16. Chapter SixteenDaria
Chapter Sixteen
Daria
B efore I could jump up and avoid getting slashed to death, Marcus had lifted me in the air and settled me behind him. Damn, he was fast. The demon looked like all my worst nightmares come true. I tried not to judge a book by its cover; I was crushing on a green orc, after all. However, the hairs on my arms were threatening to escape for fear.
The demon didn’t try to come after me. He only stared at me with those creepy yellow, pupil-free eyes. He lowered his hand and remained flat on the ground. His roaring settling down to a horse cry. He was trying to speak and was most likely very confused. I doubted he died a peaceful death, and his attempt at attacking me most likely was a result of him fighting on his way to death. He was picking back up where he dropped off. That still scared the hell out of me.
Lopez eyed the demon on the ground with excited curiosity, his hands shoved in his pockets, clearly less worried than me. “Is he a zombie, or is he back?”
I shrugged. I honestly had no idea. Having never resurrected a being at this level before, I was still in shock. Bringing someone back from the dead was never easy. Bringing someone back who had been bones only moments ago was new territory. I didn’t even think it was possible, let alone that I could do it. It had to be due to the claiming. Alpha and omega pairings always increased strength. I didn’t know it would to this degree. Still, that didn’t mean that this demon wouldn’t end up being some type of zombie. Could his brain even function? And if it could, could it work without my control? I knew the gang didn’t bring this guy back just for me to work him like a puppet. They wanted him functioning.
I looked over to Lopez. “I need his name. I have to call him to alertness.”
He stubbornly grimaced. Man, he did not want to share this guy’s identity. “It’s the only way,” I encouraged him.
“Rorrick,” he replied.
I raised my brows in surprise. That was not the name I was expecting. It sounded very pedestrian. I was expecting something more horror movie-sounding, like Sardor.
“Does he have a last name?” I asked. “That would help.”
Lopez’s cheek twitched with irritation. “Rorrick is the only name we know him by.”
“Ok, so I need to narrow this down a bit. Where is he from?”
“I’m assuming Hell originally, but after that, here.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Thanks so much.” I rolled my shoulders back and looked back at the very agitated demon. “Rorrick of... Baltimore, you are alive and well. Can you speak?”
I waited patiently as Rorrick sputtered until his lips moved to form something that sounded like a yes. “Awesome, do you know where you are?”
He finally looked around. “Ssstreet.”
Well, he was being literal, but at least he wasn’t brain dead and could speak. That put him a step above zombies. “Can you sit up?”
He rolled to his side and sat upright in one quick motion. He was more coordinated than I thought he would be at this stage. Maybe he was really powerful. He certainly felt it. The magic brimmed off him like steam in a pot.
“Cool beans, do you know what happened to you?”
His face shifted into a mask of anger. “Kkkilled.”
Whoa. I had not expected him to remember his death. Most undead forgot that part, which was usually for the better. “How were you killed?”
“Witches.”
And no more stutter. He was quick. That was scary. It was time to get the hell out of here. I looked to Lopez. “Welp, he’s back, and he can speak, move, and think. My work here is done. No need to pay me other than returning Sam.”
Sam, who up until that moment had been wide-eyed and quiet, lifted his bound wrists and gave a little wave.
Lopez slowly shook his head, and I already knew leaving wouldn’t happen easily. “How do we know he’s back to his old self? You’re prompting him with questions, but can he reason on his own?”
I turned back to Rorrick. “What’s five times ten?”
Rorrick gave me an almost offended look, lifting the corner of his upper lip and exposing those vicious teeth. “Fifty. Why are you testing me?”
I looked back to Lopez and waved my hand in Rorrick’s direction as if to prove the demon’s mind was fine. Lopez looked less convinced. He offered his hand to the other demon to help him to his feet.
Rorrick looked at it with distaste and then leapt to his feet, assessing the area. “Why am I here?”
“You died over twenty years ago,” Lopez began. “But before that, you used to run these streets. You even had the police shook. It took the witches years to find a way to bring you down with a spell. Since you been gone, the witches have gained more control of the city. They’ve stifled our growth—especially the demons. We got vampires, were, and orc gangs taking more control than us. It didn’t used to be like that.”
