Demon Cursed

by Sadie Hobbes

  Chapter 50

  Graham

  Graham’s heart leaped into his throat as Addie leaped from the balcony. “Addie!”

  She didn’t even look back as she flew down the mountain. He wasted no time either. He sprinted across the balcony, out the room, and tore down the stairs in record time. Franklin jolted as he burst into the foyer. “Demons coming. Take care of the kids.”

  He grabbed his bow and arrow from the closet in the front hall and burst out the door. Footsteps sounded behind him. Graham glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see one of the Seraph Force.

  Instead, it was Torr. He sprinted down the hill next to Graham, his face serious. And for one moment, Graham forgot what he was running to do. “Are you fighting on our side or theirs?”

  Torr speared Graham with a glare. “I’m fighting on Addie’s.”

  Then he outpaced Graham and disappeared from view. Not because he went behind something but because he simply faded into nothing. Graham would’ve gasped, except it would’ve slowed him down.

  Of course, he knew Torr could make himself invisible. But he’d never seen him shift like that. He supposed it was a good call. With a demon horde racing toward the towns, a demon sprinting along the roads of Sterling Peak was going to cause chaos. And people would not ask questions before they attacked.

  A few minutes later, he reached the bridge. Sheila hurried over to Graham. “The citizens of Blue Forks have started making their way across the bridge. I’ve got all my people helping. But the council sent word that I should close off the bridge.”

  Graham’s lashed out. “No, we keep it down until the last possible moment.''

  “The council won't be happy.”

  “I’ll deal with them," Graham growled.

  Sheila paused flicking a glance up at the sky. “Was that Addie who flew by?”

  Graham nodded, not taking the time to explain.

  “Keep it down as long as you can. Get as many people across the bridge as possible. When the demons have a chance of breaching it, close it. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side.”

  Sheila matched his pace, immediately switching back into command mode. “Does that include you?”

  “That most definitely includes me.” He started across the bridge.

  “Wait!” She tossed him a set of keys. Graham nodded his thanks as he snatched them out of the air and sprinted for her security Jeep.

  He leaped into the driver seat, quickly started the car, and pulled away. People scrambled out of his path, but there were too many of them, so he drove along the grass, letting the refugees have the road.

  People streamed out of Blue Forks: old, young, male, female, healthy, crippled. All different except for one commonality: the looks of complete and utter terror on their faces.

  Graham gripped the steering wheel and swung back onto the road as the largest waves of refugees passed. Now the numbers had trickled down. It was mainly older citizens of Blue Forks and those struggling with some sort of physical ailment or with young children.

  Ahead, he saw Tess grab a child from a woman who was struggling to carry two toddlers. Tess looked toward Blue Forks before she sprinted back for the bridge with the child in her arms.

  Donovan’s form emerged as he cut through the refugees. Graham swerved so that he came around the side of Donovan and slammed to a stop. “Get in.”

  Donovan glanced over at him in surprise and then quickly jumped into the passenger seat. He took off again before Donovan had fully closed the door.

  “I saw Addie land. She’s at the edge of town.”

  Graham nodded. He figured that was where she would’ve gone. She’d want to head off the horde as soon as she could in case there were any stragglers left behind.

  “Did you see her wings? Man, I’ve never seen them look like that. They left a trail of fire in the sky,” Donovan said.

  I nodded. The outline of fire I’d seen before was nothing compared to the sight of them fully engulfed in flame. She looked like an avenging angel. And no doubt would fight like one.

  “We need to—”

  “Look out!” Donovan yelled.

  Graham was already swerving the car. A large billboard crashed to the ground in front of them. Two demons appeared in the dust as it settled.

  He put the car into reverse but then stopped before he hit the gas. There were two right behind them as well.

  Chapter 51

  Addie

  From the shortness of their horns, I knew the first wave of demons were new. That was good. The younger ones were always easier to take down. I took a deep breath, focusing my energy as they rushed me.

  Then I just let go.

  I didn’t think.

  I didn’t plan.

  I reacted.

  I swirled, dodging out the path of one demon as I sliced another. I didn’t stop as I moved from one to the next, slicing down demon after demon without conscious thought.

  A large demon swung its meaty fist toward me. I sliced it off. I sensed two rushing behind me. I flared the fire on my wings. They screamed, pulling back their hands, now charred stubs. With one sweep, I took off one of their heads, and then the other.

  That was how it went as the first wave continued. By the time I stopped, over three dozen demons lay in pieces around me.

  There was a small break in the onslaught as the next wave stopped, staring at the demons littering the ground, their blood flowing down the street.

  I raised my head, twirled my blades in my hands, and smiled. I know I shouldn’t be, but I was actually enjoying this.

  Chapter 52

  Graham

  “Do you see the horde?” Donovan asked, his gaze moving from side to side.

  “No, these must be scouts.” Graham thought about ramming the ones in front, but they were huge, and he wouldn’t be able to pick up enough speed to do any damage. “Let’s move.”

