Demon's Mark (Hell Unleashed Book 2)

by T. F. Walsh

  He stared at her, making a strange hacking sound. Either he was about to throw up or he considered her as a meal. Don’t be stupid. He belonged to her dad, and if Blinkie wanted her dead, he would have done it by now.

  Shaking her head, she marched into the next room. Her old bedroom. Also empty of furniture, but jam-packed with memories. Dancing in front of the mirror in her first dress—spaghetti straps, with dotted Swiss cheese fabric for the dress—she had pretended she was at a school dance, boys lining up to squeeze her close and step on her feet.

  Enough reminiscing. Quickening her pace back down the hallway, she headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Empty. All of the cabinets were bare, too.

  She crouched in front of the open pantry and tapped her hand under the lower shelf for her hidey-hole. Her fingers touched a silky wrapper, and she peeled the tape holding it up.

  Damn. An empty chocolate wrapper. She’d devour an entire bar now if she had one.

  Cary dragged herself to the next room and the next, until she finally ended in her dad’s bedroom. A wooden wardrobe with ornate carvings along the top sat against the back wall. The piece had come with the house when he bought the place. Yanking open the door, she inhaled a puff of rotting stench and staleness.

  Using the flash on her phone, she peered inside. A mountain of dust and two dead rats lay on the bottom.

  “Disgusting.” She slapped the door shut. “Shit. Where else could it be?”

  Her dad had probably taken the address book from the house, but that went against his usual routine. Whoever cleared out the furniture might have packed it away, but she didn’t know who that was.

  Out in the hallway, she spotted the string hanging down from the door to the attic.

  Snatch it! In no time, she had the door open and the steps down. Blinkie pounced up into the attic in two leaps. She followed to check under the roof. Like most of the house, the bare walls greeted her. In the far corner, Cary pushed her foot against the pile of firewood. Several logs thudded on the wooden flooring and rolled away. Nothing was shoved under there. The metal bed frame nearby was blanketed in cobwebs, but no address book. Tracing the outline of the attic, she found the place empty, not even any cardboard boxes. Blinkie sniffed the far edges of the attic and scrambled over to her as she descended.

  “Well, that was a waste of time.”

  Blinkie hopped down. A huge cobweb dangled from his short, Rottweiler-like muzzle. Glancing at her hands, she scowled at the black dirt coating them. “We’re a mess.”

  Her stomach grumbled, and the idea of going out for food was tempting, but she trudged back to her dad’s bedroom. “Think, Cary. Where would you hide a small book for safe keeping?” Blinkie entered the room and rubbed himself against the wall, leaving a streak of dirt and cobwebs. “Well, that’s one way to get clean.”

  On her next step, the floorboard beneath her boots groaned. She bounced on the spot a few more times, and it creaked. The end of the board lifted.

  Her dad had once buried his weapons in the backyard of a small cottage they’d rented for a few months, so why wouldn’t he do the same inside the house? She blamed the lack of food for not remembering this earlier.

  She knelt down and grasped the end, prying the floorboard out of its spot. It didn’t fully come up, but she could probably get her hand underneath. The narrow piece of wood slipped from her grip and snapped shut, inches from squishing her fingers. Damn. Taking a long breath, she drew the piece back once again, fighting against its rigidness. Inside, she glimpsed the hilt of a knife. Black and leathery. Her insides ignited with excitement. This was it. Goldmine!

  She threaded an arm through the gap and plucked out the blade. Fighting the wooden plank that wobbled in her grip, she tried again. Her hand tapped the dusty floor. Her gut clenched at the thought of finding a dead rat. Wouldn’t it be her luck for the rodent to be alive and bite her.

  Flinching, she pulled her hand free and shivered.

  There’s no rat in there, no rat. Please don’t let there be a rat.

  A whimper spilled from her lips as she inched deeper, imagining a rat’s carcass. She inched her fingers forward but found nothing.

