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"Control your pet, brother," Gil yelled. "He's going to kill the girl."

  "I'm sure your dog is protecting her," I yelled back.

  "Erik, get the girl," Amaymon said with glee. He focused on my sister, driving her away with his vicious onslaught.

  I had regained the use of my arms by then and extracted my gun. Inside the limo was Abigail, semi-conscious. I reached inside to grab her and a pair of canine jaws clenched around my hand. Mephisto in his dog form, bit down heavily on bone and tendon. His malevolent demonic eyes shone in the darkness and he shook his head, trying to rip off my arm.

  I snapped the gun at his face and pulled the trigger. Chunks of flesh tore off but he was otherwise unharmed. His bite got even more vicious and I thought the pain was about to make me pass out.

  I dropped the gun and reached inside the leaking gas tank, splashing some of the liquid on his face.

  Then I used the same trick I used to burn Roland's cigarette, igniting a spark between my fingertips. The dog's head lit up in a blaze and he let go of my hand. Some gas had gotten on my wrist and I felt the intense burning in addition to the bite injuries. My magic healed my hand as I wrapped it in my coat and choked the flame.

  Mephisto appeared in human form above the car, hovering in a gust of wind. Amaymon's element was earth; Mephisto’s, the air and wind.

  Unlike Amaymon, who beat his opponents down with raw strength, Mephisto was more subtle. He served as the advisor to the Demon Emperor around the same time that Amaymon was leading the army. He knew every trick in the book and he was eager to use them.

  And while he was not a frontline fighter like my familiar, he could still do some serious damage. The guy was one of the most ancient demons after all, in addition to being an air elemental. There was no way I could take him down in a straight fight, so I had to cheat.

  I waited until the tornado around him had reached its peak and pointed my gun at him.

  Time to see if the new toy could withstand some magic.

  There was a small red streak as the bullet hit the tornado and burst into flames. The demon instinctively shielded himself and stepped backwards.

  Rule number one of surviving a fight with someone tougher than you: never just retreat.

  Surprise them, and then retreat.

  I dove straight for the girl, grabbed her arm and hoisted her over. "Come with me if you want to live."

  I know, cheesy. But what do you say to someone in that situation?

  I dragged the girl out of the car wreckage just as Mephisto roared in sheer rage.

  "Just where do you think you're going with our quarry?" Mephisto asked with a feral look. His teeth were bared, promising slow, deliberate pain.

  Out of nowhere, a thick slab of stone crashed right into his face, sending him flying.

  Amaymon hollered from across the street. "Hah! In your face, you butt sniffin' creep."

  "Mephisto! They mustn't get away," Gil screamed as she crossed her arms and energy gathered around her.

  I recognized the spell. She was going to create another barrier, like the one in the hospital. I holstered the gun and grabbed a tire rim. Magic enhanced my throw as I launched the improvised projectile like a discus. It caught Gil in the stomach and she doubled over.

  At the same time, Amaymon dug his fingers into the concrete and heaved. The entire street rose and fell back, like a massive carpet roll. Mephisto ran to Gil's side and both of them used wind to counter the earth magic. The result was an explosion and a lot of gavel being thrown about. Amaymon splayed his fingers and debris billowed around them, creating a smokescreen.

  "Yo, man, we gotta run," Amaymon said as he pulled both me and the girl around a corner and down the block.

  "They can still track us," I said. Mephisto's dog nose wasn't just for show. "Amaymon, I need some clones."

  He nodded. From the ground, eight pillars of mud sprouted up. Once grown to about my size, he nodded at me, and I tapped each one, giving them a fraction of my magic. Slowly, their features changed and soon I was staring at eight terra-cotta replicas of myself.

  "Do I look that ugly?" I asked Amaymon. "Or is it because they're gray?"

  "Nah, it's you," he replied with a grin.

  "They smell like you do, and have a trace of your magic in them," he then said, suddenly turning serious. "They will throw off any trackers."

