by Terry Spear
They approached the stone wall, and Alana made an opening, then once they were inside, she sealed it back up.
Jared was sitting, leaning against a wall, his expression dazed and his cheeks flushed. Alana handed the laptop to Samson and crouched beside Jared. Running her hand over his forehead, she began to do a healing chant.
“I heard the portal open, so I headed for it, hoping it was you. But then I changed to mist to cloak you in case you had entered the swamp.”
She looked up at Samson. “Mist?”
“Yeah, comes in handy sometimes. Is Jared going to be all right?”
“Yes, he’ll be fine.” She glanced at the monitor. “See if Hunter’s back here.” Then she began her healing chant again.
“Just our three demon signatures are here.”
Alana squeezed Jared’s hand. “Samson will stay with you.”
Alana rose and reached for the laptop. “You stay with Jared. I’ll be back shortly.”
Samson smiled, but the look was purely sinister. “I watch out for you. You’re not going back into the swamp after Hunter.”
If the Samuria thought he was going to dictate to her, he was sorely mistaken.
“I hate to do this, but…” It worked for the warlock. She cast a freezing spell.
Samson shifted, turned to mist, gathered about her, reformed, and pinned her to the ground.
Her demonic shrieks of anger echoed across the park.
***
Hunter attempted to concentrate on locating one of the Matusas when a demon cried out in pain. But the worry Alana would return to the swamp alone to rescue him nagged at him. Kubiteron. A Matusa did not need rescuing. And he wanted to get rid of both Gryndal and Ferengus in the swamp before they were able to stir up more trouble on Earth world.
Gryndal cursed and Hunter headed straight for him. When he located the demon, he found him favoring a bloodied arm and some kind of lizard-skinned, half-human looking creature lying dead at his feet.
The fog had begun to lift, but Gryndal was still concentrating on his wound and gloating over his dead attacker.
Hunter wielded his power at the Matusa, attacking the demon’s blood vessels, shriveling them, blocking the flow of blood to his heart and brain.
Gryndal clutched at his chest, but it would take several more minutes before enough damage could be done. Still, the Matusa’s arm was bleeding, weakening him.
Splashing water behind Hunter warned him something was closing in fast. But he wouldn’t give up his prey. Gryndal had to die.
The splashing suddenly stopped, and Hunter sensed it wasn’t a swamp beast. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, then slammed into Hunter, but the electricity charged through the water and also struck Gryndal.
Gryndal grunted and collapsed.
Hunter sank to his knees, the jolt nearly stopping his heart. He opened the portal and with the last bit of strength he could muster, he crawled through. He heard Ferengus’s curses, and Hunter regretted not silencing him first.
“Hunter,” Alana said, hovering over him like an angel, her astral form drawn to the portal. Devil was more like it. No Kubiteron told him what to do. She closed the portal and ran her hand over his chest. “I’ll come for you once I get that Samuria off me.”
Hunter’s blood heated, but he couldn’t form any words to ask what she meant. Then she disappeared. A small crowd gathered around him. A man yanked a cell phone off his belt. If Alana didn’t hurry and stop what was bound to happen next…
The crowd parted and Alana and Samson pushed their way through to him. The crowd suddenly dispersed.
“Carry him to our room,” she ordered Samson.
He looked disgruntled, but Hunter was certain the glower he shared with the Samuria could stop his heart.
“I’ll get Jared. Go, Samson!” Alana commanded.
***
When Hunter woke, night cloaked the hotel suite in darkness. Jared slept soundly beside him in the sofa bed. Samson was sleeping on a roll-a-way bed. And Alana got the king-sized bed in the master bedroom?
Hunter rubbed his sore chest, the effects of the jolt of electricity to his heart finally healing to the point he felt more human.
Samson opened one eye, then the other. “Pizza’s in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
Hunter ran his hand over the stubble on his chin. “What did you do to make Alana so mad?”
“Kept her from returning to the swamp for you.”
Hunter took a deep, settling breath. He didn’t like it that anyone would get physical with her, but he was glad the Samuria prevented her from following him back into the swamp. Though he was certain in part, the demon didn’t want her rescuing a Matusa and it wasn’t solely to keep her safe.
“What happened?” Samson disappeared into the kitchen.
Hunter closed his eyes, his body still not wanting to respond to his command to leave the bed. “Gryndal’s dead.” He wasn’t about to tell him Ferengus killed him.
“After he zapped you?”
The microwave timer beeped. Samson returned with a plateful of pizza and gave it to Hunter.
“Ferengus got the upper hand.”
“You were outnumbered. But I’m glad you got the other one first.”
Hunter ate the pizza, surprised at how ravenous he was. “How’s Jared?”
“He ate some, then went back to sleep. Alana said the creature that gashed Jared’s head infected him with bacteria. She worked for several hours isolating it until Jared’s system could fight it.” Samson sauntered back into the kitchen. When he returned with a soda, he wore a quirky grin. “If you wonder if she neglected you, she didn’t.”
“I didn’t need anyone’s coddling.”
“Your heart stopped twice. I couldn’t tell if she was beating on your chest purely to get your heart started, or if she was getting you back for dying on her.” Samson chuckled darkly. “Probably left some good bruises.”
