Beg Me to Slay

by Lisa Kessler

  “There are at least thirty of the minions left.” She looked up at him. “You can’t take on that many alone.”

  He cupped her cheek, memorizing every curve of her face. “I’ll keep them busy for as long as I can.”

  “The plan was to live through tonight, remember?” Her eyes welled with tears, but she didn’t let any fall. “She’s a half demon. Tell me how to stop her.”

  He handed her the dagger with Celtic carvings. “This dagger in the chest should stop the human half of her. Then get her through the portal. Without any human tissue, she won’t be able to cross over into our world again.”

  Tegan turned to go, but he caught her arm. “Wait a second.” He handed her the flail. “Hold this.” Gabe pulled off the ripped, demon blood-soaked remnants of his shirt and wrapped it around the end of the flail. “Can you give me a light?”

  Tegan tucked the dagger in her belt and pulled out the lighter. The fabric burst into blue flame, fueled by the demon blood.

  He gripped the battle-axe in his other hand. “Ready?”

  She nodded and raced off to stop Mara. Gabe let out a battle cry and raced into the center of the distracted army. Two wounded demons erupted in flames, causing the others to jump back before attacking.

  Gabe spun with the ax, lighting one more demon, before pain stabbed into his leg. He kicked the demon in the head, bringing his ax down onto his shoulder. Before he could light it up, another demon sank his teeth into Gabe’s back.

  He ran backward, slamming the demon against the brick wall of the alley. The others followed, clustering around him, the scent of his blood sending them into a frenzy. More bites peppered his body. His arms felt heavy, exhaustion and blood loss taking their toll, but he caught a glimpse of Tegan. She’d made it to Mara.

  His body weakened, but his spirit kept fighting. More bites, more blood, and finally fire.

  The demons kept coming.

  They yanked at his legs, dropping him to the ground. One of them bit his wrist, prying the burning flail from his hand. Gabe kept struggling, fighting through the pain with his last breath. He had to buy Tegan more time.

  ***

  When the demons chased Gabe to the wall, Tegan made her move. She charged Mara, knocking the younger girl to the ground. The portal flashed, and shadowy figures on the other side moved closer. Tegan forced herself to stay focused on Mara.

  One fight at a time.

  Mara got back to her feet, her eyes still glowing violet, but at least the hit had stopped the chanting. Tegan drew the dagger from her belt and took up a fighting stance. Mara wiped her hands on her jeans, looking like a typical high school senior, except for the glowing purple eyes. Tegan wet her lips, wincing a little at the sting in her split lower lip. Could she really stab a girl who could be one of her karate students? This was someone’s sister.

  Over her shoulder, the demons descended on Gabe. Tegan steeled her resolve. Think later. Now she had to act.

  Mara met her eyes and started to raise her arms again.

  “Mara, if you bring these demons over, they’ll kill Tina.” Tegan circled to her right, keeping her right eye toward her opponent since her left was in dire need of an ice pack.

  “You lie.”

  At least she was talking. Tegan took another step. “Call the demons off. Let’s talk.”

  “How do you know my sister?” Mara lowered her arms, but the demons were still beating the crap out of Gabe. Shit.

  “Call off the demons, and I’ll tell you.”

  Mara’s violet eyes shifted toward the mob on top of Gabe. “He’s the slayer. The one who dumped my sister.”

  “Call them off, Mara.” She prayed her stern sensei voice would reach the teen.

  She yelled something in another language, and the Hingo minions straightened and stepped back. Gabe lay on the ground unconscious, his bare chest bloody and broken. Tegan swallowed the sob that tore inside her. Was he dead?

  She couldn’t check now or the demons would be on her.

  Taking a deep breath, she focused on Mara again. “Gabe brought me to your sister. She’s been searching for you. The demons have been using her to get to you.”

  Mara narrowed her eyes. “Did she tell you what a disappointment I was? How I’m not a witch or a psychic?”

  “She’s not disappointed.” Tegan tightened her grip on the dagger. “She loves you. But if you bring the white dragon across the portal, none of it will matter because Tina will be dead.”

