by Derek Adam
I didn’t hear his voice again, and I wasn’t sure what I had found, but I felt like I had hands on it.
While I wasn’t physically holding anything, I still made the motion of snapping it like a stick in my hands. There was counter pressure as it seemed to bend, until I felt it give.
True feeling started to return all over my body, and I was more aware… externally. I couldn’t move, but I could feel the resistance in my muscles when I tried to move.
I could feel him resisting me.
My arms were trembling as I tried to release the grip on Emma.
I finally felt it. Leaning forward, I was able to shift my weight closer to her. I couldn’t release my hands, but I was moving and, with each focused effort, I regained a bit more control.
‘This is mine now, Luca.’ Abigor’s voice rang in my head.
Fido sends his regards.
I pushed hard once more with everything I had, and it felt like breaking the surface of a pool and coming up for air.
This time, I had control and I started to pull my hands away, but I felt him trying to resist me. Gritting my teeth, I could feel myself fighting my own body.
“You… don’t… belong here.” I crushed whatever was left of him, pushing Abigor down as I ripped my hands from Emma. She fell backward into Hitch’s arms and I stood there, gasping for air – as if I’d been holding my breath for far too long.
I looked between them all, but they weren’t looking at me… their eyes had fallen elsewhere in the room. Turning to look behind me, I realized I had forgotten about… it… that. Her.
And she looked a hell of a lot scarier, and bigger, when I wasn’t looking at the world through Abigor goggles.
She knew it, too.
She glowered, stepping closer again to tower over me. The dark depths of her eyes looked down on me and I could see them moving. Taking me in. Shifting to the group behind me.
This is what Vagner was talking about. He used me for Abigor. Used me to summon this thing.
I didn’t have a plan for getting out of here, or dealing with this thing.
But sometimes you don’t need a plan. You just need to let go and see what comes of it.
“You brought me here, Luca.” She spoke calmly, with a quiet kind of elegance. It was a soothing voice that you would expect from a mother trying to comfort a frightened child.
But there was bitter contempt behind it. A malice that bit deep to the bone.
“You’ve seen beyond, Luca. But you won’t have to look through to the other side anymore. I’ve come to lift the veil. I will bring the darkness. Name me, and you can live in the darkness with me.”
She had extended a soft white hand toward me, his great feathered wing opening to curl toward me in an arch.
She was smiling at me, turned slightly so her blackened, charred side was less visible.
I extended a hand toward hers, reaching.
“Luca!” Emma called to me and I paused. I turned, glancing back over my shoulder at her. Sutter and Virgil were framing her on either side, staring at me.
“There’s comfort in the dark…” I turned back to look at the demon. Her smile had grown, and the black eyes seemed to almost be lit with emotion as I spoke.
It was true that I’d found some comfort in the darkness. There was comfort in being alone.
I’d thought my world had come to an end when my grandfather passed. But Sutter and Virgil led me through the most difficult years of my life.
For years, I found myself in the dark, time and again.
“I was born in it. I developed in it. Like a photograph.” I stepped to the demon, holding my hand just inches from the tips of her long, slender fingers. “But I don’t live in darkness. Darkness lives in me.”
The demon squinted its eyes at me, straightening and withdrawing her hand a bit.
“You want a name? Here’s one. Paula. After my soul-sucking ex-fiancée. She’s also a two-faced cuntflap, who can’t accomplish anything without a man to shackle herself to. You’d like her.”
Embers and flame exploded from my hands, the flesh charring up my arms, resembling the demons own blackened half.
I had no idea what the hell I was doing, but it felt like it would probably fucking hurt. Multiple waves of energy burst forth, rolling over the demon.
Over Paula.
God, that felt so fantastic to think about them trading places, as the demon raised her hands, howling loudly. I wasn’t sure if it was anger, or frustration, or pain.
Maybe all three.
The concussive waves were shattering the drywall, cracking paint and woodwork, causing fissures to form across the ceiling. She seemed to recover quickly though, and straightened as the blasts of energy surged through my arms and out my hands.
It didn’t look like it was having an effect now.
“I… uh, don’t know how to turn this up or whatever, so… maybe you guys should run now!” I hadn’t looked back, but was hoping they would get the hell out.
As the demon took another step toward me, she sneered and reached. Her advance was met with the explosive blast of energy from behind me that sounded like the deck cannon of a battleship.
Not that I’ve ever heard one, but I imagine that’s what it would sound like.
The blast, combined with my own energy, threw the demon backward, practically destroying the wall.
“Get away from him, you bitch.”
I lowered my hands as the entire house shook.
The ceiling caved a bit overhead, as Paula climbed to her feet and screamed, fanning her wings out to fill the room.
