Chapter 41 Souls and Soles - Brands Matter
Souls and Soles- Brands matter
With an unearthly howl that echoed and rattled like an entire legion of demons was arriving, Malachi launched himself at the intruder.
Snarling and frothing at the mouth like a rabid beast, he filled his eyes with flames and let shadows curl from his body.
The dark tendrils expanded around his frame, making him appear larger, concealing his true form.
All the man could see was glowing eyes of fire, wicked fangs, and deep writhing darkness.
A terrified bellow rent the air as the man raised his arms defensively, covering his face.
The spell that made him look and sound like Nick fell away, revealing the attacker's true appearance.
Just another gangly, sloppy man, almost identical to the one outside, he was utterly forgettable and average in every way.
Height, weight, hair color, and even the size of his nose were boring.
As the enraged demon moved closer, the man blindly slashed with the blade, which had blood staining its length, still wet and dripping.
Malachi’s growl grew even more unhinged as he realized why Nathan was silent.
The blade wouldn’t affect his demon hide any more than a regular one, but he still didn’t want to get cut.
Going in low, he bit the man’s ankle, dropping him to the floor.
The intruder’s grip on the blade did not slacken the way Malachi hoped as the jackass continued to flail his arms and clench his teeth. “Die demon!’ he shrieked, while trying to slash wildly. “She’s an abomination! She must be stopped!”
Rolling his eyes, Malachi shifted to full demon form, which was better suited for subduing enemies and removing souls.
He flared his wings for dramatic effect, which was only ruined slightly when the feathers smacked the wall in the confines of the narrow hallway.
Still, his horns glinted evilly as the Hellfire in his eyes lit the dim space.
“You really think you can kill me, stupid mortal?” he laughed and shook his head.
“You really have no idea who you’re fucking with, do you?
” Leaning down he easily plucked the blade from the man’s fingers and studied it casually while gripping his captive’s throat in his other hand.
He absently lifted him and held him out at a distance while he continued to study the sword.
Hefting it and taking a few experimental swings, Malachi shook his head in disgust.
“Seriously, this thing isn’t even a full forsaken blade…
It’s like… a half-saken blade. It wouldn’t even sting a full angel.
Who gave you this? You could stab her, and she’d be like, ‘Tis but a scratch!’ and laugh it off.
” Malachi snorted and shook his head again.
“So, back to my original question. Do you have any idea who you’re fucking with?
Because I’ll be happy to enlighten you.” He bared his teeth, his fangs showing their full razor-like lengths as he drew the sputtering, terrified man close enough to see the individual flames in his eyes.
“I’m the demon in love with the woman you’re trying to kill.
So, it really pisses me off that you’re here.
Also, happy to bring up a sore subject, but she did order me to fetch your soul, and I’m a very good boy.
” He leaned in closer. “This is where you scream, because I guarantee you it’s going to hurt. ”
Lunging, Malachi slid his fangs into the man’s throat, sucking hard and relishing that first pull of a sinner’s blood.
The agonized screams of exquisite pain filled the space, music to his Damned ears.
He inhaled deeply, breathing in the glimmering part of the man that made up the complexity of his soul.
It was certainly tarnished, and while not as sweet as the soul of a human who was otherwise ‘good,’ it was still delicious with its tang of darkness.
He moaned indecently as the soul filled his throat, sliding down into his core like a silky caress.
“Mmm… that’s amazing. I do miss having souls to devour. ”
The man’s form slumped to the floor in a boneless heap as the last of his soul oozed out of his body and into Malachi’s.
An uneasy groan rattled from his throat as he tried to regain his balance.
Scrambling to sit up, his breath gasping and wheezing like an accordion, the man glared at Malachi. “Fuck you, I’m not telling you shit.”
Rolling his eyes, Malachi chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that. I have your soul, remember? You’re useless to me, Terry.
I know everything I need to know about you and your pathetic experiences.
I have no use for you; in fact, I would kill you, but that would create a mess for Chuck, so you get to live.
Although now that you have no soul, it’s not much of a life, is it? ”
“That’s what you did? You t-took my soul?” Terry’s voice trembled. The shaking extended to his whole body as he quaked all over. “What… how… I don’t…” he stumbled as he moved to his knees and shuffled towards Malachi pleadingly. “How do I live? How can I survive without my soul?”
“Fun fact, I don’t fucking care. That’s a you problem now, isn’t it?
” Malachi huffed. He glanced at the door.
“Now, I need you to stay put while I tell her it’s safe to come out.
” Glancing back at Terry, Malachi sneered.
“Stay, or I will hunt you down and kill you. Slowly. Painfully. Then I will paint a portrait of her with your blood.”
Nodding frantically, visibly trying to rein in his terror, Terry scooted against the wall with a thud, one arm wrapped around his knees. The other holding the spot on his ankle where he’d been bitten, his eyes reflected nothing. He was now lost in the world.
Satisfied his prey wouldn’t run, Malachi focused on the space beneath the door and willed himself into a cloud of ash and shadows.
The nebulous mist slithered under the door and pooled on the other side before he reformed, quickly wrapping his wings around his body as a shoe came flying at his chest. “The fuck, Chuck?” he demanded as she readied another piece of footwear to launch his way.
“It’s me! Remember I told you I could get in without opening the door? ”
She paused and stared at him warily. “Yeah, well, that other guy was using Nick’s voice, so sorry if I’m not too trusting right now.”
Glancing at Glenda, he shrugged. “Your friend has a teal dress with skeletons riding giant purple dildos, but somehow I’m the one who’s concerning around here?
