"What's your problem?"
Leese stopped long enough to glare at him before pacing again. "We lied to Kevin. I can't believe this. Oh God, Cindy…." She looked at the best friend she'd literally known her entire life. "How did I let this asshole talk me into this?"
Cindy said nothing. She simply hugged Leese around the shoulders, trying to comfort her.
"We didn't lie to him," Jack said.
Leese's eyes grew wide. "Yes, we did! I was never hurt. I made Kevin think I was hurt, and I was never hurt. That's what a lie is, Jack."
He smiled. The plan was simple, and obviously very effective. Leese and Cindy were never in any danger. He'd killed their attempted murderers rather easily. But making Kevin think his girlfriend was hurt definitely changed his perspective on things. It all hinged on Leese's acting skills, and she did a marvelous job.
"Eh, technically, we lied to him," Jack relented. "But I'd like to think of it more as gentle motivation. We showed him the idea of a world without you in it. He didn't like that very much."
"I have to tell him the truth. I feel miserable."
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. He'll forgive you. It's not like you filmed yourself sucking off his best friend and mailed it to him."
Both women stared at him.
"What is wrong with you?" Cindy asked.
"It's a long list," he said. "Do either one of you know where Victoria keeps a mop?"
Leese nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Well, go get it and clean up your boyfriend's puke."
*****
Alex was losing, very badly. He swung another right hand at Anatol, but the vampire hybrid easily ducked and connected with a fist of his own into Alex's stomach. He doubled over, the wind rushing out of his lungs, and Anatol tossed him across the room. Alex sailed over a group of demons chasing Victoria and landed on a table, breaking it in half. With every bit of pain, every lapse in concentration, one or two more demons slipped into the living realm.
Even with all his demonic powers there was little he could do against a vampire. He simply didn't have the strength and speed to put up a fight. The demons that he could control any other time were under the effects of magic, and would barely glance at him as they surrounded Victoria.
He pushed himself to his feet with his wings as Anatol stalked him from across the room. Anatol shoved the tables separating them aside like they were nothing. Alex tried to vanish as Anatol threw another punch, but it simply didn't work. Whatever Anatol was doing to the prison, it was changing the nature of the realms. There was no vanishing into the spirit realm, and Alex felt his nose break as Anatol connected yet again.
Victoria wasn't doing any better. She could handle a few demons, but there were far more than a few. She lashed, clawed, kicked, bit, but they kept coming. She had to be mindful of the fire still spread about, which the demons cared nothing about.
She screamed as several demons grabbed her and shoved her face into the fire. Alex tried to move to help her, but Anatol lifted him by the throat. He couldn't vanish, couldn't break his grip. He tried to lift off with his wings, but Anatol grabbed his right wing and held it steady, keeping him in place.
"You're making a terrible decision," Anatol taunted. "The humans have had their time. Now, it's our turn. You both should be a part of this."
Alex wondered why he was still alive. Anatol could kill him without much trouble, but he still wanted their support.
He wouldn't give it to him.
Anatol threw him across the room again. He slammed against the wall not far from Victoria. She managed to break free from the demons' grip, but half of her face was burnt. She joined Alex and pulled him to his feet.
"What do we do?" he asked.
Victoria had no answer. A group of ten demons marched in a line toward them, with more behind. Anatol approached from the side.
"Can you do anything about that sphere?"
"I don't know anything about that thing. The demons won't listen to me."
She took a breath. "We have to kill Anatol. No witch, no magic."
She made a desperate dash, running in front of Alex toward Anatol, but the demons moved in position to intercept. Three of them tackled her to the ground, narrowly missing a burning table. One bit into her shoulder and tore out a chunk of flesh. She howled and kicked with her legs. Another demon bit into her calf. In a matter of seconds she couldn't see the cafeteria at all. She only saw demons, circling her, drooling on her. One carried burning wood from a bench and poked her with it.
Victoria snarled. She was hurt, bleeding, her skin burnt, but after four hundred years, if it was her destiny to die, it wouldn't be on her back.
