“It’s where I grew up,” Mona said with a grim frown, looking up into his green eyes. “I still have friends there. Do you expect me to sit on the sidelines while they’re slaughtered?”
She was such a good liar. Not even missing a beat with her little sob story.
His eyebrows raised. “I just want you to be careful. It seems like every episode you have, that demon grows stronger.”
She sighed and ran a hand across her forehead. “Of course. You know I will.”
“I know.”
He pressed his lips to her head. My skin burned where he’d touched us.
It didn’t take Mona long to reach the edge of Hanna by foot. An army of Nephilim had already arrived and were in motion ahead of us, blurs among the pine trees. She paused just out of sight and hid between a large boulder and a stray spruce tree that had managed to eek out a living between the abundant pines.
The old church sat just a hundred yards away. Despite the fact that the goddess we’d worshiped for a century had turned out to be an evil demon that I’d sent back to Hell last summer, the church appeared in great repair. As if they’d resumed worship as usual, ignoring everything bad that had happened since I left town.
Despite my fears of walking into a disaster, there were no dead bodies scattered about. No hint of violence. Ferals had overrun the town, but it seemed as if the residents had held their own. Not surprising, really. Not with Granny at the forefront of their defensive operations.
A gunshot rang out. Mona’s eyes flicked to the window of the church, where the muzzle of a shotgun appeared. The glass had been shattered and in the shadows of the sanctuary, I could see several people milling about. They must’ve barricaded themselves inside. It was a good idea, but wouldn’t hold much longer. At least fifty ferals prowled outside the whitewashed walls of the church, inspecting the building for weaknesses.
What does Seth want with the people of Hanna? I mused.
The Nephilim were the ones standing in his way. Not the humans. He didn’t need to take them out.
“What good is any human to a demon?” Mona replied snarkily. She smoothed out the sides of her outrageous red tank top with the palms of her hands. “Just think about it.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant and she didn’t give me time to think about it. Pulling the sword from her belt, she swept out from behind the tree and sprinted for the church.
A team of Nephilim were already bearing down on the ferals. Ashley and Adam drew their weapons and lunged into battle. Mona’s eyes followed their movements as they slashed and struck down the first wave of demons, almost effortlessly. I couldn’t help but be impressed at their grace and efficiency. It was like a dance. Plunging a dagger into the heart of one demon, only to spin and meet the next incoming demon head on. My feet itched to join them, but Mona held us back.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, do you really think I’d let you in on the fun?” Mona muttered to herself with a little giggle. She turned ninety degrees to her right and began jogging down the tarred road in a direction I knew only too well.
I’d walked this road a million times. Could describe every inch of it with my eyes closed. Still, it felt alien now. Nothing like my childhood.
“Let’s see who’s home, shall we?”
Mona tread the familiar path toward Granny’s home. Blood curdling screams sounded behind us, but she didn’t skip a beat. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted three warriors to the right, overwhelmed by a dozen or so ferals. Still, she didn’t stop. It wasn’t until the run-down old house stood in front of us did she pause, tilting her head to one side and studying its decaying features.
“It’s not much to look at, is it?” She sheathed the sword in her hand and rubbed her hands together. “Do you think she’s here?”
She had to be talking about Granny. But the shades were drawn tight and not a flicker of light came through the windows. I had to assume Granny was out in the middle of the fight. She wasn’t one to shrink away from duty. She was probably ushering people to the tornado shelter underneath the town bank. Firing upon the demons from the top of the Calico Diner. Or running them down with her old jeep.
“Let’s flush her out,” she said, making a beeline for the rusty can of gasoline in the grass next to the old push mower.
What are you doing? I demanded. Stop it.
“What?” She popped off the lid, releasing a dizzying acrid aroma that tickled my nose. “You hate this place as much as I do. Think of it as a favor, from me to you.”
Laughing to herself and humming a tune, she began to splash the sides of the house with the clear liquid. When the can was empty, she tossed it over her shoulder and plucked Granny’s spare lighter from the ashtray on the window ledge.
