Loup Garou

by Mandy M. Roth

  The power went straight at Jay’s head. He didn’t seem to notice it. The urge to smack him myself was great. Somehow, I managed to hold back, opting instead to go with a more subtle approach for keeping his head attached to his shoulders. “It's one of those songs that makes you want to bang your head.” I grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled hard. “Great, lesson one on having rhythm.” The power whizzed past him and he stiffened.

  Sniffing the air, he jerked to the side a bit and went on full alert. “What the fuck was that? It smelled like sulfur and evil.”

  Hallelujah, the man may not be quite the moron I thought him to be.

  “That was her saving your ass from—” Gina stopped in mid-sentence as she stared at Exavier. “Why lesson one in rhythm of course.”

  Myra took me by the arm. She pressed her mouth to my ear and whispered, “We can’t sense it until it’s almost on us. How do we fight it?”

  I stared around, waiting for any sign of its whereabouts. “I don’t know but I do know that Stan is still in the building. He held a knife to my throat.”

  “Stan is here!” she shouted. “And he held a friggin’ knife to your throat? That knife? Christ, Lindsay!”

  Smooth. Way to keep a low profile.

  Jay went for his off-duty weapon. “That’s it. I’m going to kill that little fuck.”

  “Stan, the guy from earlier?” Exavier asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m with him. I vote we kill him.”

  I let out a nervous laugh. “Would you believe me if I swore to you that Stan is, for the most part, harmless?”

  “No,” they said in unison. I wasn’t sure if I was happy they seemed to be getting along or not. Having them gang up on me wasn’t all that great.

  Chuckling, I locked gazes with Jay so he’d know I was serious. “Would you believe that he’s been possessed by a demon and isn’t responsible for his actions?”

  Gina snorted. “The devil made him do it.”

  I saw the protest start and then instantly stop as Jay registered what I was telling him. “Oh, gotcha. Explains the sulfur smell. Never thought the defense would hold water.”

  I sighed. “Well, I should really help Gina and Myra look for the rat. I’m sure Stan is long gone. In fact, I think I saw him running out the back door. But, if we run into Stan, we’ll give a shout out. Why don’t you and Exavier start eating? Everything’s on the counter.”

  Jay shook his head. “Hell fucking no. You are going to take your entirely too cute ass over there and sit down. Exavier and I will go find Stan and escort him to the station or the nearest church.”

  I snorted. “You want to take Xavs?”

  I couldn’t hold my laughter in. Gina followed suit. Exavier arched a brow. “Something funny with the idea of me lending a hand in the extermination process?” The way he said it made me wonder if he was on to us. Considering that would mean he completely understood demonic forces were at work and doing their best to kill us, I highly doubted it.

  Jay scratched the back of his head and appeared to be in pain. “Lindsay, Exavier and I might have gotten into a tiny scuffle. Umm, I can vouch for him. He’ll be fine.”

  I slapped Jay upside his head and glared as I pointed the knife at him. I wouldn’t use it on him but it did make me feel special in a scary kind of way. “You picked a fight with him, didn’t you?”

  “Ouch. No. Not exactly.” He cast me an apologetic look. “Okay, maybe I did. But I’m telling you that—”

  I smacked him again, suddenly more concerned with Exavier being attacked by Jay while I wasn’t there to protect him than the evil that wanted me dead now. “You will go over there and get things ready for everyone to eat. I am going rat hunting. I can’t have them running loose in the center. It’s a safety and health hazard.”

  “Lindsay.”

  I glared at him. “I will deal with you later.” Glancing at Exavier, my expression softened. “Did he hurt you?”

  A tick developed in his jaw. “No. He did not hurt me. Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was placate a famous guy during a fight with evil but he looked like he needed it. “You’re a singer, honey, I lowered my expectations significantly already.”

  Gina laughed so hard she squealed. I would have joined her but I sensed the evil again. Spinning, I watched both halls, unsure which it would come from. “Rat’s back!”

  “Shit, so are the kids!” Myra shouted. “Gina, I thought you told them they couldn’t hang out here after dark.”

  “I did.”

