The Demon Inside (Hell's Creatures Book 1)

by Katerina Degratte

  What the hell was she talking about? I send Luke a questioning look, but he’s too busy staring at her to notice.

  Good thing the diner was closed, or people would get to hear this soap opera going on. I had no idea what she was talking about and normally I would try for an answer, but this wasn’t the time.

  He looks slightly wounded by her proclamation but shakes it off. “Look,” he puts his hands on her shoulders, “We’re not here to argue about the past, we’re here to help Aura.” Finally. Her face is grim. Maybe she was hiding something.

  She lets out a deranged sigh. “You’re right,” she mutters, defeated. Looking up again, her eyes are ice cold. “That doesn’t change my opinion of either of you though, I’m just here to help a friend.” Does her voice hold fondness? Or something akin to it? “Does demon spawn really have to be here for that to happen though?” She sends me another death glare that would have me trapped under ice in the polar bear region if she had her way.

  “Yes, he does,” Luke answers for me a second time which was getting increasingly aggravating. “They’re friends.” Acquaintances or forced friends would have been more accurate.

  She scoffs at his answer, seeming not to believe it could be true. For the most part it wasn’t, because I managed to screw everything up time and time again.

  “Then the least he can do is stay out of my way,” she lets out a dramatic sigh. “When she comes back if you do anything to hurt her, your body will be at the bottom of the river. She’s too good for you as it is.”

  This was going to be a long process and yet again I keep hearing the mantra in my head repeated by other people. She is too good for me.

  See if you would have just left none of this would happen now. I can see him shaking his head. Acting so inferior to those beneath you—sickening.

  xxXxx

  Aura

  I wake up in my place of peace, its sky such a clear blue and grasses so green. It is paradise, and I love it here. I would never leave if that were an option. Laying down, the carpet of grass feels comforting beneath the tips of my fingers. I could fall asleep like this.

  “Aura!” I hear a panicked yell from behind me. Sitting up, I notice her rushing over to my spot, tears on her face. “Aura are you okay?” she bends down to my level, relieved to see me.

  “It’s amazing here mom, I feel better than I have in so long, you have no idea.” I grin, confused as to why she is upset. “What’s wrong?” I frown, as things are apparently not as they seem.

  She grabs my wrists, her grasp as tight as the tension in her eyes, forcing me to look at her. “Don’t you remember what happened?” Her voice is cracked and filled with desperation.

  I have the urge to push her off but think better of it. The answer was simple. “I was trying to attack Gabriel’s demon. I was reckless and used up my power and ended up here,” I answer, my mind racing to confirm the event. Wasn’t she the one to bring me here, so I didn’t suffer a cruel fate?

  “Do you remember what happened between the time you used up your power and ended up here?” she questions, her brow knit with anxiety. Her killer grip is still unintentionally painful restraining my wrists.

  Nothing happened; if it did, I would remember it. It was a perk as well as a flaw of being an angel, perfect memory. One doesn’t just black out or have a spotty canvas in there. “No, that’s all I remember.” I shrug, relieved when the restraining hands are removed from my wrists. Now I could sit up on my own, instead of feeling like a rag doll.

  “Nothing at all? You don’t feel any different?” Her eyes are pleading for me to tell her something, hoping I remembered whatever she was referring to.

  I glance at my hands, to see a soft orange glow emanating from them. Very peculiar. “I feel stronger now and I’m glowing for whatever reason.” My brow furrows at the spectacle. Maybe I was just going crazy and seeing things that didn’t exist. Maybe the glow meant something terrible, though doubtful considering I wasn’t radiating a single ounce of evil energy.

  “Aura, after you were attacked, I wasn’t the one to take you here,” she tells me. “You were too lost for my mind to do that.” I look at her confused as she continues, none of it making sense. “The demon part of Gabriel tried to enter your body but was rejected after some time. After that, your body went into a comatose state, and your mind brought you here to one of your happier memories.” I wait for the punchline. For her to tell me it’s a joke, that she was yanking me around a bit, but that fails to happen.

