Demonfire (27 page)

When he looked at her, his
expression had grown, if anything, even more bleak. “What if someone on Earth,
or even Eden, was so evil, so vile and depraved, that when he died the leaders
of Abyss, whoever they might be, sought him out? What if they recognized
absolute evil and did exactly what the Edenites did with me?”

Chills raced along her spine.
Raised the tiny hairs on her arms. Bumper whined, as if she picked up Eddy’s
tension. Willow’s head poked out of Dax’s pocket, and Eddy focused on the tiny
sprite as the reality of their situation hit her. “You’re saying we’re not
fighting a mindless demon? That creature might be something with human
intelligence, with the ability to plan and organize?”

Dax nodded. “How else could it
have known the precise moment when I was to enter your dimension? It could have
already been here, waiting for me. Aware I was coming, for whatever reason. Possibly
all is not so perfect in Eden. What if there are factions there, at war with
one another? What if there is intelligence beyond what I know at the upper
levels of Abyss? I know nothing of the politics of my world, nor do I
understand the realm of Eden. Someone chose me. What if someone else, someone
just as powerful, chose another soul? An evil soul. The gargoyle seems to gain
strength as each day passes. For all I know, it carries powers far beyond any
natural demon. Far beyond mine.”

“Could it be drawing on the
demons whose avatars are destroyed? Somehow absorbing them into itself?” Alton
turned around and leaned his arm across the back of the seat. “What if, instead
of those demons without avatars returning to Abyss, they’re being absorbed by
the gargoyle? What if it’s taking on the powers of the ones we miss? That would
explain its growing strength over the past few days. I don’t know for certain
that my sword is killing the ones I hit. I’ve been wondering if I was merely
sending them back home to Abyss.”

“Or to the gargoyle. What if
it’s able to grab the souls of the ones we actually do kill? Grab them before
they vanish into the void? If that’s the case, even the ones we kill provide
more energy for the creature.” Dax squeezed Eddy’s hand as Ed parked the Jeep
at the tail end of a traffic jam blocking the main street in town. The cars
ahead of them were all empty of people. A few vehicles sat with motors idling
and doors flung open.

“Listen,” he said.

Shouts and curses, a woman’s
scream. Dogs barked. Bumper strained anxiously at the leash. Eddy wrapped the
leather strap around her wrist and tightened her fingers through the loop for
good measure. She quickly got out of the vehicle. Dax and Alton took off at a
full run and raced toward the commotion.

Eddy, Bumper, and Ed ran after
them.

The scene that greeted them
ranked really high on the impossibility scale. Eddy skidded to a stop and
stared at the battle lines drawn across the intersection of Lassen Boulevard
and State Street. On one side stood townspeople—both men and women, and a few
older teens. Thank goodness there were no young children in sight. Many in the
crowd of more than a hundred were carrying hunting rifles and shotguns; others
held axes, shovels, and pitchforks. A group of collared priests and ministers
from the various local churches had gathered off to one side. Some had their
heads bowed in prayer, though one priest stood apart with hands raised, as if
he was attempting an exorcism. An acolyte stood beside him, holding a cross.

Across from them, stretching
from storefront to storefront and filling the entire road, were row after row
of stone angels and other guardians of the dead from the cemetery. Eddy noticed
a few small ceramic and stone dogs and cats. She frowned as she tried to place
them until she remembered those had graced some of the plots. Now, instead of
standing protectively over their masters’ graves, they barked and growled and
snarled their banshee howls while the stone angels stood impassively behind
them.

In between, lined up as if
they actually hoped to quell any potential violence, were the highway patrolmen
and the sheriff’s deputies. Milton appeared to be arguing with a large man at
the head of the human group, while the others were lined up, facing the encroaching
army of statues.

All of them looked more than a
little confused.

Eddy caught up to Dax and
grabbed his arm. “What are they waiting for?” she asked, pointing to the demon
angels. Eyes glowed red or yellow in the growing darkness. The sun had already
set, but there was more than enough daylight to see that this group was
entirely animated, unlike the statues they’d just destroyed at the other end of
town.

“I believe they’re waiting for
night to fall. The demons will have more power under full darkness.” He shook
his head and sighed. “We haven’t seen any deaths or serious injuries so far,
but I’m afraid that could change.” Dax swept his hand toward the seething mob.
“With all those weapons, someone is bound to be hurt. The gargoyle will use any
death as a sacrifice. We have no idea how much power he could gain.”

“Where is the gargoyle?” Eddy
had been searching the skies, but there was no sign of the creature.

