by Avril Sabine
Chapter Eight
Alyssa grabbed hold of the vehicle and pulled herself to her feet. Anger coursed through her. She started to move towards Nathan. She didn’t know what she’d do to him. But she wanted to make him hurt. Hurt as much as he’d made her hurt. When Alex grabbed her arm, she tried to push him away.
“Let me go,” she snarled.
Alex pulled her close, his expression fierce. “We won’t let him get them. We can protect them.”
“I don’t know you. Why should I trust you?”
“I swear to God we’ll protect them. With our own lives. You have to trust someone, Allie.”
“Why are you here?”
“Our Gran sent us. She saw you were in trouble. Her visions are a little imprecise before the fact. As well as rare. But when she has them, they become clearer closer to the event.”
“What? She’s a clairvoyant?” Alyssa laughed in disbelief.
Alex shook his head. “No. We’re demon hunters. She’s only sent visions to help find demons.”
“And your last name’s hunter? You must think me an idiot.”
Alex smiled for the first time. A wry hint that was quickly gone. “I keep telling the family we should change our name. It undermines our credibility. But we’ve held the name and task for centuries. I guess most of us are a stubborn lot.”
“Undermines your credibility?” Alyssa stared at him. He stood there telling her his family had made a career hunting demons and he expected her to believe he was worried their surname undermined their credibility.
“Don’t tease, Alex,” Scarlett said from a couple of metres away, still holding the demon at bay with her sword. She glanced skyward. “Any minute now.”
“Hop in the vehicle, Allie.” Alex put his left hand on her shoulder as he spoke.
Alyssa’s eyes were drawn to the thin lines that started at his pulse and snaked around his wrist nearly three times. “Demon marks.” She pulled away from him, her retreat prevented by the vehicle, items from her handbag digging into her lower back.
“I told you we’re demon hunters. You think that doesn’t mark you? Coming into contact with a demon marks everyone. Even you.” Alex reached forward and grabbed a lock of her hair. He pulled it forward for her to see.
Alyssa’s mouth dropped open at the blood red lock that had once been purple. “No,” she snatched it from his fingers, clasping it tight. “I hate this colour.”
Alex’s hand closed over hers. He pried her fingers apart and brushed her hair back from her face with the other. “It won’t take dye. You’re stuck with this streak for life. A souvenir.”
Alyssa shook her head. Her eyes blurred and her throat started to ache from trying to control her emotions for so long. “No.” The word was nearly soundless.
“Run!” Scarlett screamed.
Alyssa had no chance to react. Alex shoved her in the vehicle and slammed the door behind her. Riley was seated beside her in seconds and grabbed hold of her hands as they went for the door handle. His sword leaned against the seat between them. Scarlett and Alex hopped into the front almost simultaneously, their swords landing on Riley’s. Alex had the vehicle in motion before the front doors were shut. Alyssa glanced out the window to see Nathan and Brian run past Nathan’s sedan to the four-wheel-drive. Brian stopped to reload his gun and Alyssa shuddered as she saw Nathan mouth the word Erin. She tried to pull her hands from Riley, but he wouldn’t let her.
“Let me go! I’ve got to ring Erin.”
“What are you going to tell her?” Scarlett turned in her seat to look at Alyssa.
“He can’t get her. Let me go!” She bent forward to use her teeth, but Riley let go.
“Put your seat belt on, Allie,” Alex said calmly.
Alyssa glanced around at the other three and realised they all had their seatbelts on. She was about to argue, but a sharp corner threw her against Riley and the swords shifted towards him. She hurriedly drew away from him and buckled up. Riley gathered the swords and laid them across the floor at their feet.
“Give me her full name and address and we’ll have people keep her safe.” Scarlett pulled a phone from her pocket.
“I don’t know you people!” Alyssa yelled the words before she dropped her head in her hands and shook it from side to side.
“We can take you to people who’ll vouch for us. What about the priest of our church?” Riley reached out to pat Alyssa’s shoulder.
She jerked away and glared at him. “I don’t know your priest.”
