Of Blood and Monsters

by D. G. Swank

  “I could say the same about you,” he said with a grin.

  “Oh, but I wasn’t really dead,” I said, studying his footing as Abel’s instructors had taught me to do. Looking for weaknesses. Looking for patterns.

  He laughed. “You can tell yourself that, but you were dead all the same. Your witness to creation power brought you back.”

  “And what brought you back?” I asked.

  His grin spread, but he didn’t answer.

  “I thought we were friends, Jack,” I said, waiting for him to make a move, but I realized I was only giving him a chance to catch his breath.

  “How could I be friends with a slut like you?” he spat. “Spreading your legs for the demon behind you. Does he know you would have spread your legs for me only days ago if I’d been willing to screw you?”

  I gasped in shock.

  “Don’t listen to him, Waboose,” Abel said. “He’ll say anything to hurt you.”

  This wasn’t Jack. I needed to remember that. The demon was counting on me to react emotionally to his assault.

  “I only kissed you out of pity,” I lied, moving closer. “Poor pathetic Jack, desperate to find his place, when he never had any hope of finding one.” The words ripped my heart to shreds, but the confusion on his face gained me the moment I needed.

  I tackled him to the ground and shoved St. Michael so hard into his right shoulder it pinned him to the patch of hard ground where he’d landed.

  “Ellie!” I shouted. “Come here.”

  She approached, wariness in her eyes.

  “Kill him,” I said, my voice breaking. “Kill him for David.” She needed this. She needed the release she’d been denied with the Great One.

  She pulled her sword over her head and released a soul-ripping scream of grief and fury as she shoved the blade deep in his chest, killing him.

  The fight went out of her then, and she removed her sword and stumbled over to David.

  The demons had taken advantage of our distraction, and we were now surrounded.

  “Waboose,” Abel said in warning.

  We were in deep shit.

  Okeus began to clap, grinning ear to ear, as his cloud lowered. “That was worth it, all of it.” He stepped off the cloud, still smiling. “I’ve changed my mind about you, slayer of demons. Perhaps I’ll make you my queen.”

  “Go back to hell,” I snarled, ready to launch myself at him, but Abel held me back.

  “Run, Waboose,” he whispered in my ear. “Let me hold him off while you take the others and run.”

  “I’m not leaving you.” I risked a glance back at him. I stand with you, Abel. We belong together.

  Abel shot me a frown.

  Okeus started walking toward us, offering Ellie a look of mock sympathy. “Sorry about your concubine, Ellie. I offered you a chance to save him weeks ago, and you selfishly chose not to take it. You only have yourself to blame.”

  She got to her feet, seething. Her hand loosened then tightened around her sword hilt. “It was blackmail, Okeus.”

  “Call it what you like, but he could be here now, his arm around you like Abiel is holding Piper.”

  Abel slowly dropped his arm and stepped in front of me.

  “Enough games, Abiel,” Okeus said, sounding weary, but then his voice hardened. “On your knees.”

  Abel took a defensive stance. “First, I wish for your word that you won’t harm her.”

  “That is impossible, my son,” Okeus said. “An example must be made of her to show the demons and other supernatural beings that there are consequences for disobedience. However, I won’t kill her, and after she is impregnated, I will let you keep her as a pet.”

  Abel’s body stiffened.

  “And,” Okeus added, a grin teasing the corners of his mouth, “you will administer the punishment.”

  “And if I don’t accept your deal?” Abel asked.

  “Then Attila the Hun will administer the punishment.” He paused. “You haven’t met Attila, have you? He prefers the delights of hell to the freedom of this world.” His gaze landed on me. “He’s very much looking forward to meeting the slayer.”

  Abel released a low growl.

  “One way or the other, she will be coming with me now.” Okeus reached for me, but Abel lunged with his sword, striking the god in the gut then quickly stepping back.

  He looked down at the bloodless wound and he laughed.

  We were in a world of shit.

  Abel shoved me back several steps as Collin grabbed Ellie’s arm and pulled her to him.

