by Tim Marquitz
“I’m glad you’re all right, but I’m afraid there’s more.”
Not surprised, I shook my head. “What now?”
“The Dread Fiends were nothing more than a distraction.”
“From what?” My heart started to pound. If the fiends weren’t the worst of it, I was hesitant to know Page 191 what was.
“While we were busy with Asmoday’s pets, he was performing yet another ritual to draw power from the Demonarch.”
I thought about that for a second, the words chilling, but yet they felt empty. There was something missing in the equation. “Well, we’re all still here. The world isn’t a flaming ball of smoking ash, so what happened?”
“I’m not exactly sure. With my focus drawn to the fiends, I failed to notice the dead zone that cropped up until the ritual was already complete.” Her voice drifted off, coming back strong. “There was something different about it this time though, Frank. The footprint seems much smaller than it did at the last two locations, the scarring less drastic. I don’t sense the same kind of damage to the dimensional wall, although there is some. It just doesn’t seem like the same level of event.”
“Another trap?”
“No. Katon has already surveyed the area. He found discarded ritual trappings there, yet nothing else.”
“Maybe this has something to do with when the ritual was performed.” I took a second to get my thoughts in order. My head was still pretty scrambled.
“We’d estimated Asmoday had been tapping the Demonarch’s energy every two days and it’s only been about one since the last time. Could that have anything to do with it?”
There was silence on the connection as Rachelle contemplated the possibility. They really needed to pipe in some music during the pauses. She chimed back up, sounding almost hopeful.
“That may well be it. The previous power outputs had been on such a grand scale that it’s possible Asmoday has been burning himself out each time he performs the ritual. It is quite tasking. That could explain the apparent reduction of this attempt.”“It would also explain why Asmoday needs Gabriel’s help, though it does nothing to explain why Gabriel needs his.” I felt the bed shift as Veronica sat up, her blue eyes staring at me from above a wide, grateful smile. I grinned back, waggling a finger to request patience. She gave me a pouty-faced look, but nodded. I continued, lowering my voice again and stepping away from the bed. “If he’s blowing all his power, we need to find him soon so we can take advantage of it. His greed is the only thing that’s keeping us in the game.”
“I agree. I’ll convey what we’ve deduced to Rahim. Once we’ve figured out the course to take, I’ll contact you.”
“I’ve my own lead to follow up on, so I’ll let you know if it pans out. Talk to you soon.”
Rachelle said her farewells, breaking the connection. Once more, it was just me and the multitude of my own questionably sane inner voices bouncing around inside my head. Trust me. They’re more than enough to keep me busy.
“Anything exciting?” Veronica asked, her voice still a little raspy.
Once again, I didn’t really want to give much away. Our history aside, you just can’t trust a succubus.
“Just work stuff, that’s all.” I looked her over, her shredded clothing leaving little to the imagination.
“Besides, the only exciting thing in my life these days is you.”
She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Sure, buddy, whatever you say.” She got up from the bed and sauntered over to me. “I do want to thank you for saving my life though. Those fiends had me. Another minute and I’d have been dead.” She shivered, no doubt remembering them hovering over her, their claws tearing into her flesh.
I wrapped my arms around her arched back and pulled her close. “If you hadn’t dragged them away, neither of us would be here. You’re the hero on this one. I was just following your lead.”
She drew in closer, pressing her body against mine in a ferocious hug. “Sounds like we both deserve a reward.” She looked up at me and winked, her face all kinds of sultry.
I felt the seam of my torn jeans go tight as my mind ran amok with all the possibilities her statement conjured. She purred, rubbing against me, her hips gently swaying from side to side. I shuddered and pressed back against her, hard. She moaned low in her throat as she slid her warm hands beneath my shirt, her fingertips sliding under my waistband. Pulling me along, she backed up toward the bed unbuckling my belt as we went. At the bed, she yanked my belt from the loops and tossed it to the side, dropping down onto the mattress. In a feat of manual dexterity unheard of this side of Hell, she popped the button to my jeans and slid the zipper down in a fluid motion with one hand while she pulled me on top of her. I felt my gun slip from my waistband and heard it hit the floor. It didn’t matter. I had a backup weapon, which was ready to go off.