Jumping to her feet, she swiped at anything that moved. She couldn't see Alex, but could hear Anatol continuing to beat him. Her friend was resilient, but she knew he wouldn't survive much longer. She needed some space. She needed a chance at Anatol without so many demons in the way.
Alex shouted in pain, and three more demons rose from the shadows. One stepped through the fire, setting itself ablaze, and wrapped its four arms around Victoria from behind. The fire burned her back and neck, destroying what was left of her shirt. She didn't even get a second to catch her breath before they were on her again, slamming her to the ground. She looked up into their horrible faces, the flames dancing behind them. One of them grabbed her ankles and dragged her to the fire nearby, ready to pitch her in. She wasn't sure how much fight was left in her. She caught a glimpse of Alex sailing above her, flying through the air, with Anatol leaping behind him.
For the first time, she wondered if they'd survive.
A noise erupted around them. She thought she imagined it, but the demons looked up and searched, momentarily forgetting about her. She heard it again, and was just as confused as the demons.
Thunder.
Something wet struck her skin. She thought it was blood at first, but noticed the rain falling. More thunder rolled, and she saw the small clouds completely covering the ceiling.
A storm was brewing, right in the prison cafeteria.
She peered in between the demons to see Kevin standing where the door used to be, a portal behind him. He looked up at the clouds, admiring his magic, as the rain put out the fire around them.
"Sorry it took me so long," he said. "But I'm here now."
Anatol forgot about Alex as he approached the cauldron and sphere in the middle of the room. The demons made no move as they awaited new orders. Victoria slowly crawled away, not making a sound.
"I thought you smelled odd," Anatol said. "But, to be honest, I've smelled so few witches in my time. That, mixed with your fear, and I wasn't sure what I was smelling."
Kevin adjusted his coat. "Oh yeah, I'm terrified. But I think I'm more scared of me than you, if that makes any sense. The demons are pretty scary, too. But you, not really."
Anatol laughed as he pulled out a vial. He crushed it, and a ball of fire formed in his palm, immune to the still-falling rain. Kevin didn't look concerned at all as Anatol reared back and threw it at him. Kevin held up his hand, and the fire spread out across the shield created by his rock.
Anatol scowled. Victoria's jaw dropped as the demons not far from her walked away. Anatol was silently controlling them, and they were no longer interested in her.
"Kevin! Get out of there!"
Kevin backed away as demons surrounded him. He tried to run through the portal behind him, but it closed on its own just as he reached it. He was in the middle of drawing another one when the demons closed in. Victoria shoved the agony of her wounds as far away as she could and rushed forward to help. She'd only made it halfway across the cafeteria when four demons blocked her path. One was about to strike when Alex jumped in front of her.
"Stop right there!"
The demons paused, and confusion crossed their faces, an odd look for them. The four of them hesitated before they each bowed in respect to their master.
Alex held Victoria by the waist as she leaned her weight on
him.
"Anatol's losing focus," he said. "He can't control them all."
"We have to help Kevin."
They looked in Kevin's direction, but they were too late. The demons were huddled together, ripping and tearing at something. Victoria's heart sank, but something wasn't right. She saw no gore, no blood. Even Anatol wasn't convinced as he pushed his way through his small army.
He separated the demons to reveal nothing. Kevin was gone.
"That little projection trick is neat, ain't it?" Kevin said. His voice boomed all around them, but he was nowhere to be seen. "I thought it'd be weird using it, but it's not that bad. I see why you like it so much."
Anatol looked in every corner, completely ignoring Victoria and Alex. A few more demons lowered their heads as he lost more control.
"You arrogant little witch," Anatol said. "I've forgotten more magic than you'll ever learn in your short life."
"You might be right. But I'm a full-blood, so that makes me better."
Anatol hesitated as his eyes turned red. For the first time, Victoria recognized the nervousness in his face.
"Find him," he told the demons, and faced Victoria and Alex. "Kill them, and find the witch."
