Demon Guard

by Samantha Britt

  My eyes widen. “Are you part rabbit?”

  “Maybe.”

  I roll my eyes at his stupid grin, hiding just how much it affects me. He looks so much like the young man I met in Chicago. I almost forget the arrogant jerk he’s been the past week.

  Logan pulls the pack off his shoulder and withdraws a blanket. He spreads it on the roof. “Have a seat. We could be here a while.”

  I cross my legs and sit. Logan rummages through the bag, pulling out a compass and a piece of paper. He unfolds it, then picks up the compass and rotates. He points to the right. “The warehouse is that direction.”

  I follow his hand and focus my eyes, trying to see into the distance. I release a tiny gasp when my peripheral vision blurs and I’m suddenly able to see the warehouse. Shattered windows cover the rundown building. It looks empty.

  “Cool, huh?” I shift my gaze and I’m stunned when I’m able to see Logan so easily. I’d expected to sacrifice close sight for the ability to see far away, but the sigil’s magic isn’t so limiting.

  “Very.”

  “Master Donohue likes to focus on the basics in the beginning, but you’ll learn how to draw more complex sigils next semester.”

  “He was your instructor?”

  “Master Donohue has been at St. Michael’s for a decade, and I expect he’ll teach for at least one more.”

  Noticing Logan’s willingness to answer questions, I decide to take a leap and ask, “How old were you when you mastered Holy Fire?”

  Logan stills and peers at me from the corner of his eye. “What?”

  “Holy Fire. Instructor Jones told us it takes years to master well enough to impart it on a weapon, but you did it years ago.”

  “And how would you know that?”

  My gaze narrows. “Because we’ve met before.” Whether or not you remember.

  Logan stares at me for another moment, then looks off towards the warehouse.

  I think he’s not going to answer, but I’m surprised when I hear him mutter, “Eighteen and a half.”

  I blink. “What?”

  “I was eighteen and a half when I mastered Holy Fire enough to infuse my sword with it.”

  My jaw drops. “But that’s so young!”

  “So they say.” His shoulders lift in a dismissive shrug. I sense he wants me to drop the subject, but I can’t help myself.

  “Can you teach me?”

  Logan lifts an eyebrow and gives me a side glance. “Teach you?”

  “How to use Holy Fire. Once I’m eighteen, I mean.” I’ve definitely hit the jackpot with my mentor. Not only is he the Head Minister’s son, but he’s also some kind of sigil prodigy. I don’t lie to myself and hope I’ll be as gifted as he is at drawing the magical symbols, but I bet there’s a lot of advice he can give me to help me advance more quickly than I would otherwise. As long as we get along, that is.

  “Well, I am your mentor…” He trails off, giving me another shrug.

  My mouth widens in a broad, hopeful smile. “Is that a yes?”

  “Sure.” He shifts with slight discomfort. I can’t tell if it’s because of the hard roof beneath us, or my enthusiasm. “It’s my job.”

  I practically squeal with excitement. “Thank you! I can’t wait.” There are two months until my birthday. I’ve already been counting down the days, but this latest promise makes me yearn for the day I can finally access my magic even more.

  Logan chuckles quietly but says nothing else. He’s back to surveying the distant warehouse, but he’s less tense than before. I realize I could be friends with this Logan. I won’t ever make the mistake of assuming he’ll be the same kind and reassuring guy from Chicago, but that doesn’t mean he’s a total jerk all of the time.

  I begin to imagine all of the magnificent accomplishments I’ll be able to pull off if I am quick to master sigil magic. It’ll be so easy to distinguish myself from my classmates if I do. I’ll be the top pick for Guardian positions once we graduate. I’ll be well known and respected and privy to secret information. I’ll be able to learn the truth about my mom.

  I pull my legs to my chest and rest my head on my knees, preoccupied with my hopeful thoughts.

  Suddenly, the atmosphere thickens with anticipation. Logan’s body grows rigid, and he sucks in a breath between his teeth.

