Demon Hunter

by Linda Kay Silva

  Denny stepped toward him, slowly, deliberately. “I was a fool all right, but not for the reasons you think. I’m gonna send you back to Hell, you fucking piece of shit demon.”

  Cockerton waited, his arms folded across his chest. “It’s going to be a pleasure killing you and your family.”

  Denny whipped Fouet and it split the air, leaving a scent of sulphur. “You’re dreaming, buttmunch. When I’m done with you, I’ll be able to feed every dog in this neighborhood.”

  Cockerton laughed. “Bring it, Noob.”

  Denny cautiously approached him and snapped Fouet around Cockerton’s ankle. He flipped hard onto his back when she pulled the chain blade. She briefly wondered why it didn’t cut through his ankle, but then, she didn’t really care. She would destroy him if it was the last thing she did.

  Cockerton didn’t stay down long, but it long enough for Denny to get to him. As she brought Epee down toward his neck, he rolled out of the way and sprang to his feet. Epee missed by mere inches. He was incredibly nimble for his size and Denny had to keep reminding herself he wasn’t human.

  They stood face-to-face; Denny with her weapons, and Cockerton with his glowing red eyes and hamfisted mitts.

  “You don’t have it in you, Silver. The killing, the constant deaths, the fear. You can walk away now, Golden Silver. Save yourself. Save your family. It’s not too late. You can still walk away.”

  “Can I?”

  He nodded. “Just hand over the book. Hand it over and no one gets hurt.”

  Denny slashed at him with her sword but hit nothing. Cockerton countered with a blow to her chest staggering Denny backwards, but she didn’t let go of her weapons.

  “You don’t even know how they work.” He shook his head. “You’re so outclassed here. I’ll give you one more chance before I kill you, your sister, your—”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, you need a new schtick.” Denny snapped the whip and it bit into Cockerton’s ear as he barely managed to duck beneath the whip.

  “Son of a bitch.” Cockerton dove at her. Epee sliced through his jacket but did not cut all the way through to taste flesh.

  Her weapons did not cut through the higher level demons like they did the lower level ones, and they barely slowed Cockerton at all. This did not bode well for her as she slammed into a back wall.

  He shoved his forearm against her neck and smashed her into the wall again, lifting her off the ground. “You are so far out of your league and are just too stupid to know it.”

  Denny couldn’t breathe. She tried to kick him but he rammed his knee into her.

  He was too close for Denny to use her weapons and her body wasn’t in a position for her to utilize them. Her air was gone. She felt her face turning red, her eyes watered. Denny made the tough decision to drop her weapons and tear at his eyes with her thumbs. Denny thought for sure he would release her when she dug her thumbs into his eye sockets.

  He did not.

  Instead, he buried his right fist into her diaphragm. What air she had left was expelled from her body, her hands now clawing at his forearm. She knew she would lose consciousness soon.

  “Fucking rookie. What a joke.”

  Before Denny completely lost consciousness, she saw Pure come up behind him and wielding the base of a lamp which she cracked over his head. He went down on one knee, his head bleeding from a four-inch gash.

  Pure raised the lamp for a second time but his right arm shot out and hit her so hard her head hit the wall. She slid down it, unmoving.

  “Pure!” Denny tried to go to her sister, but Cockerton grabbed her ankle and tripped her.

  As she fell, her left hand found Epee.

  Cockerton straddled her back. She swung Epee in an arc over her shoulder and was able to hit his back with the sword, but it wasn’t enough.

  It wasn’t going to be enough.

  And that was the moment Denny knew she was going to die.

  He grabbed her hair, pulled her head back, but before he could slam her face into the floor, an invisible force pushed him across the room and pinned him against the guest room door.

  “Hurry,” Cassandra said. “Get out. Everyone, get out.”

  Denny rolled over and saw Brianna and Cassandra standing with their arms outstretched. “Please…Get Pure out of here. Lock yourselves in the bathroom. I…I got this.”

  Brianna and Cassandra did not hesitate as they dragged Pure back into the bathroom and closed the door. Denny picked up Fouet and snapped it to life. She stood with her feet apart and both weapons at the ready.

