The Demon Within (A PeaceKeeper Novel)

by Stacey Brutger

  “We could’ve done this the easy way.” A lazy, laid-back voice came out of the darkness, a figure slowly taking shape. “We’re basically the same. We’re both trapped here, willing to do anything to be able to go back. Why don’t you talk sense into your little human?”

  Ruman snorted and widened his stance. “We are nothing alike.” Not anymore thanks to Caly.

  “And this little human can take care of herself.”

  “No.” Even as he spoke, Caly barreled toward the creature’s unguarded back. The Fallen expected her maneuver and shifted his stance. Ruman launched himself forward.

  The collision sent them sailing through the air. They landed feet away, the floorboards vibrating under the impact. They skidded until the wall came up and smacked him. A searing pain struck his ribs at the impact. A quick glance revealed Caly a safe distance from them.

  The distraction cost him.

  Claws slashed down the right side of his chest directly over his bruised ribs, shredding the clothes and sinking into flesh.

  Ruman raised his elbow and slammed it against the man’s neck, relishing the satisfying crunch. A gurgling sound came from the creature’s crushed throat. Ruman fisted both hands together to hit him again and finish this when the Fallen bucked, sending him flying into a wall. Drywall caved beneath him.

  “Ruman!”

  The impact left him disoriented. At the sound of Caly’s voice, he struggled to his feet, battling vertigo with each step. His heart stopped beating when his vision cleared enough to find Caly fighting the Fallen, buying him time to recover. She slashed with her dagger, slicing at the creature’s hide with vicious accuracy.

  The Fallen’s scream of pure rage drowned out everything. The beast clipped her high on the arm, knocking her off her feet. Caly crashed to the floor and didn’t rise.

  The creature stepped toward her, and Ruman roared in fury, willing his damaged body to obey his commands. When the demon turned, Caly kicked out with both feet. The beast cantered backward. Following her example, Ruman lashed out with his boot, smashing his opponent’s knee.

  The leg folded underneath the Fallen in a crunch of bones. A snarl tore from its throat, but he didn’t go down.

  They needed to strike while they had him weakened. “Caly, do what you need to get this matter settled.”

  Dazed by the knock to her head, Caly nodded but fumbled with her knife. She couldn’t seem to make her fingers work. Ruman sprang at the Fallen, only to be viciously backhanded.

  When he staggered, she grabbed the darkness inside and tore away all the bindings that held it in check. There was no debilitating pain, no weakness as the two sides of her soul merged.

  Ignoring the blood dripping from her arm, she scrambled to her feet and lunged. She went down on one knee and swept out her arm, catching him in the lower back. The blade slipped easily through flesh.

  A bellow erupted from the creature’s throat loud enough to rattle the windowpanes. His leg lashed out, aiming straight for her chest.

  She threw herself backwards. The blow glanced off her shoulder, the impact strong enough to slam her on her ass with a bone-jarring rattle. When she blinked, she found herself staring at the ceiling, her lungs screaming for air.

  The battle raged beside her, the sounds muted as if underwater. The need to go to Ruman prodded her into motion, and Caly jack-knifed into sitting position.

  Pain slashed across her middle, and she gasped, cradling her ribs. The oppressive silence penetrated her misery. She forced herself to stand, tears crowding her eyes as the pain nearly crippled her.

  “Caly?” Brie caught her arm when her legs threatened to buckle. “I came to check if the men needed Jarred’s expertise, but it looks like you could.”

  “I’m fine. Just trying to catch my breath.” Caly tilted her head to see the front door resting drunkenly on its lower hinge. Adrenaline burned through any aches as the need to find Ruman twisted through her.

  Something outside caught Brie’s attention, and her face shut down. Caly stumbled toward the door, terror crawling up her spine with razor claws.

  Ruman and the Fallen were exchanging blows. Ruman held his own, giving as good as he got, but it couldn’t last forever. Even now, Ruman’s reactions were a fraction slower. He wasn’t healing as fast. Their plan to destroy the medallion then kill the Fallen didn’t seem so well thought out.

