Chapter 8 #2
That made her feel better. For a moment, she’d thought he had disintegrated the beast. “Can you do that with the others?”
“Maybe. If I don’t explode them first.”
She widened her eyes. “What?”
“Could happen. Wouldn’t be the first time I did so. Depends on how mad they make me. I can’t always control the pressure I use or what it hits. Like a scatter gun. That’s why they duck and cover when I lose my shit.”
Now, she understood. That was why he tried not to lose his shit. “So, stay behind you and be ready to get slimed.”
“Exactly.” Luke inclined his head to her. “And don’t shoot them. It’ll only piss them off. Even the hellfire bullets. They’re used to the fire.”
She pulled her hand away from her weapon. “Okay. Anything else?”
“Don’t run. They will chase.” He gave her a hard stare. “You don’t want them to chase.”
That wasn’t terrifying at all. “Good safety tip. Noted.”
He started for the chaos inside the store.
With a deep breath, she followed after Luke, toward the entrance.
Shattered glass crunched under her feet as she tried to peer inside the store.
She saw nothing.
Not until Luke used his powers to throw open the double doors so hard that she was amazed they weren’t torn from their hinges.
Shrieks filled the air as the demons ran around an old-fashioned truck toward the back of the store.
“He’s pissed. Run!”
“Freedom!”
“Help, I’m melting!” That from a demon who crouched down by a pub-style bar.
“No! I need more cookies.” The purple-fleshed demon ran to one of the brick walls where bags of cookies were hanging.
“Freedom!” That seemed to be a thing. Or a theme. In human form, the demon ran for the door.
Luke caught him with his powers and pulled him back into the store where he was slammed down next to the crouching demon.
Amused, Sorcha relaxed.
Until a giant hole opened up under Luke’s feet. He fell through it.
Gasping, she started forward until Simi mom-checked her by putting her arm out to keep Sorcha in place.
“Just wait,” Simi said.
An instant later, Luke came out of the hole with his set of fiery wings extended. Before he could completely clear the hole, a huge charred hand with flames wrapped around Luke’s booted foot and tried to pull him back into the pit.
With a feral hellhound growl, Luke reached down and took the hand in his. He yanked the beast from the hole and slammed him against the floor.
Twice.
Sorcha immediately stumbled back. At least ten feet tall, this wasn’t one of the cute closet demons she was used to.
This was exactly what she expected from a hellbeast. Charred skin, red eyes, and hair made of fire, he was something straight out of a horror movie. Flames rippled over him as he turned to Luke who appeared unfazed by the creature.
“Really? We’re doing this?”
The demon laughed. “Thanks for the hand.”
Luke returned that laughter. “Oh, that wasn’t a hand up.” He backhanded the much taller creature. “I’m sending you back to Hell. I just wanted something I could knock around for a bit with impunity. C’mon, douche. Hit me!”
Simi’s eyes widened as much as Sorcha’s at those words. Covering her lips with her hand, Simi pulled Sorcha farther into the store.
“What’s going to—” Her words broke off as Luke and the demon began to pummel each other.
The other demons ran for the door. But as soon as they tried to cross the threshold, something she assumed was Luke’s power caught their bodies like a rubber band and slammed them into the brick wall where the cookie racks were set.
Like two gladiators, Luke and the demon faced off. The demon knocked Luke back, but Luke caught himself with his wings and returned the blow with one of his own. It was so fierce that Sorcha ached in sympathy.
Yet as strong as it was, the demon took it, shook it off, and lunged toward Luke again.
Simi grabbed a bag of cookies from the floor, opened it, and offered some to Sorcha.
“No, thank you. How can you eat with this going on?”
She shrugged. “It’s a fight. Reminds me of when akri and akri-Styxx get together. About half the time, theys end up in a nasty brawl. Sometimes with weapons. Most times not. Still, gets so bad, akri’s horns come out.”
Sorcha was horrified by the thought. “Styxx is Acheron’s twin?”
Swallowing her cookie, Simi nodded. “Theys don’t always gets along. Akra-Bethany says that sometimes you just gots to put your foot up someone’s ass.” She jerked her chin toward Luke. “Akri-Luke is making a point.”
Yes, he was.
The demon was trying to beat him, but Luke wasn’t having it.
He grabbed the demon by the arm, twisted it and flipped the demon, then wrenched the demon’s arm until he cried out.
“Had enough?”
The demon screamed out and turned his head completely around to stare up at Luke. “I don’t bow to you anymore!”
“And I’ve never bent my knee to you.” Luke snapped his arm, then tossed him back into the pit. Waving his hand, he sealed the portal. His eyes were blood red as he turned toward his closet demons.
Shrieking and begging, they huddled in a corner.
“Please, dominus!”
“Don’t hurt us!”
“We’re innocent!”
“Shaddix let us out!”
Those last four words were what saved them. Sorcha watched as Luke returned to normal. His wings fizzled out as he returned to standing on the floor. Amber replaced the red in his eyes.
He glared at the last demon who’d spoken. “What did you say, Holler?”
“Shaddix opened the door and said for us to go terrorize the villagers. We’re just doing what we were told.”
Luke grabbed the one he’d called Holler. At first, Sorcha thought he was going to throttle him.
Instead, he pulled the demon’s back against his chest and placed his hand over its eyes.
Not sure of what he had planned, Sorcha looked at Simi. “Should we stop that?”
Simi shook her head slowly. “The Simi’s thinking this is about to get weird. What flavor of cookie goes with that?”