Malcolm Douglas exchanged glances with Dwayne Mosby. The two had pledged to keep Tyler’s secrets buried, especially from his family. It would be troublesome if his little sister knew about the life-threatening dangers Tyler faced on a daily basis. Malcolm cleared his throat and stared down at Tracy. “My dear, if you are talking about your brother’s enmity with the Cooper family, I can assure you the matter is already settled.” Dwayne Mosby also chimed in. “Mr. Grant is under my protection, and you have nothing to fear.” Tracy looked up at Britta, seeking help. The latter stepped forward. “Respected members of this gathering, let me reintroduce myself. I am Britta, granddaughter of Butch Salvatore. He is Tyler’s teacher from Montserrat Prison. I am aware of the secret life Tyler leads. There’s no reason to be secretive since it is a time of urgency.” Dwayne’s eyes widened. “You are the blood of the Seraph-” “It would be best not to mention that word publicly, Mr. Mosby,” Britta int

Dagon and Veronica exchanged silent but surprised glances. Gru, their loyal border patrol guard, lay sprawled before them, his back a bloody mess. Clearly, the injuries looked like mauling by a large wild animal.While the others looked stunned, the Red Marauders' two leaders were the least concerned about their follower's demise. Gru was a foot soldier and a dispensable member of their group. They could always recruit more bodies. However, the news the man declared during his last moments was unsettling."That's impossible!" Veronica mouthed with disdain. "There is no way the bloody panther survived last night's battle! Our mercenaries riddled it with bullets while Dagon landed a cursed grenade on its side. I saw the fatal wounds with my own eyes!"Dagon stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is another animal? Panthers are solitary creatures but occasionally hunt with their mates. Considering this one's size, strength, and intelligence, we can also assume it doesn't follow the r

Kat quickly crouched down and surveyed her surroundings. Did the mercenaries get a drop on her? How was that possible? Or was it a wild animal?Kat sniffed the downwind air. They were definitely human beings, and a lot of them. The gurgling of the rivulet water had suppressed the sounds of their approach until the last moment.Kat decided to face them head-on. If the enemy was desperate enough to seek out their own deaths, she was willing to oblige. The girl growled and began her panther transformation. It would take a dozen seconds to turn into the pink panther, but she had enough time before the mercenaries reached her. The footfalls were at least a hundred feet away.Zip! Four balls as large as pumpkins shot out of the surrounding forest. Kat eyed them anxiously. What were they? Cannons? Grenades?Whatever the balls were, they would reach her before the complete transformation. Moreover, they were fired in such a way that Kat would be blinded by the overhead sun. Anyway, the girl c

Tyler offered no response to the evil woman's outburst. He barely acknowledged her voice. The lieutenant gritted her teeth at the duo and fished into her inventory again. She emerged with another can of gasoline. "The flames are only seven feet tall right now," Spaniela barked. "Let's see if your acrobatics can help you escape a fiery tornado." The villainess threw the open can into the blazing firewood. Whoosh! With a sinister roar, the flames rose precipitously, growing to over thirty feet within seconds. Clearly, the cursed gasoline betrayed logic and reasoning. It turned a regular pyre into an inferno! There was no way anybody could escape without getting burned to a crisp. Spaniela threw back her head and cackled. "You monster bitch! You can burn alive with your worshiper!" As the Red Marauders hooted praises for their lieutenant, Kat turned to Tyler. "I appreciate you came to rescue me even though I dismissed you rudely. But our fate is sealed. There's no escaping this curs

Tyler rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I'm not so sure about that. I simply call out to the gods, and they respond immediately. I never really had a problem in that matter. My assumption was that's how the whole contract thing works?"Kat shook her head. "No! I have memories of my previous vessel. Your predecessor lacked such prowess in his early days. It took thirty years for Butch Salvatore to establish trust with the highest tier, the primordial gods! Don't brush it off as a simple feat!"The young man raised an eyebrow. It was not surprising that the goddess Tezcatlipoca would be familiar with Butch, his teacher and precursor. He was the one who framed the divine contracts anyway. "What is this highest tier you speak of? Aren't all gods the same?"The girl facepalmed herself. She was about to answer the question with annoyance when a low rumble was heard. It was her stomach."Kat is hungry," she said rather adorably. "Please feed me."Twenty minutes later, both of them were go