Blood of the Demon (The Silver Legacy Book 3) Read online

  The Hanta looked stunned as it released Peyton, and took a swipe at Denny, Latin flowing at breakneck speed.

  It missed.

  Three seconds later, it was completely sucked into Saugen.

  “Hurry!” Peyton cried, holding her hand to her bruised throat. “I...Annalee!”

  Denny whirled around to see Annalee impaled in her shoulder by a pike much like hers. The demon lifted her off the ground and she screamed as it prepared to fling her back into the tunnel and into the path of the oncoming horde.

  “Save her, Rookie. Please. I’m not worth it.”

  Snapping Epée open, Denny started counting in her head as she leapt upon the back of Annalee’s attacker and slit his throat.

  Twenty-six seconds.

  Annalee was still impaled by the pike and there were more higher-level demons running toward them, claws slicing through the air, Latin mixed with growling and grunting like something from a slasher flick.

  Twenty-three.

  Grabbing Denny by the front of her vest, Annalee muttered, “The needs of the many, Silver. Get the fuck out of here.”

  Twenty.

  Denny put her foot on Annalee and started pulling out the pike. The first demon reached her just before it was all the way out, and Denny sliced it in half with her sword.

  Sixteen.

  “God damn you, Silver!” Annalee yelled out in a deep Hanta voice. “Don’t...do...this!”

  When the pike was completely free from her, Denny used it to kill the next demon that was in mid-air when the pike was rammed through his chest. Guts went everywhere.

  Twelve.

  “I fucking told you to stay alive,” Denny said, whirling around to make her way back to Peyton. “So fight, God damn you.”

  Nine.

  Denny did not look back. She was ten feet from Peyton when a demon tackled her from behind, causing her to fall well short of where Peyton lay.

  Five.

  Rolling on her back, she cleaved the demon’s head in two before making one final, desperate lunge for Peyton.

  Three.

  Two.

  Ramming Saugen into Peyton’s mouth, Denny held on with both hands as it shook.

  “Come on you motherfucking piece of shit! Get back where you belong!” Denny felt Saugen become lighter, emptier. She glanced over her shoulder at the sounds of someone being beaten to death.

  Annalee was being overrun by demons.

  “Shit. Hang on, Annalee!”

  When Saugen emptied, Denny quickly pulled it away, grabbed Peyton by the belt and leather collar, and chucked her through the opening, back into reality.

  “Run, Silver! There are...too...many.” Annalee disappeared in a throng of demons hovering over her.

  Denny whipped Fouet out and snapped it to life like a pro, cutting into demon after demon until she could reach a hand into the growing mob surrounding Annalee. The remaining demons turned toward Denny, claws in the air, teeth bared.

  She ignored them as she reached down and grabbed Annalee’s hand. The moment Denny touched her, she knew Annalee was in serious trouble.

  Dropping Fouet, Denny pulled Epée out and with one giant sweep, she cut out the legs of the three largest demons. With all the might she and her Hanta possessed, Denny gripped Annalee by the ankle and flung her free of the mob before swinging Epée and clearing a path to the exit.

  Annalee’s face was bloody; she was bleeding out of her shoulder, and since she was now unconscious, Denny pitched her through the opening just as she had Peyton.

  Denny would have followed her out, but she saw Fiocina’s cylinder. She hesitated a moment too long before running back toward the snarling embrace of the demons to retrieve Annalee’s weapon—a decision she knew would cost her an easy exit from this mess.

  As her left hand slashed at the horde of demons, her right hand reached down and clutched Fiocina, but not before she felt the pressure of the mob closing in around her. There were so many, she could no longer use Epée.

  “Jesus H,” she muttered, punching, kicking and feeling claws reaching for her.

  There were too many. Three claws slashed at her shoulder. One nicked her forehead.

  They would kill her.

  And then she let go completely and allowed her demon free rein. With a guttural roar, the Hanta flung off demon after demon until Epée was free once more to swing its mighty arc.

  And it was more than mighty. It was utterly ruinous.

