Demon Hunt

by A. Blythe

  Her expectation was spot on, but I was missing my ace in the hole. Where was Rose?

  “The zoo is always so crowded,” I said. “We figured we’d kill two birds with one stone.”

  Wilhelm summoned a blade and held it against Pinky’s throat. “Enough nonsense. The ring. Now.”

  The whirring of a helicopter in the distance drew everyone’s attention to the air. The wind began to blow, kicking up dirt and blowing leaves in all directions.

  I let loose a long string of curses that was drowned out by the noisy helicopter.

  “Who is this?” Katrien asked, glaring at me.

  “Someone who isn’t supposed to interfere,” I said, and caught the flash of recognition in Pinky’s eyes.

  The helicopter lowered as close as it dared, a long rope dangling. I watched in awe as a familiar figure rappelled one hundred and fifty feet and landed with expert ease.

  “What the hell?” I whispered.

  Her white hair was a little longer than the last time we met, but she still wore black leather from head to toe. At least now her outfit was seasonally appropriate. She removed her gloves and stuffed them in her back pocket.

  “You,” I said in disbelief. The wind calmed as the helicopter flew away.

  “I had a feeling we’d meet again,” Dragon Mage said. She’d shown up at the Colony Games to lead the coup against Prince Simdan and generally wreak havoc. I wondered if she was here to stir the Nightshade pot.

  “Are you with them?” I asked, nodding toward an angry and confused-looking Katrien.

  Her bright red lip curled. “Do I look like I’m with them? Do us both a favor and use the brain the gods gave you.”

  Katrien rubbed her hands and summoned a semi-automatic. “I do not know who you are, but your presence here is most unwelcome.”

  “Trust me, Marid. You don’t want to do that.” Dragon Mage unzipped her jacket pocket and produced a ring. The ring.

  “I know you think you’re helping me, but you’re not,” I said.

  Dragon Mage kept her eyes fixed on Pinky. “I don’t think I’m helping you. I’m helping her.” She cast a quick sidelong glance at me. “Although I must admit, I harbored a small fight crush after our brief entanglement.”

  An image of her dramatic escape flashed in my mind. Her leather-clad body dangling from a helicopter wasn’t easily erased from memory.

  A helicopter.

  My mouth went dry and my palms began to sweat.

  Pinky’s squirming body snapped me back to reality. There was no time to worry about my revelation. I had to release her. Nightshade would have no qualms about killing a mage. It dovetailed nicely with their pro-djinn agenda.

  Katrien’s brow furrowed as she looked from Dragon Mage to me. “You are not working with this mage, yet she has possession of the ring?”

  I groaned. “Come on, Katrien. Catch up.” I snapped my fingers. “I never had the ring.” I held up Mr. Herman’s ring. “I glamoured this one to make you think I had it. I guess that makes us both skilled liars.”

  Katrien held out her hand. “Give me the ring and we will release your mage friend.”

  “Release the girl first,” Dragon Mage snarled.

  Katrien laughed. “Release the powerful mage first? Not a chance.”

  Dragon Mage cracked her neck from side to side. “I’m a powerful mage too.”

  “Congratulations,” Katrien said.

  I stepped between Katrien and Dragon Mage, my arms outstretched. “You can’t give them the ring. Do you know how they intend to use it?”

  “Their intentions are not my concern,” she replied.

  “They’ll be your concern when they take over PAN and relegate magicians and the Nephilim to the basement. Gods know what they intend to do with regular humans.”

  Dragon Mage flinched. “My orders are to exchange the ring for the mage. Nothing else.”

  “You can’t let her have the ring,” I insisted. “No one should own an object this powerful. If I get my hands on it, that ring will never see the light of day again.”

  Dragon Mage considered me. “What would you do?”

  “I’d take it to the Plasma Plane and bury it in the heart of the largest volcano.” I’d basically take it to Mount Doom.

  “I am running out of patience,” Katrien yelled.

  “Is this the part where you demand your detonators?” I taunted her. Luciano would be proud of me, making a Die Hard reference. Team 80’s.