Don’t do this, I begged. As much as I hated growing up in this house, I couldn’t bare it being destroyed like this. These walls weren’t to blame for my Granny’s hate. If anything, they’d sheltered me, provided me warmth and comfort despite the lack of a mother’s love.
“It’s showtime, baby,” Mona said, ignoring my pleas.
All it took was a tiny flame to send rolling walls of fire up the sides of the house. Black smoke filled the sky, choking my lungs. Mona didn’t seem to mind. She relished the sight, backing up to examine her handiwork.
Twenty-one years of memories went up in flames before my eyes.
Around us, chaos was beginning to descend upon Hanna. Ferals flew past, barely glancing at Mona as she hummed and strutted around the old house. I could catch the sound of battles and yells from deeper within town, but with Granny’s home on the outskirt of town, the action remained far away. An explosion went off, accompanied by screams. Mona giggled and perched herself on an old tree stump just yards from the house.
A few seconds later, a rusty old jeep came flying down the highway. It screeched to a halt next to the house, throwing up gravel and dirt in the yard. I recognized that vehicle immediately. Granny had refused to let me drive it. Said I would throw the transmission and destroy it. I’d had to learn how to drive in my best friend Kate’s little ‘87 Honda.
“What in tarnation?” Granny hopped from the driver’s side and landed with a solid thud on the ground.
She looked exactly the same since the last time we’d met in the forest and I’d spared her life. Same grizzly gray mane of hair that refused to be tamed by a ponytail. Wrinkled white skin with age spots. And of course—her trusty shotgun resting on her shoulder.
Same old Granny.
If Mona wasn’t careful, she was going to get us both killed.
Chapter Seventeen
Looking up at the flames, Granny swore and shaded her eyes, the heat becoming nearly unbearable.
“Hello, Granny.” The words dripped off Mona’s tongue like poison. She stood up and cocked her hip, her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Granny’s chocolate brown eyes locked onto us with extreme displeasure. “You did this.”
“What can I say?” She shrugged playfully. “It felt like the perfect time to cleanse the past of the bad memories. What do you say?”
“I say you’re crazy.” Granny swept the gun off her shoulder and aimed it squarely at my chest. “Always have been. Demon child.”
Mona squealed and clapped her hands. “You have no idea how right you are, grandmother.” Breaking into a low bow, she looked up at her. “Demon child at your service. Lizzy’s been grounded. For life. It’s me here, now.”
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Granny began to slowly circle her. I could tell her mind was whirling behind that intent stare. All the while, she kept the gun pointed at us.
“What’s wrong, Granny?” Mona grinned and raised her eyebrows. “Don’t approve of your granddaughter? Your own flesh and blood.”
She snorted and pursed her lips. “You’re nothing but a monster.”
Putting on a fake pout, Mona tilted her head. “That’s not very nice, grandmother. Especially not when I’m prepared to do you a favor.”
“I don’t want any favors.” Sh
e spat on the ground and sniffed. “Not from the likes of you and your kind. Tell your friends to get out of here. We’ll handle this on our own.”
“You’re handling it very well,” Mona mocked. She pointed behind her. “My Prince has claimed this town for his own. Check it out and see.”
Granny followed the direction of her finger and we all gazed upon a row of people slowly walking down the road from the heart of Hanna. They were all women of various shapes and sizes. I recognized them as fellow residents of town. Dr. Richt, the kind veterinarian, Lara Clary, who taught me how to ride a horse, Rachel McKoy, a girl I’d grown up playing with. And so many more. They tread upon the blacktop, faces impassive to the noises of battle around them.
Their solemn march wasn’t what caused me to tremble. It was the flashes of red I saw in each of their eyes. Evil taking root in their bodies. Demons had possessed each of them and were steadily marching them in our direction.
“See?” Mona waved her hand. “More recruits for my Prince’s army. A demon is far stronger with a human host. It won’t be long before he rules this world.”
