Chapter 28
CHAPTER
“Out of curiosity, how the heck does one capture a demon?” Nate asked loudly as we reached the forest and were out of earshot of the Aetherion.
“I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous idea,” Eve snorted, holding her rifle tightly.
“Perhaps it’s possible with magic?” Mey suggested. “We wouldn’t really know unless we try.”
“So we just put a leash on a demon and tell it that it’s a good boy?” Nate scoffed.
“I mean, that’s how we domesticated wolves to get dogs,” Ashley shrugged with a teasing smile.
“Let’s just… focus,” I grunted.
We tried looking for clues, any tracks left by the demons, perhaps dried blood from victims. But it was clean, nothing but a warm autumn day.
After walking for at least an hour, I stopped.
“What? Did you see one?” Lionel asked, grabbing his weapon.
“No,” I said, looking up at the trees. “But… it’s too quiet.”
As my voice died off, they all felt it—the heavy silence. No birds singing, no crickets chirping, nothing. Complete stillness.
“Is it a trap?” Ashley asked, her fingers slowly sliding into her pouch, ready to let hell loose if needed.
I glanced over at Malakai, remembering that he had been able to smell the magical energies of the mages before they attacked, but would that work on demons too?
“No,” Malakai said with a lowered voice, careful. Then his eyes slid towards me. “Flames, sweetie. Let’s make some noise.”
I furrowed my brows. “Excuse me?”
“What?” he arched a questioning brow, as a grin emerged. “Can’t feel sparks without me?”
“You—” I spurted, as my cheeks heated, yet a little puff of flame escaped my fingertips, proving his point.
Ashley began cackling. “Ohhh, he’s got you combusting already! Do it again, maybe she’ll blow the whole forest sky-high.”
“Or maybe, don’t bait her into torching the entirety of nature… Some of us like breathing clean air,” Lionel said dryly.
Eve snorted. “Yeah, and some of us don’t trust mages setting fires next to our faces.” She glared at me.
“Calm down, she’s not the problem, remember?” Nate sighed, as he began walking, taking point. “Demons are. We only need to find one and bring it back, don’t push her.”
“She’s so strong, I hope I’ll learn how to handle water like that one day,” Mey muttered as she stepped after Nate.
“Yeah, strong enough to roast you, if you keep running your mouth,” I threatened Malakai, before following the others.
“I got the effect I asked for,” Malakai smirked.
“Funny, how she only sparks when you ask for it,” Lionel snapped, a little too sharp, as if the words slipped out against his will.
Everyone turned and glanced at him, baffled, making him stiffen before giving a forced shrug.
“Just… hope you’re not planning to make a habit of winding her up like that, it isn’t smart. ”
I had to focus not to gape at him, his words surprising me. Lionel saw my stare and began scratching his neck, the sign of him being embarrassed. Malakai took two easy steps closer, eyes locked on Lionel.
“Maybe, or maybe it takes someone who isn’t afraid of her fires,” he said low, voice edged with something dark. He huffed before turning to me, voice softer, caressing. “Besides… I’ve always liked playing with fire.”
My jaw tensed, and I turned away from them as I continued after Nate and Mey. I’d had enough of their silly bickering, placing me in the middle. I wasn’t some damned price for the wittiest answer.
“Watch it, you’ll get burned,” Lionel taunted, his voice strangely threatening, more so than ever before.
Malakai chuckled. “That’s the point.”
“Gods, this is better than any bomb I’ve ever made,” Ashley squealed delighted.
“Don’t encourage them!” I snapped at her, my flames burning brighter.
Then a shadow swept in, out of nowhere. Obscuring my vision was a large demon looming in front of me. My eyes widened when its claws came carving towards me. I threw myself to the side as I heard someone shout behind me. “Here they come!”
Guns began firing, while I rolled against the ground and pushed myself to my feet next to a tree, trying to avoid the bullets. How many demons were there? Another shadow with tattered wings came at me, I swung my arm out, imagining myself throwing fire at it.
No fire, not even a spark.
The demon continued its assault, burying sharp claws into my shoulder and I screamed.
Thick red threads of blood swirled around the demon, trapping it, before they sliced through its flesh like it was made of paper, tearing the abomination apart.
The limbs fell into a pile, before it turned to black ichor, quickly seeping into the ground. Where the demon once had stood, Malakai lingered, scarlet eyes glowing as he watched my bloodied shoulder.
Fear struck me, as I glanced behind him. Had he lost his mind? What if the others saw?
But they were busy fighting other demons that had appeared. I exhaled slowly, relieved, before my eyes glared at Malakai again.
