Demon Fate

by Tori Centanni

  The wasp flew at me, its buzzing like an angry saw. I gathered demon fire and threw it at the wasp when it got a few feet from my face. It dodged the fireball. I ducked and rolled and the wasp flew over my head.

  I withdrew my sword. Conor had the obsidian sword out and ready. It would kill the demon with one good blow. I put my sword away.

  “I’ll get you a good shot,” I said, and chased the wasp demon down the hall. It reached the reception area and took a spin around the room. Then it came at me again. I gathered another ball of demon fire and lobbed the blue fireball at it. It whizzed out of the fireball’s path and blue flame slammed into the wall, igniting into a sheet of flame.

  Good thing this building was abandoned.

  The wasp came at me again, this time thrusting its stinger at me. I lurched to the side and it zipped past. Its stinger struck the wall.

  The wasp snarled. Normal wasps couldn’t snarl but this was a demonic creature, capable of way more than a normal bug. Its translucent wings flapped at hyper speed as it extracted its stinger. I readied another ball of fire and shot it off a second too late, the wasp pulling free and out of the way just in time. The fireball hit the wall, igniting it. Conor appeared in the hall. The wasp was focused on me. Conor brought the sword down on the wasp.

  Its big eyes widened in a way that was decidedly un-bug like. The obsidian blade cut it in half. Both halves hit the ground.

  I let some of the tension out of my shoulders and took a few deep breaths. Acrid, blue smoke was filling the office.

  I pushed past Conor and ran into the room where the circle had been. Penelope’s cage had been righted (by Conor, I assumed) but she was still trapped inside. She squawked her irritation at me. I struggled to get the small cage open with my shaking fingers but as soon as I did, Penelope flew out, stopped to caw at me once in admonishment, and then flew down the hall. Given the increasing smoke, I followed her out, messing up the circle with my sneakers as much as I could before I left.

  I’d put a lot of energy into the demon fire I’d thrown at the wasp and now it was eating the building around us. I raced down the hall and then skidded to a stop. Conor stood there, surrounded by flames, waiting for me.

  It was so idiotic of him and yet, it warmed me to my core. He nodded sharply at me and I nodded back. The silent exchange—You okay? Yeah, I’m okay—was enough. We both hurried out of the office and back into the parking lot.

  “What the hell was the point of that?” I asked, once I’d finished sucking in lungfuls of cold, clean night air.

  Conor pointed to the broken down gas station across the street. The little building next to the pumps that had probably housed a cashier and a very limited minimart glowed green. My jaw dropped.

  “A distraction,” Conor said. “I believe our villains are behind door number four.”

  I swore. Of course. Put Penelope in the cage across the street to keep us busy while they started whatever trap they really wanted to snare us in.

  Snare me in.

  Magic took time, after all, and couldn’t be held in stasis forever. It was kind of brilliant, in its own sinister way.

  “They cheated,” I said.

  Conor snorted. “Bad guys don’t play by the rules.”

  I smirked and conjured another ball of demon fire. “Luckily, neither do I.”

  Conor, for his part, didn’t wince at the flames this time. In fact, he looked kind of… proud? Impressed? Or maybe that was just wishful thinking. If nothing else, he didn’t look totally disgusted by the demon fire anymore. I’d call that a win.

  “Let’s kick some demon ass.”

  I marched across the street, careful not to trip on the broken chunks of cement that littered it. I considered setting the whole small building on fire but first, I needed to know who was in there. For all I knew, they had another hostage in their clutches.

  Conor kept a few paces behind me. It was a smart strategy he’d probably learned with the Watchers: if agents kept several feet apart, they couldn’t be taken out by the same spell attack. At least, not usually.

  I inched up to the door. It had a deadbolt but it wasn’t latched and the wood hung loose in the frame. I listened. Inside, I heard the crackle of fire and someone’s heavy breathing. The small building’s one window had been plastered over with ads for cigarettes and soda pop that had faded into almost unreadable wallpaper which kept whoever was inside from having a good line of sight. I could smell smoke, melted wax, copper, and iron. Candles and blood.

