Wasteland

by Lynn Rush

  Gage and his group closed in. “David. We will take the girl now.”

  I met the wall and settled my treasure against it, while staring at the demons and Beka approaching. Gravel crunched beneath their weight, kicking up the sun-baked dust. The breeze carried a smoky scent of anger mixed with the acidic hint of fear.

  First Beka pointed the dagger at me, and then at the demons encroaching her, then back to me. The confusion and anguish flashing across her angelic face made my blood smolder with rage.

  I wanted her. To discover a way out of my contract to Master and be with her. Even though she’d be immortal and me human, I didn’t care. I wanted her and nothing else. If the price was Jessica, I might pay it.

  At least I’d be free from Master. If I explained everything to Beka, she might understand.

  No she wouldn’t. I was a demon. If a battle ensued she would soon see how evil I was. I would repulse her.

  “I can help, David.” She held her head high. “Let me help you.”

  My heart hammered. She could never love me. I allowed some of my demon to surface. He readily obliged. A vicious snarl thundered deep within my chest, warning the demons not to challenge.

  Beka froze, arms tensed. “David.” Her chin quivered.

  A minion lunged at her.

  “Beka, on your three.” My voice was no longer mine. I fully morphed into the despised creature within me. Her scream tore at the remnants of my soul as she witnessed my transformation. It had to be done. Three demons approached me, fully transformed, weapons drawn.

  A silver sword appeared and blocked the first demon’s advance, slicing his neck.

  Russell.

  I lashed out at the second and third. The force rammed me against the wall. But their strength was no match for mine.

  At my feet, Russell reached for Jessica, and I planted my foot against his forehead, knocking him back. A demon’s nails scored my neck. I returned the favor, only deep enough to sever his head.

  The other stabbed at my thighs, mauled its way to Jessica. I barely recognized the roar streaming from my mouth. Fully morphed, my humanity weakened by the second. I clapped my hands over his ears. My nails dug into his skull, just above the creature’s ears, and I twisted his head. With a flick, my dagger-like nails slashed the neck.

  Gage approached Beka from behind.

  “Russell, get Beka,” I yelled while handling another demon making his way to Jessica. I cranked my knee into his gut. I snatched the dagger from his hand and impaled his chest.

  Metal hitting metal rent the air. Russell’s sword met Gage’s dagger. Beka poked at his chest, then squatted for a sweep to the legs.

  Gage jumped and came down heavy on Beka’s leg. The snap reverberated off the building, fueling my already brimming rage. She crumbled to the ground, still swinging her blade. Another demon tackled Russell from the back, leaving Beka to handle Gage.

  I glanced between Jessica and Beka. Agony shredded my chest. I lugged Jessica up and threw her over my shoulder, then sprinted toward Gage.

  I steeled my grip on the dagger I’d stolen from one of his henchmen and leapt into the air. As I passed over him, I flicked the blade and ran it across his neck. Blackness sprayed over Beka, covering her in soot, but Gage slouched to his knees.

  He threatened that which I considered mine.

  For that, he died.

  Gage’s body disintegrated into the gravel. The remaining demons froze, paralyzed without their leader. Russell finished the two battling him and the third ran.

  Surely he would get word to Master. And in the moment I’d killed Gage to save Beka, I’d sealed my fate. I’d sacrificed one of my kind to save a Guardian, our archenemy.

  There was no saving me now.

  CHAPTER 13

  “Where are you taking her?” Elizabeth asked as I passed the back door to the club.

  “To safety. Get inside, Beka and Russell will come soon and care for you.”

  I clutched Jessica to my chest and sprinted around the corner. Not safe to go back to my hotel room. But I’d stashed plenty of money in the SUV in case of an emergency, so I would stop there first, grab it, then seek out a place to hide with this child.

