It looked hungry.
The demon hissed and flashed its teeth. They looked sharp and poisonous.
Still, it was worth a shot. Abby stared at the creature. “If you don’t harm us or any other human soul, we won’t hurt you.”
He jumped at her.
It took nothing more than a thought and her crossbow was firmly in her hands, a familiar friend. An arrow, aflame with the light of heaven, didn’t even last a second in its hold before being released and finding its target with a thud, plucking the demon right out of the air.
Linda glanced at Abby. “Nice shot.”
“Thanks. A shame that he wasn’t an example of the good team work we’ve managed with demons.”
“Good enough for me. He attacked, you shot.”
With an inner groan, Abby motioned for Sam to take over. He was better with words.
“As I was saying, we realized that nothing is at it seemed. Angels aren’t as good as they want us to believe, and demons aren’t always as bad.” As their group marched on into the thick of the little forest edging the cemetery, the world gained a touch of red. Sam didn’t give up. He was like a dog after a bone. “And as Abby mentioned, we are working together with demons that have proven themselves. We don’t kill just anyone that crawls out of a hellhole anymore. Some of them just want to escape and aren’t interested in claiming human souls at all. That’s why we try to give them a choice.”
Linda snorted, “That’s all nice and groovy, boy, but if they go for me, I go for them.”
“Do you seriously want to tell me you’ve never let one go?”
“No.”
Ed raised his brows at her.
“Oh, shut it,” she grumbled.
Shrugging, Ed took her snap in stride. “Didn’t say a word, love.”
In that moment more demons jumped out of the shrubbery right in front of them. They didn’t waste a second and attacked as if by instinct. Linda and Ed stepped forward at the same time, their weapons ready.
In between kicks and thrusts, Linda called out, “We have one job and one job only. We guard hellholes and that’s it.”
“Yes, but haven’t you ever-”
She didn’t let him finish his question. While the demon was still sliding off her sword and onto the ground, Linda faced Sam. “They usually don’t last long enough for me to gauge their morals and conscience.”
Ed grunted as he had her back. “Maybe we should listen to them.”
Sam beamed at him. “Thanks, Ed.”
“Oh, come on.” Linda looked almost disgusted. “Don’t give me this men-know-better bullshit. That stopped working decades ago.”
Sam continued, ignoring the demons for now. “Did you know that our light can burn and cleanse wounds that were inflicted by a shade?”
“Actually, I did,” Linda said casually as she turned back towards the fight Ed was caught up in.
Abby couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Her gaze flicked to Sam for reassurance.
He too was stunned that Linda knew and needed a moment to recover. “Say that again? You knew and you never told us?”
“You never asked.”
Abby spat out, “Well, we did ask at some point and you know what? A demon helped us.” With a sneer she went on, “You’re about as egotistical as God himself. He wasn’t that much interested in our fate either when he talked to Lillian.”
Having had enough of this grumpy old woman, Abby was about to march off when Linda stopped in mid-swing and called out after her. “Hang on, kid. Did you just say God?”
“Yes. We met him after Lillian and Raz took out the angel of the divine plan. He acted like an ass to be honest, same as you.”
In a bout of anger, Linda quickly dealt with the last demon before her gaze went to Sam. “Why the heck didn’t you mention that earlier?”
Sam shrugged. “I didn’t know it would make a difference.”
Pausing in wiping the black blood staining her sword on the thigh of her dark cargos, the older Ivory looked at him as if he’d just gone off the deep end. “Of course it does. I don’t care what those prissy little angels say or do for that matter. The guy upstairs is where I get my orders from.”
Too stunned by the turn of events, Abby didn’t realize that more demons had crawled out of the hellhole until a sharp intake of breath broke the silence.
“Shit,” said the tallest and probably the leader of the group. They were still kids. Their faces were smeared, the white of their eyes popping out as they stared at the Ivorys in front of them. All of a sudden they got back into motion, hurrying and stumbling over themselves as they tried to turn around and flee.
