by Maya Daniels
“Go!” Pushing his hands away, I clench my fists and stay standing on sheer will alone. “Go help him, I’ll be right behind you.” When he doesn’t move, I snap at him. “Go fucking kill that piece of shit. I’m fine!”
After a long look, he sighs and bolts out on the street, heading straight at our enemies. Reaching a hand, I lean on the wall, the skin on my sweaty palm scraping over the bricks. You can do this, Hel, I tell myself sternly. You can push away the crippling feeling and go nail the sucker. You are a hunter, damn it! No one can say that being stubborn is always a bad thing. It keeps me standing and somewhat clear-headed. Another thought comes out of nowhere that snaps me out of the misery. You are Satan’s daughter. They should be afraid of you. I still hate it. I hate knowing that fact, and I’ll despise Lucifer forever for telling me that part of my parentage. But I can’t ignore the fact that it helps me collect myself enough to not curl up in a ball and sob.
You are also the daughter of Zedkiel. Go send them back to rot in Hell.
A smile tilts my lips at that. I have my mother’s blood in my veins, too, not just my father’s. It’s time the jinn learned not to fuck with this abomination.
A demon goes air born, his large body sailing through the air, heading straight in my direction. His gleaming, twisted horns turn right at me as I get closer, running at full speed toward the fight. Turning in a full circle without stopping my progress, I slice my dagger across his body from neck to crotch as he flies by me. The roar of pain is louder than the shouts and growls coming from the mass of bodies ahead of me. Black blood sprays in the air, splattering on the street in my wake.
I don’t stop.
The demon might not be dead, but I know he is out for the count and won’t be joining his buddies anytime soon. I felt the skin of my knuckles grazing his hide, which means my dagger cut deep. Deep enough to have his intestines spill out around him. Let him play with that for a while.
Colt roars, in anger or pain, I’m not sure which. I see his snarling face through the moving bodies of the three demons that have cornered him. Beelzebub is exchanging punches and kicks with the most enormous beast of the bunch, the cracking of bones and sound of flesh hitting flesh echoing like applause around us. Leaving the massive fallen angel to handle his foe, I whir off, heading straight for Colt.
The feeling that there is something powerful lurking around us doesn’t go away, even when there is no one I can see to fit that description. My own power surges through me from my toes all the way to the crown of my head, raising goosebumps all over my skin. With clenched teeth, I push off the ground mid-sprint, and lifting the dagger high, I sail through the air, the red and golden runes on the blade sparkling like a ray of sunshine through stormy clouds, latching onto the back of the closest demon.
The monster is as giant as a truck, his back so wide I have to snake my free arm around his neck so I don’t fall on my ass. With all the strength I can muster, I swing my dagger down, embedding it just below his ear so deep that my fingers sink inside his skin along with the top of the hilt. His horned head rears back, his face lifting to the skies as an inhuman sound belts from his chest, one that shatters all the remaining windows of the building the demons left behind when they started destroying my city.
His sudden movement forces me to flop around on his back, only my arm and the dagger keeping me anchored to him. The demon starts twisting, his survival instinct making him wilder. Blood pours from his neck, coating my fingers, and I almost lose my grip on my weapon. I see his clawed hand reaching out in an attempt to pull my blade away from his neck, the sharp points striking like shark teeth at my skin. With no other option, unless I’m willing to bleed and get us all killed, I release my dagger, my fingers wrapping around one of his horns.
The demon freezes and his whole body stiffens, stopping the bull ride he iss giving me with his flailing. It’s such an unexpected reaction, it stops me as well, making me consider the implications. Luckily, Beelzebub’s roar snaps me out of it and, planting both my feet on the small of the demon’s back, I release his horn and grab the hilt of the dagger again, yanking on it for all I’m worth.
Warm fluid splashes over my face a moment before the world starts tilting, and I feel gravity pulling me down. Blinking fast to clear my sight, I brace for impact, but an arm snatches me around the waist and deposits me on my feet in a whirl of movement. The body of the almost-decapitated demon falls on the ground with a heavy thump.