  Heaviness sat on her shoulders, weighing her down. She’d searched the whole house and not a damn sign of the notebook. Not even a page or any kind of clue. Reality settled in—she had no idea where to go next. No clues. No apartment (it wasn’t safe to go back to hers). Couldn’t use her ATM card, so no money. She sat on the dusty floorboards, desperate, struggling to breathe. A sense of deja vu swept over her, the ghostly memories of her past, the times she’d been homeless, no food, but she always got back on her feet. Except, she didn’t have demons and trained hunters tracking her down then. Exhaustion, and the urge to curl up into a ball and never wake up deepened within her mind.

  Blinkie trotted closer and nudged her shoulder as he sat down alongside her, his chin resting on her shoulder. Was this how her father felt, desolate and alone, when he left her? In a strange way, having Blinkie next to her made her feel she wasn’t by herself. And she’d find a way out of his crap hole.

  She glanced over at him. “Well, no time like the present. We do another search of the house because I might have missed something. Then sleep or I won’t be able to fight anyone.”

  By the time Cary stepped onto the rickety front porch, stretching her arms into the air, it was past dawn. She yawned, shading her eyes against the bright morning sun warming the pale blue sky. Her back ached from sleeping on the floorboards for a few hours, but Blinkie had offered himself as a pillow and his warmth kept her warm. Now, food was in order, before she fainted. Even a loaf of bread would sate her hunger, then she’d be able to think straight and work on her next plan of action.

  She locked the door to the wooden cottage. Alongside her, Blinkie strode through the knee-high grass and weeds to where her small, silver SUV waited. If she ever got to a stage in life she called normal, she’d return to this place and fix it up. Too many fond memories remained here to allow it to be swallowed by time.

  The closest convenience store was at least ten miles away. The chance of hunters finding her in Watersmeet was less than likely since she had never told anyone at Argos about the house. Plus, it was a small enough town that not many people frequented the area. With Blinkie in the passenger seat, she drove onto a dirt track and made her way into town. Between dense trees and bushes, an occasional house popped up. Those living in Watersmeet preferred their privacy and the outdoors. Many houses were holiday homes, or rented out to tourists interested in hiking, fishing, or camping. She could easily pass for a tourist, she decided.

  A short road soon came into view with a small handful of buildings. Lots of trees and shrubs lined the road. Anyone passing through would miss the town in a blink.

  She pulled into a lot at the rear of the post office, parked with a few other cars, and climbed out. Blinkie followed her.

  Tugging her top over her waist to conceal the lasso tucked into her pants, she headed around the building toward the main strip. Other people roamed the street, or emerged from the grocery store with their arms full of bags. Several young men wandered into the pub farther ahead, one of them glancing her way a bit too long. Her nerves prickled. Maybe a hat would have made sense.

  Hating being out in public, she crossed the road in hasty steps. Grab the food and go. Over her shoulder; the young men were gone. Then her sight landed on a familiar face.

  Levi? Oh, fuck!

  He ran across the road toward her, a black T-shirt pulled tight over his chest and thick arms, the silver buckle of his belt caught the flash of the sun bringing her gaze to his narrow hips clad in faded jeans. The baseball cap shadowed over his eyes. She remembered her slip-up when she mentioned the family home in Watersmeet to Levi. Idiot.

  Her skin crawled with shivers.

  She raised her hands up in front of her. “I can explain.”

  Chapter 18

  Levi would recognize that red hair anywhere. He�
��d been waiting in the middle of this tiny backwater town for over a day, asking the locals if they’d seen Cary or knew where her father’s house was. No luck on either account.

  He sprinted across the empty road as Cary recoiled from him. Why would a jumper go shopping at the local grocery story? Unless it trolled for a new human-snack… but… wait—

  Cary didn’t have an aura… Not even a hint of silver light surrounded her.

  Had the paranormal trackers made a mistake? Or was this a new beast? Regardless, if a demon was inside her, he’d destroy it. But fuck, why hadn’t he picked up the signs first thing yesterday morning and pieced it all together?

  He should have known something was wrong when he’d woken up and she was gone. He should have been able to read the signs. And he should have gone to her motel immediately to help her before Brent got involved. Now, he pictured Cary cornered by a possessed person, hurting her before the demon claimed her. Suddenly, the shirt around his torso seemed to suffocate him. Not enough air reached his lungs.