“I doubt we’d move in the same circles, Ry.” Scarlett shrugged. “If she doesn’t want to trust us, there’s nothing we can do for her.”
Alex swung on the steering wheel and Alyssa swore as she was thrown against the door.
“Not around us, Allie,” Scarlett said.
“What?”
“No swearing. You can sin all you want away from us, but not while you’re with us. Demons are hard enough to battle without that stain.” Scarlett slipped her phone in her pocket.
“You’re kidding.” Alyssa looked from one to the other. They all looked serious.
Riley grabbed a backpack off the floor and took a bottle of water from it. “We’re deadly serious.” He took a mouthful and then offered it to Alyssa who shook her head.
“I don’t suppose you’ve got food in there,” Alyssa asked.
Riley handed her the backpack. “Help yourself.”
Alyssa looked inside and nearly shouted in relief. Breakfast bars, chocolate, chips, jerky, lollies, savoury and sweet biscuits, mini cheese and fruit. She took out some crackers, cheese, fruit and chocolate before she returned the backpack.
“How long since you’ve eaten?” Scarlett asked.
Alyssa frowned.
“That’s what I thought,” Scarlett said. “Only have a couple of crackers for now. I’m not having you throw up in here.”
“And with the way Alex drives that’s always a possibility,” Riley said as Alex took another corner fast.
Alyssa glared at Scarlett. She didn’t want to listen to her words. She wanted to eat every bit of food that sat in her lap and then raid the backpack for more. When she would’ve opened the chocolate, Riley covered her hands with his. Alyssa looked up at him and wanted to look away the moment she saw the pity in his eyes. She moved her hands away from him and he retreated.
“Put it in your bag for later. Trust me, it won’t be half so pleasant coming back up as it is going down,” Riley said.
“Riley!”
Riley grinned at Scarlett’s look of disgust. “Well it won’t.”
Alex took another corner hard and Scarlett turned her attention to her brother. “How about we get there in one piece, little brother.”
“Little brother?” Alyssa was startled by Scarlett’s comment.
Scarlet chuckled. “I know he’s not so little at six foot, but he’s the youngest of us.” Alyssa glanced towards Riley, which caused Scarlett to laugh. “He’s the oldest. Riley’s twenty, I’m nineteen and Alex is eighteen. Riley has a brother, Blake, who’s twenty-two. So I guess we could always put it down to him being the baby in his family.”
“Twenty?” Alyssa asked incredulously. “I thought he was my age.”
“Hey, if I didn’t joke around, it’d be as sombre as a grave around you lot. Just because we’re demon hunters doesn’t mean we have to act like death’s always imminent.” Riley grinned. “Even if it is.”
Alyssa popped a cracker in her mouth and looked out the window. She tried to remind herself the people in the vehicle with her were strangers. But there’d been moments when she felt like she knew them. She absently shoved the food in her bag as she tried to get her bearings. She kept out a handful of crackers. She sat up straight, as she realised where they were. “We’re going into the city. Why?”
“Good place to lose a tail.” Alex glanced up in the rear view mirror.
Alyssa looked out the back window and her heart started to race again. Her body began to tremble a
nd she forced herself to turn forward.
Riley reached out to her and patted her hand. “We won’t let him get you.”
Alyssa started to push his hand away. Instead she turned it so she could examine his demon mark. It didn’t quite go twice around his wrist. She was surprised at how evenly the line was as it snaked around. The same diameter, the same spacing. She glanced towards Alex then back at Riley’s wrist. “They’re different lengths.”
“We don’t always work together. Demons have different levels of power. Scarlett’s mark is the same length as mine,” Riley said.
Alyssa looked over to Scarlet who held up her wrist to show her. “Does it hurt? When it appears. Or whatever it does.” Alyssa ran her fingers over the smooth skin of Riley’s wrist.
It was Riley who drew away this time. “Not really. A slight burning sensation. You can watch it being drawn. I guess that’s the best description.”
Alyssa glanced at her wrist. “Why don’t I have one?”
