The Demon Within

by Linda Kay Silva

  “Close, but no cigar. The witches are in trouble!” Denny leapt off the porch and ran back to the car. “The Colonial Park Cemetery, and blow every light.”

  Snake did, but even as they pulled up, Denny could feel the psychic energy flowing through the air. It felt worse than hot and muggy. It felt…oppressive…thick…heavy.

  It felt like she was too late.

  “Okay, here’s what I need. I need you to go back to my house and guard the perimeter. No one, and I mean no one, gets by you. And yeah, use those guns if you have to.”

  “Got it. But Denny, what would they want with your house? Aren’t they after you?”

  As Denny jumped out, she said to Lauren, “What we saw in that room. My room. They want to burn it to the ground. They want to erase it all. Now go—and be careful.”

  “You do the same.”

  Denny locked eyes with Lauren. “Thank you for this.”

  “Be safe, Golden Silver.”

  Taking off with Epee in one hand and Fouet in the other, Denny doubted she would ever see her dear friend again.

  ****

  She followed the feel of the energy until the circle of witches was in sight. To her dismay, Brianna had come with Cassandra and now stood opposite her in a circle filled with grey smoke.

  Her new friends were in terrible danger, and it felt like she was moving in slow motion, wading through quicksand to reach them.

  Denny could barely make out the image slowly coming into view inside the circle. The figure surrounded by the darker smoke was slowly becoming more visible.

  It was Liderc, the Magyar, responding to the summons.

  “God damn it.”

  Flicking both of her weapons open, Denny inhaled deeply and took off running toward the circle.

  “It’s a trap! Run! Scatter! Go!”

  The women did not hesitate and took off in several different directions, leaving the Magyar to finish appearing in the mist, light bow at his side.

  “Where you going, ladies?” Pulling the crossbow to him, he took aim at a large woman fleeing, her black hooded cape flowing behind her. “The rave’s just started.”

  Denny had no choice but to hurl Fouet at him, hoping to distract his aim.

  It was a perfect shot that hit him in the temple, knocking him off balance. His bolt flew errantly past the woman and gave Denny the time she needed to close the gap and launch herself at him.

  He caught her out of the corner of his eye and half-turned, his crossbow swinging wide. He clocked Denny in the forehead, knocking her eight feet away and busting open the gash she had received earlier. Blood dripped into her eyes, hindering her vision.

  As he reloaded, Denny rose, half-blinded, to one knee. She touched the face of her watch so that she had Epee in one hand and Scudo, her shield, in the other. She managed to get the shield up just as the bolt of light hit it, entering it and then disappearing.

  The Magyar looked as stunned as Denny as the bolt vanished inside the shield.

  When he found his voice again, he greeted her, all arrogance. “Finally joined the party, eh, demon hunter?”

  “Better late than never, asshole.”

  The Magyar kept the crossbow pointed at her. “You’re a rookie, Golden Silver. You and your pathetic little shield will fall at my feet. Then I’ll get the Hanta, the girl, and the respect I deserve.”

  The girl?

  Iris.

  Denny finally understood. She was part of his plan, not Asmodeus’s. There were two plays going on at the moment…the one to kill her Hanta, which was Asmodeus’s plan, and the Magyar’s attempt to get Iris…to create a progeny more powerful than he. And Denny had brought the Magyar right to Iris’s doorstep.

  “Bring it, asswipe.”

  Liderc raised the crossbow. The light from it lit the area all around him. “Why fight it, hunter? Why are you bothering at all? One quick yank and the Hanta will be gone from you forever. You’ll be free.”

  “Yeah. Like you’d let me live.”

  “I care not whether you live or die. Hanta removal has a fifty-fifty chance of killing the host, so why not bare your chest and make this easy? Roll the dice. Surely you did not ask for this curse. Surely you’d rather have your own life back.”

  Denny slightly lowered her shield. “Because I’ve never done anything the easy way in my entire life. So if you want to go head-to-head with this demon hunter, then...here I am. You better bring your A game.”

