* * * *
Several more weeks passed as Terian flew through the fourth volume of magic, learning some elaborate spells of defense, including one for ripping apart hearts metaphysically.
“I don’t know why you’re bothering with that, when you easily have the strength to rip out a human’s heart with your own hand,” Balt said dubiously, studying the page.
“Because it’s easier to kill without making a mess,” Colin said, looking up from his own book. “There aren’t allowances to kill someone if they’re evil under human law. This way it looks like a heart attack, at least from the outside.”
“If they open the body, though, they’d see the heart was destroyed,” Balt replied. “So if you’ve got to destroy the evidence anyway, why bother making it clean?”
“I’m not learning this to murder people,” Terian said, annoyed. “I’m learning it in defense, as a case of last resort.”
“Okay,” Balt said, holding his hands up. “I’m just making an observation.”
“An undue one,” Colin added, glancing up in reproach.
Balt laughed, then pushed Terian’s book down just a bit, getting his attention. “Do you have some time this evening? There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Terian rolled his eyes. “The Naughty Nymph get a new girl?”
“Yes,” Balt said with a big smile. “And she wants to make your acquaintance tonight at Happy’s.”
“Sure then,” Terian said. “About eleven?”
“That’s fine,” Balt said.
Terian waited at Happy’s later that night, kicking himself for having agreed to come. The bar was crowded with Saturday college kids, as well as regulars. His supernatural hearing was almost on overload, the crack of pool balls melding with the loud talking, live music, and pretzel crunching to create a din.
“Here he is,” Balt said at Terian’s back. “Terian, meet Patricia.”
Terian turned. A gorgeous woman stood there, her expression bemused and seductive. Her platinum hair was cut in a pageboy style, her outfit a very low cut business suit. “Are you supposed to be a nympho CEO?” he asked.
The woman laughed loudly. “You’ll make a great demon when the time comes. You’ve already got down the humor.”
Terian went motionless, staring at the woman. She smiled back, her gorgeous blue eyes flooding with red, an ocean of black evil flowing out of her.
She was a demon.
“Don’t look so spooked,” Patricia said kindly, the evil feeling dissipating. “You’ve heard the worst about us from the bible thumpers. Being demon can be a lot of fun, so long as you stay on the right side of Hell’s rules.”
“Which you’re going to tell me, right?” Terian said, letting his own heat and blackness billow forth.
“Only if you want to hear it,” Patricia said. “Hell’s awash in demons, and we aren’t soliciting for more. But you’re part of the club already, because of your lineage. It’s my calling to seek out those on the fence, so to speak, and give them full disclosure.”
“Really? Where were you for the last fifty years?” Terian said curtly. “I didn’t recently become a half-demon, you know.”
“No, but you kept to yourself,” Patricia countered. “You knew only very low level magic and you didn’t want any part of the human world. Contrary to popular belief, Hell doesn’t want just anybody; we want the go-getters, the hard workers, the ambitious and driven. You came to our attention recently, when you began learning more magic—”
The demon prattled on, praising Terian, but he tuned her out. This was just another person wanting something from him.
“There are added benefits,” Patricia said with a pointed smile, slipping her finger into her cleavage and stroking slightly.
“What, besides you?” Terian said bluntly.
“What do you want?” Patricia said, still smiling. Her red eyes gleamed like fresh blood in sunlight. “Or who, should I say? I understand that you came out here because a relationship didn’t work out—”
“Leave me alone,” Terian said, dropping his human mask. He snarled, baring his rows of pointed teeth. “Get out of my sight!”
There was a sudden scream, one of the college girls pointing at Terian. He resumed his mask, but others had already seen him. There was a mass panic, people running for the exit, some of them shouting there was a fire in their confusion. A girl screamed, then went down in the melee, the wet crunch of her broken neck echoing in Terian’s ears.
“Lovely,” Patricia said with glee. “And she’s not remotely devout, either.” She turned, heading for the body as the last patrons shoved their way free into the night air. Balt followed her, curious.