  “Like you said, asshole...bring it.”

  Cockerton pushed himself up, his chest heaving. “You’re a crazy bitch.”

  Denny felt the Hanta’s energy flow across her chest, down her arms, and down her legs. She could feel the power surging through her body. She stood now, hunter ready to take down her prey. She was all Hanta now.

  There was no fear.

  None.

  She was truly the demon hunter, her quarry less than twelve feet from her and she had no doubt he would die. This was her game now. Hers and the Hanta’s.

  Game.

  “What are you waiting for?”

  Cockerton grinned. “Your Hanta is showing.”

  “My Hanta is going to kick your fucking ass.”

  Cockerton flung himself at her, a growl emanating from his throat.

  Denny snapped Fouet around as if she’d been wielding it her entire life. When Cockerton lunged for her, she stepped aside and brought Epee down hard across his wrist, cutting off his hand.

  Cockerton howled. His hand landed with a sickening thud on the floor.

  Denny twisted around and whipped Fouet toward his hamstrings. The chain-blade ripped through his pants, slightly biting into his leg.

  “Son of a bitch!” He cried, whirling around. “You fucking bitch!”

  Denny laughed a laugh that would never be hers. “Piece by piece, pencil dick, I’m gonna take you out. I warned you your death would not come easily, so come on, motherfucker.” Denny whipped Fouet back and forth, it sliced and sizzled in the air. “Show me what you got before I take it all from you, you pathetic piece of demon shit.”

  “You are as foolish as your mother and as stupid as your brother. Azeroth will take you apart and scatter your limbs to the—”

  Fouet slashed through the air, nearly severing Cockerton’s arm. He screamed and then grimaced then glared at her.

  “Don’t you ever talk about my mother again.” Denny stepped closer. The air around them was thick. “You ever mention her name and I swear I’ll rip your tongue from your mouth and eat it in front of you.” The Hanta grew stronger.

  Cockerton lowered his head. “You humans are loyal to a fault. It is why your mother died, you know? Or don’t you know? She was so foolish. She put her life in the hands of the one person who would destroy her. And he did. Stupid, fucking—” Cockerton moved toward her. She surprised them both by leaping in the air and connecting her heel against his temple. He hit the stair railing, flipped backwards over it, and landed on his head, which split like a coconut. Denny looked over the railing as she put Fouet back in her vest.

  Set.

  “He’s not dead.” Rush appeared at her side. “He’s still alive.”

  “I know. Keep them in the bathroom. This isn’t over.” Denny started down the stairs but stopped and turned around. “I’ve missed you.” The voice was still not Denny’s.

  Rush blinked and smiled at her. “And I, you, whoever the hell you are. Go on before he pulls himself together.”

  Denny took the stairs two at a time until she stood next to Cockerton’s twisted and broken body. She knew he wasn’t dead. The human body was dead, but Cockerton the duplo wasn’t. He was in there, recovering, trying to figure out his next move.

  Denny wasn’t about to give him one.

  “Uh…Den?”

  Denny glanced up to see Rush standing by the front door. She looked more alive than she ever had. “Yeah?”


  Rush shook her head and pointed outside. “There are more out there, baby.”

  “Like how many?”

  She shrugged. “Too many. Eight? Maybe ten or twelve.”

  Denny nodded as she watched the blood spreading out from under Cockerton’s head. “I don’t have much of a choice, love.”

  “You can make a run for it, Denny. You don’t have to do this,” Rush pleaded.

  “That’s just it. I’ve never had a choice.” Denny grabbed Cockerton by the ankle and dragged him out to the front porch. Standing in a half circle was Cockerton’s backup—eight more demons. He’d not come alone.

  Denny turned to Rush and smiled. “I love you, you know?”

  “Den, please don’t. It’s not worth it. If you could know what it did to your mother…to your family. It’s not—”

  “If this doesn’t work, show Pure the lair. Have them hide in there. They’ll be safe there.”

  “Please don’t.”

  Denny turned to her before giving her attention to the demons. “I’m not a coward, Rush. This is something I have to do. In a way, it’s paying them back for what they’ve done to my family. It’s time to even the score a bit.”