  Limbs fell, heads rolled, bodies imploded as the Hanta gorged itself on the dead souls it was killing with a precision Denny had never experienced before.

  Her Hanta refused to die in here, and might have continued its feast if a familiar voice hadn’t reached through the chamber.

  “Run, DH!”

  Denny saw the open path to the exit and dove through it just as three demons gave chase.

  Up on her feet, Denny turned back toward the rift to attack, when she saw the demons clawing at an invisible barrier like dogs scratching to be let out.

  Slowly turning, Denny saw Iris and a half dozen other witches with their hands up toward the rift. They had constructed a barrier to keep the demons from following her out.

  “Fomen bar. Sa a kote mo yo ye a move lespxl sou li ak tout bagay ap le sa a dwe byen.”

  Hélène’s chant sounded from behind Denny. She repeated it as she gazed up at the night sky with her arms outstretched like a Haitian on the cross. Her lips never stopped moving as the chant came faster and faster.

  For a moment, Denny wasn’t at sure what she was hearing. These were not the words Enobaria had planted in her subconscious during the hallucination. These were...very different.

  “Hélène...”

  “It is done, Hunter.”

  Facing the rift, Denny watched as it slowly closed, the yellow and orange light fading like a sunset setting into clouds.

  When the tree trunk was once again only a tree trunk, the circle of witches lowered their arms.

  “You did it DH!” Iris said, hugging Denny tightly. “You saved her!”

  Denny dropped to one knee. Her shoulder throbbed and her hand ached from the scratches that were already healing. “How are they?”

  “Peyton is pretty beaten up. Valeria is tending to her wounds. They’re over there.” Iris pointed to a huge boulder.

  “And Annalee?”

  Iris’s voice fell. “She’s pretty jacked up. Whatever went through her shoulder...” Iris shook her head slowly. “It doesn’t look good, DH. She’s with Peyton and a couple of the witches who are healers. They’re doing everything they can.”

  Denny started for the rock, but Iris stopped her. “Give them some space. Seriously. They don’t need you hovering. Her Hanta will help heal her. Right now, you need to stay focused. There are still demons out here. You need to protect everyone here.”

  Denny kept her gaze on the huge boulder. “Focused. Right. Keep me posted about them, Iris. I want to know the moment there is a change.”

  “Of course. The witches will see to it that Iris gets proper medical treatment. Don’t you worry.”

  “You’ve done well,” Denny said, her eyes scanning the darkness for possible adversaries.

  “Not as well as you. You did it. You managed to save Peyton and close the rift.”

  “Not without help. I won’t lie. It was fucking scary in there, Iris.”

  “I can only imagine. We all need to get the hell out of here.”

  Denny nodded as she walked up to the witches and Hélène. “Thank you so much for coming tonight.”

  The coven leader, a tall red head, lowered her hood. “Your witch was quite convincing Hunter, but the truth is, had she led with Valeria’s name, we would have been here sooner. As it is, we were almost too late.”

  “Well, I appreciate the assist.”

  Denny walked over to where Hélène sat with her four women. “Brilliant work, Hélène. Thank you.”

  “Where is my son, Hunter?”

  “Honestly, I
thought for sure the Vodouisants youth would be here with him in tow, but they are probably combing through the city looking for Peyton.”

  “How it is the demons would not have simply followed you here?”

  “Without a Hanta inside her, there is no connection to the demons.”

  Hélène rose, assisted by two of the women. “Then he is still out there. Find him, Hunter. Find him before he does something he will not be able to live with.”

  “First thing in the morning, Hélène. Right now, my team needs medical assistance. Once everyone is safe, I swear I will find your boy and bring him home. Thank you. And again, thank you for your assistance.”

  “It was our pleasure, but now we must go. Do not tarry long here in New Orleans. There is still much against you here. It is not safe for you in New Orleans, and those you believe to be on your side may very well turn out to be your greatest enemy.”

  “I understand. I do, and I’ll take care of those who stand in the shadows.”