  I look at her still confused, knowing she wouldn’t lie about such a thing. The pieces fit together somewhat, and she seemed profoundly serious about the whole issue. Not sure what to say, I ask with a shaky voice, “Am I going to die?”

  “Yes, and no.” She frowns. “Your friends are trying to get you back to reality, while you’re stuck here by choice.”

  Would I die if I stayed here?

  “I already know you’re considering staying here instead of facing the harshness of reality.” She gives me a sympathetic smile. “Your friends need you. You can’t jump ship now.”

  So tempting.

  “Please say something Aura,” she pleads, unsatisfied with my lack of reply.

  “It’s so nice here though,” I pout, being at the receiving end of her parental glare. “I’m too weak to beat him anyway, I couldn’t even deal any damage. I just fed him power.” Maybe someone else would be better suited for the job; I obviously flunked at it.

  She gives me a hug, stroking my hair. “Honey don’t say that. You’re one of the strongest beings I know. Hell, you forced a demon out of your body and escaped death multiple times.” She pulls back to give me an encouraging smile.

  I smiled a bit at her encouragement; she was too kind. I have faced the odds, but that didn’t mean I could beat him.

  “Do you remember what he told you?” she asks, head tilting to the side. She tried to get at information that I didn’t even know, information she likely knows from the river but wants to hear it from me.

  “Who told me?” I am confused. Demon boy said a lot of things, considering he loved to hear himself talk. Was it all vanity, or something of importance she’s trying to convince me of?

  “He told you he was stronger than the angel. You just have to get him when he’s weak, or make the angel come out somehow.” She frowns, signaling it wasn’t quite a reasonable task. When he’s weak...the drugs! “Angel’s aren’t weak, despite his words.

  “How am I supposed to do that?” I unintentionally end up coming off whiny.

  “You’ll learn when the time comes,” she smiles encouragingly. “Now I think it’s about time for you to go back to your friends.”

  “How? Do I have to go so soon?” I search her eyes, desperately wanting to stay a bit longer.

  “Yes, you have to go back now. While you’ve been gone, everybody has been worried sick about you. Gabriel hasn’t stopped holding your hand the entire time.” She rolls her eyes, though I can tell she’s pleased at her biological son’s kindness.

  “All right, show me the way,” I try to hold down the blush that’s probably staining my face by now. That was sweet of him and unexpected.

  “Hold out your hands,” she directs.

  I do as she says and suddenly feel her hands clasp in mine. She mumbles some words as she mixes her energy with mine to bring me back to my body.

  “Luke and your old friend Minx haven’t been able to stop arguing the whole time you’ve been out,” are the last words I hear before I’m sent back to my mortal form.

  xxXxx

  Blinking my eyes open, I see everything the way Theresa described. Feeling Gabriel’s rough hand around mine is a pleasant feeling. Around me, people shout, arguing about why I wouldn’t wake up and who was to blame, until they’re silenced by me voicing, “I’m awake.” A sad smile spreads on my face, eyes reawakened to the world around me. But, the smile drops away as soon as I see her. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Chapter 19r />
  Her. My eyes turn to slivered daggers at her presence, my teeth gritting.

  Now she goes by Minx. While she can shift form and was in a different human suit then the last time, my eyes almost immediately recognized her. Her aura is unmissable. I could have never seen her again, and it still would have been far too soon. A furious rage grows in my chest.

  I would never forgive her for the pain she caused. Couldn’t if I tried.

  “Do I know you?” She plays dumb, only succeeding in making herself look like a stupid fucking asshole. She knew I knew her, and there was no way she didn’t remember...

  “You may look different bitch, but you’re the one who started the fire that killed her.” My voice breaks, causing looks of shock from Luke and Gabriel, though Minx remains unfazed. “Get out!”

  “Aura if you would just listen-,” she starts, hands held up in defensive as if she were a lion tamer.

  “NO!” My yell causes the walls to shake. An angel’s fury. Nothing she can say would bring her back.