“You okay, she devil?” Colt gives me a quick glance over his shoulder.
He managed to reach me before the demon took me down with him, placing us back to back facing the remaining two monsters. They bare their large, sharp teeth at us, saliva dripping from them like they’re rabid dogs.
“Peachy.” Spitting out the blood that drips on my tongue when I speak, I wipe my face with a forearm.
“I can feel something powerful is here; I just can’t see it.” Sweeping my gaze around, I’m only met with empty streets. “It’s here, though.”
“Can you tell which direction?” Colt grunts when he kicks the attacking demon in his chest, sending him flying backward.
Almost bending in half, I avoid the reaching claws of the other demon that were aimed at my face, slicing his forearm open when he pulls back. “No.” Panting, I push my back closer to Colt. “I only know it’s close. Like, really close.”
“We need to cut them down and go,” Colt shouts to Beelzebub.
I know he spoke to the Archdemon because he got an answering sound, something between an affirmation and a growl. Apparently that is enough because both of them attack their opponents with renewed vigor. I follow suit.
The demon is still cradling his cut forearm when I throw myself at him. He obviously didn’t expect it because his face looks comical when we collide. The force when my body hits his only makes him stagger but that’s all I need. Ramming my knee in his groin, I double him over before shoving the dagger under his chin as deep as it’ll go. His eyes roll to the back of his head, and he tips sideways, taking me down with him.
Jumping off the pavement, I plant my boot on his face and yank my blade out. Wiping it off his skin, I straighten up to find Beelzebub and Colt watching me with unreadable faces.
“What?” Searching around in case another of these creatures is ready to jump us, my shoulders relax when I don’t see anyone around.
“We can talk when we are away from the open.” Beelzebub leaves Colt with his mouth partially open, cutting off whatever he is about to say.
“Yeah, good idea.” Walking between them, I head in the direction of the Sanctuary. “I can still feel the jinn, I think it’s only watching us for now.” Keeping my voice low, I’m hoping the thing can’t hear us.
“We should lose it first,” Colt mumbles from behind my left shoulder.
“No shit, Captain Obvious.” Beelzebub snorts at my drawl. “I almost asked it if it wanted to come for a visit with us.”
“I can’t wait for my brother to wake up and deal with you,” Colt says incredulously. “I never thought I’d want to see his face as much as I do now.”
“Huh. Being put in your place is a bitch, isn’t it?” Smirking at him, I hide the smile that wants to lift my lips. “Let’s take the jinn for a spin around the city, and you can tell us all about it.”
Not waiting for his reply, I bolt down the street like an arrow, Colt’s loud profanities and Beelzebub’s laughter like a clap of thunder echoing behind me.
No matter how many loops we do around the city, getting to the point of double backing, going in circles, and whatnot, the damn thing is still following us and won’t show itself. My legs are burning, and I develop a stitch in my side, but I can’t stop moving. I have a feeling that if we stand in one place long enough to rest, it’ll attack. Good thing we left Narsi to keep an eye on Eric until we get back. The stupid creature is even more deranged after coming through the portal, clinging to me like his life depends on it. I’m not sure the Trowe would’ve waited
for the jinn to attack. If what I feel is, in fact, a jinn. As stupid as the creature is, he would’ve chased it down.
I stop in my tracks, and Colt bumps into my back.
“What’s wrong?” Both Beelzebub and him push me between their bodies while searching the darkness for danger.
“Why are we running from it?” They turn slowly to look at me. Thinking about my sidekick gives me an idea. A stupid one, but a plan nonetheless. “It wants something, that’s why it’s following us and not gunning for our heads. We should force it to either attack or show itself.”
“That is a terrible idea.” Colt looks down his nose at me. “We can’t take on a jinn, just the two of us.” I raise an eyebrow at him. “You are not fighting a jinn.” His hand slices the air.
Beelzebub groans, as if pained.
