I reached back and pulled the hood over my face, the minute it sealed completely shut it turned me invisible.
He jerked a little in surprise, then glanced down at my jacket which was still visible. “That’s incredible.” He pressed closer.
“And I’m the only one who can fit in it so you’re stuck with me.”
“We can’t risk you being in close proximity to the Axitross, little one,” he said firmly.
“Chances are even if I’m in the same building the effects will be minimum as long as I’m not too close. If we time it right I can go in first and find her without being noticed and then when the distraction happens I can get her out in the chaos. That way you can stall long enough for us to get out of there before using the device.”
I pulled the hood back off, becoming visible again.
He cupped my cheek. “It’s too big of a risk.”
“It’s my risk to take. It you don’t let me come I’ll just do it anyway, this is what I do.”
He growled threateningly and wrapped his hand around my throat.
“I’m not afraid of you,” I breathed, reaching to touch his face.
“You’re a fool.”
“And you’re stuck with me.”
A growl vibrated up his chest. “Fine but you will do exactly as I say.”
“Yes, sir.”
He reached around and squeezed my ass.
“Hey!”
“Show him how the explosives work,” he ordered, releasing me.
I walked over and unzipped the bag, pulling of the sphere‘s and placing them carefully on the mattress. “Here, this card explains everything.” I offered it to Grant.
“You had instructions the whole time?” demanded Avon.
I gave him an innocent look, “Maybe.”
He growled again, he was a very angry person by nature. Then he turned to Grant, “Got it?” he asked.
Grant nodded, “Seems simple enough.”
Avon picked up the Axitross then frowned thoughtfully at it. “Not your style?” I asked.
“I’d prefer to have both hands free.”
I walked over to him, “What would you do without me?” I murmured, taking it from him. I pushed his sleeve up and used my power just enough to manipulate the metal into widening so I could slide it onto his wrist.
He let out a breath and I felt the power fill him. “I’m ready.”
“Me too.” I pulled my phone and the extra ammo out of the bag and slid them down the front of the suit. I probably should have put a bra on but the suit was tight enough to keep them in place.
“Let’s kick it.” Grant headed over to the car.
Avon raised an eyebrow at me, “Are the extra bullets necessary when you don’t have easy access to your weapon?”
I ran my fingers over my hip and when I found a slight lump I pressed it, causing a slash to appear in the fabric, allowing me to reach in and draw my gun.
“I stand corrected.”
I smiled and put the gun away, pressing the button again, causing it to seal back up. Then we walked to the car. Avon climbed in the back so I took the passenger seat.
We drove for about half an hour to a secluded area of woods. “Wait here.” Avon climbed out of the car and opened the driver's side door. “That’s it,” he pointed to a spot behind him.
Grant climbed out and Avon took his place, closing the door.
I blinked, “Are we driving through the portal?”
“Give me a minute”
I frowned but sat back in my chair and waited patiently.
“My mother, she- over the years my father has taken her through the portal a number of times, he didn’t always take the proper precaution.” He clenched his hands on the wheel, hard enough to leave dents in the metal.
“Like with me? That’s why you were worried?”
He nodded. “She’s not the same.”
“I understand. She’s been through a lot, it would be difficult for anyone, especially a human. Moving through the portal... it was- scary and I’m a witch. After all I’ve been through there isn’t much that scares me.”
His hands relaxed slightly. “I just need you to be prepared, she doesn’t always understand what's going on.”
“I can handle it, I’ll get her out safely.”
“Thank you.” He pulled out a few vials of blue liquid. “One of these will put you to sleep for ten minutes. If you find yourself at a portal, just the two of you and you can’t wait for us, you text me, give her one, think of where you want to go and then hold her as you go through the portal. It you take the liquid a second before you go through it will already have the location and it will still save you from the strain of passing through the portal.”
I nodded, “Okay.”
“Okay.” He climbed back out of the car. I got out too, taking off my jacket and leaving it in the car before following him out to where Grant stood.
Two large oak trees stood in front of us, just over three feet apart. Avon offered me two of the vials, “Keep those close.”
I found the button on my hip and reached inside to place them in a small pocket in one of the holsters.
Then he unscrewed the last one and offered it to me. “Drink it and by the time you wake up we’ll be there.”
I nodded and quickly downed it. It tasted kind of tangy. As soon as I brought the vial back down he pulled me close and kissed me deeply. I blacked out his the taste of him on my tongue.
Chapter Fourteen
I woke up slowly, wrapped in warmth. I blinked and looked up at a purple sky, that was weird. I shifted my gaze to Avon who was holding me in his arms. “This is the underworld?” I asked. The last time the only things I’d seen were the inside of a building.
He nodded, placing me carefully on my feet.
We were at the edge of a dark forest and in front of us was a row of large bushes. All the leaves were almost black and they had large bright blue flowers. The trees weren’t ordinary either, they're trunks were a dark bluish brown and the leaves had a metallic look to them.
