Drop Dead Demons (47 page)

The ground proved slippery in the Waiting World. Fortunately, the bones of the decaying bodies provided enough traction to skid to a stop with a belching
slurp
.

My stomach quivered. I picked up the hem of my gown—because, yes, I wore yet another one since the Waiting World apparently had some absurdly formal dress code. My eyes watered from the revolting stench of sulfur mixed with rotting meat on a slow roast. My pores streamed sweat like they were dumping buckets from a sinking boat. Couldn’t decide whether the gushing perspiration was from fear or the freakin’ gazillion degree lava pulsing all around.

A scream diverted my attention from the visions of burning alive that were suddenly flashing through my mind.

Whatever bravado I’d managed to muster up, shriveled as I stared at the demon.

Aphrodite seemed to age before my eyes. Skin sprouting liver spots, then wrinkling over itself in folds. Actually, she wasn’t aging so much as deteriorating. Like Echo had. Only slower. Somehow making this whole Wicked Witch melting thing all the more horrifying.

One of the corpses picked itself up from the gory muck of landscape and tackled Aphrodite. They squelched onto the ground, screaming, punching, clawing. Flesh literally flying. So…yucky.

There was a shriek.

But not from me.

Chloe tried scrambling to her feet but slipped deeper into the quicksand of rotting flesh. I
squished
to her side — wearing rain boots up to my knees, finally! — and pulled her into my arms.

“It’s okay. I’ll get you out of here,” I assured her and whirled toward the portal. “Come with— Crap!”

An odd rock formation blocked out path. I peeked around it, but there was just more hellacious Waiting World. No portal. No Hex Boys or whacked out Jenny, not even a sliver of white light where the portal should have been. No exit where I could send Chloe back through.

I raised a hand, wiggled my fingers, trying to conjure portal-opening beams of light to find us a way back home.

Nothing.

Okay, not great. But I still had Gloria. Somewhere. Right? She needed to do her angel thing, destroy Aphrodite and set all right with the world. As gross as this one was.

“Look out!” Chloe grabbed at me.

I didn’t look fast enough.

An enormous wing smacked me into the rock formation where the portal should’ve been. Stupid, stupid Waiting World.

The appendage — only one — that had hit me sprouted from Aphrodite’s back like a flopping, giant bat wing with maggots dripping from oozing wounds. The Goddess of Love was ever so sexy.

Chloe screamed loud enough to shatter ear drums. Couldn’t blame her. My hand slimed through the…death-covered ground for a weapon, bone, anything, as Aphrodite stalked toward us.

The corpse that had been fighting Aphrodite lunged again, but this time the goddess caught it by the throat, lifting the living carcass off the ground, legs kicking.

Only…it wasn’t a corpse.

Under the smears of gross and soot, the skin was a rich honeyed tan. Frizzed out ringlets the color of amber hung over robin’s egg blue eyes that flashed with hatred. What very little remained of a tattered, burned white dress, draped off a voluptuous form that put Aphrodite’s to shame.

Even in this horrid abode, she was dazzling. A bit worse for wear, especially covered in all the guck, but physically intact, and in this place, that was practically supermodel status.

Aphrodite snarled, “Psyche, I should’ve killed you the moment I laid eyes on you. Ugh!” 

Psyche’s kick plunged through Aphrodite’s stomach and they both went down.

I found a safe island of non-molten rock for Chloe to stand.

“Stay here!” I told her, then ran and leapt onto Aphrodite’s back, hooking my arm around her neck. Her rotting throat squished and oozed around my bicep. I gagged. The Goddess of Love smelled like roadkill.

Shrill howls filled the air.

In the distance, monstrous figures started to descend from the steep side of a raging volcano. Blue leathery skin stretched tight over skeletal bodies. I could see the gleam of their fangs from here.

Not really. My imagination was just working overtime to liquefy my guts through abject terror.

Aphrodite bucked, wing flapping, and flung me off. My back slapped to the ground. She loomed over me, seizing my face with her half-skeletal hand, and smashed my head into the terrain with a gurgling
plop
.