  Graham jumped from the car, pulling his bow into his arms. But he was too slow. The demon was on him before he could bring it around. It knocked the bow from his hand. He managed to hold on to an arrow and plunged it into the creature’s eye, shoving it as far as it could go. The creature toppled forward.

  But a second one was right behind it. It punched at Graham’s face. He ducked to the side, bringing an uppercut into the creature’s stomach. It barely moved. He slammed his left elbow into its chin. Its head reared back. And then a knife blade burst through its throat.

  Its mouth dropped open. Its tongue lolled to the side. The knife was retracted, and the demon was shoved to the side.

  Torr stood there, a bloody knife in his hand.

  Graham met his gaze, feeling more than a little guilt at his earlier comment. “Thanks.”

  Torr just gave him a brief nod. Donovan jogged over to them, slapping Torr on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

  Donovan earned a small smile from Torr. “I set up a barricade at the end of Main Street. It’s where Addie is. She needs help.”

  “What about the people?” Graham asked.

  “I got a dozen out before I came across you two. I’m going for another sweep.” He nodded down the road where a group of people was running for the bridge.

  Before Graham could make a comment, Torr disappeared.

  “That is a little freaky,” Donovan said.

  “Yeah. Come on.” They loaded back into the car.

  Graham crushed down on the accelerator.

  Donovan glanced behind them. “Torr came out of nowhere. He got one of the demons who was about to impale me. I would have been dead.”

  “Me too.”

  And Graham didn’t know what to think about that. Why was Torr so different? Were there others out there like him? Was it possible that they could find some allies amongst the demons?

  But that was a conversation for another time. Right now, they needed to evacuate Blue Forks. And they all, Addie and Torr included, needed to get across the bridge.

  “There!” Donovan pointed straight ahead.


  But Graham didn’t need his directions. He could see her clearly as she fought off a circle of ten demons.

  She was a swirl of beautiful death. Every time she moved, a demon was cut in half or lost a body part. She didn’t stop. She just moved on to the next.

  A small child darted out of a building and down the path. A demon sprinted after it. Addie rose in the air and pulsed toward the small child, her wings leaving of trail of fire in the air.

  A demon stepped to the side and released a spear. Addie dove in front of the child, the spear reaching them as Addie covered herself and the child in her wings.

  Chapter 53

  Addie

  I curled my arms around the trembling child. My wings cocooned around the two of us. I felt the spear as if I had eyes in the back of my head. I fanned the flames of my wings hotter.

  The tip of the spear melted to sludge as it reached us before the wooden staff burst into flame. The child in my arms was no more than five. His whole body shook, and tears trailed through the dirt on his face. “Mama,” he wailed.

  “We’ll find her,” I promised as I pulled my wings from around us and burst into the sky. The child’s mouth fell open.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  He grabbed on to my hands before a smile crept along his face. “Angel,” he whispered.

  With the boy securely wrapped in my arms, I headed for the bridge and safety while scanning the road below me.

  A group of ten people was only a few hundred yards from the bridge. With a jolt, I realized I knew half of them. I dropped down to the road in front of them. Lisa Sanchez let out a shriek. Her eyes widened as she took in my face. “Addie?”

  “Hi, Lisa.”

  Lisa already had her hands full with her youngest. Manny had the other young ones by the hand. He stopped still, his mouth gaping as he stared at my wings.

  I placed the boy on the ground in front of Cecilia. “I need you to get him to safety.”

  Cecilia just nodded mutely at me, her eyes also locked on my wings.

  I knew they wanted to ask me questions, but there simply wasn’t time. I surged into the air, racing back for the front.

  The horde had moved on, but a blockade had been erected at the end of the block, made from two overturned cars pushed together. Graham and Donovan were behind them, releasing arrow after arrow. They managed to keep the horde back except for one, who sprinted forward when they were both turned away from him.

  I dove down from the air, and with one clean swipe of my sword, removed his head. It fell at the feet of Graham and Donovan.

  Donovan didn’t slow as he grabbed another arrow and let loose. “Always need to make an entrance, don’t you?”

  I spared him a small smile. “I’m going to do a quick scan of the buildings to make sure there’s no one here.”

  “We’ll hold them off.” Graham met my eyes, complete faith and trust in his gaze.

  I nodded and took off into the air. I flew through the buildings, calling out and checking them as fast as I could. Six demons sprinted along a side alleyway after an older man and woman who were trying to escape.

  I crashed down, landing on one of the demons and driving it into the ground. With a yell of rage, I split the other two in half with two swipes of my sword before the other three bolted away. The man and woman looked at me, shock splashed across their faces.

  I nodded at them over my shoulder. “You need to hurry.”

  The man shook his head, indicating his wife. She reached out for the wall, her face pale. A line of blood stained her pants leg. “She’s hurt. She can’t move fast.”

  I walked over and picked the woman up. “Stay with me.”

  The man moved quickly, staying on my heels as I darted down the alleyway. I was beyond Donovan and Graham. I debated how to get these two to the bridge when a van screeched into view, coming to a bone-jarring halt in front of me.

  Tess was behind the wheel. Laura jumped from the passenger seat. I lowered the woman to the ground. “Can you get them to the bridge?”

