Encounter with the Devil

by Maya Daniels

  Lo and behold, Helena the demon hunter leaving her life and the life of the man she loves in the hands of two demons. All that while running away from an Archangel set up to kill her straight to the pits of Hell and might not be an Archangel at all but a jinn. My mind spins out of control, making me want to scream with this whole thing. It’s so insane that I’m starting to hope that I’ll wake up safe in my bed in Sanctuary and it’ll all be just a terrible nightmare.

  Only Sanctuary is not safe for me anymore, and I’m not a demon hunter either. I’m an abomination, the daughter of Satan himself. How’s that for the twisted sense of humor by whoever orchestrates our lives? Anger replaces everything I feel at the injustice of it all. I never asked for any of this, yet here I am, paying for somebody else’s mistakes. Eric is paying, too, my mind reminds me.

  That golden glow that came from me earlier bursts through the center of my palms. The wards erupt like a light show blinding me for long moments before I blink everything into focus. When my eyes clear up, I gasp at the sight in front of me. Glancing at my companions, I see they are stunned as well. If I weren’t so shocked myself, I would’ve laughed, especially at Beelzebub’s face.

  “Remind me of this next time I’m stupid enough to provoke her.” Colt gulps loudly before turning wide-eyed at Beelzebub. The other nods a little too enthusiastically in answer.

  Everything around us falls silent after the boom of the disintegrated wards. Not because everyone is still frozen, no. It’s because whoever is left, they are looking in horror at the wide clearing my golden glow made in front of us. Every demon in its path is now piles of ash covering the dusty ground, small flakes still floating in the air like moths.

  “Can we please get the hell out of here now?” hissing under my breath at Colt, I jab my elbow in his ribs, making him grunt. At least he snapped out of it.

  “Let’s go.”

  His sharp words pull Beelzebub out of his stupor, and Colt darts in the air so fast I have no other option but to press my face to his chest. Narsi squeals something from his back, but I can’t hear a word from the wind rushing at us at the speed we are going. And here I thought Colt moved slowly with added weight. The second he moves, his mighty wings so much like Eric’s beating the air with a vengeance, all hell breaks loose, literally.

  “They have gorgons.” Beelzebub roars to be heard over the screeching and screaming of whatever is left from Mammon’s horde.

  Cussing everything under the sun, using words I didn’t know existed and turning my ears red in the middle of Hell, Colt moves even faster, if that was possible. My skin feels like it’s being peeled off my body from the force of the air pelting us, and my sidekick wraps his fingers around my arms where I have them folded around Colt’s neck, giving me an extra hold no matter how deceptive it seems. If we continue at this speed, I’m going to fly off the asshole’s arms any second now. A brain-numbing, furious screech sounds like it’s coming from right behind us and I do the impossible task of actually looking over Colt’s shoulder.

  Female demons, two of them, with beastly features and leathery wings like bats are flying at us with two sets of arms outstretched, their claws only inches away from the Trowe’s back. Fear freezes my lungs, and with Narsi holding onto my arms, the speed we are moving makes it impossible to do anything but watch in horror when they snatch him away from us and toss him in the air like a useless rug.

  My piercing scream makes Colt flinch, losing his grip on my body, and I follow my sidekick, flipping through the air the same way.

  The second time gravity tries to take my life, when no one else has succeeded, is when my life flashes in front of my eyes. Moments like my team sharing a meal joking and bickering among each other. Hector scolding me before patting me awkwardly on the shoulder, doing his best to hide the pride in his eyes. Amanda bumping her shoulder with mine, pointing her chin at some stupid thing George did while we snicker behind our hands. The day Hector gifted me my guns and the awe I felt when I held them in my hands the first time.

  Eric.

  His smirking face while we were fighting pressed back to back. The anguish in his eyes when Michael took me away. His beast glaring at me, hiding the vulnerability behind the terrifying shell. Closing my eyes, I hold on to the memory of his face with love shining in his beautiful green eyes. I will miss him terribly, but I will pray that he makes it out of here alive. My body slams into something, pushing all the air from my lungs with a loud oomph.