Frenetic, she buried her mouth in my neck, snarling as she nipped and kissed her way across my throat, leaving behind a moist trail that pricked at my skin. I couldn’t help but groan as her warm hand slid deeper into my pants, latching onto me, her grip tight and accommodating. I could feel the beat of my heart against her palm. Taking charge, she used her free hand to slide my pants down to my thighs before rolling me over onto my back. After giving me a grin, which would make a Cheshire cat jealous, she worked her way downward, strafing my chest and stomach with fluttering kisses. Her knees dropped to the floor as her hand continued its dastardly deed. I heard the clink of the vials as she bumped them, tugging my pants to my ankles with her free hand. I lifted my head to watch her ministrations, voyeur that I am. She had small hands. I was feeling pretty good about myself. Though I knew I should be doing something more productive like finding Glorius and saving the world, I couldn’t help myself. I was under her spell like I’d been so many times before. Unable, and more to the point, unwilling, to rein my libido in, I gave in to the yearning that made granite of my groin. I pushed all thoughts of Armageddon aside and let the pleasure wash over me.
My hands entangled themselves in Veronica’s silky hair, wordlessly cheering her on. I arched into her, testing her willingness. Finding no boundary, I was consumed by the storm of our passion. Through the haze of it all, my only coherent thought was, for a woman trained in the arts of Hell, she sure knew an awful lot about Heaven.
Coitus Interruptus
I lay back as Veronica went about pleasuring me, plying her trade. She was a pro. I’d forgotten how satisfying her touch could be. I hadn’t realized how much I missed her affection, if what she was doing could be given such a sentimental term. She put all the other women I’d slept with to shame. Not interested in opening old wounds, I told the voices in my head to shut the hell up about my feelings and encouraged Veronica to continue, my words coming out in grunts and groans. She obliged me by taking me to new heights, drawing me close, then pulling back, holding me on the edge. The bed shook beneath us as I clutched the sheets tight in my sweaty hands. I opened my eyes as her tongue flitted across sensitive areas and watched as the light fixture on the ceiling swung back and forth. Damn she was good.
I felt the rumble of thunder rattle the house as I neared the apex. It was then Veronica pulled away, sitting up on the bed, her eyes narrow.
“Did you feel that?”
I growled as I grabbed her arm, tugging her back down toward my crotch. She resisted. “Of course I felt it, now don’t stop. I was almost there.” Thinking she needed a bit of romance to regain her motivation, I added, “You’re pretty.”
She pushed my frantic, clutching hands away.
“Not that, idiot. The house is shaking.”
Frustrated, I only half heard what she said.
“What are you talking about?” She didn’t need to answer.
I felt the pressure in the room drop suddenly as a sound like a 747 firing its engines roared up right outside my window, vibrating the entire house. My lungs tightened in my chest as I felt a surge of supernatural energy coalesce somewhere nearby. There was a hell of a
lot of it. Pants around my ankles, I dove for the floor dragging Veronica with me.
With an explosion of sound, the roof of my house was blown away, frenzied winds whipping above us. Shards of wood and tile flew past, caught up in the fury of the blast. The front walls followed a second later, furniture and household goods were swept along like an Alabama trailer park during twister season. I felt a wave of energy prickle my skin and pulled Veronica tighter against me in anticipation. We were going for a ride.
A gust of wind blew through the house, aimed lower this time, catching up everything in its wake. The bed tumbled over and the mattress landed over top of us with a thump as the magical tornado whirled through the room. Slid across the floor, we were slammed hard into the bedroom wall. The plasterboard shattered and gave way as we struck. The support studs creaked and cracked against my back, but they held. I cried out in pain as I was wedged against the boards, but nothing could be heard above the wail of the winds. I felt a series of heavy impacts against the mattress that lay over us as more of the house rained down. I was suddenly glad of the extra money I’d spent on the quality bed as its padded bulk shielded us from further harm. With it blocking the majority of the wind’s force, and the detritus that came with it, I rolled over and placed Veronica behind me. Her eyes were wide, frantic, looking for a way out. I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t exactly feeling all that brave myself, but I knew this wasn’t some natural disaster. Someone was trying to kill us. Worse yet, they’d interrupted us during sex. I felt my face heat up as I thought about how close I had been to getting off. I ground my teeth together as I looked down at my limp dick, the moment ruined. Someone was gonna die for this. I pulled my pants up as the wind calmed outside our makeshift fort, the ear-splitting whistle dropping to a quiet whine, then to nothing. With the storm settling, I knew it was only a matter of moments until whoever blew the roof off would come looking to finish the job. Not wasting anymore time, I leaned past Veronica and kicked the remaining plasterboard away, opening a hole big enough for her to crawl through. The bathroom Page 199 beyond was still mostly intact.
