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  That kid was down for good.

  Amaymon's little feline head popped from beneath a destroyed wardrobe. "Is it over yet?"

  Chapter 11

  "Yo, kid. Snap out of it."

  I threw a second bucket of cold water at him and slapped him in the face.

  He jerked up, suddenly wide away.

  I had tied him up to a chair and sat in front of him. There was a circle of chalk drawn around his chair to interrupt the flow of magic. I had also drawn a triangular symbol on his forehead with a sharpie. That was to keep him from focusing on anything for too long.

  Like, say, morphing his arm into a sword and slicing my head off. After all there's only so much my healing powers can do.

  The guy shook his head. He looked up, recognized me and shot me a dirty look.

  "Told you I'd take you down," I said gleefully.

  He struggled against his bonds.

  "That's not gonna happen," I jabbed.

  Clearly I hit him too hard, because he didn't seem to hear me. Instead, he kept struggling until his face turned red.

  "Dance monkey, dance," Amaymon muttered.

  I raised my hand and flicked my index finger towards him. A bolt of psychic energy hit the triangle on his forehead. The guy yelled in pain and his head reeled backwards.

  "You done?" I asked.

  The elemental just panted heavily and glared. He was going to wake up with one giant headache in the morning.

  "So," I said. "What's your name?"

  "Go blow yourself."

  I flicked my finger again, sending a second psychic bolt in his direction. He expressed his pain by letting out a very long stream of curses.

  "I'm almost certain that's not your name," I said.

  "Shut the-"

  "Ah, ah," I warned as I waved my finger threateningly in his face.

  He dropped his head in surrender.

  "Jack," he finally replied.

  I blinked at him, waiting for an elaboration. "Jack. Just Jack," I said raising my eyebrows. "Jack the Elemental."

  His frown deepened.

  "Okay, Jack," I said. "Who sent you here?"

  "I don't know," he spat.

  I raised my eyebrow and repeated the spell for a third time. He actually yelped this time.

  "Wanna try that again?"

  "Son of a-" he began.

  I gave him the finger again—not that finger. The painful finger.

  You know what I mean.

  Jack's voice rose by a couple octaves.

  "What's wrong, Jackie-boy? Can't handle a little pain?" I said before turning to Amaymon. "You believe this joker is supposed to be a tough guy?”

  "Lemme take over." The cat calmly padded over and hopped on Jack's lap.

  "Okay, here's how it's gonna work, Jack," I said. "I ask a question, you lie, the cat messes you up and then you tell me the truth."

  "Another talking animal?" said the elemental. "I'm not scared of a cat."

  Amaymon let out a cute meow that would have made any girl swoon. Then he dug his claws into Jack's thigh and the guy screamed.

  "Hey, jackass," the demon said. "You don't talk unless he asks a question."

  Intimidation by cat—it never fails.

  "Why did you trash my office?" I asked.

  Jack eyed the cat warily. "I was paid to beat up some wizard named Ashendale. They said he lived here alone and I'd have the advantage," he blurted out rapidly.

  The cat did not torture him again so I assumed he was telling the truth.

  "Who are they?" I asked.

  "They said they'll kill me if I tell," Jack whimpered.

  Amaymon scraped his claws into the elemental's trousers.

  "If you don't tell us, I will kill you," threatened the cat.

  "Wait," I ordered. "We can go about this another way."

  Good cop, bad cop. Or, in our case, good wizard, homicidal kitty.

  "This is bugging me," I said, slowly pacing around. "When you heard Amaymon talk you said, and I quote: 'not another talking animal’. Which means you already met another talking animal, right?"

  Jack nodded. "Black dog. Huge damn thing."

  I groaned internally. Unless there was another giant talking black dog around, then I was sending my office repair bill to Mephisto. Or Gil.

  "Lemme guess," I groaned. "Your boss is a petite blonde with a long braid and a weird costume? Drives around in a limo?"

  Jack nodded.

  "Ah, crap."