That brought three more blasts from behind me, and my ears were ringing like the gong show. Emma stepped up beside me with one pistol held in either hand. A similar energy was wrapping her hands, her own skin looking like charred stone.
There were no words spoken. The demon disappeared in a rush of air that made my ears pop. I winced and looked around, turning to Emma as she searched about. Save for drywall dust drifting from the crumbling ceiling and walls, we were alone in the room.
“Did you do that?” I looked to Emma and she shook her head.
“No, did you?” She seemed wary. I shrugged and turned to look back at Sutter and the rest, when the house began to groan. The sound of wood cracking filled the air.
“Let’s go, Luca.” Emma pulled at my arm and I looked around again. Stepping to the bodies on the floor, I started picking through their robes, snapping off one of the pendants as I searched them.
“Luca!”
“Just a minute! It’s around here somewhere.” I grabbed one of the figures that had been near where I was tied down and rolled it over. The book Vagner was reading from lay open, some of the pages crumpled. “Got it!”
I jogged after Emma, slapping Hitch on the shoulder as I went by. “Hey, Hitch.”
“Hey, Luca…” He had a stunned expression as I passed him. There was a tremendous amount of blood splatter and the remnants of numerous bodekin by the front door as we poured outside.
The groaning continued and increased in volume as parts of the house began collapsing to the rear. Great plumes of dust burst through the windows and the door as we scattered into the yard among the vehicles.
We stood in silence a moment, watching part of the large home crumble, the roof falling in amid the sound of shattering timber. Emma stood next to me. Her face was dirty, with long strands of her black hair sticking to her skin that was damp with sweat.
She was filthy. Just like the when I met her in the woods.
I saw her differently now though. Far more beautiful. And considerably more scary.
“Hi.” I grinned as I turned toward her. She responded by plucking some bits of drywall and wood from my beard, flicking it to the ground.
“I told you I’d be fine.” She smiled, breathing a bit heavy as she did. She couldn’t take her eyes from mine “You sho-”
I grabbed her tight, wrapping my arms around her, and practically crushing her as
I kissed her. Not soft, like our first.
Every emotion I had was poured into that one kiss. She returned the gesture, and I felt the heat grow between us, as if there were a layer of liquid fire being poured over our shoulders.
“Uh… Rooster. I hate to interrupt your moment here but… Your pants are on fire, son.”
I leaned back from the kiss, opening my eyes to find us wrapped in small tendrils of deep red and amber, snaking around us like flames. Small red embers were floating, and I grinned at Sutter before looking back to Emma.
“You’re goddamn right they are.”
Epilogue
I watched Luca through the window of the diner, and could see him working with Virgil and Sutter in the back of the truck.
He was animated, moving his hands wildly, and I assumed he was arguing with Sutter. Sutter was returning the gestures, yanking his hat off and shaking it at Luca. Virgil seemed to be trying to interject himself between them as they barked at each other.
A smile crept across my face as I stood there, watching them.
Hitch stepped up next to me, holding out a large paper cup of coffee with the lid on it. “Here you go, Emma.”
I took it with a pleasant smile in thanks before turning back to watch Luca again. Hitch stood with me for a moment before speaking.
“He’s something else, isn’t he?”
That would have been an understatement yesterday. Now, after what had happened to him, I didn’t have words to describe it. I didn’t respond to him and instead, took a sip from the cup.
“It was you up in those woods, wasn’t it?”
I lifted a brow and turned to him. Hitch was looking at me inquisitively, but not in a way that was accusing. He was asking about the cabins.
I had started to answer, but paused, realizing that denying it wasn’t accurate; not anymore. I simply nodded. Eligos was a part of me now, or I was him. And we were there.
“I’m guessing you didn’t make that mess up there though… the blood and whatnot. What you done here ain’t the kind of thing I imagine a killer like that would do.”
There was a bit of accusation in his voice there. He wasn’t directly accusing me, though, but he was asking.
Perhaps for his own closure as part of his job.
“No… Hitch. That wasn’t me.”
He sighed and nodded as he took a drink from the coffee mug in his hand. “Don’t really matter now. Canada closed the border because of wildfires, and now we’re on fire watch here. It’s gonna come right down through those hills. Luca’s gonna get what he wanted. That fire will wipe everything out. If the state doesn’t get up here soon, this whole town is gonna be gone.”
I knew that wasn’t an accident. Every part of me knew the council had a hand in that. Why, I wasn’t certain. But I had an inkling.
It wasn’t my intention for Hitch to feel like I was ignoring him, but I was trying to figure out what the next step was from here.
“Paula left me.”
I looked at Hitch, cocking my head. He took another sip from his mug and nodded after the statement, still looking out the window. He still had the sigil burned into his cheek. “I’m sorry to hear that, Hitch.”