  “I must follow my instructions,” Dragon Mage said in a low voice.

  I felt torn. I couldn’t let Pinky die, but I couldn’t let the ring fall into the wrong hands. Solomon’s ring on Katrien’s finger meant many deaths, including mine.

  “A simultaneous exchange,” I announced. “When Pinky is halfway to us, Dragon Mage will toss you the ring.”

  “Dragon Mage?” the Chinese albino mage queried.

  Oops. “Oh, that’s what we call you.”

  She suppressed a smile. “My name is Qiao.”

  “I prefer Dragon Mage. It suits you.”

  Katrien placed her hands on her hips. “If you two are finished getting acquainted, I would very much like to wrap up this agreement. I have grown tired of this unremarkable little town.”

  She snapped her fingers and the ropes around Pinky dissolved. Pinky ripped the piece of tape from her mouth and yelped in pain.

  “Come to me, Pinky,” I said. I didn’t want Dragon Mage running off with her, not until I had firm answers.

  One step. Two steps. My eyes flitted from Pinky to Katrien to Dragon Mage. Everyone tensed.

  “Hey, Pinky. Remember Wissahickon?” I asked.

  Although her expression didn’t change, she nodded. “I saved you from a dinner date with Flynn.”

  “Okay, not the part I need you to remember,” I said and noticed the hint of a smile. She knew exactly what I wanted.

  I turned to Dragon Mage. “Toss it now.”

  She lobbed it like a softball. It was just slow enough for me to snatch the ring in mid-air.

  The members of Nightshade went still.

  “Where is it?” Katrien shrieked.

  “Where are they?” another voice asked in a panic.

  I ran for the lake, the ring clenched in my fist. I had to trust that Dragon Mage and Pinky would get themselves out of there before the spell was broken. Hell, I’d been on the receiving end of Dragon Mage’s fire-breathing tactics. She was a petite powerhouse.

  I bypassed the swan boat and ran, praying to any gods paying attention that the invisible hamster bubble didn’t sink. I made it halfway across the lake before the spell broke. Something must have broken Pinky’s concentration. I hoped it wasn’t a weapon.

  I dropped into the ice cold water and every muscle in my body seized. I pushed through the discomfort and began to swim. The water chilled me to the bone, but I remained submerged. I needed to get the ring as far away from the zoo as possible. Find a safe place to stash it before I could destroy it. If only I could still shift, I’d turn into a bird and fly away with the damn thing.

  Reaching the shore, I crawled from the water, dripping wet. I was relieved to see that no one was waiting for me. I dragged myself to my feet, wedged the ring into my pocket, and sprinted for the exit.

  17

  The exit was a lot further than I would have preferred.

  I’d just about normalized my breathing after ingesting half of Bird Lake—and tried not to think about the sheer volume of feces now inhabiting my system—when I was confronted by a row of Nightshade soldiers. They’d done me the honor of ditching their human forms and stood before me in all their demonic glory. If I had any doubts as to whether Pinky’s cloaking spell was broken, it was now painfully clear by the way they were all staring directly at me.

  “Hand over the ring,” the Ifrit in the middle commanded.

  Holy Moly. He had to have chosen one of the least attractive forms available to an Ifrit. A Mexican mole lizard mixed with a human male. His
pink, segmented skin was stretched tight over the human shape.

  “I don’t think it’s your size,” I said.

  Mole Lizard Man pointed at me. “Kill her and take the ring.”

  There were five of them—two Hinns, two Ifrits, and one Shaitan.

  “Are you trying to act like a dick or just look like one? Seriously, of all the cool shapes you can take, why this one?” I withdrew my yantoks and extended them to their full length.

  One of the Hinn soldiers snickered.

  “You think your twigs can hurt us?” the Ifrit said and roared with laughter, as much as a Mexican mole lizard man could roar. More of an awkward chirp really.

  “I’ve had them made special, just for you. Stun,” I said, and watched the yantoks light up. I didn’t wait for my new friends to greet me. I lunged straight for the chatty one and struck a glancing blow on the Ifrit’s pink, segmented shoulder. The force I mustered was unimpressive, but the magic was not. It shot through him like a live wire, and his body jolted and shivered.

