Abominations (Demonkin Book 3)

by Sean Hayden

  I cried out as my knees buckled while she drank the blood flowing freely from the wound. Her other hand snaked over my stomach and slid down the front of my jeans. I was being molested by a demon. The night had gone from shit to worse.

  Tears began to leak from the corner of my eyes.

  She stopped suckling my ear and licked the corner of my eye.

  "Mmm. Fear. Yummy yummy fear. Scared. And yet wet. Slippery." She began rubbing me.

  "Stop," I said, and was surprised when she did.

  "Why? Take. Feed. Want."

  "Because I don't want you."

  "You wanted my child. Daughter. Fucked her."

  "No!" She'd gone too far. I stepped away, ignoring the pain as her talon raked my sensitive flesh. "We never got the chance. That asshole Greer took her from me before we could," I said and didn't know why. I didn't owe the psychotic demon any explanation.

  "I have her soul. Stolen. I sent her to you. Funny."

  "Excuse me?" I stopped moving. I stopped breathing.

  "Sent her soul to tease. Torment. You like? Hate."

  "She's fucking haunting me because of you?"

  The demon only nodded and smiled.

  I punched her in the face. Which in hindsight might not have been the brightest move. I didn't care anymore. She could have sent me a bouquet of dead puppies and it wouldn't have pissed me off half as much.

  "You fucking bitch. Why would you do that?" I snarled at her.

  She smiled, wiped the blood from her lip and then rubbed it against her nipple before licking it off with her tongue.

  "To show you that I have everything, and you have nothing. Rage. I took my daughter back. Bitch. Mine."

  My vision turned red. Hate filled every vein and set fire to my body. My fingers bled as my talons extended. More blood ran into my eyes as horns burst forth, longer than they have ever been. I could actually see them, and I didn't give two shits. Fuck my partner's words of wisdom, I charged and slashed her with everything I had. The force of my blow knocked her back and I watched in horror as the wounds on her face closed and healed. She laughed and vanished in a puff of purple smoke.

  I spun expecting an attack from behind. She had feinted though and reappeared almost exactly where she had disappeared from, slicing through my jacket, shirt, and flesh, nearly to the bone.

  I could feel the poison spreading.

  It explained the toxicology report from the previous victims.

  What I wasn't expecting was it to blast apart my pleasure centers. Every nerve began convulsing as an almost orgasmic tidal wave crashed over me. I dropped to the ground as pain and ecstasy warred within me. I fell on my back giving the agonizing torment of the wound on my back a lead in the fight.

  Rayna stopped attacking me.

  My eyes followed her as she lazily circled my prone form. She stopped and knelt over me, sitting on my chest and grinding my wound against the linoleum beneath me. I felt my eyes flutter as the pain became too much as my hips bucked against the air.

  "You are beautiful. Fuckmeat." She leaned down and licked my lips. My body refused to obey me and fight back. I had slipped into full blown convulsions. I passed out with her still kissing me.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  I was getting very tired of Thompson slapping me back to reality. Retirement sounded better and better every minute.

  "I'm awake. You can stop hitting me now."

  "But it's fun," he said and stood back up. "What the hell happened?"

  "Was waiting for you like a good little vampire when she showed up behind me. She can turn into smoke."

  "Well, that's inconvenient."

  "Not for her."

  "True. You gonna live?"

  "Yeah. But my fucking back is on fire," I said and rolled over, getting the pressure off the wound.

  Thompson knelt down beside me, pulling the blood-soaked jacket away from it and peeking inside. "There's nothing there."

  "Well, it feels like there is. I must have healed, but the poison is still in there."

  "I'm not sucking it out," he said deadpan.

  "Fuck off. I hurt. It's like a double-edged sword. Pleasure and pain. Torture. Fuck me. Now I'm talking like her."

  "You're kind of looking like her, too."

  "What do you mean?" I rolled back, ignoring the pain, to look him in the eye.