“I had it, why did you kill it?” I hissed.
“Sorry,” he murmured, eyes not moving away from the blood that trickled down. “My hand slipped.”
He took another slow step closer, cornered me against the tree.
“Don’t look,” I said, trying to get his attention, but those eyes kept glowing, focused on the blood. I placed my hand over my shoulder, trying to hide it.
He grabbed my wrist, yanking my hand away from it with force, a low growl rumbling from inside of him.
“Malakai!” I said, louder, pushing my free hand against his chest, trying to make him stop. His eyes snapped to mine, cold, deadly as if he’d snap me like a twig.
“Maybe you should turn me over,” he whispered, the gleam slowly settling, his eyes back to normal.
“What?” I stammered.
“All they want is a demon, you have one.”
With that, he took a step back, eyes lingering before he turned and joined the fight again.
I took a deep breath.
My flames slowly found their way back to my fingers, sizzling with excitement.
Turn Malakai in?
Why was it that the thought alone felt like he was mocking me? That if I agreed, it truly meant that I had failed my mission, failed being a fire mage. Because I couldn’t hunt one down myself, like I wasn’t capable of capturing a demon on my own?
No. I’ll show him, I will succeed.
My flames ignited, spreading up to my shoulders as they burned against my wound, cauterizing it instantly.
A shadow demon lunged at Ashley and I dashed towards them, jumping up into the air to reach what resembled its jaw. With a wide swing, my fist connected. Fire crackled on impact, engulfing it in furious flames.
The demon shrieked, its arms flailing around wildly, staggering backwards. I landed beside Ashley. “You okay?”
“You’re so damned cool,” she sighed, sounding almost dejected.
I heard Eve screaming and as our heads turned we saw a demon biting into her leg as she fired her rifle at it.
Ashley grabbed her dagger, sweeping in from the back, burrowing the blade into its back between the shoulders before dragging it down along the spine.
The demon howled a piercing sound. I had to cover my ears to not scream in pain as well.
Something moved at the corner of my eye and I snapped my attention towards it. A demon had snuck up on me, lunging with its jagged mouth wide open and… stopped.
Right before it would’ve sunk its teeth into my head, it slowly backed away one step. That’s when I saw the blade stuck in the back of its head, and Lionel who had clung onto its back.
“How do we put a leash on it?” he barked desperately.
I whipped my arm out, a flaming rope followed, snaring around the demon’s throat. It hissed violently as Lionel pulled his steel out of it and backed away. I went around the demon, spreading my fire leash around its arms, pulling tight so it wouldn’t be able to rake at us.
“I did it,” I stuttered, once I stood in front of it again.
Another scream and I looked back and saw the last demon biting into Mey’s shoulder, sucking her energy out as her skin grew paler.
“Mey!” Nate shouted and charged right into the demon, forcing it away from her. He brought out his dagger, stabbing it over and over and over. Throat, chest, shoulder, head. Again and again, he pulled the blade out only to dig it into a new spot, leaving nothing untouched.
Ashley and Eve helped Mey up who panted violently, sweat breaking out at her hairline.
“Are you okay?” Ashley asked.
Eve jolted, realizing she was touching Mey, a mage and suddenly stepped away, making Mey fall onto Ashley.
“What are you doing!?” Ashley hissed at her.
“She could be tainted,” Eve shot back, wiping her hands off, as if merely touching her would spread a disease.
“Don’t be stupid,” I snapped. “It tried to devour her, not become her.”
The demon I held captive roared, making the earth quake and my flames evaporated. It threw itself on top of me, pinning me to the ground as the giant hands grappled around my throat, teeth slowly closing in.
I thrashed around, kicking violently but it wouldn’t budge, my flames spread around quick as the fear of getting eaten alive overcame me.
A shot went off, piercing it right through the temple and I heard a burning sizzle from the bullet wounds as the demon fell to the ground, motionless.
My eyes darted to the side, Malakai had shot it. Had he… used quartz? He must’ve… it died way too easily.
“Shit, that was the last demon!” Lionel shifted towards him. “Not only are most of us wounded, we are back at square one.”
“No,” Malakai said low, firmly. “We’re not.”
“Don’t,” I said through my teeth, glaring at him. I would not let him take this away from me, he would not sacrifice himself because I was too weak.
Malakai looked blankly at me. “We have another option.”
“I had it!” I barked, shooting up on my feet, my blood boiling.
“Calm down,” Malakai eyed me, as he put his gun back down.
“Why did you shoot? Now we have nothing!” Fire spurted out of me, sparks singeing the ground. I saw the others’ heads turn; Lionel took a step backwards, eyes wide.