“I told her that I wanted to go with Luca.” He chuckled and shook his head. “You can imagine how well that went over.”
“She’s gone, huh?”
“Yeah, and the coffee has never been better. I wanted to laugh when Luca named that thing after her. It was accurate. That’s kinda what opened my eyes.”
“It wasn’t the spirits and all the magic stuff, huh?”
“Heh, yes ma’am. That, too.”
I took another drink from the coffee, watching Luca sifting through cabinets in the truck. He looked up, as if he knew I was watching him, and spotted us in the window. He winked at me, and I could feel the warmth in the gesture, even inside the building.
“Hitch…” I looked to him and he grunted while drinking from his cup. “What were you doing in the back of the truck?”
“Oh… yeah, that.” Hitch pulled the hat from his head and set his cup down on a table next to us. “When I left your room, there was a half-naked guy who told me I was a shithead, and a bad friend, but he’d give me a chance to fix that.”
I had a good idea who he was talking about, and I tried to hide my smirk from Hitch.
“He also told me to tell you something… he said there were two more.”
“Two more what?” I furrowed my brow, turning to give him my full attention. He just shrugged in response.
“Don’t know. He slapped me silly right after that. Next thing I know, I’m waking up on a bumpy ride in the back of Luca’s truck, with Virgil standing over me. I thought I was gonna piss myself.”
“You did good, Hitch.”
“Yeah, well… I owe Luca a lot more than just ‘good.’” He fidgeted with the hat, bending the brim of it before setting it down and unclipping the badge from his chest. “You think he’ll let me go with?”
I nodded at him as I looked back out the window. Luca was out of the truck and about to come through the door of the diner. “You can always ask.”
“Hey.” Luca came in, smiling at me. “We’re all set.” He looked to Hitch, eyeing him head to toe before sticking his hand out toward him. “Thanks, Hitch.”
They shook quietly, neither wanting to speak further but it was clear there were words they wanted to say. Luca released the handshake and looked at me.
“Luca” – I put a hand on his shoulder – “it might get crowded in the truck. Can Sutter ride with Hitch?”
Luca looked at Hitch, who smiled slightly and bent his head, looking down at the floor.
He turned back to me with a smirk, and nodded. “Yeah. Virgil could use the break, I think.” Luca slapped Hitch on the shoulder, and winked. “His gun belt is in the truck. I’ll let you be the one to tell him. Let’s get moving though; it’s a long drive.”
Hitch was all in, and visibly relaxed as he smiled. “Where are we going?”
Luca pursed his lips when he looked to me before responding. “Detroit.”
About the Author
Derek is a retired Emergency Medical Professional and has been a lover of telling stories his entire life, having made the transition from “filthy liar” to “sexy author” about the same time silver hairs started showing up in his face (and other places.)
In the early days, he attempted to write science fiction and high fantasy, but discovered it was more fun to write about people touching other people’s tingle-places (smut is cool) while mixing in action, explosions, and plenty of WTF moments.
He’s also a gamer, gym rat, snow hater (despite living in Michigan), life liver, stunt double for Hulk, and he considers himself to be aggressively unfancy.
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Order signed paperbacks, find me at local events and speaking engagements, join my VIP newsletter, order apparel and more on my website
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More Books from Derek Adam
Mass Casualty – Now Available
With 12 years under his belt as a highly-regarded paramedic in Detroit, Bobbie Badger has seen it all. Despite a tragic loss that shattered his home life, he has remained a stoic guardian to the city, committed to saving lives. Until someone, or something, chose him as a target.
As ominous warnings surface, and those closest to him begin to turn up dead, Badger’s only salvation could rest with his estranged wife, Holly - a combat veteran, and sheriff’s deputy. Will skill, passion, and determination be enough to overcome what hunts him?
Due Soldati – Now Available
Carter Avery is a by-the-book detective for Detroit and surrounding Wayne County. Known for his cunning and eagle eyes on the crime scene, he’s assigned to decipher a string of unusual murders that will test his skill, and that of his new partner, Nick Farzo. In a
city wrought with political corruption and organized crime, these two white-knight detectives will stop at nothing to put the offenders behind bars.
That is, until an outside influence delivers an ultimatum to the city of Detroit on the eve of Devil’s Night, where record number arson outbreaks plague the city annually. When entire fire crews start turning up dead, and the women closest to Nick and Carter come under fire, these two soldiers may have to loosen their moral code to put their target down.
Coming Soon from Derek Adam
Paramedic with Benefits
Due Soldati (Book 2)
Veil of Blood (Book 2 in Veil of Darkness Series)
Beyond the Veil (Book 3 in Veil of Darkness Series)
Heart of the D
