But before she could make another sound, he unleashed a demonic roar, channeling a searing torch through his palms. A beam of heat shot through her face as it collapsed in on itself. It left nothing but a melted mass behind, a green mist escaping as it did. He continued down to her chest, eyes wide and feral, teeth bared. He bored through her as he tore out a glowing green heart, beating faster and faster until it exploded in his grasp. As the pyre surrounding him died, he used his last bit of strength to rip her half-clinging head from her shoulders, twisting and pulling until a snap resounded and it finally tore loose.
The Hag was gone, at least I hoped.
Her lifeless body lay unmoving beneath him as he tried to catch his breath, but the gaping holes in his abdomen still leaked profusely as he collapsed onto the floor, gagging on his own blood. He seized, writhing with intermittent tremors as I jumped up from the bed to try and aid him.
“Maddy, no! What do I do? Please, tell me what to do!” I begged, my cheeks soaked as I tried to put pressure on his wounds, but they seemed fatal. He only groaned in recoiling agony as I attempted to press. “You’ll be okay, right?” I knew he could heal, but this looked worse than before.
“Leila…” he choked, blood spattering from his mouth as a shaking hand searched aimlessly for mine. I took a firm hold of it.
“Tell me you’ll be okay.”
“I…can’t-” he coughed, barely able to speak as his eyes flickered shut through a moan. “Leila…li-listen…” One of his blood-slicked fingers gestured for me to come closer so he could whisper. “Please…”
My ear was but an inch away, hearing the rasp in his voice as he struggled for air.
“T-tá…m-m-mé i…n-ngrá…leat.” he forced through a stuttering mumble, the words unfamiliar to me. His hand trembled violently as he tried to caress my chin.
“English, Maddy!” I cried, pressing his soiled hand against my cheek, black ash and blood smearing across it. Weakly, he turned his head to look at me, a faint crescent curling his lips as his eyes grew dead in appearance, flooding with blackness. His chest vibrated with fitful gasps.
“I…I…Ah!” Hacking, he slammed his fist on the floor in frustration, eyes shining brighter through an angered grunt as he tried to clear his lungs of the suffocating mess.
“Leila…you-” He was choked by a sudden gurgle, his eyes staring widely at me, as if his breath had just been taken from him. He dropped his hand to bang on his chest, trying to tell me something. I understood.
My fists clasped, hands raised above my head to pound on his chest as he nodded again and again. After the third blow, a stream of black erupted from his mouth, spraying everywhere as he gasped. My arms shot up to shield my face as he tried to turn away. His breathing had cleared; still strained, but much stronger. He still bled, face cringing with every groan, but he managed a smile, meeting me with it.
“Thank you…”
“What were you trying to say?”
“Hm…later…” his hand twitched dismissively as he coughed.
“Later? You’re kidding. Maddy, you…look at you. What if there isn’t a later? What if you die?”
“Ha—ungh,” he tried for a chuckle, but it was interrupted by the pain, his eyelids fluttering through the torment. “No…it just really…feckin’ hurts. Hmm,” he grunted through another failed attempt at laughter. That was when I remembered.
“Wait, Maddy.” I held a shuddering arm up to his mouth, but he rejected the offer. “Blood! You said blood heals you fastest, right?”
“Oh, Leila…” He spoke with a heavy sorrow, his head moving side to side in disapproval. “No. It won’t wor—hmph. Ahh!” An agonizing wail leapt from his chest, his arms wrapping around him as he writhed like he was trying to squeeze the pain away. His body tensed up enough to raise his head from the floor.
I was growing indignant, so much so that I began looking around for something sharp enough to cut myself with since I knew he wouldn’t bite me—then I noticed his fiendish form was still dwindling. The ends of his sharp nails, like razors, still drew some length as I shot my hand up and nicked my forearm on his inflexible hand. It happened too quickly for even him to react, but he hadn’t expected it. As I winced, his head jerked up, expression stuck in a horrified gaze as he watched the crimson ichor drip onto his belly.