Only half the demons responded. Alex backed up a step, keeping Victoria behind him. He didn't say a word, simply willing the nearby demons to action. Demon fought against demon as Anatol howled in rage, his fangs growing.
The demons under Alex's control made no move to harm Anatol, however. He was immune, just like Alex.
Anatol moved forward with purpose, shoving aside demons as he went. His gaze was locked on Alex as his hands turned to claws.
Alex flinched, knowing he couldn't take another round with Anatol, especially knowing he wouldn't be holding back.
Victoria stepped in front of him, her own claws and fangs growing.
The vampires didn't trade words or insults. Anatol didn't try to sway her to his side, and Victoria didn't make any speeches. They didn't say anything at all. Anatol growled slightly, and Victoria only smiled. She wasn't at full strength, but she wouldn't let him harm Alex or Kevin. She would kill him, even if the cost was her own life.
Alex watched as the vampires fought. He'd evened the playing field for Victoria, but still felt useless. If he tried to fight with her, he'd no doubt get in her way. All he could do was keep an eye on the battling demons. With every strike Victoria made, another demon was his once again. He could barely keep up as they swiped and snarled at each other, even using the environment to their advantage. Anatol picked up a table with one hand like it was nothing, and threw it at Victoria. She was quick, though, and slid under another table to avoid his attack.
A hand grabbed Alex's shoulder. He turned to see nothing, and thought he might have been losing his mind, until Kevin slowly appeared into view. The sight was very similar to how Cindy described Alex appearing from the spirit realm.
"Kevin? Is that really you?"
"Yeah, it's me."
Alex ducked slightly and moved closer to the wall to avoid two demons fighting. He pulled Kevin with him.
"We have to move this fight," Alex said. "Anatol and I, we're both fighting for control—"
"Yeah," Kevin interrupted. "I can see what's going on."
"But we can't get too far from the cauldron, or more demons will pour through. Victoria needs more space. Can you teleport this whole room outside somehow? Maybe into the prison yard?"
The look on Kevin's face gave Alex a reassuring no.
"Okay, then we have to—"
Alex stopped himself as he saw a demon charging behind Kevin. It had broken away from the mob, and was heading straight for the witch, blood drooling from its mouth. He shoved Kevin to the floor, and the demon inadvertently tackled Alex, taking him to the floor.
The demon howled. Regardless of the fight for control, no demon could touch Alex without feeling pain. He fought to breathe for a moment, the terrible stench taking his breath away. He grabbed the demon on both sides of its head. It let out an ear-piercing scream and ran away on all fours.
He pushed himself to his feet with his wings and held a hand out to Kevin. The witch didn't look afraid, merely annoyed, as a demon slammed another on a table not far away. Alex pulled Kevin to his feet.
"Are you alright?"
Kevin straightened his coat and cracked his knuckles. His response caught Alex by surprise.
"I'm sick of this."
Alex grabbed Kevin's shoulder. He tried to remember they were out of Kevin's comfort zone. It was hard enough making their way through the prison. To see actual demons once again may have been too much for him.
"Try not to be afraid," Alex said. "Demons feed off fear."
Kevin looked at the chaos around them, demons fighting, Victoria and Anatol ripping into each other. The terror he felt as they encountered ghosts and darkness was gone. Jack was right. He was a witch, and it was time he acted like one.
"I'm not afraid. I'm irritated."
Kevin pulled away from Alex's grip and walked toward the center of the cafeteria. Alex went to stop him, but something in Kevin's eyes kept him in place.
Kevin pulled out two vials, and smiled at the significance of the potions. One was a potion of his very own mother's, a little on the old side, with some nasty ingredients. The other was one of his own making, a simple potion to control the elements. Mixing them together would be very interesting.
He poured one into the other, and downed it in one gulp. The wind began to swirl five feet around him, slowly at first, but then the sound started to drown out the rain around them. The wind moved with him as he walked forward, still picking up more speed, and the demons took notice. One broke free from a skirmish and ran toward him, leaping through the air. He barely moved as the demon hit the wind around him, and like hitting a jet engine, was flung across the room.