Alton and Ed scanned the
evening sky as well. Milton’s argument with the man who appeared to be leading
the townsfolk grew louder. Bud was back in the patrol car, talking into his
radio. One of the highway patrolman conferred with his partner. Another was on
his radio, but his head moved from one side to the other, as if he didn’t know
which group posed the biggest threat—the citizens of Evergreen or the cemetery
statues.

“Alton? Can you do anything at
all here?” Dax rubbed his hand across his chest. Eddy wondered if the tattoo
was coming to life. If it still glowed. Dax glanced at her and shook his head.
They’d grown so close, so quickly, he probably knew what she was thinking.

“I can try,” Alton said, “but
when emotions are this high, it’s not quite as easy.” He raised his hands and
narrowed his eyes in concentration.

For the briefest of moments, a
mere fraction out of time, Eddy heard nothing. An unnatural silence settled
over the entire area. Then an earsplitting banshee howl rolled over the small
town.

Wednesday evening—day four

As if the demons took Alton’s
raised hands as a signal, they attacked. Another howl rattled windowpanes and
drew shrieks of fear from the people in the street. The horrible screeching was
so earsplittingly loud, Dax had to consciously fight an instinctive reaction to
cover his ears.

Some of the angels took flight,
leaping into the air like a flock of startled ducks, flapping their wings and
passing low over the astonished group of humans, but most of the demon-fueled
avatars charged directly into the crowd.

Some people scattered. Others
fought back against the unholy horde. A discordant cacophony of banshee howls,
frightened screams, gunshots, and enraged curses rent the air. The ring and
crunch of stone shattering and statues crumbling grew and expanded as the melee
took on its own terrible rhythm of destruction.

Alton reached for his sword
and started forward.

“Wait.” Dax held up one hand.
“Watch the battle. The demons are no match for these folks! Let’s see what
happens, what he’s planning.” He turned his gaze back in the direction of the
gargoyle.

It flew in low over the town,
paused a moment as if surveying the area, and then dove straight toward the
angry, frightened humans. It swooped low over the uniformed men in the center
of the fight, moving with such speed that the wind whistled over its wings. Deputies
crouched behind their squad cars and raised their weapons. One patrolman dove
for cover as the gargoyle zeroed in on his position. Gunfire rang out. Sparks
flew from the creature when bullets bounced harmlessly off its stone body.

It circled the crowd,
shrieking. Then it glided toward the spire of a nearby church, circled it once,
and landed with surprising grace on the steep, shingled side of the steeple.
One taloned fist grasped the top of a golden cross, and its clawed feet rested
against the shingles.

“Dax! Look at that!” Ed
pointed toward a large stone angel. With measured steps and wings spread wide,
it marched directly toward a powerful-looking farmer wielding an ax. The
angel’s mouth opened, exposing row after row of sharp teeth. Its eyes glowed
crimson in the waning light.

The man didn’t hesitate. He
swung his ax at the angel. With both hands grasping the thick, wooden handle,
he aimed at shoulder height and put his entire body into the blow.

The angel’s head rolled out
into the street. The red eyes dimmed, and the mouth closed. The body tottered
in place for a moment, weaving slightly before it toppled to the ground.

The man stared at the head of
the statue as if he couldn’t quite believe what he’d just done. Dax watched the
body. Black mist rose from the angel’s shattered throat. It hovered a moment
over the large man, pulsing as if it drew breath. Then the mist collapsed into
the shape of an arrow.

It shot straight for the
gargoyle.

Clinging to the cross atop the
spire, the gargoyle rose up on its hind legs, stretched out one powerful arm,
and captured the streaking mist. Jaws stretched wide, it seemed to either
inhale or swallow the demon. It was hard to be sure, as dark as it was so high
above the street lights, but as the mist disappeared, the gargoyle seemed to
grow larger. Its eyes glowed brighter. Wings flared out from its wide, bony
shoulders.

Dax stared, fascinated, as it
rose up straighter, unfurling its wings to their fullest. They stretched out
into the night until the gargoyle took on the appearance of a monstrous vampire
bat. Then it turned slowly, pivoting about until it glared directly at Dax. He
felt its hatred, the remorseless sense of pure evil—a vile loathing and malevolence
aimed at him and those he loved.

He glared back, caught in the
unholy malice and venomous hate, as if the creature held some personal rancor
for Dax and his small band of fighters. Their gazes locked. Dax tried to see
into its mind, but there was nothing familiar, nothing characteristic of
demonkind or human.

Nothing but hate.