  Then she caught sight of Brie’s reaction. A twist of sudden fear shot through her. “What are you not telling me?”

  “Ruman will die without your help.”

  The words snapped Caly upright, all pain and fear forgotten. “What do you mean?”

  “Ruman has only one life left. If he dies, he won’t be coming back.”

  Caly stared at Brie, silently begging her to say it was a lie. “But he said three lives. That leaves him two left.”

  Brie only shook her head. “The warehouse.”

  “And the temple.” Numbed by the horrible truth, Caly’s arms dangled uselessly at her side.

  “He said he would handle the situation.” Brie bit her lip. “I don’t think he can do it without you.”

  “Bastard.” Caly spat the word. Anger narrowed her eyes as she thought of the ways she would make him pay. The demon within agreed. Energy pumped through her system as she stalked toward the battle. The pain of a few minutes ago faded, fury taking the place of any aches.

  Ruman had lied.

  He hadn’t trusted her. And the creature dared to think he could steal Ruman from her before she could kick his ass.

  He promised her a lifetime, and she wanted that chance. She’d be damned if anyone would take him from her.

  When Ruman went down on his knee, Caly didn’t hesitate. Sprinting, she vaulted off the porch and hurled herself directly at the Fallen. The momentum knocked them forward. Caly rolled as soon as they hit the dirt.

  Not fast enough.

  Mid-roll, the creature captured her injured ankle in his grip and slowly dragged her toward him. Caly dug in her heel, but it didn’t even slow him down.

  Mind working furiously, she grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at him. He sputtered and spit but his hold never loosened. A low growl rumbled from him. His lips pulled back to reveal teeth that were pointed blades.

  She rammed her right heel into his face. Teeth cracked. A howl of rage echoed in the yard, but he retained his hold like a starved animal over dinner. Unobtrusively, she felt around until her fingertips touched the sheath at her side. She pulled Carnwennan free, hiding the blade behind the underside of her forearm.

  Though the Fallen wouldn’t die from the touch of metal, a wound would slow the blasted thing down and give her space to maneuver. She pulled out a stiletto. Feigning with her left, Caly jerked to a sitting position. As expected, the creature blocked her move easily.

  Harsh laughter filled the space between them, and he leaned closer. Fetid breath filled her nose, and she did her best to breathe through her mouth when her stomach revolted. Her throat worked painfully.

  “Did you think it would be so easy, little one?” He laughed again.

  Caly leaned forward, not bothering to hide her repugnance. “No, I didn’t.” Not waiting for a response, she used all her strength to swing upward. Carnwennan sang through the air and sank deep in his throat.

  His mouth opened and closed. Dark blood poured over her hands and down the front of her shirt. The medallion, coated with his blood, burned her flesh. The heat ripped through her body, blistering her skin. The pain was so intense, she lost her grip on the dagger and fell backward, clutching her chest.

  The Fallen sat back, both hands around the hilt of the dagger. Slowly, silently, he drew out the metal.

  A hiss filled the air. The once olive complexion leeched of color, the skin a tinge of green. His cheekbones hollowed, his eyes turned yellow and sunk into his skull. The skin of his face slackened and wrinkles folded into a grotesque caricature of a human. Black blood dribbled down his chin, and the creature lurched to his
feet.

  Even as she watched, the jagged edges of flesh around his throat slowly pulled together. The wound still bled, still gaped, but she estimated it’d be less than an hour before his body showed no sign of a wound.

  “Bitch. You’ll die slowly for that offense.” His voice rasped in the silence, barely audible from his ravaged throat. He shuffled closer, her dagger in his hand.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  The sight of Caly sprawled across the hard packed earth seared into his brain. Ruman surged to his feet. One thought kept him moving and gave him strength…he hadn’t reverted back to a statue.

  That meant Caly was alive.

  What the hell had she been thinking? She’d been safe. He wanted to yell out in anger as fear threatened to consume him.