I wasn’t sure if she was talking for my benefit or Granny’s, but it didn’t matter. She had the reaction she wanted. As I silently mourned for the friends I saw among the horde, Granny’s neck went red. She turned slowly, her mouth pulled down into a fearsome snarl.
“You’ll regret the day you stepped foot into this town, girly.”
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “We’ve got plans for you. We’ve got plans for all of you.”
Half a dozen ferals appeared from behind the burning building. The flames didn’t seem to faze them. They stalked through the heat and surrounded Granny like lions on a hunt. She unloaded her shotgun into the first to charge, blasting a hole through its middle. Still, five more attacked, overwhelming her within seconds.
What are you doing?
I wrestled with the conflicted feelings in my head. One of disinterest and of concern. Would Granny have cared if our roles were reversed? I could answer that with a strong no.
“Don’t pretend you care what happens to that old hag.” Mona examined her nails, picking at them. “One more human body is one more feral stronger in the Prince’s army. What don’t you understand about that?”
So, that’s why you attacked Hanna? Warm bodies?
“Pretty much.” She huffed and glanced up at the fight still going on.
Granny had managed to reload her gun, but was losing the battle. They had her on her knees, her gray hair ripped free from its ponytail.
The lengths that Seth was going through to strengthen his army scared me. If he set his eyes on the city of Spearfish, there would be no telling how many humans he could possess and recruit to his army. Many more ferals had escaped the Hell Gate last summer than we’d predicted. Who knew how many more had joined his cause since then? This war was looking grim for the Nephilim. They couldn’t fight this many demons—even if they all battled together.
“Give it up, lady.” Mona finally stopped messing with her fingernails and strutted closer to her. “You’ve lost. The end.”
A feral swiped at her gun, but she swung it out of reach at the last moment. A dark glow of decisiveness settled into her eyes. Surrounded by demons and no way out, she clasped the gun to her chest and pointed the end of the barrel up at the base of her chin, her finger on the trigger.
“You’ll never take me alive.”
My impulse was to close my eyes. If I’d been in control of my own body, I would’ve done so. But Mona didn’t blink. In a burst of speed, she yanked the gun from Granny’s clutches and struck her over the head with it.
“Don’t just stand there,” she yelled at the nearest feral. Granny moaned on the ground, her temple bloodied. “Complete your orders.”
I prayed in vain that someone would show up at that moment. That Gabe would come rushing around the corner of the Pump N’ Go with his sword held high. That Raquel, wielding her duel guns, would stop this monstrosity. But no one came.
A feral with striking orange hair and freckled skin kneeled next to Granny’s lifeless form. He clasped her chin hard and forced two fingers between her paper thin lips. She gagged and heaved, despite having her eyes clamped shut. The feral leaned back on his haunches and took a deep breath. Expelling it in a hiss, a shadowy black form began to leak from his mouth, entering Granny’s open mouth.
I watched, paralyzed in the back of my own mind. In a matter of seconds, the feral dematerialized his body and entered Granny. The moment he was gone, her eyes snapped open and bright red flashed. Sitting up, she tested the way her fingers bent, the girth of her strong arms, and the strength in her legs. Finally, she stood and shook out her mane.
“Join the others,” Mona ordered impatiently. “And give a message to our Prince: I await his orders and will begin the siege as soon as he demands it.”
Granny nodded, the features in her face slack. Then, she turned on her heel, abandoning her favorite shotgun, and trailed after the townspeople who had disappeared in the forest.
How could you do that? I finally found my tongue.
“It’s only right,” she huffed. I could feel anger rolling off of her as her shoulders shook.
Rage burned through me. How can you destroy lives like this?
“Because none of them deserve to live!” she screamed, digging her nails into her thighs. “None of you! You walk around, not realizing the freedom you have and take for granted. And yet, you whine and you fight and you worry about things that don’t even matter in the long run. Can you imagine what it was like, living my entire life in the back of your head? Not knowing how I got there or why I was trapped? Having to listen to your thoughts, day in and day out, without being able to speak to you.” She kicked the dirt and took a deep breath. “You don’t know what Hell is. That was Hell.”