  Before I could strike again, the second Ifrit used its winged form to his advantage. His sharp talons sunk deep into my leg and he pulled me into the air. Dangling upside down above the other djinn, I tried desperately to beat the creature with my sticks. I struggled to raise my upper half and garner enough strength to inflict any damage. Note to self: work on abdominal strength. The blood rushed to my head and it occurred to me that if he swung me upside down much longer, I’d be losing my dinner as well as my weapons.

  A blast from the ground alerted me to help. Something struck the Ifrit and his wings folded. Bad news and good news for me. As he crashed to the ground, I fell with him and narrowly avoided being crushed by his leathery body when we landed. He turned to ash just before making contact with the earth. I, on the other hand, landed on my shoulders and upper back. My only consolation was that I hit the shore of Bird Lake. Other than the water, it was the softest landing I could have hoped for. It was nothing short of a miracle that my bones remained intact.

  I hustled to my feet, taking a few seconds to adjust to standing upright again, and tried to get a handle on the scene in front of me.

  Protectors had swarmed the remaining djinn. Farah would be pleased to know that her weapons were being put to good use.

  I took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed and continue toward the exit. Katrien must have put the call out for my capture because I’d only made it about fifty feet when two Hinns materialized in front of me. I didn’t even have a chance to make fun of their ridiculously disproportioned bodies (their hands were the smallest thing about them) because they jumped me without so much as an introduction. What kind of villains were they? Straight to the physical abuse? No trading of insults?

  I twisted and turned, my yantoks glowing in the darkness. They were so distracted by the lightsabers that they failed to notice the small fox running up behind them. If they had seen it, they probably would’ve assumed it had escaped from an enclosure, but I knew better.

  Farah finally made her appearance. “I’ve been bored for hours,” she complained. “I need some action.”

  I tossed one of my yantoks between the Hinns and into Farah’s outstretched hand. She whacked the one on the right, while I engaged the one on the left.

  “Mine stopped glowing,” Farah said, striking the Hinn in the face. He shifted to mist and Farah held the yantok in a ready position, waiting for him to reappear.

  “You can’t use the magic. It has to be me or Pinky,” I said and jammed the edge of the glowing yantok into my Hinn’s clavicle. Magic seeped from the stick and set him alight. Green flames enveloped his head and he screamed in agony. He was in too much pain to shift.

  Farah pulled a revolver from her holster and shot him once in the head. It was the kindest thing anyone could do for him now.

  The other Hinn returned, along with a Shaitan in the form of a jackal.

  An enormous white tiger leaped onto the jackal, pinning him down beneath four massive paws. The jackal disappeared in a haze of smoke and Mix’s tiger form landed flat on the ground.

  Shaitans weren’t easy to kill.

  I glanced to my left to see Flynn joining the fray.

  “Where’ve you been?” I asked.

  “Finishing off a few of them over by the giraffes. Poor baby giraffe was having a coronary.”

  I could only imagine what the animals thought of the carnage. “Any more human swords?” I asked.

  “Melania is taking care of them.”

  A shred of good news.

  Another wave of djinn rushed us. “Incoming,” I yelled, preparing for battle.

  A streak of flames shot toward them and I jerked my head to locate the source.

  The flames were quickly extinguished by a defensive wall of water created by the djinn. Dragon Mage appeared behind me and wasted no time unleashing her deadly laser beams. I figured they’d be making an appearance before the night was through.

  I’m here, Reed said, and my heart leapt. I didn’t realize how much I’d been worried about him until I heard his voice.

  Katrien materialized in the middle of the djinn formation.

  Cover me. I extended my yantoks and forged ahead. It was a dance I knew well. It didn’t matter that my magic was limited to my weapons. I had years of experience fighting djinn of all makes and models. These former agents were no exception. In fact, they were the perfect opponents because they’d been agents. We shared the same kind of training.

  I spun and struck empty air, twirled and sliced only mist. No surprise that their shifting was excellent.

  But it was exactly what I wanted them to do.