  As the creature loomed over her, Ruman looped his elbows under the beast’s arms, curling his hands up and locking them behind the Fallen’s neck. The spongy, cold flesh pressed into the crook of his arm, the blood soaked through his clothes, down to skin, infecting him. His muscles quivered as if needles were being injected into his bones then snapped off. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

  “Move, Caly!”

  The creature shook wildly then tried to heave him over his shoulder. Ruman’s bruised ribs creaked in protest, yet he maintained his hold by sheer determination. More blood poured down his arms, the agony burrowing down to bone.

  Every second became endless.

  Every second allowed Caly time to escape.

  They tottered backwards. His shoulder hit the posts of the porch hard enough for the wood to groan in protest.

  His hold slipped.

  Twice more the creature slammed backward, cracking Ruman’s spine against the house. His grip gave. He doubled over, struggling to straighten.

  “Now you die.” The creature faced them and drew his arm back. Clasped tightly in his gnarled fingers rested Carnwennan.

  He couldn’t die.

  He couldn’t leave Caly to the bastard’s mercy.

  “No.”

  Ruman’s head snapped toward Caly in time to see her throw herself between him and the descending blade.

  Terror riddled his soul as the wickedly sharp metal descended. He wrapped one arm around her waist and yanked her back, knowing that there wasn’t a damn thing he could do.

  The blade hit above her chest, barely missing his arm. The air whooshed out of Caly’s body. The strength slowly drained out of her, and she collapsed in his arms. The creature bellowed in denied rage and clutched his chest as if he were the one struck.

  Both collapsed. Neither the creature or Caly moved.

  The battle no longer mattered. Without Caly, there was nothing for him.

  “God, Caly. What did you do?” Cradled in his arms, he laid her body on the ground, careful not to jostle her. His hands shook as he brushed his fingers over her face, seeking a reaction. “Baby, can you hear me?”

  The pommel of her cursed blade stuck out of her chest. He wanted to rip the blasted thing out of her, would have if he didn’t think she would die all the faster. He closed his eyes, and kissed her forehead as the ache in the back of his throat thickened.

  “Ruman?”

  Although her voice was weak, he heard her clear as a bell. Jerking back, he cupped her face in his hands. “I’m here.” He rested his forehead against hers, gently brushing away the hair from her face. He blinked to clear his blurred vision, refusing to give up even a few of the seconds they had remaining. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Ruman—”

  “You were never meant to get hurt.” He tried to breathe past the constriction in his chest. “Why did you do it?” Ruman pulled away slightly. She felt so fragile, he was afraid of hurting her worse. “You should’ve let me die. I don’t want to be without you.”

  “Did it work?” Caly shouted, and some of her anger penetrated his grief.

  “Work?” Confusion danced in his mind.

  “Is he dead?” She gripped the knife and yanked.

  “Don’t!” His fingers clamped onto her wrist, but the blade was free.

  “I’m injured, not dead.” Knife in hand, she lifted up her shirt to reveal a bloody camisole. “The medallion took the brunt of the blow. The blade got stuck in the metal.” They both looked down at the shallow wound gouged over the left side of her ribs. The tip of the blade had passed through the medallion and then filleted a six-inch line from her chest to her ribs.

  Ruman probed the area, ignoring her flinch, needing to see for himself.

  “Hey, careful. It’s still painful, you know.” Above the wound was a burn mark, an exact replica of the medallion.

  Disbelief filtered through him. He looked at Caly, wondering if his grief was making him see things. When she struggled to rise, he accepted her weight easily, then his hold tightened, afraid to let go lest it all turned out to be a cruel joke.

  With Ruman’s support, Caly stood and surveyed the yard. The once dangerous Fallen One was on the ground, laid out exactly like she first saw him. Instead of a man in picture perfect health, the body had shriveled to a dry husk of its former self.

  Caly stood over him in disbelief that everything was over.

  “So he’s dead?”

  “I’m not sure.” Careful of her wounds, Ruman cradled her body against his and tipped her head up.

  “What were you thinking?” A dark throb of anger underlined his voice.