Past the bushes was a large building, made of a black stone that I recognised, having seen it from the inside. The place was huge and resembled a castle, it was even larger than it had seemed from the inside.
“You still remember the way?” asked Avon as he placed me carefully on my feet.
I nodded, picturing the blueprints in my head.
“Okay, we will give you a thirty minute head start. The time is now-” he checked his watch. “Quarter to ten. If you get to her before then you wait until the chaos has started, you hear me?”
I nodded seriously.
He leant closer and kissed me. The warm, hard panes of his body pressed against mine as his tongue teased my mouth. “Don’t you dare get yourself killed,” he growled against my lips.
I smiled and pulled my hood up. “Have fun, boys.” It sealed shut and I became invisible. I leapt over the hedges and jogged towards the building. There were guards posted everywhere.
I walked up to the front gates, they were huge and made of iron. What was it with these guys and iron? Two guards stood on either side of the main gate. Luckily there was also a small entrance gate for the guards.
I carefully pushed it open and managed to close it with only a small click. The closest guard glanced towards me but made no move to investigate. I let out a breath and continued down the small hall and into the courtyard.
A guard stood on this side too but there wasn’t actually a door, just an archway so I had no trouble passing him. I walked across the courtyard until I reached a pair of large wooden doors, also with guards but one of the doors was propped open so I was able to slip inside.
So, I wanted to head right. I started walking through the halls. After a few minutes of moving through the maze of halls I began to pick up the pace. Avon had assured me that if I just followed the halls I would eventually find it.
I almost crashed into a demon when I jogged around a corner. I dived out of
the way and he walked by without faltering. I was a little surprised he hadn’t heard my exhale but Amber had once told me the suit also dampens sound. Which was good because some demons, like Avon, had enhances hearing.
I picked myself up and kept going, being more careful when it came to corners. I was about to give up hope when I reached a archway leading to a spiral staircase. I began to run up it. After passing the second floor I heard footsteps on the stairs about me.
I leapt down a few steps and pressed myself against the second floor doorway, praying they would just go straight past.
He didn’t.
The demon, a half bull, half man creature, reached past me to throw the door open. I grabbed the door and leapt back with it. He passed within an inch of me and sniffed the air, nostrils flaring.
“Witch!” he exclaimed, eyes glowing red.
I moved faster than I ever had in my life. I kicked in in the bulls balls, reached up to grab his horns and pulled his forehead down onto my knee which came up to meet it. The roar of fury that had been building in his throat died as he went limp.
“Shit, shit, shit.” That bull had a hard head!
I hopped on the spot for a moment as I waited for the pain to pass. It felt like I’d broken my kneecap. After a moment the pain subsided and I realised that I was in quite a fix.
He was too big for me to drag far so I shoved him into a corner and opened the door. It mostly hid him. If you were coming from the stairs you probably wouldn’t notice but if you were walking towards the stairs you would notice it immediately.
There wasn’t anything else I could do about it know so I just started back up the stairs. I opened the door to the third floor warily, peeking out. It was empty so I hurried out and closed the door softly behind me.
I had turned the corner when I heard voices. I kept going. The next corner I turned I saw Tax and an unfamiliar demon walking in the same direction I needed to go. I followed at a discreet distance, in case either of them had an acute sense of smell.
That was a flaw Amber and I would have to work on, if she could mute sound surely she could find a way to mute scent.
“I’ll just check on her, it shouldn’t take me long. I’ll just tell her what a failure her baby boy is and then leave,” Tax was saying.
“You think Avon ever had a chance of finding the device?” asked the demon. If the other one had been half bull this one was half snake. He was bald and covered in green scales, he even had a long reptilian tail sticking out of his trousers.
“Avon an idealist and a fool. Half the supernatural world would kill for that device. There’s no way that child actually found it.”
“He’s not that much younger than you,” pointed out the demon.
Tax snorted, “You wouldn’t know it, he’s twenty three and instead of doing his duty to his family he’s off with a Fey and a Witch whore chasing fairytales.”
My hand stroked the gun through the fabric of my suit.
“He’s a disgrace,” added Tax.
“He always was a strange one. Too much humanity, I always thought.”
“That’s what you get when you spend too much time with a human parent.”
What must it have been like to have been raised in this environment? Even with a human influence I doubt it would have been all hugs and puppies. It was a miracle Avon had any humanity at all.
“Is your father still mad about the escape?” asked snakeboy.
Tax snarled. “Bastard gave me a lashing. The only way he’ll forgive me is if I bring him the Axitross and Avon’s head. The head I fully intent to get, I’m not too optimistic about the device, though. Unless on the off chance the boy does happen to have it on him when I tear out his throat.”
I really didn’t like this Tax guy. He was such a dick.
“Well good luck with that, none of Urie’s spies on earth has so much as glimpsed Avon and if he’s got any sense he won’t come out of hiding any time soon.”
Tax snorted. “No one ever accused the boy of having sense.”
“Well if you do go to earth to find him do me a favour and bring back a female.”
He chuckled, “Any preferences?”