  He shrugged and pulled out his phone, taking a picture of me and showing me. My skin had turned black, almost obsidian. My fangs were still longer than usual, and the horns were still protruding from my forehead.

  "Well fuck."

  "Just because you're black doesn't mean you get those kinds of privileges."

  "Seriously. You're going to make black jokes right now?"

  "Yep."

  "I love you, but not so much right now. Help me up. Who knows what the hell is on this floor." Catching the remnants of corpse out of the corner of my eye, I added, "Besides vampire paté."

  "Ewww."

  He held out his hand and I grabbed it, letting him haul me to my feet as I scrunched my back, trying to lessen the pain of moving.

  "You think she's gone?"

  "Don't you think you should have asked that before you started cracking jokes, Mr. Funnyman?"

  "Nope."

  "Yeah. She's gone. Don't ask me how I know, but I do."

  "Any idea where?"

  "Not a clue. Hell, I was surprised she was in Chicago. Although I knew it the moment I saw the corpse. Only she could have done that."

  He nodded. "She's quite the little food processor. They're gonna need a scraper to get all of him in the body bag."

  "Ick."

  "So, you have no clue where she's going. She didn't say anything before disappearing?"

  "Not a word. Other than we had a history of supernatural creatures lesson. And we talked about Vic. Apparently, she's responsible for my haunting. She has Vic's soul. She said she stole it."

  "Woah. That's heavy," he said and leaned against the wall.

  "Yeah."

  "That's all she said?"

  "Except for asking about Mel–"

  He saw the shocked look in my eyes. "Where?" He asked without saying another word as he ran for the Suburban.

  Following him, I yelled, "Home."

  He jumped in and started it by the time I was in, had my seatbelt on, and dug my fingernails into the dashboard urging the SUV to move.

  "No, no, no. No, no, no," I chanted for the first five miles before Thompson put his hand on my knee. I calmed and sat in silence, fearing the worse.

  He drove like a madman and made a call to Reese, who had been apprised of the entire situation, as we screeched to a stop in front of my house. Luckily the trick or treaters had called it a night.

  I was out the door before he had the transmission in park and through my front door before he had the engine off. I ran into the living-room and found her sitting on the couch, watching the movie I hadn't finished.

  I dropped to my knees.

  "What?"

  I stood up, walked over to the couch, and dropped in front of my friend and hugged her around her waist before sobbing uncontrollably.

  "We thought the demon was coming after you," Thompson said as he took in the scene.

  "Oh. No. It's been just me since I got home." She must have noticed the claw marks on my jacket. She shoved her hand worriedly through one of the holes and began feeling my back frantically. "Holy shit, Ash. Are you okay?"

  I just nodded, my head still against her stomach, not wanting to let go just yet. Relief had flooded my body, releasing me from the pain and anything else.

  "Hey, Ash?"

  "Yeah," I mumbled.

  "Your horn is digging into my liver. Could you tilt your head a little?" She groaned as I shifted. "Do I even want to know why you have horns?"

  "Long story," Thompson said for me. "You're just lucky she's not horny all the time," he added with a chuckle.

  I flicked him off over my shoulder and felt Mel's fingers as they clo
sed on my finger, examining my talon.

  "You nailed that one!" It was official. Mel had joined the peanut gallery.

  This time I groaned. I pulled my face off her and looked up at her, giving her the puppy dog eyes.

  "Oh, sweetie. It's okay. Every girl's body changes when she gets a little older," she said and smiled.

  I flicked her off too, which just set her and Thompson both off with a nasty case of the giggles. I got up and plopped down on the couch.

  "Thompson, could you please throw me a pouch of blood out of the fridge. I feel drained."

  They just laughed harder. Ignoring them, I caught the bag of blood as it flew in front of me. I jabbed a nail in the top and started sucking.

  I woke up curled in Mel's arms. There was nothing sexual about it. She was the big spoon and I was the little spoon. I closed my eyes again and just took comfort in the contact. Then I remembered the night before. I gingerly reached up and ran my fingers across my forehead as I held my breath.