  She hadn’t moved yet. She couldn’t be sleeping. Not through the fighting earlier and now the movement of me trudging down the sidewalk. I slowed to a brisk walk, keeping to the shadows of the pre-dawn darkness. I pressed my fingers to her neck and a strong, steady pulse drummed. I jostled her body so she draped over my arms, exposing her chest more.

  A dark, cotton t-shirt covered her, but the subtle glow seeped through. Heart shaped.

  “So, Gage was truthful in telling me what the Master’s Seer had seen.” A car approached on the street, so I crouched next to a tree, three feet off the sidewalk.

  I rested Jessica’s bottom on my thigh, holding her steady and lifted her arm. No cuts or bruises. Same with the other arm. I twisted her forward to examine her back. No blood or holes in her shirt. Legs were clear, too. I nestled her back, weaving my other arm beneath her knees and stood.

  Straight, red hair framed her pudgy, girlish face. Not much had changed since the picture I’d memorized.

  The car passed, and I got on track for my SUV. Within ten minutes, I had the bag of cash strapped to my back and the girl still in my arms. I was strong, but not strong enough to carry her indefinitely.

  I spied a hotel, near an old railroad station. I needed time to figure out my next move. A quick inspection of the area showed me no one had followed, and within fifteen minutes, I latched the door shut on a tiny, dirty hotel room.

  The queen-sized bed dwarfed little Jessica Hanks. Her frail body sunk into the thick comforter. I settled a blanket over her.

  I doused the lights and paced the length of the bed, staring at the girl.

  Master wanted her, badly. The Guardians thought she would change the earth by her very existence.

  So, that meant she had to be a powerful source of good for them to protect.

  My phone ringing launched me to the bag I’d tossed on the table beside the bed. I dug in search of the blaring device. Only Master and Gage had this number, which meant it must be Master calling.

  Finally my fingers landed on the sleek instrument, and I pulled it out.

  Gage’s face scrolled across the screen.

  CHAPTER 14

  “Housekeeping.” A female voice seeped through the closed door.

  I hopped to my feet, checked the peephole, and peeked out the window. A tall, dark haired woman stood next to a cart. It neared eight a.m., I had stayed up sitting in the unforgiving wooden chair watching Jessica lay unconscious all night, she never moved.

  I plopped back into the chair.

  A knock jolted the door. “Housekeeping.”

  The familiar beep of the plastic key disengaging the lock had me to my feet again. Evidently they didn’t observe do not disturb signs.

  “No thank you,” I yelled.

  The door burst open, splintering the frame and Russell, sword drawn, barged in. His cold blade pierced my mid-section.

  My demon’s fury raged. I clapped my hands around his wrist and guided the blade further into my stomach, bringing him closer to me. My demon-side emerged, and Russell’s eyes went wide. He jerked, but my grip on him was relentless.

  I peeled his fingers from his weapon and stepped back, pulling the silver blade from my body. I lurched forward and yanked him by the neck toward me, spun and kicked the door closed.

  He lurched forward, smacking my forehead with his. His knee pelted my stomach, thankfully missing anything vital. I released him, turned a circle and had the sword to his neck before he registered I’d moved.

  “I could kill you so easily, Russell.”

  He choked out an unintelligible word. A curse maybe. Surprising.

  “How did you find me?”

  “We have connections.” He huffed. “And Gage’s phone.”

  “That explains the call I received. You tracked me with it
?”

  Russell’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he stiffened in my grasp. I held the weapon fast to his neck but maneuvered us so I stood between him and Jessica.

  “Where is Beka? Is she safe?”

  “Like you care, Demon.”

  I smacked the flat of the sword against his temple.

  “Yes. She’s safe.”

  I glanced to Jessica, keeping the blade to Russell’s neck. I phased out from the demon’s hold on my heart.

  “What in heaven’s name are you?”

  I faced Russell and saw utter wonder in his eyes. “I am not from Heaven.”

  “You’re demon.”

  I stood tall.

  “How did you evade my senses, and Beka’s?”

