me standing in the shop alone and wondering if she is mad, or possibly, telling me the truth.
Two
Evie
“Awesome, you’re finally back,” Hali says, coming out of the kitchen, and running over to me. She doesn’t look at me with any kind of care or worry, nope her eyes are just on the Chinese. A girl after my own heart, right there.
“I have to feed the teenager I look after, don’t I?” I say, and she smiles, taking the bag off me. I glance over at Hali, wondering when she started to look so much older. She doesn’t look like a child anymore, which to be honest, freaks me out a little. She turned fifteen yesterday, but I still think of her as the eight-year-old she was when she started living with me after her mother died. Hali is beautiful, with deep-brown skin matching her black, long African hair which she braids. She has stunning pale-grey eyes, like all witches have, and nearly all lights reflect off them. I turn around, pulling my coat off and hanging it on the hook by the front door. I put my sword underneath it, using my coat to hide the blood so Hali won’t see. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror behind the door, almost cringing at how much of a mess I am. My dark-blue, waist length hair is messy today, and my blue eyes look tired. I don’t look like my twenty-five-year-old age, no, I look about fifty from all the stress. I swear if I find a grey hair, I’m going to lose it.
“Did you finally kill the Protector following you?” Hali asks, shocking me as she sits on the sofa and pulls Chinese boxes out of the bag, like she didn’t just ask something important.
“How did you even know we had one following?” I ask, curious. She never has noticed before, and she is basically a human until she turns eighteen, so it couldn’t be magic she used to find out.
“You look tired, exhausted really, and it’s because you don’t sleep when one follows us. Plus, you have blood on your boots,” she says, and I look down, seeing that she is right. Damn, I hope that comes off, these are new boots. I reach over, picking up a box and grabbing a plastic fork out of the bag.
“Good work, detective,” I say, making her laugh, but it dies off quickly as her pale, serious eyes meet mine.
“Do you think they will ever stop coming after you? What did you do anyway?” she asks, and I go to change the subject because she is too young to deal with the truth, when she interrupts me.
“Don’t lie to me. I’m not a kid anymore, and don’t you think I have a right to know?” she asks, locking her eyes with mine, so I can’t really look away. I know she isn’t a child, sort of, but I still want to protect her. She is like a little sister to me, and the only person in the world I’m close with. I don’t want her to understand the evil in this world until she really has to. This world is full of demons, Protectors, witches, angels, and even the occasional reaper. It was, apparently, better a hundred years ago when all supes used to hide from humans. Now everyone knows about supes, and supes rule the very world humans pretend they still have control over.
“They don’t come for you, so no, not really,�
� I say, shoving food into my mouth, hoping she will just drop this. I almost gag on the taste of the sweet and sour chicken, it’s crap. I miss bacon already.