“Don’t. It’s ok,” Abby called out and run after them. “We won’t hurt you.”
The smallest one fell to the ground, tripping over a root. “Wait!”
A girl, Abby realized.
It was too late. Her so-called friends had already disappeared through the hellhole, leaving her behind. Scrambling to turn around so that she didn’t have her back to her enemies, the girl faced them. Her eyes were wide and burning with tears of fear. She couldn’t have been older than twelve years and was definitely in need of some food. Everything about her, from her dirty, worn clothes to the way she held herself – ready to run – screamed the streets. Her guarded eyes darted around, trying to take everything in, but were unable to hide the hunger inside. Stubborn strength suddenly bloomed as the kid thrust her chin out. Abby’s heart cried out, admiring the kid’s courage.
This one had guts. Raising her arms, Abby stopped and crouched down a few feet away from the girl, not wanting to scare her more.
Looking Abby straight in the eye, measuring her, the girl asked, “So it’s true then? The rumors?”
“We won’t hurt you, if that’s what you mean.”
The kid’s green eyes flicked over the group of Ivorys behind Abby. “They say there’s a witch. That she’s working with ya guys.”
Smiling, Abby nodded. “You mean Becca? Yes, she works with us. She’s a cool witch.”
Wes grunted in surprise. “Guess Lillian wasn’t kidding when they said they were busy spreading the word, hey?”
The girl frowned. “Who is Lillian?”
“A friend of ours. She’s an Ivory as well. But don’t worry. For now all you need to know is that you’re safe and we won’t hurt you. I promise. Most of all, you’re free to decide.”
Another, but more curious frown marked her brow.
Abby explained, and nodded towards the hellhole. “Whether you want to go back or stay with us.”
A hiss came from behind but Abby ignored it, her eyes staying on the girl, encouraging her.
Biting her lip, the kid looked over her shoulder towards the whirl of red and then took a deep breath, lifting her slim chest. “I’ll come with you.”
“Cool. Oh man, I forgot my manners.” Holding out her hand for the kid to shake, she said, “I’m Abby. The cranky old woman behind me is Linda, the big guy is Ed and the handsome one is Sam. The other nuts are Wes and Dave. What’s your name?”
Apparently accepting her new environment as quickly as only children could, the girl took Abby’s hand. “People call me Sli.”
THIRTEEN
“Don’t drop your left arm, Quinn. Keep it steady. It’s supposed to protect you,” Stone advised, feeling the sun warm his back while a cool December breeze touched his face.
When he had offered to train Quinn, he had only hoped to erase whatever bad seeds that angel Raz might have sown in the witch’s mind. What he hadn’t counted on was the fact that he actually enjoyed the time with the boy. The quiet. Where training for Stone had only meant endless years of yelled orders and pain, with Quinn it was an unexpected and peaceful companionship.
After the boy finished going through the motions of the last sequence, Stone showed him another. Moving in slow motion, he lifted his leg and pulled it to his body before kicking out, releasing it like an arrow. Then he motioned for Quinn to follow.
/> Good, he thought to himself.
It was all about balance, and Stone knew as their training progressed the boy would find himself on his ass on more than one occasion. This session was all about inciting curiosity and sparking motivation, the next ones wouldn’t be as nice. The boy had potential, a willingness to learn. An observing eye. All the right ingredients to learn more than just basic self-defense and become a damn good fighter. Quinn was an Ebony after all, and being deaf didn’t change a bit about it. Well, it was Hell’s loss as far as Stone was concerned.
Out of their own accord, his eyes swept the backyard and checked the perimeter. The moss hanging off the old trees and dancing in the breeze created a green kaleidoscope of shadows and light, a perfect camouflage for an attack. Other than that, Becca’s recent plant-shopping spree were the only new guests in the garden.
Noticing movement out the corner of his eye, Stone looked up. There she was, standing in the window, a soft smile on her face as she watched them. Was she pale or was it just a trick of light?