  “I shall be asking the questions, Guardian. I hold your sword, do I not?” I nodded to the seat next to the table. “Sit.”

  I sat on the bed, next to Jessica, weapon trained on Russell.

  “Where is Beka? You said she is safe.”

  “That’s all you need to know, Demon.”

  “Noble to protect your sister.” I pointed at Jessica. “What is this girl?”

  “You don’t know?”

  “I thought it obvious by my question.”

  “Why’d you take her, then?”

  “She is my Mark. I must or suffer the consequences. What is she?” I raised my sword again to show my impatience.

  “We know little about her other than she will change the face of the supernatural earth.” Russell’s gaze bypassed me to the girl. “Somehow.”

  “You do not know?”

  Russell edged forward in his seat. “Only that she harbors a power greater than any on the earth. She will fight for Light.”

  “Light?”

  “For everything good and pure.”

  Everything I wasn’t. “No wonder Master wants her.”

  “Master?”

  “Why did you come here alone?”

  “Beka and I were tasked with finding and guarding Jessica.” Russell planted his elbows on his knees. “Save a few familiars helping, it is just Beka and myself.”

  I laughed. “You are not doing such a good job.”

  A wave of smoky anger burst from Russell. His fisted hands blanched at the knuckles. “How did you evade our detection?”

  “Where were you to have taken little Jessica when you found her?”

  “It has not been revealed to us yet.”

  “Explain this to me.” I rested my hand on Jessica’s wrist. A slow, steady beat pulsed against my fingertips.

  “You do not know Guardians do you?”

  “Only those I’ve killed. Not much call for conversation during battle.”

  Russell grimaced. “We follow the will of our Master.”

  “As do I.”

  “Obviously not. Or you would have returned to him with your prize.”

  “I will. I am just taking a detour first.” The sword began to feel like a weight, and I rested the hilt on my thigh, but sent Russell a feral reminder to him I had the advantage.

  “Why have you not killed her? Or me for that matter,” he asked.

  “It is of no concern to you. Tell me everything about Jessica.”

  “I will not.”

  I tapped the flat end of my weapon against his knee. “You would die for her?”

  “Yes,” he said without a moment’s hesitation.

  “A stranger, yet you would sacrifice your life for her? That’s absurd. You’re what, two centuries old?”

  “Try four.”

  I dipped my head. “Four hundred years. That is a feat in itself to survive such a long time.”

  “You?”

  “The same. And Beka?”

  “I’d rather not say.”

  “Then I’ll assume four hundred since you address her as sister. It must be in your family.”

  “Assume what you like.”

  My body ached for Beka. To see her eyes and touch her face. To kiss her and feel her body. Only a brief taste of her and I’d become an addict. But Russell wouldn’t betray his sister’s whereabouts. Not that I could go to her now. The betrayal her eyes revealed when I morphed into my demon will forever be engrained in my memory.

  “Jessica.” I tucked her hand beneath the blanket. “Tell me about her.”

  “No.”

  “Then we are at a stalemate. What would you expect me to do in this situation?”

  “I cannot say. So far, as a demon, you have surprised me.”

  “Surprised?”

  “You protected Beka when her leg was broken, and she was vulnerable to the one you called Gage. You killed him. One of your own.” He pushed himself further back into his seat and rested his elbows on the wooden arms. “Even now you protect Jessica by putting yourself between me and her.”

  My stomach rumbled. Should I tell him I am not a full demon?

  “But it is not I who will harm Jessica. Your kind wants to see her dead. To banish a creation that will send a ripple through the fight of good and evil.” He smiled. “In our favor, of course.”

  “If you were to have her, what would you do next? How would you learn your next move?”

  “Our Master will share with us when we should leave and where we should go,” Russell said.

  “But you own an establishment.”

  “No. We only run it as part of our cover.”

  “Seems I was not the only one dishonest during our relationship.”

  “Relationship?” Russell’s jaw clenched. “Please.”

