by Avril Sabine
Blake grabbed her by the arm before she reached it. “Allie Cat-”
“No! I don’t want to hear it. We will make it to sanctuary.”
Alex came to stand beside them. “There’s a rest area about three quarters of an hour from here. We can make a stand there.”
Alyssa stared at him. “Stand?”
“We won’t leave you unprotected.”
“Alex.” At Blake’s tone Alex nodded and moved away from them to help pack everything in the vehicle. “Walk with me, Allie Cat.”
Alyssa shook her head, but allowed Blake to take her hand and walked beside him on the narrow road. They walked in silence and Alyssa had begun to think they’d continue to do so when Blake stopped and faced her.
“You won’t tempt him tonight. You’ll make a circle with the salt and you’ll pray all night. We’ll stand between you and the demon.”
“You’ll get in the circle with me?”
Blake shook his head.
“What aren’t you telling me, Blake?”
“You need more than just the circle to keep him out. His tie to you strengthens.” Blake touched her wrist. “And his power increases.”
Alyssa raised her hands and placed them on Blake’s chest. She felt his heart beat beneath her palm. Her eyes clashed with his. “What are our chances of surviving tonight?” When Blake continued to watch her without answering, she turned away. “That’s what I thought.” She started to walk off, but Blake gripped her shoulders and pulled her back against him. He wrapped his arms about her and rested his chin on her head.
“You will survive the night.”
“How?”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
Alyssa froze, her breath caught in her throat. She tried to turn and face him, but his arms tightened around her. “Tell me you’re not going to do what I think you’re going to do.”
“Is that what you want to hear?”
“Blake! Let me go!” Alyssa pulled away from him and took two steps back. “You won’t exchange yourself for me. Promise me you won’t.”
“I won’t watch you die. I can’t go through that again.”
“I’m not going to watch you die either. Promise me!”
“Allie Cat-”
“Promise me!”
Blake shook his head.
“Then I’ll offer myself to him the moment he arrives. I won’t have you dying for me. Do you hear me? What makes you think I want to see someone I care about die anymore than you do?”
Blake reached out to her, “Allie Cat-”
Alyssa stepped back again and shook her head. “No!”
Blake rubbed his palm against his forehead. “Be reasonable.”
“You be reasonable. What makes you think my life is more valuable than yours?”
Instead of answering, Blake pulled Alyssa against him. “Shh, Allie Cat.”
“Promise me?” She sniffed.
“I promise. But you have to promise to hold out tonight. Fight him. Don’t let him take you. Promise?”
“I promise.” Alyssa lifted her head off his chest and smiled at him weakly. “I don’t suppose I can convince you to join me in celebrating life before we face death?”
Blake chuckled. “Nice try, siren.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead.
Alyssa looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Is that the best you can do?”
“Not at all.” He continued to smile down at her. “But it’s the best you’re getting for the moment.”
“Hmph.” Alyssa started to turn away, but Blake pulled her back into his arms, his lips a breath away from hers.
“Get through the night and I’ll show you better.” He pulled back as she moved forward, smiling.
“Deal.”
Blake glanced up the road to where his family sat waiting in the vehicle. He waved them forward and they stood in the middle of the road, watching the vehicle drive towards them. Once again Alyssa took the window seat.
The rest stop was only thirty-five minutes away. Alex ignored the speed limit in favour of having more time to prepare. He parked the vehicle at the edge of the rest area, where it was nearly surrounded by trees. Then he and Scarlett walked the rest area and removed any large, loose objects.
Riley pulled out the table and chairs while Blake set up the camp stove. Knowing the drill, Alyssa looked through the tinned food and pulled out several tins of the same flavour stew. Riley handed her a saucepan. Within minutes dinner was warming and Alyssa sat in a camp chair, watching as Riley held a mirror for Blake while he shaved.
He’d removed his shirt and Alyssa watched the muscles move under his skin as he ran the razor over his face. When they stopped moving, she looked up to find his eyes on her. She grinned at him. He shook his head, but she was sure he was trying not to smile as he finished shaving. As soon as he’d finished, he swapped places with Riley. Alyssa checked dinner. Finding it hot enough, she ladled it into their shallow bowls and put a loaf of bread and a tin of butter on the table.
She stared at the table. It all looked ordinary. The four original camp chairs, and a folding stool they’d bought at a service station along the way, sat around the table. Thin lines of steam hovered above the bowls of stew and cutlery sat at each place. Ordinary. It was far too mundane to possibly be a last supper.
Scarlett was the first to join her, a brief touch on her shoulder. “Thanks.”
Alex sat across from Alyssa and pulled some bread out of the bag and placed it by his bowl. Riley and Blake came to the table, both with shirts on again. Once they were all seated, Riley said grace and Alyssa bowed her head too. She watched as they ate and wondered how they could be so calm.
Blake placed his hand over hers where it rested on her lap. Eyes collided. “Eat up, Allie Cat. You’ll need your strength for tonight.”
“Oh, no,” Scarlett said.
Alyssa turned to see what had caught Scarlett’s attention and watched as a vehicle pulled into the rest area.