  The Magyar barely lowered the crossbow. “Are you...are you threatening me? What’s the matter with you? You can be free of the Hanta. You can have a human life again.”

  An odd grin made one side of Denny’s mouth curl up. “What makes you think that’s what I want?” She took a step toward him. “Maybe I like it. Maybe kicking asses like yours delights me.”

  The crossbow raised and fired. When Denny knocked the bolt away with Epee, the look of surprise on Liderc’s face made Denny chuckle. “Not the naïf you expected, huh?” She took another step. “That the best you got?”

  “You’re a fool, Silver. That demon inside you is so much stronger and more vile than you could ever imagine. You let it control you just once, and you’ll never get your life back. I’m giving you the chance to live demon-free.”

  “Really? What are you, the demon whisperer?” Denny took one more step. “Asmodeus wants him to suffer…to drown. Setting me free and killing him now is not part of your master’s plan.” And that was when she realized that Magyar would simply say it was self-defense—that he had killed the Hanta because it was coming for him during the summons.

  It was a brilliant strategy.

  “He’s gonna be so pissed at you if he finds out what you’re trying to do.”

  The Magyar raised the crossbow and shot again.

  Denny stopped it with her shield and took off in full sprint for him. He could not get the next bolt loaded fast enough and had to use the crossbow to block the Epee as it swung toward his head.

  The resulting clash sparked and sputtered like live wires, sending Liderc reeling, but still clutching his bow. The light from it dimmed slightly.

  Denny smashed him in the face with her shield and took a fist in the gut for it.

  It didn’t faze her.

  Lifting Epee over her head, she started to bring it down on him when he put a foot on her chest and shoved her good ten feet away, where she landed with a thud on her back.

  Liderc sat up, loaded a bolt and took aim, waiting for Denny to sit up.

  She knew he had her dead to rights in his sights and there was little she could do to stop it, but little was all the Hanta needed. As she sat up, she barely managed to deflect the bolt with the shield. The force knocked the shield back, and the Magyar sent another right for her chest.

  Denny tried to dodge, but the bolt nicked her collar bone and careened away.

  Rising to one knee, Denny held Epee in front of her as the Magyar stood.

  She was in trouble. Her shoulder throbbed from the bolt, her forehead was still bleeding, and Liderc had her dead in his aim.

  “I’m taking your Hanta, Silver. It may kill you, it may not, but I’ll let Fate decide your end.”

  Denny tried to stand but the bolt coming toward her threw her off balance as she dodged, allowing the bolt to find its target, embedding in her left shoulder.

  “No!” she growled, trying to grab the shaft of the bolt, but it was made of light, and her hand passed right through it.

  Suddenly, she could see a light string attached to the bolt as it was pulled taut. Liderc was going to rip the Hanta from her.

  “Bull’s eye.”

  “Motherfucker,” she cursed, digging in and leaning back.

  But the line slowly pulled the bolt from her. She could feel the bolt being extracted from her shoulder, and she definitely felt the Hanta struggling to remain within her, as if he was a vital organ being removed.

  “No...No...No...” she growled.

  “Oh yes, rookie. Feel the fight? A
millennium of power inside you fighting to remain within the legacy hunter. He’s dead and he doesn’t even know it yet. Don’t you worry. It’ll only hurt for a moment.”

  Denny trembled as the Hanta fought to stay within her. Bringing the Epee down on the line, Denny was stunned when it sliced right through it...and nothing happened.

  Nothing.

  She tried again, and this time, Epee hit the light and bounced out of her hand.

  “Why are you fighting it? Let it go. You didn’t ask for this, Golden Silver. Didn’t ask, didn’t want it, don’t deserve it. You can have your life back. Your life.”

  Denny dug her feet in and tried to keep the Magyar from pulling the Hanta free.

  Free.

  She could be free.

  She could let the Magyar rip the Hanta from her and be done with all of this.

  Done.

  She could have her life back…a life where her friends and family weren’t in danger.

  Her family.

  Her mother’s face suddenly came into view. Gwen hunted, fought, and killed, and still lost...or had she? What might happen to them all without the Hanta? Without his power? Without his…knowledge.

