by Rain Oxford
“Is Deimos on your world?”
“No. The place your wolf is at is worse. Even I don’t stay in the shadow pass for longer than I have to. But I’ll make a deal with you anyway. If you want---”
“There will be no deal made here today,” Logan interrupted. “I gave you an ultimatum, which is the best you’re getting.”
“I can’t open the shadow pass while inside the trap.”
Logan shot him in the heart without warning.
“No!” I shouted. I grabbed the gun and lowered it. “He can free Deimos!”
It was too late, though; Bob dropped to the ground, blood gushing from the hole in his chest. Then he was engulfed in fire. I jumped back, because my first thought was that it was a trick. Logan grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him.
Bob screamed in agony.
“What the hell happened? That can’t be just iron.”
Logan held up the forty-four magnum Ruger Blackhawk revolver in his hand. It wasn’t his normal gun. “I decided to take an extra precaution with the iron bullets.” He extracted one of the bullets and handed it to me. Magic sigils were etched into the iron.
Within seconds, Bob was dead. There was nothing around the body to catch, but the fire could still get out of control easily, and it was getting painfully hot fast. “Do you want to put that out?” I asked.
“It will put itself out when he’s truly dead.” A couple of seconds later, the fire died.
“We should probably discuss our plans.”
“That would spoil the surprise. Furthermore, you would have stopped me from killing Bob.”
“I would have.”
“We never would have gotten Deimos back from Bob. Now that Bob is gone, the other shadow walkers will know that we’re a threat.”
“That doesn’t mean that we can capture one and make him help us.” My phone chirped and I checked it. “Oh. Michael captured one. I like that kid.”
“He might prove to be useful,” Logan agreed.
Ten minutes later, we were back on the road.
* * *
By the time we made it to the church, I had less than an hour before sunrise. While it wasn’t usable, there was definite progress on the church. New flooring had been put on top of the old stuff and some of the insulation had been updated. The roof was temporarily replaced with sheets of metal.
Logan and I entered and went into the shelter room. I was surprised to see the demon tied up in a chair, unconscious. He looked like an older version of Bob.
“Finally,” Michael said, standing. He had been sitting on an air mattress. Arks was nowhere to be seen. “I wasn’t able to get anything out of him this time.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you were able to hold him. I’m going to try to thrall him. Hopefully, if that fails, you can control him.”
“Thrall?”
“You didn’t know? I’m a vampire.”
His face drained of color. “I don’t want to be a part of this. I don’t want magic.”
“It’s part of you. You can fight it, you can learn to control it, or you can pretend it doesn’t exist, but it is still who you are. You’re a paranormal. There are people who can help you accept it and use it the way you want to.”
“Like if you suddenly started developing psychic abilities,” Logan said.
“Shut it,” I responded.
The shadow walker woke. When he saw me, he instantly closed his eyes. “You can’t get anything out of me,” he said. “You can’t make me talk!”
“That sounds like a challenge. Look at me.”
“I’m not a fool! I know what vampires can do!”
“You’re not nearly as brave as Bob.”
He hesitated. “I don’t know who that is.”
“Open your eyes and look at her,” Michael demanded.
The shadow walker did. Instantly, I took control of his mind. “Relax,” I gave him a moment for the command to sink in before continuing. We’re going to ask you some questions. You’re going to answer them honestly, completely, and quickly. If you don’t, you’ll feel a stabbing pain shoot through your head.”
It would have worked better to compare the pain to something he experienced before, but I had no idea what demons did in their normal-day lives.
I withdrew my power and the shadow walker shook his head. That wasn’t necessarily a sign that my thrall failed. “Are you a demon?” I asked.
“From your perspective, yes. On my world, we’re wizards.”
“Is that why you’re called shadow walkers?” Michael asked. “You don’t want to be called a demon?”
“I am a follower of the Shadow Master. I was trained by him.”
“It’s a group,” I surmised.
“Yes.”
“What is the shadow pass?”
“The shadow pass is the void between your world and mine.”
“My wolf, Deimos, was trapped there. How do I get him?”
“You don’t. No one can survive long in the shadow pass. It is full of horrors even my people couldn’t imagine.”
“He is alive.”
“Then he’s the most unfortunate wolf alive. I wouldn’t want to survive being trapped there.”
“You’re being really cooperative now,” I said. I didn’t smell any lies on him.
“I am aware of your power, vampire, and the thrall you used. I have no interest in suffering.”
“Who is the Shadow Master?”
“That, I honestly can’t tell you. We don’t know his name. He gives orders and we obey. We have no choice.”
“What about iron? What does it do to you?”
“It burns, dampens our powers, and we can’t heal from an iron wound.”
“That sounds like silver to vampires.”
“Do you know that we killed the demon who was mummifying people?”
“Yes. So does the Shadow Master.”
“You and the shadow walkers are hunting down wizards and telling them to join the Shadow Master or die, right?”
“Yes. Not all wizards, but the powerful ones.”
“How many shadow walkers are doing this?”
“Seven.”
“What?” Logan asked. “That’s all?”
