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It was him all right. My boyfriend of six months. Dressed like a goddamned pirate with a slutty cop rocking on top of him like he was one of the spring rider things at the playground. His shirt was one of those flowy pieces, with the laces in the front hanging loose so I could see the fuzz of his chest hair. Even on the ground, I could make out the gaudy, fake gold hoop earring hanging from one ear. And was that eyeliner?
The heaviness slowly faded from his features, and he tried to focus on me. “Never?”
Nope. No way.
I turned on my heel and bolted.
“Shit! Get off me,” he hissed. I heard a feminine ‘harumph’ and the rustle of clothing, but I’d be damned if I was sticking around for an explanation.
“Never, wait!”
Like hell.I was already shoving the thorny branches out of my way as I ran, ignoring the sting and warm trickle of blood as one of the spikes caught the sensitive skin of my neck.
I didn’t know how much time passed or how far I ran before I finally slowed, but it was enough that I didn’t recognize the part of the park I ended up in. On the plus side, I couldn’t hear Clint’s whiny, pleading voice following me anymore either.
I leaned my back against the nearest tree and sank to the ground, sucking in air and cursing under my breath when the bark scraped down my leather jacket.
“Fucking perfect,” I bit out, landing on my butt on the damp earth. “I hate this city.” The only reason I was still in Charleston was so Matty didn’t have to switch schools in the middle of high school. The kid had a hard enough time making friends as it was.
I pulled my legs up and propped my elbows on my knees, turning my blade over in my fingers. My breath eventually slowed, and I made the effort to talk myself down from going back to find my newly mintedex-boyfriend and stabbing him in the dick.
“It’s not worth it.” I let my head fall back against the bark and drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scents of moss and decomposing leaves. “Probably.”
Branches snapped and leaves crinkled to my left, and I rolled my eyes. “Go away, Clint.”
I expected to hear some half-hearted begging. Maybe a drunken attempt at an excuse. Instead, I was treated to a low, rumbling growl. I lifted my head slowly, turning my gaze toward the sound and focusing into the darkness.
I should have been afraid. Most reasonable humans would wet themselves at the sight of a green-eyed demon stalking them through the moonlit woods. But killing some evil piece of shit sounded like just what the doctor ordered.
“You picked a bad night to mess with me, fugly,” I said, taunting the scaly creature and pulling myself to my feet with all the nonchalance I could muster.
The creature lifted its chin and sniffed the air, curling and uncurling its creepy ass looking claws like it was planning something. The thing had a vaguely human form, but with arms that were entirely too long and snake-like skin that seemed to absorb most of the surrounding light. It was a strange combination, sure, but it was the thing’s hesitation that gave me pause. The way its glimmering eyes locked on mine made my skin crawl.
I glanced down at my dagger and back at the demon. “You wanna dance?” I had to fight the insane urge to giggle at my own clichéd challenge. I’d clearly been watching too many eighties movies with Matty.
The thing cocked its head like it could read my thoughts.
Was that a thing? I mean, it was a demon. Who knew what all it could do? For all I knew, the damned thing could fly. A tendril of alarm skated over my skin until I scanned its dull body again.
No wings. Thank Pete for small favors.
The creature sniffed the night air again, and I remembered Clint. What if he was still out here looking for me? The idiot didn’t know the first thing about dealing with demons. Hell, he probably didn’t even know they existed. If he stumbled into this weird little standoff, he would definitely piss his pants.
This time I really couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled out of me, because some sick, twisted part of me would have loved to see that.
The demon cocked its head again and I shrugged, shaking off the humor. “What are we doing here, oh scaly one?” I flipped the blade in my hand. “Are you going to come at me or are you going to make me chase you?”
At that point, from the way it shifted and glanced around, I was pretty sure the thing was going to make a run for it. I rocked onto my toes to give chase, except it didn’t run.
Of course not.
The freakish thing swelled, growing at least a foot taller right in front of me. Its scales took on an uneasy shimmer just before it lunged at me with claws that were now as long as my forearm.
I barely managed to duck away from the first blow and pivoted the blade in my palm to drive it into the creature’s belly in three quick jabs. Hot, steaming blood as black as the night sky spilled over my hand. Then the smell hit me.
Oh, sweet baby Jesus.
It took every ounce of focus not to gag at the stench poisoning the air. I stumbled back away from the creature, throwing my free hand over my face as I went. The demon should have been squealing in pain or moaning like the slut in the cop outfit. It should have been giving me some sign that I’d done some vital damage. Instead, it just glared silently at me and sniffed the air again.