  Alarms go off in my head. “Logan? What is—"

  “Shh.” He cuts me off, slashing a hand to silence me. His eyes are locked on the distant warehouse. I turn my attention that direction.

  Mundane demons, five of them, are dragging their feet along the pavement as they carry heavy sacks from a white commercial van into the warehouse.

  My hand flies to cover my surprised cry when I identify that’s in the sacks.

  Logan’s hand jolts out and grabs onto my leg. His fingers dig into my muscle, and I feel them tremble. He’s figured out what the demons carry, too, and he silently demands I not react. This scouting mission just became so much more, and that means the potential for danger has gone up.

  I keep watching, unable and unwilling to tear my gaze from the horrible reality. A limp hand hangs out of one of the sacks, confirming my worst fear. I examine the exposed flesh, and my heart seizes in agony when I see the fading outline of a sigil.

  Guardians.

  Twenty-Three

  My heart races, and my stomach twists in fear.

  I count seven sacks.

  There are at least seven bodies in that warehouse, most likely all of them Guardians.

  “What do we do?” I whisper after the last mundane demon leaves the parking lot, disappearing inside the warehouse’s battered metal door.

  Logan doesn’t respond. He’s still gripping onto my leg like it’s the only thing keeping him from jumping off this roof and rushing into the warehouse.

  “Logan?” I place my hand on his, prying his death grip off me. “Answer me.”

  “There’s no time,” he exhales on a ragged breath.

  “What do you mean?” He finally releases my leg, and I hold onto his hand and lean forward, urging him to meet my eye. “What are you talking about?”

  “There’s no time to call for backup.”

  I don’t understand. It didn’t take that long for us to drive here. Surely, Logan can call for help and they can be here soon.

  He sits up and determination hardens his gaze as he looks away. “I have to go in there.”

  “Are you crazy?” I gasp. “Logan… we have no idea how many demons are inside. You can’t go in there alone. You’re outnumbered.”

  “I’ve been investigating Guardian abductions for months,” Logan tells me, sounding like he’s a million miles away, lost in gruesome memories and horrific thoughts. “If the Guardians in there are alive, they won’t be for long. I can’t sit out here and do nothing.” He returns his anguished eyes to mine.

  I suck in a breath. I’d heard Andrew Legrand mention three missing Guardians, but there have clearly been more.

  “Logan,” I murmur, feeling his pain deep in my chest. “It’s too dangerous.”

  He shakes his head. Determination returns, and he pulls his hand from mine as he stands. “You don’t know what I’m capable of, Aspen. I can handle mundane demons.”

  I scramble to my feet. “You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgement,” I accuse, desperate to convince him to abandon whatever crazy plan has formed in his mind. “Please. Call for help. Don’t go in there and risk your life. None of the abducted Guardians would want one of their own to be so reckless on their behalf.”

  Guardians are selfless and value their sacred mission above everything else, including their own lives. Logan is a gifted Guardian. He has a long career of fighting demons ahead of him. He can’t throw that away on such a hopeless mission. It’ll be a mistake, and a loss the Shadowguard will feel keenly.

  For a split second, I believe I’ve gotten through to Logan. His eyes soften ever so slightly, and his lips part as if he’s about to say something. But before he
can, movement from the warehouse catches his attention. We both turn.

  Through a broken window, we watch a mundane demon toss a half-limp body across the room. I can’t hear the fight, but that doesn’t stop me from imagining the fearful and angry shouts of the Guardian as he battles for his life.

  That’s all it takes to send Logan flying off the shed. I rush to the edge, falling to my knees to keep from sliding off the roof. Logan lands in a graceful crouch. His stylus is already pressed against his skin, drawing several sigils in quick succession. With my enhanced sight, I recognize the other three basic sigils. The beacon sigil fills me with dread.

  “Don’t do this, Logan,” I croak. “It’s suicide.”

  “Use your cell phone to call the academy,” Logan calls over his shoulder, ignoring my weak plea. He spares me a brief glance. “Tell them what’s happening, but be sure to stay here. You’ll be safe.”