  "Okay. I'll take these and make a run for it to distract my sister and Mephisto. You and the girl take another route and meet me at that parking lot in ten minutes," I instructed.

  Amaymon nodded and hefted Abigail over his shoulder. The girl offered no resistance. She was either too shocked to move or still groggy from whatever drugs they gave her.

  Either way, it was probably for the best that she was out of it.

  I took off, going down random streets and alleyways, and deploying the golems in different directions. That was probably enough but I decided to be extra cautious and run around a couple of blocks just in case.

  After a few minutes I circled back to the parking lot. A red sedan pulled up next to me and Amaymon grinned from behind the driver's wheel.

  "Come with me if you wanna live," he said with a mocking grin.

  Chapter 13

  Imagine the most awkward drive you've ever experienced. Multiply that by a hundred and add the fear of being followed not only by a mad twin sister, her army of highly trained wizard soldiers, an entourage of angels and Mephistopheles himself, but also a demon that riled up the forces of Heaven with a penchant for redhead succubii.

  Now you understand my anxiety.

  Abigail, who sat quietly and wide awake in the back seat, only spoke when the car stopped.

  "Are you going to kill me?"

  I saw the deadpan fear in her eyes and shook my head. Yeah, I could see how it looked—two guys taking a girl from the hospital in a stolen car. Not exactly the swashbuckling rescue I imagined.

  "No," I answered. "No one is going to kill you."

  "What do you want with me?" she whimpered.

  "Believe it or not, I'm here to rescue you."

  Her eyes widened and she gazed at my office, with its bullet-riddled door, shattered glass, and the destroyed furniture. There was a lone chair standing in the middle of all the chaos, where Jack had been tied. The kid was nowhere to be seen.

  "We're not kidnapping you either," I reassured her.

  Her look told me she wasn't buying it.

  "I don't have any money. I'm not even related to anyone important," she said.

  Then she smiled gently and came closer.

  "Please," she whispered. "Let me go."

  I felt her power hit me like a wave. She clearly had no idea how to control herself but she did have some serious juice. I felt pressure in the deepest parts of my brain, the part that pushed me towards very impulsive sexual acts.

  That little voice in my head had now been given a megaphone and I wanted nothing more than to obey her and hope for a reward between her legs.

  At the same time, I felt another wave of power, this one more familiar.

  It was him, Dark Erik. At least, that's how I referred to him. People don't usually have cute pet names for their subconscious but I guess when yours is as active as mine, it's time for a name tag.

  Dark Erik was the personification of my curse, of all that power stored inside of me. Power which, for some unknown reason, I just couldn’t seem to access.

  Unless I was being stabbed, shot or otherwise mutilated.

  I could only interact with that power when I meditated deeply enough, and even then, Dark Erik was usually antisocial, much like the real Erik.

  Most of the time my subconscious was silent, like a shadow on a wall.

  But the moment Abigail's influence pushed against mine, Dark Erik reached inside my head and I felt power taking over me. In an instant her influence was washed away and I felt light as a breeze.

  Abigail was still there, aiming those doe eyes at me, probably expecting me to just give in. But when nothi
ng happened she frowned and backed away.

  "Nice trick." I cleared my throat. Now, my voice didn't sound so husky. "Not gonna work on me."

  "And I suggest you drop that shit unless you really have to," Amaymon said. He leaned back until his face was uncomfortably close to hers.

  She recoiled away from him as much as the seat would allow.

  Amaymon's feline eyes, especially in his human form, weren't easy to look at. That, and the fact that the guy sorely needed a mint.

  "Whoever is chasin' you has already got your scent. My brother has quite the nose on him. So, try not to signal where you are unless you wanna be eaten," he said before wiggling his eyebrows at her. "And not in the fun way."

  Did I mention Amaymon is a Class-A pervert? He is. And somehow he managed to get away with it.

  Abigail's eyes darted towards me, pleading for my help.

  "Back off, Amaymon," I said as I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back. "You're not helping at all."

  "Course I am," he replied.