Terian stood as Patricia knelt, then jammed her hands into the girl’s body. The demon leaned backwards, pulling hard. Then a ghostly figure came free of the body, the indistinct form emitting a whimpering sound.
“None of that,” Patricia said with relish. “You had your whole life to make a decision, to believe. It’s too late now.”
The ghostly figure began to shriek, then writhe as Patricia pulled it close in an embrace.
A shot rang out. Patricia crumpled, cursing. The ghostly figure swayed, then fled back down into the motionless body on the floor, disappearing.
Four hooded men came through the door in a rush, guns drawn and pointed. They surrounded Patricia, while one covered Terian and Balt. “There was only supposed to be the one half-demon,” one of them said in confusion.
“Doesn’t matter. Do the exorcism, Father,” Kyle said, throwing back his hood to reveal himself.
Another hooded man produced a small electronic device and began to read off it, the language Latin. Kyle threw something on Patricia. She flinched, then cursed them. “Do it and see what happens,” she growled. “Next time I return it will be for you and your team!” She let out another scream as more holy water hit her.
Balt took a step, and Terian stopped him. “Don’t help her.”
“That could be us,” Balt said, shaking him off. “Don’t you get it? They didn’t come for her. They came for me.”
“That can’t be,” Terian said. “You haven’t done anything.”
“Haven’t I?” Balt said, his tone chilling.
“You haven’t done anything bad,” Terian said stubbornly.
“Don’t move,” the man holding the gun warned.
“You’ll shoot me as soon as she’s dead,” Balt said. Then he launched himself at the man, toppling him and knocking him on his back. The man fired seven times in succession, blowing a huge hole in Balt’s back, distracting the priest and Kyle from the exorcism.
Terian watched, wanting to help but not knowing what to do. If I try to break it up they’ll both fight me.
Patricia rose, her taloned hand slashing out to slit the throat of the priest. Then she went for Kyle, gashing his side as he leapt backward. Balt was on his back, fighting the man who’d traded his gun for a machete.
Sar wouldn’t stand here and watch a friend be killed.
Terian uttered the beginning of the spell to tear hearts, then saw the long blade descending. Moving fast, he shoved the man off Balt, then punched him.
“Thanks,” Balt coughed, pulling out the tip of the blade.
Terian turned slightly to reply, then felt a heavy blow. He went sprawling, twitching slightly. Balt roared, then came the sounds of scuffling. Patricia was still howling and cursing.
Why can’t I move? Terian tried to move his arms, his head, his legs, and couldn’t. Am I dead?
Patricia lunged for Kyle and he parried her with a table, breaking it on her shoulder. She dropped, then staggered back up immediately, bloodied. “You can’t send me to hell without your priest, hunter! I’ll be eating your soul tonight—” She lunged again at Kyle. He shoved another table in front of her, blocking her.
“So afraid,” she snickered evilly. “But then that’s why you hunt us, isn’t it? Because you’re afraid—” She went rigid, cutting off her words then whipp
ed around as undulating red and black fire washed over her. Patricia let out an unholy screech of agony, then danced wildly, setting fire to everything she touched, even plastic and metal. Then she darted for Colin, who was standing, yelling furiously, words to conjure more fire as black and gold flames formed in his left hand.
“No!” Balt yelled. He darted toward Colin, getting between the burning demon and his brother. Patricia knocked into him, Balt letting out a howl as he wrestled with her, flames rapidly running up his arms. Colin finished the hellfire spell and flung the ball of fire at Patricia, knocking the burning demon off his brother. She convulsed again with the second blast, then collapsed, burning brightly.
“Outside!” Kyle yelled. “The place is going up!”
Terian watched Kyle and his remaining man flee, still struggling to move himself. He managed with effort to finally turn over, straightening his spine. Suddenly he felt the healing return, the feeling come back to his arms and legs. He used a table to pull himself upright. Colin was struggling with Balt, trying to get him out of the rapidly escalating conflagration.