  Before I can respond, he’s off and running, tapping into the speed sigil.

  I lose sight of him for a moment, but then he’s back in my line of sight. A scabbard is strapped on his back. He must’ve gone to the Escalade to retrieve the weapon.

  Logan’s form is a blur, but I keep track of his progress. He makes it to the warehouse in less than one minute. The magic in his sigil cuts down his running time significantly.

  My hands fumble for the phone in my jacket pocket. I call the one person I’ve trusted the longest.

  “Aspen?” Lex answers, sounding surprised.

  “Lex,” I clear my throat, trying to hide the fear from my words. “Somethings happened. I need you to find Headmistress Meyer.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Logan and I went on a scouting mission,” I explain quickly, knowing every moment of delay could spell doom for my mentor. “But the mundane demons we saw have abducted Guardians with them. Logan went to check it out, but he needs backup. There’s a lot of them.”

  “Shit!” I hear the telltale sound of Lex breaking into a run. His voice is surprisingly even though his breathing accelerates. “Where are you, Aspen?”

  “On Long Island. I don’t know the address, but I can pin my location and text it to you.”

  “Do it,” he barks back. Then I hear him shout, “Andrew!” I don’t know if Lex ran into his mentor on accident, or if he purposely sought him out instead of going to the headmistress.

  Before I can ask, Lex continues speaking to his mentor, “Logan’s gone rogue. He’s engaging mundane demons and needs backup. Aspen’s with him.”

  “WHAT?” I hear Andrew shout in the background.

  “Lex, I’m hanging up to send you the location.” We’re wasting time. Help needs to be on the way now.

  “Wait. No, Aspen, wait—” I hang up before he finishes his objection. My fingers fly across my phone’s screen with purpose. In ten seconds, I’ve pinned my location and sent it to Lex.

  My body shakes with adrenaline and fear as I tuck the phone back into my pocket. I sit back, curling my legs to my chest as I force myself to watch what happens next.

  Logan is creeping along the perimeter of the building, assessing the situation within. Enhanced sight shows him as clearly as if he were five feet in front of me instead of half a mile away. His hands curl into fists and I see his jaw clench. Whatever he sees inside the warehouse, it makes him angry.

  I pray he waits to engage the demons. Guardians will be there soon enough. There’s no need for him to risk his life on a fool’s mission. It hits me that even if Logan leaves this confrontation unharmed, he’s bound to be reprimanded by the Shadowguard Council. I may not know much about the inner workings of the ruling body, but I’m certain they don’t take kindly to Guardians “going rogue” as Lex had called it. Logan had been assigned a scouting mission. He’s supposed to observe from afar and report back what he sees. He’s definitely not supposed to engage the demons on his own. What will happen when this is over? Will he be suspended from future missions? Or does being the Head Minister’s son afford him more leeway with breaking mission protocol?

  I’m so caught up thinking about potential outcomes, I don’t hear the light tread of footsteps on the pavement below. The roof beneath me vibrates as the sneaky newcomer leaps with a grace to rival Logan’s, landing gently behind me.

  I’m on my feet in an instant, arms up, ready to deflect an oncoming strike. I don’t have a weapon, but I have enhanced strength thanks to Logan’s sigil. I’ll use it to ward off an attack, hopefully buying me time for reinforcements to arrive.

  My plan is rendered useless by a pair of entrancing, subduing, violet eyes.

  The higher demon gazes at me with a smile I would call pleasant if it weren’t pasted on a demon’s face. “Well, hello there, little mountain.”

  Twenty-Four

  My cheek muscles ache with how hard I try to open my mouth to scream. Not only has my ability to move been taken away, but so has my voice. This isn’t like what happened at the bar. And I feel the debilitating effects of panic threatening to take over me.

  The cruelly handsome demon continues to assess me. His eyes travel up and down, noting my dark outfit and frozen fight stance. If I weren’t immobilized by his trance, I’d have taken a swing by now.