I gritted my teeth and held my tongue. No, I didn’t know what being locked inside a body for years was like, but I was starting to get a good picture. It wasn’t pretty. Now, I couldn’t be sure whether it was those years of isolation or simply her evil nature driving her. But I could tell that Mona was unraveling, little by little. She shuddered and huffed as she hoofed it on the outskirts of town, avoiding the Nephilim still doing clean up duty.
Most of the ferals had either been defeated or ran away by now. From what I could see, most of the town had been taken. It was a sad sight and I prayed that my old friend Kate wasn’t among them. I hated the thought of having to exorcise her. So many times, the process went wrong.
“Lizzy, there you are!” Gabe spotted me in the trees and jogged toward us.
He had a rip through the knees of his jeans, but other than that, he looked no worse for wear. My heart thrilled when I saw him.
“Where have you been?” He cupped my cheek and wiped a thumb across my chin. “Why are you all ashy?”
“Granny’s house caught fire in all the violence,” Mona explained. She placed her hands on his hips. “I tried to put it out, but she attacked me.”
His jaw twitched as he stared down at her. “That woman is going to kill you some day, Lizzy, if you don’t watch out. You need to forget her.”
“I will.” She nodded. “Now tell me, what’s the damage?”
He sighed and rubbed a hand through his tousled hair. “All warriors are accounted for, but we’ve got three dead civilians and at least a hundred have been taken by the ferals.”
“So, this was a recruiting effort?” Mona offered innocently.
“Seems so.” His lips curled back into a grimace. “We should’ve seen this coming. Seth will stop at nothing to build his army stronger.”
We watched a couple dozen of the townspeople gather in the middle of the street. They huddled together, some embracing friends, others breaking down in tears. This was all that was left of my hometown. They’d been flayed and beaten to the bone. For most of them, their entire lives were here. They had nowhere else to go.
“Do you think he’ll c
ome after me?” Mona turned her eyes up to Gabe. “Is the Prince going to make me open the gate for him? He’s going to kill me, isn’t he?”
“No,” he answered firmly. Taking her hand tight in his, he turned to face us. “No, he won’t.”
Mona smiled weakly. “How do you know?”
“I just do.” His grip grew almost painful on her hand. “Trust me. I’ll take care of you. I’ll never let you go again. Lizzy, I’d do anything for you. I hope you know that.”
I wasn’t sure why I got an uneasy feeling staring into his brilliant green stare, but something dark stirred in my mind. Mona didn’t seem to share the same feeling. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his stubbly cheek.
“Come,” he said, putting an arm around me. “Let’s get you home and into some proper clothing.”
She looked down at the ruined remains of the tank top and giggled. “Only if you take them off of me.”
And as they strolled toward the manor, I sat in my corner and cried.
Chapter Eighteen
Mona gazed down upon the manor lobby, her eyes drawn to the hustle and bustle of the newcomers. The distraction of this morning’s skirmish in my hometown had already been forgotten it seemed. Now, the Nephilim were all cheers and happiness as they greeted their friends from across the seas.
“It’s great to have backup, isn’t it?” Noah clapped a large hand on our back and leaned against the banister next to me.
His hair was tousled and wet, as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. Wearing a tight athletic shirt and jeans that left little to the imagination, he’d draped his white lab coat over his arm. He flashed a brilliant white smile at me and for the first time, I noticed the dark rings under his eyes. Someone hadn’t been sleeping well.
“Of course it is,” Mona answered, but I knew her well enough by now to hear the hesitation in her voice.
She didn’t like seeing so many Nephilim warriors in one place. Men and women from every continent, gathered together. The board had been begging for relief from the other Hell Gates since Seth first showed up with his armies. I guess they’d sent every able-bodied warrior they could spare. Still, it wasn’t enough to outnumber the ferals in the woods. Especially not if they continued to grow their power with human vessels. But that fact didn’t keep Mona’s heart from racing at the sight.
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