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“Then why in the devil’s name are you continuing to use mortal weapons to try and kill it? Seems counterproductive, no?”
“He’s right,” Ashley said, her voice trembling.
My head jerked toward her. “Hey, who’s the one trying to rescue you? He’s just standing over there.” Looking ridiculously handsome and smug, throwing around his big demon energy, but I refused to say that part out loud.
As much as I wanted to thump Kane in the head with my next weapon, he was right. Nothing I did seemed to weaken the culebrón. If only ancient myths were more precise with their information, especially as it pertained to killing monsters, it would save us modern folks a lot of time and trouble.
I realized Ashley was still struggling to free her other hand. “Sir, would you mind helping me escape while the lady’s busy fighting?”
Nana Pratt would be proud of Ashley’s ability to be polite even in the heat of battle. Kane, on the other hand, seemed momentarily confused by the request.
“In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a rather large monster between us,” Kane called to her.
“Why are you here if you don’t intend to help?” I asked. He was a powerful demon; there was no doubt he’d be an asset. Then it occurred to me. Kane wasn’t here out of the goodness of his heart. He was here to see what I could do. He thought if he watched me fight, he’d be able to figure out exactly who or what I am.
Nice try, demon. Nothing about this fight will reveal my true identity. I was going old school.
I unsheathed my dagger and ran toward my opponent. The culebrón raised its enormous calf-like head, and I slid beneath it, slicing its throat open as I skimmed the ground. Black liquid dripped from the wound.
In pain, the creature flicked its serpentine body to the side, allowing me to glide past it and straight back to my feet.
“It’s only a flesh wound,” Kane called out. Funny.
I glanced over to the pond to see that he’d freed Ashley and was now standing at the water’s edge dripping wet. He’d removed his suit jacket and his white shirt stuck to his torso, revealing a solid set of abs, not that I had any doubt they existed.
I clung to the monster in an effort to climb on its hairy back. The creature’s slick body made it difficult to gain purchase, but I finally made it, despite the undulation of the culebrón’s back as it tried to dislodge me.
Rolling up his sleeves, Kane advanced toward us.
“Stay back!” I didn’t want anybody else in the danger zone.
“I thought you wanted help.”
“I don’t want to have to rescue you.”
It was hard to tell in the dim light, but I was pretty sure he smirked. “Here. Take this. You’ve earned it.” He held up his hand, which began to burn with a white light.
“Um, Kane. Your hand is on fire.”
The light extended into a blade. It took mere seconds for the flaming sword to fully form, and he tossed it to me as readily as a coin.
“You’re a man of hidden talents.” Except he wasn’t a man at all, and it was best to remember that.
I snatched the sword from the air by the hilt and jammed the white-hot blade into the fleshy part of the culebrón’s neck, where its calf head met its snake body.
“Excellent reflexes,” Kane remarked. He’d carried Ashley across the pond and stood at the water’s edge, still holding her.
I slid to the ground as the culebrón collapsed on its side. The flame of the sword dissipated, as though it sensed the deed was done. “I’m especially good at sucker punches. Care to test me?”
“I’ll take your word for it.” He set Ashley down and retrieved his jacket from where he’d hung it on the fencepost.
I crossed the yard and returned the hilt of the sword to him. “How did you conjure this thing?”
The amber in his whisky-colored eyes intensified. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”
I was so distracted that I missed where he put the sword. Did it fit in his pocket? Melt into his skin? Damn mesmerizing eyes.
“Not a chance.”
