claws across the young man’s chest, scraping bone and drawing blood. Then something hit the demon in the back. Alex saw taloned hands reach around Baal’s shoulders from behind, gouging his eyes and pulling him back. Lorelei tore and bit at Baal’s neck. Baal released Alex, reaching at his back to clutch at Lorelei. He stood as he fought to grab her. Something large, white and frightful struck Baal’s chest. It knocked him backward, sending him tumbling to the ground. The object landed right next to Alex as the young man struggled to rise. It was Harrow’s head. Rachel flew past Alex, charging Baal headlong with her sword raised, only to be brutally swatted back. She tumbled to the ground next to Alex. Weary and wounded already from her battle with Harrow, the angel was clearly on her last legs. She coughed and spit blood, her sword briefly fall ing from her grasp. Alex reached out toward her, trying to ignore his injuries. In a moment, he’d probably feel a lot worse, anyway. Their enemy finally got his hands on Lorelei. He dragged her off of his back, holding her high as if to slam her head first onto the ground even as she fought to slash through his wrists. “No bitch could ever be worth this trouble,” Baal hissed, rearing back to cast her down. He almost didn’t hear himself speak over the howl of agony that came from the boy nearby, but Baal didn’t really pay it any mind. He’d get to that in a moment. Then came the unbearable pain in Baal’s chest. He howled in agony, looking down to see the angel’s flaming sword sunk to the hilt in the center of his chest. Alex let go of the blade as he fell to his knees, gasping and crying in pain as his hands burned. Baal’s grip faltered. Lorelei tumbled from his hands, landing roughly next to her lover. Baal staggered, choked out a cry of terrible fear, and finally fell onto his back. The impact shook the ground around him. A heartbeat later, his body caught fire. Alex stared down at his ruined, smoldering hands. Tears of pain ran freely from his face. A hand grasped his shoulder. It trembled, holding onto him weakly, but it meant the world to him. Lorelei clung to him, facing him without the slightest il usion covering her bruises or her demonic features. She was battered, inhuman, and every bit as beautiful to him as she had ever been. It didn’t extinguish the pain, but it drew him back into the
moment. She wasn’t alone, either. Rachel stepped over to them, placing one hand protectively on Alex’s shoulder even as the other snatched up her fall en blade. “We gotta get the fuck out, lover,” she warned. Her healing touch helped him rise. Alex looked around and saw the hordes of demons creeping closer. Their moves were tentative, threatening but also wary, as if each waited for another to make the first move. It was Lorelei who stopped them. “Baal is dead!” She cal ed out. “Harrow is dead! Slain in their own realm, never to return! Do not make the same mistake they made!” The mob of vile creatures paused at her words, but didn’t look entirely put off. She stepped forward over the smoking remains of their master. Lorelei plunged her hand into the soot and ash. The mob let out a collective gasp as she pul ed forth Baal’s iron crown and held it aloft over her head. The succubus gave the masses a long, imperious glare. “Lady Lorelei,” one of them whispered. Then more. Then more. The whispers became shouts. “Lady Lorelei! Lady Lorelei!” Lorelei held up a firm, open hand to silence them. The crowd was hushed. Fearsome demons groveled and knelt, humbling themselves before her. Her gaze fell across the entire sweep of assembled foul things, and over Alex and Rachel behind her. In the moment that his eyes met hers, her beauty overwhelmed him. It was frightening. He had loved her so dearly, yet here she left no pretense over what she truly was. Triumphant and terrible, Lorelei looked over a legion of demons that had cal ed her name and then fall en silent at a single gesture of her hand. “This crown,” she cal ed out loudly and clearly, “and al that it symbolizes…goes to the last one of you standing.” Shocked eyes went wide al around them. None dared move. Lorelei cast the iron crown far into the crowd.
