by Nikki Frank
When all the arrangements were made, I followed Detective Parks out to his unmarked car. The whole time I sorted through furiously swirling thoughts, looking for answers. But I only raised more questions. Who wanted me arrested? Whoever sold me out, they were magic folk. A human couldn’t have seen me. And they had to know me by sight. But being turned in by magic folk seemed so unlikely. We tended to watch each other’s backs unless one of us abused our power or risked exposure. I had done neither.
Suddenly the image of a sheet of black hair hiding a disdainful face popped into my mind. What did I know about Buraee? Was she magic folk? Conceivable. She certainly didn’t like me. But what would she possibly gain from my arrest? Or what had I done to her to deserve being sold out?
Nothing fit together. We pulled into my driveway and Detective Parks followed me around as I gathered my things. Just in case I needed to feed before Mom and Dad got back I grabbed the name generator: a small coiled shell which had been enchanted to spit out the names of our victims. The children we hunted came out in green. Assassination targets came out in red.
Thankfully the ride between my house and Emmett’s is short. Every minute in the detective’s car stifled me, making me want to scream in frustration. Before I cracked he pulled into the drive at Emmett’s two-story farmhouse with the wrap-around porch. My other home.
Detective Parks escorted me in and placed me in the care of Emmett’s mom. With no wasted conversation, he turned and left me standing miserably in front of Ivy Keeler. She gave me a hug and a kiss on the top of my head as Detective Parks backed out of the driveway and pulled away.
“Don’t worry,” she soothed. “They just want to know where you’re at. You’re not accused of a crime and when the little girl is found you’ll be cleared.” Ivy gulped. “I know you didn’t do anything.”
For the first time in a long while I felt guilt over my role as an imp. “I . . . can I be alone for a while?”
“Sure, Dear. I got Vanessa’s room ready for you.”
I took my bag and headed up the familiar stairs, stopping at the door next to Emmett’s. Normally the room belonged to Vanessa, his older sister, but she was away at college. I flopped down on Vanessa’s very purple bed and got a whiff which reminded me of Emmett, kind of, his laundry detergent at least. He’d smelled the same for as long as I’d known him. This last year he’d muddled the scent with his new body spray. I’d given him crap about that.
I stayed sprawled on the bed even when Ivy dropped off a sandwich and chips for lunch. I couldn’t eat them. I couldn’t even find the will to get off the bed. I rolled through self-pity, burning anger, and apathy by turns. Time blurred with no real sense of passing until the door opened and Emmett came in. School had already ended.
“Livy?” He sat beside me on the bed. “I brought your homework.”
I stared at the ceiling waiting for him to give up and go away.
“Cory never came to school today.”
I still ignored him.
“I went by his house and tried to cheer him up.”
I scowled at his lie. Emmett hated Cory.
Emmett leaned back on his hands, giving me a melodramatic look. “Yeah, he was in bad shape, distraught and all. Cried on my shoulder like a baby. One thing led to another and then we started making out. So sorry. You can’t date him. He doesn’t like your type.”
I hit Emmett with a pillow. “Knock it off. Even if you thought Cory was a respectable human being, you wouldn’t make out with him. I’ve seen your browsing history and I doubt Cory has boobs to satisfy your tastes. Perv.”
“Oh, so you are alive.” He leaned over, grinning at me. “Hi there. I missed you.”
I smiled back. “I see you still believe in me.”
“Of course.” He flopped down next to me. “Why would they even think you’d be involved?”
I sighed. “Supposedly someone saw me there last night and the police think I’m either a witness or a suspect. They haven’t decided which. But they can’t say foul play until they find evidence of such. So, I’m simply in custody until I have legal guardians again.”
“That’s ridiculous. You don’t have a car and your parents took theirs. Buses don’t run in the middle of the night. How would you even get there?”