Quinn demanded Stone’s attention with a snap of his fingers.
Again they went through the motions. Stone first followed by Quinn whose eyes were focused on the tiniest movements made. Although the boy could read his lips just fine, Stone preferred to show instead of tell, only voicing a few corrections from time to time. This kind of quiet was foreign to him, but an appreciated change from Hell’s intensity. It allowed him to concentrate on the boy, and yet gave his thoughts the possibility to roam free at the same time.
The witch.
She was fighting for her brother, even her friends, but not for herself. She risked her life to enjoy moments like last night; her friends and the laughter that went with it. Stone couldn’t remember the last time he had shared a meal with someone, much less the last time he’d laughed. He’d been on his own all his life, and had liked it that way. Only now did he realize that he hadn’t had a moment to himself since meeting the witch. Even more surprising was the fact that he didn’t miss his solitude. At the moment, anyway. He was pretty sure the need to be on his own again would rise soon enough and updating the marquis would be a perfect opportunity to prove it. However, Andras hadn’t asked for one yet. Seeing as the marquis was the kind of guy who liked being in control, Stone applauded the restraint. It helped him focus solely on his mission.
After two hours, when sweat glistened on the boy’s forehead, Stone decided it was enough for their first session. “Okay, enough for today. Wanna keep doing this?”
Quinn nodded, the smile on his face bright enough to compete with the French Quarter during Mardi Gras.
“Good. You need to learn how to protect yourself ‘cause your sister, no matter how much she wants to believe it, won’t always be there to do it. So…we gonna train every day from now on. That clear?”
Another nod, followed by dancing fingers, a bit slower than usual so that Stone recognized it. Thanks.
“Wait until the week is over…you won’t thank me then. You will be in pain. Every bone, muscle and tendon will hurt…and you will probably hate my guts.” He was quite serious about it. “Have you ever seen military train?”
The boy frowned but nodded once more.
“That’s how your next weeks will look like. Today was just to get you hooked, but as of tomorrow we gonna start with the serious shit. We need to build up your muscle so kicks like I showed you earlier have some power behind them.”
Another eager nod.
Stone shook his head at the boy, his mouth curving in a smile. “Now, go grab a shower,” he added, and Quinn ran off.
Since the training had been nothing more than a warm up for his own muscles, Stone didn’t bother with a shower. His body thrummed with energy, eager for a real fight, and climbing two steps at a time he went upstairs. About to knock on Becca’s door, he remembered her standing at the window. Pale and with tired eyes. Maybe he should leave her alone so she could rest today, especially since he knew that she’d had non-stop fighting, gathering or mending people for the last few weeks.
A crash sounded from behind her door followed by a curse. Not bothering with courtesies that weren’t his style anyway, he grabbed the door knob and stepped inside.
She was crouching on the floor, one hand braced on her desk while the other picked up pieces of a lamp that now decorated the floor.
“I know a lot of people struggle with the concept nowadays, but if a door is closed, you’re supposed to knock before barging in.”
“I heard a noise.”
“Oh.” Her gaze held surprise before it fell back to the mess. Waving the hand that held a couple of bigger shards, she smiled. “I’m redecorating.”
“I know you’re used to living on the edge, but do you really want to walk on them in your bedroom, too?”
Her eyes went wide. “That was a joke. You just made a joke.”
Laughter burst out of her, a sound so contagious that it made him want to smile in return. That was until he noticed that she still hadn’t let go of the desk in an attempt to stand. His senses on alert and feeling like he was missing something, he took a closer look at her. Dressed in a big green sweater and tight jeans, it would have been quite a fashionable outfit if she weren’t so pale. The way it was, she appeared to be drowning in the clothes, weighed down by them. His gaze went to the desk. A bowl sat there, herbs scattered all over the desk, probably over during her fight with the lamp. A knife lay amidst them, fresh blood glinting on the edge. Stone couldn’t see any animal that might have served as a sacrifice for her magic.
