7. Beach Day Blues #2
Meanwhile, the demon let out screams of agony and flailed its cut appendages wildly, opening its beak to snarl at me.
I landed on its head and raced along the surface, ducking out of the other tentacles that kept trying to reach for me by turning into smoke each time one got a grip on my waist. The demon became infuriated by this and chose to use a sonic wave of demonic energy to blast me across the ocean's waves instead.
I bounced across the surface before skidding out, shooting the creature a narrowed glare.
“Now you’re pissing me off,” I spat before drawing a symbol on the water’s surface.
When my palm hit the top, a rush of Elemental energy from the Shadow Realm rushed through me, and once I was powered up, I raced in a blur across the ocean to the creature.
“Claude: send shocks into this big bitch and make him into calamari. Alice: help roast his tentacles so he can’t keep grabbing us.
May: keep me fueled up so I can move along the water.
The rest of you: watch the guys on the shore and keep them out of this.
I don’t need extra hands in the pot while I’m dealing with this thing. ”
“Aye, aye, sir!” Alice called before we all dispersed.
“What kind of demon is that?” Soren called over the ferocious screeches and waves cracking against the shoreline.
“It’s a none-of-your-business-calamari-dinner, that’s what. Stay back and let Nick handle this,” Bianca scolded as she took Soren by the ear and dragged him back to the sand so he could pout at a tolerable distance.
Claude sent a vibrant bolt of lightning through the center of the octopus’s head, which made its body flash white.
Smoke plumed from its sizzling head, and its beak stretched wide so it could let out weak puffs of air.
He pelted it with repetitive strikes of lightning, discombobulating the creature and leaving it disorientated enough that it couldn’t put up an easy fight.
I had to be careful about touching the water when Claude was shocking it, as I didn’t want to get fried myself, but still managed to spring towards the head of the giant demon.
I brought my scythe back and slammed it into the neck, sawing through it like butter.
The creature clawed and howled for me, but Alice fried its tentacles off quickly, leaving behind nubs that were sizzling from the extinguished fire it had put out trying to salvage its arms. I got through the demon’s head fully before it separated from the body, plummeting into the ocean with thick black blood oozing from the opening.
The blood sat like a slick oil spill along the surface of the water, a shimmering rainbow in the sunlight that cut through the clouds.
I landed on the ocean waves and wiped sweat off my forehead, huffing once in satisfaction at the sight of the dead demon. “Well, that was an unexpected twist for the day.”
“What would make a demon like that attack in broad daylight?” Alice asked as she landed beside me, hovering over the waves so they wouldn’t dampen the fire dancing around her hands and eyes.
“Your guess is as good as mine.” I peered through the crack to Gehenna I had summoned to make sure the body would fall back where it belonged. “I wonder if something is going on down there?”
“Maybe we should go check it out?” Jackson offered.
I sucked my teeth and leaned against my scythe with a scowl. “And to think I was supposed to be on vacation!”
I stormed down the steps leading into Gehenna with smoke sizzling around my eyes.
I was still in my swimsuit but had thrown a baggy t-shirt over my bare chest. My flip-flops smacked the cracked stone steps as I rushed towards the Inn, my mouth in a cemented frown.
“Where is Evris?” I demanded, crossing my arms stiffly as I propped myself up at the desk in the lobby.
“Mr. Grim, hello! I will summon her for you…” the receptionist exclaimed, though her eyes were wide with anxiety as she hit a button under the desk.
The signal rang loudly through the Layer, a deafening sound that made every demon and Hunter inside turn their heads in our direction.
Their eyes followed from me to the stairwell, where a rapid set of footsteps raced down the steps.
Evris came from around the bend, her hair disheveled, and makeup smeared around the corners of her eyes. She smudged it back into place before flattening her blouse and moving to shake my hand. “Nick, hey! Long time no see. Nice outfit, by the way.”
“It would be nice if I was on the beach, like I’m supposed to be,” I rumbled.
“What are you doing down here?” she peeped worriedly.
“I’d like to ask the same of you.” I looked her up and down with a disapproving scowl. “You seem to be having an enjoyable time.”
“Oh, well…” She brushed a hand through her hair to neaten up her appearance further. “I-Is something wrong?”
“Well, I just fought a pretty hardcore demon up in Italy, and judging from the aura coming from it, it seems to belong to Icheiris’s Layer. I thought you were helping oversee that with Beatrix?” I scolded, raising an eyebrow at her.
“Oh, yes, well-…?” Elias came down the steps after Evris, fixing buttons on his shirt.
When he saw Evris and I standing at the front entrance, his face flushed bright red, and he ducked out of the side door with a loud, gruff grumble under his breath.
Evris turned redder than her lover and leaned against the counter with a fake laugh.
“I-I had Beatrix tending to the Layer this morning, so really, you should be looking for her?” she stammered, biting her lip feverishly.
“Ah heh…” I flicked her temple, which made her flinch. “Maybe, instead of canoodling with Elias, you should be watching the exits to the Realm better.”
“Er, sorry…” She straightened up and cleared her throat. “On a more serious note, Beatrix really was meant to watch over the Layer today. We should probably go check on her and see if everything is ok.”