Chapter Twenty-fourA low growl rumbles through the dark. Lucas, growling back, pulls his lips up over his fangs and sprints forward. I conjure an energy ball, lighting up the room. Long shadows are cast on the walls, and that thing is only yards from us. It looks just like the other hellhounds, and blood-tinged saliva drips from its yellowed fangs.“Lucas, duck!” I yell, bringing my hands together, feeding the energy ball. It glows bigger and brighter. I throw the energy ball at the creature, aiming for its shoulder on purpose. It hits right where I wanted and burns through the creature’s skin and down to the muscle.I don’t waste any time. Planting my foot down, I thrust my hand forward and throw it against the wall behind it. It cracks against the drywall, splintering the frame, and then slumps to the ground.Lucas moves so fast I can’t tell what he’s doing until a sickening crack of bones rings out, twisting the creature’s head around. As soon as he drops it, the thing explodes in
Chapter Twenty-fiveLucas speeds forward, fangs out, and lunges at the demon. Black eyes gleaming, the demon sneers and holds out a hand, throwing Lucas back and through a wall. Binx goes after it next, and the demon raises its other hand, stopping my familiar in his tracks.He slowly lowers his hand, and Binx’s shadow is forced to the ground, slipping through a crack in the floorboards.“No!” I cry and reach for my familiar. My mouth falls open and I bring both hands up, throwing them out at the demon. He’s shoved back just enough to lose his hold on Binx. In an instant, my familiar is back by my side, circling around me.“I don’t want to hurt him,” the demon says. He’s in the hunter’s body, and thick, dark veins web across his face. Being in a human body and not being in its true form means we have a shot at killing it. “He could be very useful.”I throw out my hand again, hitting the demon with another wall of energy. This time he counters me, throwing up a shield of his own. Like
Chapter Twenty-sixI know from the time I hear to gunshot to the time I feel it hit me is less than a second. Yet the pain never comes, and Lucas is in front of me, growling. Another shot is fired, hitting him in the stomach.Fighting through the pain, Lucas speeds forward and grabs the gunman’s hand, snapping his wrist back. The bones break and the gun clatters to the ground. Using my powers, I throw the gun off the deck and into the lake. Funny, how facing demons and creatures made up of hundreds of rats scares me, but having someone point a gun at me scares me even more.My eyes go to Lucas, who has the gunman pushed up against the wall of the building. His fingers are wrapped around his throat, fangs glinting and eyes full of anger. He’s not mad he got shot—twice—but that someone aimed the gun at me and pulled the trigger.“Hey!” another man shouts, running down the deck. “Let him go!” He’s holding a pistol in one hand and points it at Lucas. I recognize his voice before he comes
Chapter Twenty-seven“You can’t leave well enough alone, can you?” Lucas sits on the deck, holding me in his lap. He was there the second after I plunged into Lake Michigan, pulling me from the water and back onto dry land.“It’s one of my many faults.” I shiver. “Why is the water always so fucking cold?”Lucas brushes my hair back, and Binx meows, gently pawing me. “What did you see out there?”“The man with the blue eyes.”“The one you said saved you from the demon in the woods?”“No, that’s the Blue-Eyed Man. This guy isn’t as…as ethereal looking. He’s more like a regular man but has blue eyes.”“Did you hit your head?” Lucas runs his hand over my head.“No, I’m fine.” I push out of his arms and stand. The dizziness is back, and Lucas steadies me.“I’m taking you home.”I want to protest and go back out onto the dock, demanding the man with blue eyes come out and face me. Why lurk around like a creep? If he wants to attack me, then do it already.Lucas picks me up and races over th
Chapter Twenty-eight“How is she?” Eliza sits at the foot of the bed.“She’s not getting any better,” Lucas tells her. “I don’t understand what’s going on.” He gently runs his hand over my hair. He thinks I’m still asleep, and I don’t have the energy to open my eyes and tell him otherwise. “I’ve read everything I can about human colds and even the flu. Her symptoms don’t match either.”Eliza moves up and feels my cheek. “She’s burning up.”The sheets rustle and Lucas sits up, getting the thermometer. He doesn’t say what the temperature it out loud, but it can’t be good.“It’s been hours and it hasn’t gone down at all?” Eliza sounds concerned. “I’ll be right back.”Binx, who’s been on my pillow, nuzzles his head against me. He’s worried too, able to sense that my fever just won’t go the fuck away.“Uncover her a bit and it will help her cool off,” Eliza tells Lucas, coming back into the room. I force my eyes open.“Callie,” Lucas breathes. “How are you feeling?”“Shitty,” I croak out a
Chapter Twenty-nine“I don’t understand,” my sister says into a phone. “That’s not possible. Run it again.” She looks at me and then turns away, talking to whoever she’s on the phone with. Lucas has my hand sandwiched between his, and hasn’t left my side for even a second.The IV was placed about twenty minutes ago, and that paired with the ice packs have lowered my fever, but not as much as Abby thought it would. She ordered blood work and is waiting on the results before prescribing an antibiotic. She’s been in and out of the room a few times, and I thought she was giving me special attention because I’m her sister.But it turns out I’m actually really fucking sick.“What do you mean, it came up as inconclusive?” Abby lets out a frustrated sigh. “Okay. Send someone up, please.”“What’s going on?” I ask, throat sore. Every word hurts.“There was an issue with your blood work.” Abby puts the portable phone in the front pocket of her lab coat. “It’s probably a machine malfunction. It d
Chapter ThirtyBinx nuzzles his head against me, and I blink my eyes open. Two people are arguing in hushed voices at the foot of the bed. My vision is hazy and I can’t sit up even if I tried. I turn my head and realize I’m in the ICU instead of the ER. There’s a small window in my room, and it’s edging toward dawn. Lucas and Eliza won’t be able to stay here much longer.Binx meows, getting someone’s attention.“Callie.” Lucas rushes to my bedside and takes my hand and laces his fingers between mine. “You’re awake.”“I am.” I try to push up and fail. Abby stands on the other side of the bed and raises the head of it up a little more. “What’s…what’s going on?”“Lucas wants to check you out against medical advice,” Abby spits out, which must be what they’re arguing about. “You’re way too sick to go anywhere.”Memories come back in flashes and I’m not sure what was real or not real. The piles of bodies ready to be burned? That didn’t happen.Black veins stemming from the demon-scratch? I
Chapter Thirty-one“Pestilence?” Eliza echoes. “I…I don’t understand.”“Like the Horseman?” Abby asks, voice shaking.“Yes.”“Wait a minute.” Abby is terrified and trying to hold it together. “One of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse has poisoned my sister?”“Not the horseman directly, but a demon with connections who wants to bring them forth from Hell.” Lucas turns back to me. “The demon said something to you…that you might be strong enough?”“It said it’d been waiting for one that was worthy, and then it kept asking me what I am.” Wincing, I sit up. “Demons say that kind of stuff all the time, though. They want you to feel special so you’ll let them in.” I close my eyes, thinking back. “It did say it didn’t want to take me to Hell as its bride but do the opposite…whatever that means.”“It wants to break the seals.”“Great,” I groan as another shudder of pain goes through me.“I’m not following.” Poor Abby sounds like she’s going to cry.“Break the seals, the Four can come out and