  "Hey," he directed at Abigail. "You gonna use your powers again?"

  She shook her head fervently.

  He turned to me. "See? Helping."

  I rolled my eyes. "Please, ignore him," I gently told the girl. "He's creepy but harmless. How about we go inside? I'm sure the kettle still works. How about some coffee? Tea?"

  She remained silent.

  It's official: I am the worst negotiator in the world. Ironic since that's exactly what it says on most of my pay slips from the cops.

  "I was hired by your friend Gracie," I said, hoping to engage her on some familiar ground. She narrowed her eyes. "She came to see me right after you were admitted into the hospital. I know everything."

  "What the hell is going on?" she blurted out.

  There it was: the question that confirmed the person's sanity.

  There was a very simple way of knowing if a person was normal or not. Put them through a series of inexplicable events, most of which were of a supernatural nature, and just watch their response. If they smiled and accepted it, they were cracked.

  Swearing, screaming, and abject panic—those were the good signs.

  We made it out of the car and I helped her out. I figured the least I could do after what she'd been through was offer her a hand and a cup of coffee. Amaymon wasn't so helpful. He stumbled on something, cursed, and transformed into a cat.

  I felt Abigail's hand tense up.

  "Ignore him," I repeated. "He's just trying to impress you. We don't usually have guests. Now you can guess why."

  "What happened here?" she asked.

  "My sister threw a monkey wrench at me to get to you first," I replied and watched her frown.

  "My sister is the blonde midget with the green suit," I clarified.

  "What are you people?" she asked for the second time.

  I sat her down on the chair and told Amaymon to make us some coffee. Then, I pulled the couch back in place and winced. The whole thing was ruined.

  "I'm a wizard," I said plainly. "Name's Erik. Erik Ashendale."

  "Did you just say wizard?"

  "Yes."

  "Like Houdini?"

  I smiled and glanced at the walls. I sensed that two of the crystals were damaged but I could still use magic freely in the office. So, in a reckless attempt to impress a pretty girl, I conjured up a small fireball in my palm.

  "More like Harry Potter," I said as she gasped.

  I put the fire out with a poof.

  "My sister is a type of wizard too," I went on. "She's a Warlock and they're a creepy bunch."

  "Are you one, too?"

  "Nah. I'm more of a general people-helping wizard," I said.

  Amaymon appeared in his human form with our coffee.

  "And him?" she asked as she eyed Amaymon. She waited until I took a sip of coffee before sipping hers.

  Smart girl.

  "Amaymon is a demon," I said.

  He raised his eyebrows and beamed at her.

  "Why can he transform into a cat?" she asked.

  "Because he's my familiar. Speaking of which." I turned towards him and held out my hand. "Give it up."

  He hissed and took off the pendant. "Dickhead."

  A cat took his place and he settled next to me. "Start patting," he said. "I don't work for free."

  He purred loudly as I rubbed his tummy.

  "This is so weird,"Abigail said.

  "Welcome to my world," I replied. "But this is reality, and the sooner you accept it, the better."

  She sipped her coffee.

  There was a moment of silence until she asked, "So, what am I?"

  Whatever I said next could send her over the edge. How do you tell someone they were part demon, that their power was meant to seduce people out of their life force?

  Maybe I could ease her into it.

  "What can you do?" I asked.

  "I'm a psychology major."

  "Not that." I sighed. "You were attacked for a reason. What makes you strange and weird?"

  "I'm not weird," she shot back, offended.

  Oh great, the popular girl attitude.

  "Tell me," I said patiently. "Do guys come onto you all the time?"

  “That’s not my fault," she said frowning. "It's not like I ask for it. I don't even like the attention."

  "Do you find that when you ask for things, people just comply with what you want?"

  "I'm a nice girl," she insisted.

  Amaymon rolled on all fours and let out a screech. "Oh, for chrissakes, get on with it, man. This is worse than the acting in porn movies." He turned his little feline head toward her. "You're a succubus."

  Amaymon, master of subtlety.