  “You going to continue staying limp, or grab onto my neck?” Beelzebub growls over his shoulder.

  Gasping to inflate my lungs with oxygen, I scramble around his broad back, careful not to grab his wings, wrapping around like an anaconda ready to strangle him. My limbs are shaking, the reality slamming into my brain that I almost splattered like a watermelon on the ground.

  “Narsi!” My sidekick’s name is a sob. “They tossed him off Colt’s back.” Tears stream down my face.

  I’m such a horrible person treating him like he is a speck of dirt while all he did was follow me around like a lost puppy. And now he is gone because of me. Everywhere I turn, someone gets hurt or dies only for breathing the same air. Desperation and self-pity try to sink their clutches on my soul, but I push them away, determined to see this through first. There will be time for despair later.

  “Calm down, look.” Grunting, Beelzebub jerks his head since his hands are full of still-frozen Eric.

  Turning my head, I almost release my hold when I see Colt zooming up with the Trowe in his arms. All the excitement I feel is killed by the sight of the two female demons circling back towards us. They swivel their ugly heads, looking between Beelzebub and Colt. I don’t have to wait to see which way they are headed. With both, me and Eric weighing him down, Beelzebub is the easier target because he is moving a lot slower than Colt.

  “We have to go down.” Beelzebub grunts.

  I, on the other hand, am done playing mouse. These abominations are threatening mine and Eric’s lives, the life of my sidekick, and these two I reluctantly started to care about. No more hiding and trembling like a frightened little girl. I’m Satan’s daughter damn it, and I’m going to show them why Heaven and Hell are after my plump ass. The pep talk worked because I’m not clutching Beelzebub to the point of strangling him.

  “Helena, what are you doing?” Alarmed, Beelzebub tries to look at me over his shoulder, unsuccessfully.

  “Watch and learn what happens when you push me into a corner.” Folding my legs under me, I lift on my knees on top of his back. “Watch and learn.”

  An awkward chuckle rumbles in his chest, and I feel the vibrations through my knees. The land below us zooms past, blurring into shades of greens and browns. The starless sky sparkles silver from the moon above us, allowing me to see the gruesome faces gunning for us at breakneck speed. Sliding the dagger out and holding it next to my thigh, I push the fingers of my other hand between the soft feathers of Beelzebub’s wings. He shivers and gasps, but I ignore him, taking hold of a thicker bone, praying I won’t rip the wing off if I get kicked off his back.

  “Helena, no!” Colt roars, his face set in firm lines, lips peeled into a snarl as he pushes harder to get to us faster than the two gorgons.

  A blind person can see that he won’t make it. They don’t carry extra weight, slicing through the air like bullets. Their target is me if those creepy glowing eyes are anything to go by. Bracing myself for the impact, my eyes dance in my head, looking for any weakness I might notice to explore.

  I see none.

  Thick bodies with two sets of breasts, legs like that of the dragon, and two pairs of arms with claw-tipped hands don’t give me much hope of surviving this collision. Leaving the doubts to brash off me, I turn my full hunter-honed focus on them. I know I’ll be going down, but I’m taking them with me. At least one, I amend the closer they get.

  Playing along with my insanity, Beelzebub stops flapping his wings, stretching them out and riding the current. That makes m
e feel more stable, and I lean my upper body forward, waiting unblinking for the gorgons to reach us.

  “Playtime,” murmuring under my breath, I tighten the grip on the dagger.

  They are almost on top of us. The yellowish color of their eyes brightens with hatred and triumph, tightening my gut in knots. I haven’t done anything, especially to these two to deserve that. Anger surges through me with so much intensity I’m not sure how I don’t erupt like a volcano. I don’t have to wonder long because claws reach for me from one blink to the next.

  Lashing out with the dagger, I slice through two sets of bellies, my forearm tensing when the blade parts their thick skin. It’s almost like punching through water, my shoulder screaming in pain, the action almost ripping my arm out of the socket.