“Leila, no! What are you—” as soon as I saw the flame of his hand flicker, I shoved my arm to his mouth, pushing away his healing fire as I glared hard at him. He knew I wasn’t going to back down, but still he shook his head.
“It will work…”
For a time, his lips were still, but as he opened his mouth to welcome the liquid they grew tremulous. His pupils grew wide and fearful, flicking to me, down, and then back up as they stayed locked on mine and he began to suck. This time, he didn’t let go. This time, there was no recoil, no gagging release or rejection. In fact, after a few moments of hesitation he looked as if he almost took a pleasure in it, gripping my arm tighter and tighter.
He drank slowly, his eyes rolling back as he moaned with approval. I could feel my veins flowing stronger, a smile plastered on my face. I couldn’t explain it, but I began to enjoy the sensation because something about it was exhilarating—a strange tingle overwhelming my skin the longer he fed. There was also a warmth; like the first hug of red wine as it envelops your senses after downing a glass.
After what felt like an eternity, he rather reluctantly pulled away. This time, I didn’t feel as dizzy, just a bit nauseated, but my wound was already closing up. Shallow holes still littered his torso, but they no longer bled like before, and his breaths sang beautifully.
“Wow…” Licking his lips, he stared back at me with wonderment through a feverish grin.
“No kidding…” I huffed, pulling him up as he tried to sit, a grumble of discomfort in his chest. “I thought you’d done that before, though?”
“Yes, but…not for a long time.” He wiped at the sticky fluid on his chest, fingers hovering beneath his face, and he grimaced as he took a quick whiff. His nose wrinkled in distaste, his whole upper body flinching. “Can you smell that?”
I sniffed, shaking my head. All I could smell were the leftovers of sweat, a faint hint of copper, and ash—like the leavings of a fire that had long since died. I couldn’t pick up on whatever repulsive scent he could.
“Strange. Consider yourself lucky, though. It’s horrible.” Then he perked up, listening hard for something, but not like before. He ran a hand down his face, grasping at his chin. “Oh no…”
“What? What is-”
We heard two bangs and a crash from the front door. But as I shrieked, Maddy did nothing more than grow agitated. Only now did I see the reflection of the blue and red lights outside the bedroom window.
“Police!” someone announced, the voice familiar, as we heard the scuffle of at least a dozen footsteps making their way through the house and a few up the stairs. “Upstairs! Miss Davis? Please make a sound if you can hear me.”
“Oh God, Jean must’ve called the cops,” I whispered, my face flushing with heat. Maddy looked back at the decomposing monster as I looked down at the state of myself and of him. He still wore nothing more than a falling pair of pants, and I nothing more than his shirt, both of us covered in streaks of darkened blood.
The sudden white flood of flashlights blinded us through the crack in the door. All I could do was tear the comforter from the bed, wrapping both of us in it as the door swung open through a hurried nudge. Beams of light shone on our faces as we stood, the outline of three figures standing awestruck with guns in hand. But as they inched closer, they came to a halt, spotlights focusing on the muddied feet on the floor beside us, and the pool of blood that soaked into the comforter. One of them felt around on the wall beside the door, flicking the light on as my eyes tried to adjust.
“Hands up! Both of you!” Rogers shouted, a cowardly expression invading his face as he looked at us in confusion. I looked over at Maddy to see his mouth dren
ched with blood, eyes on the floor, and I knew that explaining this would be a challenge.
“Rogers, look, I can ex—”
“I said hands up! Now!” The nine-millimeter shook in his grasp, his eyes full of fear. One of the other officers inched closer to try and examine the body behind us. As the approaching officer looked back, Rogers nodded, the officer taking a quick hold of the comforter to tear it from our grasp as it slipped away. But as the blanket was flung to the floor, our hands shot up, and the cops’ expressions fell—riddled with embarrassment and horror.