Rorrick snarled, stepping off the tarp. I took a step closer to Marcus, who pushed me behind him. The hairs on my arms refused to go down. “No, it didn’t. I assume you brought me back to right things.”
Lopez pointed at him. “Exactly, my friend. We need your help. Demonkind needs your help to get us more control. You were legendary. We want the good old days back.”
Rorrick stared at the warehouse with disgust. “In my day, I lived in a mansion. Is this your lair?”
“One of them, although we ain’t got no mansion.”
“Shame. I’m hungry.”
Lopez clapped his hands. “Oh, we got plenty of food, boss man.”
Rorrick looked at the crowd of thugs. “I see,” he said before racing to a random demon flunky and ripping his head off in one blink of an eye. He turned the head upside down and drank the dripping blood from the torn neck as if it were a cup.
My knees weakened, and Marcus held me upright, his grip so tight it bordered on painful.
Rorrick looked back around at the crowd, others taking steps farther back with fear in their eyes. Even Lopez had the decency to look uneasy. Rorrick wiped at his face and tossed the head behind him. Dropped in Sam’s direction, the younger orc kicked it slightly away from him, his face appearing as queasy as I felt.
“Who brought me back?” Rorrick demanded. He didn’t even bother wiping his face. My stomach bubbled.
Can we leave now? I called in my head to Marcus. It was time to get the hell out of here.
Any moment now. I already gave the signal.
How had I missed that? I guess it was supposed to be subtle. I had to hope his people were as discreet as they seemed. So far, the gang hadn’t noticed any extra presence around them. They had wards up and guards walking the block, but they weren’t that savvy. Or rather, they didn’t have the resources Marcus had to detect invisible beings with cloaking magic.
In the meantime, I needed to answer this creature from Hell. I peeked out behind Marcus. “It was me. No need to thank me. We’ll be on our way. I think it’s clear to all that you are of sound mind and body.”
He walked closer to me, his cat eyes expressionless. A coldness dripped down my spine. “Now, why would we let you go, necromancer? You brought me back from Hell without a spell, ritual, or sacrifice. That’s the kind of power we need to keep to take over this city again. Maybe raise an undead army.”
I shook my head, clinging onto Marcus’ t-shirt, who stood very stoic in front of me. “She’s not doing that. The deal was to get her to bring you back and get my brother back to me.”
Rorrick cocked his head to the side, for the first-time acknowledging Marcus. “Who are you?”
Lopez leaned forward. “He was the enforcer for the Tolsen family until he retired.”
The demon smiled, and I was sure a portion of my soul left my body. His grin practically split his face in two. Didn’t he have magic to make him look human? I was convinced he was a menace before simply because of the heart attacks he was giving people on sight. Not to mention, he was still very naked and unbothered.
“Tolsen family. I’m well aware of them. We did business together before my... departure. How’s your father, Claude?”
Marcus stiffened, and I could feel the antsy energy bouncing inside him. “Dead,” he replied through gritted teeth.
“Shame.” He pointed a sharp finger at Marcus. “But I know about you—the things you did as a child. You were a beast. You will work for me.”
When I say your name, run toward the street and keep heading to our meet up spot. A redhead named Trish will appear next to you. She’ll keep you safe. I won’t be far behind. Marcus said in my mind.
He’d told me the plan before, and I know he was repeating it to be safe. He was thorough like that. The irony in all this was that now, I didn’t want to leave him. He was big and strong, but that red demon was terrifying. He had claws, and Marcus kept his talons short for his work. He was also unarmed; the gang members had patted us down before we entered the building. However, my fighting abilities were limited. I could shoot a gun; I’d gone to the gun range many times with family, but that was it with my offensive ability. I’d only be in the way if I stuck around now.
Marcus shifted in his stance, flexing his fingers. “Think I’ll pass.”
Rorrick chuckled and then pointed to a random gang member. “You, subdue him.”
The member, a young demon with purple scaly skin and an unfortunate mullet, looked around as if unsure before squaring his body in Marcus’ direction and charging forward.
Marcus didn’t even move, waiting as the demon came closer. Once he was in reaching range, Marcus shot his hand out, wrapping it over the demon’s face. He then crushed it as if balling up a piece of paper. He did it so easily, and my heart stopped beating as I listened to the sickening crunch of bone, gore, and blood seeping between his fingers.