  My stomach churned. Whatever magic was being cast in there was dangerous and deadly.

  I met Conor’s eyes. His were blue and burned with intensity. He lifted a hand and swept a loose strand of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear.

  “We got this,” he mouthed.

  I smiled. “Yes, we do,” I mouthed back.

  Conor and I had been a team since our jobs crossed paths only five months ago, but it felt like a lifetime. Despite our ups and downs, it was hard to imagine how I’d ever managed without him at my back. I wanted to tell him that. No, I wanted to show him. I wanted to press my lips to his and dig my fingers into his shoulders and hold on for dear life.

  Not because I was afraid—though I was terrified and my heart pounded furiously—but because I’d found something in Conor that I’d never had before: a companion, a partner in arms.

  I swallowed uneasily, and tried to steady my shaking limbs. Then I gave Conor one nod of warning and kicked the door in.

  A green ball of energy flew at me the minute the door burst open. I managed to dodge the blow by leaning farther over and doing a cartwheel, but I had to drop my sword to do it. I landed and tossed my ball of fire at Jax.

  Jax had shaved the sides of his hair, leaving only a strip of mohawk running across his skull. He wore a gray sweatshirt dotted with all kinds of stains and torn up jeans. His eyes were bloodshot and his veins pulsed red beneath his cheeks, a sure sign he’d been imbibing demon blood.

  He was already gathering more energy and laughed as the fireball flew at his face. Hanging out with demons tended to make people a little unhinged. I almost felt bad for him.

  At least until my fireball slammed into an invisible shield. His laughter echoed through the small room. He had some kind of shield spell protecting him, which wasn’t good. Shield spells typically couldn’t take more than a few blows but Jax had the help of a demon to fuel his magic and make it more potent.

  I quickly took in the store to assess the playing field.

  There were marks on the floor from where shelves of snacks used to be and the back wall was a row of dark drink coolers. A counter where the cashier register had been still existed to the left of the door but the register and everything else was long gone. Deeper in the store, there were some wooden shelves remaining, and what looked like another empty space beyond them.

  The store was bigger than it looked from the outside. Five hundred square feet, maybe six. Big enough to have traps I couldn’t spot, and that was big enough.

  “What kind of game are you playing?” I demanded. When all else fails, get the bad guy to talk at you. Might buy some time, and sometimes they even let something vital slip.

  “A game called ‘summon a demon and destroy the stupid witch who’s out to get me.’” He smirked and tossed another ball of energy my way. I skidded out of the way and it slammed into the door frame. Conor, who’d just come in, dropped to the ground to avoid it.

  “I’m not out to get you,” I said. “I’m out to stop you and send your demon friend back to the dark hole he crawled out of. Where is he, anyhow?”

  Jax laughed harder and it set my teeth on edge. The laughter was too wild and cruel and devoid of mirth. “Oh, don’t worry, he’s coming.”

  Conor got to his feet and shot me an uneasy look. He didn’t like this. Neither did I. There was something going on behind the wooden shelves. I could see the flicker of candle light and shadows moving.

  Another energy ball came barreling t
oward us. I conjured demon fire and threw it at the ball, and they slammed into each in midair, exploding in a puff of purple smoke.

  Jax was already gathering more energy, this time making a ball the size of a beach ball. He was like the damn Energizer Bunny of magic. He never ran out. That was the power of drinking demon blood. Cool trick if you didn’t mind how it burned through your veins and warped your insides.

  The mage tossed his spell at us. It was too big to dodge easily. I leapt to the side anyhow, in hopes of avoiding the brunt of the blast. Conor threw out of one the shield charms. A force field went up just in time and the energy ball slammed against it, fizzling in mid-air.

  “You witches have some cute tricks,” Jax said. “But mages have more power.”

  “You don’t have jackshit,” I said. “You have a demon at your side and demon blood in your veins.”

  The smirk dropped from his face. For once, he didn’t seem to be two steps ahead. I had him pegged and he didn’t know how to handle that.. “So what?” he stammered. “I can still destroy you.”