  He crossed over to her and grabbed her wrist. “Cary.”

  She wrenched her arm free and stumbled backward a few steps down the sidewalk.

  “Don’t run away, please. I can help,” he pleaded. “I can help.” He studied her, trying to make sense of what he was dealing with.

  She hesitated, the panic in her eyes mirroring a spooked animal. “Look,” she said, “I can explain everything.”

  Her voice sounded normal. No huskiness or speaking in tongues. No demonic vibe rippling down his arms from touching her. But he wouldn’t fall for it. “Cary, your soul is in danger and I’m not about to lose you to some demon.”

  Grasping Noose from his belt, he turned away from the people entering the grocery store so they wouldn’t see the weapon. Shit, he hadn’t intended to do this in public, but she needed him.

  “Argos issued a bounty warrant, saying you’re taken.” He lowered his voice, studying Cary, searching for any sign of possession: yellowing eyes, unusually strong resistance, growling. There was nothing.

  Her gaze flicked to his weapon and back. “Levi, it’s me. I’m not possessed. Brent made a mistake.”

  “Of course, you’d say that. The demon possessing you read your memories, desires, fears, and it would know about your past.” Levi was convinced Cary cared for him—she’d said as much—and the number one rule of demon hunting was to understand that the possessed said whatever it took to get out of a sticky situation.

  “I’m serious, Levi. Let me go.” She sighed. “I haven’t eaten a decent meal since yesterday and I’m starving. At least, let’s go get breakfast.” Her glare could have scared off a legion of demons, and what exactly had the demon inside her eaten yesterday? Someone’s soul?

  “Not a chance.” With an arm wrapped around her shoulders, he pulled her tight against him and guided her down the narrow passage alongside the store where the buildings blotted out the sun. She stumbled alongside him, tripping on the weeds that grew along the path. The demon was trying to get Levi to lower his guard. Well, that wasn’t going to happen.

  She elbowed him in the gut and jerked away. “God, you’re being an ass.”

  Grunting with pain, he snatched her wrist back again. Maybe now he’d see some demonic action.

  “Piss off,” Cary said sharply.

  A sudden, excruciating pain fired up his arm. He flinched and found blood bubbling down his forearm from several puncture holes.

  “Fuck!” He wiped the blood away. “Did you bite me?”

  “No! What? You would have seen me do it.” She scowled. “Are you hallucinating?”

  He kept glancing from his bleeding arm, with bite marks too wide to be human, to Cary’s lips, trying to spot blood. “How did you do this?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe you should get that disinfected before you get rabies.”

  “Rabies?” The more she spoke, the more he was convinced she had been contaminated by a demon. The lack of an aura was a ploy. He wasn’t standing next to Cary. Nope. Not his sweet Cary, the woman he’d dreamed about, the only one he could ever spend his life with, but he was never ready to make the big move. And now… His muscles tensed.

  “Come with me willingly, or I’ll trap you and carry you back. Please, Cary. If you really aren’t possessed, then you won’t make a fuss and you’ll do the right thing.”

  With his cuffs and salted, holy water vials in hand, he was ready to do whatever it took. He wiped the small bead of blood rolling down his arm. “Just a scratch. It’d heal in no time.”

  “Levi, believe me, I’m not possessed.”

  “I’m going to get you out of this mess, safely,” he said. Silently, he promised himself to finally tell her how much she meant to him. Faced with the threat of losing the one woman he cared for… Maybe more than cared for, so fuck yeah, he’d deal with whatever the demon threw his way.

  “Levi, don’t do this. It’s me. You’re scaring me, and you’re pissing me off.” Her skin glistened with sweat. She looked at him, eyes open wide, on the verge of tears.

  He clicked open Noose, his heart pounding against his ribcage.

  Cary threw shoulders back. “This is all about you collecting your money and being the hero bounty hunter, isn’t it?”

  “This is about me trying to save your… Cary’s ass.”

  Her free hand was doing a strange patting through the air alongside her.

  Cary must be fighting for control of her body, he thought. “I have to help you.”

  “I can’t return to Argos with you.” Her eyes glistened when she glanced up at him. “They’ll kill me.”

