AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They coalesced in the reception area of the winery to the smell of fermenting grapes. The name and logo were embossed on the sign near the entrance. Large hand-painted pictures hung on the walls featuring oak barrels, house wines and glassware. A black chalkboard with decorative handwriting announced the house brands and wine tasting times.
The faint odor of copper had them moving to the next room. The sampling area should have been alive with guests swirling wine as employees described the ingredients or the distilling process. Instead, it was littered with bodies, and the crimson liquid wasn’t from the contents of the barrels.
Riley put her hand to her mouth. “Dear God.”
“There are ten men here,” Colton said.
“I can see that,” Riley said, the sadness in her voice clear.
Colton surveyed the bodies. “I mean, where are their wives and girlfriends? There are no women.”
They both turned when they heard a woman scream.
CHAPTER11
Riley sprinted after Colton. They ran through a processing area for crushing and pressing the grapes. Stainless steel vats and tanks for fermenting in cold stabilization blurred by as they raced to the next room where the screaming had turned to yelling and crashing furniture. They ducked through a connecting hallway with slate flooring and employee pictures adorning the walls before arriving at the restaurant.
The glass cases and towering displays of wines lined one wall while the artfully arranged tables with white linens and silver cutlery overlooked the vast acreage of the vineyard. A grunt and growl had them moving from behind one of the displays to discover the source of the screams.
Deruthel’s back was to them as he circled a petite, dark-haired woman wearing a black jogging suit with pink trim. Her eyes were wild, but they remained fixed on the Demon general as she kept her arms up and moved with agility. Her slightly crouched stance as she backed away, reminded Riley of her Tae Kwon Do training. When Deruthel lunged at her, one black running shoe whirled in the air, catching him in the side of the face as she round kicked him, then retreated.
“Deruthel!” Colton yelled.
The Demon general turned, his eyes widening when he saw Colton. “You should be dead or...” His eyes moved to Riley. “Actually, this is so much better.”
Colton lunged toward him as his alpha warrior burst to the surface. Black smoke rolled off his body as he rushed to intercept Deruthel’s attack on the innocent woman.
The woman froze as the two creatures attacked one another. Claws slashed at each other’s skin as growls echoed in the room. Riley could imagine what the woman was thinking. One second, she was enjoying a glass of wine, one of the customers on the daily wide tour; or perhaps working for the winery. Now she was part of a horror movie beyond her imagining.
Deruthel stepped between the woman and Colton, effectively cutting off Riley’s attempt to get to her. He snarled as if he was aware of Riley’s intentions. “The woman is mine, but if you would like to take her place, Riley, I’m happy to make an exchange.”
Colton growled. “I plan to kill you, so you won’t be making any deals.”
Deruthel’s lip twitched. “Do you feel my blood running through your veins shadow? It burns like acid but brings power and untold gifts. If you survive, you will thank me.”
Colton slashed at Deruthel with extended claws, catching the demon in the shoulder as he lunged to escape the blow. He hissed, glancing at the wound in surprise. It bubbled with steam rising above the flesh before the black tissue began to heal. “I feel it, but I would rather die than become a pawn in your army.”
Deruthel smiled, exposing serrated teeth dipped in blood. “That’s the best part, shadow, you already are.”
Colton dissolved, only to reappear behind the startled demon. He moved faster than Riley had ever seen before, reminding her of Ferguson. His claws punctured Deruthel’s back before the demon stumbled forward. He turned as Colton grabbed him, tossing him across the room and into a glass display filled with expensive wine. Glass shattered in multiple directions, sending crystals bouncing off tables and plates to the floor.
Deruthel rose from the cluster of bottles, covered in red wine, making it look like he was drenched in blood. “You will pay for this shadow. In ways you can’t imagine.”
The pathway opened and a small jackal demon exited. He had long tentacles for fingers. His face transfixed on Colton as his lips curled into a snarl.
“Watch out!” Riley yelled.
The Jackal snapped his fingers, which extended like long sticky vines that wrapped around Colton’s body, making him struggle to free his arms. Deruthel smiled until Colton bit one of the oily ropes with his fangs and it retracted. He dissolved instantly, reforming in front of the Jackal. His blade arced through the air before biting into the Jackal’s neck. It sliced clean through flesh and bone, leaving the demon’s head to bounce on the carpet as the demon’s body toppled to the floor.
Colton advanced on him, but he dissolved before the natural hum of the pathway opening, echoed in the room and he was gone. “Shit!”
Riley held her hand up to the woman. “Don’t run. We are here to help you.”
Her eyes remained locked on Colton’s black, smoking body. Though he had saved her from a fate worse than death, she remained in a fighting stance; and since she’d managed to hold Deruthel off until they got there, Riley had to admire her skill.
The woman backed away again. “What are you?” she asked Colton.
Riley took another step toward the woman. “He’s a shadow warrior. He won’t hurt you. Tell me your name and I will explain everything.”