  “Fat chance.” I tossed my demon fire at his head. Again, it hit the barrier he’d cast in front of him. He tossed more energy at us, and the shield charm protecting us held, but fizzled after absorbing the spell. It was out of juice.

  The mage’s shield wasn’t even flickering. That was going to make it a hell of a lot harder to defeat him.

  “Where’s your demon buddy?” I asked. “You guys have a fight or something?”

  The smirk returned. Jax met my eyes and in his I saw only malice and hate.

  Conor took advantage of his momentary distraction and swung the obsidian sword at the shield. That time, it flickered.

  Jax’s lips puckered like he’d bitten something sour.

  Conor smirked at the mage and hacked at the shield. It flickered with each blow. I gathered a ball of demon fire the size of a baseball. Conor slammed the shield a fourth time and it finally dropped, the magic depleted. I tossed my fireball at the mage.

  Jax growled and threw energy back at me before flying sideways, dodging the fire. It caught the edge of his sleeve and ignited his sweatshirt. He tore the sweatshirt off over his head and threw it to the ground.

  Then he lobbed a ball of energy at Conor. Conor bent sideways, dodging the first attack. Jax tossed a second.

  I threw my shield spell in front of Conor and it snapped into place just in time for the green ball of mage magic to bounce right off. Relief buzzed through my veins but it was short-lived and quickly replaced with adrenaline.

  Jax had way too much magic and he wasn’t going to stop throwing it at us. I had to get him incapacitated or we’d be dancing around energy balls all night.

  I rushed forward to attack.

  Light exploded behind the wooden shelves. The acrid smell of demon smoke and copper filled the air. The ground rumbled, and there was a loud crack!

  Shadows and light flickered behind the shelves and the air turned ice cold. My skin broke out in goosebumps. I stared at the shelves, trying to make out what was behind them.

  I heard a sword clatter to the stone floor and my head snapped toward Conor. He’d dropped his sword and his hand was bright red. The mage had used our distraction to disarm him. I started to conjure more fire, but the mage was fast. He threw another ball of energy at Conor’s chest. Conor tried to throw out a shield charm but was too slow and the green magic slammed into his chest. He shook, like he was being electrocuted, and then hit the ground.

  A scream crawled up my throat. I swallowed it back. Conor lay still but I could see his chest moving. He was unconscious, but not dead. He would be okay.

  He had to be okay.

  Blood thrummed in my ears. In my periphery, I saw something moving past the wooden shelves. But I focused on the mage. He’d hurt Conor and now I was going to destroy him. I gathered a ball of demon fire, pushing energy and power into until it was the size of a basketball.

  I flung it at the mage. Jax smirked at me as he jumped to the side, letting the fire fly past him. It smacked into the wall behind him, leaving a black scorch mark on the wall’s peeling paint.

  He started to gather more energy, so I gathered more demon fire.

  I got a small ball of it in my palm. A blade burst through his chest like an alien. Blood spurted out, soaking his shirt. I stared in shock, dropping the fire and trying to make sense of what had happened.

  And then I saw Ashraith behind him. The blade that had gone through the mage’s heart from behind was actually a long talon on the demon’s gnarly fingers. He pulled it out with a slick wet noise. Jax fell dead to the ground.

  Ashraith held up his hand, blood dripping from the sharp middle finger. “Hello, Danielle.”

  Chapter 23

  My whole body shivered at the sound of my name in his mouth. His words dripped with venom and his eyes radiated heat.

  He stood over six and a half feet tall, a lanky thing with leathery tan skin that stretched over his ribs. He had high cheek bones and a jaw that narrowed to a fine point beneath his unnaturally large mouth. He smiled with razor sharp teeth. His long fingers ended in dagger-like talons, one now bathed in the mage’s blood. His legs bent horse-like at the knee and his feet were hooves.

  “Behold me in my true glory,” Ashraith said, grinning.

  “Dude, find a mirror. There’s nothing glorious about you,” I said with bravado I didn’t feel. The marrow was shaking inside my bones and my heart slammed against my ribs, but I couldn’t let him know that.