  “They’ll protect her.” Mara rushed her, and Tegan dodged to the left, shoving Mara to the ground as she passed.

  “You trust their word? Tina told me you didn’t even know you were a half demon until they kidnapped you.” Behind Mara, Tegan noticed Gabe’s fingers twitch. A spark of hope fired through her belly.

  Mara got up, frowning. “They’re my blood.”

  “So is Tina, and she’s loved you much longer.”

  “Tina is jealous of my power.” Mara’s violet eyes brightened into a red color.

  Tegan smelled smoke and glanced down to find her shirt smoldering. “Shit!” She ripped off the sheer shirt, leaving her in only her black tank top. “She won’t be jealous much longer. She’ll be dead.”

  Mara screamed and ran at Tegan. This time she spun to her right but not quite fast enough. Mara’s arm caught her shoulder, knocking her off balance. They both tumbled to the ground. Tegan instinctively rolled to lessen the impact and came up on her feet. Demon blood burned her skin, but it was better than a broken bone.

  Mara crawled forward, climbed back to her feet, and called out something Tegan couldn’t understand. The meaning quickly became apparent.

  The demons lurched toward her, surrounding both of them. Tegan swung the dagger, slicing through a wrist, but another demon was right behind it. A jolt of pain shot up Tegan’s arm, and she jerked her elbow free of a demon’s jaws.

  Suddenly a demon flew backward and a mangled, bloodied Gabe took his place behind her. “I’ve got your back. Send her to hell.”

  Gabe’s battle-axe cracked through bone, and Tegan strove to keep her focus. Mara was at the portal, arms raised, chanting. Tegan’s eyesight wavered. She needed to finish this before she passed out. She bit down hard on her split lower lip, pain jolting her senses back to attention.

  Gripping the dagger, she approached the half demon. Mara reached for her, and Tegan answered with a solid uppercut with her left hand. Dark, almost-black blood oozed down Mara’s chin. She smiled, sending a chill down Tegan’s spine. Blood seeped through her teeth, her eyes glowed, and a sick smile curved her lips.

  “I carry the blood of the white dragon,” Mara growled, pressing her right hand to Tegan’s chest. Heat radiated, followed by pain and the disgusting scent of burning flesh. Tegan’s flesh. “I sacrifice the last of the red dragon’s bloodline to my father to welcome him back to his throne in this world.”

  “No.” Tegan tightened her hold on the Celtic dagger. Her father called it a dragon killer. “Y Ddraig Goch ddyry gychwyn.” Tegan forced out through clenched teeth. “The Red Dragon will show the way.”

  With the last of her strength, Tegan slammed the dagger into Mara’s abdomen. Mara’s hand fell away from Tegan’s chest, but the pain didn’t recede. The half demon’s eyes were wide. She moved her hand to grip the hilt of the dagger protruding from her belly.

  The minions stopped attacking, and Gabe yelled over his shoulder. “Get her through the portal. Now.”

  Tegan grabbed Mara’s shoulders, trying to shove her back, but Mara’s demon strength hadn’t ebbed. The minions shoved forward, reaching for their leader. Gabe fought hard, keeping them away from Tegan.

  She needed to do her part.

  Tegan landed a punch to the Mara’s ear and followed up with a roundhouse kick that would’ve made Bruce Lee proud. Tegan let out a loud kiai that echoed down the alley, all of her frustration, fear, and anger in her spirit combined to power the kick.

  Her boot landed right in the center of the ha
lf demon’s pelvis, knocking Mara off her feet and through the portal.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The second Mara crossed over, the demons stumbled backward, away from Gabe’s ax. He pursued them until they scattered and ran away. The fire around the portal flashed and vanished, taking the door to hell with it.

  Dropping his weapon, Gabe rushed to Tegan’s side and knelt beside her.

  “Tegan?” He scooped her bloody, burned body into his arms.

  She was alive. Tough as nails, beautiful, and alive.

  Her swollen, cracked lips curved into an exhausted smile. “We did it.”

  His heart lodged in his throat. “We did. Now we need to get you cleaned up. You might need a few stitches.”