Pandemonium erupted instantly. Rachel didn’t pause to watch the chaos that ensued as demons shoved, trampled and rent one another in their rush to recover the crown. The angel flung her arms around Alex and Lorelei, turned and bolted. The portal was still open just a short distance away. There had been demons blocking it, but they now hurried forward, already fighting one another, disregarding the angel and her charges. They thought only of the iron crown. Onyx neared col apse. Molly was made of sterner stuff, but she knew her lover couldn’t be much better off. They held the portal just long enough for Rachel to come flying through, stumbling to the ground with one arm around Alex and the other around Lorelei as she fell . The witches both dropped their hold on the portal, staggering backward as the warp in reality shrank into nothing before them. A second later, the witches were both on the floor as well . It seemed like a pretty comfortable place for everyone. Rachel promptly saw to Alex’s wounds. She got to her knees, gingerly took up his charred hands, kissing one, then the other. She held them with her head bowed in prayer. It was a long, slow moment in which even she wasn’t sure of what might happen, but the charring faded and flesh grew back. There were scars and discolored patches, but muscle and skin returned. “Thank you, Lord,” she breathed as tears streamed from her eyes to fall across his wrists. “Thank you.” “Wasn’t…?” Alex croaked. He coughed, looking around blearily. “Wasn’t the building on fire?” “No,” Molly said, waving a hand over her head. “No, I kinda blew al that out.” “Right,” Alex nodded, “right.” He was silent for another moment. “Where’d the SUV come from?” “We don’t know,” Onyx panted. “We were gonna ask you?” “Alex?” a voice cal ed. “Hey, y’al in here?” Alex forced his head up to look down the hall way. Where the portal had been before, Alex saw Wade advancing
warily with a rifle in his hands. Taylor came with him, armed with a pistol. “Hey, are al y’al a’right?” Wade asked. Seeing two strangers sprawled on their backs where Alex, Lorelei and Rachel were also on the floor, the young man opted to keep the rifle pointed more or less toward them. “Woah, Wade,” Alex waved wearily. “Put it down. They’re cool. They’re friends. They came to rescue me.” “We came to rescue you!” Taylor replied. “Wow,” Alex blinked. “You guys…real y?” The succubus sat up from the floor only to find herself face to face with Rachel. “I get him for Christmas and Valentine’s,” the angel said firmly. “Now is not the time,” Lorelei whispered. “Christmas and Valentine’s,” Rachel repeated. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Maybe I’l share him, but I’m just sayin’. No cutting me out on those.” Lorelei sighed. “Done.” “Uh, hey,” Taylor thought aloud, “shouldn’t we get the hell out of here? I mean, won’t there be cops or firefighters?” “Not at a party like this,” Molly spoke up. “They take care of that shit in advance. We shouldn’t just hang around, but no. I doubt there’l be cops.” “We can take care of cops,” Onyx said. She smiled wearily at Mol y. “And I’m not leaving ‘til I’ve had a chance to talk to him,” she added, waving a hand at Alex. “Are we sure there aren’t more bad guys?” Alex asked. “Pretty sure,” Wade nodded. “Drew and Jason were checkin’ the perimeter of the house, though, just t’ be positive.”
Lorelei looked over to Alex. “Where is Lydia?” * “Come to me,” the blonde succubus whispered, beckoning with one finger from behind the bush. Drew blinked, looking to her with suspicion. He hadn’t seen her before. She didn’t look like a vampire, though; her skin wasn’t pale enough, nor was she in black. “You okay?” he asked. “Found something?” Jason said, looking around the corner of the house. “Come to me,” Lydia repeated. The battered, disheveled beauty lured Drew closer. His rifle dropped low she worked her charms. He was strong-wil ed, this one, and brave. It was al she could do to keep him mesmerized. If she could lure him in, though, and seal things with a kiss… “Hey!” Jason yel ed. He turned his gun on her. “Drew, what’s up with this?” “I think…I think it’s cool, Jason,” Drew murmured. “Jason,” Lydia smiled reassuringly. “Put down your gun. You have rescued me. Let me reward you. ” She reached out to Drew, gesturing for him to come near. “Let me reward you both.” Drew’s eyes fluttered. He stepped closer. Jason lowered his gun. Drew moved in, his face leaning forward toward hers as his eyes closed and his lips parted. Then there was a sudden electrical buzz, fol owed by a flump. The kiss never came. He opened his eyes. Jason stood between Drew and the woman on the ground with his stun gun in his hands.
“What the…what are you doin’, man?” Drew blinked. “Dude! You punched out a demon tonight! A fucking demon, man! And now you’re gonna go al slack jawed and stupid for this bitch?” Lydia groaned, trying to rise. Jason zapped her again, leaving her sprawling out in the grass. “Hey!” Drew protested. “You don’t know she’s a bad guy!” “Bitch is that fine, wearin’ a dress like that full ’a bul et holes outside a broken window? That’s a white devil, man!” “You’re a white devil!” Jason’s jaw dropped. “Yo, I thought you was my nig, man?” Drew’s eyes flared. “What did you just cal me?” Chapter 18
Al Over But the Screaming
“Drew just hit me.” Wade took the cel phone off his ear to frown at it. “What did you do to make him do that?” “I didn’t do nothin’! ‘cept probably save him from this crazy blonde bitch here.” “You know what you did!” Drew’s voice was loud enough to be heard over the phone. “Oh. You said that word again. Jason, ah’m a white Southerner and ah’m offended when ya go sayin’ that shit.”
