Crimson Eyes

by L. L. McNeil

  Damon shrugged. ‘No, but we ain’t got anything else to try.’ He lifted his index finger, closed his eyes, and furrowed his brow. His fingertip flickered, then the light spread to his whole hand. Sweat beaded down his nose and then his index finger burst into flame. ‘This. I’ll carve with this. Just like my arc welder.’ His voice rose in pitch as though he was surprised with his own revelation.

  Seila didn’t know what an arc welder was, but they were out of options. ‘Just do what you can!’ Already, the Prowler was charging. Tej fired his crossbow, but the massive demon simply deflected the bolts, bellowing all the while. ‘Here it comes!’

  Tej darted to the side, Seila split away in the opposite direction, raking her sword along the demon as it careened past. The thing had to get tired at some point, didn’t it? Seila took a step forward, following it, and immediately regretted her move when the demon’s tail lashed out and caught her on the chin. She staggered back, one hand on her mouth. It came away red.

  She blinked, wrinkled her nose. The force of the blow had sent sparks dancing across her vision.

  No.

  There were sparks in the air!

  Damon’s finger glowed white hot as he burned a complicated array of lines into the face of the rock. The Mirage shimmered, wavering. Streaks of blue and red light darted out from it, new colours that pulsed every few seconds.

  The Prowler paused in its assault, its nostrils flaring as it faced the Mirage.

  Did it know something was happening? Could it tell the Mirage was closing?

  ‘That’s it!’ Damon yelled, triumphant. ‘That’s it! We’ve done it!’

  The Mirage sent out a burst of light and then the edges began to curl in on itself. Seila could see through it now, could see the trees and the terrified deer beyond. Could see the sunlight and clouds as the Mirage shrank.

  ‘Attack it now!’ Tej roared, firing the last of his bolts at the Prowler’s head.

  Seila leapt into the air with renewed vigor and slashed her sword, aiming for the demon’s sensitive nose.

  It roared in defiance, took a step back. Seila and Tej pressed their attack, forcing it away from them and towards the closing Mirage. Seila knew she couldn’t kill it. But getting rid of it was almost as good. It swiped at her again, a last ditch attack as it tried to get past, but Seila held firm. With the tip of her blade at its nose, the Prowler backed up and into the Mirage as the light closed around it.

  And then it was gone.

  The Lesser Demons cried out and scattered in every direction. The Dragora flew away, the Leeches and Stingers hurried to the cover of the undergrowth and shadows. Seila didn’t bother to go after them. She’d fought enough demons to last a lifetime. Instead, she stared up at the sky, where Sekki hovered near Delgo and Fallow.

  He was too far up for her to make out his facial features, but he couldn’t have been happy. If Fallow was right, they’d just halved his power. And with it, his hold on the Lesser Demons. That’s why they’d fled. They didn’t have to obey him anymore.

  Perhaps, now, he could be killed.

  Mustering the last of her strength, Seila took to the air again. She shot up towards him, intent on one last kill to end this bloody night’s events. The speed of her attack must have thrown Sekki off, because she was upon him before he even moved to avoid her blade or defend herself.

  When the tip of her sword sliced into his wings, there was no smoke that materialised to heal his wound. Sekki’s tar-like blood, thick and dark, oozed from the wound and he cried out. He was mortal now. And she could kill him.

  Twirling in the air, Seila dived for a second attack, but Sekki avoided it. ‘Phantom,’ he snarled.

  This was it. The end of the Elite.

  The realisation powered her on, gave her courage and strength from somewhere deep inside, somewhere she hadn’t realised. Her second wind. And she was ready to take full advantage of it.

  Sekki slashed out with a clawed hand, forced Seila to block with her sword instead of attack. She pressed his claws away, twisted, and brought her sword up for another strike. But the Elite demon was fast, and he was more dangerous now that he’d lost most of his power. He roared, struck quickly with his other arms, brought his legs up to kick and slash at her, throwing Seila back and keeping her at arm’s length.

  Seila parried and deflected his attacks, rolling out of the way and sweeping forward to strike again. The tip of her blade caught him on the shoulder, on the knee, along the back of his left calf. Blood oozed from every wound. ‘You’re mine!’