“Because you haven’t linked yourself to him properly. Either to summon or send him on his way,” Riley said.
“Gather belongings.” Alex turned into a multilevel parking lot. Within seconds of pulling up at the gate, it was opening and letting them through.
“What are we doing?” Alyssa demanded. “Why are we in here?”
“Vehicle swap,” Scarlett said. She handed a dark blanket to Alyssa. “Put this around you in case there’s someone about when we stop. You look like you’ve been tortured.”
Alyssa looked at her blood streaked arms. She glanced up when Riley handed her a couple of baby wipes. “What do I need these for?”
“Your face is covered in blood. You want me to clean it off for you?”
Alyssa shook her head as she took the moist wipes. “It’s not all mine.”
Scarlett handed her a small plastic bag. “Whose blood is it?”
Alyssa dropped the rust coloured wipes into the small plastic bag. “The demon’s.” When Scarlett remained quiet, she asked, “Is that a problem?”
Riley handed her more wipes. “Not exactly. Just don’t be surprised if your wounds heal quicker than usual.”
“Any minute now,” Alex said. “Hope you’re all ready.”
They drove up several levels and Alex pulled into a reserved parking spot near an elevator. The other three were out of the vehicle before Alyssa was halfway out and Scarlett hurried her out of the way so she could shut the door. Riley was already at the elevator, waiting for it to arrive. They each carried a backpack and their sheathed sword. Alyssa dropped her bag of rubbish into a bin by the elevator.
“Hurry.” Riley urged Alyssa inside the elevator the moment the doors slid open. As soon as they were all in, he hit each number from four to seven.
“Why?” Alyssa looked at the number panel.
“So they don’t know which level we get off.” Riley pulled a bright button up shirt out of his backpack and a cap. The shirt he threw on and left unbuttoned, the cap he put on backwards.
Alyssa watched Scarlett drop a coffee coloured long dress on over her clothes and a thin straw hat on her head. Alex now wore a bright shirt like Riley’s, had a mop of dark curls and dark sunglasses. Alyssa opened her mouth to ask what was going on when the elevator door opened. Riley put his arm around her shoulders and the four of them stepped out onto level five.
Alex had another set of keys in his hand and pushed the central locking for a navy coloured sedan two bays away from the elevator. Riley pushed Alyssa into the car and onto the floor. His backpack and sword went in too and he shut the door.
“There they go,” Scarlett murmured from the front passenger seat as Alex started the car.
“Who? Nathan and Brian?” Alyssa was about to sit up, but Riley pushed her down as he hopped into the car.
“Are you mad?” Scarlett hissed.
Alyssa frowned. “You know, I probably am. This is all a psychotic episode. I forgot to take my pills. I’m going to remember to take them in future.”
Riley laughed as he buckled up. “Hang onto that sense of humour. You’re going to need it until we can get rid of the demon.”
“I wasn’t trying to be funny. Where are we going now?” Alyssa demanded as she felt Alex reverse out of the car park.
“As soon as we’ve made sure the wolf isn’t following, we’re off to Grandma’s house.” Riley grinned down at her.
“You’re not in the least bit amusing,” Alyssa muttered.
“We tell him that all the time, but it doesn’t seem to stop him,” Scarlett said.
Alex exited the car park and waited until they were a block away before he said, “You can hop up now. And Riley was telling the truth. We’re going to our Gran’s house. It’s where we live.” He pulled off the wig and dropped it beside him.
Alyssa left the blanket on the floor as she slid onto the seat and buckled up. “I don’t know your Gran. I just want to go home.”
“Looking like that?” Scarlett turned in her seat.
“A few more baby wipes and I’ll be fine,” Alyssa said.
Riley pulled a first aid kit from his backpack and sat it on the seat between them. “Give me a few minutes and you won’t look half as bad, sweetheart.”
“No. I’ll do it myself.” Alyssa reached out to the first aid kit, but Riley put his hand on the lid. She looked up at him, about to argue. It was the first time she’d seen him when he wasn’t already smiling or looked like he was about to smile.