Hunter’s mouth turned up. He knew Alana had the hots for him. A sure demon sign.
***
The next morning, Alana made it to the bathroom ahead of everyone else, though Hunter vaguely remembered feeling her cool hand on his forehead and worried green eyes peering into his face. But even on the best of days, Hunter wasn’t an early riser and often when he was in school, he missed his first hour or two of class. He faulted school officials for having them so early.
He glanced down at his bruised chest and smiled. The mark of love. Then he realized he only wore boxers again. He stretched. The Kubiteron was his.
Samson yawned. “The Guardian is hogging the bathroom.”
“Yeah. First she got the master bedroom…”
Samson furrowed his shaggy brows. “You would not have made her sleep out here with us.”
Hunter got out of bed. “I’m Matusa.” He sauntered into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Empty. “Where’s the food?”
Samson joined him. “You would not have wanted her sleeping with us.”
“You’re right. She would have stayed with me.” Hunter gave him a smug smile.
Samson shook his head. “I am her match. She wouldn’t have stayed with you.” He grabbed the phone. “I’ll order room service.”
The shower shut off, and Hunter headed for the bathroom. He knocked on the door. “Hey, there are four of us. Quit hogging the bathroom.”
He expected a smart-aleck reply but when she didn’t say anything, he pounded harder on the door. “Alana?”
Jared moaned. “Can’t a body sleep in the mornings? It’s summer vacation.”
Samson charged out of the hotel room.
“Alana! Jared, check the laptop,” Hunter shouted. He twisted the doorknob until the lock broke.
Wrapped in a bath towel, Alana stared blankly at the fogged-up mirror.
“Where is the portal, Jared?” Hunter hollered.
“Downtown Orlando.” Jared was already jerking on his clothes. He glanced back at the bathroom. “Is she…”
“Pull
ed to the portal.” Hunter yanked on his clothes. “Samson took after her, but I don’t know how he’ll find her.”
“He’s her match, remember?”
“Yeah, but she beats on me.”
Jared raised his brows in a questioning glance.
Hunter headed for the door. “I have the bruises to prove it.”
“Those on your chest? When did she do that?” Jared shook his head. “Demon selection process.”
“Yep. Samson doesn’t stand a chance. Wait. You stay here. And this time do not let her leave the hotel room. What kind of demon was summoned, by the way?”
“Elantus.”
“Good. See you soon.”
***
Alana couldn’t believe it when she stood dripping wet, wearing only a bath towel before a shimmering portal in front of three witches and three warlocks. They looked as shocked as she felt.
“What… what’s a witch doing here in a towel?” one of the witches finally managed to sputter.
“We were supposed to summon Satan.”
“Satan? You idiots. You’re summoning demons and some of them would rip out your hearts and eat them for breakfast,” Alana said.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Her heart in her throat, she turned. An Elantus female looked at her with the most woeful brown eyes. “I’m the gate guardian. Go back through the portal,” Alana said.
The Elantus smiled and bowed her head, then ducked back through the gateway.
“What was that behind her?”
Alana closed the portal. “Hunter, are you on your way? Three witches and three warlocks summoned the portal. Make sure you and Samson come prepared for battle.”
“Hey, open the gateway back up,” one of the warlocks said. “And get rid of the naked witch.”
A witch cast a lightning spell at Alana but it disappeared right through her. She offered a sinister smile. “I’m a little more than a witch. If you want to piss off a demon, go right ahead. But if you must know, I really hate having my morning routine interrupted.” And she hated standing wrapped only in a towel in a room full of witches and warlocks. This gate guardian business definitely wasn’t her bag.
She assumed, though, that she couldn’t wield any power against them in her current state just like she couldn’t do anything to the warlock who froze Samson. The others began casting other spells at her, and she frowned at them. “You call a demon forth and then what? Try to destroy it?”
Mist started filling the building.
“Ohmigod, what’s she doing? It can’t hurt us, can it?” one of the women said.
“Why isn’t anything we cast killing her?” a warlock asked.
She didn’t imagine the mist could do anything but cloak her and Samson. What powers could Samson yield that would help her? She didn’t think they would make a good match at all.
“Open another portal!” one of the women shouted.
“No. If we can’t control this one, no way should we call another,” one of the warlocks said.
Footsteps scurried away from Alana.
Then Hunter shouted, “Alana, go home! I’ll take care of these vermin. No one calls forth my mate when she’s taking a shower.”
Conceited Matusa. “Be careful, Hunter. They’re magic users. You could still be weak from yesterday’s experience.”
“Wrong thing to say to a Matusa.”
“And another thing, Hunter, if you call me your mate again, you’ll end up with worse than bruises.”
Hunter smiled, then he seized one of the warlocks by the throat and banged him against a wall. Hunter released the terrified warlock and targeted a witch. She shrieked.
What was Samson doing? Nothing? If he didn’t help Hunter, Alana was firing his butt.
She could hear everyone breathing hard, separated in the pea soup fog.
“Whatever hit me, nearly stopped my heart. Whose idea was this anyway?” a warlock asked, moving against one of the walls, trying to reach the doorway to freedom.
