There was a flicker of his golden aura where it momentarily dimmed, but then it flared back to life like fire stoked coal, burning bright. Slowly, the pale man rolled over onto his side and pushed himself up onto an elbow, shaking his head. Red stood over him, either not noticing or unconcerned by the surge in the pale man’s energy.
Red reached down and grabbed the pale man’s arm, but as soon as he made contact, the pale man burst into motion, his free hand reaching behind his back, into his belt, and pulling yet another knife free. My mind flashed back to my encounter with the man back at Bezi’s house, and I recognized it as the knife he used to cut open his own flesh. Gripping the knife tight in his fist, the pale man punched it deep between Dj’s ribs, causing Red to stagger backward and a vent of crimson to erupt from DJ’s body like never before.
Red brought his hand to the hilt and tested the handle, but couldn’t manage to pull it free even an inch before he stiffened and fell into a spell of coughing that rained down fine speckles of blood on the carpet.
It was the perfect opportunity to return to the fight. My vision had finally stopped swimming, and my legs were stable enough, but when I went to rush in for another attack, I had no explosiveness. Instead, I shuffled forward, shocked by my fatigue.
Thankfully, Red had slowed considerably as well, lurching forward, hand pressed around the knife in his side. He gave me his full attention, but it was the pale man that closed first, connecting with a clubbing punch to the side of DJ's head that put a smile on the large man's mangled face. Red stumbled into my oncoming fist, snapping DJ's head to the side and leaving his jaw hanging slack, broken, as he spun entirely around and landed flat on his back, panting. He tried to sit up but got no further than a crunch before he gave way.
He was looking up at the ceiling as I walked over to him, cautious of any sudden movement. Judging from the red stain spreading out from the carpet, the bright red blood coating DJ’s teeth, and the massive vent of crimson that still jettisoned energy in mass, it didn’t look like he’d be getting up.
DJ's eyes snapped to me as I came into his view, and he started laughing. It was a light chuckle at first but quickly turned into a manic loss of control, even as his face contorted in pain and a coughing fit momentarily interrupted him. The pale man began to hum that ominous hymn somewhere behind me, and Red clenched DJ's hand tight around the hilt of the knife at side. "Don't say I never did an—" a coughing fit seized him again, wet with blood. "Anything for you. Here, I'll…" He hacked up a thick wad of bloody spittle that ran down his chin. "I'll give you back your boy’s body to say goodbye.”
He ripped the blade free with a grunt and let the weapon drop to his side. Grinning one last time, DJ's eyes rolled back in his head, and his body started violently convulsing. The episode lasted several seconds, but when DJ's body finally stilled, Red's true demonic form rose from it, into the ether realm.
I stared up into its black eyes as it straightened, until it pointed a taloned finger down towards Dj. I looked down at DJ, his body a vacant shell with no aura, but then I noticed a slight rise of his chest and heard the wheeze of a wet inhale of breath, and realization sunk in.
There was a mental lapse, where I just stood there watching, until I saw his face turn blue and the veins on his forehead and neck bulge from his straining.
“DJ!” I shouted as dropped to my knees. I cupped his head, lifting it off of the ground. “DJ, breathe! Breathe, dammit! Can you hear me? DJ!”
There was no response, but his breath was coming less frequent, clearly more labored. I turned to the pale man for help, but he had his eyes closed, deep his songs of prayer. “Hey…hey!”
The pale man’s eyes flicked to mine. “I pray for guidance.”
“You…what?! Dammit!” Panic surged through my body as I heard Red’s coarse voice laughing behind me and I pressed my hand down over the wound at DJ’s side, but now all of the wounds were bleeding profusely, as if they had only just been cut open.
I fell across DJ’s body, squeezing him tight, and my forearm hit something hard. I pulled away with a flinch and saw the handle of the broken knife, whose blade was still buried inside of DJ's back. I frowned as I picked it up and read the word etched into the hilt. Faith. A calm washed over me, and my trembling stopped. I rested the handle on the ground beside his face, then DJ’s breath stopped.
My eyes widened, but then I saw the last of Red’s essence sever from DJ’s body—their connection gone, and I exhaled. Red couldn’t hurt him anymore.
“No, so soon?!” Red said, his voice fading in and out of clarity. It had no more of the smug humor. I watched it wink out of the ether realm, no doubt back to its rightful place within the nether realm, and back as I rocked DJ back and forth. The demon looked around, ebon eyes wide, and then it winked out again, this time longer before snapping back again.
It turned and lunged for the pale man, but the moment it made contact, the pale man's golden aura flared and repelled the demon away. The pale man stiffened, and his eyes shot open again as he sensed something, but looked around, oblivious of the source.
Red scrambled back to its feet in a wild panic. It faded utterly from existence for a few seconds before coming back, and terror spread across its face. It ran and lunged at me, but the moment it touched me, the scar on my chest burned hot and repelled demon just the same as the pale man.