  “It was years ago,” she says as if that should fix the problem, being the sociopath she is. She’s unimpressed by my fury of emotion over her carelessness.

  It didn’t matter how much time had passed; the wounds were still fresh. My body trembles with wrath. “I’m here to help you.” She brings out a book from behind her back, no doubt some trick. A worn-down children’s book cover, barely recognizable. It was my sister’s favorite. Anna would have it read to her nearly every night.

  “I figured you would want this.” She holds it like a peace offering. If she were an angel, the light would have been falling upon the item, but she was as far from that as one could get.

  I snatched it from her hands. She shouldn’t have stolen it to begin with, twenty-odd years ago. “Fine, I’ll take it. But you can get the fuck out of here!” If my sister was still alive, I would have much smaller issues than demons. There is a slight comfort, and a sad reminder, as I open the cover to see the worn-out message. “This changes nothing,” I tell her, while cradling it in my chest.

  She looks at me baffled, as that probably was her only selfless act in the last decade. So why shouldn’t it work? She turns towards Luke, as if he’ll defend her case.

  “Get out of here, Minx. We’ll talk later elsewhere. You clearly remind her of some part of her past, that she doesn’t want resurfaced.” He wards her off, to my relief. Why was he even friends with a monster like that?

  She releases a heavy sigh, muttering something under her breath that vaguely sounds like a bitch, but I bite my tongue from retorting. I didn’t want it to be an excuse to keep her around. The sooner she left, the better.

  One slam, two slams, and the final third one of the front door. The monster is gone. No, wait… there’s a shattering blow as she uses magic to shatter the windows in the diner downstairs. Judging by the lack of screams, the diner was closed for the night as well.

  “Bloody hell.” Luke shakes his head, annoyed at the inconvenience. Not that a vampire really had to worry about being robbed, but it was another chore to complete. “First the doors, now the windows.”

  “Mrow.” Maori curls up next to me purring.

  “Sure, act all cute like you weren’t shredding through doors earlier,” Luke mutters under his breath, causing an eyebrow to pique. I’m too exhausted to bother with the 20 questions game at the moment though: maybe tomorrow.

  “Cute baby.” I hold the kitty, cradling her as she graciously puts up with it for at least the time being.

  “What was that about?” Luke asks, going through his phone. A pensive look on his face. “You seemed to know her. Whose life did she wreck?” A hint of a smile graces his face before it immediately erases at my lack of amusement.

  “We used to be roommates.” And with roommates you have to expect some pain in the ass associated with it. But it went further than that. “She…” I stop contemplating, before zipping up the matter, “History that I would rather not think about.” Though his expression says he wants to pry, he leaves the subject alone for now.

  Anna,

  Let your dreams soar far.

  Love, Mom

  Wet little droplets paint the page, as I’m full on crying.

  “Aura.” Luke wraps accepting arms around me, acting like a teddy bear; it was exactly what I needed.

  xxXxx

  Gabriel

  Maybe I didn’t know her as well as I pinned her for. Minx, fire, death; what the hell could have happened? What dark secrets did she have buried?

  I feel an urge of something, an unresolved anger that leaves me wanting to follow Minx and making her pay the consequences. Aura would never do something that selfish, but me… When I’ve killed several accidental collateral damage people, what would one deserving death change?

  Anna,

  Let your dreams soar far.

  Love, Mom

  Anna had to be someone of importance to her. I saw the name as she stared down at the book. Her sister or daughter maybe? Whoever she was, she wasn’t kicking anymore.

  Go for it. Give into the urge to end her, even if it’s for the dime a dozen blonde. He was dying to be let loose again. The closer things got, the more powerful he was.

  Zip it. I shut him down.

  “You okay Gabriel?” Aura asks, as I’ve been silent during the entire ordeal. She was curled up to Luke? When the fuck did that happen?

  “I should probably get going.” I glance at the time on my phone, to have it as an excuse. Now that I knew she was okay, I had to leave before I fucked something else up. I didn’t deserve to be around her.

