Drop Dead Demons (21 page)

In the Flint section, I climbed to the upper level shelf and pulled books aside to uncover the spiral. “When the flaming spikeballs attacked, I told them to stop, and they just did, so I’m thinking that same strategy will work if they come after yo— Whoa!” I shrieked. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you up,” Ayden said.

I looked down. “No. You’re grabbing my butt.”

“No,” Ayden said mildly, “I’m simply providing support.
This
would be grabbing your butt.” His hands moved. I squealed. He grinned. “See the difference?”

I pursed my lips. “Ayden.”

“Fine.” He hauled himself up beside me and latched his arms around my waist.

I frowned. “What now?”

“I’m just making sure you don’t go through without me this time.”

“I’m not sure this is a great idea. What if the voice doesn’t listen this time? Or something else attacks?”

“You’ll save me and demand sexual favors in return. Or so I hope.” He jerked his chin toward the wall. “Let’s go, lusty wench.”

Smiling despite my trepidation, I hovered my hand over the double spiral. Felt heat. Goosebumps on my skin. A rush of air, and this time I actually saw the bookshelf and wall swing back into darkness. A
click-clank
and that web of metal tentacles shot out, wrapped around us both, and
whooshed
us through. 

We were dumped on our feet into darkness as the door closed, but lamps quickly sprung to life illuminating the dank, musty tunnel.

“Nice work,” Ayden looked impressed.

Sally Security’s voice echoed off the walls, “Mandatum intruder.”

“Or not,” I told Ayden, then shoved him behind me and shouted, “There is no intruder!” A flaming spikeball puffed to life. “Stand down! About face! Cease! Desist! Abort!” 

The spikey fireball started its chainsaw rotations. Ayden reached from behind me, arms bracketing each side of my face, his palms facing out toward the threat, and produced a band of fire. It connected from one hand to the other, blocking me from the attack. I felt the heat on my face and smelled the burn. 

“Get down!” he ordered.

“No!” I grabbed his wrists and shoved his arms out wide. Breaking the ribbon of fire. “Scrub the mission!” 

The spikey ball shot toward us. Ayden’s hand grabbed the back of my hoodie and started to sweep my feet out from under me, ready to blast Flint’s mini fire grenade.

I screamed at the faceless woman. “Terminate! Do it…
now
!”

The fireball skidded to a stop in front of me, snuffed out, and dropped to the floor with a whiny
ping
. Lucky, since I had cleaned out my repertoire of clichéd halt commands. I kept myself between Ayden and the fireball as it collapsed into a small, smooth orb, and rolled toward us. I kicked it, but it skittered right back. Irritating. But at least it wasn’t attacking anymore.

“See,” I said, “
I
can protect
you
for a change.”

Ayden spun me around and grabbed my jacket, pulling forward to lay his mouth firmly on mine. The kiss was deep and deliberate, jumbling my thoughts, stealing my sanity. Then he stepped back, breathing hard, hair tumbled over his forehead, chocolate eyes shimmering with mischief.

I stared, swallowed hard. “What was
that?
”

“Partial payback on your lecherous demands for saving my life.” He adjusted his jacket. “But the rest will have to wait. I’m here on bodyguard duty so quit trying to seduce me and let’s get to work.” He saluted. “Lead the way.”

Lips still tingling from the…vigorous contact, I glanced around the empty tunnels before picking up the deactivated spikeball still following me around and shoving it in my pocket. 

Ignoring Ayden’s questioning look, I said, “Right. Give me a minute to remember,” or come up with it in the first place, “all the details of my super safe and sane plan.”

He raised his hands in supplication. “No hurry. I’m just the muscle, here to follow orders.”

“If only.” Although I had to admit, the muscle was pretty sweet.

“Try me.” He bowed in a courtly fashion. “Give me a command.”

Kiss me you fool!
Oh, wait. He’d covered that. Not that we couldn’t go there again but — stay on track, Aurora.

Take off your shirt!
Yeah, my hormones were raging.

I sighed and scratched my head. “Can you whistle?” 

Ayden’s hands rested lightly on my thighs. “Your super safe and sane plan was to wander the tunnels of a serial killer riding his pet demon?” His hand moved over the bulge of the spikey ball in my front pocket. “And his mini firebombs?”

I sighed. “Last I checked, bodyguards are the strong and
silent
type.”

At Ayden’s whistle, Fido, my trusty centimole demon, had come scuttling at hyper-drive. I almost didn’t dodge the enthusiastically slurpy doggie lick she swung my way.

Now, Ayden and I were atop her neck, tucked behind the snapping antennae in a convenient cove just big enough for a couple of people to sit in safely, as long as they had a loose meaning of the word
safe
. He’d slung my backpack over his shoulder so he could scoot close behind me and give directions using the map on his phone. I steered by pulling on Fido’s antennae. So far, so good.

