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12
Joy
Gus landssilently behind a large snow bank, just at the edge of the workshop. From this angle, we’re able to see through the windows, and horror immediately fills me at the carnage the demons have already caused.
In the far corner of the room, some of our best cherubs are tied up in a cluster. A few of the more mouthy ones are hanging from the ceiling, their faces ashen and eyes wide with terror.
I place a hand over my mouth to stifle my sobs as I stare at my friends’ mottled, bruised faces. What did those sick bastards do to them?
“That’s fucked up,” Gus murmurs, his voice coming from directly beside my ear. I twist my head marginally to meet his piercing stare as silent tears cascade down my blotchy cheeks.
“Would you have done that?” My voice is nothing more than a hushed murmur, barely audible over the roaring wind disrupting the fluffy white snow. When Gus quirks an eyebrow, confusion glimmering in his gaze, I nod towards where the cherubs are huddled, scared shitless and beaten. “Would you have been that cruel?”
Surprisingly, it’s not Gus who answers, but Dem, moving to stand on the other side of me. He folds his arms over his chest as his lips curl into a frown. I can tell that he doesn’t usually wear that expression. It seems unnatural on his pretty face, as if his facial muscles aren’t quite used to making it.
“No,” Dem responds, his voice just as quiet as mine. “You have to understand…demons aren’t the epitome of evil. At least, not all demons are, just as not all angels are pure and bright and sunny. We represent the dissonant chaos. The disorder in the world and the breaking of societal rules and structure. But we’re not…” He makes a face, a muscle in his jaw clenching. “We’re not cruel.”
“We would’ve taken over the North Pole, sure,” Nico adds, his voice uncharacteristically grave, “but we wouldn’t have hurt any of the little fookers. Instead, we would’ve offered them better benefits than your dad did and get them to work fer us. I mean, does Santa even give them health care?” He shakes his head slowly, red hair bright against the snowy backdrop. “What these demons are doing right now…”
“It’s evil,” Bryn finishes, yawning heavily. He blinks rapidly at the window as he attempts to stay awake.
“It’s only sort of evil,” Cal lies as he pushes his glasses up his nose.
“Lie,” both Nico and I say dryly.
Cal ignores us and claps his hands together, directing our attention away from the window. “Are you guys ready for this?”
“As ready as we can be,” I murmur, my eyes flicking back towards the window and my heart filling with dread. But then…
I see it.
Bangs, the leader of the demon murder, is talking with Blue and Ugly, the three of them laughing while the other two members of their demon squad—including the one who can put us all into a depressive state—terrorize the cherubs. But behind the three of them, resting in the plastic tub of Barbie dolls, is Santa’s staff.
It didn’t break?!!
“Guys,” I whisper, jabbing my elbow into the stomach of the nearest demon. Cal, I realize, when he moves to stand beside me. My hand shakes as I point towards the staff we built, still in one piece and glowing with the red and green tendrils of magic. “If we get that to Santa…” I trail off, but Cal understands immediately where I’m going with it.
If we can get the staff to Santa, this will all be over.
“All right. New plan.” He turns briskly around to face the other four, and despite the horrible situation, despite the worry and fear for my friends and father, lust percolates in my stomach before settling in my core. There’s something about Cal taking charge that I find immensely and inexplicably sexy. Who am I kidding? There’s nothing unexplainable about it. He seems to innately command each of their attention with only a few curt words. And more than that, they follow his directions with decisive head nods.
Cal’s a leader, through and through, and if I truly am their Center, which I am finally beginning to believe, then I’m a very lucky girl.
“Gus and Dem, your jobs stay the same. Nico, I want you to cause enough chaos to get the demons away from the staff. Joy and I will steal it while everyone is distracted and fighting.”
“And what will I do?” Bryn demands, sounding almost petulant that he hasn’t been assigned a specific job… No wait. He’s just half-asleep and struggling to formulate coherent sentences.
Cal’s grin sharpens, resembling a shark prowling the ocean for blood.
“Why you, my friend, are going to make all of the demons go nighty night.”
* * *
It’s decided.Nico will cause a distraction first. As the demons rush outside, trying to figure out what's going on, Gus will hit them with some mindless wrath to make them vulnerable. That will give Bryn a chance to hit them with his…sleep power? Lazy power? Well, whatever it is, he’ll be aiming it at the demons so that Dem can sweep in and steal their weapons while Cal and I take the staff and bring it to Dad.
It’s not a surefire plan, but it’s better than anything I would’ve been able to accomplish on my own.
As the guys disperse to move towards their positions, I suddenly find it difficult to breathe. There’s a tennis ball-sized lump in my throat, one that makes swallowing impossible.