  Screeches of pain make my ears ring for long moments when the gorgons teeter in the air, tangling their wings with each other, and go down faster than a rock being dropped. Arms shaking and teeth chattering from the adrenaline cursing through my veins, I watch, fascinated, as they disappear into a barely visible dot.

  “I’ll be damned.” Beelzebub shudders, his head bent down, watching the disappearing gorgons.

  “Yeah…” My voice shakes, and I don’t dare release my hold on his wing. “You and me both.”

  Flinching when a gust of wind hits me on the side, Beelzebub growls angrily when I yank on his wing. Colt stops next to us, nostrils flaring and rage twisting his face. Unable to help myself, I grin at him, deepening his scowl.

  “You could’ve died, or been taken.” Baring his teeth at me, he looks like a snarling monster.

  “Thanks, Mr. Obvious, if you didn’t tell me I wouldn’t have noticed.” Snapping at him, I pretend like I’m not trying to move my fingers away from Beelzebub’s wing.

  The picture of the gorgons trying to get me with their claws an inch from my face is burned into my retinas like a permanent feature. Blinking fast only makes me dizzy, not helping at all to clear it. I’m not sure I’ll be able to move at all until that happens, so Beelzebub is stuck in this position unless he decides to throw me off his back. Not that I blame him. I can feel a few lose feathers that I’ve already ripped. If I were in his place, he would’ve been going down a long time ago.

  Colt must’ve noticed because the scowl is gone. Eyeing me with amusement, he even chuckles, shaking his head. My fingers twitch with the desire to slap him, but I stop when Beelzebub groans again. The big guy sure makes a lot of noises I wasn’t aware he was capable of.

  “He is getting tired.” Colt lifts his chin at Beelzebub. “Switch places with the Haltija so we can keep in the air for a little longer. We should be nearing the portal gate soon.”

  “Unless you are planning on peeling me off him, I’m not sure I can move yet on my own.” Deciding that honesty can save me a lot of arguing, I dare him to say something smartass-ish.

  His lips lift on one side in a cocky smile, pissing me off before he even opens his mouth. “Not as tough as you…act…”

  His words end in a trailed off whisper, his gaze lifting painfully slow over my head. My whole body clenches at the paling of his face when he locks on whatever it is that he is looking at. I really, really don’t want to turn around and see what that is. When my skin starts feeling like it’ll blister, a groan deflates my chest.

  “For fuck's sake. It’s that damn dragon, isn’t it?” A punch to the head would’ve been more welcomed.

  “Quick, mistress,” my sidekick hisses, pushing Colt’s arms away like he is not worried that he might be dropped at any second.

  “Stop wiggling!” snapping at him, I sneak a fast glance over my shoulder. “Yup, it’s that cursed dragon.”

  “We need to get on the ground, now.” I’m proud I managed not to squeak when Beelzebub banks to the side and starts descending.

  Colt follows close, I’m sure because he expects me to topple over at any moment. I do my best to ignore his penetrating look while sneaking glances at the shadow of a dragon getting bigger by the second. Even from this far, I can tell it’s Leviathan. My mind comes to a screeching halt at that thought.

  “It’s Leviathan.” Waving at Colt with the hand clutching the dagger, excitedly I stab the air with the blade in the direction of the dragon. “Dumbass, it’s Leviathan.”

  Glaring at me, Colt twists his face in anger. “I can see him.”

  “I know you can see him.” Growling through clenched teeth, I glare back. “I mean, it’s him. Not a jinn, but the real Leviathan.”

  “And you know this how? I can’t even tell from this far.” Beelzebub grunts from underneath me.

  “When he attacked Eric, he didn’t try to mess with my head.” When Colt looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, I blow breath through pursed lips so I don’t stab him for real. “The jinn didn’t know that the first time Leviathan saw me, he messed with my head, making me feel like I was burning alive. So, he didn’t try mimicking that when he attacked.” Colts eyebrows go up at that, making me nod enthusiastically at him. “This one is doing the mind trick again. I think he is making sure we know it’s the real him.”