  Now the tables had turned, she was enjoying this.

  She’d get her reward for years of hunting, years of being demon’s prey.

  The battle cry bubbled up from her chest and she screamed, slashing again and again, the sword hissing through the air as it missed Sekki by inches, the Elite able to move faster than she’d thought possible.

  She flapped her wings, darted close to him, refused to give him any respite, and constantly moved inside his guard. Her sword drew blood over and over, and she ignored every wound Sekki inflicted on her. She only saw the demon that she needed to put down.

  Then, suddenly, the smoke was back. It enveloped Sekki, masked him from view. Seila wrinkled her nose at the foul smell it emitted, beat her wings to dissipate it, and lurched forward to attack him again and finish the battle once and for all. His laugh filled her mind. ‘Not today, Phantom.’

  But when her sword slashed through what would have been Sekki’s neck, it cut only smoke.

  When it cleared, Sekki had disappeared.

  She panted, hovering and looking around, but already the wind had taken most of the smoke away, clearing her vision and revealing a clear sky above.

  In that moment, for the first time in her life that Seila could remember, she didn’t care about the demon. She didn’t care about the wounds littering her body, didn’t care that the chance to boost her power had just fled.

  Seila’s gaze was locked on the Djinni as he gently dropped towards them, wreathed in thin purple smoke, and clutching Fallow tightly in his arms.

  20

  The deep, gurgling roar of Tej’s car had become quite a familiar noise to Seila. She still maintained that it sounded like a demon, and not too dissimilar to the ancient Prowler they’d fought, which Tej took in his stride. When he wasn’t being stupid, he had a good sense of humour.

  Amber sat beside him in the front, and they held hands. Seila was pleased to see a new bracelet around Amber’s wrist—a regular one of gold, without a single demonic element to it. Seila sat next to Damon in the back, who had grown out of his sullen mood and had become incredibly pleased with himself for being the one who’d sealed the Mirage in the nick of time.

  He had hardly spoken of anything else the past few days, and though Seila couldn’t argue what he’d done, she was growing sick of his boasting. Had Damon and Amber not managed to figure out the last few runes, Sekki and his demons would have killed everything.

  However, Seila didn’t think Damon needed to be quite so smug about it.

  At least he’d chosen to leave Mathilda at home. Despite the loudness of Tej’s Mustang, at least the car ran smoothly, and was actually more comfortable to sit in.

  Amber was just grateful they could embrace their innate fire nature, now. They didn’t need to hide who they were, didn’t need to feel guilt or shame for past mistakes when they’d been young and uncontrolled.

  Now, Fallow had offered them an opportunity to harness their powers for good. In a way that would make a difference. For life. Amber was more than ready to embrace her heritage, had been for many years, Seila suspected. She’d been waiting for her brother to come around. For them to rid themselves of fear, guilt, and shame. Now, she and Damon could face it together.

  A pang of jealousy still rippled through her when she thought of the siblings’ closeness. They spoke to her as if she was their equal, as if she were part of their family. It was so foreign to her that although it was something she desperate
ly wanted, she was afraid of it. She just didn’t know how to act, what to say. Small talk never factored into her behaviour. If it didn’t pertain to hunting demons, she’d generally ignored it.

  Now, she knew that she needed more awareness. At least, if she was to stay with them.

  Tej turned off the main road and drove towards the tall gates that marked the entrance to Caramond House. The man on security waved them through, barely glancing up from his newspaper. Seila warily looked up at the pair of stone dragons guarding the gate, and wondered if they were alive. Their eyes had been carved in such a way that they always seemed to be watching you, now matter where you moved, which she despised greatly.

  Seila was certain that one of the dragons blinked at her as they passed by.

  Sierra perched on the head of the other dragon, her talons nestled snugly between its twisting horns.

  Seila smiled. If Sierra was keeping watch, then Fallow must be recovering. When Delgo had brought her back to the ground, none of them had been sure what they were going to see. Pale as death and hardly breathing, the Enchantress’s magic had been utterly sapped.