Eddy stood close behind him.
She wrapped her fingers around his arm. Her presence, her confident touch, gave
him strength. She was most definitely not a victim. No, Eddy was a fighter, and
she’d stand beside him until his end. It was almost midnight of the fourth day.
His end was coming closer, and the battle was far from over.

Even now, the street fight
between humans and avatars raged, but the gargoyle ignored the brawl. Instead,
it watched Dax, and now that she stood beside him, Eddy as well. Dax broke away
from the malevolent stare and tugged Eddy closer.

He turned his attention back
to the battle, but the image of the gargoyle grabbing that demon out of the
night sky wouldn’t leave him.

At least the good guys were
ahead. There was no doubt the humans were winning. Shattered statuary littered
the road. Windows in a few nearby shops had been broken, but most of the damage
was limited to crushed and broken statues.

Of course, they weren’t
killing the demons inside, but maybe once all the avatars were destroyed, the
demons would be forced back to Abyss. Two women systematically beat a stone
cherub into pieces with shovels. The statue was quickly reduced to rubble, but
the black mist escaped.

Once again, as Dax watched,
the mist hovered overhead and then shot toward the gargoyle.

A ceramic angel floated down
out of the sky. One of the women hit the torso with her shovel. The other
knocked its head off. Again, the black mist coalesced overhead. Again, after a
brief pause, it raced directly to the gargoyle and his wide-open mouth. The
mist disappeared inside the gaping jaws.

The sky was filled now with
streaks of darkness, demons freed from their avatars, all of them streaming
toward the gargoyle.

“We have to stop them.” Dax
shouted at Alton. “Every avatar they destroy feeds another demon to the
gargoyle. They’re not his army. They’re his source of energy!”

Alton shook his head. “I see
that, but how can you use your powers here, with all these townsfolk around?”

“The same way you’re going to
use that damned mute sword of yours,” Dax said. “Very carefully. C’mon.”

“Look!” Eddy pointed at the
gargoyle as it grabbed yet another wraith out of the sky. “Hurry. He’s getting
bigger!”

Dax kissed Eddy and raced
toward the fight. He wasn’t sure how to use his powers without creating a
panic, but he had to keep as many demons away from the gargoyle as he could.
Alton moved to one side, closer to the church. A dark mist flew toward him. He
intercepted it with his crystal blade, and the demon disappeared in a shower of
sparks.

The gargoyle howled.

Alton pumped his fist in the
air. “Proof at last that I’m actually destroying the damned things. He’s pissed
now!”

Dax shot Alton a quick grin.
Then he found a spot close to the crowd, but still far enough away not to draw
too much attention. He glanced toward Eddy to make sure she was safe. She stood
in the shadows, holding tightly to Bumper’s leash with Ed close beside her.

The stench of sulfur filled
Dax’s nostrils. He glanced up and spotted the mist just over his head, already
forming into a long, dark arrow.

Controlling his flame wasn’t
easy. He was accustomed to frying the damned things with all the fire he could
throw, and finesse had never been necessary. He sent a small burst of ice, then
a quick flash of flame.

The demon mist dissolved and
disappeared. Willow buzzed overhead in a flash of blue sparkles. She pointed to
yet another demon. Dax spun around and fired at the black mist, but it dove
beneath the icy blast. Alton caught it with the tip of his crystal sword. The
stink of sulfur blossomed as the demon disappeared in a flash of light.

The gargoyle howled again. His
frustration echoed over the town.

Dax gave the Lemurian a
thumbs-up. Alton grinned and took a swipe at yet another demon mist. Sparks
exploded overhead.

Within seconds, Dax found a
rhythm of ice and then fire, keeping his bursts as small as possible. Alton
managed to catch most of the demons Dax missed.

The gargoyle got the rest.

Dax raised his hands and
zapped yet another. “We were wrong, Alton,” he said. “He’s not commanding the
demons at all. They’re not his army. He might be encouraging them to fight, but
he doesn’t want them to win.”

“No, he just wants them out of
their avatars.” Alton slashed his sword through another demon. One just behind
it got away. “Those suckers are fast.”

“So’s the gargoyle.” Dax
watched as the gargoyle captured the stinking demon soul. It wrapped clawed
fingers around the mist and popped it into its mouth. Then it turned and
grinned at Dax, spreading thick lips wide, exposing row after row of
razor-sharp teeth.

The tattoo shivered over Dax’s
flesh, as if the strength of the demon’s glare was enough to bring the snake to
life. There’d been no pain from the thing until now, no sense of the curse. He
willed it down and remembered how it had felt to call its power, to own the
pain.