I turned my head away, not waiting to see the body drop. I knew he was strong, but to see him in action was another thing. To see how destructive he could be was fear-inducing.
This was all a nightmare.
Rorrick howled with laughter, clapping his hands. “There’s my killer. Doesn’t look so retired to me.”
“Daria,” Marcus said in a deep booming voice.
I almost missed it, so wrapped up in this living nightmare, but I quickly came to attention before I turned and ran to the street. I was no track star, but I didn’t have to be because, at the same time, a loud boom rocked the area and shook the ground, setting off alarms in cars. A dust of cold blue smoke clouded the space, and I could see nothing beyond my hands in front of my face. Not only that, but the smoke felt stifling and icky as if it were sticking to my skin like sticky paper. I knew it had a negative effect on demons, working almost like kryptonite and momentarily weakening them. A magic mixture made up by one of Marcus’ magic wielding buddies.
Lucky for me, it didn’t slow me down, and I simply trusted that I wouldn’t run into an enemy or get hit by a car. Marcus’ people had scoped the place and knew the layout. The directions they’d given him for my exit were vague, but they took into consideration that I wouldn’t be able to see landmarks or street signs in the smoke. Once I pushed off the sidewalk onto the street, I was to turn left, and the rest was me, counting footsteps and making left and right until I cleared the smoke. Any warding was already taken down. Angie, who had been blocked out by the gang wards but free from Marcus’ ward, materialized in front of me.
She’d listened to Marcus’ plans and knew everything I did. “Follow my voice. I can see through this foolishness.”
And so, I followed my bestie through the fog. Once the cloud had dissipated and I could see again, I moved faster. A sudden gust of wind brushed beside me, and soon, a woman materialized on my right. She was freckled with loose, curly red hair piled in a high ponytail. Surprised, I sped up my jog, my mind focused only on one thing. Getting out without getting sidetracked. I hadn’t fought in decades, but I would try my darndest if I had to take this stranger down.
“I’m Trish. You can slow down now!” she called.
I looked to Angie, who shrugged. “She looks like the Trish he described.”
That’s right. He did say she’d be a redhead. I slowed to a walk and began to follow Trish. “You have teleportation magic?”
She flashed a toothy smile, exposing sharp teeth. “And then some.”
“What are you?”
Her eyes flashed like glowing orbs. “Demon. Best way to get in this territory undetected.” She pointed to Marcus’ car, which had been moved from where we last left it. “Let’s go.”
We hopped in the car, and she tapped an earpiece in her left ear. “Do you have little bro?” She paused. “Need me to teleport in? ... Got it.”
I frowned, nerves and fear wracking me. “Did they get out?”
“We got Sam out, but Marcus and company are a bit detained.” She started the car. “But I have instructions to get you out.”
“What? No, not without him.”
Trish shook her head and began to drive. “I don’t like leaving a man behind either, but those were my orders. And while it’s really cute you want to help your man, what are you going to be able to do? No shade. I have instructions to take you to a drop-off location. You stay there until Marcus arrives this evening. Then he’s taking you to the safe house. If he doesn’t show up by nightfall, you call your cop friends.”
“Or we can call them now,” Angie muttered from the back seat.
Trish glanced at me quickly before looking back at the road. “Look, he figured these guys wouldn’t let you go. It was worth a try. But you aren’t safe. Now that they know what you can do, they’ll be coming for you. Marcus can keep you safer than the police. At least give him a chance to finish his plan. He’s going to get out of this. He’s gotten out of worse.”
That was a cold comfort. He was surrounded by the gang and that monster demon. I had no idea how many people came in to aid him, but he let me know it wasn’t a lot. “With no weapons?”
“They brought in weapons. And if I were you, I wouldn’t try to contact him yet. You’ll only distract him with your mate telepathy. Let him do what he knows how to do. Plus, the police were called so the fight won’t last too long. He just has to get out before they catch him. Which he will.”
I bit my lip, staring out of the window, unsettled. Marcus was strong. I knew that. Hell, I’d witnessed that. My stomach rumbled at the memory of him crushing that demon’s face with barely any effort. His strength was hot, but his destruction was terrifying. And for that reason, I had to believe he would be safe and that I would see him again. I didn’t want to run from Marcus anymore. I wanted to run to him. I hoped I would get the chance to do just that.