Life - Life & Death Book 1

Chapter 31 - Part 2 - Zivena

Growls from every direction explode in the night as skeletal feline demons appear, their bodies covered in blue flames. Their inner flames fill the night with light. At the sight of them, power awakens inside me, ready to breathe ice and water. Ready to bury them. Taregan shoots one in the head, and it's as if he fired a starting pistol. The demons leap, spitting fire. My body instinctively moves in and around the devils with such speed that even I'm surprised. Power surges through me as I take down demon after demon.
Gun powder fills the air. Growls, grunts of pain, shouts and yowling becomes earsplitting. Hod is a blur of darkness that strikes out, pulling demons towards him in a deadly embrace before smothering them in ice. Aerona spins and twirls, viciously slicing anything within reach, an unhinged laugh on her bloodied lips.
When the nearest flame demons are slaughtered, I examine my team for any injuries and notice a deep gauge on Taregan arm and a slice on Hod's cheek. I grab one of their arms each and leak power into them, healing their injuries just enough to be getting on with. They both nod their thanks.
Hod speaks into the mic on his shoulder, "Artemis, we have encountered a small group of corpse cats. Have you noticed any demons yet?"
Artemis's voice comes through the earpieces. "Nothing here yet. What color did you get?"
"Blue."
Artemis muffles a humorless chuckle, "The blue ones are bitches. At least they weren't purple."
Hod gives a small smile, "You are quite right about that."
"Are you still in position?"
"Close enough but we made quite the racket. I would not be surprised if the warlock heard us. You?"
"In position. Lenia will scout ahead and see if there are any more traps."
Mom? Why is Mom going out by herself? Taregan grabs my arm, pulling me around so I met his eye.
"Don't even think about it. Your mom has been doing this for longer then you've been alive, Zivena. Don't put her in any more danger by drawing attention to her."
"Sorry," I murmur.
"I wouldn't have stopped you," Aerona winks at me, her eyes darker than the sky above us.
We wait a few minutes. The dead demons are steaming around us, their fire extinguished. I vaguely remember learning about corpse cats with Mom.
Closer to the hospital, a woman with gold hair leaps and bounds through the trees and bushes. Mom moves so fast it's hard to keep up with her as she inspects the area at the front of the building. Her steps are purposeful and precise. After a few anxious minutes, Artemis finally speaks.
"We've got a problem. Lenia says that there's a small demon portal right in front of the door. I don't know how Mictain didn't set it off when he entered but it's still active."
Taregan swears and I'm confused. And feeling a little stupid for not paying more attention in class.
"What's a demon portal?" I ask Taregan under my breath.
"Your lack of attention is concerning, Zivena," Taregan frowns at me then sighs. "A demon portal is a way to summon a horde of demons once active. All it takes is for someone to stand on it and it opens a portal for the demons to climb out of."
"What about the corpse cats? Why were they here and not in the portal?" I ask.
Taregan shrugs, "Corpse cats like the company of others so they might have been breeding, hunting the smaller wildlife on the island. The warlock might not have put them here."
"—can't deactivate it," Artemis finishes.
"Then we will prepare for a fight and activate it together," Hod replies.
"That sounds fine to me, I'm ready for a fight."
"We need to spread out. Once we are in position, I will activate it."
Artemis agrees and nods of confirmation filter through our small group. We clear the trees, as quiet as the snow falling above us. Team Two appear on the opposite side and we all spread out, waiting for the moment Hod approaches the demon portal.
He strides purposefully to the front door and stops. He places his foot on the ground in front of him, baring his whole weight on it. Once satisfied, he leaps back as light spears the night.
Claws, talons, paws and hands pull themselves out of the portal. All manner of demon bare down on us. As a whole, we meet them. I step and fly towards the demons that keep pouring out of the portal. Kali laughs with glee as purple energy circles her hand, turning everything it touches to dust. Her battle cries are insanely contagious.
Blood pumps in my ears as adrenaline pushes it's way around my body, making my power roar. The life around me is more alive than I've ever felt. I let it overcome me. I let my instincts take over as vines shoot out of the trees, ensnaring demons, pulling them apart as the frozen earth moves to swallow and crush them. Fire whooshes through the clearing, burning the enemies as they crawl out of the portal.
Beside me, Taregan's guns light up the night in flashes, his steely resolve overcoming any fear.
"Why isn't the portal closing?" I shout to him.
He doesn't break his concentration as he shouts back, "I don't know. This many shouldn't be able to get out of such a small summoning!"