  She closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest while he carried her to the car. Tegan drifted in and out of consciousness as he drove the Mustang around the block to the alley behind the Eden Club.

  After dressing her wounds, he snapped the ice pack and pressed the cool pad to her left eye. She moaned but didn’t wake up. He needed to clean up the evidence of the fight, then he’d wash the demon blood off her and get her to the ER.

  She’d have a few more scars to go with the one on her collarbone now. Her elbow and her calf had ugly bites, but it was the burn over her heart that filled him with the most remorse. If Tegan hadn’t stabbed Mara when she did, the half demon would have burned a hole right through her chest. He’d almost lost her.

  Just like he’d lost Laura.

  His gut twisted. Burying the guilt and pain would be impossible now. Tegan’s smile and everything he loved about her had been paid for with Laura’s blood. How could he live with the knowledge that he’d been saving Tegan while Laura died?

  He ground his teeth together and opened the trunk.

  Maybe this was Tegan’s chance at a normal life. The demon’s minions only fought because their master called them. With Mara and the Hingo demon dead, he could find Tina and silence her, and then no one would know Tegan was the last of the red dragon’s bloodline in her generation. But if he stuck around, the demons would come sniffing around again. They’d come after her to hurt him. Eventually she’d have to close her dojo. It wouldn’t be safe for the kids if demons were lurking around. And what about her parents? What if the demons went after them?

  He grabbed the canister of necro powder and started dusting the demon bodies and blood.

  This was going to be a long night.

  …

  Tegan woke up long enough to tell him she wanted no part of a hospital visit. After naming the months of the year and telling him the names of all the kids in her karate classes, he was pretty confident she didn’t have a concussion. Finally he took her to her place instead of the ER.

  The sun cracked over the horizon when he pulled into the Red Dragon dojo parking lot. She’d told him she named it after the Welsh motto of “the red dragon will show the way.” The Welsh flag also hung on the wall inside, a nod to her heritage.

  It had a much deeper meaning now.

  Gabe carried Tegan up to her apartment and got the shower going. He helped her clean up and then hopped in himself after he got her settled on her bed. The hot water soaked him, soothing battered muscles, and washing all the demon blood down the drain. They’d lived. Tegan’s attacker was safely back in hell.

  So why did he still feel like utter shit?

  Stupid question. He knew exactly why. He got out of the shower and toweled off. In the mirror, his demon bites looked like red, angry scratches. They were already healing, leaving behind more scars to remind him how close he’d come to losing the fight.

  Gabe pulled on his sweatpants and walked out of the bathroom.

  Tegan had moved and now sat at the table in her robe with a bag of frozen peas against her forehead, a bottle of wine and two glasses in front of her. “I’m on my second glass and feeling much better. You want some?”

  “Got any whiskey?” He went to the cupboard so she wouldn’t have to get up. Tegan didn’t have much in the way of a liquor cabinet, but he did find a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. Good enough.

  He brought the bottle over and poured a glass. He knocked it back, embracing the burning numbness on his tongue and down his throat. He poured another and downed it with a groan.

  She winced. “We’re going for relaxed, not unconscious.”

  “I’m fine.” He glanced at Tegan. The whiskey didn’t touch the ache in his heart. “Guess we can go pick up your car now.”

  She put the bag of frozen peas on the table. “I forgot about my car.” She took a sip of her wine. “We can worry about that later, though, right?”

  He shrugged, shifting his gaze to the bottle of Jack Daniel’s. Knocking back one more shot, he forced himself to put the lid back on the bottle. He couldn’t pretend the past didn’t exist, that Laura hadn’t existed. Laura never knew him like Tegan did; she’d never fought beside him, but she died because of him. Because he saved Tegan instead of going to dinner.

  He couldn’t stay here.

  “I need to get back to my office. Martie’s up to her ears in cases that should’ve been worked a couple weeks ago.”

  “All right.” She set her wineglass on the table. “I canceled classes for next week anyway. I can help you get caught up.”

  “Nah.” He got up to put the whiskey away. “I can handle it. You should rest and heal.”

