by Claire Marta
Spells. They flowed through his head like a never-ending river. Complex equations. Ones he had never learnt before.
“Bring me his head.” Stella hissed through her teeth.
The patter of feet reached Twitch’s ears. As one, the demonic children charged as they had hours before. This time, he was ready.
“Bring it, Bitch.” From under the hood of his velvety black coat all that could be seen were the glow of his green eyes. With graceful, nimble fingers, he traced symbols in the air. As his incantations formed, blue, swirling, ethereal dragons materialized to hover at his sides.
The demonic children had abandoned Lexi. Pushing herself up on her elbows she scooted back on her butt towards the wary crowd.
“What’s going on?” Someone asked in worry. Instead of fleeing the humans watched with morbid curiosity.
“Just a promotional stunt for the club.” One of the big bouncers assured them calmly. “Light show and special effects.” Grabbing Lexi’s arm, the bear shifter hauled her up. “These horns she’s wearing are movie make-up, that’s all.”
Lexi’s gaze found Twitch’s. Lips parting, she stared at him in alarm. Cheeks pale, her lovely face was smeared with dirt. Curling elegantly from her head, her horns curled proudly.
As the demonlings descended on him with their disturbingly bent lankly limbs, Twitch let his spells seethe out. The blue, ghostly dragons shot forwards, colliding into them. Shrieks rose as magic seared flesh, exploding in an array of fireworks which lit up the night in an exquisite beauty. Thrown back in a withering mass, the children scrambled to right themselves.
The crowd cheered. They had no knowledge that this was a battle for their lives. Only the supernaturals among them sensed the severity of the fight.
A raspy laugh escaped Twitch’s throat. Straightening, he held his arms outstretched, open and arrogant as he spun around in a circle. “Is that all you Fucknuggets have?”
The power balance had shifted. Now he was the one in charge.
He was drunk on power. Elated by the heady rush. More intoxicating than anything, apart from being with Lexi. The delicious darkness swarmed through Twitch. He was a God. Life and death. He carried the fate of all those around him in his hands. Their lives were his to do with as he pleased. All would fear him and bow at his feet. They would love him. Worship him.
The familiar sound of metal scraping metal reached Twitch’s ears.
Long coat dancing around him, he swivelled to see the cross bow in Stella’s hands. Arrow in place, she set it loose with a laugh. The silver tip winked in the street lights as it sped towards Twitch’s chest. She had aimed for his heart.
Throwing up his hand, palm outwards, he halted the arrow in mid-flight. Whirling one finger in the air he sent it backwards. Splitting into segments it became a hail of deadly sharp points raining down around him. Screams erupted. In fear for their lives, the bystanders fled.
“Twitch, stop it! You’re endangering innocent people!” Lexi shouted in panic.
As her sweet, frightened voice seeped into the darkness of destruction that had him in its grip, Twitch’s sanity returned. She was right. He had allowed himself to slip. Hurting those watching was not his intention, but his anger and grief had been blinding. Not only was he battling the demons before him, but he had his own demons in his head. He wasn’t a hero. He was a villain.
Expression deadly, Asier stepped from the doorway of the club with his vampire horde in tow. Chest bare, his olive skin took on a honeyed sheen beneath the artificial brightness of the club lights in the dark. Naked disbelief flashed in his amethyst eyes as he witnessed the scene before him.
Twitch growled under his breath. No. That bastard was not going to interfere in this.
“Welcome to the New Age.” Sweeping his arms up, electricity crackled to life along Twitch’s arms. Snaking hungrily, they coiled around, zipping and zapping. The air shimmered with static. A transparent sphere began to form. It looked fragile, but Twitch knew it was not. “My Age. My century. And now you will live by my rules.”
With an elusive smile, he sent it expanding. With its speed, the demon horde had no time to run. Engulfing only the children in the dimensional bubble, it became dense, impenetrable. Electric bolts danced along the surface, sending colours rippling in a rainbow.