  The demons said nothing. They just stood there like gargoyles. As Denny dragged Cockerton down the steps, his head hitting each one with a satisfying thump, she took stock of her limited options.

  Denny stopped on the last step. The air heated with demonic energy. It was as if they all breathed in grotesque synchronization and breathed out harsh, hot darkness.

  After flinging Cockerton into the yard, Denny remained on the bottom step and held Fouet out in front of her. “If you think you’re going to take me down without me taking, at the very least, half of you with me, you have greatly underestimated me,” Denny growled in the Hanta voice. “You mess with me or my family and I will tear you from limb to limb.” Denny reached down and opened Cockerton’s mouth. “I told this piece of shit what I would do if he mentioned my mother again. He did.” Denny leaned over and ripped Cockerton’s tongue out of his mouth. Then she bit it in half and spit both halves onto the ground. “If the name Silver passes your foul lips, I will chase you to the ends of the earth and beyond. You so much as talk to my sisters or brother and there is no rock you can hide under that I won’t be able to find you. You go near my friends or anyone I know and the bloody war I’ll rain down on you will make a typhoon look like sprinkles.” Denny glared out at the demons. “Look at your leader. Pathetic sonofabitch. I’ve destroyed both of his incarnations without so much as breaking a sweat. Rookie, you say? I crushed a duplo and I’m not even a fraction of the way through my training. And, lest you think me foolish enough to allow him to remain in the game—” Denny slashed down at at Cockerton’s neck with Epee and severed his head from his body.

  Cockerton blew up, scattering fleshy debris everywhere.

  The demons backed away as Denny held her weapons up for a fight, the Hanta now fully in control. “I’m the fucking demon hunter, you raggedly ass shit for brains demons. You want a taste of my centuries old anger and hatred, then step right up. By all means, come and get it, assholes.” Denny leapt over the stain that had once been Mike Cockerton and snapped Fouet back and forth with ease and precision. In the Hanta’s hand, the whip surged to life. “Come on, kiddies. What are you waiting for? I am, after all, just a fucking rookie, right?”

  The Hanta had complete and total control over her.

  And she didn’t care.

  The Hanta strode back and forth, cracking Fouet like a pro. “I’ve had demons like you for a morning snack, so step right up.” She snapped Fouet harder and it crackled and sparked. “Nobody? Really? Come on. There’s eight of you sorry ass motherfuckers and just one of me. Go for it. I dare you, you spineless cocksuckers.”

  The demons backed away as Denny pressed forward.

  The Hanta was enjoying itself. It has absolutely no fear. None.

  “Fucking cowards. Are you telling me not one a you are gonna step up and take your best shot?”

  The Hanta ran for the closest demon, who, too late, realized it had gone from hunter to prey. As the demon turned to run, the Hanta raised Fouet over her head and whipped it around until the chain-blade bit into the hip of the demon.

  She stood over him, her arms hanging loosely at her sides. “Seriously? This is the best they could do? It’s not even fair.” Epee rose and came down fast. The demon exploded in the blink of an eye.

  “Tasty. Who’s next?” The Hanta spun around urging any of the demons to come at it. Most of the demons ran away, but the few who remained backed up. Delta felt the Hanta ease back into the passenger seat.

  “So here’s the deal,” Denny said, the voice now holding slightly more of her own. “You let everyone know I’m not to be fucked with. Don’t fuck with me, my friends, or my family, because if you don’t kill me right outta the gate, I will hunt you down, and make you wish you were a human. Now get the fuck away from my house before I come after every damned one of you.”

  The demons disappeared into the surrounding darkness with nary a sound.

  “Motherfucking piece of shit low level dirtbags.” As the final word fell from her mouth, she felt the Hanta completely recede into her.

  “What. The. Hell?”

  Denny turned to find Rush standing at the top of the steps.

  “Baby, what...what’s happened to you?” Rush stared at the spot where Mike Cockerton had once been. “What…what the fuck just happened?””