Riley rose from the table. “I’ve got it. Who wants to come?” When both Alex and Scarlett rose to their feet he laughed. “The more the merrier. Let’s take it slow. Give them a few minutes to use the restroom before we chase them away.”
“How will he convince them to leave?” Alyssa asked.
Blake shrugged. “He’ll figure it out. Now eat up, Allie Cat.”
Alyssa stared up at him. She reached out and ran her hand over his smooth cheek. It was the first time he’d shaved since she’d met him. She couldn’t decide if she liked the scruffy look or the clean- shaven look best. Both suited him in her opinion. Blake pulled her hand away to drop a kiss in her palm. Then he closed his hand over hers so her hand closed too.
“Eat, Allie Cat.”
Alyssa held his gaze a moment longer before she turned to her food, the feel of his lips imprinted on her palm.
Alyssa had nearly finished dinner when Riley, Scarlett and Alex arrived back at the table with Scarlett scolding Riley.
“Pride is a sin, Riley.”
“But you must admit I got them moving.” Riley sat at the table again. “And I don’t think you should be lecturing me on pride.”
Scarlett glanced at Alyssa. “I have trouble admitting I’m wrong. That’s different.”
Riley grinned and glanced first at Alyssa and then at Alex. “Unlike Sir Perfect over there.”
Alyssa’s jaw dropped. “Oh, you didn’t.” She dropped her head into her hands.
Blake pulled her hands from her face. “We share everything.”
“Why?”
“If we’ve done nothing to be ashamed of then there’s no reason we can’t share everything, is there?”
“But-” she glanced towards Alex, then back at Blake. “Every little thing?”
Blake smiled wryly. “Almost. Some things are too traumatic to share with anyone but our priest.”
“But… I mean… what about…”
Blake took pity on her, “Some questions family’ll never ask.” He turned to Ril
ey. “You want to tell us how you managed to shift the visitors on so quickly?”
Alyssa turned to Riley, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks. She busied herself eating the rest of her meal.
Riley grinned. “I invited them to our dusk to dawn prayers. And told them we wouldn’t be the only ones attending.”
Alyssa grinned. Not so long ago she’d have disappeared quickly too. She finished her last mouthful of dinner and handed her bowl to Blake, who gathered the dishes. She rose and folded her chair up, putting it away. Within minutes they had everything packed and Riley gathered firewood while Alex shaved with Scarlett holding the mirror for him.
Alyssa stayed at Blake’s side. If this might be their last day, she wanted to spend every second with him. She thought of Erin and wished she’d known when she rang her earlier that this might be her final hours. Then she was relieved she hadn’t. She was glad their last conversation had been upbeat. And she’d even managed a phone call to her mother without arguments. That should’ve given her a warning her world was about to end.
“You want me to roll the swag out for you? There’s at least an hour before he gets here.” Blake caught her lock of crimson hair in his fingers. He let it spill out to fall amongst the darker strands.
Alyssa caught his hand as he was about to pick it up again. “I don’t think I could sleep.”
“I’ll roll it out and you can rest then.”
Alyssa shook her head and her fingers tightened on his hand.
“I’ll stay with you.”
“Okay then.”
“Dangerous situations create strong, but temporary attachments between people.”
“If we survive this, you’ll soon find returning to a normal life won’t change my feelings. The only thing the situation has made different is how fast I moved.” She grinned. “Not that I normally have much patience with starting off slow.”
Blake stared at her for a few seconds before he nodded. “I’ll get the swag.”
Alyssa watched him as he pulled the swag out of the vehicle and rolled it out on a grassy spot. Alyssa joined him and sat on the edge of the swag. “You’ll stay with me?”
Blake nodded. “Yes.”
Alyssa lay on her side and looked up at him. “There’s plenty of space beside me.” She laughed at his expression. “No attempt to try and change your mind. You look tired.”
Blake stared at her, finally nodding. She watched as he lay on his side behind her. They both barely fit together on the swag. He tucked an arm under his head, the other he draped over her hip.
Alyssa lay her head down and closed her eyes. She sank against his warmth and drifted off only to be startled awake an hour later as Blake whispered her name in her ear. She stretched and turned her head to look at him. It was too dark to see more than shadows.
“Did you get any sleep, Blake?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” She reached out to touch his arm and quickly drew back from the heat of him. “Blake?”
“He’s close. Maybe ten minutes.”
Alyssa reached out to his arm again. This time when she felt the heat, she wrapped her fingers around it. “Your mark.”
Blake took her hand in his right hand. “Like calls to like. He’s growing in power, Allie Cat. Even a week might be too long. I’m guessing Nathan’s giving him some of his own blood in exchange for telling him where we are.”
“Can he do that?”
“Does he strike you as the sort of person who’ll be deterred by pain?”
“No.”
“It won’t give him the same strength of power as yours, but every degree Retribution’s power increases, the harder he’ll be to fight.”
“Why won’t his blood give him the same power as mine? Isn’t blood… well, blood?”