She bustled along with ease and purpose, smooth as a monorail, Victorian lamps illuminating a few seconds before we reached them to light our way. I was darn proud of myself.

“We’re not wandering,” I reminded him. “We’re going to that gap Blake talked about. Be patient.”

“I’m nothing but,” he assured me then slid his arms around my waist. His warm body pressed close.

“So, uh, this…fire issue. Is it normal?”

I felt him smile against the nape of my neck. “Actually, it’s very common in our circles— the Mandatum. It’s just never come up for me before. But now that it has, I’m getting help.”

“What kind of help?”

He took a moment to answer, fidgeting uncomfortably behind me. “In learning how to control it so when I’m around you, in a certain way…assuming you’re interested, then I won’t hurt you. So when I’ve been off somewhere, unavailable, that’s where I’ve been.”

My mouth opened and closed a few times. “To, like, a therapist?”

“Not exactly.” He let out a long breath. “It’s someone who’s been through this before and successfully controlled it.”

“Is it Bancroft?” I was dying at the thought that he’d been talking to a priest about us, but would a priest have this problem? Maybe he hadn’t always been a priest.

Ayden snorted. “He wouldn’t help. Like your aunt, he’d be happy for another reason to keep me away from you.” 

“What does he have against me? And what is up with the two of them working together?”

“Nothing. And I don’t know. From his end, he’s being protective.” Ayden said. “Historically, hunters and civilians getting close is risky for both sides. Exposure for us, physically dangerous for them—”

Fido banked a sharp right. Ayden’s arms squeezed me in a rib-breaking grip. When she stopped short, we jerked forward then back. 

My voice echoed in the darkness, “Now we’ll make some progress.”

The lights in the room started
ca-chunking
, lighting the space to reveal…

A dead end. Great.

Ayden dropped his chin on my shoulder. “Nice work.”

I flicked him an irritated look. “Blake said it might be hidden.”

He shrugged and swung off Fido, then reached for me, guiding my decent so I slid against him with aching slowness. When my feet finally touched down, our bodies were flush against each other, and I was finding it way hotter in the cold, damp cave than I expected.

I wiped my brow. “Guess we’d better start searching.”

“Right,” he said, his voice raspy. “For those spirals that literally open doors for you.” He turned away and surveyed the room. “Any ideas where to start, Lady Croft?”

Before I could provide an answer—not that I had one—my mind careened out of my body as a vision took over. 

Wind rushed through my ears, then died out into an unnatural silence. Fido and Ayden became smaller as I flew backwards, retracing our steps. The walls blurred into a haze of brown shades. Then jagged streaks of quicksilver shimmered as I drifted to a stop. The streaks consolidated into round orbs.

Eyes of silver. Menacing. Moving up and down as an entire pack of not-quite hellhounds barreled toward me. 

Flaming spike spheres spit from the lamps, rocketing toward at least a few dozen dog demons. But just before the orbs made impact, the hounds dropped into the ground, as if the rocky earth was nothing more than swamp water. The spheres exploded like grenades against the stone, turning the tunnel into a warzone. Dust clouded, chunks flew, leaving burnt black craters in the ground, but the demons were untouched. Bursting out of the ground several feet away, they kept running.

With grace and agility, they jumped, ducked, darted, and, as a last resort, dived back into the earth. A few were hit, leaving the slime-ridden, leathery remnants of their blasted bodies on the walls before the mess vortexed into the ground. Many got clipped, the telltale yelps giving it away. But most moved forward, ready to tear us all to pieces.

I cringed when the pack hit, more like flowed, over me, and I felt only an odd prickling. Then my body zipped back, and I came to in the arms of a frantic Ayden.

“Tell me what’s wrong!” He was shaking me hard. Brushing back my hair. “Aurora, what’s happening?!”

I steadied myself with my arms around his neck. Tested my legs. “Nothing. Jeez, I’m fine.”

“You’re not
fine
.”

I shoved out of his arms and ran to the wall. We were in a type of cul-de-sac, the lamps circling its rim to light the space. Other than that, nothing.

“It has to be here, Ayden. Remember, that’s what Blake said. Mechanical things. In the walls.” I ran my hand over the rough stone. Mingled in the damp, musty air of the cave, I swear I could smell wet dog.

Fido became suddenly alert, her nose pointed toward the tunnel. She chittered. Her nose lifted. Sniffed. Her head dropped and she let out a low rumbling growl.   

“Aurora, talk to me.” Ayden spun me around to face him.

“I think,” yes,
think
, Aurora, “I have — because of the blood contract — some sort of mental connection with Fido and she senses something bad is coming. And we have to find a way out. Now!” 

Some emotion raced over his features too fast for me to read, then his face turned grim.

He nodded. “Gears. Mechanical things. Something has to open up…”

We both looked at the lamps and said, “Levers.”

