by Kailin Gow
So where did he really fit in? Was he merely on my team, or was there more?
The dream, I thought as I dealt with two demons at once. The moment they blew up in smoke I stopped and turned to look at Moore.
Those dreams I’d had so many times; that mysterious appearance in those dreams. Could it be him? Could that be the part Moore had in all this? From the very first moment I’d met him, he’d reached out to me, he’d demanded my help, even if it wasn’t in an obvious way.
I was his last hope, I thought with pride and sadness. I couldn’t let him down. No matter what happened, I couldn’t let him down.
Another blast of demons stormed through the portal, streaming out with speed that left us all scrambling to keep up. Through the puffs of smoke and ash, it became virtually impossible to see each other and keep up with the actions of one another.
“Lux,” Moore shouted as he waved his hands about to get my attention. Fighting off a stream of demons, he made his way closer to me. “Remember what John and Gordon said?”
They’d told us plenty. “What exactly are you talking about?”
“The Holy Water.”
“Yeah.” I pressed my crucifix to another demon and swore it be gone. “They said it would help us in a situation like this. Obviously we didn’t expect to find the portal so fast. None of us had time to get even near a church and get any.”
“You underestimate me, my dear Lux. I know what you must have been thinking since we’ve arrived. That I’d given up. That I’d gone into hiding to face this curse alone. I’ll admit I was tempted for a few moments. When we got off the plane and everyone went their separate ways, I’d never felt so alone in my life. I was miserable and hopeless. This curse is immense and I couldn’t imagine how I could ever get rid of it. I had to give myself a chance. I had to give us a chance”
I looked at him and was pleased to see the Moore I’d come to love. He was completely there, his eyes clear and his soul intact, but for how long. I knew he couldn’t be rid of the curse yet and could only hope this new optimism stayed with him until he was cured.
“That’s where I was this morning. I hurried to my parish church and got some. ”
“Enough to close the portal,” I shouted as I slayed two more demons.
“A few gallons. It should be enough to do the trick.” With one quick slice in the air, he terminated a half dozen demons and came to my side. His eyes twinkled with that mischief I’d come to love and I was pleased to learn I wouldn’t have to slay him. He seemed stronger than ever and I could have almost sworn he’d grown in height and in breadth.
“Where is it?” I said.
He pressed a quick kiss to my lips and hugged me for a sweet moment. “I had no idea where the portal could be, but I had a feeling it would be here on the school grounds somewhere. I left the gallons in my car.”
Just then two dozen or so demons charged us and we were torn apart and forced to battle. Moore took care of virtually all of them, leaving me to slay only a few minor, small demons. The task was easier with him at my side. In all my years of slaying demons, I’d never felt this rush of excitement before; this rush of accomplishment. We were protecting vulnerable students from the worst of demons coming through the St. James portal. We were saving souls, and it was worth fighting for, despite being tired and outnumbered.
When they’d all been dealt with, Moore shouted, “Here,” and tossed me the keys to his car. “I wish I’d known where the portal was. I would have brought my car straight here, but I left it in the student parking lot.”
“Okay,” I said as I grabbed the keys. “I’ll hurry and go get it. Keep them busy and make sure none of them follow me.” I ran across the field as fast as I could and opened the boys’ locker room door. The student parking lot was clear on the other side and I’d have to cut through the whole school to get there.
I raced through the locker room and emerged in the hall, only to face the pimply sophomore who stood there with my iced tea.
“Hey,” he said with a pleased grin. “Couldn’t wait to have me bring it out, you had to come in and find me yourself.”
“Sorry,” I said as I rushed by him. “Change of plans.”
“Hey.” The pleased grin changed into an angry scowl as he let the iced tea fall to the floor and grabbed my wrist. He pulled it back and threw me to the wall. “Just because you're a senior doesn’t give you the right to just play around with me like that.”
Though he was clearly a few years younger than me, he was just as tall as I was, though still with the frame of a boy.
“Look, something came up and I have to go. It’s nothing personal.”
“Yeah, it’s never anything personal. You hot senior girls think you run the school and that you can do whatever you want. Well, it’s gonna stop here. I laid down three and a half bucks for that stupid iced-tea. The least you can do is show a little gratitude.”
I reached into my jean pocket and pulled out a ten dollar bill. “Here.” I tossed it at him. “Knock yourself out.”
He kept me pinned to the wall, unwilling to let go.
“I’ll give you one last chance to release me,” I said in a foreboding tone. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Oh, yeah. Then what? You're big bad friends are going to come beat me up?”
“No,” I said. “I will.” I knocked my forehead to his and he reeled back, cursing and holding his head. “You better start treating women better because we aren’t attracted to the crap you’re spewing. Want to get a girl to like you? Treat her with respect. Gotta go!”
“Witch,” he shouted.
He tried to grab my wrist again, but I dodged him and hurried down the hall. Chasing me, he shouted obscenities at me the whole way.
“I don’t have time for this,” I muttered. Gave him some advice on how to get girls to like him, and that’s what I get. Oh well…I had an open portal to deal with and here was this kid was begging for trouble.