  "I'm a what?" she asked.

  "I was easing into it," I told him.

  "Easing into it?" he echoed exasperatedly. "No wonder you never get laid."

  "I'm a what?" she repeated.

  "I was trying to use tact," I insisted. "Ever heard of it?"

  "Dude, grow a pair," he shot back.

  "WHAT THE FUCK IS A SUCCUBUS?"

  That got our attention.

  "You're a sex demon," Amaymon said.

  "Technically, half a sex demon," I added.

  "You mess with people's heads to get laid."

  "It's more like procreation," I said, thinking that would somehow soften the blow.

  It didn't.

  "You'll fully manifest when you're twenty," Amaymon said.

  "Which is plenty of time to learn how to control yourself," I reassured her.

  The cat snickered. "And grow a good rack."

  "Your rack is absolutely-" I started before catching myself and glaring at the cat. "Dude!"

  "What?"

  I looked at Abigail, who crossed her arms self-consciously. Truth be told, she didn't look like the supermodel your mind automatically conjures up when you think 'succubus’.

  She was petite and slim, and she was sexy, in that girl-next-door sort of way. A good mix between hot and nerdy if you ask me. But no, she wasn't getting any double takes on the street.

  Maybe at comic con.

  "You don't say that to a girl," I berated the cat. "She's very pretty and you should apologize."

  When the heck did I become the gentleman?

  Amaymon snickered. "Erik, are you into the shy-but-cute type? Or do you just like lolitas?"

  I grabbed the cat by the collar.

  "That's it. Time out for you," I said, flinging the cat over my shoulder and sending him sailing over the couch.

  I turned back to Abigail, who sat there with a very confused look on her face.

  "Ignore everything he said," I said placing my hands together. "Yes, you're a succubus."

  "Is it true what he said about the sex?"

  "Yes. Your power stimulates the part of the brain that's responsible for raw emotion, particularly lust. Fully mature succubii use this power to mate and procreate. It's also their source of feeding."

  "I'm a
sex vampire?" she asked incredulously.

  "In a way. Except you guys leech off energy rather than blood."

  She set the coffee cup down. "Why?"

  "It's usually a hereditary thing," I replied.

  "I was raised in a foster home."

  That explains it. Succubii and incubii weren't exactly model parents. They nursed children for about a week before leaving them with the authorities for adoption or under state control.

  Abigail began crying. Hell, I would have cried too. A poor, innocent girl was going to become a monster and there wasn't jack anyone could do.

  Unless…

  "There's still hope," I said. She looked up. "Your powers won't start affecting you until you're twenty."

  "I'm nineteen," she said.

  "I know. Which is why it's not too late."

  "For what?"

  I sighed. "To train yourself. To control your mind and your powers. It is theoretically possible to feed without killing or impregnating yourself. It's a matter of control."

  "How do I do that?" she asked.

  "I can help with some training," I said. "But this isn't gonna be easy. And even if you manage, you'll still be a succubus. You'll still have to feed. It's your nature."

  "But I won't kill? I'll still have a life?"

  "Yes. Theoretically," I insisted.

  "Okay. I'm ready."

  "Hold up." Amaymon hopped back on the couch. "Aren't you forgetting something? Like Gil and angels chasing after her? Not to mention whatever sent her to the hospital."

  "Okay, then. We find a place to lay low until we can figure out what exactly is after her," I replied.

  "And then what, genius?" Amaymon shot back. "Let both your sister and the big bad monster duke it out and take out whoever is left?"

  "Sounds like a plan."

  "One problem. Right now that chick is hot and I don't mean that in the good way. Every monster is gonna be after her." He rubbed against her legs. "Not to mention the guys who are gonna chase after her. She's practically jailbait."

  Abigail's face twisted in disgust and kicked the cat away.

  "How do you live with him?" she asked.

  "I constantly ask myself that same question," I replied. "But he does have a point."

  She glared at me.

  "Not about the jailbait thing," I quickly added. "But your powers may flare up again."