“You start pulling. It only opens for you.” Ayden faced the tunnel and his arms
whooshed
into flames. The sounds of explosions echoed. “I’ll hold them off. Hurry.”

No, I was planning on slowing down, might even take a cat nap. I ran to the nearest lamp and started yanking. Fido scuttled and coiled her long body to block the entrance to the cave.

The howls shrilled, and the sounds of their rabid, panting breaths were close enough to reverberate down the walls and crash into the open space. My hands tremored and slipped repeatedly until one of the lamps snapped under my grip.

“Ayden!” As I released and staggered back, I spotted a double spiral etched in the lamp’s metal.

Things
clunked
and
cha-chunked.
 Beside the lamp, wind shot out and dust burst from the wall. A ten-foot diameter ring cut out of the stone then
thumped
backwards, and the circle of rock rolled out of sight, leaving a gaping hole. A doorway. From the other side, steam hissed and heat blasted as if some dragon was about to appear. Through the murky darkness,
crunching
and
pounding
beat a chaotic rhythm.

A vision flashed ugly and quick through my mind. I shoved Ayden sideways and used the force to push myself back, skidding hard on my butt. From where he’d stood seconds before, a hound burst from the ground, jaws snapping. 

All around, demons spurted from the earth like a wolverine horror movie, tongues flicking hungrily over glistening fangs. Ayden and I had quite the little army between us.

“Aurora!” Flames licked up Ayden’s arms as he turned his back on the demons behind him to fight through the ones between us.

“Protect
yourself!”
I said. “They won’t hurt me because they’re working with Rose!”

The closest hound lunged at my throat.

I kicked its head sideways. “Never mind! You can help!”

The demons converged.

Fido struck fast as a viper. Her jaws snapped around a hound. A startled yelp. Bones cracked. Fido swallowed the demon in one gulp. Flint’s spiked fireballs burst from the lamps and sliced through the air, ignoring Fido as she ate more demons. The fiery bombs converged like rabid locust on the wolfish hounds, but the hellions just dipped into the earth. The ground exploded around me as if someone kept setting off land mines.

I stayed low, ducking from pelting debris, hoping I didn’t run into a flying spiked ball. Dust blanketed the air thick as steel wool leaving a grainy taste in my mouth. Our world smelled on fire. 

“Ayden?” I swatted at the clouds of grit, looking for him.

“Get to Fido!” he commanded.

I turned as he emerged from the smoke, throwing fireballs at the hounds creeping around me. A vision flashed, but I’d already spotted the silver eyes of a hound behind him, molded into the ground ,looking like a crocodile lurking just under the surface of a swamp.

It lunged. I screamed a battle cry and raised my arms, running at full speed, thinking my blasty power would make an appearance. Any second now… Any second… This
exact
second would be fantastic—

I tackled the demon hound mid-air. Pain pierced my shoulder. We smashed to the ground. The variety of lethal prongs spiked out along Lassie’s body and embedded into the ground on impact, stopping it dead. Momentum flung me off. I tumbled onto the cratered battlefield. Lassie was pinned to the stone floor as I scrambled to my feet and felt warmth leaking down my chest.

Blood. Awesome.

The hound ripped itself free, sending dirt and rock flying, then lurched up onto its paws. One of the horns dripped red from where it punctured my shoulder. So maybe tackling the spikey urchin wasn’t the best idea.

Lassie leapt over me to attack Ayden. I fell back, swung my legs up, and buried a solid two-footed kick into its stomach. The demon sailed high then tumbled sideways away from Ayden as I followed my momentum into a somersault backwards onto my feet. Smooth. Professional. Where was Matthias when I needed to gloat?

I turned around. Lassie attacked. I barely caught its throat before it slammed me onto my back, snapping fangs inches from my face. I choked on the vile stench of its breath. Claws tore into rock on either side of my head. My arms strained and burned, elbows swung out to keep the claws from ripping out my brain. Spittle splattered and drooled down my arms. So gross.

“Ayden!” My muscles were losing strength. Fast. Lassie’s dagger-filled mouth snapped closer.

A sharp heat pierced my gut. Pressure compressed my body. Lungs constricted. Then in a flash, my skin lit up like a radioactive glow stick, veining out in a throbbing, bright light, releasing the weight strangling my body. The rush of power flushed all fatigue from my bones. Energy thrummed anew up my arms, pooled into my palms.

Beneath my hands Lassie started to smoke. Its rabid jaws froze mid-snap. It tried to pull away.

“Oh no.” I tightened my hold. “Let’s cuddle.”

Embers rained like fireworks. The sickly scent of burnt fur swirled with scorched flesh. White light crackled from my fingertips across Lassie’s face and snout. Alarm flashed in its silver eyes, then all their light blinked out.

As the body slumped onto mine, it shattered to dust, the powdery grime tornadoing down past me and disappearing into the ground.

