Chapter Twenty-six
The Dark One plunges through the dark maw behind the throne.
As he does, a line of demons begins rising from the floor between us.
Horns emerge first. Then shoulders. Then claws.
Then black bodies claw their way up from the stone, looking like zombies emerging from the grave.
Each turns toward me with hatred in their obsidian eyes.
Pretty sure I am witnessing the birth of new demons.
Molten, steaming ooze bubbles down their dark skin.
“So gross,” I grunt.
The newly born demons launch themselves at me.
I immediately swing the Devil Killer in a controlled arc.
Blammo! Six demons vanish. But a seventh catches hold of my ankle and immediately digs a sharp claw into it.
I fly higher, then twist around and drive my free foot into its flat face.
Next, I drive the point of my sword straight down through the top of its skull. The thing disappears in a loud poof.
I still don’t like killing. Not humans, not alien soldiers. And definitely not kidnapped warriors forced to fight for the pleasure of others.
But demons are another story. Yeah, I make exceptions for those suckers.
A cheer suddenly erupts above me. I glance upward and see a balcony crowded with palace servants, many holding torches, stones, knives, and pieces of broken furniture.
They are throwing everything they can find down at the demons below.
One elderly man in gold-trimmed robes drops what appears to be an entire dining chair onto a demon’s head. The demon barely notices.
I keep moving, zig-zagging through the air, flapping my wings hard and fast.
Ahead, the dark opening rapidly begins to close behind the fleeing Dark One, its two sides coming together magically like a massive stone zipper.
Nearby demons sense where I am going and move to block me. The Dark One is obviously willing to sacrifice as many of his ‘children’ as necessary to keep me from reaching him. I would expect nothing less.
I heft the Devil Killer in both hands.
“Out of my way, assholes!” I growl.
Except the demons do not get out of my way.
Fine by me. I spin and cut through the first rank with a sweeping stroke that takes four demons out at once.
Black smoke plumes into one big cloud. I beat my wings furiously, clearing my vision as a spear whistles past me.
I let it pass harmlessly by, and answer with a backstroke that removes the thrower’s head.
Poof. Gone.
Something sinks its teeth into my shoulder.
For creatures destined to soon become nothing more than black smoke, they sure feel awfully solid at times.
I cry out more from surprise than pain, drive my elbow backward, and feel teeth break against my bone.
As the demon rears back, snarling, I spin and erase him with the Devil Killer.
Another pulls at my right wing, sending me spinning.
The Devil Killer flashes once, and the demon disappears when I come back around to face him.
My angel wing burns where it grabbed it, but it works just fine when I test it.
Meanwhile, the archway continues to narrow before me.
I can feel the Dark One inside, trying to get into my mind.
Hell, into my blood, my bones. The sword begins vibrating violently in my hand, perhaps from anticipation, pulling me forward like a hunting dog catching a scent.
“You want him too, eh?” I chuckle amid the chaos.
The blade seemingly grows warmer in response.
Suddenly, a massive demon steps into my path.
It towers over the others, broader by half, his body encased in black armor that appears to have grown directly from its flesh.
Curved horns sweep back over its flat skull.
Molten eyes stare at me with a familiarity I don’t like.
In both hands he carries a sword made of fire.
When it speaks, the voice belongs to the Dark One:
“No farther, vampire.”
“That’s not how this works, idiot.”
“Then how does it work?”
“I’m coming for you, whether you want me to or not.”
The entity roars and attacks. I parry, blocking it, though its fiery sword nearly knocks the Devil Killer from my hands as I skid backward across the stone.
It immediately strikes again, forcing me to defend myself on my back.
Its next swipe nearly drives me into the ground.
It moves far faster than the other demons, which doesn’t make a lot of sense, since it is twice as big.
I block blow after blow and finally find my feet between swings. I duck under its next overhead attack. Its fiery blade burns through a stone pillar behind me, turning the stone into instant magma. Immortal or not, that sword would probably kill me.
With incredible speed, it immediately slashes down, and I dart to the side. Heat blazes past me. I turn, and launch an attack of my own, swiping across its broad chest, but... nothing. The Devil Killer blade simply spits sparks against the black armor.
“Oh, come on.”
It backhands me with its free hand, sending me rolling head over butt until I slam into a wall hard enough to crack the stone and my head. My vision blurs as my inner alarm screams. Without thinking or seeing, I roll to the side as its blade crashes through the floor where I’d just been.
I kick upward, catching the demon beneath the chin before driving the Devil Killer deep beneath the edge of his breastplate. The blade slides home. The demon freezes.
“Gotcha.”
White-gold light bursts through the cracks in its armor. For an instant the entity glows from within, then its entire body explodes into a whorl of black smoke.
With the archway nearly closed, I rocket forward, flying hard. Behind me, the battle rages on. Baltazar’s voice echoes through the corridors as he directs fighters. Somewhere out there Salt Creek lets loose a tiny battle cry. Beasts roar. Demons scream. Prisoners shout. Pure chaos.
While the battle rages behind me, ahead awaits the monster who started it all.
Speaking of which, I tuck my wings in, turn slightly, and rocket through the narrowing slit in the wall just as it closes behind me.
Immediately, the war cries are muted. I land lightly on black stone, the Devil Killer glowing softly in my hand.
My inner alarm buzzes softly. Here be danger.
The dark walls pulse like living flesh, which they just might be.
Warmth rises through the soles of my boots.
Somewhere deep within the darkness, a slow heartbeat echoes steadily toward.
A darker shadow awaits in a room of complete darkness.
I adjust my grip on the sword.
And walk toward the hulking shadow.