No longer outside the club, they stood alone, in the middle of a vast desert. Shifting sand dunes surrounded them. The warmth of the night cut through their clothing making their bodies shiver from the sudden change. The light of the full moon above them cast everything in a silvery shadowy glow.
It was a show of force. One Twitch could see had the desired effect. Terror blossomed over the children’s dirty twisted faces. They thought they had won by taking out Nelly, but their actions had repercussion they could not have dreamed of. Ones that would have a long-lasting effect.
Stamping her feet in a fit of rage, Stella screamed at the top of her lungs. “Why can’t you die like all the rest?”
“Your parents should have spanked your arse until it bled before you murdered them, but I doubt it would have stopped you from becoming a cannibalistic, bat shit crazy brat.”
Halting in her tantrum, she pinned him with a glare. “Oh, you think I’m one of these?” Gesturing, she pointed at the others. They were clinging together as if they expected to feel her wrath at their failure to end him. “Carrion demons are weak minions and my genes are far more superior.”
“I’m pretty certain that’s something you shouldn’t be proud off.” Whipping around them, the arid wind tousled Twitch’s curly locks.
“Let’s make this a little more interesting then hmm.” Stella cocked her head as she placed delicate hands on her hips. “No magic. No tricks. Just you and me with blades.”
“And why the fuck should I fall for something like that?”
The haunting call of an owl echoed from the sandy dunes. Around them. nocturne life was stirring.
“If you win we’ll leave your girlfriend alone.” Examining her nails, she frowned. Licking the end of her finger, Stella took some of the blood off, revealing the sparkly nail polish she wore beneath.
“Why should I trust you?” Magic on a low burn, Twitch kept it ready to use. Trust was something he did not have when it came to this demon. Lies and deceit came from her far too easily.
“You shouldn’t, but I'm dangling this bargain in front of you like a big fat carrot. You’re not frightened of a girl, are you?”
With a new confidence arrogance, Twitch rolled his eyes. He was stronger than he had ever imagined he could be. Nothing could stop him now. Not with the power running through his veins and whispering insidiously in his ear. She didn’t stand a chance, but he would play along with her for now. “Fine.”
Stella snapped her fingers. Detaching from the demonling children who still watched with drawn barren features, a single child scurried towards them. She was lugging a wide, long sports bag. Where it had come from Twitch was not sure. There were so many of them it had been easily missed.
“If I bring Celion your head I’ll be his best girl again.” Stella exclaimed with glee. “He can mount it on the wall and every time he fucks Lexi from behind she can see your pretty face.”
Twitch did not respond. He wasn’t about to let her rile him. This was just a childish game. One he would allow because even though he wanted to he couldn’t take her life without a fair fight. After he had finished seeking his revenge, he’d put an end to these demented creatures and then he would take what was his. Lexi. If the vampire Master tried to stop him when he returned to the club, he would end Asier without a second thought.
Crouching, she unzipped the bag. Within the material casing an assortment of weapons lay waiting. Fingering through her collection, Stella settled on two swords.
With a thud, one landed at Twitch’s feet. Gaze never wavering from danger, he sank low to retrieve it. Hot sand met his hand before it closed around the cool steel of the handle. Straightening up, he gauged its weight
and feel.
He’d never been in a sword fight before. It was old fashioned. Humming in is throat, he tightened his grip. Hack and slash, that’s what all the movies did. How hard could it be? No Magic. No tricks. That was the agreement. He was only doing this because he couldn’t shake an ingrained sense of honour and fair play.
Carefully, he swung the blade up. The edge was sharp, the blade perfectly balanced.
Before he realised what was happening, Stella flew at him, slashing her own from side to side. Twitch dodged in one fluid movement. Not leaving him a second, she thrust her weapon forwards only to be met by his sword. They clashed with a resounding clang.
The sand cushioning his boots shifted as he moved. Sinking, it made his movements drag. Bringing down Stella was now his only concern. To end her deranged reign of terror.
