9. Chapter 9 #2
It triggered something inside of me, but I forced myself back to the reality of the situation, the danger we were in. She had to go.
“I need you to run back to town.” Her eyes widened and she shook her head when she realized what I was saying.
“No, I…”
“I need you to do this, Nadia. I have to confront them, and I can’t be worried that something will happen to you..
” I handed her the camera. “Listen to me; you have to go. Now.” My eyes locked with hers and I could see the fear.
“There’s a fire alarm beside the back entrance of the hotel.
I slipped my spare key behind it. Don’t come back here, do you understand?
If I don’t return, my colleague, Isla, will help you. ”
It took a few beats for her to acknowledge what I said, but her slight nod meant everything.
She leaned close to kiss me, the sensation the sweetest thing I’d ever experienced, then grabbed my things and dashed across the road.
I waited for her to shift and when I saw her running across the open landscape, I stood, ready to confront the creatures inside.
There were only two of them, but they weren’t human.
I peered through the window and realized they were the men I’d seen earlier.
Their reddish skin and horns were dead giveaways that they were demons.
Most of their species kept to the night, but some were daywalkers and these two obviously fell into that category.
They were distracted and I took the opportunity to observe their movements.
I was pretty sure I could take them, but wanted to give myself every advantage, so I waited until the second one left to check the perimeter, then snuck in through the back door.
Demons could only be killed by beheading, and my gaze swept over the interior, looking for a makeshift weapon.
I noticed a poker hanging on a rack by the hearth and grabbed it, wrapping my fingers around the cold handle as I approached the demon from behind.
I swung, driving the side prong into his skull.
He staggered back, black blood flowing from the puncture wound, then stared at me, his glowing eyes unable to focus as he fell to the ground.
I had to get his head off and returned to the hearth, grabbing the shovel as he lay on the floor, writhing in pain.
I brought the sharp end down forcefully, severing his head from his body.
“One down, one to go,” I murmured.
I wrenched the makeshift weapon out of his skull, then crept towards the doorway, my gaze sweeping across the dirty open space. Something made contact with the back of my head, staggering me as I lunged forward, but maintained my grip on the poker.
“Who the fuck are you?” The second demon hissed as I rubbed my head and turned to face him.
His pink skin swirled with life as black blood pumped through his veins and the diminutive gray horns pushing through the top of his skull were almost comical.
I knew how dangerous these assholes could be, and I wasn't taking any chances.
My head rang from the impact, and before I could react, he pulled a machete out of a nearby log, aiming it at my torso as I backed away.
“I’m here to kill you,” I said as he took a swing, grazing my torso and cutting my shirt, the tip of the blade slicing through my flesh and I grimaced. “But first you’re going to tell me who’s in charge of this outfit.”
I twisted the poker in my hand, as we circled each other, the wolf clawing to the surface as rage filled me. I could take him out easily, he was alone, but he had information that I needed.
“Where did your friends go?” I asked and he grinned, his jagged teeth sharp and gleaming in the low light.
“Your mom’s house,” he hissed with a cackle and I realized he had no incentive to talk. I swung the poker in a downward motion, wedging the hook into his shoulder and pulling him closer as he screamed.
“I asked you a question,” I growled, the machete dropping to the ground as I wrapped my hand around his throat and picked him up, his feet swinging as they dangled in the air.
Demons didn’t need to breathe, but hanging by the neck wasn’t pleasant for any species and he frantically tried to escape as his legs kicked at me furiously.
During one of our late night post-coital discussions, Isla had told me that demons were classified in a few different categories, with the higher functioning ones being truly sentient.
Demons could be killed by beheading, but they had to be burned or their souls would wander for eternity, unable to return to hell.
That random tidbit of information could give me the leverage I needed.
“I'm going to kill you now,” I growled, the wolf fighting to take control as I squeezed tighter. “If you tell me who you're working for, I'll burn your body. If not, you’re going to end up like your friend inside. I’ve heard that wandering for eternity as a disembodied spirit isn’t a good time.”
He panicked, then tried to kick me again as I twisted the point of the poker into his abdomen and he screamed, the fear of his fate outweighing any misplaced loyalty he felt.
“Okay, okay, I…I’ll tell you. His name is Gustav…” My heart raced.
“Gustav what?” I already knew, had known since I heard the voice, but I wouldn’t let myself believe it.
A tsunami of emotions broke through and I struggled to keep my focus, to remember why I was here.
This was about more than my past and I had to keep that in mind, to put everything else behind me and do my goddamn job.
“Grayson,” the creature hissed.
A car door slammed, and I threw him onto the ground, severing his head with the shovel, then tipped over the flaming drum and ignited his body. I didn’t have time to process what he told me as voices from outside drifted towards me and I bolted into the house, then through the back door.
“There’s a truck parked down the road, take care of it,” one of the voices shouted.
I raced across the road and into the bush, stripping and shifting and leaving the compound behind me.
As I ran across the frozen tundra, the truck exploded behind me and I picked up speed, not slowing down until I reached the outskirts of town.