I whispered to her, “Go through there and stay low.” I pointed to the hole. “I’m gonna draw our attacker away. Once I do, you get up and run in the opposite direction. Get down the street where it’s safe and I’ll find you when it’s over. Got it?”
Veronica nodded. Her face was a knot of sharp lines and I could tell by the way she was shaking, she was scared. That sure didn’t make me feel any better. Veronica was a tough woman and it took an awful lot to rattle her cage. The fact that she was afraid caused my own fear to well up and worm its way through my confidence. The voices gibbered inside my head, pleading for me to follow Veronica, to hide. I shouted them down as best I could. I didn’t have time to be scared.
She leaned in and kissed me. “Be safe.” With a last apologetic look, she squirmed through the hole and crawled out of sight.
I didn’t waste any time. I slipped from behind the mattress, working my way over to my stash. I was gonna need a pick-me-up. My heart skipped a beat when I saw what was left of it. There, amidst the wreckage of my deflated Jenna doll was a dark, drying puddle. The wind had pushed everything against the back wall, the vials of Lucifer’s blood along with it. Made of glass, the heavy furniture and debris had shattered the tubes, freeing the blood to become inert. I nearly cried.
Frantic, I dug through the mess, but there were no survivors. All of the vials my uncle had given me were destroyed, splattered across the floor and quickly turning to dust. The last trace of Lucifer’s existence had been wiped away. I felt my face burning as I thought about what that meant. There would be no more quick heals for me, no magical advantage. Worse, I had lost my only connection to my heritage, all long dead or gone. Now, Lucifer truly was nothing more than a memory.
Furious, I pulled myself together and stormed out of the ruin of my house. I wanted to know who’d taken my uncle from me. I wanted revenge. Once past the rubble, I came face to face with the destroyer of my house and irreplaceable inheritance. It was Henry McConnell.
My confidence took a dump.
“Howdy.” He waved at me. “Seems you’ve ticked the boss off something fierce.” A cloud of billowing smoke surrounded the area around my house and the street, cutting the view off from the other side.
“Well, ain’t that an unfortunate pile of steaming bull puckey, cowboy.” The rebel in me kicked into high gear, my anxiety spurring it on. “You can tell your boss he just interrupted the best blow job I’ve ever had and I’m not in the mood to give a damn about his feelings.”
I kept my head enough to start circling away from the house. I turned him so the wreckage was out of his field Page 201 of vision to give Veronica a chance to escape unnoticed. He kept pace with me, but he stayed about ten feet away. His eyes remained locked on mine. McConnell chuckled. Even his laugh had an accent. “Sorry to have bothered you, but you know how it is. When the boss man says jump, I ask how high. When he says kill the devil mutt, I ask how dead.”
“Maybe I’m remembering it all wrong, but didn’t we just do this not too long ago? If I recall correctly, it ended with you running off with your tail between your legs. What makes you think it’ll end any differently this time?” Apparently my mouth felt the need to write a check it couldn’t afford to cash. I’m not even sure Donald Trump could afford the bill I was racking up. He shook his head, an amused smile on his lips.
“The last time, I wasn’t expecting you to show up. I was just there to pick up the chains the boys left behind. And besides, I was burnt out from helping the boss light up that angel he’s got all trussed up. This time, I’ve got all my horses saddled up and raring to go.” A tiny spout of fire sprung up from his palm and danced across his fingers as nimbly as a ballerina. He winked at me, the firelight glistening in his blue eyes. I’d realized during our first run-in McConnell wasn’t operating on a full tank, but I’d noticed too late to take advantage of it. I was regretting that failure now. If what he said was true, and he was fully charged, I didn’t stand a chance.
