by Danica Rayne
“You made me a coward.” I struggled against him. “Only a coward runs away.”
“Only a fool would fight a fight she can’t win. And you’re no fool, Alivia. And need I mention you have a massive injury?”
I was depleting all my strength. With a huff, I surrendered, tears dripping down my cheeks. “I want to kill him,” I moaned. “I need to kill him.”
He slid off me and settled down near me, cupping my cheeks and staring into my eyes. “That’s no ordinary demon lord. That’s Mergarus. The oldest and most powerful demon to have ever lived. I didn’t think he was still alive. He must be millions of years old.”
“Millions?”
“And it’s not like him to invade a world. He always sends the lesser demon lords and his other minions to do his dirty work.”
“What are you saying?”
He swallowed. “I’m saying that he’s out for your blood and he won’t stop until he finds you.”
“Why me?”
“Not just you. All the slayers. He’ll want to kill them all.” He rubbed his chin. “But why is he so threatened this time?” His eyes study mine. “You must be stronger than any other slayer his kind has ever faced.”
“But why…” I gasped. “Is it because of you guys? You’ve made me stronger.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “I guess it’s possible. But you can’t stay out here. We have to get you to safety.”
“Kayden, I won’t hide like a coward. Not when the whole word is in danger.”
“No. But we need to regroup and come up with a plan. And your leg is injured.”
“Kayden—”
“You can’t imagine what kind of horrors he’ll unleash in the human world. You have no idea what he’ll do to you if he finds you.”
“I’m not scared of him.”
“But I’m scared for you. And I’m going to keep you safe until we come up with a plan.” He pushed some dark hair out of his eyes. “Your house is the safest place. It won’t hold forever, but it’ll give us some time.”
“What about the others and my aunt? What if the demon lord got them?”
“I’ll get them as soon as I know you’re safe.” He placed his finger over my lips before I could say a word. “No, Alivia. You can’t go back there. He’ll torture you. He’ll do all kinds of horrors to you.”
I swallowed hard. He gathered me in his arms, pressing his cheek to mine. The next second, I was inside my house.
He laid me on the couch. “I’m locking all the doors and windows. Supernaturals won’t be able to come in, but they’ve got human allies now. I’ll return with the others as soon as I can.” He glanced down at my leg. “It looks like the bullet went through.” He threw off his coat and ripped off his shirtsleeve, wrapping it around my leg. “Levi will fix you up.”
“Hurry, Kayden. I’m so worried something happened to them.”
With a nod, he disappeared in a blur. My body begged me to sink into the soft couch and give it the rest it desperately needed. When was the last time I even slept? It felt like years. I tried to stay awake, but before I knew it, my eyes fluttered shut.
“Put me down!”
My eyes flew open at the sound of voices and footsteps. Kayden and Dr. Caldwell lowered a bleeding Ryker on the recliner.
I gasped at the blood dripping down his face. “What happened?”
“Just some scratches.” Ryker struggled against their hold. “I’m fine. Help Alivia.”
“Is everyone okay?” I scanned the room to make sure everyone was present, and I sighed in relief.
Dr. Caldwell got down on his knees before the couch and unwrapped Kayden’s shirtsleeve from around my leg. “The bullet went through, but you lost a lot of blood. And it’ll take a while before you can walk again.”
“I don’t have that long. I can’t sit around while the demon lord extreme destroys our world.” I looked at my aunt. “Tell them, Aunt Bea. I’m the slayer of Edgewood. I’m the one who has to take the demon down.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Yes, you’re the one who has to do it. But Alivia, you can’t.”
Dr. Caldwell stood up. “Kayden, run to the house and grab my medical bag. Not the black one. I need the brown one.”
“Okay.” He was gone.
“What are you going to do?” I asked.
He didn’t answer, just continued examining my leg. Then he moved on to Ryker and proceeded to take care of his wounds.
Kayden returned in less than five minutes, holding up a small brown medical bag. “This it?”
