Nephilum

Chapter 23

There was no time to dwell on what he felt, because only seconds later the doors burst open with a deafening bang. I flinched in pain. My head was already throbbing and the thunderous roar didn't help much.

In seconds, James and Devin were by my side. The two demons lay motionless on the ground. A wall of demons stared at us through the open door. I barely had time to blink before they were streaming in. 

"Get Alex out of here!" James screamed at  me. It took only a few seconds for me to decide that what he had said was the best option. I ran behind them as they surged forward and met the demons half way.

"Come on Alex, we need to go." I told him as I knelt down beside him. I quickly but carefully removed the duck tape and ropes tying him together.

"Lizzie? Is it really you?" he asked as soon as the tape was off his mouth. I nodded and picked him up into my arms. 

"It's me buddy." I made it a few steps before a demon knocked my off my feet and I dropped Alex. "Run!" I screamed to him.

The desperation in my voice must have caused him to not ask questions because for once, he listened to me without asking for details.

He hopped to his feet and high tailed it in between demons, weaving and ducking so he would go unnoticed. With Alex as safe as possible for the time being, I turned my attention to the demon that tackled me.

Seconds later, the demon was on top of me. Pain laced through my cheek as he pummeled into my face. I pushed up as hard as I could with my hands and shoved him off me.

I stood up quickly and kicked the demon in the stomach. I pulled out the knife James gave me and looked back and forth between it and the demon that lay at my feet.

"Go on, kill me." It sneered.

I gulped. I couldn't do this. I couldn't kill demons without any remorse like James. Or even Michael. I just didn't have it in me.

Instead, I slammed my foot into the back of his head, knocking him out cold. A demon grabbed me from behind and I felt cool metal pressed  against my neck. I froze instantly.

"You're going to come with me nice and calm." The silky voice of a female demon said lowly into my ear.

"I think not." I replied, shoving my elbow into her gut, simultaneously putting my arm in between the arm she held the knife in so I could push it away and avoid getting cut.

She cursed and bent over, giving me enough time to drive the hilt of my knife into her temple. She fell to the ground in a limp pile of limbs.

I looked around quickly, scanning for anyone I knew. I briefly saw Devin engaged in a fight with three demons.

They were everywhere. Most didn't even look like they knew who to fight because all they could see was each other. Two demons turned their hard eyes to me and I sighed. So much for James' quick and easy in and out rescue.

I ducked away from one of them as they came forward to intercept me. As if they were cloning, two more demons joined the fight. Then another one.

I turned in circles continuously, attempting to keep all five of them in my sights. I knew I couldn't hold off the inevitable. I would be overtaken soon. Easily even. I was nowhere near as skilled as James or even Sam.

I didn't have a chance against the demons. They were closing in on me and I panicked. There was only one thing I could do at this point. And I was already starting to glow. I closed my eyes, leaving myself vulnerable. I called on the flames that lived within me. 

The way we understood each other was indescribable. The fire was a living being. A raging, wild monster that could become lethal when unleashed.

Just as I was kicked to the ground, a burst of flame shot from my whole body and any demons surrounded me flew backwards, screaming in pain and terror. I hated using my power to kill because of how painful it was, but they gave me no choice.

I stood up and looked around me. About seven more demons were coming at me from all directions, though some of them looked hesitant. In the seconds I had before they would close in on me, I swept the room.

James and Devin were both engaged in a battle with multiple demons. They looked like they were doing fine. I looked to the right and rose an eyebrow in surprise.

Sam-for loss of better words-was kicking butt. Her ponytail swung in an arc behind her as she impaled demon after demon with her knife. I went to look for Michael, but a demon-very rudely I may add-tackled me to the floor.

She wasted no time in punching the day lights out of me. She got two really good hits in before I but my hands of her shoulders and torched her. I felt a little less guilty for that one.

I wiped some blood off my cheek. I was already surrounded by a hoard of new demons. I was breathing heavily and craved water.

I held out a finger to them and put my other on my hip. "Give me like, a minute or so to catch my breath." I panted out to them.

They blinked in surprise. In another situation I would have laughed. Given the fact that they were probably about to try to kill me I held it in.

They were inert for half a second more and I savored the little time it gave me for a breather. Or more of a half breather, because they were already almost on top of me by the time I drew in a breath.

Instead of torching them, I tried the normal approach. I pulled out my knife and readjusted my grip to where it was sort of comfortable. I still couldn't get it to rest easily in my hands like the others.

I ducked past the first demon and hit the second in the temple as hard as I could with the hilt of the knife. Another demon tackled me and I kneed his backside. He fell foward and I pushed him off of me, hitting him hard in the face with my fist this time. He seemed dazed at first, but passed out after another hit.

I popped back up just in time for a demon to slam her fist into my jaw. I fell back, dazed. The demon jumped on me and continued to lay punch after punch to my face.

After I thought I was about to pass out, she was gone. Stabbed in the chest by James. He held out a hand to help me up and I took it.

"There's no way we can beat this many demons." I shouted to him over the pandemonium. Two more demons were trying to kill both of us. I took one and James took one. He stabbed his just as I knocked mine out.

"I know." He yelled back.

I gave him look. "Aren't you supposed to be the leader or whatever? What's the plan?"

I shot a blast of fire at a demon sneaking up on James. He rose an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"We need to run. As fast as we can."

"Well duh." I told him. He killed another couple of demons as I tripped one and kicked it in the side of the head.

"We need to split up though. They won't be able to catch all of us."

I glanced at him like he was insane. "We can't split up. " I told him defiantly.

"Too bad because that's what we're about to do. I'll go with you and Devin and Sam can go together. I already told them the plan."

"How are we going to get out of here, without them following us first?"

He smiled mischeviously."That's where you come in."

I frowned, not liking where he was going with this.

"Use your power. It's the only way." The last part of his sentence came out as a grunt as he punched a demon.

I sighed. The ache of exhaustion was settling into my bones. "Ok, I'll do it."

"Come on, we need to get to the others."