arms started to ache, my elbows weakening as I fought to keep it off me. As though it could sense my weakness, the demon howled in anticipation, the sound reverberating through my body, tearing at my eardrums.
The world jolted back into action, time catching up with the demon’s actions. A flash of movement at the corner of my eye had me break my concentration and the demon sank lower over me, its saliva dripping down onto my shoulder, soaking though my shirt with a sizzle.
Nic’s booted foot connected with the demon’s midriff, sending it spinning off me. It screamed, the sound sending everyone else in the diner huddling for cover as I rolled to my feet and grabbed a knife from the diner table.
The demon lunged again and this time I met it head on, not giving it the opportunity it craved to barrel into me once more. I drove the blunt knife up into its jaw, forcing its mouth shut as the blade came out the top of its face. It fell away from me, screaming and writhing on the floor as it clawed at its now-useless mouth.
Reaching down into my core, I prepared to draw my magic out. I didn’t have time to call in the Clean Up crew; they wouldn’t get here in time, and the underling would get the knife out of its jaw in a matter of seconds. The moment it did, everyone in the diner was at risk, and that wasn’t a chance I wanted to take.
“I command thee back to Hell!”
I paused, energy bubbling in my core, and I fought to hold it in check. This wasn’t something I was used to doing; normally when I called my power out, it had somewhere to go, a target to focus on.
A man’s bulky form pushed past me, elbowing me out of the way as the underling pulled the knife out of its jaw and bared its teeth once more. The smell of incense filled the air and I fought back the urge to sneeze. It reminded me of the churches back in Ireland; the strong smell of incense, candle wax, and something else. Something I’d never been able to put my finger on, but my mother had always assured me it was nothing.
Peering around the stranger’s body, I watched as he doused the demon in a thick, viscous liquid; it dripped down over its leathery red head and body, searing through the skin of the creature everywhere it came into contact.
“I drive thee back to Hell, in the name of God. Never walk this plane of existence again!” A box of matches appeared in the stranger’s hand and he cracked one against the side of his belt, the flame glowing blue before he flung it at the creature which was still scrabbling at the smouldering ruin that had been its face.
There was a moment of nothing, and I searched the floor for signs of the match. Maybe he’d missed his mark? Although, the confidence in his voice and the manner he’d shoved me out of the way suggested this was something he was more than used to doing.
The demon screamed as flames engulfed it. It was always such a strange thing to witness; I always imagined demons would enjoy fire, or at the very least not be bothered by it, and yet it was one of the only sure ways to kill them. “Kill” was the wrong word; sending them back to Hell was a far more accurate description. And even then, you needed a special blend of Holy Oil sent straight from the Vatican—for some reason, it was something they were always so stingy about supplying.
The demon writhed on the floor, its body disintegrating, and the stranger turned his back on it. I stared up into the man’s face and there was something so familiar about it that, for a second, I found myself merely opening and closing my mouth.
“Jason?” It was the shock in Nic’s voice as he said the name that snapped me out of my reverie.
Why was the name so familiar? Why was this guy’s face so familiar? There was something I was missing.
“You know him?” I asked, glancing back in Nic’s direction. The colour from his face had drained away as though he’d seen a ghost. What the hell was going on?
“Hey, little brother. Long time, no
The world jolted back into action, time catching up with the demon’s actions. A flash of movement at the corner of my eye had me break my concentration and the demon sank lower over me, its saliva dripping down onto my shoulder, soaking though my shirt with a sizzle.
Nic’s booted foot connected with the demon’s midriff, sending it spinning off me. It screamed, the sound sending everyone else in the diner huddling for cover as I rolled to my feet and grabbed a knife from the diner table.
The demon lunged again and this time I met it head on, not giving it the opportunity it craved to barrel into me once more. I drove the blunt knife up into its jaw, forcing its mouth shut as the blade came out the top of its face. It fell away from me, screaming and writhing on the floor as it clawed at its now-useless mouth.
Reaching down into my core, I prepared to draw my magic out. I didn’t have time to call in the Clean Up crew; they wouldn’t get here in time, and the underling would get the knife out of its jaw in a matter of seconds. The moment it did, everyone in the diner was at risk, and that wasn’t a chance I wanted to take.
“I command thee back to Hell!”
I paused, energy bubbling in my core, and I fought to hold it in check. This wasn’t something I was used to doing; normally when I called my power out, it had somewhere to go, a target to focus on.
A man’s bulky form pushed past me, elbowing me out of the way as the underling pulled the knife out of its jaw and bared its teeth once more. The smell of incense filled the air and I fought back the urge to sneeze. It reminded me of the churches back in Ireland; the strong smell of incense, candle wax, and something else. Something I’d never been able to put my finger on, but my mother had always assured me it was nothing.
Peering around the stranger’s body, I watched as he doused the demon in a thick, viscous liquid; it dripped down over its leathery red head and body, searing through the skin of the creature everywhere it came into contact.
“I drive thee back to Hell, in the name of God. Never walk this plane of existence again!” A box of matches appeared in the stranger’s hand and he cracked one against the side of his belt, the flame glowing blue before he flung it at the creature which was still scrabbling at the smouldering ruin that had been its face.
There was a moment of nothing, and I searched the floor for signs of the match. Maybe he’d missed his mark? Although, the confidence in his voice and the manner he’d shoved me out of the way suggested this was something he was more than used to doing.
The demon screamed as flames engulfed it. It was always such a strange thing to witness; I always imagined demons would enjoy fire, or at the very least not be bothered by it, and yet it was one of the only sure ways to kill them. “Kill” was the wrong word; sending them back to Hell was a far more accurate description. And even then, you needed a special blend of Holy Oil sent straight from the Vatican—for some reason, it was something they were always so stingy about supplying.
The demon writhed on the floor, its body disintegrating, and the stranger turned his back on it. I stared up into the man’s face and there was something so familiar about it that, for a second, I found myself merely opening and closing my mouth.
“Jason?” It was the shock in Nic’s voice as he said the name that snapped me out of my reverie.
Why was the name so familiar? Why was this guy’s face so familiar? There was something I was missing.
“You know him?” I asked, glancing back in Nic’s direction. The colour from his face had drained away as though he’d seen a ghost. What the hell was going on?
“Hey, little brother. Long time, no
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