When the doors of the church closed, Ruth got off her pew and grabbed the piglet from its pen. I hated this part of the service. Worse than the sermon, worse than the hard wooden pews, and worse than the stuffy heat. The piglet squealed as if it knew what was coming. Ruth laid the squirming animal on the wooden altar, holding it down by its neck and pressing her red painted nails into its skin.
The noise in the room died until every woman and child watched the altar with anticipation. Beside the piglet’s head was a simple butcher’s knife. I closed my eyes as Ruth picked up the knife with her free hand and raised it above her head.
The piglet screamed and grunted, but it was no use. After a sick thudding sound, its cries stopped and I risked peering through my eyelashes. A fresh spray of bright red blood marred Ruth’s baby pink blouse. She smiled at us, a droplet of blood falling from her double chin.
“Welcome, my sisters. We make this sacrifice in the name of our goddess, who has kept us safe for another week. In her name, we worship.”
There was a shuffling noise as everyone around us pulled out their worship pamphlets and turned the pages, following along while Ruth led the service. I held out my own pamphlet, although I knew the service by heart. First came the declaration of faith. Then, a song that praised the goddess and her bountiful blessings. Then, Ruth’s message.
My eyes trailed over the room as Ruth delved into her sermon. Kate caught my gaze and grinned knowingly, her eyes heavy with boredom. I wanted nothing more than to tell her about my trip into the forest yesterday and the demon battle I’d witnessed. Kate knew I liked to push the boundaries of my adventures into the woods, but even she didn’t know how far I explored. It was best not to make her worry.
Kate was a rule follower and would never break a town law. It might have been one of the reasons Granny liked her so much. She was dependable and righteous. She was the kind of woman that would live out her days in Hanna, content with the family and friends that surrounded her. It was another reason we were opposites.
But I was bursting with my story about the battle and the green eyed demon. If I told Kate, maybe she could help me make sense of this feeling of nervousness that came over me every time I thought about him. She’d help me understand that his good looks were nothing but a trick from the devil, meant to lure vulnerable young women like myself into trusting him.
And she’d help me hate him, like I was supposed to – not dream of him like I did last night. Dreams of his arms around me and his lips pressed against mine. Dreams that made me feel dirty and hot and nervous all at the same time.
"I think she's going for a record long sermon," Kate whispered in my ear. "I’m sure the goddess has better things to do than to listen about the evils of the outside world."
I smiled and nodded my head, forcing my attention back on Ruth’s sermon. Sure enough, two and a half hours later, we were finally released from church. We spilled out the front doors with the rest of the blurry eyed and dazed members, allowing the warm rays of the afternoon sun to wash away the haze.
Church service for Granny was usually followed by a pot of coffee and cold sandwiches on the back porch, so I followed her home. Kate was right. It was now or never. I had to ask Granny to sponsor my time at school or give up on my one chance for freedom.
I was already older than most of the kids graduating from college, but that didn’t matter. All I needed was a yes and I’d be gone this fall, whisked away to a campus with fifty times the number of students than there were people in my town. The idea scared and thrilled me.
"Put the pot on," Granny called when we walked into our tiny two bedroom house across the street from the gas station. "Make it good and strong. Ruth Baker's sermons always leave me with a bear of a headache."
I prepared the coffee and put it in the coffee maker, grabbing Granny's favorite green mug. My stomach was beginning to squirm like a sinner in church. This was the moment I'd been waiting for - the moment that could change my life. Granny had the ultimate say on whether I could leave town. Her rule was law. She would be my salvation.
"Next weekend's Memorial day, so I'll need you to pull a long shift for the tourists that'll be flocking through," Granny said as she entered the tiny kitchen and planted herself at the seventies deco kitchen table with the cracked yellow plastic-covered chairs.
She unfolded the Rapid City Journal and laid it flat on the table, throwing out the sections she didn't want to read. The first section to hit the waste basket was always the comics. I liked to dig them out later and save the best ones in my top dresser drawer.