  “So, where does this leave us, Guardian?”

  How could he sit there with such peace on his face? His hands lay folded in his lap. Not one wrinkle of worry or fear creased his forehead. I kept a sword within a lethal distance. I held Jessica, who was predicted to change the face of the supernatural earth, captive. She was a beacon of Light from what I interpreted from Russell. Yet he didn’t appear frightened.

  He was willing to die for this girl.

  This might be a Master I’d enjoy working for.

  CHAPTER 15

  “I will not take you to Beka.” Russell launched out of his chair.

  “I have shown my trust by not killing you. Does that not stand for something?”

  “Can you hear yourself, Demon?”

  “I shall not betray my oath and kill you.” I stood, sword at my side. “Unless you try to kill me or take my Mark.”

  “Your Mark?” Russell buried his fingers in his thick, dark hair. “She is not a Mark. She is a human, going through something that will forever change her, change our reality.”

  “You do not know that for sure.”

  “I take it on faith. As you do on your assignments from your Master.”

  “It is not faith I have in my Master. It is obligation.”

  “That’s the difference. I choose to follow mine.” He faced me again. “Why would you opt to follow evil, kill innocent people, just to please your Master?”

  “It is not your concern, Russell.” I pointed at Jessica. “She hasn’t moved since I retrieved her. Do you know what is wrong?”

  He snuck toward the bed, and I patted his shoulder with the flat of his sword. “No farther. Just answer.”

  “She has not moved? Eaten? Used the restroom?”

  “She is catatonic.”

  “Supernaturally, maybe. Preparing her body for a change.”

  Russell stared at the child while rubbing his stubble-dusted chin. I sensed the desire to snatch her and try to escape oozing from his body. To try anything to save her from me. As much as I hated to admit it, I trusted this Russell, dare I say even liked him.

  “What change?”

  Russell’s lips turned downward. The nobility he’d shown toward Beka and now to Jessica and the honor rolling from his mouth when he spoke of his Master was enviable. My chances of successfully removing the contract for my soul might best be served by siding with the Guardians.

  My demon side slashed at my heart so fiercely I clutched my chest w
ondering if his claws had poked through. The constant inner war between demon and human was growing tiresome.

  “Sit.” I ordered Russell. “I shall make a deal.”

  He eyed me as he descended into his chair. “I am not in the business of making deals with the devil. We kill demons like you, David.”

  “I am not—well, hear me out and then decide.”

  He sat back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his neck, holding my gaze.

  “I will accompany you to where Beka and Elizabeth stay. You will share with me your plan. And I will share mine with you.”

  “You would do that?”

  “Use your brain, Guardian. In four hundred years, have you come across a demon such as myself?”

  He shook his head.

  “Then you must realize, I am different.”

  “Is that why you toyed with Beka? You’re more of a devious demon. You do not just go for humans’ souls, you devour their hearts and will to live for sport?”

  “Will to live? Explain this to me.” My heart suddenly chiseled my ribs. This time, it wasn’t in response to the demon but fear for Beka. Her safety. Anger at the thought of anything happening to her stabbed at my chest, which my demonic side loved. It fed on the agony and clamped its piercing fingers around my heart. “Is there something wrong with Beka?”

  “What do you want with her?”

  “Nothing. Your words confused me. You said something about her will to live. Did you not mean Beka?”

  “I can’t figure you out.” He planted his palms on the arms of the chair.

  I tensed, unsure if he planned to attack again. I thought him smarter, considering I held his sword, and easily overpowered him when he first charged in the room, but he seemed bewildered suddenly. Confused.

  I stood, holding the sword out. I peeked at Jessica, and she lay silent, still. “Explain yourself. My patience grows weary.”

  “You act as if you worry for Beka, yet, you’re a demon, how could this be?” He let out an audible sigh. “What I meant was, you broke her heart when you turned out to be—” He gestured in my direction. “When you turned out to be what you are. Whatever that is.”