When he continued to pursue me, I had no choice but to make it clear I wasn’t playing around. I grabbed him by the neck, shoved him to the wall and set my meanest scowl. “I need you to get off my back, right now, or someone’s going to get hurt, and I can guarantee you, it’s not going to be me.”
His jaw dropped and though he quickly tried to hide his fear, it was clear in his eyes… my message had gotten through. I let him go and hurried down the hall and exited in the students’ parking lot. The lot that was usually filled with bright red sports cars, yellow hummers and silver luxury cars now seemed filled with virtually every kind of SUV… all of them black, just like Moore’s.
“Damn it,” I grumbled under my breath. “Is my luck ever going to turn?”
I beeped his car, hoping it would respond from not too far away. The weak beep sounded clear across the lot, but at least I had a hit. It was off toward the left. I ran through the rows of cars until I was finally able to narrow it down to a short row of SUVs. I beeped, beeped again and beeped one final time before finally finding the one car that matched the key Moore had given me.
Getting into the massive vehicle, I started the car and hurried out of my spot, only to get blocked by a group of students heading to another black SUV. They took their time and blocked the way. Nudging closer and closer, I hoped they’d hear the sound of the engine and move out of the way, but they continued without a care in the world.
I’d have to wait.
Well… I was losing patience and those demons weren’t going to wait. Setting my palm to the horn, I revved the engine menacingly.
The two guys continued to walk on, not even glancing back, while the girls turned back, grimaced and went on as if nothing was urgent.
I pressed the horn again and edged closer to their heels.
“Hey, what’s the rush?” one of the girls said as the bumper of the SUV brushed against her.
They finally reached their SUV and moved unhurriedly out of the way, glaring at me the entire time.
With tires screech
ing against the parking lot asphalt, I raced out of the lot and took the small back road that led quickly to the field out back. Even at a distance I could see the smoke and ash. I could also smell the sulfur, and knew it was going to be bad.
But as I drove around, another problem arose. As much as I wanted to, my luck just seemed to refuse to change.
There was no way of driving anywhere near the field. All the fences were closed and locked. The entrance closest to the school building, usually used to let team members on and off the bus was barred by three large cement cubes.
I looked at the guys at the far end of the field. Though they still had minimal control, demons swarmed everywhere. It was just a matter of time before they found an entrance into the school and devoured as many students as they could.
If I couldn’t find an entrance into the lacrosse playing field, I’d have to make one. Backing up enough to give me time to speed up, I then gunned it and headed straight into the locked gate. The chain popped open with barely a touch of resistance and soon I was careening across the field on my way to the guys.
“Moore,” I shouted as I got out of the SUV. “I got it.” I punched the button that popped open the back door and hurried to grab a few gallons.
He disintegrated the demons on his back and came to my side. “What took you so long? For a minute there I thought you’d abandoned us.”
“You know I’d never do that,” I scolded. “It just seemed that every student in school seemed hell bent on keeping me from getting here.”
“Well, the important thing is that you made it. Let’s bring as many bottles as we can to the edge of the portal. John and Gordon said we needed to pour it all around the portal.”
I handed him the two gallons I had and reached up to cup his cheeks. “You really came through, Moore. None of us even took the time to go out and get the Holy Water we so desperately need.” I kissed him, hard and proud. My heart was pounding and I was filled with adrenaline. Moore looked too good to be true, and I felt like I had to let him know now. If anything happened to either of us, I wanted him to know. “I think it’s about time I told you, Moore… I love you.”
His brow creased into a confused frown for a moment then his face lit up with pure joy. I knew he’d been waiting so long to hear me say it, and I knew it was time. I realized right then just how much I truly loved him and I knew that hearing me say it out loud would give him even more reason to fight.
Before I could back away, he leaned into me and kissed me back. His kiss was hungry, but cut short by the dire situation we were in. “You certainly make a guy work awfully hard before he can deserve hearing those words.” He kissed me again. “I love you, too, Lux. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved with evey core of my body and soul.”
“Great,” I said with a beaming smile. “Now let’s get that portal closed once and for all.”
We turned to head to the portal, only to find almost a hundred demons blocking the way.
“I think they know what’s coming,” Moore said.
“Look, I’ll create a distraction, keep them busy while you go and pour all this over the portal.”
“I can’t.”
“What?” I turned to him, stunned and fearful he’d turned suddenly dark. “What do you mean? Why can’t you?”
“Lux, it’s Holy Water. I’m cursed with the devil. If I even get a drop of this stuff on me, I’m….”
“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry. I hadn’t thought of that.” I smiled sheepishly, feeling foolish for not having thought of that possibility, and feeling guilty for suspecting him of having succumbed to the powers of his curse.
“I’ll create the distraction and you handle the Holy Water,” he said. “Beside, I’m not even sure I could have handled being that close to the portal. The pull is strong enough even from this distance. I don’t know how I’d be able to handle standing right on the edge.
“Okay, you're right.”
