Whiskey Witches, F.J. Blooding [ap literature book list .TXT] 📗

you needed us.”

Paige gritted her teeth and sent two more demons home. “you said to pray. I haven’t prayed.”

Xael punched his fist into her chest. He filled her presence with a swell of chill. Her arms moved without her direction. Her legs propelled forward. Her lips released names she didn’t know. Demon’s screamed. Roxxie fell to the dirt, her head hanging in defeat.

Silence fell over the junkyard.

“Oh, Sven,” Xael called. “Do you want to come out and play?”

The fog swirled in front of her and slowly dispersed. “I almost thought you wouldn’t come, mate.”

Sven stood tall and strong several feet in front of them. He tipped his blonde head to the side. His eyes blinked black in the growing light, and then reverted to human again. “And you brought friends. I’d have thought you’d’ve left these ones behind.”

“You do not fear me, demon?” the angel asked.

Sven snorted. “No. Did you bring my demon? Lucius.” He wagged his finger, staggering a step as though drunk. “I require Lucius.”

“You have nothing worth the demon.”

He smiled slick and slow. “Ye might be surprised.” Sven snapped his fingers.

Someone was pushed to the front, his hands bound. He was tall and dark. His body was covered in bruises and blood. He stood stooped, ragged and near exhaustion.

Xael raised an eyebrow. “What would I want with that?”

Sven chuckled. “Do ya really know nothing?” He shifted his dark gaze to Paige. “Well, you are an archangel and all that. Why would you stoop so low to learn about who we are?”

“There are billions of you.” Xael shifted beside her. “How could I possibly know you all?”

Sven tsked. “This is one of the guardian demons, the lost brethren.”

Paige raised her chin. What was the point of giving her this one? What did Sven want with Lucius?

Sven gestured to the demon in question. “Marx.”

The demon raised his head. There was little she could make out. Dark green blood oozed from cuts and welts along his face. His violet eyes met hers with an intensity his haggard body betrayed.

“A demon for a demon,” Sven said. “You have the one I want.”

“I don’t want this one.” Xael straightened his shoulders. “He’s worthless to me.”

Sven laughed. “You think so? Where are your guardian angels, eh?” He bit his bottom lip. “Ah. That’s right. You don’t got any. Why? Because the angelic horde couldn’t be bothered. So, you need these demons. You need him.”

Xael smiled, his lips barely separating. “The answer is no. You can keep that one. I’ll keep Lucius. Do whatever you want…” The angel’s ebony eyebrows rose. “…with that.”

Thunder roared across Sven’s features. “You leave me no choice.” He raised his fist.

Marx evaporated, the trail of his smoky existence disappearing into Sven’s pocket.

What had just happened? Where had the guardian gone?

Sven took a defensive stance, his hands raised. Power gathered around him. “I had hoped to make a bargain with you, to join forces, like.”

Shots rang out from behind her. Bullets slammed into Sven.

Paige tried to see behind her.

Xael released her.

She twisted on one knee. Brian.

Sven saw the man and chortled. “Bullets do no good, man child.” He flicked his wrist. Cars rose around him. “Nothing either of you have will do much good against me.”

The cars crashed down around her.

Roxxie tackled Paige, raising her arm. Dust and wind whirled around them.

The cars fell like scattered toys in a wide circle.

Paige blinked. Control of her body, of her gift belonged to her. Roxxie’s shields were back in place. She tapped into her core and called upon the earth. Dust rose.

Xael’s face twisted as he faced off with Sven. “You are not a demon.”

Sven laughed. “I am not a man either.”

Roxxie grasped Paige’s hand, her flaming pink hair glued to her face. “You have to remove Sven. You’re the only one who can.”

Without the dagger. Without any weapon. She had her magick. She imbued her Hell-empowered claws with the might and resilience of Earth. The tenacity of wind followed, the patience of water next. She needed the fury of fire. She dipped into her anger, her frustration.

Her shadow arms grew like golem wraiths.

Sven paused, frowning at her in surprise.

The claws found his face, raked his chest.

He cried out. Stones and pebbles rose from the ground as he controlled them. He shot them at her. “You can’t send me back, Talker.”

She continued to combine her abilities in her attack. The wind howled around them. It felt like being in the middle of a tornado. Rain, dirt, debris, and a side-mirror raced by.

Roxxie’s hair battered her face.

Power slammed into Paige like a wall, forcing her onto her hands. She pushed back with her shadow arms, every muscle in her body tight and taut. She bowed her head, throwing everything she had at the demon.

The car beside her burst into flame. The heat seared her. She could hear her hair crisp; smell the odor of her singing flesh. She got to her feet and stumbled away.

The car on the other side of her burst into flame as well. She fled the heat. Her skin hurt. Ignoring the pain, she continued her assault.

Her demon-ripping talons weren’t enough. She needed something else. Something more.

Desperate, she inserted her hands into the flames on either side of her. Her flesh burned. The pain overwhelmed her momentarily. Her assault paused as she gathered her mind’s will. She retracted her shadow arms, and pulled the power of the fire into the whirlwind buffeting the demon.

Sven screamed a guttural roar as his body was engulfed. He raged against it. He pushed. He fought. He weakened.

Paige walked slowly toward him, calling more flame, bringing more fury to the winds.

Roxxie screamed and crumpled to the ground.

Xael roared, but did not make it far before a wild wind sent him flying out of view.

Everything stopped.

The power ceased as though she’d come to the end of a chain.

Paige scrambled to find more power. Rage. She could use it.

Nothing. She was numb and tapped out.

She stared around her in surprise. Her knees folded, unable to hold her up anymore. Her heart raced inside of her chest.

Silence surrounded her. No bugs. No breeze. The sun climbed, shedding a brighter light on the situation.

Sven staggered to his feet, his clothing ragged and scorched, his face red and savagely peeling. He smiled, raising his hands above his head. He shouted a single word.

Paige found herself flying backwards.

She landed hard on top of a car. Pain shot through her body. She fell to the ground.

Sven stood above her, his expression softened with pleasure. “You are my best opponent. I think that might be what I love most about you.”

Paige struggled to rise, to fight.

Sven knelt beside her, caressing her face with fingers already healed. “You are amazing.”

She pulled away from him.

He cupped the back of her head, locking her gaze with his. “But why are we here?”

“The key.” Her whispered response lacked conviction. Something in the gleam in his eye, or the set of his jaw. Was she wrong?

He raised an eyebrow. “Why the key?”

“You want to open the Gate to Hell.”

His eyes softened. “Why?”

A frown flickered between her brows. “To create chaos?”

“Chaos without purpose is simply chaos.”

She realized in that moment just how little she knew about him. What did he want? “Give me your name.”

One corner of his lips lifted as he ducked his head. “You have to earn that.” He looked at her through his eyelashes. “No.”

All her reasoning, all her posturing, everything she thought she’d been able to piece together was wrong. Again. His look told her she was on the wrong track. She’d studied the evidence. It had led her to these conclusions.

But what did he want?

Mike Jones was the mastermind. He’d been the one to find Malika, to get the key, to trap the guardians within it.

What did Sven want?

Sven had been nothing more than a lucky find, a coincidence. He’d tripped onto Mike and Malika. She knew that because he’d nearly possessed her and had let information slip.

But he hadn’t let slip what he wanted.

He pressed his lips onto her forehead. Rising, he turned and strolled away. The fog rolled around him. “We’ll meet again, little bird. Next time, bring me my demon.”