by Peter Glenn
“Y’all ready to rock?” The one with the guitar shouted.
“Hell yeah!” the cry resounded through the crowd.
Great. Just great. There was no way Charmaine was going to be heard over all that. I had to reach her.
Just a little further.
I was almost at the stage now, but despair sunk in once I got there. There were no steps leading up to the stage. I’d have to figure out a way to vault my way onto them, and in my battered state, that just wasn’t happening.
Reaching as hard as I could, I held my good arm out, searching for the lip of the stage. I felt it and tried to pull as hard as I could to vault myself up, but it was no use. The effort was too much.
Harsh hands grabbed my butt, then, and I felt myself lifting into the air. A small crowd of concert goers must have seen me and were pushing me onto the stage.
Finally, a spot of luck.
Like a fish flopping about out of water, I half pulled and half rolled onto the stage, finally getting my bulk over and onto the structure.
One of the band members started approaching me, and I winced, but he didn’t seem upset by anything.
“Whoa, dude, that’s hardcore!” he said, offering me a hand to help me up.
I gratefully accepted. “Thanks, buddy.” It was still a strain, and I almost fell over even with his help, but I managed to right myself. “Much appreciated.”
“What’s your name, dude?” the band guy said.
“D-Damian,” I stammered, suppressing a cough.
Each syllable was like fire igniting my lungs at this point. I felt my vision start to blur and thought I was about to topple over once again, but I stayed upright. I was almost there. Just a little farther, and I could cut Charmaine down. Maybe she could handle the rest.
Just a little further.
“Where you from, Damian?” It was the band guy again.
“Ch-China.”
“We have a fan here all the way from China. How cool is that!” the guy said, pointing toward the crowd.
Everyone cheered him on.
The cheers had an effect on me, too, their happy energy filling me with hope that I would make it. Just a dozen or so steps and a quick swipe with my sword. Almost there.
“Damian from China, this song’s for you!” the band guy shouted.
Another round of cheers erupted from the crowd, bolstering me again.
The band guy went to go join his fellows, and the guitar guy started in. The tune was surprisingly good, if not really my style. I was more of an 80s guy myself. But all in all, it was passable.
I slunk along the stage, forcing myself to take each step, grateful that the summoning ritual hadn’t completed itself just yet. Maybe there was still time to save everyone.
Just a little further. Five more steps. Four.
I glanced at the band. I could see the drummer now. There was a band label affixed to the drum kit. “Death and Dismemberment” it read. How fitting. In spite of myself, I chuckled, sending a fresh wave of pain through my abdomen, threatening to take me down.
But against all odds, I held fast. Just three more steps now.
I half pulled myself the rest of the way and leaned hard against the pole that held Charmaine in place. I think she saw me, because I saw her start to squirm, and I heard her shout something, but over the music, I couldn’t hear what it was.
My vision was almost completely clouded over by now, and I swore a tiny breeze would knock me over, but I managed to get Grax’thor into my sweaty hands, thankful that she’d come with me. For once, our bond meant something.
My palms were so slick with sweat and my own blood that I could barely hold onto her, let alone wield her. But wield her I did. I raised Grax’thor high into the air and another loud shout erupted from the crowd.
Just what did the typical floor show look like at this concert, anyway?
With the last of my strength, I made my swipe, Grax’thor doing most of the work. Her sharp blade cut into the ropes, slicing through them with ease. They tumbled to the ground, and Charmaine leapt off the pole in the same motion, swooping down with her arms to cradle my head.
Another cheer erupted from the crowd. Dang, they were as crazy as that Tom guy.
“What happened?” Charmaine asked me, her eyes full of worry.
“I… I killed Tom, but… but he… he…” I couldn’t get it all out. The effort was too much.
But Charmaine seemed to understand. “Say no more.”
Then she did something weird with her arm. I was so delirious I could barely make it out. I could have sworn I’d seen her bite her own arm, but surely that was a hallucination, right?
Something crimson spilled on top of me, then, leaking into my open mouth.
“Drink!” she urged.
It tasted warm and sweet. A bit like candy, really. The liquid reached the back of my throat, and I coughed, spitting it out. What was going on?
“Wh-what is… that?” I asked.
“Just drink it, damn you!” she commanded. “Stop being such an ass!” She covered my mouth with her arm and glared down at me.
I did as I was bade. It’s not like I could have denied the request if I’d wanted to. I hadn’t the strength.
The red liquid tickled the back of my throat, but this time, I swallowed. I couldn’t quite explain the sensation that followed. I was too out of it for that. The thick fluid filled my mouth, coming faster and faster. It was the sweetest drink I’d ever tasted, and as I drank in more and it filled my stomach, I could sense life returning to my poor limbs as they tingled with a kind of fire I couldn’t describe.
All I knew was that it felt amazing. Even better than healing bourbon. Was this how it was made, with this sweet-tasting mystery liquid?
Charmaine’s arm removed itself from my mouth a moment later, and I shot up into a sitting position, suddenly feeling alive in a way I never had before.
“What did you give me?” I asked her.