  Seila likened it to when she went too long without killing demons. If five or six days passed without her taking a demon’s power, tremors started in her fingers. They’d slowly spread through her body as her energy levels dropped. She’d never risked going longer without a hunt to see what happened next, but she’d guessed it was something similar to how Fallow had appeared.

  She gazed out the open window as they drove up the winding gravel drive, the lake glittering in the distance under the midday sun. Grass grew lush and thick, and trees dotted the perimeter of the grounds. She felt the tell-tale shiver of Fallow’s enchantments, and she could have sworn they were stronger this time. The chill lasted a few moments longer. Seila glanced to her companions, but none of them seemed aware of it.

  With a sigh, she returned her gaze to the view. The walled gardens, flowers, and maze were behind the main house, and even though Seila couldn’t see them, she could smell lavender and rose over the car oil and fuel of Tej’s car. It felt like home.

  Almost.

  When Tej pulled up by the large front door, tyres crunching on the gravel, Soto waited for them in his usual position beside the topiary. The cat blinked his bright blue eyes at them when they got out of the car and approached.

  ‘Hello, Soto,’ Seila greeted. Now she knew he was one of Fallow’s familiars, a little politeness wouldn’t go amiss.

  The cat yawned, exposing sharp fangs, and then stretched, his claws digging into the loose gravel.

  ‘Is Fallow okay?’ Amber asked, joining Seila and walking up to the front door.

  Soto meowed then went inside, tail held high and twitching with every light step.

  ‘What does that mean?’ Damon asked, scratching his head.

  Amber shrugged. ‘I don’t speak “cat,” how should I know?’

  Seila rolled her eyes and followed the black cat, with Amber, Damon, and Tej on her heels. It felt like she knew Caramond House, now. She’d been here so many times in the last few days, had been watched and greeted by Fallow’s Familiars so often that not seeing them felt strange.

  Fallow’s offer of providing Seila with a permanent home still rolled around in her mind. The place was certainly large enough and private enough that she’d never be disturbed, asked too many questions, or have to look after anyone. It would be a great base from which to hunt demons, considering that’s what the Kouzlo were all about.

  And of course, there was Fallow’s promise. The Enchantress and Delgo were a fountain of knowledge—it spanned centuries, perhaps even longer. And there were other members of the Kouzlo, of course, other experiences that she could pull on.

  Through the entire turn of events, Seila had learned one thing: an Elite Demon had taken her soul. Of that, she was certain. It may not have been Sekki, but his true appearance had been too close to her memory to be discounted.

  Staying with the Kouzlo until they were able to track down another Elite might just be her best chance of finding and confronting him. After all, she’d spent years hunting Lesser Demons and never so much as come across a Mirage. But stay with the Kouzlo, work with their trackers, and wait for the Elite to reveal itself? That could work.

  And she could kill all the demons she could manage while she waited.

  After all, Fallow and the Kouzlo wanted to rid the world of demons just as much as she did. It would be silly to refuse, wouldn’t it?

  Seila heard unfamiliar voices as they strode along the halls of Caramond House, and she wondered if the other Kouzlo members had returned. She tensed, instinctive wariness coming into play again.

  Soto led them to the front reception room, which also seemed part-library, where they found Fallow curled up under a blanket in the corner of the large sofa, a steaming mug of hot chocolate clasped in her hands, tiny marshmallows bobbing on a bed of whipped cream. Her hair had been bound back, and her skin was still paler than it should have been. Only her cheeks were flushed pink from the mug. The TV was on, and as they entered the room, Fallow turned the volume down on a news report. She shifted her position to face them and smiled weakly. ‘Welcome back to Caramond House.’

  ‘Thank you for inviting us back,’ Amber said, her own grin broad. ‘It’s difficult to miss Sierra now we know who she is. We figured you wanted to see us.’

  Fallow’s smile broadened. ‘I save so much on postage these days. But Sierra is far more than just a messenger. Have you recovered?’

  ‘Yes, thanks to you,’ Amber said. She took a seat opposite the Enchantress.