I would’ve preferred concrete.

Fighting nausea, I slammed a knee into Aphrodite’s ribs. Heard a satisfying
crunch.
She yelped. I swung an elbow. Cracked her face. A piece of flesh ripped off and, sticky as wet cellophane, it wrapped around my arm, then slid down onto my chest.

I squealed so high, only dogs could hear.

Then I kicked my feet into the goddess’s gut. Her arms pinwheeled, and she fell back into—

Oh, dear God.

With a savage
splat
, Aphrodite hit a bubbling pond of lava. Her screams pierced the air. In the distance, shrieking howls bellowed from the demonic Smurfs. I rolled away from the sight of Aphrodite sinking into the thick, simmering orange liquid, her last shrieks drowning into desperate, wet gurgles.

Something slimed on my chest. I looked down. And shrieked. Aphrodite’s slice of cheek still clung to my skin. Panicked, I grabbed at it, but it kept slipping through my fingers, and—

Fingernails, crusted with blood, pierced the chunk and flung it away. The beauty attached to them offered a hand and a shockingly white-toothed smile.

“I am Psyche,” she said with polite formality.

“Aurora.” I cleaned my palms on my skirt before shaking her hand, weirded out by the social nicety in this wasteland. I glanced around with a wary eye. “What about that demon army you were supposed to bring?”

“I gathered them as ordered. I am a dutiful servant after all,” Psyche said with a smug little bow. “Then I sent them through the wrong portal. Tipped off by Eros, Mandatum hunters were waiting. It was a feast of demon death.”

“Hmmm.” I had a thought. “That portal wouldn’t happen to be in Nepal, would it?”

“I am uncertain.” The white teeth flashed again. “Through the carnage of demon destruction, I was fortunate to glimpse snow covered mountain peaks of majestic proportions.”

“Yep. Sounds about right. So why aren’t you a flesh-dripping zombie like the rest of them around here?”

From behind me, a cheery voice answered. “Psyche doesn’t belong here.” 

I turned, then shook my head with a laugh. Chloe huddled against Gloria who was dressed like Mary Poppins, complete with umbrella, carpet bag, and daisy-laden hat. Although, the hot pink hair tucked underneath was all Gloria-issue.

“That’s why the Waiting World hasn’t claimed her after all this time,” Gloria said then squeezed Chloe’s shoulders. “Nor does my dear little Chloe.”

“Remember that whole part about being the
worst
guardian angel ever?” I jabbed a thumb over my shoulder. “This is what I’m talking about. I already took care of Aphrodite myself.”

“And you were…” Gloria raised the umbrella above her head, swaying it back and forth as she sang the next series of syllables. “Super-cala-fragil-istic-expi-ali-doe-cious!” She twirled the umbrella back down, and wearing a brilliant smile, resettled an arm around Chloe. “Honestly, I don’t know why you’re complaining.”

“H-hello?” Chloe was wearing a blindfold.

“Fear not, child.” Gloria patted the girl’s shoulder and whispered to me, “I thought it best she not see anymore.”

“We’ll all be safe soon, Chloe,” I said. “And don’t dump us in the lake, Gloria. By the way, is my body back home in a coma this time?”

“No, of course not,” Gloria said. “You entered yourself into this realm
body
and soul.”

Yeah, like that explained it all.

“Whatever,” I said. “Come on, Psyche, we’re all getting out of here. Gloria, let’s go.”   

Gloria suddenly looked morose. “Oh, dear me.”

I groaned. “I’m not going to like this, am I? Let me guess, more of your stupid limitations?”

Gloria chewed a finger. “I am
limited
to remove one human who doesn’t belong. As your guardian angel, I must choose you. Unless you refuse. Free will and all.”

“Ha. Ha-ha.
Not
funny. It doesn’t even make sense.” I shook my head and pulled Chloe from Gloria’s arms and held her tight against me. “None of us belong here, and I’m not leaving either of them to get gobbled up by the blue piranhas which are going to be here any minute.”

Chloe shuddered and clutched me tighter. Great, Aurora, terrify the child even more.