“Perhaps one like the witch whore you described, I like them feisty.”
“And this one was a rather attractive cryer which is always good in a female,” he said with amusement. “With any luck I’ll find her with Avon and after I kill him we can share her.”
“Mmm. I’ve always wanted to taste a witch.”
I placed my hand over my weapon. They both really deserved to be shot but that wasn’t my job right now. With any luck they’d be killed in the explosion or the follow up attack.
“You and me both, God knows how Avon was able to get his hands on one. That must be why he keeps the Fey guy around.”
“I’d befriend a Fey too if he could get a witch to do everything I say.” Snake boy hissed in pleasure at the thought.
I frowned, deeply.
“By the time we’d be done with her she’ll do everything we say,” said Tax in amusement.
I glanced down at where my weapon would have been. No, I wouldn’t blow it now. Too much was at stake.
Tax stopped outside a door. “I’ll catch you later.”
The snake guy nodded a goodbye and kept walking.
I sprinted forward and was able to slide through just before it shut behind him. It bumped my hip silently before closing fully but he didn’t seem to notice. This room was completely different from anything I would have expected.
The floors were carpeted and the walls were covered with a nice, if a little outdated, wallpaper. This room looked like a perfectly normal living room, even if the furniture wouldn’t have looked out of place in the forties.
To the left there was a kitchen area with a gas over and lino flooring. On the right there were two doors, one of which was open so I could see a four post bed inside. My jaw clenched.
An older woman sat on the sofa staring at a tv which was more modern than the rest of the place but was definitely not a flat screen. Tax sat beside her as she flicked through the channels, without appearing to pay attention to what she was looking at.
“Avon is still on dad’s shit list, we’re probably going to hunt him down and kill him soon,” said Tax.
She blinked. “Don’t be so hard on your brother, dear.”
“Of course you’d say that, he was always your favourite.”
Hold up. This guy was Avon’s brother? I needed a moment to process that.
“He was just a more compassionate child.”
“Well because of his compassion he’s going to end up dead,” he snapped.
She winced, “He’s stronger than you think.” Her eyes drifted in my direction but they were still unfocused.
I glanced down at my hand, still invisible. Phew.
“He’s not stronger! He’s never had to be strong, he always had you to hide behind. He’d still be locked away in our basement if he hadn’t had his whore friend with him.”
She sighed softly as if she wanted to tell him off but knew it would do no good.
“Anyway, I thought I should visit you before I leave. I promise after I kill him I’ll bring back a piece of him for you.”
Her expression became pained as he rose to his feet and stormed out, slamming the door behind him like a petulant child.
She went back to staring at the tv. I waited a couple of moments before pulling down my hood.
Her gaze jumped to me. “Who are you?” She didn’t appear alarmed or even startled really. She must have seen a lot if an invisible girl didn’t phase her.
“I’m Avon’s whore friend, only I’m not really a whore, I haven’t even had a date in almost two years,” I told her before pulling my phone out of the suit and checking the time. Three minutes, I’d cut it close.
“That’s good. He’s never really had many friends.”
“Would you like to come with me to see him?” I asked.
Her gaze da
rkened, she had deep brown eyes, Avon’s eyes. “They don’t like it if I leave.”
“Well, I would tell them if you wont.”
“When I come back they will punish me,” she said, hugging her waist.
I sat beside her and rested my hand gently on her knee, “You don’t have to come back.”
Her eyes met mine, there was something in those eyes, something knowing but also something very lost. “They always bring me back.”
I smiled a little, “I’m not them. I’m a witch, a very powerful witch and I promised Avon I would help him find you. He wants to save you.”
She smiled too, sadly. “He’s always wanted to save me.”
“Well now he’s found a way, he’s found me.”
She glanced down at my suit. “You can’t make me invisible and I’ll never make it out alive.”
“We don’t need to make it out, we just need to make it to the portal and I think I can get us there.”
She shook her head. “There are too many of them.”
I checked my phone. “In thirty seconds they will all be far too busy to get in our way. Is there anything you’d like to take with us?”
“Nothing at all.”
The sound of the explosions rocked the building. Those things may seem small but they packet out hell of a punch.
I smiled, “That’s our cue. Do you know the way to the portal?”
She nodded.
“Good, because I had a hard enough time trying to get this far.” I walked to the door and tried the handle.
“They always lock it,” she told me.
“No problem.” I pressed my hand against the door. Luckily the lock wasn’t iron and metal easily melted at my prompting. I nudged it open and peeked out in the hall. I heard footsteps and quickly pulled it shut.
After a moment I heard them run past, towards the stairs. I waited another minute after it went silent out there before checking again. “Come on, I’ll keep you safe,” I promised, taking out my gun and holding it in one hand while offering her my free hand.
She took it. “You were able to get my boy out,” she said softly.
“Yes and we’ll get you out too, now show me the way.” I closed the door and pressed the back of my hand to the handle, melting it shut.
Demons & Hellholes_A Grimmer Legacy novel Page 10