  When you shift, you need to regroup somewhere else. By forcing them to shift, I managed to push the djinn closer to my team. And to Dragon Mage.

  I dodged a blade as it whizzed past my shoulder.

  Katrien reformed beside me, her dark eyes bulging. “Lily?”

  The young woman stepped out of from behind Reed and approached us.

  “Stand down,” Katrien screamed.

  Do we keep fighting? Reed asked.

  Give it a minute. We needed to see how this played out.

  Lily held out her hands, palms up. “Katrien, you must stop this. I would never want to be the reason for such violence.”

  Tears streaked Katrien’s cheeks. “Your death meant nothing to them,” she spat. “That human suffered no consequences for murdering you.” She stopped and stared at her former lover. “I do not understand. Is this necromancy? You died, Lily.”

  “I came back for you, my love,” Lily said. “To beg you to put an end to this. Forget the ring. Forget revenge.”

  Unfortunately for us, Wilhelm’s judgment wasn’t clouded by emotions. “Katrien, open your eyes. She isn’t Lily. It’s only a conjuring.”

  Katrien’s gaze remained pinned on the love of her life. She lowered her weapon, ignoring Wilhelm’s objections.

  Lily renewed her plea. “Katrien, I know you. This call to violence is not who you are.”

  My stomach was in knots as Lily edged closer to Katrien.

  “Katrien, wake up!” Wilhelm yelled.

  Katrien’s jaw set. “But Wilhelm, I am not asleep.” Before anyone could stop her, she summoned a dagger and slit the woman’s throat.

  “Rose!” I cried.

  The glamour dissipated and the body of sweet, elderly Rose lay crumpled and bleeding on the ground.

  Katrien spat on her. “How dare you use her image against me. Lily was everything to me. Do you hear me? Everything!”

  I lunged for Katrien. She easily sidestepped me and I fell, my knees slamming onto the walkway. Pain shot down both legs. I flipped to my back just as Wilhelm came at me, brandishing a flaming sword.

  “You dishonor your caste,” he said.

  A strong gust of wind blew him off his feet. I jerked my head. Oscar stood with his hands in the air, chanting a nature spell. It was clear from his anguished expression that he’d seen Rose’s lifeless body. S
adness and anger rolled off him in waves.

  Wilhelm took one look at Oscar and shifted to mist.

  Katrien was still with us, wild-eyed and determined to get the ring. She stalked toward me with a murderous gleam in her eye. I jumped to my feet as she summoned a machete, chopping my thigh before I had time to move. Pain ripped through me and I howled like I’d never howled in my life.

  Before I could recover, Katrien took the opportunity to strike again.

  “You should be training harder,” she told me. “Fighting harder to get your cuffs off. They are a death sentence, yet you seem quite content with them.”

  “I am not content,” I ground out.

  She shoved the handle of the machete into my midsection, and I felt the rib snap. Despite my best effort to stay silent, a whimper escaped me.

  “Our cause is good and just,” Katrien said, preparing for another blow. “Give me the ring and you may live to see another rising sun.”

  I clutched my abdomen. “Sunrises are overrated.”

  “Stubborn to the end.” She shook her head. “Admirable, yet such a waste.”

  “Funny,” I choked. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  Get down, Reed’s voice commanded and I didn’t hesitate. A fireball whizzed toward us and Katrien shifted to mist in the nick of time.

  I crawled across the pathway, hoping she didn’t reform in front of me. At this point, I wasn’t confident that I could rise to my feet.

  I have Protectors with me. Go now, Reed yelled. He never yelled. I clenched my teeth and pulled myself to a standing position. I heard the grunts and screams of battle behind me. From the sound of it, both Wilhelm and Katrien had rejoined the fight. I hoped Reed and his team could handle two djinn. I was nothing but a liability in my current state. I had to put distance between us. Where were my own djinn? One of them could bend the light and get us both out of here.

  Blood streamed down my leg and I hobbled into the big cat sanctuary. One of my lower ribs was definitely broken and I was finding it difficult to breathe. I needed a healer. I should have brought Lana and left her safely on the bus with Luciano.