  Caly swallowed hard when his eyes glowed, and a sense of self-preservation kicked in. “I listened to your advice. You said my blood was the key to unlocking the weapons. What if his was, too? We knew my blade could injure him. When his blood touched the medallion, the thing reacted, so I took a chance.”

  “On a hunch?”

  “An educated guess. You said the only way to destroy the medallion was if the angel did it themselves. With his blood already on it, all I had to do was get him to destroy it.” She narrowed her eyes on him as her own anger ignited. “What was I supposed to do? Let him kill you?”

  “Yes,” he shouted. “He could’ve missed and hit you instead.” He gave her a wild look that sent heat spilling through her body.

  Caly carefully reached up and touched his face. “I couldn’t.” She lifted the medallion and held it in the air. Covered in blood, the once glittery piece looked rusted. A sliver of light passed through the center.

  Ruman took the disk from her. “The key must have activated when it became soaked in his blood. The instant your blade hit the medallion, he couldn’t heal. The slice to his throat killed him.”

  “Why is he still here? The others at the temple were destroyed without a trace.”

  Ruman shook his head then stopped, an arrested look on his face that sent a shiver creeping down her spine. “Stay here.”

  Caly clutched the back of his shirt, afraid to let him go lest he be snatched from her.

  “I mean it. Don’t move an inch.” As if he had the same doubts, he glared at her until she nodded. The darkness in his eyes when he saw the streak of blood on her shirt promised her he’d be back if for no other reason than to scold her.

  If he didn’t return, she’d go after him and drag his ass back. It was that simple. The demon within hummed in accord and settled in her bones with a contented purr. The part of her that had always been missing was home. She felt whole.

  She reluctantly dropped her arm from him. He crouched and placed the ruined medallion on the creature’s chest. A spurt of fear sped up her heart. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea?”

  He glanced back at her and smiled, then resumed his position behind her. “With the medallion ruined, he can’t return.”

  Even before he finished speaking, a sharp crack filled the air. Ruman jerked her back, swiveling to shield her. A bright light blazed through the cracks of the now dried husk. The body crumbled into itself.

  In a blinding flash, it was over.

  After her eyes adjusted, all that remained was a pile of dust. The wind picked it up like a
cyclone. Particles scattered, the debris gone in a matter of seconds

  Only to see that the medallion hadn’t moved.

  Unable to resist, Caly slipped out of Ruman’s hold for a closer look. The disk was different. Instead of gold, the coin was silver and less than half the size.

  “Maybe we should leave it.” Caly stared at Ruman, uncertain what to expect if they touched it. “The first one caused more trouble than it was worth.”

  He came to stand next to her, an unusual expression on his face. “It was left for you.”

  Caly jerked back in surprise. “Me?” She took another step back, shaking her head. “I didn’t want the first one. After almost losing you, why would I want this one?” She could scarcely keep the disgust out of her voice.

  “Because this one is a way of saying thanks. A gift.”

  The blood rushed out of her head until she felt lightheaded. Caly dropped her gaze to the innocent looking disk. She probed it with the tip of her boot, afraid it would attack. “What is it?”

  “Pick it up and see.”

  His voice was so soft she had to strain to hear it. She tore her gaze away to glance at him. With his arms crossed, Ruman stood like the sentinel she’d once found in the forest so long ago. All except for his eyes.

  His eyes were molten with emotions shimmering in their depths. With the promise in them shining at her, she reached down and picked up the piece.

  A warm glow surrounded her hand, sweeping up her arm. In minutes, her whole body tingled as if waking from a deep sleep. “What’s happening?”

  Ruman slipped his arms around her, and kissed her temple. “Don’t you know? Can’t you feel it?”

  The piece cooled in her hand, and Ruman carefully lifted the chain and slipped it over her head. The metal came to rest against the burns on her chest and the pain evaporated. The raw flesh of the burn healed, leaving behind raised symbols imprinted on her skin. “What is it?”

  “You are a Keeper.”

  A laugh jerked out of her. “Like a fish?”

  Ruman raised a brow without cracking a smile, and her humor faded. “As I am a Guardian, you are a Keeper of the Peace. The first one since the angels left this world to the humans.”