  “I have to say; this is quite the surprise. I expected a Guardian scout to arrive, but I had no idea it’d be you.”

  He expected a scout?

  Is Logan’s contact compromised?

  I can think of no other reason the demon’s aware of the scouting mission.

  Just like the last time I’d been ensnared by his trance, I have control over my eyes, and I narrow them with disdain, continuing to fight off my panic.

  “Come now, little mountain. Don’t look at me like that. I fear we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.” He waves his hand in the space between us, and I feel the restricting pressure on my vocal cords disappear. “Let’s start over, shall we?”

  “Release me,” I hiss when I try and fail to lower my arms.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that quite yet. You look ready to fight, and I’d hate to have to restrain you. You could get hurt.”

  His concern for my wellbeing makes my stomach knot with discomfort. There’s a game afoot, but I can’t figure it out. The demon looks totally relaxed, with hands tucked into his pockets. I take in the expensive slacks and gray suit jacket. He looks like he should be at a business meeting, not standing on a rickety tin roof in a junkyard, wasting time with a seventeen-year-old academy student.

  “What will it take for you to release me?” I decide to ask for an explanation directly, seeing no other way to get off this merry-go-round of uncertainty and fear.

  The corner of his lips lift, revealing bright white teeth. “Something I’m afraid to say you are not ready to do.”

  I take the bait. “And what is that?”

  “To trust me.”

  I can’t help it—I laugh. It’s a strangled and rough sound. “Trust you? A higher demon who’s entranced me not once, but twice?”

  The smile remains on his face as he points out, “A higher demon who’s saved your life not once, but twice.”

  I frown. “What are you talking about?” He warned me to leave the bar prior to the attack, but that’s it. I’d hardly call that saving my life. Logan’s the one who gets credit for that.

  He holds up a finger. “Example number one, I stopped those idiotic mundanes from taking you when they attacked the vehicle you rode in.”

  My throat goes dry. I’d forgotten about that. I blame the fact I’d been dazed or unconscious for most of that attack.

  “And number two, I neutralized the demons sent to retrieve you just moments ago.” He nods to the left.

  I hazard a glance and my blood runs cold. Four mundane demons have been torn from limb to limb. Blackened burn marks sit in the center of their chests, and black blood pools beneath them, tainting the pavement.

  Oh my god.

  My eyes snap back to the higher demon. A quick glance confirms there isn’t
a single spot of blood on his attire. How could someone enact such violence and not wear any evidence of their crime?

  Fear is renewed. I’ve let myself forget what this monster is capable of. And why? Because he’s allegedly protected me from harm? Even if that’s true, he’s still a demon. He has an ulterior motive, and I doubt whatever he has planned will be good for me.

  “Why would you do that?” I breathe, unable to hide my terror.

  Now, the smile does fade from his lips. “I don’t wish for you to fear me, little mountain.”

  That doesn’t answer my question.

  “Why would you do that?” I nearly shout, pointing toward the destroyed bodies below. This is all too much. I’m alone on a roof with a higher demon. I’m terrified, but also confused. I don’t understand what’s going on, and I’m tired of being in the dark. “Why are you showing up in my life? What do you want?”

  His head tilts with thought, like he’s seriously contemplating how best to respond. “I can’t really explain it. Maybe you beguiled me with that lovely kiss the other night.”

  My cheeks burn. He’s trying to distract me. I won’t let him. “Stop it. Just answer me.”

  “And why should I?” He takes a step forward, and there’s no doubt he’s trying to intimidate me.

  I have a choice to make. I can gamble with my life by pressing the issue. He, himself, has claimed to want to keep me safe. I don’t think he plans to hurt me. At least not anytime soon. I can push until I get answers, or I can succumb to his terrifying presence and back down.

  Internally, I scoff. Backing down isn’t an option for me. Not with a higher demon. If I do, I’ll spend the rest of my existence bowing down to the monster. However long that may be.

  Resigned to be brave, I straighten my spine, surprised at my sudden ability to move again.