Chapter 36 Zak #2
I stop at Asher’s right side, noting that he’s completely engrossed in the camera as he checks the heat it’s detecting underground. While he’s so focused, I lean close to his right ear and whisper very lightly, just to give it a test.
“Your mangy hound better not bite, or I’ll riddle the fucker with metal.”
Asher doesn’t seem to hear me. But a second later, he turns his head, notices how close I’ve gotten to him in his peripheral vision, and plants a hand on my face to shove me away.
“Buzz off and give me some space, you obnoxious piece of fucking shit.”
Seriously? After we all just got with Heidi? It’s like he just can’t help himself.
“Look, I’m flattered. But for the last damn time, I’m only interested in Heidi, so stop trying to get into my pants.”
That pulls his attention away from the camera. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the random times you’ve tried hitting on me. I’m Heidi’s alone, and that’s that.”
“Hitting on you?” Asher chokes, utter disgust filling his face. “You’re fucking delusional. Why on earth would you think I’m hitting on—” He pauses, frowning like he’s going back through all our conversations before he squints at me. “You do this every time I insult you.”
Insult?
Oh, is that what this redhead was trying to do?
Relieved that he’s not making passes at me after all, I snort in amusement. “Nothing you’ve said to me could ever be mistaken for an insult. That was all flirting, plain and simple.”
“Only to demons, apparently,” he rolls his eyes before looking at the camera again. “Fine, what’s an insult to someone like you? That you smell like roses, or some backward-ass psychology like that?”
“Nah. Honestly, I’ve never heard a good insult in English. It’s too soft a language, too nuanced and shit. The Nether tongue’s full of them, though.”
“I’ll take your word for it. But just to be clear, I would rather sit through every awful romcom movie ever made for the rest of my life than hit on you. My type is Heidi, and it stops there.”
“Thank khaos. Your dick’s about as appealing as a namghirr tail to me.”
“Whatever that means,” he grumbles, scratching his neck tattoo. “That said, as much as I hate anything related to demons, you’re not as fucking unsufferable as I expected, since you’re good to Heidi. Although Kaenon’s going to need a different English teacher soon because you’re awful at that.”
“Awful? I’ll have you know I learned this shitty language in eight months. I’m a damn excerpt.”
“Expert.”
“What’d I say?”
He huffs and starts to say something else, but we both tense when a wave of heat rolls over us. Attention snaps back to the charred earth in Jada’s backyard, and I realize little glowing cracks are beginning to appear in a large patch of the ground as hellish heat rises from it.
Asher breathes out. “Thank you, gods.”
“Khaos is responsible for spawnings, not those holy pricks,” I inform him.
Then I hurry back around the spawn zone to get to Heidi and the others. Taking my beautiful empath’s hand, I pause for a second to enjoy her curious, surprised emotions before I grin at her, toying with the charm bracelet she’s wearing.
“Ready to see some infernal shit, Candy?”
“Yes. But first, are we in the splash zone?” she asks, watching with wide eyes as the ground continues to heat up.
Jada shakes her head. “I’ve seen a few hellhounds respawn from the depths of the Beyond. It’s one hell of a show, but it’s not going to hurt anyone.”
A second later, bright, demonic red light floods the backyard as a massive, clawed black paw breaks through the charred earth. The ground rumbles as smoke starts to rise from it. The hellhound’s snout emerges next as it digs itself out, and soon its telltale chilling howl splits the night air.
With a savage snarl and a final push like the bowels of the earth itself are birthing this infernal thing, the biggest hellhound I’ve ever fucking seen bursts out of the ground completely. It immediately smells like sulfur and smoke in this backyard.
“Remind you of home?” Ian mutters to me, watching in disturbed fascination.
“I’m not from the hells, dumbass. For the last time, I’m half elemental.”
Heidi’s shock reverberates through my hand, which I still haven’t let go of, so I can enjoy her marveling at this hellish creature firsthand.
“Elemental? I didn’t know that,” she sputters, not taking her eyes off the massive black hound as it shakes its glossy black coat to dispel more ash and dirt.
“Uh-huh. Metal,” I explain, still admiring the hellish perfection of Asher’s pet as it bares its teeth, growling at its new surroundings.
“This must be a very old hellhound,” Kaenon notes. “It is bigger than any I witnessed in my time, long ago.”
“I’m pretty sure it could eat the entire upper half of my body in one bite,” Heidi says faintly, gulping as her fear prickles up my arm from her hand. “My inner animal is kind of freaking out right now.”
I squeeze her hand. Ian takes her other one like he’s just as determined to comfort her.
“Devil!” Asher shouts, whistling.
At once, the terrifying hellhound stops baring its teeth and lifts its head, its ears perking up. Its great big tail swings side to side before it turns and spots Asher. Then it bounds toward him at top speed.
“It will crush Asher,” Kaenon worries.
“Well, everyone has to go at some point,” Ian shrugs, grinning when Heidi elbows him playfully.
The hellhound tackles Asher in the yard and starts barking. Even though the deep sound is something right out of the pits of the hells, it becomes obvious really damn fast that the big fluffball is just excited as fuck.
I don’t think I’ve seen Asher smile yet, but he’s grinning ear to ear as he wraps his arms around Devil’s neck. The hellhound won’t stop licking him.
“Better late than never. Now get off. Off, you damned fleaball,” Asher grunts, trying to shove the happy hellhound off of him.
Devil barks, sitting on Asher’s legs instead as his tail keeps thumping heavily against the yard.
“Yeah, I’m fucking glad to see you too, but I’m going to stick your fluffy ass in obedience training if you don’t get off.”
Heidi giggles beside me, her enjoyment and amusement washing over me like warm rays of the mortal world’s sunlight. “Okay, my inner animal is all good now.”
As soon as Asher finally gets the oversized hound off of him, his pet notices the rest of us and lopes over to sniff all of us.
He snaps playfully at Kaenon, who starts petting the giant beast behind the ear.
Devil lets his tongue loll out, enjoying the attention as Asher walks over, still grinning.
He looks at Heidi. “That’s Devil. I usually call him Dev.”
“He’s so cute,” she grins.
Asher turns to his hound, whistling sharp and low. At once, the loyal, infernal creature is at attention, staring at his master expectantly.
“Guard Heidi,” he points at her and then Ian, me, and Kaenon, “and these three with your life. No exceptions. Got it, Dev?”
Devil barks.
“Good boy.” Asher turns his attention to Jada next. “Thanks for planting his fangs and making this happen, but I have a favor to ask. Some dipshits found where we were staying, so it might be best for us to stay in a safehouse tonight, just in case. If you’re willing—”
She holds up a hand. “Say no more. Our guest room in the basement is all yours, and Dev has plenty of space to hunt on our property until you go. You’re officially invited in,” she adds, speaking specifically to Ian since siphons can’t cross thresholds without an explicit invitation.
“Thanks. I’ll owe you for this,” Asher tells her.
“Not at all,” she says before rejoining her quintet on their back porch.
Heidi smiles, petting the giant hellhound under the neck and scratching behind its ears. “Hi, Dev. I’m going to make you some homemade doggie treats. Yes, I am. Gods, he’s gigantic.”
“He is. What the hell does a thing this big even eat?” Ian frowns at Asher.
“Thralls.”
“Ha fucking ha.”