Title: Hunted: A Jonathan Harker Novel
Author: Christopher Draven
Genre: Paranormal Thriller / Urban Fantasy
Slinging Spells with Broken Ribs Isn’t Easy
Jonathan Harker, mage and life-long demon hunter, wakes to find himself tied to a chair and severely wounded. His captor, a demon in service to a summoner who wants Harker alive.
Armed with impossibly powerful magic and a gang of demon toughs, the summoner has snared Harker in a deadly trap. Nothing is ever easy, and being new in town has left Harker with few allies. However, with help from a Fortune-Teller named Clover and a self-described “Kitchen Witch” named Momma Dee, Harker fights back.
To prevail, Harker must walk unprepared into a pit of demons and black magic – and come out alive on the other side.
A crack of thunder, followed by a wave of warped air, exploded out from my hand – ripping my fingers wide.
The pressure of the trick slammed into Cresh when he was only a few inches away. The counter-force of the magic pushed me back against the wall, threatening to knock me down; but I kept my balance. The drywall behind me fractured and buckled.
Cresh was struck, the force of the power stopping him in mid-air. Ripples of energy warped the air around the demon. The strength of the magic overwhelmed his momentum and held.
Growling in frustration, Cresh waited until the magic, gravity, and his inertia cancelled each other out. The force was quickly spent, and natural laws were reinstated. Cresh dropped to the ground, landing with unnatural grace.
The whole exchange did nothing but stop the demon from falling on top of me. Cresh stepped forward, completely unfazed, and reached out to take hold of me.
The familiar sensations of dread, nerves, and fear crept up my spine. I hated the part of me that fell so easily into fright – the human part. I had faced creatures best left unnamed, and every time I felt the fear. A fear I first experienced when confronted with death and eternal damnation.
The sense of impending doom threatened to overwhelm my will. I fought back, channeled my power into a single strike, and unleashed a torrent of magic upon the demon.
And I missed.
Christopher Draven has worked as an instructional designer, newspaper journalist, and ghost writer.
One soggy Monday morning, he committed to leaving behind the soul-stealing work of corporate puppetry and escaped to a meadow where he could concentrate on his passion. Since that fateful day, Christopher has focused on learning the craft of fiction. Email: [email protected]