“I know you’ve had a tough time. And I’m sure you’re wary of everyone. But answer me one little question, love. Have we done anything since you’ve met us to warrant this distrust?” Riley stared at her as he waited patiently for her answer.
Uncomfortable, Alyssa looked away. “Nathan-”
Riley interrupted, “I didn’t ask about anyone other than us. Don’t put the sins of others on our shoulders.”
The silence stretched out, but Alyssa knew there was only one answer she could give. “No.”
“Then let me clean and dress your wounds. You can’t do it properly yourself.”
Alyssa finally nodded and Riley opened the first aid kit. He took her right arm and turned it so he could clean the wounds, first with the baby wipes and then with antiseptic. Once the cuts were clean, he pulled out an Elastoplast roll and cut enough at the correct length for the cut on each arm. As soon as that arm was finished, he leaned across her to deal with the other.
Riley returned everything to the first aid kit and grinned. “That wasn’t so bad now was it, sweetheart?”
Alyssa shrugged. “I’m not your sweetheart.”
Riley laughed. “And not very sweet at the moment either.”
Chapter Nine
Alyssa turned away, ignoring the soft laughter from the front of the car. She took her phone out and sent one of her saved messages to Erin. She wanted to ring her and warn her. But how could she explain a demon was out for her blood and a lunatic would be trying to use Erin as an incentive to let the demon kill her. The only people she had to turn to for help were those in the car with her. She glanced out the window. The houses they drove past were a blur. She really had no choice. Erin’s life was in danger. Even her parents were at risk. She looked over to Scarlett who was scribbling in a notebook. Next she pulled a small laptop from her backpack and turned it on.
“Scarlett?” Alyssa waited for Scarlett to twist in her seat to face her. “Can you have someone look out for my friend and parents?”
“Of course. I just need to know details.” Scarlett opened up her email account and quickly typed up an email with the details Alyssa gave her. Within minutes she had a reply. “Done.”
“Just like that?” Alyssa stared at Scarlett, her eyes drawn momentarily to the computer screen.
Scarlett laughed. “Yeah, just like that.”
“We’ve been doing this for centuries. Don’t you think we’d be at least a little organised?” Riley asked.
“We?” Alyssa asked hesitantly.
“I can’t think it’d be a very profitable business to be in,” Alyssa said.
The three demon hunters laughed. It was Alex who answered. “It’s a good thing we don’t rely on it for an income then.”
Alyssa wanted to ask what they did rely on for an income, but couldn’t bring herself to. She cast around for another topic to discuss, but could think of nothing. So she sat in silence and stared out the window. She didn’t have a clue where she was. None of the streets seemed familiar. It looked like an upmarket suburb, with large houses, spacious blocks of land and many of the driveways had more than one vehicle in them. She saw families pile into vans and four-wheel-drives to head out for the day. She imagined they were going to the beach before the workweek started tomorrow. Work! She was meant to be at work on Monday from nine o’clock until midday. And each day until Friday. She didn’t know how she could accomplish that. All she wanted to do was hide away from the world and forget every second that had occurred since she’d left Erin standing on the side of the road.
“Home sweet home.” Riley interrupted Alyssa’s thoughts.
She looked at the spacious house nestled in a riot of flowering gardens. It was made of timber painted in neutral creams and browns and white backed curtains hung at the windows. They pulled up in front of closed double garage doors.
Riley bounded out of the car with his sword and backpack and called over his shoulder, “I’ll see about breakfast.”
“It’s nearly ten. How about brunch?” Scarlett said, only a few steps behind him.
Alyssa continued to sit in the car, as Alex climbed out of the driver’s seat and walked around to her door and opened it. He leaned forward, one arm braced on the door pillar and the other held the door. His sword and backpack sat at his feet. He solemnly watched her.
Alyssa looked up at him and then away. She pulled her handbag closer, glanced up at Alex again and then looked straight ahead. Words and phrases drifted through her mind. She finally settled on one she could speak. “Why am I here?”