“Yes, thank you.” Dr. Caldwell took the bag from him and crouched before the couch. “This may sting a little.” He reached into the bag and retrieved a small black bottle.
“What is that?” Aunt Bea demanded.
“It’s a salve, one with healing attributes. It should heal her wound and make her as good as new within minutes.”
“And how did you acquire something like that?” she asked as he rubbed it on my wound. It burned so badly I grabbed one of the couch cushions so hard I thought the thing would burst.
“It’s something I’ve acquired over the years,” he answered.
Aunt Bea moved closer and studied my leg. “Doesn’t seem to be working.”
“Patience, Bea.”
It felt like my leg was on fire. He said it would be a sting? More like an amputation. I snatched Aunt Bea’s hand, my nails digging into her skin.
“It’s working,” she said. “Look.”
I glanced at my leg and saw the wound close up. The pain vanished as well.
“See if you can stand,” Dr. Caldwell said.
Letting go of Aunt Bea, I stood up and walked around a bit. “I’m good. Can we discuss how to stop the demon?”
We gathered at the dining room table. Dr. Caldwell cleared his throat as he linked his fingers together. “The demon lord that entered through the portal? His name is Mergarus. He is thought to be the first demon lord to have existed. I thought he was dead. He must be…”
“A million years old,” Kayden said.
“Yes. He’s one of the most powerful demons to have ever lived. But he doesn’t usually enter other worlds. I can’t help but wonder…”
“Kayden and I might have figured out why,” I explained. “We think he’s after me. He thinks I’m stronger than other slayers because…” My mouth snapped shut as my gaze settled on my aunt.
Her brows lifted. “Because?”
I sighed. “Because the five of us are soulmates. I have a stronger soul.”
Her eyebrows now furrowed. “What do you mean...?”
I shifted in my seat. “We’re kind of…I mean…the five of us…”
“We’re together,” Ryker said. “In a relationship.”
I gave him a look.
“What? Just rip the Band-Aid off. Bam.”
“Are you saying…?” Aunt Bea’s lips moved but no other words came out.
“A polyamorous relationship,” Dr. Caldwell explained. “It’s not unheard of.”
Aunt Bea gaped at him. “You knew about this?”
“Not that they were in a polyamorous relationship, no,” he admitted. “But I’m not surprised. I can pick up the pheromones—”
“Okay, okay.” She held up her hands. “Enough of that.” She pinned her eyes on me. “Are you sure, Alivia? You’re young. You still have a lot to learn about yourself and boys—”
“Mom said so, too.”
Her mouth clamped shut. “What?”
“I met Mom,” I said, my voice shaky with emotion. “She told me my soul won’t get dark like hers did because I have the love of the guys. We’re five parts of a whole. Soulmates. They’ll protect my part.”
“Whoa, whoa. Slow down and rewind. You met your mother?”
“She’s a wraith,” I told her. “She’s stuck in the shadow world. She’s able to slip into our world because the pillars are down.”
Aunt Bea’s eyes swelled with tears. Ripping her gaze from me, she turned away a
nd ran her free hand through her hair.
“So, um, back to the matter at hand,” I said. “Kayden and I think I’m stronger because of the guys. Maybe that’s why Mergarus came through. Maybe he originally planned to send a lesser demon lord once the barrier was weakened, and when the guys and I committed to each other, I guess he figured they wouldn’t be strong enough to kill me.”
Dr. Caldwell nodded. “It’s very plausible. He won’t stop hunting you until you’re dead. No, not dead. A demon lord like him doesn’t kill people. He does a lot worse.”
Aunt Bea and the guys drew in a startled breath.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You need to understand the gravity of the situation. Alivia can’t take him down on her own.”
Finn signed.
Dr. Caldwell sighed. “Yes, Finn, she has, you, the guys, and us. But that’s not enough. Not against an army of supernaturals and humans. We need people on our side. We need our own army.”
“We need more slayers,” I said.
Dr. Caldwell rubbed his forehead. “Of course! We need a sisterhood of slayers.”