"Okay, Granny. I'll be happy to put in some extra hours next weekend." I poured a mug of steaming hot coffee and slid it in front of her on the table.
She eyed me over the sports sections she was about to drop into the trash. "You're not usually this compliant about working extra. What do you want?"
I swallowed hard. Typical Granny. She couldn't even give me time to butter her up. I'd have to make my request directly.
"I wanted to talk to you about the college slot," I started. "It's open and I'd like to be considered for it..."
"And what makes you think you deserve that slot?" Granny leaned forward to fix me with her dark brown eyes. A wisp of gray hair fell across her forehead.
For as long as I could remember, Granny had been gray and wrinkled. I couldn't imagine her as a young girl my age. It didn't seem natural.
"I was a good student in high school. You remember? I got straight A's my senior year."
Granny nodded, but I could see she wasn't convinced yet.
"And I plan on getting a degree in business, so I can help with stuff at the gas station. Learn about taxes and financials.”
She picked up her mug and sipped it slowly. This wasn't going as planned. I'd had a whole speech prepared on my qualifications, but I couldn't remember a single sentence of it. Instead, I felt like a child trying to convince her parents to get a puppy.
"Please, Granny," I continued. It was time to pull out all the stops. "I promise I'll make you proud. I’ll make the town proud. I’ll make the Goddess proud. You won't be sorry. I'll learn so much."
There was a heavy moment of silence as she set her mug down, and shuffled the papers in front of her. The crime beat laid on top. It was her favorite piece. She loved to tell me about the stories she read in there, and point out what a terrible place this world had become. There was danger everywhere. The world was full of sinners and murderers and rapists. Everywhere, but Hanna.
"I'm not sure a cursed child, like yourself, deserves to go to college," Granny growled in her rough voice. She hunched her shoulders and leaned forward, forcing me to look in her eyes. "Do you think a killer deserves to go to school?"
I gave her a helpless shrug. Ever since I was a baby, Granny reminded me on a daily basis that I was cursed. I'd killed my own mother during birth. Killing a woman was an unforgiveable offense in a town like Hanna, even if I hadn't meant to do it. In her eyes, I was a murderer.
Granny sat back in her chair. I could feel her eyes on my face, searching out every flaw. I'd purposely left off the makeup this morning. She didn't like it when I wore even the tiniest hint of mascara. It made me look like a painted lady, she'd say.
"Tell you what," Granny said, pulling a Virginia Slim out of her pocket shirt. "If you behave this month, do your chores, work extra at the gas station, and perform extra sacrifices for the goddess, I'll see what I can do."
I nearly squealed with glee, but clamped my mouth shut when Granny raised her bushy eyebrow at me. Instead, I grabbed the Zippo and held it out to light the cigarette dangling from her mouth.
I had this in the bag. In a few weeks, I'd be Lizzy Redding - college freshman.
Chapter Three
I gave into the seducing call of the forest after only a week. By the time the Memorial Day tourist rush at the Pump N' Go had ended, I was needing some alone time in the quiet southern woods. Tourist season drove the residents of Hanna nuts. Although to be fair,
the town made most of its money due to those vacationers flocking to the Black Hills.
The moment I stepped into the forest, the quiet enveloped me like a comfortable blanket, softening the noises of traffic on highway 196. My feet automatically pulled me in the direction of my favorite spot in the woods – a small stream just a mile south of town that cut through the pines and rocky ground.
Oftentimes, I would take off my shoes and wade upstream through the creek, watching the tiny minnows darting through the water. The elk herds around here didn’t seem to mind. They’d watch me while I walked past, slowly chewing on leaves. Even the black bears that came to drink at the stream would ignore me, as if I were simply a part of the landscape.
Today was unusually scorching for the Black Hills. By the time I got to the stream, my shirt was beginning to stick to my back and a thin layer of sweat had formed on my face. I rushed to pull my tennis shoes off and sunk my feet into the cool water of the creek. Instantly, it felt like I'd cooled off a good ten degrees.