” Winking roguishly, he leaned against the door and held out his arms to Chuck.
His smile grew larger as the shoe hit the floor with a thump, and she launched herself into him.
Wrapping her tightly against his body, he placed his cheek on the silky cap of her hair and sighed.
“I’ve got you. I’m so proud of you, too.
Look at you, not taking any shit. Ready to end my existence with a pair of Nikes. Brave woman.”
“Only the best shoes for my demon,” she muttered against his gray skin.
A chuckle built in his throat, until it boomed from him and filled the room with the rich sound.
A mixture of relief and pure delight at her sassy comeback.
Finally, he calmed his amusement and glanced into her eyes.
“Alright, so now what do we do with the soulless cock sucker sitting in your hall? And we should probably check on Nathan.” He grimaced, feeling somewhat guilty for forgetting the other human, but being nice was still a little foreign to him.
Gasping and flinging the door open behind him, Chuck ducked under his wings and scrambled out of the bedroom. She kicked the intruder, Terry, as she passed while he still sat cowering in fear where Malachi had left him, and she started shouting for the other officer.
“Stop fussing over me like a damn child,” Nathan huffed into his mustache as he shifted on the sofa, holding an ice pack to the back of his head.
Glenda was indeed fussing—scolding him ferociously—while she placed the last suture in his arm.
When she was done, she bandaged it and began cleaning up her supplies.
They both ignored Malachi’s quiet interjections, encouraging Glenda’s tirade.
“Hear me well, Nathan Bennett. I will treat you like a child as long as you keep acting that way. Don’t,”—she snapped and shoved a finger in his face—“roll your eyes at me. If you want, I can yank those sutures out and send you to the hospital, where you can explain that you got stabbed in the front yard of Officer Kelly Charles. The same Kelly Charles, your son tried to stab last night. So, what’s it going to be, sir?
Cause you want a scene? I can make a scene.
” Now her hands were firmly planted on her hips, and her eyes were narrowed on him in a defiant, dare-filled gaze.
Suddenly, Nathan laughed and held up his hands in defeat. “Okay, fine, I’m sorry, Miss Glenda. Thank you for helping me. I guess I’m just feeling my age and a little embarrassed some thug got the best of me. He did look like Nick, though; I didn’t want to hurt an angel.”
At Malachi’s chuckle, they both turned to watch the man, Terry, as he sat shivering in a chair while Chuck interrogated him.
Malachi was standing over her shoulder, still in demon form, making terrifying faces at him.
Chuck couldn’t see him, so he wasn’t aware why the man kept flinching and twitching randomly.
He’d already jumped and screamed earlier when Reena trotted into the kitchen to inspect the visitor, having slept through most of the earlier ruckus. Terry was certain Reena was another demon, but she merely sniffed him in disdain, lapped up some water, and went out to the backyard.
Shaking her head, Glenda sighed, “Malachi, cut that out.”
Slouching, he moved back from Chuck and frowned at Glenda. “What? Just having a little fun.”
“You ate the man’s soul, sugar, what else do you need to do to him?” she demanded, hands still on her hips.
Baring his fangs, Malachi swiveled back to Terry.
“I don’t know, Glenda, maybe flay him alive and dangle him over an open flame until his insides roast and burst?
” At Chuck’s involuntary noise of disgust, he shrugged.
“The man stabbed Nathan and knocked him out. He was trying to get into where you two were. Did you think he just wanted to play Twister? He probably would have killed you, then Chuck.” At her glare, he snorted. “He would have tried.”
“And failed,” Glenda added with a slight sniff of approval before turning back to Nathan, pretending she didn’t see Malachi start leering at Terry again. “So, now what?” she asked him.
“Now what, what?” Nathan responded, then grimaced at Malachi’s snort of amusement. Glancing up as the large demon moved over to them.
“I think what Glenda means,” Malachi supplied before shimmering back into his human form, rolling his shoulders.
“What do we do now? We’ve captured the intruder.
You all won’t let me kill him, but you can’t just let him go either.
So, what’s the story? What’s the plan? Also, are you going to take Glenda to dinner?
” He jerked his thumb towards where the witch was staring at him, open-mouthed and silent for once.
“Because she wants you to. And she has this amazing dress she can wear. It’s teal and has skeletons, and they’re—”
“Malachi!” snapped Chuck, trying to choke back her laughter as Glenda’s face turned a ruddy color in embarrassment.
Shrugging innocently, he spun on his heel and threw his hands in the air.
“What? She’s the one who made me look at it as a test. It’s one of those…
if I have to see it, so do you—things. It was traumatizing, really.
” He placed his hand dramatically over his heart and nodded wisely, his eyes overly wide and free of guile. Mostly.
Laughing out loud this time, Chuck shook her head as she stared at her friend, who was sputtering in indignation.
“To be fair, Glenda, he does have you there. I was thinking, can you do that drawing spell again? Our friend Terry here has kindly agreed to give a description of the person who put the bounty on me.”
Quickly regaining her composure, although she pointedly avoided looking at Nathan as she did it, Glenda gathered her supplies, muttered her spell, and began sketching.
Although it took longer to gather the sketch because Terry wasn't trained to describe people the way Nathan was, they eventually had a working image of the supposed angel who had tricked him.
Passing it off to the others, Chuck’s shoulders slumped, Nathan shook his head in disbelief, and muttered, “I’ll be damned.”
“I can arrange that if you want,” Malachi offered helpfully before he glanced at the picture and cackled with unhinged glee.