“What are you talking about?” Liam asked.
“Many years ago, portals opened all over the world. Demons flooded Earth, causing all kinds of horrors. And I believe…yes, that was the time Mergarus slipped in as well.”
“Mergarus has been here before?” I asked.
“He’s slipped into our world many times. But not since the sisterhood of the slayers sealed those portals. They sacrificed a lot to ensure he—and many like him—would stay out for good.”
I lowered my eyes. “Until my mom accidentally tied her slayer side to the barrier and made it vulnerable.”
Aunt Bea raised her eyebrows in confusion. I quickly explained it to her.
Dr. Caldwell rubbed his chin. “It was the slayers’ sacrifice that strengthened the barrier and established the pillars in every spawn point,” he mused. “Only an act of betrayal would take it down.”
“Mom’s betrayal,” I whispered, my heart sinking. “But it wasn’t her fault,” I insisted. “She just wanted to make a better life for herself. For the future me.”
“No one’s blaming her,” Aunt Bea assured me. “But this proves how important your duty is.”
I nodded. “I know. And I’ll do everything in my power to stop Mergarus. We need a sisterhood of our own. We need to recruit all the slayers and take down the demon bastard.”
Dr. Caldwell looked toward the window. “And fast. He’s claimed many lives already.”
“How do we find these slayers?” Kayden asked.
I turned to my aunt. “You know how to get in touch with them, don’t you? My mom went to help a slayer in Atlanta. How can I reach her?”
Aunt Bea bit her lower lip. I didn’t have to read her mind to know what was going on in her head. She was dead worried for me. The last time my mom went to seek out another slayer, she and my dad were killed.
“I’m not a little kid, Aunt Bea,” I said. “I’m not the same broken girl you picked up from JFK Airport.”
“I know.” She nodded, determined. “I’ll look for the number.”
We were quiet as Aunt Bea left. She finally returned a few minutes later with a piece of paper and handed it to me. “Her name, address, and phone number.”
“I think we should stop by instead of calling,” I said. “We have to make her understand how urgent the situation is.”
Ryker scoffed. “Does she really need convincing? Just turn on the TV.”
I didn’t want to imagine what the news looked like. The world must have definitely learned about Mergarus by now.
As if reading my thoughts, Aunt Bea said, “They’ll try to take him down with guns,” she said. “They’ll probably send the military at him. But only a slayer can truly defeat a demon.”
“They don’t know slayers exist,” I said as I got to my feet. “They don’t know there are women out there who are sworn to protect the world. I say we change their minds.” My eyes moved between all of them. “I should do this alone. You guys need to stay here and protect Edgewood, as much as you can.”
“I don’t want you to go alone,” Aunt Bea said.
“I doubt a werewolf, wendigo, vampire, or dragon shifter would make a first good impression on the slayer,” I said.
“I disagree,” Kayden said. “I think some of us have to go with you. Let them see that some of us are good. That we’re on their side.”
The others nodded in agreement.
I puffed out some air. “Okay.”
We decided that Liam would accompany me, since I needed him to fly me to Atlanta as fast as possible. Ryker volunteered to stay behind, since he was a more powerful opponent than Kayden in his wolf form, and he and his foster dad made a good team. It was best Finn stay behind, too, because I doubted the slayer would be happy to see a wendigo on her doorstep.
“You guys help keep Edgewood safe,” I said. “But be careful. Don’t engage Mergarus. We’ll go at him full force when we’ve recruited the other slayers.”
Aunt Bea hugged me. “Good luck, sweetie.” Then she eyed Kayden and Liam. “Take care of her. Please.”
“With our life,” Liam promised.
My aunt kissed my cheek.
I took Finn’s hand and led him to a private area where we could talk. “I have a special job for you.”
His brows rose with curiosity.
I held out the supernatural knockout device. “Lawrence used this on you guys when the hellhound destroyed the last pillar. It knocks supernaturals born on this world unconscious. It didn’t work on the demon lord. Do you think you can reconfigure it so it could work on him and the other demons?”