  The evil picked up on our panic. I sensed the instant it decided to go after the group of teenagers who frequently spent an hour or so at night doing various forms of street dancing in our parking lot. With the flux of paranormal activity we had as of late, they’d have been better off taking their chances partying at the mouth of hell. Though, the center was fast becoming a candidate for a back door entrance to the land of eternal damnation.

  The mass of evil appeared out of nowhere and ended up heading straight at Exavier. I let my power up, knowing it would want the lure of pure energy. It took the bait.

  Myra gasped. “Lindsay, no!”

  Shrugging, I grinned and took off running towards the other hallway. I didn’t make it out of the lobby before Myra was on my heels. I sensed another wave of evil coming straight at me, while the one behind me remained constant I knew I was in trouble. I came to a grinding halt. “Oh, bad idea! Really bad idea!”

  Seizing hold of Myra, I knocked her to the side, put the knife in my mouth and launched into a back handspring. The power went under me just as the other crossed above me. I slashed at it, catching it and making it break apart for a moment. Coming to my feet, I sensed it headed at my head and ducked, grabbing Gina around the waist as I went. The knife fell from my grasp, and scattered across the floor.

  Gina screamed as it crashed near her head. “I can’t see it, Lindsay! Where is it?”

  “What do you mean you can’t see them?” I asked, watching as the power formed two dark shadows. “They’re huge! Like Exavier and Jay kind of huge!”

  Myra grabbed Exavier and pulled him down. “Try to play along, Mr. Right. I can’t marry you off to her if you’re dead.”

  I kicked her ankle. “Rats aren’t deadly.”

  She grinned. “Good to know you were more concerned with rats than me trying to marry you off.”

  Gasping, I watched as the power went for Jay. “Jay, two o’clock.”

  He dropped just in time. “Any idea how to stop it?”

  “Mirrors?” Gina asked. “Can we trap its essence there?”

  “No,” I said, unsure why. “We have to find something that can absorb it without letting it consume them.”

  Myra rubbed the bridge of her nose. “How is it you know these things?”

  “I don’t know. Lucky, I guess. Why?” I glanced at Exavier and smiled. “Umm, rats. Hate 'em.”

  “Seriously, Lindsay, you always know things you shouldn’t.”

  I shrugged. “I paid attention to the stories a little boy used to tell me about bad things and what did and did not work to stop them. He used to tell me the stories to make me feel better about monsters in the dark. Instead, he made me scared to sleep without a light on.”

  Gina snorted. “Only you would play with kids who would creep you out.”

  “Exavier never creeped me out,” I said defensively.

  “Exavier?” She glanced at Exavier and bit her lower lip. “Didn’t realize you knew him that well.”

  “What? Not him. A different one. The one I knew was smaller. Much smaller and well, smaller.”

  She laughed and I sensed the evil trying to lock in on the kids again. I jumped to my feet. “Hey, asshole, you aren’t touching my kids. You don’t really want them when you could have what you came for.”

  “Don’t you dare unmask yourself—” Myra’s words were cut off when I kissed her forehead and let my power out again. “Dammit, Lindsay
!”

  “I won’t let it hurt my kids. End of discussion. I’ll find a way to at least trap it. We can call my dad and ask what to do if we have to. He’ll lock me in a tower somewhere to keep me safe when all is said and done but this stuff won’t be able to hurt anyone. Well, I’d love to stay and talk but,” I glanced at the other hallway and sensed it coming, “it’s really pissed right now. Umm, if I can’t figure out how to contain it, you might want to call the voodoo guy.”

  Jay grabbed my wrist and shook his head. “You’re leaving. Now.”

  “Let go of my wrist. I have a rat to contain.”

  “Lindsay, I’m not fucking joking. Exavier will back me on this.”

  Glancing at Jay, I let a pouty face come over me and blinked as if I was going to cry. Jay sighed and let go of my wrist. I grinned. “Damn, all these years and I really could have just gone with crying to get my way.”

  “Get back here. You’re going to get yourself killed.” He reached for me and I dodged his grasp, moving to the beat of the song still thumping through the center.

