Demons (Darkness #4) (7 page)

A week after the little demon incident, I stood outside in the failing light with Adnan and his opponent, Claudia. It was the duel I’d initiated before we left to deal with the demon; either Adnan had to beat her fighting-wise, or I had to admit he wasn’t as good as I made him out to be.

God, I hoped he was as good as I made him out to be…

Charles stood off to the side, a smirk on his face. He loved watching people fight—because he was an idiot guy—and he loved when I was in a pinch that didn’t affect him in any way. This pretty much made his night.

Jonas was off to t
he other side, totally over this scene, but knowing this needed to happen because I was a loudmouth and made stupid promises. My dallying wasn’t improving his mood any, and being that he’d scared a kid on the way out here with just a glance, that wasn’t good news.

“Okay, Adnan, here’s the deal.” I looked him square in the eyes.
Young eyes. Belonging to a guy still in school. Who was about to go against a woman who’d been fighting for as long as Adnan had been alive. “You’ve got to beat her ass so she knows I’m wise and all-knowing, or I have to admit I was wrong. And I hate admitting I’m wrong.”

A grin ghosted his lips before uncertainty crept back in. “She’s in the Watch, Sash
a. She’s at her peak.”

“You’re freaking great at fighting, Adnan. Great.”
I shook his shoulders a little. “You’ll kick her ass, I know it. It’s not often I tell a guy to kick a chick’s ass, but…give her a bitch-slap if you can.”

“
You better not get all excited he won and put him in the Watch,” Charles said with crossed arms, watching the sneering Claudia as she eyed Adnan. “I’m the youngest brought on. I don’t want to give up that title.”

“I thought you hated that title?” I shot back.

“Yeah, I do, but with that title, everybody knows I’m the shit.”

I scoffed.
“Or at least a huge turd.”

“Get a move on, human, w
e have things to see to,” Jonas rasped, eyeing the trees like they might come alive and try to stab him.

“No one ever talks to Stefan like this,” I muttered to myself.

“He’d rip our limbs off and beat us with them. You’ll just shock us,” Charles countered.

“In just a minute, yeah.
So you have that to look forward to.” I honed back in on Adnan. “Okay, ready to kick some butt?”

He flexed his fingers and cocked his head, warming up his neck. Anyone that had ever fought against him usually took a step back at that action. Adnan wasn’t super strong in magic, but in fighting, the kid could wipe a smirk off someone’s face in a hurry.

I hoped this would hold true for Claudia. She needed to get taken down a peg.

“We have to hit the West Nine
after this,” Jonas said in boredom as Adnan strolled toward Claudia.

She waited with her hands loosely at her sides, knees slightly bent, and completely relaxed. I had learned that this was the ready position of anyone worth their salt in the fighting arena. Adnan wasn’t perturbed.

“Why?” I asked to Jonas as my hands started to tingle in anticipation. I
really
needed Adnan to win this one. “I thought that was a pretty barren place.”

“You’re thinking of the East Nine
beyond the city. The
West
Nine is by Jefferson Park. I gave you the map to study…”

“Yes, Jonas, but Toa gave me a giant scroll on linking.
A
scroll
Jonas. He thinks that if I study a five-hundred-year-old document, I’ll figure something out. Spoiler alert: I haven’t. You know what else I haven’t had time for? Geography lessons. Just tell me Jefferson Park if you want me to know what you’re talking about.”

Charles whistled. “Someone’s on shark week.”

Jonas and I both shot a scowling glance at the meddlesome dummy. Charles shrugged, “On the rag. Aunt Flo’s visiting. Out of commission—take your pick. Although, in extreme situations, and a shower, I don’t mind getting a little dirty in the trenches…”

“
Ew. Can you not share? It’d really help me out,” I begged.

Charles shrugged again as Adnan got within striking range of Claudia. As his right foot touched down, dried leaves crackling with the weight, her hand shot out. Closed fist landed on sharp cheekbone, snapping his head back. His body weight would’ve followed, landing him flat on his back, but he twisted at the last minute. I caught the briefest of glimpses of his newly split lip before he bounded to his feet, hands out wrestler-style.

“He’s quick, but inexperienced,” Jonas commented, turning his shoulders toward the fight.

“Slow to get started,” Charles
intoned. “He’ll take a few—”

Claudia’
s fist landed on Adnan’s face again, whipping his head around. A kick made contact with his stomach, bending him over.

“—hits before he finally gets going.”
Charles shifted, faced screwed up in analysis as he surveyed the fight. “Wait for it, though. He’s got talent.”

Claudia swept the legs out from under the younger man,
rocketing a fist down toward his nose when he hit the dirt. At the last second, Adnan turned, the fist continuing, smacking off the ground. He moved faster than an angry snake, scurrying up and around her. By the time she straightened, his kick landed across her ribs. She sprawled out, face skidding along the dirt.

“C’mon, Adnan,” I said beneath my breath, my body tense.

“Here we go,” Charles murmured.

“He’s not ready for the Watch,” Jonas drawled, arms starting to flex. These guys hated when they couldn’t join a fight.

“No, not yet. But he’s close.” Charles flinched as Claudia’s foot banged off of Adnan’s shoulder. She had a high reach, I’d say that much. “Give him a couple more years and keep him with Sasha and he’ll be one of the best.”

“Keep him with Sasha? What, does he need a nursemaid?”
Jonas snarled.

Irritation bubbled up, but it was Charles that answered. “Bro, where’ve you been, under a rock
? Her special talent is boosting the magic in someone she works with.”