I shrugged. Better not to tell Emmett too many blatant lies. I stuck to a few core lies to make my story easier and more consistent. He stayed for a bit, but I wasn’t very talkative, and he left to go do his homework. I kept my eyes on the door until it clicked shut, kind of wishing he hadn’t gone. Loneliness had already set in. Emmett’s presence soothed me somehow. He’d never brought out those feelings before and I pondered the oddness for a bit.
Chapter 2
I woke late the next day. If I had to be under house arrest at least I got to sleep in. Ivy and I were the only ones left in the house. I wandered around in an increasing state of agitation. Something wasn’t right. Malevolence hung over Redding like smog. The aura overwhelmed me. I knew the only beings who gave off this kind of power were extremely evil. But such creatures shouldn’t be allowed on Earth, so where or who was the miasma coming from?
I paced the living room in thought. Was being put under house arrest just in time for a malevolent being to arrive really a coincidence? Too fishy for my taste. Was I being held for my own safety? Maybe someone thought they were helping since my parents were out of town. But the somebody could have simply told me to lay low. Besides, as an assassin I could handle myself against nearly anything out there. Maybe not a full-grown dragon or a demon lord, but this aura wasn’t strong enough to come from one of those.
I stopped in front of the window. Unless . . . I hadn’t been locked away for safety’s sake. Maybe the whole arrest was to get me out of the way. But if some other magic being had a task involving one of the students, I wasn’t likely to interfere. Why would a hawk care what a fox ate unless . . . shit.
Emmett.
I raced back to Vanessa’s room and jerked my fleece and Hermes shoes out of my bag. Only one person at school meant enough for me to bother interfering. I don’t care what job another creature had been given, no one was taking Emmett from me. They’d have to pick a different target. Without saying anything to Ivy, I tiptoed to the door, opened it, and took off faster than she’d be able to see.
I went to my house first. I would be a fool to go up against an unknown, evil-being unarmed. After strapping a dagger to each thigh, I slipped a vial of poison in my ponytail. I couldn’t imagine needing more weapons to get Emmett to safety.
Getting in and out of my house took less than five minutes and in the same amount of time I stood in the shadow of a tree in front of the school. The grounds appeared quiet, but the evil presence was definitely centered here. I gave a low hiss and my teeth lengthened. They aren’t fangs. I’m not a vampire. But they are hunting teeth like any other predatory mammal. I sniffed at the air. Emmett and the creature were on the far side of the school and they were together.
I hoped I’d gotten there in time to save him. Depending on what type of creature was hunting him, they could disappear in an instant. I sprinted to the source of the stench and skidded to a stop. I’d arrived in the middle of first lunch. Students sat all around the courtyard enjoying the open campus and the sunshine. On a bench sat Emmett and Buraee. I stalked, largely unseen, across the courtyard. An observant student might have noticed a moving shadow, but I knew if Buraee could see me it would confirm she was magic folk.
“Get away from him,” I hissed at her.
She wore surprise first and then a wicked smile spread across her face. “I knew the cops couldn’t keep you penned in. But calling them on you was worth a shot. I guess we do this the hard way. I do get why you’ve been keeping him to yourself. Imagine figuring this out as early as you did.”
Buraee stood and pulled a pin ou
t of her hair. A moment later she had the glossy length twisted up and out of her way. “Do you have any idea what you’re up against?”
I scowled at her. I didn’t, but I wasn’t going to admit I lacked knowledge.
“I’m a diablita,” she whispered with a giggle. “But with his power I won’t be forever. I’ll be free and a garden variety imp like yourself will be dead.”
I gasped and took a step back. A diablita was a moderately powerful demoness. One who should be locked in service to a demon lord and stuck in the Borderlands. Unless her overlord ordered her out, she shouldn’t be moving freely on Earth.
“Well, you’re smart enough to know the difference in our abilities. So, why don’t you run along and leave my prey to me.”
I tried to catch Emmett’s eye, but he ignored me, staring at Buraee like she was water in a desert.
“What did you do to Emmett?”
She giggled again. “A little spell to make him easier to handle.”