“I see your true colours shining through,” she crooned. “And you’re just like me.”
“I’m nothing like you.” Gaining traction, Twitch lunged forwards. As steel clashed with steel, sparks flew. His blade shuddered under the brutality of the attack.
Exertion had sweat bathing his skin, fusing his clothing to him in a sticky, hot mess.
A grin split Stella’s lips. “I see the same abyss inside my soul staring back at me through your eyes.”
Twitch froze at her words. Was she the face of his future? One without light? Without hope? Gritting his teeth, he tried to control the storm raging inside him. Everything was colliding. His past, present and an uncertain future now lay ahead. Was his soul at risk now that he had unleashed the darkness to its full potential? Would it take hold? Would he be drenched under the weight of it? Lose who he was to become nothing more than an insidious being who hungered for destruction and death?
Swivelling, he dodged her next blow. It wasn’t fast enough. Slicing through his coat, it slashed through his skin. Pain blinded him. Staggering back, blood moved down his arm and dripped from his fingers.
His first instinct was to clasp the wound and stem the flow, but he knew that was not an option. Raising his sword once more, he ignored the agony the movement caused him.
“You’ll hunger for blood.” Stella’s eyes burned with an unholy light as the stench of sulphur grew. “And with it will come the slow descent into madness, but it’ll be one hell of a party when you hit the bottom, believe me, I know!”
Ignoring her words, he focused on his feet. With the ground uneven and the sand loose, it would only take one more error for her to win. Adrenaline pumped through him making his heart beat fiercer. It sharpened his senses. Drawing his damaged arm up to his chest, he skirted around, trying to get behind her.
The demon was humming a low swift tune. A lullaby. Twitch couldn’t recall the words, but listened as she repeated it as if she had it on loop in her deranged head.
As another strike plunged towards him, he countered with his own weapon. She was fast, unnaturally so.
“You’re supposed to stand still and face me not run around all over the place.” She mocked, waving her blade in the air. “How am I supposed to slice you up if you keep moving?”
“No Harlequin wanna-be is going to lop off my appendages no matter how crazy she might be.” He snapped back, ignoring the pain radiating from his injury. His left hand was sticky with his own blood. “By the way, you look nothing like her. That Psycho chick is hot and you’re not. You’re kind of like her younger, uglier sister.”
With a screech, Stella charged, bringing down her blade again and again. Her fury was felt behind each savage blow.
Retreating sideways, he miscalculated and stumbled, leaving his side exposed. Twisting her wrist, she landed a slice. Pain lanced through his ribs as her blade’s edge met its mark.
A creepy third eye rolled open on Stella’s forehead as his blood splattered across the sandy ground. It emitted a strange white glow.
An impression of a billion screams echoed faintly through the night. Tortured souls burning in damnation. Twitch could smell the sickening stench of rotting flesh. Pungent, it choked his nose and mouth making him want to wretch.
“You’re clinging to a sense of fair play to prove to yourself that you’re a goodie two shoes, but deep down we both know the truth.” Stella’s face was cast in the eerie light. Feature’s twisted, something inhuman moved beneath her skin.
In a flash, Twitch could see a sunless sky in a land of darkness where the fumes of hell fire rose, never to be extinguished. The wind brought with it blistering heat on wisps of silvery smoke. Blinking, he tried to keep the moisture in his eyeballs as they immediately dried.
Beyond the pits, lay a vast waste land of bloodied caresses. The hopelessness of the place weighed heavily on his chest.
“As a third-generation half-demon, I am one of the few who have the power to crack open the gates of hell! Impressed yet?” Stella asked as the vision faded.
Fear did a jazz dance up the back of Twitch’s neck. A full show of paralysing terror followed by gut wrenching panic. Taking a deep steadying breath, he exhaled.
“Nice parlour trick. How about somewhere like Hawaii next? I fancy a bit of sun and surf.”