I smiled. “Like a pro.”

I patted my hands over myself. My shoulder stung. There was blood. The rest of my back was one Amazonian agonizing bruise. I had drool soaking my arms, dirt ruining my hair. I still glowed. No clue how to turn off that nuclear switch, but didn’t matter because I’d finally turned it back on. By myself. Without Jayden’s science mumbo jumbo.

I heard growling and looked up. Ayden was surrounded. Demon dogs kept coming up out of the ground. But not a single one had an eye on me, instead choosing to converge all their blood-lusty attention on Ayden. Fantastic. I wasn’t being attacked.
Why
wasn’t I being attacked? I was a little offended.

My hands still glowed, but my power hadn’t actually blasted out. I held out my arms. Tried to gather the energy.

Flames crashed across the floor, scorching the hounds in spiraling waves of inferno. I gagged at the sickly, sweet stench of burning fur and flesh. A tall ring of fire bled up from the floor and encircled me. I flinched back from the raging heat.    

“Stay still!” Ayden yelled.

Sure, like I could move anyway. Fido scuttled up the wall to hang from the ceiling.

Like flamethrowers, fire jet-streamed off Ayden’s arms. His shirt was shredded with claw marks, his perfect skin scratched and bleeding, but he strode with purpose through the lake of flames looking like some diabolical fire-breathing demon, wild and uncontrolled, scorching everything in his path, hot, angry colors reflecting deadly across his skin. Whimpers shrilled as the demons tried to dive back into the earth.

Other hounds leapt above the fire. Ayden jumped a round-house kick that dragged a trail of flames in his wake and lashed a demon in two. Before he touched ground, his other foot kicked an arc of flames that cut apart another two hounds half burrowed in the ground. He landed in a deep lunge, and the fire surrounding me disappeared.

He held out a flameless hand, his grin fierce. “How was that for strong and silent?”

I gaped. Ayden stood above me. Ash snowed the air around him. He looked like a fierce warrior, all dangerous and battle ready and sexy, muscles glistening.

“Demon infestation,” a woman’s voice echoed. “Proceed to sanctuary.”

I slapped my glowing hand into Ayden’s, and he pulled me up. At least she hadn’t said
Mandatum
. Flint’s remaining spikeballs buzzed down the tunnel and out of sight. Tiny pipes
popped
out beneath each lamp. A gurgling sound filled the air.

“Proceed to sanctuary.”

I pointed at the gaping, dark hole in the wall where the stone had opened a doorway. Steam billowed, crushing noises thundered through. 

“Let’s make a run for it,” I said.

Ayden doused his flames, swept me into his arms, and ran through the sea of fire. Hounds jumped from the ground at us. Some disappeared in a tornado of black smoke and a sharp scent of sulfur as the fire overwhelmed them, but one made it through. It howled in defiance, flames scorching its paws as it barreled ahead of us toward the opening in the wall.

As it passed the threshold, there was a violent
whirr
and large spinning silver discs flashed from the frame of the doorway. The hound was brought to a halt so sudden it was almost comical.

The overgrown circular buzz saws, which had shot out from the stone doorway, whined to a stop, and after a moment’s pause, the hound’s body slid apart in pieces. As the broken flesh slurped downward, a web of electricity pulsed the entryway a brilliant blue, incinerating what remained of the hound before it even got the chance to fall to dust.

“Whoa!” Ayden skidded to a stop. 

“Holy crap!” I practically climbed onto his shoulders.

The pipes underneath the lamps burped loudly, then vomited a surge of sickly, green liquid that rushed down the walls and splashed fast and thick onto the floor. The hounds came back up through the ground, then yelped and yowled in agony as they touched the goo. Their fur smoked and their bodies distorted, folded in on themselves as the fluid melted through them, disintegrating them before our eyes.

“Buzz saws, electricity,
and
acid?” I seethed. “Are you freaking kidding me!”

Ayden shot me an exasperated what’d-you-expect look. “Genius. Serial. Killer.”

Acid pooled, eating up demons and ground. When it hit Ayden’s flames, it boiled into a noxious gas that burned our eyes and throat and made us cough.

“Fido!” Ayden yelled. 

There was nervous, insistent chittering. The centimole scuttled directly above us, hanging from the ceiling, head dropped like a demented claw machine ready to catch her prize.

Ayden said, “Tell her to—‘”

“Get us out of here, Fido!” I said, then hacked up a lung. My eyes watered against the stinging vapors. 

Chittering what I hoped was a yes, Fido clamped us in one of her antenna claws, flung us hard. Then let go. 

Above the flames, the deadly fumes, the acid, and disintegrating hounds, we jettisoned toward the opening in the wall. Where the buzz saws and electricity and whatever other tortures Flint’s psycho mind had cooked up were ready to welcome us.