Moore grabbed my wrist and looked me in the eyes. “I’d do anything for you, Lux, anything to be with you. I will beat them, I’ll beat this curse and I’ll be the man you need me to be.”
“You are the man I need you to be now, Moore. Don’t forget that.” With difficulty, I grabbed the two gallons he had and prepared to rush to the portal the moment the path was cleared.
Though Brax was kept busy with a large number of demons, Asher caught wind of what we were up to and joined in the battle Moore took up. Before long, I had a clear path.
Chapter 19
The Deception of Demons
With a clear path to the portal, I finally saw an end to all this chaos. We were going to win. But my thrill of victory was short-lived. A small band of demons had found the entrance to the school. Brax tried to fight them off and for a moment I questioned what my next move should be; run to him to stop the demons from entering, or hurry to pour the Holy Water over the portal.
“Lux,” Brax called out. “Two of them made it in.”
I couldn’t let another student fall prey to these demons. Setting down the jugs of Holy Water, I rushed to the door and hurried after the stray demons, but once inside it seemed my ability to see them had vanished. Outside in the bright sunlight I’d been able to catch their shadows, their movements and in some cases even see them clearly, but now they were mere clouds of dust, vague, dispersed and difficult to follow.
Concentrating as hard as I could, I spotted them, not only the two I’d seen enter, but four more. They’d all turned down the hall that led to the auditorium. Thankfully the lunch hour was over and few students were left wandering the halls.
I turned the corner and found a strong young man pinned back to the wall. At first I couldn’t see the cause for his odd posture, but then saw the glimmer of a demon; not only a demon, but a beautiful being. Cast in the disguise of a tall, slim blond with hair that flowed well past her waist, she was an angelic vision of purity.
Exactly the disguise a demon would want.
My crucifix high and ready I hurried to her. She turned to me, her blue eye wide, innocent and alluring. For a moment, I thought I might be mistaken, but then she smiled and I saw the sharp little teeth that gave away her true being and her true hunger.
No sooner had I pulled her off her victim and slayed her that I spotted a young guy, delectably handsome, shoving a girl into the lockers. His lips were just inches from her lips as she struggled to get free. When I reached him, I snaked my arm around his neck and pulled him back, then pressed my crucifix to his brow.
With that done, I turned to find four more roaming the halls and looking for fresh meat. Two of them quickly cornered two young girls who looked positively petrified. These demons didn’t even bother posing as beautiful beings, but simply approached the girls with their true demonic features.
One of the girls screamed and tried to run away, but was quickly caught by the smaller demon.
“What in the world are you?” the taller girl asked.
“You dream come true,” the bigger demon snarled.
“Dream on,” the tall girl said as she pulled out a bottle of pepper spray and doused both demons. They sprinted down the hall, shouting and screeching as they went. They passed in front of me, but I doubt they even saw me standing there.
For a moment the demons were caught off guard and they stumbled, but when they followed after the girls, I slipped my foot out and tripped one of them then managed to quickly slay him.
Seeing me, the other demon slipped into an empty classroom. I chased after him, but the room was silent and still. I rushed to the window to see if he’d slipped out.
I’m losing my sight again, I thought, and in that moment he jumped on my back and I almost lost my balance. I twirled around, more a reflex of his jump than a planned move, but the effect was positive all the same. Shoving my back into the wall with as much force as I could, I managed to rid myself of his bulk and slay him.
The moment I ran out of the room I heard a shout coming for down the hall. In a mad dash for t
he girls’ bathroom, I held my crucifix up and ready. How many more could there be? Had many slipped into the school without my noticing them?
The girls’ bathroom echoed with the cries of several terrified girls, but I could see nothing but several pairs of feet under the stall doors. As the screams continued to fill the air, I jumped up and climbed over the door. Lacking grace I threw myself on the demon and slayed him, then quickly bolted out of the stall only to climb in another and another.
Leaning back on the sink I faced the three girls I’d just saved. Their eyes were wide with wonder and fear.
“Hopefully that’s the last of them,” I muttered and quickly ran out.
I had to get back to the field and close the portal and this would never end.
To my horror, I emerged onto the field to find the portal bigger than ever. The demons were now monumental in size.
One of them stood out among the rest. Over two feet taller than the tallest of them, he towered over every demon and made my demon slayers look like second graders.
Chapter 20
Monsters at the Gate
Osidian. For years I’d known of this demon, this monster among monster. I’d long thought he was a myth, a fabrication of the angels to keep demon slayers like me ready for the worst eventuality. And now, here I was facing him when there was already far too much opposition.
I wanted to weep for the immensity of the task ahead. In all my years of slaying demons, I’d never had to face such a lopsided battle. I felt suddenly weak and unable to master the demon slaying tactics I’d spent all my life perfecting. Could it be that all of these years, all the hard work would end up being for nothing? Would the demons really win over?
Osidian approached me, a knowing gleam in his eyes.
I refused to show the fear I felt. If I was going to go down, it would be through a fierce battle, not a feminine screech of terror. But as he got closer and closer, the true immensity of his size made it clear I would not be able to fight him.