  “Yeah, you’ll die, but not Cary.” He lifted Noose’s lasso above her head. When she spoke, though, he would have sworn it was Cary.

  “I have things to tell you, but, not what you think.” She shoved the loop away, shaking. Her wavering voice speared his heart. “Please, don’t do this.”

  Something crashed into Levi’s side, and he stumbled into the wall, losing his grip on Cary’s wrist. Noose fell to the ground. He looked left and right, finding nothing but the empty lane. “What the shit?” He snatched his weapon back up.

  Cary brushed down her top. “Blinkie doesn’t like you man-handling me.”

  “Who the fuck is Blinkie?” Levi surveyed the area, stepping away from the wall. “There’s no one else here, but I was definitely shoved.”

  She whispered, “Blinkie is… It’s...” She bit her lip, struggling to get the words out. “He’s my hellhound.”

  “What the…” Levi glanced around, fighting against the fear pinching his chest. “Hellhounds don’t exist. Otherwise, someone at Argos or other hunters would have mentioned it.” He picked Noose up off the ground.

  Cary’s shoulders curled forward. She made a serious face, half fear and half regret—the kind Levi would expect on someone about to declare the apocalypse had hit. “You may need a stiff drink,” she said. “How about we go over to the pub to talk?”

  “Fuck that.” He shook his head. “Is someone playing a practical joke? It’s crossed my mind. You being possessed, hellhounds… What’s next—aliens?”

  “Look, you stubborn ass.” She put her hand on his arm. “You’re not listening to me. I don’t want you to freak out.” Her voice was clipped and loud.

  “I’m way past freaking out,” he admitted. “I’m so close to snapping. I don’t know what to believe.” He made a visible effort to pull himself together. “No. This is a trick. The demon’s trying to confuse me.”

  Cary pulled her hand back. Her face quivered, her nose creasing. She looked like she was about to cry. “Fine. You want the truth? I’m not possessed by a demon. I never was. But I’m not entirely human, either.” She couldn’t fight back the tears any longer, and they slipped from her eyes, trickling down her cheeks. “My dad was born a cambion,” she admitted. “He is part demon, just like his father. So am I.” She looked up at him, still crying, but defiant. “Are you happy now?”

  “Well, th
at’s a first,” he said. His skin itched, the way it always did when he sensed a lie. “Say whatever you want, spawn. I’m not falling for it.” He curled his fists, ready to fight.

  “I’m part demon.” She shrugged, and smiled a little. Those moves, that face, belonged to his Cary, but the girl just declared she was a monster.

  “A sucker is born every minute, right?” Levi said. “I sure as hell won’t be one today.” His head ached from the strange mix of information—from Cary being possessed, to the bullshit about being part-demon, nothing was making sense. “If Cary was this so-called ‘cambion’, why would she slay her own kind? You’re lying, demon.”

  “Levi, I’m human. I’m just like you, like anyone. Well, except that I can smell demons, which is a bonus, and I heal quickly.” She exhaled loudly as a light breeze blew her hair over her shoulders. “I hunt demons because I don’t want them hurting innocent people any more than you do.”

  “Are you joking?” His mind buzzed. “I’m just thinking about everything that Cary, the real Cary and I have been through. The way that jumper had bounced off her, and the speck had tried to drag her away. Demons hate her. And she has battled hundreds of demons, if the rumors out of Argos are anything to go by. No way she could be a demon.” But, staring at her, Levi struggled with the desire to accept her words. “There’s never been a cambion, anyway… No one’s ever seen or heard of one. Explain that.” Please, he thought. Please have an explanation.

  “My father and grandfather were real, and so am I. I have fought all of those demons. Honestly, a lot more—I’ve been fighting them since I was a kid, and I didn’t report half of that to Argos.” She looked down then, patting at the air beside her. “And, well, my father apparently had a hellhound as a pet, and now it found me. Only I can see Blinkie. He’s actually a kind of ugly-cute, despite his sulfur burps.” She smiled hopefully. “You’d get along with him.”

  “This doesn’t make any sense.”

  She moved closer. “Let me prove it to you. Give me Noose.”