  “Then we will take our leave. As long as she is your witch, you have a friend in us.”

  As the witch started away, she stopped and turned. “You have a good heart, Hunter. You deserve much goodness in this life. There is one answer you seek that is being held in the mist of deception. Do not trust so easily and do not distrust your demon so often. It rears its head wickedly at any perceived threat to you. Heed its caution and the mist will part to reveal that truth.”

  Denny watched her walk away knowing further questions would be a waste of time. Witches were like that.

  ***

  “You can’t take those Dybbuks on alone, Silver.”

  It was nine the next morning and Denny sat on the edge of Annalee’s bed. She was pale, had dark circles under her eyes and looked like shit on a cracker.

  “If you could see you through my eyes, you’d know that you are truly out of the game, pal.”

  “How bad do I look?”

  “Umm. You don’t want to know.”

  “Shit, Silver. Lie to me next time. For crying out loud, what kinda friend are you, anyway?”

  Denny grinned. “The kind who pulled your ass from the hands of many, many demons who would eat your tiny feet and head like a chocolate Easter bunny.”

  “Well, booyah for you. I’d give you a medal, but it’s bronze and you’re a Silver.” Annalee laughed so hard, Denny turned to Valeria.

  “Drugged?”

  Valeria nodded. “Ho yeah. She was in a great deal pain last night, so we gave her something to ease it. That shoulder wound had some sort of poison in it.”

  “But she’s okay?”

  “She’ll be fine. I was able to extract most of it.”

  “Fine? I’m great. I’m top o’ the mornin’ to you, Sliver.”

  Valeria moved Denny away from the bed. “I know you need help with the Dybbuks, but she’s out of commission for at least a week, depending on how quickly her Hanta heals, and Peyton isn’t much better. Can’t you wait?”

  “That’s no good. They could be long gone by then. I thought for sure they would have been protecting the source. I’m a little surprised not one was nearby.”

  “Maybe they were warned.”

  Denny looked at her. “You think there’s a ring leader of sorts?”

  Valeria tilted her head. “Don’t you?”

  “I think I need to get to those five boys tonight, if not sooner. Those Dybbuks aren’t just dangerous...I believe they have a plan in place to finish the job of taking Peyton out. My Hanta seems on high alert, and I’m guessing they’re the reason.”

  Valeria nodded. “Tonight then?”

  “If I can get some help, yeah. I don’t know that I can pull them out without help.”

  “You need a hunter.”

  “Annalee is out. Peyton?”

  Valeria shook her head. “When you threw her from the rift, she hit her head pretty hard. Well, there’s that and the sheer exhaustion of having her Hanta force fed to her.”

  Denny moved closer. “Is she...okay?”

  “I don’t really know. I don’t imagine having a Hanta Raya shoved into you is a pleasant experience.”

  “Anything I can do?”

  “There’s nothing you can do right now except stay healthy and focused. Iris is with her downstairs on the couch. Your witch is doing everything she can to heal her, but Peyton Farquar won’t be an option for you, I’m afraid.”

  Denny’s legs felt like wet noodles. “What aren’t you telling me, Valeria?”

  Valeria moved further from Annalee’s bed. “Golden, when we got to her outside the rift, she was barely conscious, with bruises on her neck. When I reached her, she opened her eyes, her very red eyes and whispered, ‘It’s not happy...let the games begin.’ Then she passed out.”

  Denny was already moving down the stairs. “Games? What is she talking about?”

  “What else? The battle for her soul.”

  Denny stopped before the bottom stair. “Is that battle going on now?”

  “It is.”

  Denny continued down the stairs until she was next to Iris.

  “It rages on inside her...the fight for her soul begins anew. When Peyton wakes, she will either be the hunter, or completely possessed. We won’t know until she comes to.”

  “So now we just wait?”

  “There is little else for us to do, hunter.”

  “Except fulfill my part of the deal with Hélène and get to those boys before they try to help the Hanta finish Peyton off.”

  Iris grabbed Denny’s arm. “You can’t take them on alone.”

