Demon Hunters 3: Tainted (Stand Alone Series) (Demon Hunters.)

by Avril Sabine

  Each step forward was an agony. She saw her father’s favourite aftershave was on special, there was a shirt like one he’d bought a year ago and when she reached for a jar of coffee it was to automatically pick his usual flavour. Her hand closed into a fist before she could grab the jar.

  “They say it’s bad for you, but you only live once, right?”

  Cassidy turned to see a guy grinning at her, one hand on a hip. She could only nod when all she really wanted to do was tell him to leave her alone. Once she would have been flattered to have a good looking guy strike up a random conversation with her.

  “Go on, you know you want a jar.” His grin stayed in place as he lowered his voice and leaned closer. “I won’t tell anyone.”

  Remedy slipped up beside her and draped an arm around her shoulders as he reached for a different jar. “This one, baby.”

  She tensed at hearing her father’s name for her on his lips. Before she could speak, his grip tightened on her shoulder.

  The guy chuckled. “Guess you didn’t need any help after all.” He shrugged. “It’s always the way.” With a grin and a nod he strode away.

  Remedy bent his head so his lips brushed against her ear. “I own you. No other can have you.”

  Fear fought with anger. She kept her voice low, glad their end of the aisle was momentarily empty of shoppers. “It’s the other way around. I own you.”

  “It’s the same. You’re mine. Don’t even think about a boyfriend. They won’t live a second beyond the moment they put a hand on you.” His lips twisted into a mocking smile. “That shouldn’t worry you. Haven’t you pushed everyone away since we met? You don’t want to get close to anyone. That involves letting yourself care.”

  She glared at him, biting back the angry words she wanted to shout. Instead she spun away, leaving her trolley in the aisle. She almost reached the exit when she remembered the salt. It was bad enough having one demon in her house, she didn’t want to leave it open for any who wandered by. She turned and saw Remedy waiting at a checkout for her, with the trolley. Her jaw clenched as she strode back to him, ignoring his smile when she reached his side. She kept her gaze on the handful of groceries and the two bags of salt in the trolley.

  “I knew you’d be back, baby.”

  Cassidy’s hands tightened into fists. She bit back her anger and waited to be served. Once they were home she’d tell him what she thought about his choice of words. Not here. It was bad enough being surrounded by so many people without having all their attention on her.

  They were scarcely in the front door when Cassidy turned on him to yell. She jumped back, dropping the bags of groceries as his wings unfurled behind him, his shirt missing. She gaped, shutting her mouth quickly as she recalled his comment on that habit. Her eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”

  Remedy reached up and removed a feather from his wings. “Don’t forget to use this when you salt the entrances.”

  She took the black feather, pushing it into the pocket of her shorts. “It’s probably a waste of time anyway.”

  “And why would that be?”

  “Because I’m going to kill you myself if you don’t stop calling me baby.”

  “Then don’t anger me. Remember. You’re mine.” He pointed a finger at her. “Never forget.”

  “I know who belongs to who, Ibaelcaurzanon.” Her victory was short lived when she found herself pressed against a wall, Remedy’s hand around her throat.

  His face was close to hers and flames leapt in his eyes. “You were told never to call me that.”

  Cassidy’s hands reached for Remedy’s but she stopped when she would have tugged at his grip. She raised her chin and met his gaze. “Go ahead. What are you waiting for?”

  “Don’t try my patience. One day I will kill you. Anger will eventually win out over self preservation.”

  Cassidy continued to stare at him, waiting. He finally let go and stepped away. Her gaze never left his. She didn’t know what she felt. Fear. Emptiness. Triumph. Or maybe some screwed up combination of all of them. “You don’t call me baby and I won’t call you by your true name.”

  Silence stretched out. Remedy nodded then turned to walk away, his wings tucked in close to his body.

  “Wait.” Cassidy pushed away from the wall.

  Remedy faced her, his wings seeming to fade into him as he did. He still remained shirtless. “What do you want now?”