It looks like the enormous fallen is the smartest of them all since he figures me out. The shaking of his head, his mouth pressed in a white line on his handsome face, confirms it. Colt, on the other hand, squints at me, his jaw set as if that will scare me enough and I’ll listen to his word vomit.
“Go on then, shoo!” Waving Colt off like the pesky fly that he is, I turn to Beelzebub. “How do you want to do this?”
The fallen looks like he wants to argue his point, despite knowing how useless it is, so I wait him out. I mean, I have a feeling the jinn will attack if we stand in one spot. So, I’ll let them talk themselves to death if they want. It’s a win-win situation for me, either way.
“I would’ve felt better if Leviathan was with us, as well.” When my eyes narrow at him, he sighs. “I’m not worried we might get hurt, even if it’s a disastrous idea to have you bleed. I’m more worried about them taking you, and the two of us not being able to stop it from happening.”
Knowing he is right deflates my attitude, making me swallow everything I am about to spit at him. The white walls keeping me caged in the room Michael kept me in, while my eyes burned from the glare, comes to the front of my mind. It’s difficult to suck in air, my lungs contracting with the panic of being imprisoned again. Realizing that I’m subconsciously scratching the arm in the exact spot they poked me and left bruises, I pull away the sharp nails and let my arm drop limply to my side.
“It’s only one.” I’m not even sure why I think I should point that out.
“We can’t be sure.” Beelzebub, seeing that I cracked under his logic, inches closer, his tall and broad frame blocking my view of Colt.
“But I am sure.” Closing my eyes, I stop struggling with the feeling swirling in my chest. It has never been this strong before, and I don’t want to think about what that means. “It’s just one, I’m one hundred percent sure. No other demons are around either.”
Beelzebub tilts his head, considering me. The open intrigue in his red eyes makes me want to shrink back and hide, but I clench my jaw. It’s a little late for hiding now. Heaven and Hell know about the abomination that is Helena, no matter how much I want to wish it otherwise. I might as well own the freak that I am.
“Okay.” The massive fallen rolls his shoulders.
“You cannot be serious!” Colt bursts from behind him. “This is fucking insane, even for you Beelzebub.”
“Why is he still here?” My words are as dry as sandpaper.
“She will go regardless of what we say, Colt.” Beelzebub turns his red glare at Colt. “I would rather be there to help her than allow anyone to take her and bring about the apocalypse.”
The mention of the apocalypse is like a jolt through my system. Me being hunted and on the top of the kill list for Heaven or Hell is one thing. After this long, I kind of got used to that idea. Me bringing the apocalypse on us all is on a whole new level of fucked up. Body numbed from the shock that particular word causes, I can only blink at the two men standing around me.
“Oh, nice.” Colt sneers. “You thought this started because of you, and it would end with you if you fuck up, huh? And you call me self-centered?”
The air around us stirs, and every breath I take burns through my throat and lungs, brimming with power. Whatever rebuttal I had for the asshole gets lost in the thundering of my heart and the answering rage that feeds the anger in my chest. My new power pulses like a ticking bomb inside me, giddy to be unleashed on whoever is trying to hurt me. The ground under our feet shakes violently, causing cracks to spread through the concrete like spider veins.
“Breathe, Helena,” Beelzebub says calmly, learning the trick from Eric. “Deep breaths, sweetheart, we don’t want to hurt everyone around us, do we?”
My old self rears her head when he calls me sweetheart. I want to shove my boot up his ass for giving me another stupid nickname. What the fuck is it with men and their crazy idea that we like being called pet names anyway? What? Our names are not good enough for them or something? Regardless of all that, his words help me control my untamed power, so I drop it. I can deal with him later.
Unwilling to stay in the open any longer like a sitting duck, I look around for a good place to have this meet and greet with the jinn. Above the roughed-up buildings, Turner Field, the Braves stadium, sticks out invitingly. It’s a perfect place to deal with this without getting any bystanders hurt. Not that there are any bystanders around. Apart from roaming demons, I haven’t seen any humans since I got back from Hell.