  “It, like you, will have to catch me first.” Stripping my outer shirt off, I wagged my brows as I threw it at Jay’s face. “Duck!”

  He did. The evil raced past his head before heading straight at me. Jay shook his head. “Goddammit, Lindsay, none of us are sensitive to it like you are. We can’t help if we can’t see it.”

  The evil sent things flying around me. Papers scattered about the lobby and one of the computer monitors tipped over. I’d have fun trying to explain it all to Exavier later. If he had too many questions, I’d call my dad and have him wipe his memory. Really, though, something as serious as that was a last resort.

  The knife came hurdling at me. Gina tackled me just in time to prevent something ugly from happening and the knife stuck into the wall. I glanced at her and then the knife. “Can we file that under me showing up for self defense class today? I think it counts.”

  Something struck my stomach and sent my body into Gina’s. The force sent us both sliding across the floor. Gina screamed. “Jay do something! I felt the force it hit Lindsay with. It’s not playing games.”

  Exavier was suddenly next to me, touching my shoulder. Myra grabbed for him but he avoided her. “Linds?”

  I smiled. “Sorry, slippery spot on the…umm…floor.” I rubbed my stomach and glanced around the room, trying to sense the evil.

  It loomed up behind Exavier and I did the only thing I could think of, I grabbed hold of his leg and yanked him to the ground. “Get down!”

  The evil swept past, narrowly missing him. Panting, I stared down at him. Every ounce of me wanted to shout the truth about supernaturals but I liked the guy too much to lose him. If I could even keep him as a friend, I’d be happy, so I went with a lie. It certainly looked as though I’d need to call my father later. “Umm, hi. There was a big spider by your head. Sorry about knocking you over.”

  I rolled off him quickly and got to my feet. Myra helped him up and stared around the room. “Lindsay, why am I getting the feeling this thing was just toying with us?”

  No sooner did she say it then the shadows merged into one and took shape. For a moment it looked like thousands of bugs crawling in and out of each other and then it took on the look of hundreds of snakes. Its outer form was of a man but it was grossly unnatural to see it composed of bugs and snakes. My stomach churned as my pulse sped.

  I took a step backwards and bumped into Myra. “Do me a favor.”

  “What?”

  “If that thing gets in me, behead me. Set my body on fire and whatever else is standard protocol. I don’t want to be brought back after that thing…” I did the “creepy crawly” dance and shuddered. “I hate bugs and snakes. Eww. Myra. Eww. Ohmygod, maggots. I’m going to throw up.”

  “Maggots? Lindsay, what is it? Where is it?”

  The demon smiled and I cringed. “Call the prince to you now,” it hissed.

  A stray snake leapt free of it and landed on me. Screaming, I spun in a circle to get it off me. It slithered up my arm, around my back and I couldn’t stop the heebie-jeebie quiver that tore through me.

  The demon laughed as Myra tried to calm me down. “Honey, what’s going on? Where is it?”

  I threw the snake free of me and shook. “S-snakes. It threw one on me.”

  “Baby, you freak at the sight of a spider,” Jay said, sliding up behind me.

  I stared at the demon before me with wide eyes. “Jay, tell me you can see it. Please. Tell me I’m not crazy. Right?”

  Jay reached for me. “Tell us where you see it, Lindsay. Exavier can help. We just need to understand. It’s attacking under our radar. You’re about ten times more sensitive than all of us put together and it knows it.”

  The demon smiled. “Yes, he speaks the truth. It is how it must be for the mate of the prince.”

  “What? Why do I have to be so sensitive? I’d be perfectly happy not having to stare at your ugly ass.”

  “Lindsay, what did it say?” Myra asked.

  I forgot about attempting to hide what was going on in front of Exavier and simply spoke. “Something about me having to be this sensitive because of the prince guy.” I let out a nervous laugh. “What? Am I supposed to just know when the prince of darkness is pissed off and head it off with a good joke? A nice massage? Sex?”

  “Yes,” it said, making me take a huge step back. “That is exactly what you were made to do, Lindsay.” The way it said my name was pure evil.

