“Nothing,” I said when we got to Bethaney’s kitchen. I glanced up at her roof. Could I see a slight grey smudge, or was that my imagination? I wasn’t used to using my magic, and the strain was giving me a headache.
“Should I be worried?” Bethaney asked, and I shook my head.
“You should make sure you check who’s at your door before you answer it.” But that went without saying. “But so far, it has only been demons targeted.”
I could feel Agaliarept’s displeasure at my admission, but I wasn’t going to make this woman terrified in her own home. He could take it up with me when we were alone.
One awkward elevator ride later, and we were standing on the sidewalk. I’d parked a few streets away, and I eyed the demon as he fell into step beside me.
“Is there a reason you’re following me?”
Agaliarept gave me a look that said, quite clearly, that I was an idiot. “The demon in charge of watching you was called away.”
Samael had someone watching me from afar? And he was making Agaliarept follow me home like a lost puppy?
“Lookit. I’m taking the knife to be analyzed and then I’m going home.”
“Are you going to be difficult about this?”
I glowered at him. “You bet your ass I am.” He raised one eyebrow and I clenched my fists, unreasonably furious at the entire situation.
The world spun around me, and my back hit the sidewalk.
Danica
The beast’s drool dripped onto my face from fangs the size of my fingers. It roared at me, and I had a glimpse of leathery red skin, and then it was gone. I attempted to suck in a breath as Agaliarept leapt on its back. He pulled out a long knife he’d had stashed somewhere, and stabbed into its side.
The creature was the size of a minivan and it stunk like decomposition. It rolled its shoulder, throwing Agaliarept off and slashing out with its claws.
I sat up and swiped a throwing knife, nailing it in the forehead. The blade sunk deep in its crimson skin and the beast snarled at me. But I hadn’t slowed it down.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Agaliarept got to his feet, his knife in his hand as he crouched in a low fighting stance.
“What is it?” I gasped out.
“A hellhound.”
I stared at it. The beast looked like a ‘hound’ like I looked like a fucking pixie.
“Run,” Agaliarept ordered me, his eyes still on the beast.
I ignored that and threw another knife. The beast was too slow to dodge, and the knife got stuck in its neck. It bled, but the hellhound didn’t seem to care.
Fine. I reached into my utility belt and rooted around until my fingers hit a cool stone. Just because I didn’t like using my own magic didn’t mean I was opposed to buying witch spells. I muttered the incantation and the spell lit up as I threw it, hitting the creature in its left flank. It exploded like a grenade on contact, and red flesh flew through the air.
The hellhound roared, turning on me, and Agaliarept took the opportunity to leap at it once more, plunging his knife deep in its side.
I pulled my Nim Cub and circled behind the beast. Distantly, I could hear people screaming. Hopefully, they were also running, instead of becoming standing targets.
The beast knew I was behind it. It turned and lashed out with a huge, clawed paw. Fuck it was fast.
I said a mental goodbye to the skin on my back and took a running leap, sliding beneath the hellhound’s paw and under its belly.
“You idiot!” Agaliarept roared.
“Heckling isn’t helping.”