  “I’m not willing to take that chance she-devil. I’m sorry.” Colt doesn’t look like he is sorry at all. “We will get on the ground, and we can test the waters from there. Neither, Beelzebub nor I can stand a change in the air at the moment if it comes to a fight. We are both running on fumes.”

  Begrudgingly, I nod at him. I’m aware I’m acting like a spoiled brat, but after hearing that the portal is near, I can almost smell the smog laden Atlanta air. Being free of this damn place is so close, yet it seems like something will keep happening just to hold me here. I’m determined to not let that happen.

  Colt lands first, snatching me around the waist in the air before Beelzebub can fully straighten up. The words I was about to spit at him get stuck in my throat when I see that the golden glow is not around Eric anymore. Slapping Colt’s hands away, I rush to my mate.

  “He is not awake.” Staring at him, I glance quickly at Beelzebub. “Why isn’t he awake yet?”

  “It’ll take him some time to heal from an injury made by a jinn.” Colt squeezes my shoulder comfortingly, but I shrug off his touch.

  It’s not his fault that all this is happening, and I know I’m mostly taking it out on him, but it’s not like he was a nice guy and I decided to be a bitch. It’ll take a hell of a lot more than running for both our lives for me to remotely trust him.

  “How long?” Locking eyes with him, I wait for an exact amount of time because I can feel that I’ll freak out. “An hour? Five hours? I need time, Colt. How long?”

  “I’m not sure.” Something suspiciously like pity passes over his eyes, and I lose my shit.

  “You motherfucker!”

  Screeching like the gorgons, I jump in his face, poised to stab him with the dagger. Something stops my hand an inch from his chest, right where his heart is. Tense, muscles coiled and ready to snap at a blink of an eye, I can feel myself shaking with rage and fear. Colt doesn’t move away or try to block me from invading his personal space. He watches me calmly, unaware I can end his life at whim.

  “He is going to wake up.” With effort, I push the words through my teeth.

  “He will wake up.” Calmly, he stays locked with my crazed gaze.

  “Because if he doesn’t”—Tears prickle my eyes—“I will kill you just so I don’t have to be reminded of him every time I look at you.”

  “I know.” His eyes soften at that like a hot poker to my heart. “My brother is a lucky male to have found a female that loves him so fiercely.” Guilt crosses his features. “Another thing to envy when it comes to him.”

  “Speaking of envy,” Beelzebub sighs pointing at the sky.

  I don’t have time to contemplate the words. A shadow blots the silvery glow of the moon, and the next moment, a flash of bright light makes me blink, leaving Leviathan crouched a few feet away from where we are standing.

  “Stay where you are.” Colt is ver
y much Eric’s blood. In his right mind, he pushes me behind his back.

  Slamming a hand at the center of his back, I make him stumble a step. “Don’t you ever push me behind you, asshole.” Swallowing the lump in my throat, I suck air through my nostrils harshly. “Eric does that, not you.”

  He leaves his mouth open, deciding not to voice whatever he was about to say. I’m grateful for it even when I’ll never admit it to him to save my life. Turning to the blond fallen with icy blue eyes, I walk up to where he is standing, watching us like we’ve all gone nuts.

  “Where the hell were you?” He jerks back like I’ve slapped him, eyes widening at me. “While jinn were impersonating you and we almost died. Where the fuck were you? And more importantly, where is Lucifer?”

  After realizing that no enlightenment will come from either Beelzebub or Colt, who are both watching with arms folded over their chests like bodyguards, Leviathan turns the icy gaze back to me. “I was fighting off a horde of gorgons that came out of nowhere.” A frown is marring the perfection of his angelic face. “I’m still not certain how they entered the wards, or how I was able to pass them before they almost dropped me on the ground.”

  “And what? You were there, we just couldn’t see you?” Dubiously, I look him up and down.

  “As I said”—Narrowing his eyes his nostrils flare—“I chased after them when they try to flee. When I got back, I found the place empty and no wards to be found. I followed your scents here.” Turning to Colt, he bows his head barely. “I don’t know where Lucifer is. I thought he was with you even when I didn’t catch his scent.”