  She ignored the irritation in his voice. “Why did you take me to the demon hunters last night?”

  “To train you.”

  Cassidy shook her head. “No. Why last night? Why not earlier? And don’t bother lying to me either.”

  Remedy inclined his head. “You have figured that out, have you? It works both ways. I can taste the lies on your lips too.”

  Cassidy tried to hide the shock she felt at his words. Taste the lies? How the hell was she meant to do that? And did it really matter if he already thought she could? “Well?”

  “Our bond is now known by some. A human is much easier to destroy than a demon. We tend to survive nearly anything. They will come hunting. Don’t do anything stupid.” He turned again and walked away.

  Cassidy watched him go, fear taking over once he was gone. She slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Hunting. Demons were hunting her? She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. So much for her father’s promise that life would get better for them.

  “Damn it.” She banged her head against the wall, wincing at the pain. “I haven’t gotten this far to curl up and die.” She forced herself to her feet. She’d salt the entrances and then figure out how to become the hunter rather than the prey. There was no way she was going to spend her time cowering in her house. Not with eternity stretching out before her. She’d go crazy if she did. Picking up the grocery bags, she headed for the kitchen, turning the light on as she entered the room. Dropping the groceries on the floor, she stared at the swords and daggers scattered across the table. She guessed Remedy had come here before he’d tracked her down at the supermarket. Picking up one of the daggers, she slid it out of its sheath, eyeing the sharp blade.

  Tomorrow night she was going hunting. Demons better look out because she wasn’t about to tolerate any of them in her town. She thought of Remedy. Okay, but only one.

  Chapter Nine

  The next evening Cassidy kicked the stand down on her new motorbike and swung her leg over as she unbuckled her helmet to hang it on the handlebars. She glanced around, wishing she could see in the dark. She slid the two daggers out of their sheaths in her motorbike boots and closed her eyes. It didn’t help. She couldn’t hear anything unusual, but she could feel the demon. He had to be here somewhere. Her mark burned. Opening her eyes she sighed. Her first attempt at being a hunter wasn’t going too well. She didn’t have a clue what she should be doing. All those how-to videos hadn’t prepared her for tracking down demons. Hopefully they’d taught her something about fighting.

  She took a hesitant step forward then straightened her shoulders, forcing herself to stride into the shadows. She could feel him in her mark. Could feel the direction she needed to go. But she still couldn’t see him. There was a rush of air and she raised an arm as she ducked, feeling an impact on her blade. She spun, trying to see better. Maybe she should have waited for a full moon. How could she attack what she couldn’t see?

  Laughter filled the air. “What are you? Demon or hunter?”

  “Why don’t you come and find out?” Her words sounded way braver than she felt. There was another rush of air and the shadows seemed to leap on her. She screamed as her hair was grabbed and she was forced to the ground.

  The demon sniffed at her skin. “Either way, you smell delicious.”

  “Remedy!” Fear forced the name from her lips. There was no answer. She was going to die. It had all been for nothing. Months of nightmares, guilt, struggling to keep going and it was going to end here. Pressed against the ground and as helpless as a child.

  “So deliciou
s. Hot sweet blood. I can smell it through your skin.” The demon ripped one of her daggers from her hand, throwing it away.

  She couldn’t move with her hair gripped tight against her scalp pressing her head into the ground, the demon’s body holding hers down. Blood. What had Remedy said about blood? Blood brings us forth. She felt gravel under her left arm and ground her arm into it. “Remedy!” Screaming his name, she wondered if she should have used his true name. But he’d told her never to speak it out loud.

  “Blood,” the demon hissed before he pulled her left arm to him. Then he was gone and Cassidy was free. She struggled to her feet, still clutching one dagger. She spun around, trying to see what was happening, but she could only hear noises. The rush of air, the beat of wings, then a scream of terror.

  “Mine. Do you hear me? Mine.” Remedy’s voice rang out over the whimper of the other demon.

  Silence fell around Cassidy. She slowly turned around, trying to figure out where Remedy was. She froze as she felt movement behind her.

