by Karen Lynch
I stopped at the bottom of a fire escape. “You were able to enter the Blue Nyx without bothering the demons there. Why is this different?”
“Adele siphons the energy from her clientele, which makes them rather placid. It is how Fae and demons are able to be there at the same time.” He waved at the building. “Much like my house has Fae wards, this place is protected by demon wards, and my presence would set them off.”
“Oh.” I checked my weapons and stared at the bottom rung of the fire escape that was way out of my reach. “Little help here?”
He chuckled and then the ladder lowered so I could grab it. I pulled myself up until my feet were firmly planted on the bottom rung. “Wish me luck.”
“Luck is for the unprepared, and I have trained you too well to rely on anything that fickle.”
I began to climb. “Such words of encouragement. You should work for Hallmark.”
At the top of the fire escape there was a small landing next to a narrow door. I cracked the door and peered inside at a dimly lit hallway with a few doors on either side. So far, so good. Slipping inside, I let the door close quietly behind me. I took two steps and came up against what felt like an invisible wall of jelly that gave when my hands pressed into it. It must have been one of the demon wards Eldeorin had spoken of. The question was, did it feel like this for everyone or was it reacting to my Fae side? And what was it going to do if I tried to go through it? It would really suck if I ended up trapped in this stuff and had to get Eldeorin to come in and free me.
Only one way to find out. I took a deep breath and pushed my way through the wall.
I emerged on the other side with a small pop. Suddenly, the muted demon presence that I’d felt outside was loud and clear. And it was big. There were a lot of demons in this place. I just hoped they weren’t all gulak demons or something equally as awful.
What the heck are Chris and Jordan doing in a place like this? I moved silently to the end of the short hallway that ended in a T-intersection with a catwalk that appeared to circle the entire second floor of the building. A three-foot railing overlooked the lower floor. Checking to make sure there was no one around, I went to the rail to see what lay below.
“Jesus!” I uttered as I got my first look at a demon market.
The first floor was laid out like any public market, with stalls set up around the perimeter and another grouping in the center with a wide track for walking between them. On one side of the floor the stalls were filled with fruits and vegetables I recognized, while others contained things I could only assume were food. There was a baker hawking loaves of green bread that did not make me hungry for a sandwich, and a butcher selling God only knew what kind of meat. My stomach did a little roll and I was glad I hadn’t eaten in the last few hours.
On the opposite wall, the stalls sold everything from human housewares, electronics, and clothing to strange medicines and magical objects. One stall specialized in protective wards and another sold glamours that would make a demon appear human. There was a book vendor, a stall selling soaps and oils, and even a place where you could buy driver’s licenses and other documents.
The mix of modern and supernatural gave the whole place an otherworldly feel that made me think I’d stepped into a weird dream. But as strange as the place was, it was the people that made my eyes bug out. I had never seen so many different demons together in one place, and I almost gave myself whiplash trying to see them all. There were short, dark ranc demons, green apelike sheroc demons, fat pasty white femal demons, gray-skinned mox demons, and so many more that I had never seen before. They all moved through the market, keeping a polite distance from each other as they did their business.
What I didn’t see was Chris or Jordan or any sign of a disturbance. If a Mohiri team was pinned down here and needing backup, you’d think there would be some kind of commotion.
As if on cue, a roar came from beneath my feet, and I made my way around the catwalk until I could see what was making the racket. I groaned when I saw the scene below.
It just had to be gulak demons.
Eight of them. Yep, eight of the scaly brutes were crowded into a loading bay and making growling noises at the three Mohiri warriors they had cornered. The gulaks were not alone either. There were two ranc demons and a drex demon holding some kind of weapons that resembled flame throwers. Every one of them looked like they wanted nothing more than to rip apart the warriors who faced them with swords drawn. One of the gulaks was holding his arm and baring his teeth at Jordan, whose sword dripped black blood onto the concrete floor.
“I warned you what would happen if you took another step,” Jordan yelled at the angry demon. She glared at the others. “Anyone else want to try to touch the helpless female?”
“Jordan...” Chris pinched the bridged of his nose, and I grinned at his pained expression. At least he didn’t look like someone who feared for his life, and the three of them appeared to be okay except for the makeshift bandage tied around the third warrior’s thigh. I couldn’t see the fourth team member so I figured he was outside and the one who had called for backup.
The injured gulak leered at Jordan. “You have fire. You would bring a high price in the slave market, but I think I will keep you for myself.”
“Ew! In your dreams, lizard boy.”
“No one keeps her,” another gulak barked. “You know the deal. We call the vampires and turn the hunters over to them. They will pay us enough for a dozen slaves.”
Vampires? Not good. I’d thought for a moment I could stay out of sight and keep an eye on things until backup arrived, but it looked like I was going to have to go down there.
If I had been really cool like Buffy or that chick from Underworld, I would have flipped over the railing and landed right behind them before I started kicking some demon ass. But knowing my luck, I’d only end up spraining something. So I opted for stealth instead, using the stairs at the far end of the building to get to the first floor.