Hundreds of demons surround us, attacking and biting and snarling. The clinking of demon energy fills my ears, their chains dragging on the ground, keeping them on this earth. Even if they die they won't leave all together. The chains won't let them.
In relief, I notice the light fading from the portal.
"It's closing!" Artemis shouts.
Everyone attacks with new vigor, tearing down demons. Mom and Dad are in sync. Mom uses the chain from her kusarigama to trap the demons so Dad can kill them. But they also fight separately. Moving and weaving between each other, watching each other's backs. Mom with her cold determination, and Dad with his fierce blazing eyes. I try to keep an eye on them as I continue to slash at the monsters in front of me with ice and fire and earth. Shredding them, burning them, burying them. In a haze of blood and fury I glance up in time to see three demons leap at Mom, their claws and talons ripping into her skin. She struggles to keep them at bay as Dad tries to get to her. A large armor-plated demon hits him in the chest, sending him crashing into a tree.
"No!" I scream.
I won't lose anyone else today!
Through my terror, the sound of chains clinking becomes louder and louder. My ears feel like they're going to burst. My parents grapple with the demons but I can see them failing. Blood mists the air. As the crash and clatter of the chains overwhelm me, a familiar presence stirs within me, barely lifting an eyelid and instinct takes over. My hand reaches out and I snatch at the chains baring down on my parents. My muscles burn and tear as I pull and yank, pleading with the world to let them give. If only a little!
The chains loosen a fraction and then they fly out, sending me sprawling backwards. I land on my ass, my arms and legs protesting when I try to make them move. I watch in sick fascination as the translucent, black chains in my hands dissolve into a black liquid that starts burning my skin. I look towards my parents, Mom down on one knee with her hand pressed to her side, and notice a path of the black goo leading to them, melting the snow and charring the earth beneath. Mom and Dad gape in astonishment as the demons fall where they're standing, dead. After an agonizing minute, their eyes meet mine. There's a snarl beside me as Aerona takes down the last frost demon and it jerks me out of my frozen thoughts.
"What the hell was that?" Kali snaps in the silence, her voice like a sharp blade.
"Zivena?" Dad says, his breath ragged. "How did you do that?"
My mouth opens but I have no words. "The - the chains," I stammer.
"What chains?" Hod asks, a frown lining his smooth skin.
Can't they see them?
The doors to the abandoned hospital fly open on their rusted hinges, banging against the brick. A man wearing Mictain's body strides out. Confidence forms like a cloak around him and my anger flares, all thoughts of demons and chains vanishing. What a dick.
"Oh dear," Bloodwynd says with Mictain's voice. My lip curls in disgust at the sound of it. It's too smooth. Mictain would never sound like that. "Am I in trouble?" His eyes sweep the area where we stand at the ready. "Well look who we have here. Four Council members have come to see me. And is that? No. It can't be Aerona and Aksel can it? The two pacifists have come together to bring down little old me?"
"How do you know us?" Aksel growls. He's half transformed into his werewolf form, a mixture of man and beast.
Bloodwynd ignores him. "I'm a little disappointed that no one was killed once my portal was activated."
No one moves. We barely breathe. Bloodwynd takes a few steps closer to my mom. She's kneeling now, still in pain. I tense as he glances at her. The demons catch his attention.
"What happened here?" Bloodwynd asks no one in particular. "I see that they're no longer on this wretched world."
"We're not here to talk about dead demons, Bloodwynd," Hod says, a slight edge to his voice. "Why are you doing this?"
Bloodwynd doesn't answer, instead he studies the demons.
I can sense anger building. Building so fast that I don't have time to stop him.
Dad snarls and rushes Bloodwynd, "You killed my son!"
Before he can reach Bloodwynd, shadows hurtle towards him, hitting him in the gut and sending him flying.
"Dad!" I yell. Taregan grabs my arm before I can run to his side.
"You murdered my son," Dad coughs and I notice bloody spit in his hand.
Fury like I've never felt before floods the area. Bloodwynd contorts Mictain's face to the point that he's unrecognisable.
"Do not speak to me about murder when your lot have done far worse!"
Bloodwynd snaps his arms out, shadows fly from the forest. I instinctively form a barrier of light around the group. Taregan lets go of my arm, and I take the opportunity to attack Bloodwynd. I force my way through the shadows that form into vines. Through the shadow, Bloodwynd doesn't see how close I am. I leap forward, punching him in the face. Bone and cartilage cracks under my fist.
Bloodwynd's features are distorted in hatred as blood leaks from his nose and cut lip. It's all I can do not to step back. In my hesitation, Bloodwynd grins and spews black mist.