Shit, she’d given him a love potion. Now I’d have to get her to expose her true form in his sight to crack the love spell. And I’d have to get her to release her form before I killed her, or he’d pine for her forever. This extra step made a tricky situation even worse. I hoped I had enough reserves to finish the job. I should. I’d fed well enough for another few days of normal magic use, thanks to Poppy. Besides, when I said I’d do anything for Emmett, I meant anything.
I took a step back, planting my feet. I still had no idea why she wanted Emmett, but she’d have to fight me for him. Luckily for me she had no way of knowing I wasn’t a “garden variety” imp.
Her eyes narrowed as she watched me take my defensive stance. “Are you stupid? In the middle of the school? And you do understand what you’re up against, right?”
“I’m not giving you Emmett.”
No need to waste breath sparring words with her. Instead I slipped off my fleece. I’d be visible, but cooler and mobile. I couldn’t hide without a barrier, anyhow. I also couldn’t afford the magic to put one up. All around us students gasped at my sudden appearance.
She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. Give me your best shot.”
I’m a quiet hunter. I like to stalk my prey like a tiger, invisible through the grass. On the odd occasion they saw me coming, I found using the same strategy tended to unnerve my opponent. I slid one slippered foot in front of the other toward her. She hissed at me and backed up.
“You seriously want to do this without a barrier? You don’t care if everyone here watches you die?”
I gave a little push with my Hermes shoes and slid to a stop behind her, wheeling to face her back. In my hand I gripped the hilt of one of my, now, bloody daggers. Buraee shrieked and wiped at the blood on her cheek. I’d sliced her on my way by. I had to piss her off enough to get her true form out.
I actually wanted to see her other form myself. I’d never seen a fully released diablita. As I said, I’m visually unimpressive. My ears were very pointy now, as were my teeth. Only once had I ever lost control enough to sprout a tail. Yes, imps have tails if we’re fully uninhibited. But I’ve heard the diablita’s a flashy critter. There’s a reason they aren’t let loose on Earth. I mean, aside from the evil, flesh-eating, cousin of the succubus thing.
The teachers tried unsuccessfully to clear the courtyard, which played perfectly into my plan. On my next pass I took her hair off at the scalp. In addition to lots of gasping from the students when I hacked off her ponytail, came raucous laughter. I had to get her to show herself before the police arrived and interrupted. I might not get a second shot at her. I needed to publicly humiliate her to get her to cave. I knew she wouldn’t take much more provocation. She already trembled with rage. One humiliation more ought to push her far enough.
I slid in, like lightning, and slashed her dress open in the front. In nothing but her panties her face turned red and the scream she let out caused the windows in the courtyard to shatter. Unprepared for the speed of her released form, she managed to grab me by the neck. She pressed her knee on my chest as she pinned me to the ground.
Relief. I’d gotten her to reveal herself. That’s what really mattered. Besides, I could get out of this.
In her released form Buraee’s skin shone white as ice and nearly as smooth. As if she didn’t already look evil enough, she’d sprouted a set of leathery bat wings. Not your mom’s purse, boring brown leather, but blood-red, shiny, patent leather. Her jet-black, soulless eyes glared at me. I knew only one of us would survive this fight.
I ignored the screaming in the courtyard. I’d worry about the humans later. Rolling, I threw my weight against her, grabbing a hold of her arm as she fell off me. Using her momentum and my weight I drove a punch through the center of her upper arm. Since we moved in opposite directions the blow snapped the bone in her arm and she screamed. Twisting, she managed to sink fangs into my arm. Dammit. Were diablita venomous?
I had to end this now. She rolled to her feet and I used my Hermes shoes to give me one last boost. I rammed into her chest, blade first, and gave her neck a quick snap for good measure. Her body flared up in black flames. A moment later I sat on a pile of burnt salt. Good thing I’d had my blades blessed.