Disbelief broke the smug expression on the demon’s features. Blinking, she stared at him in bemusement. “You just faced hell and you’re cracking jokes?”
Grey ooze spouted up around her from the ground. Acidic and corrosive, it hissed and bubbled up thickly, melting its way through any sparse vegetation in its path. In a growing puddle of destruction, it expanded with evil intent. With it came ash from a billion bodies cremated alive for their sins.
Panicked, Twitch quickly moved three paces back. He knew instinctively that if it made contact it would eat away at his flesh.
Reaching the corner of Stella’s pink kitten heels the ooze slithered up her limbs, soaking her pale skin in a tar-like ash. Slender hands elongating, her fingers curved into wicked looking claws. Abandoning her sword, she flexed her new weapons.
“You think looking like that makes you badass?” Tension thrummed through Twitch’s muscles. This was anything but a fair fight.
Mouth stretching unnaturally wide, she revealed razor sharp teeth packed densely together ready to serrate flesh from bone. “You have no idea what you have unleashed, but you’re about to find out.”
Twitch lowered his weapon. Tipping his chin up he stood tall and proud, his shoulders back. He was done with letting creatures like this frighten him. “Trust me, psycho demonic Barbie, you might look scary, but I’ve faced things before which would turn your hair white.”
In a blur, Stella lashed out. Claws raking through the air, she went for his vulnerable face.
Side stepping her vicious deadly movement, Twitch gave in to the insidious call of the dark magic racing through his soul. The runes littering his body flared. Darker thoughts invaded his head. They tore away at his sanity.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the sand around them rising in a blinding storm.
One arm raised against the stinging assault, Stella stood her ground. Behind her, the demonlings cried out. They scattered in panic. Caught in the sandstorm’s path, they took the brunt of its fury.
“That’s it.” The girl encouraged with a laugh. “Abandon this stupid need to do what’s right and fight dirty. Kill them. They mean nothing to me.”
Twitch remained silent. Words were spent. Only death and destruction would satisfy his hungry wrathful magic now. A sacrifice in blood to appease him. He wanted to see the world burn. Kill until corpses paved the streets as the pain inside him washed through the cities laying waste to everything it found.
Eyes fastened on the nearest child who had strayed too close to him he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck with his free hand.
She was the smallest of the bunch. A runt. Weak and wild. Something that would not last long among the pack of bigger demons.
Stella made no move to intervene. Instead, she watched with narrow eyes as her skin continued to bubble and mold with the hellish ooze.
&n
bsp; Enchantments worming their way through the demonling’s skin where he held her, Twitch felt his rage peak. All he had to do was crush her in his hand. Her throat was slender and fragile. With enough pressure he could take her life. Avenge Nelly. The blade he gripped would also easily cut her down.
“Do it.” Stella’s breathing had elevated in sickening excitement. It was if she had sensed a weakness. “End her. Make her pay. You want it so bad, don’t you?”
Twitch hesitated, caught in indecision. What he knew was right and wrong battled inside him.
Blue cat-like eyes stared up at him in terror. The scrap of a kid did not even try to fight back. She remained limp in his grasp.
“No.” Dropping her to the sand, Twitch backed away. Whatever he was becoming, he would not do this. Monster or not, it was still a child. One, who like the others, had been stripped of those who loved them. He refused to succumb to his darker nature again. No matter how tempting. It made him feel invincible. Not using it could lead to his death, but even so, it was something Twitch was prepared for.
Stella moved in for the kill. Clawed hand seizing his throat, she squeezed his jugular. The ooze sizzled. Searing through his skin he could feel the agonizing torture as it ate away at his flesh.
It was a mistake.
Twitch brought his body in closer, thrusting up his sword. The tip of the blade hit resistance as it cleaved through flesh. Ramming it with forceful strength he drove it through her chest.
Stella jerked back. Releasing her grip, she groped for the hilt.