It hit the ground and thrashed about, and I could feel my scar tingling. When Red got back to its feet this time, it knew it was over. “I will return, Darien. You may be long dead. I hope you go on to father more sons and daughters, and they do the same. Because when I return, I will possess the strongest and make it my sole mission to kill every last one of yo—”
Fati stepped through the door. “I didn’t hear anymore fighting. Is it ov—oh my God, DJ!” She rushed towards me.
My eyes widened, and Red and I looked from her, back to each other, then back to her. "Fatima! Get away. Get back. Now!"
I doubt she ever heard me, her eyes fixed on DJ's lifeless body. I let DJ go as Red scrambled towards her, and ran towards her as fast as I could. I wasn't going to make it, I knew it with certainty. My eyes widened as it reached for her, then stiffened, freezing in place and screaming out into the ether realm.
Fati ran past his outstretched arms and fell to the floor beside DJ. Frozen in shock, I looked from Red to Fati and back to Red, confused about what just happened. Then I saw, and I gasped. Red hand stepped on the dagger, and the weapon was already hungrily feeding on his life force.
“What? What is this?” Red staggered around, its crimson aura funneling down into the bone faster and faster. It tried to step off, but it was no use.
“Dammit Darien, help me roll him over to clear the blood from his lungs," Fati shouted at me, then turned to the pale man. "And you…" She hesitated, her eyes widening as if seeing him for the first time. She shook her hand and turned back to her work.
I dropped down to the floor and held DJ as she had instructed, but my focus was on Red, who was now on the ground, writhing and trying to claw across the carpet away from the bone. The bone had worked its way up the demon's thigh, and the entire knobbed limb was gone. Its chest and torso had begun caving inward as well.
“Okay good.” She said. “Now give me your shirt.”
I peeled off my tee and gave it to her. Her eyes traveled the length of my scar but said nothing as she took it. She pulled the collar apart and ripped a large piece off, wadded it up, and placed it to the wound. "Hold this here."
I glanced over a Red, who's entire chest, abdomen, and one arm were pulled inside already. Yet it still tried to scramble away from the object, clawing against the ground. But the bone was like an anchor, trapping it in place.
I placed my hand exactly where Fati’s had been. She tore the remaining piece of the shirt until the fabric was as long as possible, then shoved an end under his back and pushed it out to the other side, then batted my hand aside as tied it over her wadded cloth. She rolled him
back over onto his back and began administering CPR.
I alternated between watching her work and watching the bone work. Seemingly at the same time as the last of Red was pulled inside, Fati looked up.
“He’s breathing again, but his pulse is shallow. We need to get him to a hospital.”
The light of his aura was gone. I didn’t know how he was still alive, but it didn’t matter. There was a chance to save him.
She tossed the keys back to me and lifted DJ into the air, cradling him with one hand and continuing to give him breaths with the other as she ran towards the door. I followed a step behind, but when I made it to the door, I remembered the bone and froze for just an instant.
I glanced behind me and saw it resting on the carpet, crimson wisps radiating out into the ether realm, then looked further, to the pale man, who himself radiated waves of the purest golden energy I’d ever felt—or seen, and cleared my throat. The large man looked up at me, face slightly annoyed over my interruption. I nodded towards the dagger. “Take it.”
The pale man looked at the bone with narrowed eyes, then looked back to me with understanding.
“Take it.” I paused for just a second. “What’s your name?”
He hesitated for just long enough to make me wonder if he’d answer me. “Kaine.”
I nodded. "Darien," then sprinted from the house, leaving Kaine watching the bone with a wary eye. Fati was making it to the car by the time I rushed past her and opened the passenger side door. I cursed under my breath, realizing how little room there was inside for her to continue working on Dj.
Fati didn’t let the lack of space so much as slow her, throwing DJ’s legs across my lap as I settled into the drivers seat and put the key in the ignition, not even so much as breaking rhythm from her rounds of chest compressions and rescue breaths.
I turned on the car, put it in reverse, turned around in my seat, and was already backing out of the driveway when I slammed on the breaks. Through the rear-view window, between two hedges directly behind the car, were a pair of amber eyes glowing fiercely in the darkness. There was no doubt in my mind the eyes looking back at me were in the physical realm, and no sooner than I made that conclusion, the eyes rose, revealing the body of a beautiful white lioness, terrifyingly large and rippling with lean muscle.
“Darien!” Fati shouted, snapping my head back to her. “What are you doing?!”
She was right. I turned back around, and the animal was gone. I scanned the trees the entire time I backed away but didn't see it again. The moment I hit the street again, I peeled off, flooring the gas.
We were already back on the highway doing a hundred miles an hour by the time I got the closest hospital pulled up on my phone’s navigator. “Shit!” I said, slamming on the brakes and whipping the wheel around, straining hard to keep control as the car powered through the u-turn.
The app estimated twenty minutes with no traffic, but I floored the pedal, weaving in and out of lanes around the few vehicles we’d passed, and made it to the entrance of the ER in just over ten.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
MY HEAD DROOPED to the side again, almost touching the filthy hospital wall beside me, before I popped back up in my chair. I stifled a yawn as I looked around the waiting room, then glanced down at my watch. It had been over an hour, and I hadn't heard anything about what's going on with DJ. That alone was a more pleasant surprise than anything I had expected since we rushed him inside.