  Okeus released a guttural sound, and the demons surrounding us began to advance in a rush.

  Create a world, Waboose.

  “No.”

  Frustrated, I pushed out a wave of power, hoping to boost the effectiveness of my blows, but instead it sent out a shock wave that froze all the demons in place.

  Okeus’s eyes widened and he took a step toward me, pushing over the demons in his way, crushing one of the gremlins. “Aren’t you a surprise. What kind of power is that?”

  I strode toward him, ready to finish this off, forever, but I reminded myself that my power hadn’t affected him. I’d do best to remember that.

  I saw movement beside me and noticed Ellie was advancing on him too.

  “Piper!” Abel shouted. “Stop!”

  Okeus cast a glance to his son then to the frozen demons around him, assessing the situation. “One day, we will be together, daughter of the sea,” he said, “but today is not that day.”

  He sent a wave of energy toward my cousin, sending her stumbling backward, but I absorbed it and held my ground.

  He looked thrilled. “What are you?”

  I held St. Michael over my head, ready to attack. “Your worst nightmare.”

  He didn’t look scared, but he didn’t look as amused as before. “What has Ahone been up to?”

  I took another step closer.

  “Obviously, I greatly underestimated you,” Okeus said. “Perhaps we should renegotiate.”

  “There’s no need to bother,” I said, “because I plan on killing you.” For the first time, I thought I might actually have a shot.

  Abel reached my side, casting a wary glance at me. The others were all staring at me too, and I suddenly realized why. I was literally glowing again.

  I didn’t wait. I lunged at Okeus’s heart with my dagger, wondering too late if this would work. An oily sheen of dread washed over me. What if I could only kill Okeus after the mark of the crescent moon appeared? Abel would be impossible for me to kill without it, and he was Okeus’s son. It terrified me how right that felt, but I didn’t let myself dwell on it. Maybe I with my daggers and Ellie with her god-subduing sword . . . maybe she and I could do it together.

  I only knew we had to try.

  As though on cue, Ellie was on her feet, making her way past stunned demons that were slowly starting to rouse. Which meant my window of opportunity would quickly close.

  Okeus produced two daggers of his own, wearing a huge smile. “I haven’t fought a worthy adversary for centuries. I’ve forgotten how invigorating it can be.” Then he turned to use his dagger to block a blow from Ellie’s sword, his reflexes impossibly quick.

  Collin joined in as well, although Okeus shot him a furious glare.

  “I take no pity on traitors, son of land.”

  The demons were slowly getting to their feet. I sent out another wave of power to freeze them again, but this wave was much less powerful and barely affected them.

  Okeus laughed. “Wish to renegotiate?”

  A new wave of winged demons were headed our way, and a thought from Abel filled me in on the devastation they’d caused in the police station. They were in Okeus’s elite personal guard, and Abel suspected Okeus had brought them to separate me and Abel from the others. He feared they had the power to do it.

  Abel stood at my back, fighting furiously. “Create a world, Waboose!”

  “No.” Creating a world would mean
admitting defeat, and I wasn’t ready to do that.

  “Piper.”

  Another swarm of demons—reinforcements for the original front line of squatty foot soldiers—headed toward the curse keepers and their supernatural helpers, and I heard Ellie calling out for a retreat.

  Okeus had brought out the second wave.

  I turned to Abel, knowing full well what would happen. As soon as the others left, the swarm of demons that had been fighting them would turn on us. We’d never escape.

  “Okeus,” Abel called out. “I will willingly go with you if you’ll leave the slayer alone.”

  “You are not in a position to negotiate,” Okeus said. “You’re surrounded.”

  “I said I’d go willingly.”

  “No!” I shouted at him. Then lowering my voice, I said, “I’ll create a world.” Why had I been so stubborn before? Had I really thought I could defeat a god single-handedly?

  “No,” he said. “You were right. They’ll wait forever for us to emerge. It has to be this way.” Turning back to his father, he shouted, “What must I pledge for you to leave her alone?”