  "You know her?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  "Enemy?"

  "Worse," I shot back. "Sister."

  Jack laughed. "Good one."

  I didn't laugh.

  "You're serious?" he asked incredulously.

  I rolled my eyes. "What about you, Jack? How come you're a hit man?" I asked, throwing the spotlight back on him.

  "I'm not a hit man."

  "Good because you're horrible at it," I said. "So, what are you? Thug for hire?"

  Jack lowered his head. "You don't know what it's like to live on the streets. And it's not like you're any better," he replied. "Running some sorta scam out of a fancy office."

  I grabbed him by the collar and wedged my face mere inches from his.

  "Screw you. I help others," I yelled, my voice suddenly quivering with anger. "I use my powers to bring a little peace to this world by getting rid of monsters and idiots like you. I never, ever, took money to hurt anyone, even when I lived on the streets at an age younger than yours. So, take your sad story and shove it up your ass."

  "Didn't you escape the mansion?" Amaymon interjected. Somehow he managed to pull off a mocking expression on his feline face.

  "Not now, Amaymon. I'm trying to prove a point here," I shot back.

  But I thanked him inwardly. Amaymon knew that getting too emotional about this was not going to solve anything.

  "Just getting my facts straight," the cat replied innocently, before resuming the task of scratching the leather fabric of Jack's pants.

  I took a deep breath.

  Get your head in the game, Erik.

  "Did she say where she was going?" I asked turning back to Jack.

  The elemental glared. "I heard her mention a hospital," he said.

  "Which makes this jackass a distraction," Amaymon said.

  I stood up, pushing my chair away. Amaymon was right. What better way to slow me down other than a literal human tank? This type of underhand tactic was just like my sister.

  "Let's go," I told Amaymon.

  I definitely needed him on this case, especially if Gil was going to go after the succubus with angels and Mephisto in tow.

  I scooped up my gear and put on my coat.

  "What's in it for me?" Amaymon asked as he hopped off Jack.

  I raised my arms in exasperation. "What do you want from me?"

  Amaymon's whiskers flicked. "I already told you that. I'm not your pet or your servant. So, what's in it for me?"

  "I dunno. Honor?" I suggested. Amaymon stared at me as if I had suggested shaving him.

  I tried again, this time in a more upbeat tone, like a game show host.

  "How about an adventure, TV remote control for the next week, and a chance to flirt with a succubus? I hear girls find cats adorable."

  The cat flicked his tail enthusiastically.

  "Sold," he said. "What are we still doing here?"

  "Hey, what about me?" called the elemental.

  I considered leaving him bound like that, but I don't have the guts for torture. So, I walked towards him, licked my thumb and rubbed my moist finger against his forehead, wiping away the triangle.

  "Get out of the rest on your own," I said. "I don't care where you go or what you do. Just don't be here when I get back. If I ever hear of you again, I'll hunt you down myself and terminate you. You understand?"

  His eyes widened and he nodded.

  There was a motorbike standing outside my office. I guessed it was Jack's.

  I'm not much of
a bike enthusiast, but even I could appreciate the marvelous piece of engineering in front of me. Either way, I needed a ride, and Jack wasn't going anywhere for a couple of hours. And I figured he owed me for destroying my office.

  I climbed on it without a second thought, and turned the key. It was still stuck in the ignition. Amaymon hopped in the space between my legs and dug his claws into the leather of the seat.

  "Hmm. We could sell the bike after you get your car from the shop," he suggested, arching his head and gazing at me with one eye. "Did you really end up homeless or were you just trying to burst his bubble?" he asked.

  "I did," I replied. "I bailed out of the mansion after the incident with my father. I had no money and no place to go. Until I met Tenzin."

  "Ah, yeah. Tenzin," Amaymon said. "That exorcist guy who taught you all about being a goody two-shoes. You gotta tell me the whole story someday."

  "Another time," I replied.