  He snarled and his eyes flared. “Your human bodies are weak and insufficient. With this form, I can conquer your pathetic world and eat all of the witches’ eyes.”

  I swallowed. Gross. I gathered more demon fire in my hand, growing the ball I’d started before Ashraith had appeared.

  “You killed your friend,” I spat at him. “Not exactly a smart move.”

  The demon snorted. “He summoned me in this form. His usefulness was done.” He stepped over Jax’s corpse, kicking it with his second hoof as he did.

  “That’s why no one trusts demons.”

  I tossed my ball of demon fire at him. He held up a hand and the demon fire extinguished mid-air, turning to a puff of blue smoke.

  I sucked in a breath. My pulse raced. He’d just put out my demon fire by sheer force of will.

  His grin widened. He was thrilled by my confusion. “You cannot use my own magic against me in this form, witch.”

  My heart stopped. It started again with a thud, like an engine turning over. His magic? It wasn’t his magic. He’d left it behind in me after his horrible attack on my body and soul. I’d claimed it, learned to wield it, perfected it. It was mine.

  And in that moment, I knew killing him meant losing it. If he could stop it mid-air, extinguish it with his mind or a gesture, how likely was it that the magic would remain once Ashraith was a pile of ash?

  He took another step closer, clapping his hands together. He reveled in my shock and horror. I didn’t want to lose my magic. But I wanted him dead.

  “You were not the most powerful body I possessed. The vampire was better. This form, this is the height of my power.” He straightened and gestured to himself, his talons raking down his chest. The talons sliced his skin open, leaving thin red lines of blood that healed almost as quickly as they formed. “I am unbeatable now. Bow before me and I may spare you.”

  I snorted. “Hell no.”

  I conjured more demon fire, a ball in each fist, and threw them at each of his legs. He had the fireballs out before they hit. I swore and tried again. Again, the fireballs fizzled in the air. I growled in frustration.

  “Such a fun game. But it bores me now.” He pushed a hand out toward me, like he was pushing the air.

  I flew backward and hit the wall. I took the brunt of the hit on my back, not my head, and my ribs screamed in pain. So much for the progress they’d made healing. I slid down onto my behind and then got to my feet.

  “Do you know why I wanted
you here?”

  “Well, you obviously aren’t good at making friends,” I said, through gritted teeth. The pain in my middle radiated out and a wave of nausea washed over me.

  The demon shook his head. His stringy black hair swayed side to side with the motion. “You are an insolent, defiant little creature. And I will take great pleasure in crushing you like the insect you are.” His fingers danced in the air like he was trying to conjure a spell.

  I swallowed, throat dry. I pulled together one more fireball, barely the size of a golf ball, and threw it at the demon’s feet.

  It hit the ground in front of him. My throw had fallen short. Helplessness washed over me, despair sinking into my bones. It was like when he’d possessed my body, only this time, I was simply not good enough. He was outside me, facing me down, and I still couldn’t beat him.

  I was powerless. Useless. And the weight of my failure pressed down on me, making my limbs heavy and stiff. Sound wooshed out of the room.

  The darkness became oppressive. I could feel it closing in on me, my vision narrowing. My chest felt heavy and the blackness that had become so familiar thickened around me like an army of demon shadows.

  I was going to black out and then Ashraith could do whatever the hell he wanted with me. And I couldn’t stop it. He had all the power and I had none. It was over and I was dead.

  But then something shiny caught my eye. I blinked. The darkness receded slightly and I realized I was staring at Conor’s sword. His hand was only inches away from it, splayed upward as he lay unconscious on the ground.

  Conor.

  It wasn’t just me Ashraith was about to kill. There was no way he’d let a Watcher live. Hell, he’d probably take pleasure in killing us both.

  I took a deep breath. The blackness around me seemed to tighten in again and the only sound was muffled laughter. Ashraith, no doubt. He could make me black out instantly—unless that was just a trick the mage could do—but he wanted me to suffer. He wanted me to lose and know the whole time that I was losing.