  Shrugging, Denny quickly ran up the stairs and passed Rush. “Later. How’s Pure?”

  “Bonked her head pretty bad, but other than that, she’s fine.”

  When Denny reached the bathroom door, she put her weapons away and wiped the demon detritus off her face before knocking. “You can open up now. Everyone’s safe.”

  The door opened and Brianna flew out the door and hugged Denny, guts and all.

  Rush instantly vanished.

  “Are you okay? Is any of that your blood?” Cassandra asked, looking Denny over.

  “No, it’s not. I’m fine. How’s Pure?”

  “She’ll be fine. A little goose egg on her head, but other than that, she’s okay.”

  Denny entered the bathroom to find Pure slowly getting up.

  “Denny?”

  Denny clung to Pure, squeezing her so hard Pure said she couldn’t breathe. “Are you okay?” Pure asked, leaning away from Denny to take it all in.

  Denny fought back tears that would not obey. “I’m fine.”

  “But all that—”

  “It’s...um...” She glanced over at Cassandra and Brianna.

  “Hunter, we’re Wiccans. Very little of what you tell us will freak us out.”

  Nodding, Denny replied. “It’s demon guts. When a demon is correctly destroyed, it implodes.”

  “You…you killed him?”

  Denny nodded. “I’m sorry, I—”

  “No, Den, I’m the one who’s sorry. You were trying to protect me from something darker than dark, but I wouldn’t listen. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Denny stared at her.

  Brianna put her hand on Denny’s shoulder. “We had to tell her. She wanted to come to your aid. She didn’t understand anything that was happening.”

  Denny smiled at Pure. “Thank you.”

  “You should have told me. I’m not a little girl, you know?”

  “Can we talk about this later? I need to make sure Pat’s okay. You get some ice on that bump. I’ll be up in a few.” Denny helped her lay back down before she joined Cassandra and Brianna.

  “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us.”

  Brianna took Denny’s hand. “I appreciate you trusting us with someone so special to you. We were almost too late.”

  “Was it hard getting to her…to Rush?”

  Cassandra shook her head. “As soon as Rush saw what was happening, she managed to get the demon to the hole. Then it was just
a matter of us forcing him into it.”

  “I thought we had to kill the duplo’s energy at the same time.”

  “It had lost much of its power by then, that we took the chance to destroy it while you kept the other half busy. You did very well, hunter.”

  Inhaling deeply, Denny smiled at Brianna. “I owe you both more than I can ever repay.”

  “And someday,” Cassandra replied. “We’ll collect on that debt. For now, is there anything else you need us to do?”

  Denny shook her head. “No. You’ve done more than enough. Thank you.”

  Brianna stepped up to Denny and lightly kissed her cheek. “Stay safe, demon hunter. This world is better off with you in it.”

  They found Pat trying to stand up. Blood seeped onto his shirt.

  “I’ve got this,” Denny whispered, shooing the Wiccans off. “Thank you. For everything.” Kneeling next to Pat, Denny said to him, “Easy, big guy. You took quite a hit.”

  “I feel like a Mac truck hit me. What happened?”

  Denny looked over at the vanishing blood spot that had once been Mike Cockerton, and shrugged. “He got squirrely, broke your nose and kicked your ass. You busted your stitches open.”

  “No biggie. Where did he go? I wannanother shot at the prick.”

  “I think you scared the crap out of him. I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again any time soon.”

  “Yeah? So he left?”

  Denny chuckled. “You could say that.”

  “Cool. When you called for backup, I didn’t know you really meant we were gonna kick some dude’s ass.”

  “Did you have fun?”

  Pat chuckled, then regretted doing so. “More than I’m gonna admit. You know, Golden Silver, since I’ve met you, I’ve seen my fair share of weird shit. Can I keep hanging out with you?”

  Denny smiled. “I’d like that, Pat. I’d like that a lot.”

  ****

  Denny’s Journal

  After tucking Pure into bed and writing in the legacy book, I cleaned up the blood on the floor and tried to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. When I was done, I collapsed on the sofa in the great room. Feeling my ribs, I knew he’d probably cracked them, but I was certain they were already on the mend.