  I sighed in relief when I felt nothing but smooth skin unblemished by five-inch-long horns.

  "Are they gone?"

  I nodded and twisted in her embrace, facing her.

  "Everything else back to normal?"

  She shook her head and stared at me.

  "What is it?"

  "I think you're cuter than you were yesterday," she said and kissed me on my forehead before I could dodge it. She flung the cover off her and padded to the bathroom.

  I blushed, rolled on my back and stared up at the ceiling, letting the tension flow from my body. By the time we went to bed last night, my demonic state showed no signs of retreating like it normally did. I had trouble falling asleep worrying about if I was going to be stuck like that for the rest of my life. I should have realized that the agitation over my state was probably just fueling it.

  Out of sight, out of mind.

  I needed to remember that in the future.

  I heard the sink shut off and my roommate opened the bathroom door, pulling off her tank top before heading out my door and going back to hers. She had absolutely no issues with nudity around me. In fact, I think she did it on purpose to tease me half the time. I was starting to not mind it. If I were going to be honest with myself, she was very pleasant to look at.

  I knew she and I could never be a couple for several reasons. First and foremost was she didn't swing that way. Secondly, nothing could make things more awkward than getting into a relationship and it not working out. I imagined few things on earth could be as scary as a dejected ex-girlfriend with pointed ears. Especially when she was your roommate.

  She came back wearing sweats and a T-shirt and dropped back down on my bed, lounging lazily. I couldn't blame her. It felt like a sweats and bed kind of day.

  I stretched, my back twinging uncomfortably. I'd completely healed, but it still felt stiff. Having the muscles severed and poison slathered all over the gaping wound probably didn't help.

  "You're still in pain?"

  "You could tell?"

  "Well the wince and gasp kind of gave it away."

  I nodded.

  "Roll over, let me see."

  I listened to my elf mom and did as I was told. She leaned on her elbow and lifted my shirt up over where I'd been gored. She gasped a little and ran her fingers over it.

  "It's not healed?"

  "It is, but you have a faint scar. I didn't think vampires could scar. Does it hurt when I touch it?"

  She ran her fingers over it and I gasped, but not in pain.

  "Don't."

  "I'm sorry! Shit, I didn't mean to hurt you."

  "It didn't hurt. The venom must still be in the wound. It causes intense pleasure. I think it's so you feel good while she slowly tortures and kills you."

  "Not gonna lie, that's pretty fucking sick."

  "Demon," I said in way of explanation.

  "So, wait. If I do this," she pushed on the wound and my body curled, "you go wow?"

  I fought through the pleasure and gave her a dirty look.

  "Look at the bright side, it could be worse?"

  "This isn't good. If it doesn't go away, I'm going to have to go to the doctors and have it removed."

  "I wouldn't worry. Your body should heal, maybe its just taking a while for the poison to dissolve."

  "I'll give it some time," I said and rolled back over, hiding my back from the mischievous elf. Luckily, the bed didn't seem to trigger it. "Just remind me not to get close enough to her to get clawed again."

  "Are you going after her again?"

  "Not tonight. I have to eventually, but I have no idea where the hell she could be. I didn't even know she was in Chicago until she was standing behind me. I thought we were going to have to go back to California."

  "Well, I'm closing the Dungeon until she's gone again. Ground up customers is bad for business. I don't think the people in the club bought the whole 'sewer leak' announcement I made. I'm sure there are gory pictures in the paper this evening. I'm just not gonna look."

  "You're safe. I don't get the paper."

  "I noticed. It's an old habit of mine. For half-a-century, that's how everyone stayed glued to the world. Now it's the internet, and what do I use it for? I have twelve newspaper subscriptions on my cell phone."

  "You're so old-school," I said and chuckled. "It's funny though. I mean, I know you're four-hundred-years-old…but you don't act like it," I said thoughtfully.

  "How old do I act?"

  "Not a day over three-hundred. I ordered your new walker. It should be here any day…"

  "I'm going to poke your back."