Finn carefully took it in his hands. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Where did he get it from? Did he make it?
“No idea.”
With a determined look in his eyes, he nodded. I’ll do it.
“Thanks.”
Liam, Kayden, and I said goodbye to the others and left.
Chapter Eighteen
The weather had gotten far too cold in such a short amount of time. It was no doubt due to the demon lord master. It was so hard to fly past the town, to see the destruction the demons were causing. With the portal opened, hundreds had passed through. I didn’t want to think how many lives they’d taken.
Kayden wrapped his arms tighter around me and brushed his lips across my cheek. I melted into him, drawing out as much comfort as I could.
Liam sped at such a fast pace my eyes began to tear. But we were flying across the entire country, with time running against us. I hoped we’d be able to recruit the slayers before the demons and supernaturals caused irreparable damage. Before they wiped out the entire human race.
We made it to our destination in three hours. Liam lowered himself into a row of bushes a few blocks away from the slayer’s house. Kayden and I climbed off him before he shifted back into a human. I stepped out from the bushes, examining the area around me. The place was so beautiful, so green. It reminded me a little of Edgewood.
The guys and I made our way toward the slayer’s house. It was a small white house with a white fence, a lawn, and a cobblestone walkway. Small and cozy.
With the guys trailing me, I walked up to the front door, took a deep breath, and jabbed my finger into the doorbell. I heard it echo through the house. A few seconds later, the door swung open and a woman came into view. She looked about mid-twenties, tall and slender, though her eyes seemed older than her age, like she had endured some hardships in her life.
“May I help you?”
“Hi. Does Erica Tinsley live here?”
Her entire face grew suspicious. “Who wants to know?”
“My name is Alivia Knight.”
The woman’s eyebrows rose. “Am I supposed to know who you are?”
“I’m the slayer of Edgewood.”
She stared at me in disbelief. “The slayer of Edgewood. Is that supposed to be a joke?”
�
��No, why would I joke about that?”
She carefully scanned me from top to bottom, lingering on my slayer belt. “The slayer of Edgewood was killed no more than two months ago.” Her eyes narrowed at me again. “Who are you really?”
“I’m her daughter.”
Her eyes and mouth widened in even more disbelief. “You’re Beth Hadwin’s daughter? I didn’t know she…” Her voice trailed off as she gazed past me. With a look of alarm, she reached behind her and withdrew a katana. “You brought supernaturals with you?”
“No! They’re not supernaturals. I mean, they are, but they’re the good kind.”
Holding the katana dangerously close to my face, she said. “Why have you come here? What do you want?”
“I need to speak to the slayer of Atlanta.”
“I’m the slayer of Atlanta.”
I gaped at her. “You? You’re Erica Tinsley?”
“No. I’m Callie Tinsley. Erica was my mom.”
“Was? You mean, she’s dead?”
She moved the katana away from my face, but still held it between us, her eyes warily flitting to Kayden and Liam. “She died two months ago. Together with your mom.” She hissed when Liam shifted behind me. “Why did you bring a vampire and this other creature to my doorstep?” She studied Liam. “What are you? I can feel the heat leaping off your body…” She moved a little closer, the katana no longer poised in front of her. “It’s hard to control, isn’t it?” She held out her palm toward the middle of his chest. “It’s growing stronger. Like a hunger that can’t be satiated.” Now she looked at him in wonder. “A real dragon. Thought they were all extinct. That’s amazing.”
“Uh…” Liam’s gaze moved from me to her. “Thanks, I guess? I thought you wanted to slice my head off with the katana.”
“Maybe to your friend over there.” She nodded toward Kayden. “But not you. I’ve always been fascinated with dragons, ever since I was little. They’ve never really hurt humans like other supernaturals, at least not on purpose. Most conflict was amongst themselves, and they were the cause of their own annihilation. Until now.” She replaced the katana in the sheath behind her and stepped closer to Liam, until there were only a few inches between them. “Where did you come from?”