  “See you later.” She gives me a wave, likely not really having the energy or serotonin left to give me a more engaging answer.

  I make it back to my apartment to groan at the notice on the door. Eviction notice, final warning. I try the key in the door, but it’s bolted shut. Fuck my life.

  Grow up. Finding another place to stay isn’t too hard. Blondie offered, didn’t she? He would enjoy that far too much. I couldn’t risk that danger around her. Not there. Anywhere but there. I contemplate breaking the door down but decide to hit the bar first. I was already in deep shit with the leasing office as is, without creating more bills by damaging property. Well, more property, aside from a few doors, mailboxes, plus a window or two. What can I say, I have a sparkling personality?

  Hailey is at the bar, per usual. “Rough day?” She sympathizes with my expression. “How is the angel thing going?”

  I shake my head. “He almost killed her. I got an eviction notice in my apartment, they finally bolted me out.”

  She pours a shot, a look of sympathy marring her features. She slides it over to me. “This one’s on the house.”

  I nod a thanks.

  “If it’s any consolation, I know she would have liked you to take the opportunity to be better.” She refers to her daughter. “I know I was ragging on the angel thing earlier, but you know how it is.” Who trusted a selfish, no good angel?

  I nod. She would have encouraged me to be the best person I could.

  A few drinks later, Minx approaches me. Wearing a leather low-cut top, she pushes her breasts up closer to my face, noticing my stare, enjoying the attention. “Your angel friend is a bitch. Why do you bother with her?” Those words bring me back.

  “You’re the one who killed some girl in a fire.” I scoot my stool further from her creating some distance. Why did I have to run into her here? “Besides, don’t you hate me?” I recall the introduction. She ignores that tidbit.

  She pouts. “That was like two decades ago. And I didn’t technically start the fire, I just didn’t pull her kid sister out. Humans are so petty.” Great. She makes me feel like a semi-moral citizen. Sociopath, or maybe psychopath; she definitely fits one of the two.

  I take a long gaze at her, running my eyes over her body. Her knee high laced up boots, and leather pants that hug so tight, her ass looks magical. And that laced up, low cut leather top. “I have no more of a
n interest in talking to you.” I turn back around, eyeing my drink, trying to drown my murderous temptation. Or hate fuck, then kill.

  A needle is inserted in my neck. “What the fuck?” The surrounding area is fading before I have the chance to react.

  Chapter 20

  Gabriel

  I reawaken, a cool tight metallic sensation around my wrists and ankles. The frigid air brushes against what must have been my naked torso. My eyes are struggling to open. What the hell did she give me? My heart rate quickens as the anxiety of something feeling far too familiar and treacherous is happening.

  Finally able to peel my eyes open, I see chains secured round my ankles and wrists. On instinct I pull at them, trying to free myself. It only makes things worse emotionally. How long had I been out? Where was demon boy when I needed him?

  “What type of sick kinky game are you playing?” I cough, my lungs dry as the Sahara. I was sure I would die from dehydration. “Aura, this isn’t another one of your attempts is it?” There’s a spark of hope in my mind that it was her. That would put me at ease, though it was an impossibility. And I thought her last attempt was extreme.

  “Please, that bitch doesn’t have the guts to try something like this.” I hear the voice from the bar. “Always being so self-righteous, acting like she’s better than everyone else. Please,” Minx grunts appalled by the idea of Aura amounting to anything. Jealousy being a dangerous thing. She’s wearing a different shirt then from the bar. Less sexy, more practical.

  “How long have you had me here?” I yell, my voice scratchy and strained. It’s a struggle to get the words out. I needed an answer.

  “Just a few days,” she says as if that’s no time at all, and to a shapeshifter it really wasn’t. “I was beginning to get worried that you wouldn’t wake,” She coos, trying to run her fingers through my hair as I flinch away. “Well, you’re no fun,” she pouts.

  “What are you going to do with me?” I hiss out at her, an attempt at intimidation. Judging from her expression though, I was like a puppy’ all bark, no bite.