  "Not if you can't catch me," I said and darted to the bathroom, locking the door behind me and laughing my ass off. "See?" I called through the door. "Old-ass-elf can't keep up with the vampire!" I cackled evilly and started the shower. I took one last night, but I wanted to run hot scalding water over my back. Maybe the heat would help.

  I stripped and got under the water, closing my eyes and bending my head forward. I pulled my hair over my shoulder, giving the massaging showerhead unfettered access to the scar. The water pulsated but didn't set off the pleasure inducing reaction that Mel's fingers had. Maybe it had to be touched to cause a reaction. I shrugged and let the water magically wash over me, tilting my head back and letting it flow over my face.

  I could feel the temperature dropping even under the spray of the hot water. I opened my eyes, saw Vic floating in front of me, the droplets of water passing right through her, and screamed. I slipped and dropped to my ass in the tub. Luckily, I didn't hit my head on the plumbing.

  Ice began gathering on the shower curtain. Vic floated above me reaching out for me when the door burst open. The shower curtain flung open, cracking from the force, and Vic disappeared.

  "What happened? Why is there ice…" Mel trailed off, knowing the answer even though she hadn't seen the ghost. She turned off the water and reached behind her to grab the towel off the rack. She draped it over my shoulders and helped me up.

  I just started sobbing. I couldn't take the visits any more. Every time I saw her, the wound in my heart opened back up, becoming fresh and raw.

  "It's okay," she said and wrapped me up once I was standing. Surprisingly, she lifted me off my feet with little effort and carried me to my room, sitting me on the edge of the bed. She went to the linen closet and grabbed another towel, sat behind me and began drying my hair while I cried like a little girl. I tried keeping it together and I was a little more successful than I had been over the past few weeks.

  "Thanks," I managed to say after the tears stopped falling.

  "Let's not leave each other alone today. Good plan?"

  "Um. I'm not watching you pee."

  "Shut up. You can turn around," she laughed.

  She leaned me forward, flipped my hair over my head, and wrapped it in the towel she had been drying it with. "Get under the covers. You're on bed duty today. You want some blood?"

  "Will you warm it up and put li
ttle marshmallows in it for me?"

  She laughed, and the tension drained from the room. "No, but I can do one better." She lifted the covers and slid in next to me, pulling me into the crook of her arm and offering the exposed flesh of her neck.

  "Okay. This beats marshmallows," I said and bit her as gently as I could. I knew I could tear into her and my bite would make her feel good, but I really wanted to be gentle with her.

  My fangs gently pierced her flesh, popping though the skin and into the vein underneath. Her blood flooded my mouth and I swallowed it like a drug. Her and Daren had a similar taste, but while his had more oomph, hers tasted better. If I were thirsty, it would quench it. I imagined the difference being somewhat akin to the difference between liquors. One might fuck you up, but the other might become almost addicting because of its flavor.

  Mel began spasming next to me and gasping for air. I smiled as I drank, the pleasure from her blood giving me a similar reaction. I snuggled closer to her and licked the wound closed, stopping before it became too much and I embarrassed myself by grinding myself against her leg or something.

  "Fuck me," she said as she rode out the last wave of pleasure.

  "Well, it might be awkward, but I'll give it a shot," I said and laughed.

  "Oh, shut up. I need to stop using that expression around you."

  "Thanks," I said and closed my eyes, letting her hold me, the contact warming more than a hot shower could.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  I slipped into the Suburban and Mel got into the back. Thompson had called and said he was picking me up. I told him in no uncertain terms that my roommate would be joining us and that there was no way in hell that I would be leaving her alone anywhere today.

  He started to argue, but then I told him about the ghost again. He capitulated without another word.

  "What happened?"

  "We have yet another visitor…"

  "Let me guess. Another demon?"

  "Worse. The Director of the Secret Service."

  "Eww."

  We got to the office as quickly as possible. I got Mel settled into one of the interview rooms and promised her a coffee for the trouble. Thompson and I headed for Reese's office. Apparently, he wasn't alone when he came back from DC.