  What had Ames said?

  There was more to this gig than hunting demons.

  So much more, and Gwen knew it. It’s why she fought the good fight. Could Denny do any less?

  Denny thought back to the night Sterling told her that Gwen had been pinned under the car—that the person who pulled over to help had run back to his car to get his phone. The car Gwen was in exploded while he was calling, and no one expected any survivors.

  Gwen had survived.

  Wait.

  Gwen had survived.

  Denny sat straighter, realizing for the first time, how and why.

  The Hanta.

  The Hanta had saved her mother that day just as he had saved Denny earlier.

  Her mother was alive because of it.

  It… he… had saved her life.

  And in that split second moment of absolute clarity, Denny stopped fighting the Magyar and instead, made a run for him, following the string of light attached to his crossbow.

  The look on Liderc’s face was priceless. Not in a million years had he expected her to attack. Fight, yes. Beg, maybe. Release, most certainly.

  But attack?

  Not even remotely.

  Lowering her shoulder, Denny hit Liderc so hard the crossbow flew from his hands.

  Weaponless herself, Denny landed punch after punch in his face, bloodying him until the Magyar hit her sternum so hard, she landed fifteen feet away on her back.

  “You are as crazy as they say you are,” Liderc said, leaning down to pick up his crossbow. “Very crazy and soon, very dead.” Liderc walked casually over to Denny. “I gave you a chance, Golden Silver, but you have tried my patience. This is over. ” Holding the crossbow two feet from Denny’s face, he grinned. “This won’t hurt a bit.”

  Denny threw her shoulders back and looked right at him. “Fuck you, Liderc.”

  Liderc pressed the trigger.

  Nothing happened.

  Denny didn’t wait for him to figure out why. Shoving the crossbow out of her face, she was on him once again. Still too far from her weapons, she hit him once before he returned the punch. Blow-by-blow, they fought, with neither gaining the upper hand until Liderc kicked Denny so hard in the abdomen, she spun around and landed face first on the hard ground, Epee only inches from her grasp.

  As she reached for Epee, the Magyar reached for his crossbow, and once again they faced each other, the line still attached to her shoulder.

  “Come on, Liderc, you sack of shit, pull him out.” Denny laughed the deep, guttural laugh of the Hanta Raya. “You can’t do it with one bolt, can you? I am too strong…too powerful for the likes of one shit-ass little pussy bolt.”

  Liderc depressed the trigger again.

  This time, it fired.

  Denny managed to deflect the first bolt, and before he could fire off another, she leapt a distance of twelve feet, landing in front of him and completely cutting off his right arm.

  The Magyar looked down at his missing arm, raised the crossbow with just his left hand and fired.

  The bolt landed in Denny’s shoulder, knocking her to the ground. Now, she could feel the Hanta being violently pulled from her.

  “Uh-uh,” Denny growled, getting to her feet. “You’re not getting him that easily.”

  “Oh, but I am.” This time, the Magyar leapt on her, crossbow in hand, and he was about to lower it onto Denny’s face when a voice sliced through the air.

  “Enough!”

  Liderc turned and Denny shoved him off her, reaching for her weapon.

  “I said enough, hunter.”

  Denny paused and turned, her hand still on Epee.

  A very tall, blond woman with her hair braided in a plait down the middle of her back walked to within ten feet of the duo.

  Denny stared at her as if she’d met her before...somewhere...

  Not met.

  Read about.

  Denny had read about this woman.

  “Valeria.”

  Her mother’s guardian angel.

  The woman who had once saved her mother stood before the Magyar, palm out. “You’ll not hurt Golden Silver, demon. Not now. Not ever. Take your silly weapon and be gone. I tire of this senseless battle of yours. I find it tedious and boring. Unless you wish for me to destroy you right where you stand, you will do as I say.”

  Denny blinked, not realizing that it was blood, not sweat, that was running into her eye.

  “You!” The Magyar backed away as if afraid. “But I thought….weren’t you…it can’t be.”