There we stood, Maddy’s pants trying hard to cling to his hips and my shirt half open. My mostly naked body was there for the whole world to see. My garters and underwear were splayed out on the floor beneath my feet, and Maddy’s boxer briefs lay on the floor beside them. The charred remains of a huge creature occupied the space in between. The officer closest to us backed up so quickly he tripped over the corner of the bed and fell to the floor. None of them could process any of it.
“What… the fuck is going on?” Rogers finally spat, his eyes like saucers. The other officers lowered their guns as they tried to avert their eyes from us. “And what… the fuck… is that?” He was so mortified I half expected him to piss his pants in terror as he stepped back against the wall.
“I tried to tell you…” His initial attention was focused on the creature, but it soon fell to me as I spoke, eyes glancing at my half-naked body before looking over at Maddy and then the undergarments that laid strewn about. His fear was now coupled with disbelief. I buttoned what little bit of shirt I could.
“Y-you two. You’re coming down to the station.”
“You’re arresting us?”
“On what grounds?” Irritated, Maddy’s eyes shot up, interrupting Roger opening his mouth. He could only shake his head at us.
“No, no grounds, just—we need statements from you both.”
“Can we at least get dressed?”
“Um, sorry. No. This is-uh.” He scratched his head with the pistol-occupied hand, gesturing at the room as a whole. “This is an active crime scene. I think. Right?” Confused, he looked at the other officers hoping for some kind of support or confirmation as he motioned for us to follow. We made our way through the door.
As we descended the stairs, everyone’s eyes were on us, all of them ripe with bewilderment, some with disgust at the state of things. I couldn’t imagine how bad it all looked. Here I was in the bloodied shirt of the man who saved my daughter the day before. Both of us were half-naked only a day after she was found, and a dead body lay upstairs.
Though we were greeted with warm blankets as we made our way through the cold, lights flashed all around us. Neighbors surrounded the property as well, all of them judging and questioning, watching as we were escorted to separate squad cars.
I thought it was time to move.
9
“So you’re saying this thing just…appeared in your room?” Maria was having a hard time wrapping her head around it, even with a cadaver in their possession and having heard the ramblings of three troubled officers. I’d already been at the station a few hours, but it felt like forever.
“Yes. Just…poof.” I gestured dramatically, having explained it to her twice already.
“And you think this was the thing that took your daughter?”
“I know it was…”
She jotted down some notes, the flow of ink ceasing as she gazed at the words that stared back at her. Something about the next question stirred an inner tumult, her legs crossing as her body language grew tense.
“Okay. Well one more question and you’ll be free to go.”
“Which is?”
“It’s regarding your relationship with…Mr. Maddox.”
“Oh for the love of— we’re human. Humans should be able to do what they want together without it being the headline of the damn century.”
She seemed surprised. “So you’re saying that it was… consensual?”
To a point, I understood why she asked, but what I didn’t like was the disgusted tone her question carried. She acted as if it was the last thing in the world that could be true. Oh, if only she knew.
“Of course it was consensual,” I scoffed, peeved that she had the gall to ask. I was so frustrated that even she had grown uncomfortable, her pen motionless on the page as she debated writing whatever it was that stuck in her mind.
“Okay, well…Jean said she heard screaming before she called you, and she thought it was a cause for concern.”
Now I couldn’t help it. Not only was I tired of the “polite” doubt that seemed to occupy their minds about him; I was annoyed.
“After everything I’ve been through, do you have any idea what it’s like to have mind-blowing sex after years of not getting anything at a—?”
Her face reddened like a baboon’s ass as she gathered her papers, rising to a stand and interrupting the last bit of my speech.
“Okay! I think we’re good here. Thank you, Miss Davis.”
“No problem, Maria. Glad I could help.” I snarked. I watched her leave in a hurry; happy to escape the awkward turn the conversation had taken.
I wrapped the blanket more tightly around myself; uncomfortable in the scratchy throw-away pants they had given me. Maria, at the very least, had assured me that Iris was alright, but I hadn’t heard a word about Maddy since I arrived. It was half past midnight, and all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. Preferably with Maddy by my side and Iris home with us.