I’d hoped I could make my way to the loading bay and out of sight by walking behind the stalls, but I soon discovered they were flush against the wall of the building. Damn it. Straightening my jacket, I entered the traffic passing by the stairs while trying to look like I belonged there. It wasn’t easy to blend in when I had to be careful not to make contact with anyone. Apart from not wanting to draw attention, the last thing I wanted to do was accidentally shock some poor mox demon out doing her grocery shopping.
“It’s another one,” said a voice behind me. It sounded like the speaker had a bad lisp. I didn’t turn around in case he wasn’t referring to me.
A second voice answered him. “Velec will be pleased when we bring him this one. He likes females.”
“She is a hunter, so she will go to the vampires. You know that.”
So much for not getting noticed. I turned casually toward a stall that looked like an apothecary then ducked into the space between it and the next stall. By the time the two ranc demons followed me in, I had my knife unsheathed and power coursing through my fingers. It was probably foolish to corner myself this way, but it would also draw a lot less attention.
“Drop the knife, girl, and this will go easier for you,” said the one with the lisp. “You are no match for me and my brother.”
The other one nodded, his catlike eyes fixed on the blade in my hand.
I debated the best way to handle the situation. I didn’t need my knife to take out these two. Compared to some of the other things I’d faced, ranc demons were about as frightening as sewer rats. My real problem was getting the job done without drawing a crowd.
I dropped the knife. It hit the floor with a thud and skidded several feet away. The ranc demons, seeing my action as a sign of surrender, rushed at me.
Lispy reached me first, and I let him get a good grip on my left wrist before I gave him a healthy jolt. His body stiffened and he made a choking sound as he fell to his knees. The other demon, seemingly unaware of his brother’s distress, grab
bed for my right arm. He went down soundlessly, grabbing his throat like he couldn’t breathe. Before either of them could recover, I put a hand on each of their shoulders and let them have enough juice to keep them down for a few hours. I probably should have killed them and done the world a favor, but I decided to give them a pass. This time.
I stepped over their prone bodies to retrieve my knife, and when I straightened up, I discovered I had a little audience. Two vrell children, who couldn’t have been more than five or six, were peeking around the corner of the stall, their black eyes wide with fear and excitement. They were as cute as buttons with their chubby faces and tiny horns peeking through their brown curls. I smiled at them and put my finger to my lips. I could hear their giggles as they ran away.
“Later, guys,” I said to the unconscious ranc demons. Then I stepped out from between the stalls. I just hoped no one found them and raised an alarm before I reached Chris and Jordan.
I still hadn’t figured out how I was going to handle all those gulak demons. None of them was as big as the one I’d killed in Minneapolis, but even the smaller ones were tough. It wasn’t like I had a choice. If they called in vampires, God only knew how many blood suckers would descend upon this place.
Childish laughter alerted me to the two little demons on my tail. I stopped walking and groaned silently. Where the heck are their parents? All I needed was for them to get caught up in the fight that was going to happen when I reached my friends.
As if she had heard my thoughts, a vrell female ran over and took both children by the arm. She kept a wary eye on me as she spoke softly to them. One of them whispered in her ear, and she looked behind them at the place where I’d knocked out the ranc demons. Her eyes were fearful when they met mine again, and she grabbed the children’s hands and hurried away with them.
No one else tried to intercept me, although a lot of demons stared at me and whispered. My only concern was getting to Jordan and Chris, and as long as no one got in my way, I didn’t care what they said about me.
When I finally reached the wall of gulak demons I stared at them in consternation. Now that I was here, I had no idea how I was going to take on eight of them at once. Not to mention the drex demon with its poisonous barbs and those weapons the ranc demons held. Something told me they weren’t going to let me fight them one at a time.
Maybe I can create a diversion to lead some of them away and –
“What’s this?” rumbled someone behind me. “You’re too little to be a hunter.”
I spun to face the gulak demon that had sneaked up on me. My heart banged against my ribs and I cursed my stupidity. I’d been so distracted by how I was going to handle the gulaks that I hadn’t noticed one of them was missing.
The gulak grinned as he rushed at me. Instead of running, I let him catch me. As he reached for me, I grabbed one of his arms and twisted my body. Using his larger height and weight to my advantage, I pulled him forward and over my shoulder. The back of his head cracked against the concrete floor, and I wasted no time punching him in the throat. I didn’t have the strength of a warrior, but my strike was no less damaging. He made a strangled sound as I introduced him to my Fae side, and then his head lolled to one side with his mouth slack and his forked tongue hanging out.
A shuffling sound made me whip my head up to look at the other gulak demons who were all staring at their fallen friend.
Correction. They were all staring at me.
Three of them growled and started toward me.
I backed up, looking for an escape route. If I could lead them away, maybe I could use the divide-and-conquer strategy.
My plan might have worked if one of the ranc demons hadn’t decided to join the fun. He advanced on me, his weapon spewing small white flames. The look on his face told me he was hoping I’d give him an excuse to use the weapon on me. My power was deadly to demons, but it wasn’t any protection from fire.
My back thumped against something hard and cold. I looked over my shoulder at the large glass tank full of dark murky water. Something moved in the water and a black tentacle slapped the other side of the glass. I shuddered, not wanting to know what was swimming in the water.