Granny had left early this morning for the gas station. She'd flip if she knew I was here. But I'd gotten away with exploring these woods hundreds of times. There was no reason to think she'd catch me this time.
That being said, I still felt a tad bit guilty. She'd agreed to let me go to college in the fall as long as I followed the laws of Hanna and worked hard. But what Granny didn't know, wouldn't hurt her.
I was struck by the sudden silence of the woods around me. Only moments ago, the robins had been trilling in the trees and a hawk circled the air high above. Now, an eerie silence fell on the forest. I pulled my socks and shoes onto my sopping wet feet and crept to an outcropping of rocks on the opposite bank of the creek.
Something was happening. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I had to see for myself.
When I climbed over the rocks, my belly scraping against the boulders, I caught a glimpse of what had disturbed the forest. The Green Eyed demon was back. This time, with a tall dark-haired friend dressed in brown khaki pants and a t-shirt that hugged his massive biceps. They both stood over the carcass of an elk which had been shredded to pieces, its throat torn out. Green Eyes kneeled next to the animal, his handsome face tense with worry. He looked up at his friend and sighed, shaking his head.
I wanted to scoot closer, but they'd see me if I tried to move. From this distance, I couldn't understand what they were saying. But Green Eyes' friend threw his hands around in anger when he spoke. It sounded like they were having an argument.
I didn't know demons argued.
I'd always thought of them as brainless kinds of creatures – like jellyfish looking for their next meal. But I suppose if what Granny said was right, they had to have some sort of intelligence to be fighting over territory.
What was so special about this place anyway? I loved it, but it didn't make sense to me why demons would fight over this single patch of land. The forest was huge. They could each have their own territory and never have to cross paths. There had to be something here worth saving.
My thoughts distracted me enough that I almost missed the blurring figure cutting through the trees a few yards away from me. It flitted from tree to tree, hiding behind the thick trunks of the pines, only pausing for half second breaks. In that momentary break, I caught a glimpse of the creature.
He had a thick black beard and wavy black hair. His arms were rough and muscular under a flannel shirt with the sleeves cut off. The sick and deathly flush of his face paired with black eyes told me he was another demon. And he wasn't alone. Four other demons flitted through the trees beside him.
Pressing myself as flat as I could, I watched the team of new demons move in close to Green Eyes and his muscular friend. From what I could see, they had no clue they were being stalked. They still stood over the elk carcass, deep in conversation.
I wanted to shout out and warn them. Something about Green Eyes made me want to protect him. But it was stupid to interfere, especially to save a murderous demon that would take one look at me and snap my neck. So I laid low and waited for the battle to begin.
They struck without warning, jumping from behind the pines with dizzying speed. The black bearded demon razed his sharp claws across Green Eyes' friend, shredding the back of his legs. With a scream, he went down and a female demon dressed in a slim leather coat jumped on top of him, baring her claws and tearing into his neck.
Green Eyes drew the thin sword from his back and began to fend off the attack. He turned and sliced, beheading a tall redhead with a single motion, turning her into a pile of dirt. His friend was screaming, blood spilling from his neck onto the forest floor. Green Eyes made a move in his direction but dropped his sword when black beard lunged for him.
I watched in horror as three demons wrestled Green Eyes to the ground and tore at his clothes. He pulled a silver knife from his boot and plunged it into a demon that resembled a small Asian man, obliterating him into a black cloud that disappeared into the ground.
Green Eyes' friend pulled a similar silver dagger from his side. Blood was pooling in his mouth, trailing down the sides of his cheeks. His attacker was a trim brunette woman, her eyes flashing red at the sight of his blood on her hands. He thrust the knife squarely into her chest, turning the hilt for added effect.
The demon squealed, her scream morphing into the dark voice of an ancient and evil being. She swiped at him one last time with her claws, before bursting into dirt and leaving a black cloud behind. After it got sucked into the ground, his hand dropped and his eyes rolled in his head, the ground soaked in his blood. Even from where I lay, I could tell he was dead.
