“Fuck,” Nolan breathes, swallowing heavily. “We’re really going to fight demons.”
“Look, you don’t…” I sigh, the emotions I’ve tried to lock down sending snaking tendrils to the surface at the sound of fear in his voice. “There’s no shame in running. Kaleb and I can handle it. We’ve trained for this. And I…” The air in my lungs seems thin as I choke out, “I can’t lose another person.”
He blinks, looking at me like I’ve grown a second head, and I want to take the words back… and possibly throw him out of my truck while it’s still moving.
“We all joke that I’m useless,” Nolan finally says with a dark edge, “but I’m not. Vampires are literally the oldest humanoid predator. We outdate even your people, so fuck off with this bullshit of me running.” There’s a hard tick in his jaw, and his arms flex with how hard he holds the dagger in his lap. Muttering to himself, he adds, “‘No shame in running’.Do I want to fight fucking demons? No. Doesn’t mean I’m going to run like a bitch.”
“I didn’t mean…” I trail off, then grunt, “Fuck it. Just don’t die, alright.”
Parking a good twenty feet from the porch, we get out of the truck, an unsheathedkatanain my hand and the dagger in Nolan’s, and we walk in front of the grill. The truck’s lights highlight the entire front yard, giving us clear visibility of anything they might try.
“The last of the Morningstars. Finally,” the male demon says in a smooth cultured voice, walking down the few steps from the porch.
He has the look of a pampered model, well-kept dark hair, sharp features that speak of needing a few more pounds, and steel blue eyes. He’s dressed in dark colors, black slacks, turtle neck, kind of like a Bond villain, but other than the sallow color of his skin, looks completely human.
The demon wags his finger at me like I’m some difficult child. “The others didn’t believe me. They said that we got all of you bastards ten years ago, but those eyes. Those fucking eyes can only come from the devil himself.”
“How’d you find me?” I yell back, holding my position. My wings materialize, and I stretch them wide before pulling them back and getting into a defensive posture. No matter what happens, this asshole will not escape me.
He grins, his white teeth glowing like some goddamn toothpaste commercial, and holds a hand out to the female on the porch. She scampers down happily, looking extremely pleased with herself.
“It was this marvelous creature that led me to you,” he answers with a knowing smirk.
“Letti,” Nolan breaths, the dagger dropping from his fingers, and looking like he’s been punched in the stomach.
Dressed in simple clothes, jeans and a form fitting sweater, she has long platinum blonde hair, eyes the color of arctic ice, pouty lips, and a willowy frame… just like her mother.
“Hello, little brother,” she sings with a waggle of her fingers. “Or should I call you what you really are? My replacement. Honestly, I’m surprised you even know my name the way mom and dad pretend I never existed. ”
Nolan’s gaze darkens, and he spits, “You’re the one that disgraced us. They were exiled because of you. I don’t know a single vampire outside of our parents because of you.”
“You should be thanking me then,” she huffs, propping one fist on her hip. “Bores all of them. So scared of what we truly can be. I’m stronger, faster, more alluring than they’ll ever be, and I’ll live forever.”
“As a demon’s puppet,” he sneers, and I step in front of him before he can do something stupid.
I can keep them talking, but how the fuck do I get them closer?
In the distance, I can see the smoke and flickers of light from the fire across town, and I feel ill. Thekatanatrembles in my hands, because it’s so fucking obvious. The fire.
“How long have you been here?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
It must show on my face, because the male demon swaggers another step closer, shaking his head. “Come now, ask the real question.”
“Did you kill the Jacobs?” I growl through gritted teeth, my heart pounding in my chest.
Letti taps a finger to the tip of her nose, giggling, “How lucky for us that one human family could make you both suffer.”
“No,” Nolan murmurs softly, the way someone does as their world collapses around them.
I hope he’s not about to do anything crazy, because I can’t take my eyes off of the assholes in front of us, and I’m barely holding on from doing something crazy myself.Get fucking closer so I can end you.
She’s clearly pleased to see how much it affects him because she skips a few paces closer and gleefully turns the knife. “Oh yes. Just think, had they not known you, they could’ve lived very long lives… at least for humans.” She sighs, licking her lips. “Their terror tasted delicious.”
“Mm yes,” the male agrees, casually putting his hands in his pockets. “We were going to pick off your friends one by one, until you were so broken, you’d beg us to kill you. When you jumped all over yourselves for the pretty blonde girl that moved here, it was like you gift wrapped us a new target.”
Up until this point, he’s been cocky and amused, but now his face grows hard and true hate spills into his eyes. “Then it turns out the little morsel and her dear aunty are fucking witches. Powerful fucking witches!”
Keep monologuing, asshole. Just do it a little closer.