  ‘I owe you. All of you,’ Fallow said. Her eyes rested on each of them for a few moments. ‘I cannot convey how much.’

  Although Seila fully trusted Fallow, there was still something about her stare that unnerved her. She didn’t like being the focus of her attention, even in praise. Seila shifted uncomfortably and took a seat on one of the armchairs. She played with the cushions, rearranging them until they were no longer in her way, and wondered what Fallow’s stare would be like when she regained her full power.

  Delgo appeared to walk through the wall, his golden eyes twinkling as usual. He smiled and tipped his hat to them. ‘Thought I heard that car of yours turn up, Tej. Sounds like a beast.’

  ‘Yeah, I get that a lot.’ Tej beamed at the compliment from the Djinni.

  Damon nodded towards the muted TV. ‘Can’t believe we made the news.’

  Seila looked up. So those were the unfamiliar voices. ‘I’m not surprised everyone’s talking about what happened. When was the last time there was a demon attack in London?’

  ‘That’s the power of the Elite,’ Fallow said, her voice curt. ‘I’ve already passed on the official statement, told them the measures I have in place to prevent it happening again. Sometimes dealing with them is more draining than the demons.’

  The report showed an overhead view of Richmond Theatre, circles drawn around locations where there had been confirmed demon sightings, and several more circles drawn around unconfirmed sightings. It cut to a journalist holding a microphone up to an elderly couple who looked quite traumatised. With the volume down, Seila didn’t know what they were saying, but she assumed they spoke of panic, fear, and shock. Usually humans were grateful to have survived such a close call.

  ‘Nothing on Sekki?’ Amber asked.

  Fallow shook her head. ‘No. The disturbance at Kew Gardens is being reported as a gas explosion as a result of the construction works going on. But they can’t ignore dozens of eye-witnesses at the theatre or restaurant. They’re reassuring the people that it’s very unusual and won’t happen again. They’ve softened my words.’

  ‘Of course, so long as we keep the Elite Demons away, they’ll be right,’ Damon said.

  Fallow chuckled at that. ‘So long as we keep them away? Are you one of my Kouzlo, now?’

  Damon coughed, blushing. ‘Well, if you’re still offering. I mean, I think I did pretty well the
other night, didn’t I? Facing certain death, everyone exhausted. Kept my cool in the face of a massive Prowler, and finished off those runes while you were outta action.’

  ‘We all played our part,’ Delgo said.

  Fallow looked at Seila. ‘Even the Phantom, who only works alone.’

  Seila stiffened. Then she saw her smile. ‘You’re welcome. Without me, you’d all be dead.’

  ‘And we’re so very grateful that you were there.’ Fallow glanced at the TV as it cut back to the studio. Large, bold letters scrolled across the bottom of the screen repeatedly. ‘Police and government taking precautions to prevent the demon threat from growing. First major demon attack in London in over ninety years. People urged to travel in groups outside the city.’

  Fallow said, ‘The Kouzlo are sworn to secrecy. We’re here, funded to help keep demons at bay, we lessen the numbers coming through by sealing Mirages where we find them, and the police take the credit. That’s our job. Fighting for life.’ Her voice had strengthened in the few minutes they’d been with her. ‘You’ve proved yourself, and I would be honoured to have you all among my ranks, if you’d like to join. If you do, Caramond House will become your home as much as it is mine.’

  Amber smiled. ‘We would be honoured if you’ll have us. I know mum worked with you before. She tried so hard to hide it all, to protect us from the danger. I tried to hide it. I was ashamed of everything that went wrong, of the fear I inflicted on others when I was young, uncontrolled. But if I know I can make a difference and don’t try...I’d never be able to live with myself. If I can stop even a single person from being killed by a demon, then it’ll be worth it to me.’

  Damon rolled his tongue in his mouth, thinking, and then nodded. ‘Same. Time to stop running, I guess. We can’t hide forever. Gotta grow up sometime.’

  ‘I might not be an Elemental. Or a Phantom. Or a Djinni,’ Tej said. ‘But I’ve got experience hunting demons. I’ll help you as best I can. Well, as long as you keep supplying the bolts.’