Charmaine shrugged. “Best you don’t know.”
I glanced at her arm, then, and saw the wound on it starting to close. Vampire blood, then. That’s what she’d given me. Odd that it tasted nothing like the human stuff.
“What I gave you, it won’t last for long, understand?” Her voice was firm.
I nodded slowly. “I think so. Thank you.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.
“Don’t worry about it.” She sized me up and down. “You feeling better now?”
I took stock of my injuries. My leg was once again moving freely, and my side had closed up. I was also pretty sure I could hold a sword in both hands, and it didn’t hurt as much to breathe. It wasn’t great, mind you, but it was better.
“Think so,” I managed.
“Good, because we’ve got company.” She pointed out toward the center of the crowd of people.
I squinted against the harsh black lighting from the candles to make out what looked like a portal forming in the middle of the crowd. Out of the portal poured what I assumed were several demons, black skinned with a mix of horns, fangs, snouts, and claws the likes of which I hadn’t seen since the 1800s.
They hadn’t attacked anyone yet, but it was only a matter of time.
“Right. You go see if you can snuff out those candles, I’ll take on the demons,” I told her.
Charmaine nodded, and she was off, zooming through the crowds toward the nearest candle structure.
I watched her for a second, then turned my attention toward the growing portal. The sound of a demon’s screeching howl erupted from the center, catching everyone around it off guard.
Confused looks surrounded the portal as some people cheered it on while others backed away into the crowd.
A second later, the nearest demon attacked, swiping its claws at the closest concert goer and removing his head in one smooth motion. The head bounced and rolled on the ground while the body spurted and fell to the ground in a pool of blood.
Finally, people seemed to realize it wasn’t
all part of the show, and chaos ensued.
That was my cue. I leaped down off the stage, landing on feet that had never felt so secure. I felt like superman flying through the air and wondered how long I would continue to feel like that. But it didn’t matter. Charmaine’s blood only needed to last long enough for me to kick some demon ass.
I heard another howl erupt from near the portal and several screams as people started running away. Threading my way through the crowd, I searched my pockets for my flashbang charm. I found it seconds later tucked underneath a generous pile of pocket lint.
Flicking the tiny switch on it, I hurled the charm toward the small demon horde. The charm impacted the ground and went to work, sending out a series of bright bursts of light in a semi-strobe pattern.
The demons hissed and snapped, but stayed put, temporarily blinded by the charm.
Phew. It worked. I wasn’t sure if it’d work on demons or not.
I shielded my own eyes as I ran through the crowd, determined to reach the demons before they could do more harm. In my sword arm, I readied Grax’thor, while I searched for my tangle charm with my other hand. Maybe I could disable a few more demons and even up the numbers a bit.
A terrified concert goer screeched and practically threw themselves at me. I dodged past them, shoving them backward and out of the way as I kept going.
Then I was on top of the demon hordes. Seeing them up close and personal, they were even more ugly—all bristles and fangs and claws, with eyes in the weirdest spots. No real rhyme or reason to their appearance.
I hacked upward, cleaving through one of the beasts with my sword. The two halves of the demon quivered and fell to the ground in a pile of thick, black blood and ichor.
Another demon scowled at me and swung its clawed hands at my midsection, but I caught those claws on the back swing, removing the thing’s hands. The stumps of its arms spurted out more of that black blood as the demon howled, then I ended it with a heavy thrust right to its spiny chest.
That was two demons down, but until Charmaine managed to close the gate, there would be more and more coming to take their place. We were just getting started.
I swung my blade in a wide arc, carving through two more demon chests and spilling guts and gore everywhere. The demons went down in a frenzy as the ones behind them trampled over them in giant, loping steps, eager to get at me and the escaping crowds.
Off to the side, I saw another innocent man get skewered by a demon claw. He was far beyond my reach, so all I could do was watch.
How many innocents had died now? I wasn’t sure, but I was doing my best to stem the tide.
As I made my way through the hordes, hacking and slashing at any claws or fangs that came close, I heard a sort of loud clicking noise, and my surroundings darkened as one of the candles went out.
Good. With even one of the candles out, the portal should start closing in on itself.
Two demons came for me, lurching forward on oddly angled legs, claws in front. I dodged out of the way of the first one, but the second managed to rake my chest, tearing three new holes in my Duran Duran shirt.
Well, that was it. It was definitely no good now.
What was it with enemies and ruining my good band shirts, anyway? It’s not like I was made of money. Duran Duran was getting harder to find, too. I’d have to pay good money for the next one, I just knew it.
Blood oozed from the fresh wounds and trickled down my abdomen, but I felt none of the searing pain I expected. Was this another effect of the vampire blood? That stuff was strong.
I could get used to it.
I hacked at the demon’s necks with a high, wide swipe, severing both of their heads in one swift motion. Their heads rolled onto the ground as their bodies shook and fell, once again getting crushed by the demons that piled in behind them.
One of the creatures crashed into me from behind, and as I went stumbling forward, I realized I was starting to become surrounded. That was good in that it meant the demons were coming after me instead of the innocents, but also bad for my survival chances.