“Sorry.” Gloria lifted her hands in a helpless gesture, her perkiness wilting like a dying rose. “The rules were created for a reason. If I do not comply, I’ll lose my wings. Fall as Aphrodite did.”

I blinked. “Aphrodite was a fallen angel?”

Psyche nodded. “As is Eros. It’s why we had such difficulty catching them. We believed them to be demons. But their powers go far beyond.”

I glared at Gloria. “Gee willikers, that would’ve been helpful knowledge a few days ago.”

Gloria shrugged. Chloe trembled. Demonic Smurfs shrieked.

Before I could completely appreciate how suck-tastic my life was, Psyche lunged for Chloe.

“No!” I screamed, shoved Chloe into Gloria, and rammed a fist into Psyche’s face. Ow. You’d think my knuckles would’ve toughened up by now.

Psyche yelped. “What in Hades was that for?”

“I’m not letting you use a kid to save yourself,” I said. “If only one gets out, it’s Chloe. Now
back-off
.”

“I wasn’t!” Psyche rubbed her jaw. “I feared
you
would sacrifice the innocent. She is here because of my misapplication of revenge. When I pulled Aphrodite in, I possessed not the knowledge that the vile creature held the child.” Psyche dropped her head. “So we are agreed about what must be done.”

I stared at the miserable landscape. My heart dropped into what felt like a vat of acid, but once again, what choice did I have? Tears brimmed and spilled onto my cheeks.

My lip quivered as I pushed Chloe into Gloria’s arms. “Watch over my family. They’ll need your help. And can you somehow tell the Hex Boys…tell Ayden that…” My throat closed. Words were no longer an option.

“Don’t be silly.” Gloria bopped me on the head with the umbrella.

“Ow!” Did I say
bop
? It was more of a whack. 

“Tell them yourself.” At my questioning look, she sighed and shook her head with exasperation. “
I
can only take out one, but you can remove any and as many as you see fit. You’ve gotten yourself out before. This time take Psyche with you.”

“Whoa!” I waved my hands in the air. “I don’t know how to get out.
You’ve
always gotten me out!”

“Have I?” Gloria gave me a cagy look. “Besides, you said it yourself. You don’t need me anymore.”

“When did I say that!”

“Believe in yourself, Aurora. Like I always have.” Gloria’s umbrella opened with a crisp snap. Colorful streamers trailed off the edges.

“Enough with the vague crap, Gloria. Give me straight answers.”

“I’ve already told you, but…fine.” She looked petulant. I flinched when her wings snapped open. Dazzling white with hot pink polka dots. Cool. She spoke in a lilting sing-song. “Always take the high ground and a net will appear, when you leap to your faith having cast aside fear.”

Then she smiled.

“That’s
it?
” I ground out. “Not helpful. At all. Give me something that makes sense.”

“Weakness is your strength. Fear is your salvation.”

“Gloria!” I waded through the flesh and bone to stand in front of her. “Stop talking in riddles and mixing metaphors and tell me how we get out of here!”

“I already did. But first, might I suggest…” She glanced over her shoulder. “…that you’d better start running.”

Her wings pumped, the force gusting a hot wind that sent her and Chloe into the air. And me flattened to the ground. When I looked up, I saw the skeletal blue ghoulies.

Closing in.

On the run with a centuries’ old fallen angel’s wife in a demonic dimension while a hoard of fang-filled monsters gave chase was not my idea of girl bonding.

“She said high ground, yes?” Psyche panted. “What does she wish us to do?”

“Who knows? She says a lot of stupid things.” I jumped over a trickle of lava. “Just keep running!”

We were headed toward a single outcropping of a high rock formation and had a temporary lead on the ghoulies, but they were gaining. I’d only be comfortable when we were separated by different dimensions. And then, only kind of.

I’d never been so happy Tristan and I had jogged — no run — to the Ishida home all those mornings. Psyche and I made it to the cliff faces without collapsing. My knees quivered at the thought of climbing. Heights. I hated heights. I glanced back. Despite the vertigo already warping my vision, I could tell the demons were only minutes away. And that was a generous estimate.