Water?
There was no time to think. I turned and grabbed the top of the tank that sat on a metal stand and pulled with all my strength. Someone, probably the vendor, shouted for me to stop.
The tank wobbled precariously for a second then crashed to the floor, sending a small wave of water at my pursuers.
The ranc demon was at the front, and he dropped his weapon as a black... thing latched onto his thigh. The creature looked like a mix between a squid and an eel, and it obviously liked the taste of demon if the ranc demon’s screeches were any indication.
The gulaks stopped in surprise and then stepped over the rest of the flopping creatures and came at me.
I dropped and stuck my hands in the inch of water at my feet, ignoring the slimy texture as I summoned the water’s magic. Golden streaks shot from my hands, moving through the water like burning trails of gunpowder. One streak hit each of the four demons. They screamed as my Fae magic, magnified by the water, enveloped them. The ranc demon collapsed first, but the gulaks soon followed. The four of them lay twitching in the water and gasping for air.
I wasted no time. Whipping out one of my throwing knives, I aimed for the remaining ranc demon who still held a weapon on my friends. The blade sank into his shoulder, and he yelped as he lost his grip on the weapon.
I stepped back and pulled out two more throwing knives as the drex demon growled and came at me. His legs were short, but that didn’t slow him down. He bared his teeth and raised his hands, which were covered in venom-filled barbs. If I hadn’t fought one of his kind before, I might have been scared witless at the sight of his towering reptilian form.
Sounds of fighting broke out in the loading bay, but I was too focused on my own fight to worry about my friends. My first knife found its mark in the stomach of the advancing demon and he let out a roar. He yanked it out, but thankfully he didn’t have the opposable thumbs necessary to throw it back at me.
I waited until he took another step toward me before I threw my second knife.
The drex demon made a gurgling sound and reached for the knife embedded in his thick neck.
I used his distraction to strike out at him. My first drex kill in New Orleans hadn’t been a pretty one because I hadn’t known their hearts were located near their stomach instead of in their chest. I knew better this time, and I slammed my palm into his bleeding stomach, sending a powerful jolt into his heart. The demon went down in a heap of scales and claws, and I knew he wasn’t getting up again.
Good riddance.
“Jordan, I think he’s dead.”
I looked at the warriors who had taken out the remaining gulak demons. Jordan stood over the one that had wanted to keep her for himself, her sword buried in his chest. From the numerous wounds on his stomach and groin, she had worked out her aggression over the slave insult.
Whispers drew my attention to the crowd that had amassed behind me. It looked like every demon in the place had come to watch the fight, and none of them looked upset over the dead demons in the loading bay. When I turned fully to face them, fear spread across their faces and, as one, they backed up.
I let out a slow breath and pulled my power back into my core until my hands stopped glowing. I held them up for the crowd to see. “I came only to help my friends over there, and I have no beef with any of you.”
“You... killed them all,” squeaked a sheroc demon wearing a baker’s apron. “What kind of demon are you?”
A vrell demon spoke up bravely. “We did not harm your friends. No one gets involved in gulak affairs.”
“Please, don’t hurt us,” whispered another demon.
I sighed heavily. This wasn’t going how I’d hoped it would. “Listen, I’m not going to hurt any of you. Got it?”
No one spoke.
I looked up a
t the second floor and found Eldeorin leaning against the railing watching me with an amused expression. “Little help here?”
He grinned and the demons stared at me as my glamour lifted.
“Talael esledur,” said a feminine voice from somewhere in the crowd.
A flurry of whispers spread through the demons, and I heard the same phrase whispered over and over. Whatever it meant, it eased their fears, and they began to look at me with curiosity and reverence. Great, now what?
A thin gray-skinned demon pushed to the front of the crowd. She wore a long blue dress and there was an unusual black tattoo on the left side of her face.
“Hey, I know you.” She was one of the two mox demons I’d freed from Draegan back in Los Angeles.
She smiled timidly. “It is good to see you again, warrior.”
“How are you and your friend doing?”
“She is my sister and she is well. We are very happy here.”
“That’s good.” I glanced at the other demons that were still watching me like they were waiting for something to happen. “Hey, do you know why everyone is staring at me like that?”
“They cannot believe you are here. They have heard of the talael esledur, but none of them expected to ever see you in the flesh.”
My brows drew together. “The talael esledur?” I repeated, my tongue tripping over the demon words.
She nodded. “In demon tongue it means ‘kind warrior.’”
I looked from her to the other demon faces. “I’m sorry, but I think you guys have confused me with someone else.”
“We are not mistaken,” the mox demon replied, and the others shook their heads. “You saved my sister and me just as you have saved many others of our kind. Your deeds are known to all of us.”
“Those gulaks showed up here two months ago, hurting people and forcing us to pay them half our profits,” said a vrell male. “We are in your debt, warrior.”
“As am I. That is the second time you’ve saved my ass.”
Taking a deep breath, I turned slowly to face Chris who stood behind me wearing a smile. But not a hint of recognition. What the...? Eldeorin!