Terian grabbed Balt’s other arm. Together, he and Colin dragged the prone giant of a man out of the burning building. They set him down on the wet gravel of the parking lot, rain pelting their faces. Steam rose up from Balt, the remaining flames on him quickly extinguished.
“Always saving my ass,” Balt groaned. “Why can’t you ever manage to get there before I’m hurt?”
“Be quiet,” Colin said, stripping off Balt’s shirt. It came off only partially, the left side melted into his flesh.
Terian looked down at the seared and blistered flesh. “Do you want me to help you get him to your home? What do you need? I can bring it here.”
“No,” Balt said. “Leave it.”
“You’re not dying here in this fucking parking lot,” Colin screeched out hysterically. “Terian, get the car.”
“No,” Kyle said from behind them, brandishing a gun. “You aren’t saving him so he can kill someone else.”
Terian hid his left hand, then began to murmur the words to create blue fire as Colin stood and faced Kyle down. “He’s my brother and I’m not letting him die.”
“He killed a stripper last week,” Kyle said coldly. “He’s on the verge of becoming demon, Colin. I know he’s your brother, but that can’t matter.”
“You don’t put aside your blood,” Colin said, advancing. “If you had any family you’d know that.”
“I did have a family,” Kyle said bitterly, his gun unwavering. “I had a sister. A demon killed her. He was half, just like your brother, until the night he raped and murdered her.”
Terian braced himself, murmuring the words as fast as he dared. The fire was forming, but it needed a few more precious seconds.
“I can save him,” Colin said, edging toward the car.
Kyle fired, striking Colin in the chest. The man went down hard on his back, his left leg twitching.
The blue fire finished forming, the sheer heat of it making Terian sweat. He braced himself to throw it at Kyle, then felt Balt take hold of his arm, stopping him. “No,” Balt whispered. “He’s not lying. This is easier...for everyone.”
Terian looked down at him in horror. Balt gave him a faint smile, then closed his eyes, relaxing back into the mud.
Kyle walked to Terian, holstering his gun. “Is he gone?”
Terian checked for a pulse. There was none. “Yes.”
“I’ve heard the rain being called God’s Tears,” Kyle mused. “But I’ve never heard of it putting out hellfire before.”
Terian didn’t answer.
There was the wail of sirens in the distance, coming closer.
“Good luck,” Kyle said to Terian. “I’m sorry you got in the middle of this, but—”
Everything froze, including the raindrops which hung suspended, millions of them glittering. Then slowly Colin sat up, his eyes glowing red.
“No,” Kyle breathed. “You aren’t demon, you were faerie half-breed, like me—”
“Not all demons are born in hell,” Colin said, baring his rows of pointed teeth. “Some are made from the hells they’re forced to endure.” He stood carefully, then began murmuring a spell.
Kyle thrashed, trying to flee, but he only wobbled, his feet not lifting from the ground.
“You have hunted for years, unrelenting and unmerciful,” Colin said darkly, “I curse you now to be hunted yourself, forever.” He spoke a word, and Kyle recoiled, holding his head and screaming. “Run all you want, and you’ll be found.”
Kyle looked up, his brown eyes terrified.
Colin gestured. The glistening raindrops plummeted to earth, the world in motion again. Kyle leapt up and ran, his remaining friend following. They started the car, then drove it off squealing.
Colin came to Balt’s side and knelt. He picked his brother up, and began carrying him to his car. Terian watched, then reluctantly followed.
Hours later, Terian stood with Colin near a freshly covered grave. Colin was using the tip of one newly taloned hand to carve the stone. The etching noise was grating on Terian’s nerves, though he said nothing.
Colin finished the stone, then set it in place. Carefully, he broke a piece of rosebush off a wild white rose, and pushed it into the earth. With a few words, the demon cast a spell of growth, the branch putting down roots and flowering to a wide mat of white flowers covering the fresh earth.
“It looks nice,” Terian offered.
“I know you don’t know what to say,” Colin remarked, his eyes averted. “I don’t either.”
“What will you do now?” Terian asked.