“Let’s go.” I jammed my stupid boots into footholds, grasped a ledge, and pulled myself up.

We climbed in silence. Other than the occasional grunt or yelp. I tried not to focus on the fact that the demons were looking less like a hoard of tiny ants and more like rabid squirrels.

Gaining on us.

Climbing was slow at first. Searching for a hold, getting a good grip, pulling up. Searching, gripping—very repetitive, very tiring, and very not what I wanted to be doing. But as we climbed higher, bare branches and gnarled roots grew out from the rocks to speed our ascent. Sure, the branches had plenty of thorns thirsty for blood, but I tried to focus on the positive.

“We’re almost to the top!” Psyche called down from several feet above.

“
You’re
almost to the top,” I muttered. “Show off.”

“When you’ve been here as long as I have, climbing is a necessity.”

I gulped down some hot air. “So was falling in love with Eros worth all this?”

“Of course. Love is worth any sacrifice.” Psyche swung down a root for me to grasp.

“That’s pretty much what Eros said.”

She sighed.  “He is a true romantic. Our torment wasn’t his fault. He knew I was a hunter, which is why he never wanted me to see his face. When I broke our bargain, saw him for who he truly was, my love for him was so profound, I did not care.”

“He didn’t believe you?” I panted.

“He ran before I could assure him of the truth of my devotion.”

Something clunked me on the head. “Ow!” The skull bounced off my shoulder and tumbled down. I nearly lost my grip. 

Psyche cringed. “Apologies.”

“Be careful!” We kept climbing. “So what happened?”

“Aphrodite convinced my true love I’d double-crossed him.”

“The gods do love a good double-cross.”

“Aphrodite said I was using his love to capture him and take him back to the Mandatum.” She paused to make a long reach. “He fled, heartbroken. Desperate to find him, and not knowing Aphrodite’s treachery, I sought her assistance. She told me he’d gone to the Underworld, and to save him I must enter through Hades’ portal.”

“She’s helpful like that.” A few grunts later, I reached the level where she sat on a small ledge. Skulls leered. Dusty skeletons slept. How they got up here, I had no idea. But I wasn’t going to suffer the same fate.

Psyche had a wistful smile. “Love makes you…”

“Stupid. Crazy. Desperate. Got it.” I collapsed in the little niche barely big enough for both of us.

My fingers trembled worse than my legs. I rested my forehead against the rough stone. A mistake because that left me looking down. The pride for making it this high smeared into vivid images of landing in a bloody splat.

The demons had almost caught up. Their claws speared into the rocks. Better than steroids for helping them scuttle up stone.

New plan.

I grabbed the surrounding skulls and bones — thankfully devoid of any flesh — and chucked them down. Psyche got the idea and tossed entire skeletons. The bones bounced and shattered off rocks as well as the demons. The hellions screamed in protest, tumbling off, and, taking out fellow ghoulies as they fell.

I reached for more bones, but we were out of ammo. I kicked off my boots and sent them flying, took out a few more monsters. The herd thinned. But there was still a freakin’ herd.

“Let’s go!” I swung onto a branch and clambered higher, Psyche hot on my heels.

“What’s the plan?” she asked.

“Get to the top.”

“And then?”

“Devise the rest of the plan.”

I used a thick root to claw my way over the final edge and onto the flat, smooth stone. Horizontal ground was vastly underrated. I helped Psyche up, then we ripped out skulls embedded in the rock and threw them with gusto over the edge.

Despite our shots nailing plenty, sending several plummeting down into oblivion, the demons seemed to multiply. Time was a luxury we didn’t own.

“There’s a problem,” Psyche said.

“Just one?” I stood. “Awesome.” 

But it was a doozy.

We’d reached the peak. A large, flat plateau. A floating island of barren rock a million miles above lava-laden ground. Nowhere to run or hide. No weapons. And a gaggle of ghoulies converging on us any second.

Snap evaluation?

Psyche had the nerve to say it out loud.

“We’re dead.”