Which meant, that being out of my power, I could turn my attention back to the hunters.
Except? I couldn’t. The “sunburn” wasn’t healing like other injuries, and I knew if I tried to fight them they could kill me.

If I tried to talk them down, they wouldn’t listen to me.

I had to let Seb and Kanesha handle it, but it was a strange feeling. I felt as helpless as when I had thought I was only a teenaged girl with memory problems. Possibly more so. Once you’re used to being able to do something and protect people, it really hurts to have that something taken away.

And taken away it was. I let out a breath. “Your turn to protect me,” I murmured to the absent Kanesha.

Maybe that was only fair. There was a bit of pain in it, though. How could I ask her to protect me when I wasn’t sure I could continue to love her?

No. I would always love her. I wasn’t sure I could stay with her. Or…what was bothering me?

I couldn’t put a finger on it, so I made an effort not to be bothered. Then I saw her.

Another of the hunters. Were they all women? I frowned. If she had a bomb and used it, I was already screwed.

From the way she was glaring, though? I crossed the street towards her. “Hello.”

“Go back to hell.”

“That’s hard, as I’m not from there in the first place.”
She scowled.

“Regardless of what you were taught, there are different things out there. Demons are real, but so’s plenty of other stuff.”

I managed to conceal my anger. She wasn’t one of the two who had blown up the fyrhund, after all. She just wore one of the same jackets.
They were a gang, I decided. Just like any other gang. No better. But I wasn’t going to blow up at her.

“If I…”

“You don’t. And if you come after me or my friends again, you’ll wish you did, because I am not above killing people who give me trouble.”

“Which proves it.”

“I said, who give me trouble. You’ve clearly never met a real demon, or you’d know the difference.” A pause. “I can introduce you to one.”

I meant it, too. Maybe an encounter with Tyz’vel would scare them into some sense.

She reached for a knife. I shook my head. “Don’t. I’m not going to fight you. I’m just saying. Leave me, my friends, and my operations alone.”
That sounded spy movie, but it sounded good. Then I turned and walked away from her, setting my shoulders firmly.

I hadn’t wanted to start a feud or anything, but boy had they started one with me.