  He could almost feel her gaze boring a hole in the middle of his back. “Is everything all right?”

  He leaned his hands on the countertop, his shoulders tensing. “I need to tell you something.”

  “Okay…”

  What was he supposed to say? He turned around. Tegan sat in the chair, her face covered in bruises and scrapes. Leaving was definitely the right thing to do. But, damn, he loved her.

  Love wouldn’t save her, he reminded himself. In fact, it’s what had gotten Laura killed. Guilt coiled like an angry, hateful snake in his gut. It had almost killed Tegan already.

  “I need to go back to work. Alone.”

  A wrinkle creased on Tegan’s forehead. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that you’re better off without me.”

  She stood from her chair. “Wait a second. Last night you said you didn’t want our partnership to end.” She crossed her arms. “You told me you loved me. Are you saying that was all bullshit?”

  The heat of the whiskey in his belly stoked the embers of anger. He would never get a happy ending like most people. He couldn’t change his destiny or his life. And losing Tegan was the price he’d pay for his failure to protect Laura.

  “It wasn’t bullshit, but look at you, Tegan.” His voice stayed low and even, only the volume cranked up a notch. “We barely made it out of that fight. I’m not going to lead you into another one.” He went to his duffel and pulled out a T-shirt. “I wish it could be different, but demons are still out there. Tina’s out there. Once we’re sure she’s taken care of, there won’t be anyone but us and Lago who know about your bloodline. You’ll be safe. This is my path, my problem. Not yours.”

  He yanked on the shirt and started tossing his loose clothes back in the bag. Tegan approached him as if she might be staring at an alien. “I thought we were past all this. I had your back.”

  “And I left yours unguarded.” He pulled his hair back from his face in frustration. “I can’t risk your life. Is that so hard for you to understand? I failed Laura. I won’t fail you, too.”

  “She didn’t understand what you were. She didn’t know how to protect herself. I do.” Tegan reached out, her fingers brushing his forearm, searing his skin with the ache to hold her. “This isn’t about Laura.”

  He jerked away from her touch, his eyes burning. “Tegan, I was the one who saved you that night. She died while I was saving you.”

  …

  The air blew out of her lungs as if she’d just been sucker punched in the gut. Her heart clenched in her chest. “What?”

  “That’s why
I lost it when you pointed the Hingo demon out. I recognized him.” He picked up his duffel bag. “You ran off so fast that night I never saw your face. I didn’t realize you were the woman I saved until tonight. Hell, I didn’t even know if you were still alive. I wasn’t sure if I’d gotten to him before he bit you, or if I was too late and he’d planted a minion inside your body.”

  She sat on the arm of the chair where his duffel bag had been. Her brain fumbled with puzzle pieces she didn’t want to fit together. Laura had died on the night of her birthday four years ago. She looked up at Gabe’s tortured face at a loss for words.

  What could she say? Would he think of Laura every time he looked at her? Did he regret the choice he made that night?

  She didn’t want to know the answers.

  Tearing her gaze from his face, she stared at her hands. “I still don’t want you to go.”

  The honest, bare truth left her standing before him naked and vulnerable.

  “I don’t want to go either, but how can I stay? Tell me that one, Tegan.” He shook his head, staring at the ceiling. “How can I put the past behind me when every smile, every laugh we share is shadowed with Laura’s blood?” He slammed his bag on the table and opened the whiskey again. She watched him down two more shots. “I wish things could be different.”

  She stood, fighting the light-headedness. “You told me not to let that attack hold me back from living. Maybe you should take your own advice.”

  He left his duffel on the table and crossed to her, pulling her into his arms. The comfort broke down the weak barrier she had around her emotions. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as his lips kissed the top of her head.

  “I love you, Tegan, but the second I recognized that demon’s face, it hit me. You’re alive because I was fighting to save you instead of meeting Laura. If I had been where I was supposed to be, she’d be alive.”

  And if he’d been where he was supposed to be that night, she’d be dead right now.

  His embrace tightened as if he might never let go. His heartbeat pounded in her ear.