It was like Kevin was the eye of a hurricane.
More demons tried to get close, all with the same results. He didn't slow his stride as demons stopped within five feet of him and were thrown away. Demons smacked the walls and ceiling, not knowing what to do. Alex had to hide behind a support beam as Kevin walked in between two tables, and one sailed in his direction.
Kevin wasn't surprised as he approached the cauldron and sphere, and neither one moved. They were protected by Anatol's magic. The light from the magical doorway was bright, and he had to squint to see Victoria and Anatol fighting on the opposite side of the room.
Victoria was in bad shape, and losing the fight. Her earlier attacks from Anatol's demons had weakened her. Anatol was slowly picking her apart. He was distracted for a moment by Kevin, and he looked up to his doorway, his way of resetting the Earth. Victoria tried to make a move, but Anatol swiped a claw across her face and circled around her, wrapping his arms around her throat. She grabbed at him, but couldn't break his grip. Her blood-covered cheeks flared as he squeezed.
"Hey!" Kevin shouted. Anatol looked up as another demon tried its luck and failed. Kevin glanced at the cauldron, watching the purple liquid move and bubble. "What do you think will happen if I ruin your cauldron here?"
Victoria struggled, and Anatol tightened his grip as he snarled at Kevin. "That's my magic, from my own blood, and that of your demon friend. There's nothing you can do to stop it."
Kevin laughed. "You gotta love half-bloods. Your little magic, it's nothing. You're nothing." He freed another potion from his coat and pulled out a simple packet of cinnamon. "Let's see, this should do just nicely."
He poured the cinnamon in the vial and capped it with his thumb. It turned a beautiful shade of orange.
Anatol's grip loosened, ever so slightly, as doubt crept across his face.
"And here we go."
Anatol shoved Victoria to the ground. "No!"
He charged forward, and Kevin fought against his nerves. No doubt a vampire had the strength to break through his wall of wind.
But Alex had finally made it into position.
He flew across the room, catching Anatol around the waist. His powerful wings easily adjusted to the extra weight, and they slammed into the wall. Anatol took the force of the crash, but he was on his feet first. Alex was on his back, and opened his eyes to see Anatol standing above him, his claw over his head.
Alex jumped as the wooden shard protruded from the front of Anatol's chest. He looked down at the wound, and Alex read his eyes as he fell unconscious to the ground in front of him.
Anatol knew he'd lost.
Victoria stood where Anatol had been. She took deep, heavy breaths as she kept her gaze locked on Anatol. She was covered in Anatol's and her own blood, half her body charred and black. She met Alex's eyes, and finally dropped to one knee.
Alex reached out to hold her steady with his wings as he climbed to his feet. The demons glanced around, almost confused, as they were all finally free from Anatol's influence.
"Master," they called out.
Alex held up a hand for silence as he grabbed Victoria under the arm. She returned the gesture, holding onto his wrist for balance. Kevin joined them, his wind shield finally gone, and dropped to one knee to check on her.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice strange from her fangs.
"You don't look fine," Kevin said.
She managed a smile. "I'll live."
She finally climbed to her feet, and the three of them turned to see the sphere was gone. The cafeteria was once again bathed in darkness. Kevin's storm magic was still working, and rain continued to fall. Lightning even jumped from cloud to cloud, lighting up the room. Kevin pulled out a mothball and tossed it in the air to throw more light around them.
"Go," Alex told the lurking demons. "Time to go home."
They groaned in protest, but slowly disappeared. To Victoria and Kevin, they were alone. Only Alex saw the horde of ghosts scattered about. Old security guards and prisoners stared at each other, confused, as Warden Myers walked around and checked on them. Alex locked eyes with the old warden, and the ghosts vanished.
"Is it really over?" Kevin asked.
Victoria nodded and stared at the cauldron. It no longer bubbled with life and dark magic. She approached it slowly, leaving Anatol comatose on the floor, as Kevin and Alex followed her.
Demon's Doorway Page 30