  Remedy grabbed her hair, pulling her head back against him. “What were you thinking?” When she didn’t answer he demanded, “Well? I should kill you now. Better to die by my own hand then that of a minor demon.”

  She struggled to get away from him, but he gripped her hair too tight. “Let me go,” she said through clenched teeth.

  “I sent you to demon hunters. Didn’t you learn anything from them?”

  “That I’m doomed for a sinner and dead by the first demon I meet.”

  Remedy pulled on her hair so she was forced to face him, his eyes a fiery gleam in the night. “Then use what you do have. What is the use of having my blood if you’re not going to use it?”

  No one told her anything. “How the hell am I meant to do that?”

  He lifted her left arm. “Like you did. Blood. It binds, it empowers, it feeds. Blood is everything with demons.” He brought her arm to his mouth, licking the blood from her torn flesh.

  Pain arrowed through Cassidy and she gritted her teeth, unable to prevent an initial gasp. She pulled her arm away from him. “I’m not on the menu.”

  “It looked that way earlier.” He released her and she staggered. “Go home.”

  She raised her chin. “Don’t order me around.”

  “You’re the one who called me.”

  “Would you rather I didn’t?” Silence hung in the air and she wished she could see him clearly.

  “Go home.”

  She felt him leave and her body began to tremble. She sheathed her dagger before she ended up cutting herself and walked unsteadily to her motorbike. The other dagger she gave up for lost. When she reached her motorbike she sagged against it, trying to steady her breathing. Maybe she should have stuck with a car. She forced herself to straighten. No. This was her choice. She’d had enough decisions taken from her hands. This one was hers.

  Feeling steadier she pulled on her helmet and started the engine. When she reached home, she found her other dagger on the bedside table. A single droplet of blood rested on the blade. She stared at it. What was he trying to tell her? She spun when she felt him arrive.

  “We are even.” Remedy nodded towards the dagger.

  Cassidy continued to stare at him.

  “Have you changed your mind? Are we no longer partners?”

  She felt like swearing and throwing something. Instead she remained still, meeting his gaze. She wished someone had written a manual on being bound to a demon. Information was a desperate need. Still holding his gaze, she reached for the dagger and lifted it. The flames in his eyes danced as she wiped the blood off with her finger and put it in her mouth. She tensed at the sharp pain that hit her, refusing to break eye contact.

  “Use the blood when you’re in a fight. You could have beaten that demon effortlessly. My blood is far more powerful than his.”

  “How?”

  Remedy lifted her left arm and took the dagger from her. He pressed the edge of the blade across the demon mark and slid it towards him. She hissed as a thin line of blood formed on her skin. “Close your eyes.” When she obeyed, he ran his fingers across her skin, smearing the blood over her wrist. The demon mark writhed under her skin. His voice lowered. “Feel it? Feel my blood feeding? Feel it strengthening? This is our link. The demon mark. Use it, feed it. Catch hold of our bond and let its power fill you.”

  Cassidy felt it. Like a sluggish creature trying to slide away. She grabbed hold of it and forced it to obey. Energy flared through her and Remedy chuckled. She opened her eyes to stare at him. The flames in his eyes leapt high.

  “Keep hold of that energy.” He let go of her arm. “And don’t let anyone past your guard.”

  The room seemed brighter than it ever had before. Her muscles bunched and she wanted to do something. Anything. Remedy swung at her and she reacted automatically, blocking and dodging. She grinned when he laughed, the power flowing through her making her feel invincible. Now she felt like a hunter. Demons better watch out.

  “That is what you should have done earlier. Next time fight them with power. You are more than human. Don’t forget it.”

  Cassidy watched as he strode across her bedroom to the window. “Remedy.” He turned to face her. “I want the one who sent my father to you.”

  “You and me both.” He met her gaze. “You’re not ready. Not yet.” He climbed out the window.

