“MySOUL?”
“Hi, demon, remember?” Malachi snorted. “Of course that’s what I want. You think you have anything else I need?”
Slowly shaking his head, the shell of a man crumpled in on himself as he realized how well and truly fucked he was. “I have nothing,” he murmured. Raising his gaze, he threw his shoulders back in a last-ditch scramble to salvage his manhood. “Will it hurt?” he asked quietly. His voice steady and unwavering.
“A little,” Malachi admitted. “But not as much as me killing you. Tell you what, you tell me what this angel looked like, and I’ll reconsider letting you go as long as you leave my angel alone. I’m feeling nicer because she just told me she loves me.”
Blinking rapidly, the man began spouting a description of the angel. With a sinking feeling, Malachi decided the man must have truly seen an angel this time. That or the demon realized they were busted as a fake angel and upped their game. Regardless, Malachi realized two things at once. This guy was small potatoes, and he hadn’t heard from Nathan or the other intruder. Growling, he waved a claw negligently, then mumbled for the guy to get and stay lost. He barely noticed as the gangly man sprinted hard for the gate and was gone in a flash.
Shifting back to dog form, he slipped quietly through the door and let his senses roam. Right away, he could tell something was dreadfully wrong. He could smell blood and knew it wasn’t from the would-be assassin. The darkness was thick like heavy fog, much darker than it should be for thetime of day. Creeping forward, he heard another voice, Nick’s, trying to coax Kelly and Glenda out of the room.
“Come on out, dearest niece, it’s okay, everything’s alright now,” the voice reassured.
The growl building in his chest was getting hard to stifle, but Malachi choked it back, not wanting to alert anyone to his presence yet.
“You need to hurry,” the man urged, his voice silky and comforting. “Malachi and Nathan are hurt; they need your help!”
I’m fine, stay put,Malachi sent to both ladies.That’s not Nick. I don’t know who he is, but he has the blade and some spell that he’s using to mimic angel Nick. I’m pretty sure Nathan is hurt badly. What do you want me to do? I can kill him, or check on Nathan, or my personal favorite, I can take his soul. It won’t kill him, but he’ll wish it had.
The stillness was thick and tense, making his fur stand on end. Just when he began to worry Kelly hadn’t heard him, his ears perked forward at her soft command.
“Malachi, fetch me his soul.”
Souls and Soles- Brands matter
With an unearthly howl that echoed and rattled like an entire legion of demons was arriving, Malachi launched himself at the intruder. Snarling and frothing at the mouth like a rabid beast, he filled his eyes with flames and let shadows curl from his body. The dark tendrils expanded around his frame, making him appear larger, concealing his true form. All the man could see was glowing eyes of fire, wicked fangs, and deep writhing darkness.
A terrified bellow rent the air as the man raised his arms defensively, covering his face. The spell that made him look and sound like Nick fell away, revealing the attacker's true appearance. Just another gangly, sloppy man, almost identical to the one outside, he was utterly forgettable and average in every way. Height, weight, hair color, and even the size of his nose were boring.
As the enraged demon moved closer, the man blindly slashed with the blade, which had blood staining its length, still wet and dripping. Malachi’s growl grew even more unhinged as he realized why Nathan was silent. Theblade wouldn’t affect his demon hide any more than a regular one, but he still didn’t want to get cut. Going in low, he bit the man’s ankle, dropping him to the floor.
The intruder’s grip on the blade did not slacken the way Malachi hoped as the jackass continued to flail his arms and clench his teeth. “Die demon!’ he shrieked, while trying to slash wildly. “She’s an abomination! She must be stopped!”
Rolling his eyes, Malachi shifted to full demon form, which was better suited for subduing enemies and removing souls. He flared his wings for dramatic effect, which was only ruined slightly when the feathers smacked the wall in the confines of the narrow hallway. Still, his horns glinted evilly as the Hellfire in his eyes lit the dim space. “You really think you can kill me, stupid mortal?” he laughed and shook his head. “You really have no idea who you’re fucking with, do you?” Leaning down he easily plucked the blade from the man’s fingers and studied it casually while gripping his captive’s throat in his other hand. He absently lifted him and held him out at a distance while he continued to study the sword. Hefting it and taking a few experimental swings, Malachi shook his head in disgust.