“We’re more powerful than we look.”
“Sure. Are any more shadow walkers going after humans?”
“No. Mankacha was the only one of us assigned to collect on owed souls.”
“Then I think we’re almost done here. Release Deimos from the shadow pass.”
“I can open the shadow pass, but he’s not going to jump out. There is no light in there at all, either. He’s blind, surrounded by monsters. If he is alive at all.”
“Go get him, then.”
“Impossible. Like I said; there’s no light at all. I would never find him.”
“I can find him.”
“I don’t believe you, but I’m willing to let you in anyway. You just have to release me so that I can do it.”
“That’s never going to happen,” Michael said.
“I know you can’t disobey your master,” I said. “Can you choose which victims to go after?”
“Out of the list, yes.”
“If you open the shadow pass, leave it open long enough for me to get Deimos and get back, and promise not to hurt any child, then we’ll let you go.” I knew from Logan that demons always kept their end of a deal.
“What?” Michael screeched.
Logan didn’t act like I had said anything unusual.
The shadow walker considered this for just a few minutes before nodding. “Deal.”
“How do we break the trap while it’s under the wood?” I asked.
Logan made a motion with his hand and nothing happened. “One second.” He backed up until he was standing in the corner, outside of the unseen trap, then motioned again. Five sigils appeared on the floor in a ring, glowing read.
“Stop!” Michael demanded.
“There’s nothing to stop,” Logan said. �
�It’s done.”
“Now open the shadow pass,” I said.
Shadows spread across the floor and met in the center. “Step into the shadows,” the demon instructed.
“I should go with you,” Logan said.
“I don’t plan on being there for long and I don’t want any distractions.” I walked into it. I didn’t feel the shadows as they wrapped around me, but the air grew cold and stale. The shadows condensed and darkened until I saw nothing at all.
There was a hissing sound, almost too quiet to hear.
“Deimos,” I called.
The hissing got louder. I was surrounded.
“Deimos!” I yelled. Finding him was my top priority. Without my sight, my sense of smell improved and I was able to detect him. “I’m here to take you home. Find me. Phobos is waiting for you. Follow my voice.”
I heard a soft growl and recognized it.
“Deimos. I’m here. I hear you.” I took a step and nearly stumbled. The ground was soft and uneven. For some reason, it made me think of walking on bodies. I smelled no blood, but I didn’t really smell anything.
Finally, I felt sticky, coarse fur brush against my fingers. I felt relief, knowing it was him. An instant later, shadows dispersed and light returned. When the shadows cleared, Deimos was on the floor at my feet.
His black fur was matted with blood and some kind of black slime. Chunks of his flesh had been bitten off. His eyes lost their beautiful amber color and were instead pearlescent white. A deep gash from his left ear to his nose gushed blood. His right ear had been torn or bitten off. When he opened his mouth, I saw that he was missing four teeth.
I touched his left ear gently, which was the only part of him not bleeding out. I wasn’t prepared for him to turn his head and try to bite me. If I didn’t have supernatural speed and reflexes, I would have lost fingers if not my hand. “Deimos, stop. It’s me.”
Instead of calming down, he sprung to his feet and lunged at me. I was too shocked to get out of the way, so he landed on top of me and tried to tear out my throat. I held up my arm to stop him and his fangs sunk into my skin. If I were human, he would have broken my bones. I couldn’t push him off, though, because I refused to add to his injuries.
A moment later, Logan was pulling Deimos off me. Deimos thrashed like a cat and Logan didn’t have a vampire’s strength, so he couldn’t hold the massive wolf-dog. Deimos broke free and turned on him, going for his throat.
“Deimos!” I got up and shoved him hard off Logan. He hit the wall with a cry of pain and didn’t get back up. I went to him and rolled him onto his back. “Deimos, I’m right here.”
He struggled for a few seconds before finally giving in. A moment later, he licked my hand, smearing blood on me in the process.
“Can you heal him?” I asked Logan.
“I will do what I can, but he must have a strong desire to live.”
“He’ll fight,” I said. “He’s strong.”
Logan pressed his hands to Deimos’s head and chest. I didn’t know what to expect, since he healed Lilly with a kiss to the forehead and me with a much more intimate kiss. When his eyes turned black, I pushed aside my worry. There wasn’t any glowing or mystical mist like the movies often portrayed. Instead, the tears and chunks slowly healed over as if time was passing. I liked that it looked so natural.
His head and face were the first to heal. Even his ear regrew. I was anxious to help, but I knew giving Logan space was the best I could do. Deimos squirmed as the rest of his body began healing. I thought he was going to be okay until he started wheezing.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“I need to concentrate,” he said.
I didn’t say another word. He healed Phobos, so I trusted him to save Deimos. That was more important than the fact that he had lied to me about what he was or that he had handed me the demon’s coin knowing it would mark me.
I realized then that the shadow walker was gone and Michael was sitting in the far corner, watching without getting in the way.
Finally, Logan let him go and stood. “He’s not completely healed, but he’ll live. He needs rest and food, like Phobos. Can you carry him without jostling him too much or do you want help?”