  “Nothing,” Okeus said, moving closer to us again, his eyes glittering. “There is nothing you can give me. I want her.”

  “Kewasa…” A woman’s voice carried through the air, making my hair stand on end. I knew who it was, and the look on Abel’s face told me he knew too.

  Helen is here to kill me, I sent to him. She killed Jack, and she’s sworn to kill me too.

  Abel froze, his thoughts racing.

  “She’s stronger now,” I said, scanning the sky for her. She was close, but I couldn’t feel exactly where.

  “What is this?” Okeus asked.

  A shimmering light appeared about thirty feet across from us. The demons around us were paralyzed, but likely not for long.

  “I believe it is a ghost,” Ahone said, replacing the light. He appeared in his old man image and sent me a wink. “Good to see you again, Piper.”

  “A ghost?” Okeus said in confusion. His gaze shifted to me.

  I shot a quick glance to Abel and he gave a small nod. I turned back to Okeus, sounding sure and confident. “You said you were bored, Okeus, so I present a new distraction.”

  “And what is that?”

  “Watch me wrestle a ghost into hell.”

  He grimaced, then shook his head. “Where’s the fun in that? I could do it myself with a snap of my fingers.”

  “But have you seen me send a ghost to hell?” I asked, sounding confident as I tilted my head. “It’s a spectacle. I’m sure you’ll be amused.”

  He scanned his view—Ellie, Collin, Abel, and I surrounded by two gods and several hundred demons. The Nunnehi and the Little People were nowhere to be seen.

  “Kieran…,” Helen called out, floating over the demons’ heads and coming toward him. Tonight she wore a sapphire blue ball gown, but it was obvious it wasn’t hers. The fabric was stained and it was too big for her, one sleeve drooping over her shoulder and a sash cinching up her waist. Her long brown hair hung loose and a blue ribbon was tied around her neck in place of the usual noose.

  “Come to me, Helen,” Abel said, reaching out his free hand.

  She glided gracefully toward him, taking his hand, her form solid.

  “You look beautiful tonight, Helen,” Abel said, his voice strong and sure. “What is the occasion?”

  “Kieran,” Helen said with a pout, lifting her hand to his face and running her fingers down his cheek. “He says you love me, but she stands between us.” She pointed her finger at me with an accusatory glare.

  “Who says this, my love?” Abel asked, now resting his hand on her hip.

  The monster in me rose, and I saw red, needing to kill the object of his affection.

  “Him.” She pointed above at nothing.

  Okeus watched, enthralled but confused.

  “Why would he tell you that?” Abel asked in a seductive voice.

  Helen’s image shivered. “Because she stands between us. She’s stolen your heart from me, so I must cut it out.”

  She lifted a blade from her side, a kitchen knife about eight inches long, still red with Jack’s blood.

  “The ghost wishes to cut out the slayer’s heart because she’s in love with Abiel?” Okeus asked. “Is she insane?” He looked delighted.

  “Yes,” I said, fighting back the monster and telling it that it would get its chance. “She’s mad.” I cast my hardened gaze to the god. “Give me the opportunity to send her to hell.”

  His brows shot up in amusement. “For daring to love my son?”

  “And for killing my friend.”

  “What do you have to lose?” Abel asked, his hand now on her cheek, stroking lightly. Her head tilted back, giving him full access to her throat should he choose to take advantage of it. I knew this was for show. His thoughts told me he was distracting her so I could negotiate my terms, yet I had to clench my fists around the blood-slicked handles of my daggers to hold on to my slim grasp of control.

  Okeus stared at me with new interest.

  “You must give me ten uninterrupted minutes to deal with her,” I said. “I don’t have my usual implements to help me, and I’m used to having the confines of a room to contain them.”

  “Too long,” Okeus said with the wave of his hand. “I’ll give you five.”

  Five minutes to send her to hell with no sage or holy water?

  I caught Abel’s eye. You don’t need the sage or holy water. Not anymore.