  I shook my head. “Fuck that. I’m no man’s mood ring. And I’m not scared of you.” I swallowed hard. “Okay, not that scared of you.”

  “Lindsay, tell us where it is. We can stop it,” Jay said.

  The demon tossed snakes at Jay and I lunged forward, using my body to block his. Several of them bit down on my arms and I screamed out. Gina’s breath caught. “Holy shit! You’re bleeding.”

  The demon laughed. “Take me to the prince.”

  Knocking the snakes free of me, I stomped on each one. I should have been screaming hysterically. How I wasn’t, was a mystery to me. “I don’t know where he is.”

  “What?” Myra asked. “What are you talking about?”

  “T-the prince. It wants the prince.”

  “Lindsay.” Exavier tried to move in front of me but I wouldn't let him. It was bad enough I’d have to beg my father to wipe his memory. Letting a creepy crawly demon kill him would never do.

  “No, I’m good. It’s just a really big rat who seems to be looking for, umm, royal cheese? I’m an animal sensitive in addition to being a witch. Did I forget to mention that?”

  Why I even bothered to keep up the charade was beyond me, but I did.

  The demon centered its gaze on me and smiled. Maggots crawled through its mouth. “You lie. Take me to the prince or I will destroy your friends.”

  It was my turn to glare at it. “Listen, you maggot infested, snake tossin’, bug crawling piece of demonic defecation—I’ll,” I took a step towards it, letting my power flare, “give him to you. Come on.”

  “Lindsay?” Gina asked.

  Another snake came at me. I pointed at it. “If that thing touches me, I’ll…”

  “You’ll what?” it asked, not seeming impressed with my threat.

  “I’ll open the gates to heaven, like a good little wife of a dark husband would do to calm things down.”

  It took a tiny step back, enough for me to know it feared good.

  “Can you open the gates?” Gina asked before covering her mouth.

  Myra snorted. “Yeah, well, always good to try to bluff.”

  “Who is bluffing?” I asked, glancing at the demon. “Now, do you want me to take you to him?”

  “Yes.”

  I glanced at Gina. “It’s getting hot in here. I really hope a fire doesn’t break out.”

  “Huh?”

  Myra’s gaze went to the fire extinguisher. “Oh, right. Fire. Bad to have with rats. For sure. I think we have some added
protection in the back.”

  “Funny you should say that because I just happen to have the address this particular rat needs in the back as well. It’s in my day planner. In my locker. Near the showers.”

  I didn’t really have it but the demon didn’t know and I wasn’t about to point out the fact I was lying.

  Gina snorted. “You? Organized?”

  Myra shot her a nasty look. Gina shut up.

  “Lindsay, where is this rat you’re talking about?” Exavier asked, picking me up and setting me behind him before I could get a word out.

  The demon moved forward and just missed touching Exavier. It hissed as it stared at him. “Interesting. This one reeks of—”

  I let my power flare. “No! You will not touch him.”

  The overhead light sizzled and a bolt of energy shot out of it, hitting the demon. It screeched and I smiled. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. Still, I smiled.

  Gina gasped. “Holy shit, I told you. See, Jay! I said she can make lightning bolts. You didn’t want to believe me.”

  “Don’t,” I let another bolt of energy fly at it, “be silly, Gina. No one can create lightning bolts. I bet the rat chewed through something vital and now we’ll need to call someone to fix it as soon as our little problem is taken care of.”

  “Lindsay, you’re doing the scary voice thing we talked about,” Jay said, glancing over at me. “The one you used when you locked me out in my underwear and it just happened to pour down rain with lightning that night. Tell us where it's standing and we’ll take care of it. No more. You were sick for weeks after the last stunt. It drains you too much. Just tell us where to aim.”

  The demon moved again, apparently wising up that it shouldn’t stand in one place too long. It watched Exavier with hate in its eyes. In an instant, it was tossing snakes and bugs at him. Spinning, I kicked them away and stood before Exavier protectively. “I said that you were not to touch him. I am positive I didn’t stutter. I can and will bring the wrath of some heavy shit down upon your head if you continue to push me on this. He is not to be touched. None of them are.”