The puzzle pieces fell into place.
Cold anger pooled into his blood. In an instant his eyes went back to her, sharp and accusing as his suspicion was confirmed.
A trickle of blood crawled out from under her sleeve, towards her wrist.
“You should have bandaged it better.” His voice was unforgiving.
In two strides he was by her side. Taking her arm in his hand, he easily plucked her off the floor and made her sit on the bed. She didn’t have the energy to fight against him. After a quick visit into her en-suite bathroom, he undid the old bandage. His jaw hardened when he saw the cut she’d inflicted on herself. The blood on her soft, pale skin. Without another word or look at her, he fixed and tightened a new dressing.
“Is it wise to cut off my entire circulation?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Most of your brain damage must have been sustained before my time.”
Straightening, he knew he had to get out. He didn’t appreciate her trying to cheer up the mood by making light of a serious situation at all. Stone couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to add two and two together. Not giving her a chance to come up with another witty comeback, he left the room, the door falling closed with a soft click. Downstairs, his hand reached for Betty’s keys out of their own accord. Once inside the old van, he turned the ignition.
Nothing happened.
Dammit. He didn’t need this right now, when all he wanted was to hear her hoarse engine and get away. Pausing, he wondered what had gotten him into such a state to begin with.
Stone tried again without success. Not even the slightest sound came from the bus. What the hell does she usually do to get the thing started?
Hitting the wheel with his fist, he leaned back in his seat.
Yes, he hadn’t known, not even suspected, that the witch was using her own blood instead that of others. But so what? Why would he care?
It was information on her, nothing more. Another weak link in her armor, and that was all that he needed to know.
The passenger door opened and before he could say anything, she climbed in. Her brown eyes were huge in her face.
How could she risk her own life that way? Was she insane?
“You were sent to kill me, weren’t you?”
Ignoring her comment, the truth of which sent another spark of anger through him, he confronted her. “Didn’t you get the memo, or what? We’re demons. We’re bad and aren’
t supposed to care about others.”
“Why? Just because someone says so? No way.” She shook her head at him, her passion and conviction bringing color back to her face and rolling off her in waves. “I’m a witch, a demon, yes, but that doesn’t mean that I have to be bad. That’s a choice everyone has.”
“Your soul belongs to Hell. It doesn’t matter how much good you do, you won’t ever get to Heaven. Simply because you were born a witch. So why waste your time, why risk your life by being good?”
She smiled that sweet smile of hers. “Because only then am I who I want to be.”
His anger was a fire in his chest. “A do-gooding witch?”
“If it makes me happy, then yes. And by the way, you don’t strike me as the type to just accept what he’s told. Why regarding this? Why the hell are you so quick in saying you’re bad?” Her eyes went wide as her gaze searched his. “Because you really do believe it. You think you aren’t any good.”
Chuckling dryly, he held up his hand. “Oh, lady stop right there. Don’t go down that road. I know I am not. So you better dump any ideas of saving me or some other bullshit. Especially since you’ve got your own life to worry about.”
“Oh, is that so? You know, for someone who says that demons aren’t supposed to care about others, you seem to care an awful lot.”
“I don’t.” Why did it sound like a lie to his own ears? “It was a fair warning, that’s all.”
“I take it you were sent to kill me after all then. Well, could you?”
Taking in a sharp breath, Stone wondered why she said it. To assure herself, or to test him? Either way, it infuriated him even more. Why did she always go and put her life at risk?
Staring into her chocolate eyes, he implored her. “You don’t wanna test that theory. Believe me.”
“Actually, I do.”
The next instant her mouth was on his.
She was warm and inviting, her lips opening up to let him in. A shiver ran down his spine, making him realize that even a simple kiss shouldn’t feel this pure. It was more than just a need met, and felt like an answer found. After their tongues touched once more, he broke away.
Ebony Fight (The Guard Duet Book 2) Page 9