“Try to find a lenient master who will let me pursue Kyle in my spare time,” Colin said. “I got assurances that would be allowed, but we’ll see.” He turned to Terian. “What will you do?”
It was time to stop running. “I’m going back to face what I left back east.”
“You can feel love,” Colin said, regarding Terian will his red eyes. “I feel the same as I did when I was a faerie half breed. I’m wondering now if I ever knew anything about demons, or only thought I did.”
“Can I borrow your fourth volume,” Terian asked. “To take with me?”
“You can have my books, all of them,” Colin answered absently. “I always thought I’d find an answer in magic, but I never did. And I don’t think I’ll have a home of my own in my new life.” He smiled. “And yes, the spell for hellfire is in there, if you look for it.”
“I’m sorry it had to be this way,” Terian made himself utter. “That sounds lame, but I can’t help it, Colin.”
“I understand,” Colin said, a genuine smile gracing his features. “I didn’t either. But what being ever gets what he wants, really? I wanted to save my brother.” He laughed bitterly. “I couldn’t even save myself.”
Balt was saved. He stopped me from killing Kyle. He died without becoming a full demon. Terian held back the words, knowing hearing them would be worse for Colin than not knowing. For if Balt had let Terian kill Kyle, Colin wouldn’t have gotten shot...or become demon in a last dying wish for revenge.
Rain began to fall again, dampening their clothes. “It’s good we had the rain, or the entire adult part of the strip might have gone up,” Colin said jokingly. “What a loss for the bachelors of this town.”
“And the library at the end of the street,” Terian added. “Not to mention the suburbs beyond.”
“I can’t think now why I cared about them,” Colin said disdainfully. “I spent so many nights holding whores’ hands, and listening to married men tell me how they just couldn’t love their wives. What a waste of time—”
The bullet hit Colin in his throat, severing his last words. Another hit Terian in the leg, knocking him sprawling. Kyle came charging out from behind a tree, a swing from his machete decapitating Colin.
Terian staggered to his feet, then paused. Two men held a gun on him, with three more assisting Kyle. They began anointing him with
holy water, the liquid scalding the flesh of the headless body as it twitched.
“Stop it!” Terian yelled. “Stop hurting him.”
“We’re trying to save him,” Kyle said tiredly. He holstered his gun, then came over to Terian. “I didn’t have a beef with Colin. He was a good friend.” He looked up at Terian, his brown eyes red rimmed. “I never caught your name.”
“Terian.”
“Good to meet you.” Kyle looked back at his men. They’d erected a small altar and lit candles near it. One opened a bible and began to pray, immediately giving Terian the beginnings of a migraine.
“Walk with me,” Kyle said to Terian.
“Why?” Terian challenged.
“Because seeing this is going to hurt me as much as hearing it hurts you now,” Kyle said sadly. “Come on.”
Terian let out a long breath, then followed. They walked in silence for a while through the trees, then into a clearing with a small stream.
“Can you save him?” Terian asked. “Take back what he became?”
“Probably not,” Kyle said, skipping a stone into the water. “But we have to try.”
“Balt wasn’t a demon when he died,” Terian said. “He stopped me from killing you.”
Kyle turned to look at Terian, then resumed skipping rocks. “I’m glad of that,” he said softly.
“I thought you hated him,” Terian said. “I thought you hated people like me.”
“I hate demons,” Kyle admitted. “I hate how they destroy lives. I never hate half-breeds. They can’t help their dual nature, or that the demon side is usually stronger.” He dropped his rock. “But I can’t afford to have mercy, not when it might mean some innocent person’s life. Do you understand that?”
“Yes,” Terian said slowly. “I understand that.”
“Good,” Kyle said, heading past Terian. “Let’s go back. They should be done.”
The small clearing was empty when they returned, except for the priest standing before the grave. He was just finishing consecrating the ground. He turned as Kyle and Terian strode up. “We sent him to Hell,” he said apologetically. “There was nothing we could do. We scattered the ashes near his brother’s grave.”
Promise Me Anthology Page 23
