Before Valdis could react, I brought the sharp blade of the axe down on the skull-mask splayed out on the ground. I rained blow after blow on the original skull which had set this horror show in motion. I didn’t stop until until I had reduced it to a pile of bone splinters.
With the mask destroyed, the skulls floating above us changed color. The red glow turned to bright white as the evil hold over the skulls shattered.
For a beat, the six skulls hovered in formation above me and then they surged toward their newest victim—Valdis himself. The monster who had both murdered and forced them to do his horrific bidding. The six free skulls rained down on Valdis, teeth tearing into the unmasked villain.
Blood spurted and Valdis crumpled, his screams echoing down the alley as the ground turned red.
The old me would have looked away from the brutal drama. But I was part demon now. If I was being honest, I’d been part demon ever since Switzerland. And I rejoiced in seeing this human monster brought to his knees by his victims.
I don’t know how long it took before Valdis stopped moving. When the last bloody tremor passed through him, the skulls finally pulled back from the gore-streaked corpse. Spiritual light burst from the skulls, forcing me to shield my eyes.
One by one, the skulls dispersed into thin air, and the world turned dark again.
I looked down at the corpse, empty eyes peering up at me, his body painted red from countless bite wounds. Serves you right, I thought grimly.
A deep emptiness filled me, and I felt nothing in the wake of my victory. Valdis’ death wouldn’t bring back his victims. It wouldn’t bring back Skulick or even Aria Giovanni. Nor would it restore my lost humanity. I stared at my demon hand, reptilian skin gleaming in the dim light filtering into the alley.
My gaze turned toward the windows of the warehouse loft.
An hour earlier, it had been a sanctuary from the madness I faced every day. Now it had become a mausoleum filled with the ghosts of my past.
As these dark thoughts rippled through my head, I spotted a silhouette in the topmost window. It had to be Father Cabrera. That was just great. Now that the White Crescent knew of my demonic passenger, I could expect a team of exorcists to come after me. If you’ll excuse the cliché, I was about to go from hunter to hunted.
The figure upstairs turned, and I saw who it was. Staring down at me was none other than Skulick himself!
My heart jolted in my chest. How could my partner still be alive? I’d seen the sixth skull, the pin on Valdis’ map indicating his next target, Skulick’s lifeless body in the vault…
Scratch that. I had seen that Skulick was down, but he could have been unconscious. I had been so flush with rage and adrenaline that I never considered what the skeleton creature might have wanted from our vault. What if Valdis had never been after my partner? He was a formidable force of good, but perhaps he didn’t qualify as the best representative of the heavenly virtue after all.
And then it hit me. Of course.
The Skull of Saint Magnus. Known for his humble lifestyle as he traveled medieval Europe on a holy quest to rid it of witches, monsters, and demons. That had to be it! Valdis had never been after my partner’s skull. All along, he had wanted one of the relics we kept locked away inside our vault.
It didn’t matter now. I’d made my choice.
To Skulick’s eyes, I was tainted. A monster to be hunted, just like any other.
A deep sadness filled me. I knew I couldn’t return to the loft. For a beat, I held my partner’s burning gaze. Would Skulick realize that despite my condition, we were still on the same team?
He looked away first.
Thunder rumbled, a harbinger of darker times to come. Lightning flashed. Rain began to drizzle in the alley, and I raised the collar of my shirt in a vain attempt to ward off the icy downpour. A deep shiver ran up my spine. I truly was on my own now, for the first time since I was a kid.
“You’re not alone,” Cyon reminded me.
I failed to draw any comfort from Cyon’s words. Thunder crashed as I scooped up the Demon Slayer. The days ahead looked bleak. The Crimson Circle had returned. Both my partner and the White Crescent would now be coming after me. Not to mention Morgal and all the other dark forces gathering within the Cursed City.
Sword in hand, Hellseeker holstered, my partner still staring down at me like some stone sentinel, I walked out of the alley.
No matter what the future might hold, one thing was for certain. The battle with Hell’s legions would continue. And I would keep fighting for the forces of light, despite the darkness within me.
NOT THE END
Raven, Cyon, Skulick and Archer will return in
Ghoul Night
Available now!
If you enjoyed this novel, please consider writing an Amazon review—they really help.
I’m an indie writer and anything you can do to get the word out to other readers is deeply appreciated. Thank you for your support and your time! You can follow this direct link below:
SKULL MASTER REVIEW LINK
More Books are coming soon. Visit amazon.com/author/williammassa and press “FOLLOW” to be automatically notified of future releases.
The best is yet to come.
Want to get an email when the next SHADOW DETECTIVE title is released and receive a free novella? Subscribe to my newsletter!
Click here to get started: http://eepurl.com/Ki8QH
Also by WILLIAM MASSA
THE SHADOW DETECTIVE SERIES
Cursed City
Soul Catcher
Blood Rain
Demon Dawn
THE OCCULT ASSASSIN SERIES
Damnation Code
Apocalypse Soldier
Spirit Breaker
Soul Jacker
THE GARGOYLE KNIGHT SERIES
Gargoyle Knight
Gargoyle Quest
STAND ALONES
Fear the Light
About the Author
William Massa is a produced screenwriter and bestselling Amazon author. His film credits include Return to House on Haunted Hill and he has sold pitches and scripts to Warner, USA TV, Silver Pictures, Dark Castle, Maverick and Sony.
William has lived in New York, Florida, Europe and now resides in Venice Beach surrounded by skaters and surfers. He writes science fiction and dark fantasy/urban fantasy horror with an action-adventure flavor.
Writing can be a solitary pursuit but rewriting can be a group effort. I strive to make each book better than the last and feedback is incredibly helpful. If you have notes, thoughts or comments about this book or want to contact me, feel free to contact me at:
[email protected]
Skull Master Page 13