“We can’t discuss this?” I changed gears.
“Tain’t nothin’ to discuss. I got a job to do and I figure I better get on with it. It was nice meeting you, hear?”
I didn’t waste a second. If that cowpoke wanted to put me down, he was gonna have to work for it. I dove forward, closing the distance between us, lashing out with a right. My heart jumped as I felt the satisfying thud of my fist collide with his mouth. He grunted and rolled away, redirecting most of the impact and stumbling back to give himself room. He wasn’t getting off that easy. I stayed on him. I threw a low kick, which nearly buckled his leg, and followed it with a left hook. It caught him alongside the head, just above the ear, and I saw his eyes flutter. His legs gave way a second later and he dropped onto his butt. Thinking I had him and feeling rather optimistic, I moved to put a knee in his face.
His magic struck first.
With but a flick of his hand, he sent out a wave of concussive force. It slammed into me like a wrecking ball. I flew back before I’d even realized what’d happened. The pain hit me while I was still in the air. It felt like I’d been raped by a jackhammer, all romance aside.
Instinctively, I curled up just before I struck the ground, but it didn’t help much. I crashed hard and rolled, more accurately defined as flopping, and bounced along the asphalt. I was in a white haze of agony when I finally came to a stop. My eyes wouldn’t focus, my lungs burned with each shallow breath, and my body ached like it had been run through a hydraulic press. I lifted my head, fighting down nausea as I looked for McConnell. He was strolling forward, his eyes burning holes in me. My optimism crawled away to hide someplace I’d rather not talk about. I seriously thought about following it.
“I was gonna make it easy for you, boy, and kill you quickly.” He closed, cracking the knuckles of his fingers as his hands clenched into fists. “Not anymore. You want to slug it out? I’m more than willing to oblige you.” He ge
stured for me to get up.
I debated staying where I was. Without my guns, or my uncle’s blood, I wasn’t anywhere close to winning this confrontation. This was David versus Goliath, but only if David were a blind quadriplegic with asthma. I didn’t even think I had that much of a chance. Despite all that though, it just wasn’t in me to quit. I pulled myself to my feet with a groan, and met McConnell’s eyes.
His face softened a bit, the hint of a smile creeping onto his bloody lips. “Glad to see you’ve got a pair on you.” He settled into a defensive posture. It appeared he knew a thing or two about boxing. Just my luck, the old boy could fight.
“All balls, no brains, or so they tell me.”
He chuckled, apparently having realized that already, and moved forward.
The talking over, we began to circle one another. Not expecting him to fight fair, I thought it best to get off first to see what I could make happen. I darted in with a jab and a quick, straight right. The jab clipped him and he adjusted, sweeping my right to the side. He countered easily, his hand speed much faster than I would have believed him capable of, and punched me in the liver. A flash of gray sparked off when he hit and my side exploded with pain, tendrils of it snaking down my leg and across my crotch.
I stumbled, barely getting my arms up in time to block the follow up. His fist crashed into my forearms, once more throwing up a flash of gray light. It was like he’d hit me with a sledgehammer. The bones in my arm throbbed, my shoulders stiffening up as I backed away. He grinned, stalking me down. My prediction as to the fairness of the fight played out and I knew I wasn’t gonna be walking away in one piece. I cast a quick glance toward the house and hoped Veronica had run like I’d told her. It would tear me up to think what might happen to her once McConnell was finished with me. I shook my head to clear away the images that popped up. I didn’t want to picture the possibilities. Driven to a rage by my way too active imagination, I lashed out. I threw a feint with my left, following it up with a kick to his ribs. My shin struck home with a thump, knocking the wind from McConnell. He gasped hard, doubling over, but he managed to catch my leg. With it leveraged against his side, he twisted hard and I heard a snap, his magically-enhanced strength making it easy. I screeched as stabbing pains shot through my calf, the bones of my lower leg broken. McConnell lifted it up over his shoulder and dumped me on my back. I hit the asphalt with a thud, reaching down to cradle my right leg as he hovered over me.
