Guardian's Joy #3 by Jacqueline Rhoades Page B

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the corner saved him from ski jumping the curb. His body stopped
before his feet did.
    Dov ran, flat footed, to catch up. He was
laughing at the surprised look on Nico’s face and was about to
shout his enthusiasm when Nico’s hand came up to stop him. The
Guardian’s head cocked to the left, listening. He closed his eyes
and inhaled deeply through his nose. The hand saying stop now
signaled off to the right toward City Hall and the ice rink. He’d
found a demon. When it came to scenting creatures from the
otherworld, Nico was the best.
    The two took off at a run, their white light
giving them not only speed and invisibility, but sure footedness on
the icy walks. They covered the four blocks in seconds. Keeping
their white light, they halted at the edge of the rink.
    In warm weather, the shallow, cement lined
pond served as a reflecting pool, skirted by a wide path for
strollers and power walkers and the occasional skateboarder who
couldn’t read the signs prohibiting it. The trees shading the
evenly spaced benches were the smaller varieties of their species,
fragrant with blossoms in spring and offering a cooling shade in
the city’s summer heat.
    Now, the dark gray bones of the trees stood
in sharp contrast to the white snow and the ice glistened under the
surrounding lights. There were only a dozen or so skaters left and
the same number huddled around the two nearest benches, trading
skates for boots.
    Nico and Dov scanned the area, searching for
quarry they could smell but not see. Demons could hold their human
form until they attacked. At other times, only the Daughters of Man
could see them for what they were and if Manon was right, only
those strong in their power. It was a mystery why the Guardians
were denied this advantage.
    Dov pointed across the pond. “There.” Two
young women, skates thrown over their shoulders, were heading down
the path that led to the park entrance on the far side. They were
chatting animatedly to each other, completely unaware of the dark
shadow that separated from the others and followed them. “Can I
have him?” he asked.
    Nico nodded. “I’ll circle around and get
between you and the women, make sure they see nothing. Make it
quick and clean.” And then he was gone.
    Dov sprinted around the pond and slowed when
he came in sight of the monster. There was no doubt now. The
distinct odor of demon permeated the crisp winter air. The demon
waited until its victims were around the curve and out of sight of
the rink before it increased its speed to close the gap between
them.
    Once they were beyond the sight and hearing
of those at the rink, Dov wasted no time. He used his white light
and revealed himself only when he was ahead of the demon. It was
smaller than he thought and as it revealed itself, it was nastier
looking than most.
    “Hey there, ugly. Why don’t you pick on
someone your own size? Better yet, someone my size.” He wove the
spinning knife through his fingers in a move he’d been practicing
for weeks.
    The demon wasn’t impressed. It flew at Dov
before the knife had completed its first circuit.
    “Shit!”
    The thing hit him like a cannonball. The
knife went flying as the two went rolling ass over teacup. They
rolled down the short slope to the side of the path, clinging to
each other like lovers; the demon’s claws locked into the leather
jacket protecting Dov’s chest; Dov with his arms crushing the demon
to him in a brutal bear hug.
    The demon’s stubby tail whipped against Dov’s
legs, bruising his shins, but it wasn’t the tail Dov was worried
about. The creature’s jaws were right beside his ears. Its
slavering snarls echoed in his brain. It was only the pressure of
his arms that kept the demon locked over his left shoulder and
unable to sink its sharpened teeth into the young warrior’s
neck.
    They stopped their tumble with Dov on the
bottom of the death grip embrace. He was larger than the demon,
outweighed it by fifty pounds, yet he