“Why would Malakaro take out his own kind?” Key asks.
“I don’t know but all the high-ranking demons are in hiding. They’ve never seen an evil like this,” Roman says as he starts shaking violently from fear.
“Where is Oden hiding? We need to find him,” I ask.
“I d-don’t k-kn-know,” Roman replies.
I Bind him again. His level of fear is now at the point, where had he been human, he would have gone into cardiac arrest.
“NO PLEASE!” he begs.
“Tell me where Oden is hiding!” I shout.
“I don’t know.”
I go to Bind him even further.
“Wait! Wait! There’s a demon I know; he hangs out with Oden a lot. He could tell you where to find him,” Roman begs.
“What’s his name?”
“ ‘Kill’ or at least that’s what we call him. He was in here before Malakaro sent his team.”
“Does he have a tattoo on his face?” I ask.
“Yes, that’s him,” Roman says, averting his eyes to whatever terror looms in his mind’s eye.
“He’s dead. I saw him in the back room,” I tell the group.
“I guess that means we don’t need Roman anymore,” East says murderously.
I go to Bind him one final time.
“No, no. Kill is alive. He can regenerate.”
Damn it!
I take off like a rocket inside the bar. I head to the back room and kick down the door. Sure enough the demon with the face tattoo is gone. But he’s around here somewhere because I’m reading fear nearby.
I head back into the hallway, just in time to see Kill bolt out the back door. I take off after him. He is airborne within seconds. I’m right on his heels. He turns and throws fireballs at me, one after the other. I manage to dodge them but I can’t retaliate. If I kill him, I won’t find Oden.
Kill dives towards the ground and lands. I quickly follow but I lose him when he ducks between a row of townhomes. I scan the area in search of the demon but so far, nothing. Then I hear a bloodcurdling scream coming from one of the homes. I run towards the noise.
A woman is sprawled out at the front door; her blood coats the front steps. I bend down and check her pulse; she has none. I run into the house in search of the coward that killed her. There’s no sign of him on the first floor.
I run to the second floor and carefully open the door nearest me. Standing across the room is Kill with a fresh ball of flame aimed at his latest victim, who sleeps soundly in her crib.
“It will be the very last thing you do,” I warn the demon.
“I doubt that,” he says with a smirk.
Can I get to him before he drops the fireball into her crib?
“You can risk it, if you’re feeling lucky but I wouldn’t” he says, as if hearing my thoughts.
He’s right. I could make it in time to save the baby but I could be wrong. I don’t want to take that risk and Kill knows it.
“Leave the baby alone and I won’t chase you,” I inform him.
“You have no idea what he has in store for you,” Kill replies.
“Who?”
“Malakaro. His evil is different. It’s without reason,” he says with delight.
“You sound like a real fan. Too bad he tried to murder you.”
“We don’t have to be friends for me to appreciate his work. Now, be a good angel and introduce yourself to my friend.”
I turn around just as a Powerball blasts me from behind. I go flying backwards and slam into the wall. My head hit it so hard, it causes cracks to appear and crawl along the wall like a spider. The pain radiates throughout my head and causes my vision to blur.
“No, don’t kill her yet; I want her to watch this,” Kill says to his demon friend.
He then goes over to the crib and sets it on fire.
The baby wakes up and starts screaming. But it’s not the scream of someone being set on fire, which means the flames haven’t gotten to her yet. I try to Bind him but I can’t focus long enough to affect his fear level.
The two demons grab hold of me and pin me against the wall. Before I can raise my hand, Kill grabs my palms and sandwiches them between his. He then summons up one of his powers. Fire springs from his palms. Kill has set my hands on fire.
The scorching blaze eats away at my fingers immediately. I shriek so loud, I don’t recognize my own voice. I shake my hand violently but all that does is allow the flames to grow.
“There’s only one thing that can put out a blaze from me; and trust me you have no chance of getting it,” Kill tells me.
I jerk my body around so violently, I feel my shoulder snap out of place. But that pain is nothing compared to the anguish of my melting fingertips. I drop to the floor of the nursery as if it will somehow save me from suffering; it doesn’t. The demons stand above me, laughing as the smell of burning flesh assaults my nose.
I writhe in pain and moan as the flames spread to my forearms. I am too weak to stop the blaze from eating me alive. In the background the baby continues to cry out.
Just focus long enough to save the baby...
I try, but the blaze isn’t only eating away at my body, it’s filling my mind with terror and making it too hard to focus on my powers. The house is quickly filling up with smoke and flames; the roof above me will soon cave in on me.
Pry, the baby...get the baby...
I can’t think anymore, let alone move. Shutting down. Eyes...blur. Smoke. Everywhere. Pain. Everywhere.
I’m sorry human; I tried to save you...
Demons lean in to watch me die up close. Just as I’m about to close my eyes for the last time, the baby stops crying.
Dear Omnis, please say it’s the smoke that killed her and not the ruthless flames.
The demons head over to the crib to see what’s happening. I force myself to stay awake for a second longer. However, it’s all in vain. The only thing I can make out is a third figure has joined the party.
Kill must have called more demons to come and watch me die.
