Curse Of The Aswangs (The Vasquez Brothers #1)[COMPLETED]

45: ASH

The heat was building in my chest, coiling tighter with every passing second. The moment Enrique knocked me down, that fire inside me roared to life. I could feel it prickling at my fingertips, begging to be unleashed. So, naturally, I obliged.

I shot a blast of fire straight at Enrique, who barely managed to sidestep it. He flashed that smug little grin of his, baring his fangs like he had the upper hand. Cocky bastard.

"Oh, come on, Enrique," I said, rolling my shoulders as the flames danced between my hands. "You're not even breaking a sweat. Thought the big bad Aswang lord could put up more of a fight."

Enrique's grin faltered for a second, but then his eyes narrowed. "You have no idea what I'm capable of, boy."

"Boy?" I scoffed, letting another fireball form in my hand. "You're starting to sound like a bad action movie villain. Let's keep it fresh, shall we?"

I threw another fireball, this time aimed for his legs. He jumped back, but not fast enough. The fire grazed his ankle, and he let out a hiss of pain.

"That's more like it," I muttered, feeling the heat pulse under my skin. The flames were licking up my arms now, casting long shadows in the dimly lit space. Enrique wasn't just going to walk away from this. Not after everything.

But of course, Enrique always had something up his sleeve. He raised his hand and began to mutter something—something in that twisted, ancient language of his. My gut sank.

"I know that look," I said, circling him, keeping my fire magic at the ready. "You're about to pull some weird Aswang magic, aren't you? What's it gonna be this time? Blood magic? Shadow summoning? Or do you just plan on boring me to death with your monologue?"

Enrique's lips twisted into a dark smile. He lifted his hand, and for a second, I thought he was going to cast some spell to fry us all. But then he said something that made my blood freeze.

"I don't need the scroll," he sneered. "I've memorized the inscription."

And just like that, he muttered a few more words, and the ground trembled.

"What the hell?" I barely had time to react before the entrance blasted apart, debris raining down like the sky was falling. The shockwave hit me hard, knocking me off my feet. My ears rang as I hit the ground, dust and rubble clouding my vision.

Through the smoke, I could see Enrique standing there, that twisted grin still plastered on his face. He wasn't even fazed by the destruction he'd just caused.

"I've already won, Ash," Enrique said, his voice calm, almost taunting. "The gates are open."

Enrique didn't respond. Instead, he lunged at me again, swinging his sword in a wild arc. I ducked, rolling out of the way, but he was relentless. His speed was something else—faster than anything I'd ever fought before. Each strike came faster than the last, and I was starting to run out of room to dodge.

"I get it, you're mad," I said, barely managing to deflect his next blow. "But seriously, Enrique, you need a hobby. World domination's so last century."

His eyes blazed with fury, and for a moment, I thought he was going to slice me in half. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zade and Jasper closing in on us, flanking him from both sides.

This was our chance.

"Now!" I yelled, launching another fireball at Enrique. He raised his sword to block it, but that gave Zade and Jasper the opening they needed. They moved in fast, attacking from both sides, forcing Enrique to go on the defensive.

The tide was turning, and Enrique knew it.

"Give it up, Enrique," I called out, flames still flickering around my hands.

Enrique's eyes flickered with frustration, but there was something else there too—something dangerous. He wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

"You haven't seen the last of me," he growled, backing away slowly, his grip tightening on his sword. "The gates will open. And when they do, none of you will survive."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before," I said, rolling my eyes. "Now get lost before I roast you."

And then it happened—an explosion of dark energy erupted from the portal, sending a shockwave through the air that knocked Ash off his feet. He hit the ground hard, his vision blurring as he struggled to get up.

The air itself felt heavy, almost suffocating, as the ground beneath them vibrated with the low, menacing hum of Hell's gates groaning open.

From the cracks in the earth, tiny demons began to slither and claw their way through—small at first, grotesque creatures barely bigger than rats, but their numbers were growing. And fast. The portal pulsed, growing larger with each passing second, the smell of sulfur thickening in the air.

"Ash! Watch out!" Trevor's voice cut through the chaos just as one of the larger demons lunged at him, its claws extended and dripping with venomous ichor.

Ash barely had time to turn before Trevor tackled him to the side, the demon's claws swiping through the air where Ash had been standing only moments before. They hit the ground hard, dust and dirt kicking up around them, but Trevor was already on his feet, sword flashing as he cleaved the demon in two.

Ash blinked, his heart racing as he watched Trevor. "I had that, you know."

"Sure, you did," Trevor replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, though his eyes were sharp, focused on the growing danger around them. "You're welcome, by the way."

Ash groaned as he got to his feet, wiping the dirt off his jacket. "You just love playing the hero, don't you?"

But Trevor wasn't listening anymore. His gaze had shifted to Enrique, who stood at the edge of the portal, his back to them. The glow of the hellish light made his figure look even more sinister, like a dark silhouette against the flames.

"You know what I hate about you, Enrique?" Trevor's voice was low, but it was dripping with venom. "You never could stay loyal to anyone but yourself."

Enrique turned slowly, a mocking grin on his face, his hands still clutching the sword stained with blood and shadow. "Loyalty, Trevor? From someone who betrayed his own kind?"

Trevor's jaw clenched. Ash could see the fury building in his friend's eyes. This was more than just the battle for the scroll, more than just trying to close the gates of Hell. This was personal.

Trevor growled, stepping forward.

Before Ash could react, the ground beneath them split open wider, more demons pouring through. The air grew even hotter, the light from the portal casting everything in a fiery red hue.

Ash's mind raced. The portals were open, demons were crawling out, and Enrique—he was no longer just a threat. He was a monster standing at the precipice of unleashing Hell on earth.

Trevor moved toward Enrique, sword raised, but Ash could feel it—something was wrong. The energy around the portal was shifting, warping, growing more unstable.