  Denny nodded. “I won’t. I promise.” Kneeling next to the couch, Denny held Peyton’s hand. She looked even more fragile than before. “Listen to me, Peyton Farquar. You’re tougher than this. Stronger than this. Smarter than this. Don’t you dare give in to your Hanta. I didn’t come all this way and spill so much demon blood to have you fumble the ball on the one yard line. So, pull yourself together, you hear me?” Denny patted Peyton’s hand. “You’re not alone, Farquar. You remember that.”

  Rising, Denny looked outside at the early morning sunlight before jamming the Sig Sauer in the back of her pants. As she zipped up her vest, her phone rang.

  She answered it, listened, and then said she would be there in fifteen minutes. Then she deposited the phone back in her pocket. “That was Wynn Devereaux. I think he might be willing to help me with the Dybbuks.”

  “You have a wonderful heart, Golden,” Valeria said softly. “So much like your mother in so many ways.”

  Denny barely smiled. “When this is behind us, V, you and I are gonna have that long overdue chat about my mother’s condition...among other things.”

  “Yes, we will, but there are certain...subjects I gave her my word I would not––”

  “Well, un-give it. I can either waste precious time trying to find out what I have to fear from my father’s family, or find a way to release my mother from her torment. I have a feeling you’d rather I not attempt the latter.” Denny then looked at Iris. “Stay with Peyton. Heal her as much as you can.”

  “What about Annalee?”

  Shaking her head, Denny started for the door. “She’s not in any danger. Peyton needs you more. I fear the Dybbuks will return for her.”

  “And you, DH? Where are you off to?”

  “I’m going to see what Wynn Devereaux wants. Once daylight is gone, there is nothing to prevent the five Vodouisants from opening another rift. With or without help, I must stop them before that happens.”

  Iris walked Denny out to her car. “You were amazing last night, DH. You need to know that no matter what jerk offs like Peyton say you are no rookie. You are the real deal.”

  “Thanks. Stay safe, little witch.”

  “You, too, big ass demon hunter.”

  As Denny got the in the car, she pulled the visor down and was only slightly surprised to see a pair of red eyes glowing back at her.

  Her Hanta was ready.

  ***
>
  Wynn Devereaux peeked through the curtains before answering his front door. “Miss Silver! You did it! There is a hum in the supernatural world about you saving the great Peyton Farquar and getting the rift closed!”

  “She’s not out of the woods yet, Wynn. When you called you said you might be willing to help me tonight. I could sure use an extra pair of hunting hands.”

  Wynn stepped out onto a porch whose white paint was peeling to reveal a once gray door. “Yes, yes, of course, but first, I have to apologize for my behavior.”

  “None necessary. You can make it up to me now.”

  “Absolutely. What can I do?”

  Denny explained the need to find the five boys today. “All of this will have been for naught if they open another source. Surely you must have otherworldly connections that can track down five possessed Vodouisants youths. I know they are in town. My Hanta has its ears perked up.”

  “I believe I can be of some help there, Miss Silver. I’m certain my sources can locate them for you.”

  “That would be outstanding. I don’t relish the thought of trying to locate them one by one, but that could very well be the case.”

  “Oh heavens, no. Now that they have the incantation down, it will be a snap for them to open another rift. You are correct in making haste over this.”

  “I need a bead. You have my number. Call me if you find anything out. If I need more help than that, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

  “I definitely will. Where are you off to?”

  “A coven. I need to protect two witches and two demon hunters and I am running out of resources.”

  When she got into her car, Denny started to wave goodbye to Wynn, when the hackles on the back of her neck tingled. What are you about, Wynn Devereaux that my Hanta is getting fidgety?

  She called Ames. There was no answer, so she left a message and then called Lauren.

  “Damn you, Den, what about check-in to make sure we know you’re safe don’t you get? I swung by your house and Rush practically tackled me. Are you okay?”

  “Sorry. It’s a mess here. A hot, sordid mess.”

  “Which translates to this is an ‘information needed’ call.”