I can’t keep my eyes open long enough to find out. The pain is finally too much for my mind and body. The last thing I see before I close my eyes are silver wings...
CHAPTER EIGHT: MY FATHER IS MARCUS CANE
I squint and look away as the light streams through the window and hits my face. When
my eyes adjust to the light fully, I look around the room. I’m in the warehouse. One of the rooms has been converted into a makeshift hospital room.
He saved me... Where is he? Is he here? Did he stick around to make sure I was okay? Or did he just drop me off like a sack of potatoes and take off? Did he come with his harem? Or is there one special girl accompanying him? I hope he’s still here...
“Hey, you’re up! How do you feel?” Key says, smiling brightly as she looks down on me.
“Not bad, is Sam okay? Did anyone check on him?” I ask.
“Many times. Bex got him a thousand-piece puzzle and he’s completely taken with it. He’s with Tony and they are doing just fine. Now, are you sure you’re okay? You were burned pretty badly.”
“Yeah I’m good, but my arms are tingling,” I admit as I try to peek outside the door to see if I spot him.
“Yeah, you weren’t burned by normal fire. The only way to put it out was with the blood of the demon who set it,” Swoop tells me.
“As you can see, your skin is back on and everything is just like it was before. But it will tingle for a few days and then fully heal, thank you, Omnis,” Key replies.
I sit up and realize Key also fixed my shoulder. I thank her as I surreptitiously take another peek behind the door. There is no one there.
“Who you looking for?” Swoop asks with a knowing smile.
“No one,” I reply.
“Don’t tease Pry, she’s had a rough few days,” Key says.
“Tease me about what? I wasn’t looking for anyone,” I lie.
“Well, we bought you some fresh clot
hes while you were knocked out,” Swoop says.
“You know, just in case you wanted to look your best for ‘no one,’” Key says slyly.
The twins exchange a look and burst out laughing.
“C’mon, be serious. There’s something I need to be caught up on,” I remind them.
“Okay, okay. We’re sorry. So what do you want to know?” Key asks.
“Duh, she wants to know if Silver’s still hot; and the answer is—even more so than before,” Swoop replies.
“Really?” I ask.
The twins exchange a knowing glance.
“I mean, whatever,” I say dismissively.
“So here’s what happened. He came into the house filled with flames, took out one of the two demons. But the second one, Kill, got away. Luckily before he fled, Silver was able to injure him and acquire his blood to put out the flames,” Swoop says excitedly.
“And the baby?” I ask.
“He rescued her first. She’s safe and sound with relatives,” Key replies.
“Good, that’s good,” I say simply, while trying to suppress my desire to shout “IS AADEN STILL HERE?”
“You should have seen him when he brought you over to us. He carried you over his shoulders with a grave, desperate look on his face. He knew the girl he loved was clinging to life!” Swoop says as she places the back of her hand over her head and sighs dramatically.
“Can you please make your sister stop acting like she’s in Gone With The Wind?” I ask Key with a smile.
“Yes, Swoop is taking it a little too far, but...”
“But what?” I ask.
This time, the twins are more understated in their meaningful glances; they are not sure they should be saying what they are about to say.
“Keyohmi, tell me: What was Aaden like when he brought me over to you guys?” I push.
In reality, I’m sure Key only took a few seconds before she replied, but in my mind she stood there for hours while my heart was in my throat.
“Silver was...he didn’t know if he got to you in time. I could be wrong, but he looked empty.”
“I’m sure he was just worried. We’re all friends, so he wants me to be okay,” I reply, more to myself.
“Pryor, it’s not about what he wanted; it’s about what he needed. And he needed you to be alive. As if his own life depended on it,” Swoop insists.
Dear Omnis, I hope he’s still here...
“Key, thanks so much for healing me,” I tell her, ready to change the topic so the girls can’t see me blush.
“It’s what I do,” she says proudly.
“Swoop, where’s...Randy?” I ask.
“He would have been by your side but he knew his dad would go nuts if he missed school.”
“How long was I knocked out?”
“Nearly four days,” Swoop replies.
“Really? I don’t feel like—wait! Randy went to school by himself? What if—”
“Bring it down. We all enrolled in human school so we could take turns watching over him,” Swoop assures me.
“So the guys are at school with Randy...what about...?” I ask as if I am asking about the weather.
“Aaden?” Swoop asks suggestively.
“Um yeah, him,” I reply.
“He’s outside. He’s been waiting for you to wake up,” Swoop adds.
“Okay, send him in.”
“Try not to set off the sprinkler system with all that heat you two will be generating,” Swoop jokes.
Key playfully grabs her sister and goes to fetch Aaden.
I spring up from the bed and rush over to the makeshift vanity the girls have set up. I’m not as girly as they are; no one is really. But it’s times like these that make me really appreciate the twins and their uncanny sense of fashion.
They have set aside only a small assortment of makeup, but they chose all the best brands. In addition, the soft warm color palette the twins picked goes very well with my skin tone. I quickly apply a layer of rose-colored gloss, mascara, and a hint of blush. I beg my hair to behave as I brush it hurriedly and let it fall down my back. Argh, I wish it wasn’t so damn red!