Now, all that remained were the two demons still wrestling with Green Eyes on the ground. He had retrieved his dagger and managed to slice off one of Black Beard’s arms. The other demon had his attention now. It was a tall blond man with a thick neck. He hissed at Green Eyes, driving his knees into Green Eyes' stomach to force him flat on his back. Green Eyes gasped for air, the weight of the demon driving the air from his lungs.
"Stab him," I urgently whispered, grabbing the boulder to steady myself. "Come on, you have to save yourself."
Green Eyes took a deep breath and in a blur of motion, threw the demon off and straddled him. He raised the silver dagger above his head and brought it down with both hands, piercing the blond demon's heart.
He didn't get long to celebrate his victory. Black Beard retrieved the thin sword with his remaining arm and plunged it into Green Eye's shoulder with a triumphant laugh. I covered my eyes with my fingers, afraid to look.
The battle had only lasted seconds, but it felt like an hour had gone by. These demons moved liked fighter jets, their bodies in constant motion. I just knew that when I opened my eyes, Green Eyes would be dead, and the black bearded demon would be feasting on his body. It made me sick just thinking about it.
But I couldn't stay there all day with my eyes closed, especially not if I wanted to make it home alive. These woods had become so dangerous this year. Never in my twenty-one years of living here had I seen so many demons up close. Maybe Granny was right and I should stay away. I didn't want to end up as a meal for some ferocious demon, and my death blamed on a bear attack.
I peeked through my fingers just as Black Beard burst into dust, leaving Green Eyes kneeling on the ground with his sword in his hands. He must've pulled it out of his own shoulder to run it through the remaining demon. A shiver ran through me. I could hardly handle the yearly flu vaccine Dr. Morton gave to all the folks healthy enough to get it. A sword wound like that would've knocked me dead.
Swaying in place, Green Eyes called out to his friend in a weak voice, before collapsing to the ground. He dropped his sword and closed his eyes, his head rolling to one side. All was silent.
He was dead. He had to be, after a fight like that.
I crept further over the rocks, considering my options. I could run away now and not stop until I was safe in the goddess' territory. Or, I could get a closer look at these demons th
at didn't disappear into a cloud of dust like their enemies. One of Granny's favorite saying was curiosity killed the cat. She knew I was too curious for my own good. She'd say it now if she were here, although we both knew I'd investigate anyway.
Moving cautiously forward, I hid behind the trees until I was only a few yards away from the bodies. His friend still hadn’t moved. I crept closer until I knelt beside him. He looked like a human. Red blood, pale skin, long brown hair, blue eyes. Just like the hikers that stopped every day at the Pump N’ Go.
A sputtering breath caught my attention. Green Eyes' chest rattled with the effort to breathe, droplets of blood spraying from his mouth. I crouched down, ready to run at the first sign of danger. With those wounds, even I'd be able to outrun him.
When nothing changed except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest, I crawled forward until I sat next to his body. Up close, Green Eyes was even more handsome. He had the shadow of a beard on his chin, and signs of healing scars along his neck. Other than the few boys from my tiny school and the neighboring farmers that would occasionally come into town, I didn't have much experience with men. But I could easily tell… this one was beautiful.
An ugly wound was torn into his upper right shoulder where the sword had been plunged. Blood seeped from the wound and soaked into his brown t-shirt. A few claw marks across his face and arms dripped blood onto his pale skin.
Without thinking, I reached out my hand and touched his cheek. I wasn't sure if I expected him to be cold, like a vampire or something, but his skin was as warm as mine and surprisingly soft. Maybe that's what made a demon so scary. They looked and acted like humans, seducing even the strongest of us into believing they were nothing more than a pretty face. With that thought in mind, I trailed my fingers down to his chiseled jaw, but pulled back as soon as his eyelids began to flutter.
I held my breath, waiting for him to wake up. If he saw me this close, there was no telling what he'd do. He still had the sword next to his hand, so I kicked it away and grabbed the silver dagger, storing it in the back pocket of my jeans. At least I could defend myself with it if it came to that.
Heart of a Demon: A New Adult Paranormal Romance Page 2