“I’ve got him. Deimos, let me know if it hurts, okay?”
He whimpered. I pushed him into a sitting position and slid myself between his front legs. Knowing exactly what I planned to do, he put his front legs on my shoulders. I wrapped my arms under his butt, lifted him up, and stood. “We have just a few minutes before sunrise,” he warned.
“Get the door for me,” I said. He did and had to direct me, because although I could lift two hundred and fifty pounds easily, seeing over him was not possible. Logan guided us out to the truck and opened the door.
Phobos howled with joy when he saw his brother. I set Deimos next to him and he put his head on his brother’s. Then their paws met like they were holding hands. The sky was light blue and the sun was just about to peek over the horizon.
“Get in the truck. I’ll take you back to Cindy.”
I nodded and got in. He went inside the church to grab me a blanket. I was still fine when he returned. Deimos and Phobos both licked me as I covered myself with the blanket. Logan took a few minutes to talk to Michael once I was safe. Then he got in the driver seat and we were on our way.
Comfortable in his presence, I soon fell asleep.
* * *
1988
I was in the back of a car with my father sitting next to me. “Where are we going?” I asked. I had just seen out house blow up and my cat was gone. My dad relaxed when the house was out of sight.
After a long and frustrating pause, he said, “We’re going to a friend of mine. His name is Ronez. He’s a wizard.”
“Like from Oz?”
“No. Ronez actually does magic. If anything ever happens to me, you’ll go to him. He can protect you.”
“Protect me from what?”
* * *
I woke as Logan opened the back of the truck. “Don’t move; the sun is still out,” he said. “It’s too hot to leave you in the car, so I’m going to take you inside with the blanket.”
“Don’t leave the boys.”
“Cindy can help me get them inside.” Without giving me an option, he picked me up, kept me carefully wrapped in the blanket, and carried me into Cindy’s house. He didn’t put me down until we were in the basement.
Then he and Cindy brought in the boys. “Thank you,” I said to Cindy. She was covered in sweat and breathing heavy. She went back upstairs.
“I have some more work to take care of and I suppose I have to deal with Meredith again,” Logan said, obviously dreading it.
“I’ll help. I have a few questions for her.”
“Are you going to ask her what deal she made with my father?”
“No. Why would I? That’s her business.”
“I like that,” he said. Instead of addressing his compliment, I patted the boys. “I’ll come back before nightfall and we can make sure Lilly and Meredith are okay.”
He left and it didn’t take long at all for me to fall asleep.
* * *
I woke next to Logan, but he wasn’t kissing me or doing anything passionate. He was asleep. There were very few people I could sleep around, and I suspected the list of people Logan could sleep near was even shorter, yet here he was.
As if he sensed I was awake, he opened his eyes and sat up. It occurred to me that the faster we took to settle everything with Lilly and her mother, the faster I would be heading home. Then I found myself taking my time. That was probably the real reason I wanted to talk to Meredith myself.
Phobos whined until Logan rubbed his ears.
“You’re spoiling the boy,” I said.
Logan smirked. “You must be joking. The poor puppy was injured in the line of duty and deserves to be coddled for a month. Buckets of chicken, the master bed, and all the cartoons he can stomach.”
Ph
obos licked his hand. “You keep talking like that and you’ll be taking him home. Don’t let his size fool you; he’s a lapdog.”
Deimos plopped his head on top of Phobos’s in order to force Logan to pet him instead. Logan did. This time, I felt left out. Deimos and Phobos were two of the three most important beings in my life, and the fact that Logan adored them said a lot to me about our compatibility. The fact that they adored him just as much said a lot to me about his character.
“Do you need some blood?” Logan asked.
“No, I’m good. Were there anymore break in attempts at your shop?”
“Two more the night after Marcus installed his system, but none since. I have gotten texts from Lilly all day, though.”
“What did they say?”
“That she’s safe and her mother is still a bitch, mostly. She also asked me what she could do to convince me to adopt her.”
* * *
I left the boys at Cindy’s place to rest and had pizza delivered. Ten minutes later, we parked in Meredith’s driveway.
Inside the house, we found Meredith and Lilly sitting on the couch in awkward silence. “Why did you come here?” she asked Logan immediately.
“Because I was asked to save you.”
“How did you know I was in danger?” He didn’t answer, but after a moment, she sighed with frustration and turned to Lilly. “You used magic, didn’t you?”
“It’s my choice,” Lilly said. “I should be allowed to---”
“You’re not allowed to. I’ve told you a thousand times. I’m done fighting you about this. Tomorrow, I’m sending you to a catholic boarding school with nothing but the clothes on your back. I’m searching you, too, to make sure you’re not taking anything.”
“You can’t do---”
“I’m your mother. You’ll do as I say. Go to your room.”
“I hate you,” Lilly said, standing. “I would rather live on the streets. I should have let the demon kill you.” She left.
“Why are you so against Lilly being a witch?” I asked. “You gave your soul to a demon.”
“I didn’t want her to make the same mistakes as me. I wanted her to be better than that.”