Without a word, I turn around and bolt through the alleys between shops on the far side of the street. There is no need to turn around and look if the two men are following. I can hear the pounding beat of their boots on the pavement. Darting left and right, climbing over wired fences and low walls, I get closer to Turner Field. A couple of times, one of them pushes me up when I scramble around, losing my grip or my footing in my haste to reach the stadium before we get intercepted. I might be some powerful abomination that everyone wants to get their hands on, but Spiderman I am not.
I don’t thank them for the help. Neither one of them deserves gratitude for letting things get as messed up as much as they are. They’d been too busy with whatever shit they had going on in their realm. I used to blame myself for everything that happens around me. Not anymore. I never asked for this shit, and I’ll be damned before I take responsibility for Heaven or Hell alike. While my thighs are burning from exhaustion, the potent air burning my lungs, and I’m running like my life depends on it, I make a firm decision. I’ll hold them responsible for it. All of them.
And they will pay.
Reaching the wide area before Turner Field, I sprint with my last burst of strength across it, bypassing the giant ball standing in front of it, jumping over the metal bar of the gate where tickets are presented. If I was coming to watch a baseball game, that is. I’m here for a different kind of game right now, so I’m sure they won’t mind. The tall glass walls at the bottom of the large building loom closer, and I see the reflection of all three of us, determination and anger set on all our faces. Colt and Beelzebub are right on my heels when I jump and kick the door open, shattering the glass. The tinkling sound as the pieces fall like rain around us is the only sound mingling with my harsh breathing.
Blinking to adjust my eyes when we enter the belly of the building, I don’t slow down as I fly past the bars and fast food shops on my left. The doors leading to the seats gap like open mouths of hungry beasts on my right. Prickling power crawls on my skin, announcing the jinn being near. Forcing my heart to slow down, I suck in a harsh breath.
“We need to split up.” Not turning around, my boots keep pounding the ground. “Just pick a door and go for it.” Swinging my arm to point at the doors on my right, I keep running.
One set of thundering footsteps fades away. After a while, a second set disappears behind me, leaving only the sound of my running feet and the staccato of my heart accompanying me. Picking a random door, I go through it, and as soon as I reach the rows of plastic seats, I climb the stairs up towards the top as fast as I can. Lifting my face to see where I am, a groan escapes me when my gaze lands on the humongous billboard and th
e chopping cow next to it, whose arm cuts the air up and down every time the Braves score a homerun. What the fuck is it with these stupid billboards and cows everywhere I turn around? I can’t think about what that may mean because I reach the top just as a burning power slams into my back. Diving for the first thing close by to hide from it, I tuck and roll, stopping in a crouch under something large that overshadows everything around me.
It’s the stupid chopping cow.
Sliding my hand behind, gripping the hilt of the dagger, I pull it out. The comforting weight of the blade slows the panic bubbling in my stomach to a dull hum. Energy streams through my limbs, making my arms tingle and the runes on the dagger burst to life like a light show. Jerking my hand down to hide it from prying eyes, I curse under my breath. If the jinn didn’t see where I hid, they now know because of my fireworks display.
“Chop, chop…” murmuring under my breath, I shake my head at my own stupidity.
Shadows twist and turn everywhere I look as I search for whoever hit me with the power. The blue plastic seats neatly lined in rows all around me are the only thing I see. Everything is dark, all the shiny glowing ads for companies sponsoring the baseball team blending in the night. The grass field at the center is only visible by the tiny glow of the new moon above my head. Straining my eyes, I try to see if I can spot Colt or Beelzebub anywhere. No such luck. I mean, obviously, since this structure was made to fit close to fifty thousand people comfortably, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
A low, amused chuckle whispers in the air, raising goosebumps all over my arms and legs. The short hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, my breath hitching in my throat. Darting my eyes left and right is as helpful as a knife in a gunfight.
They are not trying to kill you, they just want to capture you, I tell myself sternly to push away the fear crawling up my spine.