  Tess nodded as Laura swept open the back of the van. There were seven more people in the back. Two of them hurried out to help the couple inside.

  “Any more stragglers?” Laura asked.

  “I don’t know. Those were the only two I could find. The demons are getting close. You need to get to the bridge now.”

  “What about Donovan and Graham?”

  “I’ll get them. Go.”

  Tess nodded and leaped back into the driver seat. Laura looked toward where the demons were.

  I knew she wanted to jump into the fight, but the demons were massing. We needed everyone over the bridge so we could make our stand there. It was the more strategic location. “Head for the bridge. You can do more good there if they get past us.”

  With one last glance at me, Laura reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat of the van. Tess wasted no time pulling a U-turn and racing back toward the bridge.

  I took off into the air and flew straight back to where I’d last seen Donovan and Graham.

  They’d had to retreat. Demons streamed toward them. They were backed into an alley with a fence at their backs. I dove down and slammed my two feet into the top of the fence. It crashed backward. Donovan and Graham scrambled over it.

  I landed in front of them and expanded my wings as the demons closed in. Pressure built in my chest as the flames grew higher. I glanced over my shoulder at Donovan and Graham.

  Donovan backed away, his mouth hanging open. But Graham stood close, wanting to help. I shook my head. “You need to run now.”

  Then the fire grew hotter and hotter. The flames flared out ten feet high. The demons paused, not seeming to know what to do.

  The pressure in my chest continued to build, becoming almost painful. I couldn’t hold it back much longer.

  I glanced over my shoulder again. Donovan and Graham had disappeared. The feeling in my chest began to spiral outward, calling for release.

  I closed my eyes and let go. Fire blasted out from me twenty feet in all directions, incinerating any demon that came close. Screams and cries met my ears, and when I opened my eyes, the entire alleyway was on fire. I burst back into the air, seeing Graham and Donovan heading for the bridge. Donovan limped while Graham covered his retreat. I could see Donovan yelling at him, no doubt telling him to go on without him. But I knew Graham would never do that.

  I bolted toward them and landed next to Graham, but my eyes were on Donovan. “What happened?”

  Donovan’s face was tight with pain. “It’s nothing. It’s a sprain. Demon horde, people, focus on the priorities.”

  “He can’t run. You need to get him out of here,” Graham said.

  I looked toward the advancing horde and then back to Graham.

  He nodded. “I know what I’m saying. Get him out of here.”

  I swallowed hard, staring at him, and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him close, pressing my lips against his. I’d wanted to do that for the last few weeks. Truth be told, I’d wanted to do that ever since he’d caught me at the Uriels’ home. But there never seemed to be the right time. But right now it looked like we were out of time.

  And for a few blissful moments, everything disappeared: the fear, the demons, the worry, even Donovan. For one moment, it felt like no one existed but me and Graham.

  I might have started the kiss, but he quickly claimed it, wrapping his around me and pulling me tight against him. My whole body shook, and a whimper emitted from my throat.

  A crash of glass cut through the haze. My chest heaved. My heart raced as I released him and stared into his eyes. “Don’t die. I’m coming back for you.”

  He smiled and ran a hand down the side of my face. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Without another word, I grabbed Donovan under the shoulders and yanked him up into the air.

  He let out a yelp and grabbed at my hands. “Holy crap. I’m flying.”

  “Technically, I’m f
lying. You’re dangling,” I said, still feeling like I’d had an out-of-body experience. A demon horde was rushing at us. I was flying Donovan to safety, and yet I couldn’t get Graham’s lips out of my mind. It was like I was on two tracks, one in this moment and the other still wrapped in Graham’s arms.

  “Hey, if anybody asks, I am totally saying I was flying. And I’m not mentioning that you were part of the equation at all.”

  I smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t infringe on the stories of your masculine adventure. Of course, if I were to land in Sterling Peak cradling you like a baby, your story might be hard to sell.”

  His whole body stiffened. “Don’t you dare. I swear I will fling myself to my death if you even try.”

  I laughed in spite of the fear crawling through me.

  Up ahead, the bridge was bathed in light. I put on a bolt of speed. Donovan grasped my hands tighter. But I didn’t have time to make this a nice peaceful flight. Graham was still back there, and I needed to get Donovan to safety and get back to him.

  The front of the bridge was still down. I lowered the two of us to the bridge. Sheila waited at its entrance. She hurried over. “Who’s left?”

  I dropped Donovan gently on the ground. He grimaced as he put weight on his bad ankle. “Graham’s still back there,” I said. “And Tess and Laura are coming with a van full of refugees. They should be last. When they’re over, close it up.”

  “What about you and Graham?” Sheila asked.

  “I’ll take care of it.” I went airborne. As I flew back toward Blue Forks, I saw the security van driven by Tess. They’d make it. Now I just needed to make sure that Graham and I did.

  Chapter 54

  Graham

  The demons kept coming. Graham would take one down and another one or two would take its place. He didn’t know how Addie managed to take down so many. He and Donovan had taken down one after the next, but it seemed like they’d barely made a dent.