I pushed myself up to my feet and started walking towards the main desk when the double doors of the triage unit opened, and Fati slowly shuffled out, eyes to the floor and shoulders slumped.
I pivoted and rushed to her. “What’s happened? How is he? Can I see him now? You weren’t picking up your phone!”
She held up a hand, cutting me short and placed her index and middle fingers on her other hand to her temple, rubbing in slow circles. "DJ is critical but stable."
Adrenaline flooded my body, and I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt. He was stable!
Fati shook her head and looked like words were at the tip of her tongue, but she remained silent.
“What is it?” My smile faltered some, but only a little. “Take me to him.”
Fati shook her head.
“What?”
“Darien, DJ’s in a coma.”
“What…a coma?”
Fati Nodded. “The doctors say they’ve never seen anything like this. As soon as he’s stable enough, he will be transported to my hospital in the city. I’ve already called Dr. Rogers; he’s gonna pull whatever strings he can to have the best neurologist treat him.”
“What? You’ve made these arrangements without me?”
“I did what was best for him. Don’t question me on this.”
“Look, I just want to see him.” I went to step around her, but she stepped in front of my path. “What are you doing?”
“You should go, Darien.”
“What are you saying?” I blinked, barely comprehending. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You need to go.”
“What?!“ I shouted, then remembered myself. I looked around at everyone staring at us and stepped in closer, lowering my voice to barely more than a whisper. “Are you serious?”
Fati's eyes filled with tears and she nodded and mouthed a soundless ‘yes.'
"Baby, I'm sorry I put you and DJ in danger. I had no idea what Red was; you have to know that. Maybe I should have seen it, should have known there was no way anyone could have done the things I've done with trades, investments, hell, even our lifestyle." She shook her head, but I only spoke faster, more urgently. "Maybe I should have known, but I didn't even want to question it. I did what I did for our family."
Fati stepped away as if struck, and cold anger came to her eyes. "I could have accepted my husband having a mental disorder. Fuck, I could have even accepted my husband possessed by a demon, as insane as it sounds.” Her voice broke, and her tears fell freely down her face. “I would have taken that burden from you myself if I had the power. I would have!”
My breath quickened. “Fati I—”
"I would have even accepted my only child having to bear the burden… would have figured out how to help him. Because I was a wife first, before everything else!” She was openly weeping now, body trembling. “I was your wife, Darien.”
“Fati I…” My own eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry.”
"No!" Fati shouted, punching me in the chest. "No, not ‘I'm sorry.'" This time she slapped me, a thunderous sound that set fire to my cheek. “Tell me that bitch was lying. Tell me none of what she said was true. Don’t you fucking apologize to me!”
"Ma'am, please. You can't do that here." The woman behind the desk said, reaching for the phone.
I glanced from the woman at the desk, back to Fati, who had begun shrieking at me, flailing wildly at me. "Fati please," I said, trying to grab hold of one of her arms but suffering two more fiery slaps before I managed to get a hold of both wrists. "Please, stop.”
“Let go of me!” She shrieked, then launched a kick straight up towards my groin. I barely hopped aside in time, but the toe of her shoe still connected with my inner thigh, almost bringing me down to a knee.
“Yes, we need security out in the ER right away.”
I turned towards the desk. “No, I’m leaving now.” Fati managed to pull one of her arms free, and this time land a punch square on into my already broken nose, sending a wave of pain radiating through from my face and wrapping around my entire head.
I staggered away, and when I didn't feel another hit, I glanced up to see Fati push through the doors back into the triage unit. I watched until she disappeared through and the swinging doors settled. Even then, I waited, not quite ready to turn away, as if it would somehow make it more final. One last tear fell down my cheek, and then I turned towards the exit.
I managed only a step when a cold hand fell on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks, and then pulled me back with shock
ing force, clear off my feet. There was a moment of blackness, and then I found myself floating backward in the air, looking at the back of my frozen body. The hand spun me around, and I was face to face with Bezi’s hard eyes.
“You fool, fool, boy. What have you done?”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
IT WOULD BE impossible to acknowledge everyone that has influenced, helped, or inspired this work because this work is an extension of me. Having said that, I must thank some of the people indispensable to the completion of this project:
My wife, who is my best friend. V. & S., who fill me with endless joy.
A special thanks to Liz Lorraine, who along with my wife, beta read this work and provided invaluable feedback.
Mary, Walter, Karizma, Donald, Glynda, and Victor, my foundation.
Last, but most certainly not least, Brenda Carter, for whom I owe more than I would have pages in this book to describe. I wish you could have been here to celebrate this with me. Thank you, for everything.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
OZIAS GOLDMAN IS a husband, father, United States Army Veteran, New Yorker, and now, because of this work and readers like you, a guy who has fulfilled his dream of being a published author.
The best way to stay informed of new book releases, bonus chapters and stories, exclusive content, and giveaways not available anywhere else, is here at his newsletter: www.oziasgoldman.com/newsletter
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