Could he do that again? Could
he once more use the evil that coursed across his chest, that crawled over his
thigh and across his groin? He felt the tattoo pulse in a slow yet relentless
rhythm. He concentrated on the ebb and flow of energy and attempted to link the
rhythm to the beat of his heart.

Nothing.
Tonight, the tattoo had its own rhythm, its own life force.

Eddy’s soft touch on his
shoulder startled him. “The tattoo? It’s moving again, isn’t it? Are you in
much pain? Here, let me….” She reached for the buttons on his shirt.

Dax shook his head and covered
her hand with his. Black mist against a dark sky sped by, and he reached out
with one hand, sent a freezing burst.

The mist escaped, circled
beyond Alton, and reached the gargoyle. Once again he’d failed. He covered
Eddy’s hand with his. “No, Eddy. There’s no time. I’m okay.”

He spun away and froze another
burst of black mist, but another just beyond it got away. Alton missed as well,
and the gargoyle snagged yet another black soul.

Dax hit the frozen shards of
black ice with his flame. It sizzled and dissipated in the night air. Eddy
gazed up at him with tears in her eyes and frustration in every move she made
as she persisted. “You can’t fight as well when you’re in pain. Let me help.”

It hurt him more than the
demon’s curse, to see the worry in her eyes. “Later. I’ll need you later.” He
leaned down to kiss her. A bloodcurdling banshee scream jerked him upright.
Eddy grabbed his hand.

The gargoyle leapt from the
church spire and glided low over the milling crowd. Its eyes glowed red with an
even brighter fire than before. The wings had lost the look of stone. They beat
now with long, smooth, leathery strokes as the creature passed over the scene
of the brief yet messy battle.

Most of the statues lay on the
ground. Dax had no idea how many of the demons the gargoyle had absorbed. He
and Alton had destroyed dozens, but the gargoyle had caught just as many. Now
it looked powerful. Invincible.

Alive.

It no longer appeared to be an
avatar made of stone. No, the stone had come to life. The body appeared supple,
as if blood rushed beneath the surface. As if the accumulated power of so many
demon souls had given their enemy unimaginable strength.

The red eyes glowed with a new
intelligence—an intelligence focused entirely on Dax.

He grabbed Eddy’s wrist and
jerked her behind him. Alton came closer, yet remained far enough away to
safely use his sword. Ed held on to Bumper and dragged the snarling dog even
farther away from Dax.

The gargoyle tucked its long
wings and dove at Dax. It feinted at the last moment, pulling up like a fighter
jet on a strafing run. Air whistled over the sleek wings. Dax curled his body
around Eddy and ducked, but the sharp slash of claws left bloody ribbons across
his back and shoulders.

He felt searing pain, but the
rush of adrenaline gave him strength. Alton was too far away to connect with
his crystal sword, but he moved into position near Ed, ready to protect Eddy’s
dad on the creature’s next pass.

Willow burst into the air in a
flurry of blue sparkles. She drew energy from all corners, feeding it to Dax.

“You’re bleeding!” Eddy
reached for Dax, but he grabbed both of Eddy’s arms and stared intently into
her wide, brown eyes. “Eddy. I’m okay. Go to Alton. Hurry, before that thing
returns.” He fully expected her brief hesitation—he knew she was just dying to
argue with him. He felt a burst of pride in her when she reached up, cupped his
jaw in both hands, and kissed him hard. Then she broke away and ran to her father’s
side, where Alton stood with his sword raised.

Dax would give his life to
protect hers, but she wasn’t going to allow him that choice. She’d accepted the
fact that if she remained, she’d put him at risk.

He knew it hadn’t been an easy
choice for her. Eddy was brave, and she wanted to fight, but she was smart. Too
smart to take unnecessary risks—or to force Dax to take more risks than he
should.

With Eddy out of harm’s way,
Dax focused all his attention on the demon. The pain in his back receded. He
ignored the tattoo. The gargoyle circled the church steeple once again,
screaming its bloodcurdling cry. Then it paused in midair, slowly flapping huge
wings up and down as it hovered in place, staring directly at Dax.

He felt the evil in its
glowing red eyes and braced himself for attack. He risked a quick glance at
Willow. She glowed a brilliant sapphire, brimming with the roiling energy she’d
absorbed, yet still she pulled in more. He opened to her, drawing the natural
energy into his body.

The burst of Willow’s power
exploded into overwhelming pain.

He gasped. Taken by surprise,
Dax barely remained standing. Blood poured from the deep slashes across his
back and shoulders, and the added charge of energy empowered the curse. As he
absorbed the energy he desperately needed for the coming battle, agonizing pain
rippled across his chest, over his belly.