  Okeus watched us, curious and excited, and it struck me that Abel and I’d had multiple telepathic conversations, and Okeus hadn’t shown any sign that he’d heard us.

  Had my growing power blocked him out?

  I will kill my father and spread his pieces around the earth so he will never rise again, Abel thought, and Okeus continued grinning like a fool.

  “I’m not sure it can be done, but I get five uninterrupted minutes,” I said. “You will not intervene until the time is up.”

  “Fine,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Agreed.”

  “Agreed,” I said, sealing the deal. I felt something lock into place supernaturally, as though the universe recognized our arrangement too.

  “What did you do?” Okeus asked, sounding worried.

  “You made a deal,” Ahone said with a grin. “Now you are bound.”

  I moved to the center of the twenty-foot-in-diameter ring organically created by the gods, Abel, and the curse keepers. The Little People and the Nunnehi were still nowhere to be seen, but I could feel them now at the rear, fighting the winged demons.

  “Helen,” I called out in a lilting tone, “get your hands off of him.”

  Her head jerked up, her bliss instantly gone.

  “Kewasa,” she snapped, anger flooding her eyes, “your time draws near.”

  I gave her a mocking grin. “Then let’s usher it in.”

  She floated toward me, and I could feel that she was stronger than before. Had a demon boosted her power? I didn’t think so—this felt different. Memories of the ghosts who had died issuing warnings to me popped up. I could review our interactions using my new abilities. They’d possessed the same power filling Helen now. Only none of them had the stench of Ahone.

  Who had done this?

  The others had issued warnings before disappearing. Had she just delivered her warning? And if so, would she fade to dust without my intervention?

  She growled and lunged for me, but I instinctively sent a wave of power toward her, sending her backward to the edge of the circle. Releasing a new growl, she charged me again, her knife raised above her head in a tight grip.

  “I will kill you, Kewasa,” Helen snarled. “I will stab you over and over and over just like I did to the priest who dared to think he could help me.”

  “You killed Jack because he wanted to help you?” I asked in dismay, my defenses weakening.

  Helen took advantage of my shock and slashed my arm, drawing bl
ood. My body acknowledged the pain, but the power in me refused to address it.

  This ghost had to pay.

  “You’re stronger,” she said. “He said you would be. He said the demon souls feed your power.”

  “Who?” I asked as we began to circle each other. My lessons about studying the footing of my opponent wouldn’t help me now. “Ahone?”

  She laughed. “There are other gods, Kewasa.” She spat my title as though it left a bitter taste on her tongue.

  Another god was in play?

  I cast a glance from Okeus to Ahone, and both looked just as surprised as I felt.

  Once again, Helen took advantage of my distraction and jabbed her knife toward my gut. I dodged to the side, missing an incapacitating blow. She grazed my side instead.

  “Piper!” Ellie called out in terror.

  “You can do this!” Collin shouted.

  Abel remained silent.

  Do not get involved, I sent toward him.

  This is your gift, not mine, Waboose. He didn’t sound happy about it.

  Nearly a minute had been wasted with the circling and her trash talk. I’d learned some valuable information, but it was time to end this. I’d negotiated for five minutes, and I planned to use the last one or two to grab my friends and get the hell out of here.

  “What did Jack want to help you do?” I asked, letting the power in me build.

  “He said he could bring Margaret back from hell. He said you would help us cross into the light, but he was a liar.”

  “Jack was many things,” I said, my anger building. “But a liar wasn’t one of them. Why wouldn’t you let him try?”

  “He did,” she sneered, rushing toward me.

  I considered trying to open the portal now, but the air didn’t feel right, and deep in my soul, I knew I needed to enflame her hatred and darkness before I could send her off. And I knew exactly which buttons to push.

  “You fight for Abel, but he doesn’t love you,” I sneered. “He laughs at you behind your back.”

  Her dark gaze turned to Abel, but he remained expressionless.

  “He was never your friend. He was only using you for your power.” Lies. All lies, and my heart tore at the obvious pain on her face, but her anger was building. The wall between our plane and hell was thinning.