Sighted

Chapter 28: Untouchable

Gin

     How did it come to this?

     Strong hands pull at me and all I can do is pry one set as more take their place. Blank gazes stare right through me as my body is pushed to the ground. I just wanted my Alex back.

"Bowden!" I holler. I can't see the demon, who I last saw was fighting and protecting Owen. Owen, who shouldn't even be here, my brother's injuries from earlier slowing him down and putting him in more danger.

"On it!" Is the shouted response. There must be at least eight surrounding me, the strange pulse of their energies distracting me. I can't even risk pushing them away from me, these assailants that I must protect.

     A sharp breeze blows through the large, spacious office. I'm prepared for it and can tell that Bowden's strength is controlling the strong gust that picks up rapidly, I feel a slight tug but am in no danger of blowing away. The hands quickly change from pushing me down to a strangling grip. Now when I pry the hands from me, a body is pulled away from me.

"Don't hurt them!" Owen's warns the demon over the sound of wind in the room. The eight bodies are briefly suspended in the air at the efforts of Bowden's powers, before the draft of air changes to toss them tumbling out into the hallway. Another gust, and the door is slammed shut, a temporary defense.

       Able to stand once again, I quickly rise and look around for Alex. The remaining occupants of the room are scattered among the slight debris left behind. Owen is safe, huddled behind Bowden, his arms locked around the large demon's waist. The wind powered demon is still positioned facing the door, hand raised to keep up the flow against it. Its hard to decipher what powers are contained in the ones on the other side and how long the blockade will last.

     I can no longer sense DemGen's demon-in-charge, Weston, maybe he's been finished off. However, the cacophony of off-beat pulsing energies coming from behind the large sofa, positioned near the center of the office, assures me that she is ducked down there. The last remaining pulses of energy come from behind me, on the far side of the intimidating desk.

      Before I can approach, the remaining two anomalies stand up as well, dragging a gagged and bound Alex up between them. I clench my fists at my side, trying to ignore the conflicting voices inside me. The first one is frenzied, urging me to tear the hands holding my soulmate from me into pieces. The second one strongly reminding me that a chosen one mustn't hurt humans.

     How did it come that I was fighting humans?

      After finding Owen, Bowden materialized us home. While Dylan fretted over my brother, tending to the many bruises and gashes covering his body, the demon took off again, looking for signs of Alex within his mother's organization. The wait seemed to take forever, but Bowden returned within a couple of hours, confirming that no one had seen or touched Alex.

      We turned our attention to DemGen, and Owen managed to find a way to get us into the building. No one wanted to allow the bruised and battered Owen to come with, but there was no arguing when he pointed out that he'd earned the right to fight by my side in that warehouse.

     I regret listening to Owen's plan now though. Not because he's in danger again or even because we were already running into a trap. It was because of the now lifeless body lying across the floor. Sarah, the intern. I don't know how my brother even convinced her to help us, somehow using the fear of employees disappearing to convince the young woman, barely older than me, to let us in using the rooftop access to look for Alex. It cost Sarah her life.

"She's young, maybe she'll survive the infusion. Almost ten percent do, you know."

      That...woman...had called it an infusion, speaking so off-hand about survival. Energy-infused humans. After watching the homeless woman die, I hadn't though tit was possible, but they'd done it. DemGen was putting supernatural abilities into humans. Not well, either. The ones that survived were displayed in front of me, their energies pulsing out of them in a strange, discordant rhythm.