“Twyla. Call Satan, she said, and we could learn more of the dark arts,” one of the warlocks said.
“Satan?” the mist breathed. “Satan would no more bow to your small minds than any of us.”
“Ohmigod,” one of the witches shrieked. “How many did we bring forth?”
“Enough to terminate the likes of you if we wished.” Hunter headed across the floor.
A door opened and someone ran outside. Another followed.
“Crichton! Don’t you dare leave me behind, you cowardly bastard,” a woman screamed and stumbled on the floor. Someone cursed as they tripped over her.
“Who’s got the summoning book?” Alana asked.
“I’ve got it,” Hunter said. “Return home, Alana!”
The rest of the summoners scurried outside and Samson formed next to Alana. He raised his brows as he considered her in the towel.
She gave him her fiercest scowl and vanished.
Reappearing in the hotel room’s bathroom, she dressed, then stormed out of it.
“Jeez, it’s about time. I have to use the bathroom, but don’t you dare leave!” Jared said.
She glanced at the cart filled with food and one of the plates sitting on the table and half eaten.
Jared glanced at the cart. “Samson ordered breakfast.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Mission accomplished.” She peeked under the steel covers looking for the breakfast that would appeal. No cinnamon rolls? It looked like Hunter had ordered the breakfast—eggs, sausage, bacon and tons of toast, enough for an army of demons.
When Hunter and Samson arrived back at the hotel, Alana was microwaving a cinnamon roll and the spicy scent filled the air.
“Smells good, Alana. Did you get one for me, too?” Hunter asked.
She grunted. “You already have a ton of food to eat.” She glanced at Samson, who was stabbing a fork into a sausage link. “What exactly are your powers? You have to do more than become mist or create fog or whatever.”
He smiled. “Separating your foe disorients and alienates them. It’s one of the simplest, most effectively disturbing spells I can cast.”
“But Hunter was doing all the work.”
Samson cast an annoyed look at Hunter who wore a satisfied smile. “The witch fell when I become more of a solid form. The warlock tripped over her. I create panic without hurting anyone too much, except maybe their pride.”
Samurias were often politicians, Jared had said. So, that meant they would use the art of persuasion to get what they wanted? Yeah, right, like he tackled her to the ground when she wanted to find Hunter in the swamp. Maybe with her, Samson just wanted to get really close and personal. She growled inwardly, still furious with him for knocking her flat on her back and keeping her pinned down until a half-dead Hunter opened the portal again to the park.
Finishing her roll, Alana licked the sugary cinnamon off her fingers. “What about you, Hunter? You stop hearts but what if you need something that can work faster than that?”
“He uses his martial arts,” Jared said, defending him.
“I mean, in demonic powers. What about you, Jared? Even if you’re not as strong as others, what are your abilities?”
He pointed at the laptop.
“No. What demon powers do you possess?”
“I can cloak myself.”
“And?”
He shook his head, but his gaze shifted to Hunter, and she swore the two were keeping some of their abilities secret.
“What about you, Alana?” Samson asked.
She shrugged. “You’ve seen some of what I can do. I’m kind of learning as I go. I don’t seem to have much of an ability to cast offensive spells at demons, but I can levitate them, and do some defensive spells while others don’t work against them. Unfortunately, it’s all trial and error.”
“Maybe it’s your witch’s half that makes your abilities unpredictable,” Hunter said.
She scowled at him.
He smiled. “Ready to catch a flight
to Baltimore?”
Jared grabbed his laptop and backpack. “Yeah, all of us demons can use our abilities and they’ll work the same way every time. Must be your other half that messes you up.”
Alana rolled her eyes. “I want an aisle seat.”
“Afraid of flying?” Jared asked.
“No.”
“Afraid of heights?” Hunter guessed.
She gave him a scathing look.
***
All the way to Baltimore, Alana tried to get in touch with her mother to no avail. When they landed, Jared signed up for a rental car. With a sinking heart, Alana climbed into the car with the others and directed them to her house. She couldn’t help thinking the situation was bound to get worse before it got better.
As soon as they arrived, Jared pointed at his laptop and made an announcement that shocked Alana. “A Kubiteron is inside your house.”
“My father?” Alana couldn’t imagine it could be anyone but her father. But why had her mother disappeared, and why was her father here?
She threw open the car door, and with shaking legs, she hurried for the front door.
Chapter 22
As soon as Alana rushed into the living room, she saw a Kubiteron flipping through the family photo album. He was blond like her with green eyes. That much was the same. And tall like Hunter. But she didn’t like the fake smile he presented, or the way his eyes darkened upon seeing her. Angry with her? Or something else?
Yet, she was the one who should have been angered—furious he’d broken into her mother’s home and was invading their privacy. And where was her mother?
He glanced at her companions, but no disquiet reflected in his eyes when he saw Hunter. Everyone felt some discomfort initially when they faced a Matusa, except maybe Treikal. Nobody seemed to ruffle the Elantus who was in charge of records in the demon world.
“I’m Tarn, your father,” the Kubiteron said, and motioned to the floral couch. “Can… we talk?”