  That wasn't a story I'd ever told anyone. I guess I didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he had died to save my life. If I told the story out loud, it would become real, and I didn't want his death to be real. Even after all these years, I knew I still wasn't ready for that.

  I shook my head.

  Enough dwelling on the past, Erik. You have a sister to beat and a sex demon to rescue.

  Chapter 12

  "Any luck tracking Gil?" I asked as I swerved around a corner and weaved through a line of slow cars.

  "No," the cat replied. "No trace whatsoever. They must be cloaking themselves."

  The grayish-white hospital building loomed in sight. Why can't hospitals have upbeat colors? At least it wouldn't be that depressing.

  I drove into the underground parking and ditched the bike in a corner.

  "Erik, check out that limo," Amaymon called from behind me.

  A sleek black vehicle was parked at the opposite end, occupying more than two spaces.

  "Gil," we said together.

  We bolted to the reception area and I forced my way through to the desk, in between the other patients filling out forms and the small stream of nurses and doctors whizzing by.

  "Excuse me," I said to the plump African-American nurse behind the reception desk. She took one look at me and her frown turned suspicious. Before she could ask me to either leave or fill out a form I went straight to the point.

  "I'm here to see someone named Abigail. Red hair, short, a college student. Got attacked in the neck. I'm a friend of hers."

  "I'm sorry, sir," she curtly replied. "Only family allowed in."

  "But I really need to see her," I said in an urgent tone as I scanned the place for any signs of my sister or her posse.

  "Sir, I just told you, you're not allowed," she said sternly. "And this is a hospital. You can't bring any animals in here."

  I shuffled impatiently. "Look, lady, I get it. You have a job to do. But I have to see this girl. It's a matter of life and death."

  Error number one, never ever use the term 'life and death' in a hospital. It doesn't sit well with the hospital staff.

  And makes you sound like a terrorist.

  "Sir, are you threatening a patient? Or me?"

  See what I mean?

  "No, not at all. What I meant was-"

  "Sir," she interrupted. "You need to leave right now before I call security." She picked up a phone and waved her finger threateningly over the number pad.

  Amaymon rubbed against my leg. "Plan B?"

  "Plan B," I agreed, not bothering to lower my voice.

  Amaymon hopped onto the table and let out a quick hiss. The nurse's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she slumped back in her chair, unconscious. Amaymon padded over a thick ledger and his eyes glowed for a second.

  "Room 414," he said.

  We raced towards the wards. The cat counted the numbers as we passed them.

  "Up ahead, Erik. I feel something," he said as we turned round a corner.

  "I feel it, too," I replied.

  We saw each other at the same time and froze. Mephisto disappeared inside a ward while Gil lingered back and we engaged in a stunned staring contest.

  I charged into a full sprint towards her but it was too late. Gil crossed her arms and spread them forwards. Amaymon shouted a warning but there was little I could do to stop my momentum.

  Her spell took effect, creating a giant barrier that reached from the top of the ceiling all the way to the floor, blocking the entire corridor. I crashed into it and pathetically slid down, like an idiotic cartoon character.

  Mephisto reemerged with a petite girl hoisted over his shoulder and I caught a glimpse of red hair as both he and Gil turned and went on their way.

  "Dammit!" I yelled as I pounded my fist against the invisible wall.

  "We can't double back, Erik," Amaymon said. "My brother set up a whole bunch of traps behind us. As soon as we double back, ka-boom!"

  "So, we can't go back without blowing up the entire hospital and we can't go forwards cause of my sister's spell," I said as my heart started racing with panic.

  "Too bad you can't go over the building," the cat said.

  That's it, I thought. So simple—just go over the building.

  "Amaymon, you're a genius," I said as a plan began forming inside my head.

  "I know," he replied. Then he frowned. "Wait, why? Are you about to pull something both crazy and dangerous?"

  I nodded fervently as I went through my plan again in my head, calculating the possibilities and probabilities. I needed a distraction and the element of surprise.

  And with Amaymon I had both.