“Leila?”
“Hm? Oh, Maddy!” I beamed with delight, shuffling my socked feet across the floor to him as he welcomed me into his blanket cocoon. They had given him a shirt made of the same material as my pants, and his face was wiped clean—his hands as well.
“Are you alright?”
“Me? I’m just…peachy. Just peachy.” We made our way to the dull metal chairs beside the worn white table. Maddy pulled a chair up in front of me as we both took a seat. Even he looked tired, mentally exhausted, with his eyes heavy and face blanketed in a drab expression. “You’ll never believe the shit they asked me.”
“Oh?” he yawned, rubbing his eyes as they dragged upward to meet mine.
“They think you forced yourself on me. Can you believe it?”
“Oh. Yeah, they asked me about that too.” He piqued my curiosity with a nervous smile, rubbing his shoulder as he averted his eyes. “I probably shouldn’t have laughed when they asked me, though.”
“You…laughed?” I asked, brow risen so high it began to throb. “Why did you laugh?”
“Because…” He was suddenly afflicted with sniggers, squeezing the back of his neck tighter through a wide grin. “I mean…to be fair it was technically you who forced yourself on me.” I could tell he was half joking, a sly smirk replacing his seriousness before we broke into a low chuckle.
“Well, you didn’t fight me off very hard, now did you?”
“No…” He shook his head in amusement. “I didn’t.” We met one another’s warmed expressions; that heated spark in the atmosphere trying to ignite between us.
“Anyway, I’m starting to think it’s about time to move away from this shithole, you know? Too many bad memories. And the people?” My head shook in disappointment. “I just can’t take the bullshit anymore.”
The ridge of his brow shot up in surprise, back hunching a bit as his body language moved him closer.
“Sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“For the vulgar words—I don’t usually curse this much. Had to get in the habit of that once I had Iris, you know? Setting a good example.” That last part lacked confidence.
He laughed under his breath, a thought tickling at his insides as he stared wide-eyed at the floor. Something rolled around in that head of his, something that humored him a great deal.
“What’s so funny?” I tapped his knee with mine, his head shaking as he let out a sigh.
“I uh…well, you could’
ve fooled me.”
“What?” But he said nothing, so bumped his knee again, a bit harder this time. “Tell me!”
“Well, last night you were a bit…foul mouthed, so to speak. Not that I’m complaining.”
“Oh my God, you’re terrible.” My face was wrought with embarrassment, cheeks red-tinged and burning as I kicked at his leg, this time through a feigned bother. “That doesn’t count.”
“No?”
“No!” I laughed, resting a hand on his leg now.
“Okay, you’re both free to go.” Maria appeared around the corner fast enough to give me a start. My feet bumped together as I reflexively guarded myself, pulling my limbs in close. “But you’ll have to give us twenty-four hours to wrap up at your house.”
“Um, okay? And we’re supposed to do what until then, exactly? What about Iris?” I laughed and met Maddy’s unsurprised gaze as Maria stood there speechless a moment, eyeing the documents in her hand.
“Well, Jean said Iris is sound asleep, but if you want to pick her up when you find somewhere else to stay, that’s up to you.” Her sights shot between the two of us, but she said nothing else. Instead, she nodded before disappearing from the doorway.
“Um, Leila?” I turned to see him struggling to let the words go, gulping down his anxiety.
“I’m staying somewhere nearby, and, well…you and Iris are welcome to stay with me…if you want.” He was plagued by shyness when he asked, as if he expected me to reject the offer.
“Maddy, I’d love to, but I need to know something…” I fished through the blankets for his hands, taking a firm hold of them as our eyes met.
“Anything…”
“Are you sure that thing is dead this time?”
I didn’t mean to make him doubt himself, but the remorseful sadness on his face was almost too painful for me to see. His eyes were full of disappointment.
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