My ears perked. Sirens were closing in on the school. I needed to get out of there before I got snared in a mess which required breaking any human laws. This situation already had disaster written all over it. The story ranked no better than tabloid fodder. If my parents and I left town the incident would be like one of those mass UFO sightings. The news would cover the story long enough for the nation to laugh at them and speculate how they doctored the photos. Then the whole thing would be forgotten when something else weird happened―I hoped.
I stood and brushed the salt off my knees. The sirens had stopped. The cops were here. I held my hand out to Emmett.
“We’ve gotta go.”
He shrank back from me as if I might kill him next.
I rolled my eyes. “Emmett. Now. I can’t protect you here anymore.”
He still didn’t respond. Snatching my fleece off the ground, I yanked it on. I grabbed Emmett and swung him onto my shoulders in a Deadman’s carry. Putting what I had left into getting us out, I leapt to the roof and dashed off as a swat team or something of the sort burst into the courtyard.
I ran clear across town with Emmett on my shoulders. A mile or so past the far edge of the city I collapsed. I’d managed to shove Emmett off the road and into the woods, before I gave out, completely drained of energy. I doubted my remaining magic would even allow me to use my shoes for a kidnapping. I’d have to do a job the hard way and hope I didn’t get caught.
Before I’d regained my breath, Emmett came to his senses. He screamed and scrambled back against a tree. “What the hell are you?”
I rolled to my back panting. “That’s my question for you. What the hell are you?”
“I’m human. I thought you were, too. But you’ve got . . .” He blathered as he gestured at his ears. “And . . .” More dithering as he snapped his teeth.
“You’re not human.” I had to heave to get the words out. Why was I having so much trouble breathing? “Whatever you are, you’re strong enough to attract a beast like Buraee and slick enough to hide from hunters like my parents. So fess up. I’m an imp and you are . . .?”
“I’m human.”
His yell held anger and fear, but no lie. In which case what was he? And how did he not know he held enough magic to lure in a diablita?
He gave a sob. “You killed her. I don’t even know what she . . . that was . . . but you just played with her and killed her.”
“I had to kill her to save you. I told you she planned to eat you. She was a diablita. A demon in human terms. But she served a much stronger master than herself and I have a feeling you’re not done being hunted. You’re no
t safe, unless you stay with me, and if we’re taking on a demon lord we’re gonna need my parents help.”
Emmett rubbed his face and knocked his head back against the tree. “I’m not going to pretend I understood any of what you said except the part about getting your parents’ help. So, let’s go with that. How are we going to get them? I thought they were away on business. Out of range.”
“They are. They’re assassinating an alpha werewolf in Siberia. I have an emergency contact method, only for life and death situations. But I think this qualifies. I’ll get them back and we can go from there.”
“I wanna go home,” he whimpered.
I tried to sit up and my head spun. “Emmett, you can’t.” This had to be so hard on him. Imagine an attack by a diablita being your introduction to the world of magic folk. I patted his ankle and he flinched. “I’m so sorry. But there’s lots worse things out there than Buraee. For now, I’m wiped. I’ll have to rest and . . . uh . . . take care of myself for a bit tonight. Then I can contact my parents. I’m out of magic.”
I took the fact he hadn’t run off yet as a positive sign. Good thing, too. I knew I didn’t have the energy to chase him down. I lay on the forest floor, letting myself decompress. Emmett’s silence suited me perfectly, though I knew he must have a million questions. The world around me continued to spin, frustrating me. I should have better stamina than this.
“Emmett.” My voice came out scratchy. “Something’s not right. I’m not recovering normally.”
“Could the trouble be your arm? You’re bleeding.”
My heart sank. “Yup, that’s the problem. Buraee bit me. The bitch was poisonous.” I heaved a sigh, wincing when the air made my chest burn. “I’m in deep shit without help.” I waved my hand at him to get him closer. “Help me sit up. I’ll try calling my parents anyway. I’ll probably be unconscious afterward. When they get here tell them I’ve got diablita venom in my arm.”