  "Run after their limo and create a diversion. Anything goes. Just don't kill any civilians," I ordered my familiar, fastening the ruby around his collar.

  "No holds barred?" he asked. His form simmered and a second later the cat was replaced with a stocky guy, who cracked his neck in anticipation. "You sure about that?"

  I nodded. "Just don't hurt anyone. Or wreck the entire city."

  "What about your sister?"

  "Anything goes," I said darkly.

  He flashed his sadistic grin and took off. Once inside a ward he touched the wall and the stone crumbled into dust. He turned, gave me a salute and jumped down, nearly three floors.

  At the same time, I walked into the opposite ward and opened the window.

  It's not technically correct to say I can't use any magic. My power was too great and too out of control, and as a result it damaged my body. But that only applied to magic outside my body.

  But when it comes to using magic inside my body, it was a whole other story. My healing magic was proof of that. It was automatic and could heal just about anything.

  And, as long as it was minimal, I could also use other magic, and only if the area of effect was within my own body.

  I hopped on the window ledge and magically shifted my center of gravity towards the wall. My body slammed against the wall as if it were a giant fridge magnet. It took a moment for me to get my bearings, but I managed to stand upright—against the side of the hospital building.

  One heavy step at a time, I began walking up the wall, like some cheap vampire movie effect.

  Yeah, it looked cool.

  Until I made the mistake of looking downwards—I mean, backwards—and saw the three-floor drop. Cars skittered about the size of match boxes and all I could think about was how big a stain I would leave if I fell.

  As I said, fear was a good motivator.

  I steeled myself and fast-walked up that wall like Spiderman on steroids. Finally, I saw the ledge and crouched down. I wrapped my arms and legs awkwardly around the railing and released my spell. My weight fell completely on my hold. I sucked in a deep breath and hoisted myself up. Pain radiated from my legs and I was left paralyzed in agony until the effects subsided.

  I said I could use magic but there was always a price to pay thanks to my curse.

  I felt the ground shake and heard people screaming, followed by the screechin
g of tires.

  Yep, that was Amaymon alright. You can always count on him to create chaos.

  I ran to the opposite ledge and I saw my sister's black limo skittering around the hospital.

  I cursed.

  It was supposed to pass a few minutes later, giving me enough time to descend through the fire escape and pincer it from the other side. As it was now, unless I appeared in front of the car in the next ten seconds they would escape, taking the succubus with them.

  A swear word slipped through my teeth.

  Thank you, Universe, for once again screwing up my awesome plan.

  I stood up there, mentally counting down until the car passed directly beneath me and calculated the trajectory of my fall. My brain kept playing images of me squashed into a hamburger.

  But despite any reasoning, I still took the leap.

  Magically charging up my run, I soared into the air and let out the girliest scream to ever leave my throat.

  After the initial ecstasy I felt sharp focus, unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I reached backwards and unsheathed Djinn, holding it in reverse grip. Magic ran through it. There was an explosion of azure light as the energy layer on top of the blade engorged to twice my height. I held the gargantuan sword point down and saw the car getting closer.

  And closer.

  And then…

  BOOM.

  Djinn impaled the hood of the car. The limo's body crunched as the front was flattened like a can and the rear end rose upwards and settled back down with a loud crash.

  Meanwhile, I was still dangling over Djinn's handle like some sort of charm. My magic faded, returning the short sword back to its original petite size. I slumped down and felt something pop. Both my shoulders had been dislocated. My magic had already begun healing my wounds but I still felt the pain. All I could do was roll on the ground as an "ouch" escaped my lips in a low, pathetic moan.

  The limo's door was blasted open and Gil emerged. She sent a ripple of air at me but I managed to roll and avoid most of the damage.

  She repeated her spell, knowing full well I couldn't move. A boulder shot up in front of me, shielding me from my sister's magic. Amaymon's figure was spat out from the ground followed by a series of stone spikes that pierced through the undamaged part of the car.