I pick up my new outfit, draped on the back of the nearby chair. I hope they didn’t go overboard. I could never dress as...loud as they do. I’m more of a “cute jeans and top” kind of girl. Maybe once in a while I might do a wedge, but mostly, I’m boots and flats.
I look over the outfit; I freaking love these girls. It’s perfect. It’s fitted jeans with a white peasant blouse that hugs my body but not too tight. It’s casual, which is good because I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard. Yet it’s dressy enough so that he knows I made an effort.
I know it’s crazy to be this concerned with my looks given all that’s going on. Not to mention the fact that Aaden has been a real jerk. And I certainly don’t mean to be that girl but the fact is I really want to look my best for him.
We have not seen each other in a year, and the first time he sees me I’m soaking in flames, passing out, and drooling on his shoulder. I have to make a better second impression. I hear someone enter. I turn around and see Aaden standing in the doorway.
He’s taller than I remember. He has washboard abs, a broad chest, and perfect pecs. He was always fit, but now his muscles are so defined they make an imprint on the fabric of his black tee. His hair is the color of nightfall and slightly longer than it was the last time I saw him.
The most startling thing about Aaden is he has his mom’s amber eyes. There’s something behind them that pulls me in and makes it impossible to look away. How did they manage to get even more intense than they were before? Looking into them I forget, well...everything.
I long for him to get closer, but then again, I can barely handle the current of excitement running though my body having him stand across the room. Everything around me fades into the background. As of right now there is no one in the world but the angel standing before me. I wonder if he feels the same way. I thought I saw him linger a little, as he looked me over...
“Aaden, thanks for—”
“Exactly what the hell is your problem?” he demands from the doorway.
Taken off guard, I open my mouth but nothing comes out.
“I asked you a question: What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You are supposed to be laying low, not going around setting homes on fire and attracting attention to yourself!” he admonishes.
“I didn’t set the fire, Kill did, and why are you talking to me like I’m some lowlife Seller off the street?”
“Listen, ‘Buffy,’ this demon hunting crap is over.”
“Who the hell are you to give me orders? You haven’t been here. It’s like you turned your back on angels,” I remind him.
“You’re damn right I did. It may be news to you, but I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to the Angel world.”
“Then why did you come to save the group?”
“I didn’t come to save the group; I came to save...look, you need to stop searching for Oden. Leave it alone,” he orders.
“I can’t. Oden has info that will save my best friend’s life. His name is Randy and—”
“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WHO YOU’RE SAVING OR WHY. YOU NEED TO STOP.”
“You can’t come in here and order me around. I’m not your second in command; you’re mine. Don’t get that confused,” I bark.
“I’m not gonna warn you again: stay away from the demons,” he shouts firmly as he storms out.
Furious, I follow him out of the room.
“You can’t just order me around and fly away,” I remind him.
“The hell I can’t,” he snaps.
Just as he’s about to take off into the air, the rest of the group appear on Ports.
Before they can even jump off, Aaden charges towards them.
“Who’s the asshole that let her go after demons seconds after the new evil appeared?�
� he asks.
“Hey, Silver, nice to see you too,” East replies, confused.
“We didn’t have a choice,” the Para counters.
“Bullshit, Bex, you should’ve stopped her,” Aaden says hotly.
“I tried to stop her; too bad you weren’t here to do the same,” Bex shouts back.
“Can you guys stop talking about Pry like she’s not in the room?” Randy says.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I’m...I’m her best friend and you need to watch how you talk to her,” Randy says bravely.
Aaden looks Randy over, decides to ignore him, and addresses the group.
“How can any of you be this careless?” he demands.
“Silver, you have no right to come at us like this,” Bex begins.
“I have every right; you never should have let this take place.”
“ENOUGH!” I order in no uncertain terms.
Bex and Aaden shut up but they don’t stop glaring at each other. I address them in a calm but firm voice.
“I will go after whomever I want, whenever I want. Oden has info that will save Randy and I will not rest until I find him.”
“What does Oden have that you need so badly?” Aaden asks.
“We don’t know yet,” I reply.
“So you’re off scouring the globe to get something from a demon but you don’t even know what it is?” he blasts.
“Aaden, it—”
“You guys were crazy to let her get into this mess. Pryor, this is done. This. Ends. Now.”
“You are not my father; my father is Marcus Cane. And even if he was here, he couldn’t order my team around.”
“ Your ‘team’? So what, you’re putting the band back together?” he says sardonically.
Argh, I hate him!
“Well actually, we’ve got a couple of gigs lined up. You know, a bat mitzvah here, a retirement party there and soon...we’ll go on the road.”
“East, can you be serious for just one minute?” Aaden snaps.
“If history’s any indication...no,” East replies.
The twins try to suppress smiles. Aaden looks around the room and shakes his head. When he speaks his tone is sobering and certain.
“Malakaro is working on finding a mixture to counteract the one we took to hide our location. And given the amount of powers that you and the others have been using... it’s not a matter of if he finds you, it’s a matter of when.”
Voracious Vixens, 13 Novels of Sexy Horror and Hot Paranormal Romance Page 101