“Oh, Drew’s just pissed ‘cause he botched his save versus skank!” Jason snapped. “Anyway, we got a woman here I think is probably a bad guy who just tried to seduce us both,” he went on. “I mean, beat-up blonde outside a blown-up house full of vampires, and here we were both ready to drop everything and double-team her in the bushes. She’s unconscious now, but I’m not sure what to do with her.” “Right,” Wade nodded. He looked to the people collected in the hall way. “Hey, Drew and Jason say some blonde chick just almost seduced ‘em both outside. They got her captured now.” “Ugh. Lydia,” Alex groaned. He was still on his back. “I threw her out a window earlier.” “They mustn’t al ow her to speak,” Lorelei offered quickly, but weakly. “She’s knocked out now.” Wade said. “Also, Taylor an’ I saw a whole mess of half-nekkid people runnin’ around downstairs, too, away from the fight. They didn’t look like vampires at al . Didn’t seem like much of a threat, either.” “Oh, man,” Molly said. “Those are the people that the vampires kept as party favors. Did they seem al mesmerized or anything?” “Nah. Just confused an’ scared. Most of ‘em headed for the parkin’ lot.” “Their first instinct will be to run, just like the vampires,” Lorelei nodded. “I have seen it in the past. Most will have confused memories of the party, but virtually al were likely lured here without knowing what was in store. They are a problem that will resolve itself, but it would be good to ensure no one is left behind here.” “Right. That’s al you guys.” Rachel got up off the floor. “I’l go deal with whoreface.” “No,” Lorelei said. “Wait…please.” “You’re hurt bad,” Alex observed. “Is there something I can do?” The succubus looked up at him wearily, but offered a slight, affectionate smile despite her pain. “I will not expire. That
danger has already passed. You know what will heal me, Alex,” she told him softly. “I will endure until then.” “That’s the only way?” “It’s the best way,” she nodded. Lorelei put her hand, covered in blood and filth, upon his shoulder. “You rescued me. Again.” Alex just shrugged. “I love you.” Lorelei nodded. She said, loudly enough to be heard by al , “We should not linger here. The authorities may be delayed, but they cannot ignore al of this for long.” “Alex,” Onyx spoke up as she rose, “we need to talk.” “I know,” he said, looking back to her and Mol y. “I know we do.” “Lydia,” Rachel reminded him gently. “I can take care of her. Bitch has a lot to answer for.” “Al of this, I would imagine,” Lorelei nodded. “Can you bring her with you?” Alex asked Rachel, looking between her and Lorelei. Rachel reached down to help Lorelei to her feet. “Yeah. We’ve got a lot to talk about, too.” “The three of us,” Lorelei nodded. “You’re gonna be nice to her?” Alex asked the angel. Rachel snorted. She had one arm around Lorelei while the succubus held to her shoulder with both arms. “I’m an angel. I’m sweetness and fucking light to everyone,” the blonde grinned as she gently led Lorelei down the hall . “Like a beautiful rainbow right up the ass.”
Wade moved to fol ow, but stopped as he came to Alex. He gestured to Taylor. “She just drove a flaming truck through a giant demon an’ a house full a’ vampires t’ come get you,” he noted. “That was you guys?” Molly asked. Taylor shrugged. She still held a pistol in her hands. She watched Alex, too weary to blush but too embarrassed to know what to say. Wade pul ed Alex to his feet. He slapped his friend on the shoulder before walking off after Rachel and Lorelei. Alex turned to Taylor, still leaning back upon the wall for support. “You did al that for me?” She didn’t answer immediately. Taylor shrugged again. Her lips were pushed forward, quivering a bit, and tears threatened to break free from her eyes. “You’re my best friend,” she managed to say. Her voice wavered as she spoke. “You were always my best friend and I never even really knew until al this happened.” Alex gathered her up into his arms. She held onto him there in the hall way for a long moment, sniffling until she got hold of her feelings again. “Can I tel you I love you without it making everything weird?” “Yeah.” “I love you.” “I had sex with your girlfriend,” Taylor replied half in laughter. “I’ve totally got a thing for her.” Alex laughed back. “I’m glad.” “Well , then you’re a pervert.” She squeezed him again before pulling off to wipe her face. She turned to see Molly and Onyx looking on awkwardly. “These are your friends, too?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Alex nodded. “This is Mol y, and this is Onyx.” “You look like an Onyx,” Taylor smiled quietly. Then she looked back to Alex and said, “I’m gonna go catch up, okay?” She leaned in to kiss him softly on the cheek and then headed out. With that, Alex finally gave his full attention to the two women. “Uh,” he began with uncertainty. They watched him with bemused smirks. “So there’s a lot to explain.” “Uh-huh,” Onyx replied. “I should let you two talk alone,” Molly thought aloud. She got a single step before Onyx slapped her hand down on Mol y’s wrist to halt her in mid-stride. The redhead took her lover’s meaning and stopped walking. “Is Molly your girlfriend?” Alex asked hesitantly. Onyx just nodded. “Uh. Wow,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. “This just gets weirder.” “Molly knows everything,” Onyx told him. “Everything?” “Everything I know,” Onyx elaborated pointedly. “Uh. Right. So I should start at the beginning?” Again, Onyx just nodded. “Okay, well …uh…I guess I should start by saying that if you’ve felt an unnatural attraction to me it’s ‘cause I real y, really like you. And I would’ve told you everything straight up front but I didn’t really know how or think I could. And if it seems like you like me more than you should, it’s not anything intentional but it’s because of Lorelei. The, uh, succubus. Which is like a, um, sex demon,” he added. Onyx and Molly shared the same exact snort and smirk. Alex continued. “And, well …I guess I should start by saying that sometimes I’m real y, really dumb.”