  Valeria’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, demon. It is I, and I am allowing you to live so that you may take my message back to your master. A master who is too cowardly to fight his own battles. Tell Asmodeus that the Silver family is still under my protection. If he wishes to wage war against my coven and six dozen others, then we are prepared to do so. This business of yours has just concluded. Now and forever.”

  Liderc backed away. “You...you would wage war against a deity who wants nothing more than the return of his minion?”

  Valeria stepped forward. The air around her seemed to bow to her greatness. “No, demon. I would wage a war to protect those who clean the world of beings such as yourself. Unless you wish to die at the hands of this hunter and myself right this minute, I suggest you beat a hasty retreat and never return.”

  “My master will deal with you, Valeria.”

  “Your master is smarter than that, demon. He is well aware of what will happen should he continue this course of action. Go now, before I render the rest of your limbs from your being, and tell Asmodeus that should he come after this family again, I will not stop until I destroy him.”

  The Magyar and his weapon were gone five seconds later.

  “I...I don’t understand,” Denny said, walking up to Valeria. The bolts were gone, Denny had no wounds in her shoulders, and only her head bled from when she leapt through the motel window. “We should have killed him. Why didn’t we destroy him?”

  Valeria examined Denny’s forehead. “He was better used as a live messenger than a dead adversary, Golden.” The witch bowed. “I am, as you surmised, Valeria, Highest Priestess of the Goddess.”

  Denny didn’t know if she should bow, clap, or cry.

  She did none of those. “Thank you, Valeria. Thank you for intervening and saving my life, as you have my mother’s on several occasions.”

  “It is a debt I owed your mother and a promise I gave her long ago.”

  Denny looked down at her hands. “I…I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “Of course you do. You are already doing it.”

  “Hunting?”

  Before Valeria could reply, the rest of the witches came from the shadows.

  “Cassandra?”

  Cassandra’s hair was messed up and her robe out
of whack. “The Magyar sent his cronies to burn down your home while Liderc kept you busy. They would have been successful except that your…somewhat questionable friends interceded.”

  Denny straightened. “Is anyone hurt?”

  “Only the demons, and we were less merciful with them than Valeria was with Liderc.”

  Denny blew out a breath. “Thank you.”

  “They needed just a little help from us. You have good friends, Golden Silver, even if they do look like they just got out of prison. Good friends, indeed.”

  Denny looked over at Valeria. “So does my mother.”

  Valeria bade the witches to return to the coven so she could chat with Denny for a moment. Cassandra locked eyes with Denny, and the bloodied demon hunter mouthed a “thank you” to her. If Brianna was anywhere around, Denny didn’t see her.

  When they were alone, Valeria waited for Denny to wipe her forehead and dust herself off. “I see all the questions in your eyes, dear girl. You look...so much like your mother. She had that very same look the day I stepped in to balance the scales.”

  “Balance the scales?”

  “Oh yes. Your mother—I’m sorry for her current condition by the way—saved my precious daughter once upon a time.” Valeria brushed dirt off Denny’s shoulder and looked at her wounds. “You’re hurt.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Valeria bent down and picked up Fouet. “You do not look fine. Come. Sit.”

  Denny sat on the base of a statue. Valeria handed her Fouet and sat next to her. A slight breeze blew across the cemetery. The half moon smiled down at the earth. “Rest a moment.”

  “My mom saved your daughter?”

  “Oh yes. My daughter, my coven, my life. Your mother was a very skilled hunter. She was a fantastic tracker and a brave killer. My daughter had been abducted by a Magyar for use as leverage against me. Your mother tracked him down at my behest and saved her. Killed him and everyone connected with him. The bloody trail behind your mother was far and wide. She made damn well sure no one would return for her.” Valeria cocked her head at Denny. “Not unlike you. The two of you are so much alike. That’s why she knew the Hanta would choose you…because of your similarities…similarities I see before me right now.”

  Denny inhaled deeply. She was exhausted, her body ached, her heart hurt, and she was mentally drained. “You love her.”