“No. It’s more to do with the agreement struck than the type of blood. Your blood called him forth and sealed the bargain. Your blood is what he needs to complete the bargain with the most power for him.” Blake rose to his feet and held out his hand to help her up. “Time to prepare.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Alyssa let him draw her to her feet. He held her hand longer than needed before he let it go to roll up the swag. Alyssa followed him to the vehicle. She took out her knife and prayer card. Blake handed her a jar of salt and a vial of holy water then slung his sword on his back.
“Blake, how do you manage to carry that sword everywhere? I mean, haven’t you ever had police question you or one of the family for carrying a sword around?”
“I carry a card saying I’m a member of a living history group. If the police ever query us, we tell them we’re on the way to a training session.”
“I thought you were against lying.”
“We make sure it isn’t a lie. Come on, Allie Cat. He’s nearly here.”
Alyssa walked with Blake to the fire. She quickly made a circle around herself with salt and the holy water. She checked the prayer card was in the back pocket of her jeans then looked at each of the demon hunters in turn. Their faces were solemn as they bowed their heads in prayer.
Alyssa waited until they crossed themselves and drew their swords before she spoke. “I need you all to promise me something.” When they remained silent, she continued. “None of you are to offer yourselves in exchange for my life.”
“Fair enough.” Riley glanced towards Alex. “I certainly don’t have a hero complex.”
“I want the words, Riley. They start with I promise.”
Riley grinned. “I promise not to offer myself as a sacrifice in exchange for the demon to leave you live out your natural life without any demonic interference.”
“Please tell me you weren’t thinking of it. Those words sounded extremely well planned.”
Riley shook his head. “Just part of the training. Learning how to word things when talking to demons. Although we do try and avoid talking to demons whenever possible.”
Alyssa turned to Scarlett.
“I promise the same as Riley.”
“We’re running out of time, Allie Cat.”
“Alex. You have to promise or I’m stepping out of this circle.”
“Allie Cat-”
“Stay out of this, Blake.”
“Alyssa, I promised you-”
Alyssa cut Alex off. “Now.”
“I promise the same as Riley.”
“Thank you.” Alyssa relaxed. She watched as they turned their backs to her. Each one faced a different direction. The wind picked up and they spread their feet to maintain their balance.
“Pray, Allie Cat,” Blake ordered as the demon appeared before them.
Alyssa began the Lord’s Prayer, her eyes drawn to the demon that paced outside the circle of swords. She turned so she could continue to face him. There was no way she could have her back to him and wondered how the demon hunters could bring themselves to stay in position when he walked to the other side of the circle.
“Come out and play, little rabbit. What are you doing hiding in there?” Retribution called.
Alyssa continued to pray, staring at the demon while avoiding his eyes. She tried to hold the fear back, but she couldn’t stop wondering how they’d make it through the night.
“I can feel Nathan call me, little rabbit. He wants to know where you are. He’s willing to offer blood for what he wants. Why aren’t you?”
Alyssa couldn’t think what came next in the prayer. All she could focus on was the demon bringing Nathan to them. “I thought you were more powerful than that.”
Retribution continued to stare at her. “Better than you have tried to play word games with me, rabbit, cat, or whatever name they call you by. You can’t beat me.”
“Pray, Allie Cat. Don’t talk to him.”
“Listen to the human, Allie. You can’t win against me.”
Alyssa’s chin rose. “When you go running at the call of a mere human, what can I think?”
“That is where you’re wrong. I am here while he’s called me a
dozen times at least.”
“He’s only here because of his tie to you, Allie,” Scarlett said. “Otherwise, in this realm, he’s at the mercy of the one who’s called him. But he chose to answer the first call.”
“Why? If you’re so powerful, why place yourself under the control of another?” Alyssa asked.
“When someone sends me an invite to dine, I sometimes join the party. But it’s my choice. They do not coerce me. Do you know how many living sacrifices are offered these days? Not as many as there used to be. Too many offer an animal. Only the minor ones are desperate enough to fall for that.”
“It looks like you didn’t do too well in your choice of dinner invites,” Alyssa said.
“Allie Cat! What are you trying to do? Stop talking to him.”
Retribution laughed and the sound caused a shiver of fear to course through Alyssa. “Dinner might be served late, but I shall dine. And then those who’ve stood in my way will pay once my power’s been brought into this world. Step out here Allie, take my hand and come willingly and I’ll forgive your companions. Don’t they believe in that? Forgive? Turn the other cheek? Get stomped into the ground a little harder?”
“Allie Cat, please!”
Alyssa ignored Blake. “Your words are as slippery as a pit of snakes. I’d trust the words Nathan speaks before I trust yours. You’re pathetic.”
“Allie Cat! Enough! Leopard rug!”
“Looks like the big, powerful demon has his hands tied,” Alyssa said when Retribution paced outside the circle.
Blake started to turn towards Alyssa. “Allie-”
Scarlett interrupted him. “Stand your ground, Blake. Don’t you dare break formation.”
Retribution pointed at Alyssa. “You’ll soon cower when I let the other human know where you are.”
Fear exploded in her. They couldn’t face them both. She pulled her knife from its sheath and dropped the leather to the ground. She hoped the hunters were right and the demon couldn’t get past them. She held the blade against her skin and hesitated. A deep breath and she slid the sharp metal across the inside of her arm, hissing at the pain. A line of blood dotted her skin.