No matter. I’d led a nice, long life. If I could save these people and go out in a pile of demon guts, that would be a worthy end for me.
I swung my blade backward, jamming it into the torso of the demon that had crashed into me. I twisted and pulled the sword forward, bringing a spray of black blood and more demon guts with it as the sword ripped free and exited the demon’s body.
That seemed to take care of that one.
I glanced around and saw that the portal was indeed starting to close. Another demon was forcing its way out of the hole, but it only managed to make it halfway before the portal closed, cutting it in half.
Still, there was plenty more left where that had come from. I counted a dozen or so more of them still standing.
I could take twelve of them.
Three of the beasts surrounded me, each one making menacing advances with their claws. I swung my blade in wide arcs to keep them at bay, but other demons were starting to crowd into the circle as well.
One of the beasts lunged for me, and I ducked under its swipe, bringing my blade up and into its midsection, stabbing through guts and spine so my sword stuck out of the back of its head.
That one shuddered and stopped, but it gave the other demons room to attack while I wrestled my sword free.
It was time. I flung my tangle charm at the nearest demon, and it flared to life, a tangle of roots and vines instantly popping up, wrapping around both it and its closest neighbor. The two demons fell to the ground in a mass of limbs, claws, and vines, howling all the while.
Their shrieks grew quiet as the bundle stopped moving a moment later.
Just nine left to go.
I freed my sword and hacked through another two of the creatures with a strong, downward plunge of my blade, cutting through muscle and bone and severing one of their legs. More blood and guts spilled onto the lawn as they went down, too, howling and mewling.
I was sure glad I wasn’t the one responsible for cleaning up after this concert. How did you get demon guts out of grass, anyway?
Seven left.
Pain rocked my core as I felt another clawed hand rake my back. Pain? That was a bad sign. Charmaine’s blood must be wearing off.
I spun around and swung Grax’thor in a swift, even motion, taking off the beast’s head before I even came to a stop. But my back hurt a lot, and I was starting to become acutely aware of other injuries, too.
Six more to go.
Four of the remaining creatures came at me, then, lumbering forward, creating a wall of demon claws that looked to be impenetrable.
“Heh. Don’t suppose you’d be cool with a time out?” I asked, flashing them a grin.
Their unearthly roars told me no, they would not be cool with that. Oh well. It was worth a shot.
I lunged forward, sending my blade through the chest of the closest demon and felling it, but the rest were too close now.
One of them scored a lucky blow against my sword arm, and I saw bits of my own flesh fly through the air as pain soared up it and blood droplets flew everywhere. I headbutted that beast, instantly regretting it as its bristling fur bit into the skin of my face, but it bought me much needed time to free my sword and use it to decapitate him.
Four left.
Another demon claw sunk itself into my other arm as one of the last beasts lunged and sunk its teeth into my leg.
Screaming out in pain, I dropped to one knee, trying as hard as I could to force the beasts off me. But it was too much.
This was it. I knew it. This was the end.
Well, like I said, it had been a good run.
Strong hands pulled the demons off me as I heard a woman’s cry break over the din of howls and the sounds of combat.
Like a white knight, Charmaine was there, crushing the demon’s skull with her bare hands while kicking another one away from me at the same time. She let loose another battle cry and tore throug
h the last of the demons with an ease that I wouldn’t have thought possible.
I was suddenly very glad she was on my side.
Panting and wheezing, my whole body shaking from the pain and the blood loss, I tried to stand to greet her, but the strength wouldn’t come. My vampire blood cocktail had worn out, and I felt even more tired and woozy than I had before.
“Fancy meeting you here,” I told her, flashing her a big, dopey grin.
“You’re such an idiot, Damian,” she replied, smiling back at me.
“Did… did we stop them?”
Charmaine nodded. “I think so.”
“Good.” I nodded. “Very good. Help me to the car, will you?”
I held out my hand to her just as my consciousness started to fade.
17
It was about two weeks later when we finally met back up at Mei’s bar. I had taken most of that time just to heal up from the numerous injuries I’d suffered. My accelerated healing was a little better than normal, but not great. And with the amount of injuries I’d suffered? Well, it was a wonder I was still standing at all.
Normal humans surely would have died from all that strain.
Lucky ducks.
But nope, I was still very much alive and kicking. Apparently, it would take more than a dark wizard and a horde of demons to stop me. Who knew?
We were all there at Mei’s. Well, most of us, anyway. Hank, Isaiah, Sally, Sevin, Yuri. Even Charmaine and Tacobeh.
Daequan would be here soon. I’d sent my recording of Tom’s confession to the DA, and they’d freed Daequan pretty quickly after that.
Well, it was quick for the government, at least. It had taken ten days for them to finally let him out of jail. Some bureaucratic nonsense I didn’t quite understand about rules and arranging transport. None of it made any sense to me, but the important part was that it had been done. He had been freed and was coming by the bar tonight to reunite with Charmaine.
I glanced over at Charmaine sitting at the bar, coconut drink in hand, lips trembling as she peered at the entryway to the bar.
“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute now,” I told her.