  This time she saw him move away into the night. Her mouth dropped open as she stared after him. A few seconds later she was at her window, peering outside. The moon was no bigger than it had been earlier. She could see in the dark. Tomorrow night she’d hunt again. This time she knew how to do it. And she wasn’t going to let a demon get the upper hand.

  She grabbed a handful of hair, glaring at the long, reddish brown strands. It’d have to go. Tomorrow she’d visit a hairdresser and get it cut short. She rubbed the strands of hair between her fingers. She’d never had short hair before. Pushing her hair out of the way she reminded herself there was a lot of things she hadn’t done before. But she wasn’t about to let that stop her.

  Her finger trailed along the cut Remedy had made on her wrist. The blood had started to congeal. She’d get used to new things. Her survival depended on it. An image of her father lying on the floor, the dagger in his chest, came to mind. This time she didn’t push it immediately from her. The demon who’d sent him to Remedy would pay. Her gaze remained on her wrist. He’d pay in blood.

  Chapter Ten

  Cassidy groaned as her alarm clock turned on, the radio station interrupting her sleep. She rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. She smiled as she realised what song was playing. ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’. She’d walked the streets alone every night this past week while everyone slept. Her only company had been demons. And they didn’t stick around long. She had to find a way to get rid of them permanently, not fight them until they fled. Maybe she should ring the hunters and see what they knew. Surely there was some way to get rid of them. Some way that didn’t involve joining their religion and following their strict rules. She didn’t believe in their God. No, he’d failed her far too many times.

  Her mum staring at her, asking her who she was came to mind, quickly followed by her father lying in a pool of his own blood. How could she worship someone who hadn’t been there for her? If they couldn’t tell her how to get rid of demons without being like them, then she’d figure it out on her own. Somehow.

  The song ended and she turned off the alarm clock, rising to her feet. Tomorrow, before she went to sleep, she’d get in touch with the demon hunters. Ringing someone at eleven p.m. probably wasn’t a good idea. She ran her fingers through her short hair. She’d considered getting a mohawk, but had decided that was probably too drastic for her first time with short hair. Instead she’d gone with a jagged, anime kind of look. A style that didn’t need a mirror to look after it. Her mirrors were staying painted. There was no way she wanted to face her father’s accusing eyes every day.

 
It didn’t take her long to dress in black jeans and shirt, grab an apple to eat and put her daggers in her boots before she headed off on her motorbike. She was drawn towards the city centre, parking her bike in an area that was filled with the noise from nearby nightclubs.

  Laughter and music wafted on the air. Cassidy ignored those in favour of tracking down the demon she felt nearby. She ran her fingernails along the scab she kept breaking open from the cut Remedy had made on her wrist. It was probably going to scar at this rate. Blood formed along the line and she smeared it across her demon mark. Energy flared, the night grew brighter and power flowed through her. Then she caught scent of it and raced through the streets, coming to a dead end. And there he was, a young woman passed out at his feet where he bent over her.

  He reminded Cassidy of a spider, long joints, narrow limbs, fangs and grey skin that seemed stretched to a translucent thinness. She pulled her daggers from her boots, her lips curving into a mirthless smile. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

  The demon leapt at her. She struck out at him, jumping to the side, barely avoiding his blade like claws. He stalked around her and she slowly turned, keeping him in view. He threw himself at her again, screeching when he missed her. But she didn’t. Her blade slid along his flesh and dark liquid spilled over the grey of his skin. He howled and launched himself at her again.

  “Is that the best you can do?” She couldn’t resist taunting him. “It sucks when your prey fights back, doesn’t it?” She spared a quick glance for the body lying on the ground, unmoving. She hoped she hadn’t been too late to save the woman.

  “Prey.” The demon spat the word out. “Prey is human. You are more demon than me.” He leapt at the nearby building and, digging claws into the wall, scurried up the side.

  Cassidy swore as she watched him flee, then spun when she heard a noise behind her. “Gabe.” She said his name like it was a swear word.

  He grinned at her. “Hello, bad influence. Nice to see you missed me. I like what you’ve done with your hair.”