“Seriously, this thing isn’t even a full forsaken blade… It’s like… a half-saken blade. It wouldn’t even sting a full angel. Who gave you this? You could stab her, and she’d be like, ‘Tis but a scratch!’ and laugh it off.” Malachi snorted and shook his head again. “So, back to my original question. Do you have any idea who you’re fucking with? Because I’ll be happy to enlighten you.” He bared his teeth, his fangs showing their full razor-like lengths as he drew the sputtering, terrified man close enough to see the individual flames in his eyes. “I’m the demon in love with the woman you’re trying to kill. So, itreallypisses me off that you’re here. Also, happy to bring up a sore subject, but she did order me to fetch your soul,and I’m averygood boy.” He leaned in closer. “This is where you scream, because I guarantee you it’s going to hurt.”
Lunging, Malachi slid his fangs into the man’s throat, sucking hard and relishing that first pull of a sinner’s blood. The agonized screams of exquisite pain filled the space, music to his Damned ears. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the glimmering part of the man that made up the complexity of his soul. It was certainly tarnished, and while not as sweet as the soul of a human who was otherwise ‘good,’ it was still delicious with its tang of darkness. He moaned indecently as the soul filled his throat, sliding down into his core like a silky caress. “Mmm… that’s amazing. I do miss having souls to devour.”
The man’s form slumped to the floor in a boneless heap as the last of his soul oozed out of his body and into Malachi’s. An uneasy groan rattled from his throat as he tried to regain his balance. Scrambling to sit up, his breath gasping and wheezing like an accordion, the man glared at Malachi. “Fuck you, I’m not telling you shit.”
Rolling his eyes, Malachi chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that. I have your soul, remember? You’re useless to me, Terry. I know everything I need to know about you and your pathetic experiences. I have no use for you; in fact, I would kill you, but that would create a mess for Chuck, so you get to live. Although now that you have no soul, it’s not much of a life, is it?”
“That’s what you did? You t-took my soul?” Terry’s voice trembled. The shaking extended to his whole body as he quaked all over. “What… how… I don’t…” he stumbled as he moved to his knees and shuffled towards Malachi pleadingly. “How do I live? How can I survive without my soul?”
“Fun fact, I don’t fucking care. That’s a you problem now, isn’t it?” Malachi huffed. He glanced at the door. “Now, I need you to stay put while I tell her it’s safe to come out.” Glancing back at Terry, Malachi sneered. “Stay, or I will hunt you down and kill you. Slowly. Painfully. Then I will paint a portrait of her with your blood.”
Nodding frantically, visibly trying to rein in his terror, Terry scooted against the wall with a thud, one arm wrapped around his knees. The other holding the spot on his ankle where he’d been bitten, his eyes reflected nothing. He was now lost in the world.
Satisfied his prey wouldn’t run, Malachi focused on the space beneath the door and willed himself into a cloud of ash and shadows. The nebulous mist slithered under the door and pooled on the other side before he reformed, quickly wrapping his wings around his body as a shoe came flying at his chest. “The fuck, Chuck?” he demanded as she readied another piece of footwear to launch his way. “It’s me! Remember I told you I could get in without opening the door?”
She paused and stared at him warily. “Yeah, well, that other guy was using Nick’s voice, so sorry if I’m not too trusting right now.”
Glancing at Glenda, he shrugged. “Your friend has a teal dress with skeletons riding giant purple dildos, but somehow I’m the one who’s concerning around here?” Winking roguishly, he leaned against the door and held out his arms to Chuck. His smile grew larger as the shoe hit the floor with a thump, and she launched herself into him. Wrapping her tightly against his body, he placed his cheek on the silky cap of her hair and sighed. “I’ve got you. I’m so proud of you, too. Look at you, not taking any shit. Ready to end my existence with a pair of Nikes. Brave woman.”
“Only the best shoes for my demon,” she muttered against his gray skin.
A chuckle built in his throat, until it boomed from him and filled the room with the rich sound. A mixture of relief and pure delight at her sassy comeback. Finally, he calmed his amusement and glanced into her eyes. “Alright, so now what do we do with the soulless cock sucker sitting in your hall? And we should probably check on Nathan.” He grimaced, feelingsomewhat guilty for forgetting the other human, but being nice was still a little foreign to him.