“Her special talent?”
Jonas spit as Adnan whipped around ninja style, his hands moving so fast Claudia couldn’t keep the look of strained bewilderment from her face. He kicked her thigh, jabbed her cheek, and then slashed at her throat. Like a gaping fish, she staggered backward, grabbing her bruised neck.

“Oh shit,
yo. He shouldn’t have done that. She gets really evil when she’s mad.” A delighted grin lit up Charles’ face.

“What’s your special talent?” J
onas asked Charles, glancing sideways at him. “Shitting yourself in glee every time you come?”

“Only if the ladies are into that
sorta thing.”

“Good god,” I groaned. “
Why are you guys so gross? I’m in desperate need of girl time. Remind me to call Ann.”

Charles laughed. “You know I’m kidding with that comment, right
, Sasha? There are certain lines even I won’t cross.”

I turned to Charles with fisted hands, annoyance bubbling up and overflowing. “Charles,
gross
, okay? I am under a lot of pressure with this council thing in a few weeks, and I don’t want to hear about…that stuff. I really don’t. Okay? Please?”

“Wow,” Charles said under his breath.

Claudia’s head titled downwards like a character in an evil movie. She looked at Adnan out from under short brown lashes. Her eyebrows dipped low over her eyes.

“This just got good, bro,” Charles whispered excitedly, his immaturity showing. The guy was bouncing on his feet in anticipation.

Claudia charged, half graceful lioness, half stomping elephant. She rammed a hard blow at Adnan’s gut. He blocked, dancing away. She followed, determination and rage warring on her face. She jabbed at him again, followed by a left hook. He took the jab but ducked under the hook, his foot swinging around to clip her on the butt. She was already moving, though.

Red glazed from the tattoos swirling her arms.

“Uh, oh,” I muttered. Usually, to spar, Stefan’s clan kept magic out of it. When the magic infused the runes and other incantations etched into their skin, their body became a weapon, like a sword or mallet. They could rend and tear as easily as if they had claws.

Claudia was no longer messing around.

“Is this allowed?” I asked in a small voice. “Should I call this off? I don’t want Adnan to get hurt.”

“He’ll be fine,” Jonas growled. “He just has to quit dicking around and cash in on her weaknesses.”

“He’s not as good at identifying that, bro.” Charles said while he stared intently. “He hasn’t been around the block like you have.”

Jonas shifted, his flexed arms coming away from his body
, making thick cords of muscle pop out down the length. The gruesome divot where the demon had gouged him was red and puckered, still healing. Although, healing extremely fast. Toa had done something with magic, but wouldn’t tell me what. I was to learn useful spells and incantations, like linking, killing, and blocking.

Our priorities were a little different.

A wave of nausea rolled through my stomach at that thought, taking my focus from the fight in front of me. Toa was trying to prepare me for the council with the violent magic. This race of people fought, bled, and challenged each other mercilessly. I was one of them now.

I was nowhere near ready, and Toa knew it.

I groaned.

“What’s up, Sasha?
Cramps?” Charles glanced away from the intricate and awe-inspiring dance Adnan and Claudia were doing through the trees.

“Charles! I
am not on my period!”

Jonas flinched. Charles said, “And you think
I’m
gross?”

“What, because I said period?”

Jonas sent me a disgusted glare.

“Oh really?”
I shot back. “You talk about all sorts of disgusting crap, but I say period—stop flinching! Jonas, how the hell can you body-check a demon with a grin and a snarl, but flinch when you hear that word? It’s the real word for the thing!”

“Would
you stop saying it?” Charles demanded. “Guys don’t want to hear about any of that.”

I threw up my hands.

Adnan, rivulets of sweat running down his face, had glowing arms in a soft red. He tore at Claudia, raking nails down her arm. He followed it up with a punch, then a kick, stamina holding strong. She was physically flagging, though. Aiming for any weakness she could find. Spells came next, blasting at him, forcing him to try and defend himself magically while she followed up with physical bombardment. Getting dirty to try and counter his limitless energy.

“See, bro?” Charles said, once again
analyzing the fight. “Females are much better at multitasking.”

“It’s why a red is Secon
d-Tier Watch,” Jonas remarked, agreeing.

“You guys have tiers?” I asked
, flinching as Adnan took a hard hit to the chin. I opened up, immediately fighting the surge of power that rushed me. I felt everyone around me, their strong glow of magic within them, beckoning. Calling. Feeling mine and wanting to join. To take our small fires and create a huge blaze.

I focused on Adnan
, knowing he needed a power boost. He was younger, after all. And it’s not like I was cheating. Charles did say that if he was with me, and on Watch, he’d be awesome. Well, here was some awesome-sauce.

“Why are you chuckling?” Jonas asked suspiciously.

Ann and I had finally played that joke on him a while back. His butt was glued to the toilet seat for three hours. He was so damn pissed. Afterward, whenever he was an extra big dick, I thought of it and chuckled heartily. Now, every time I randomly snickered, he got suspicious.

“Just marveling at my wittiness.”
I focused on Adnan’s suffocated glow, the pressure of the fight making him tense up, cutting off some of his flow. Like a fan to fire, his magic felt my coaxing, burning it brighter.

His arms flickered, the red getting deeper.
Deeper still. Matching Claudia’s now as he blocked a physical charge and lashed out magically, the spell jumping the short distance from his skin to hers, something only those stronger in magic could do, and even then, they usually needed the tattoos. I was the exception, as always.

With a growl she wiped her hand through the air, probably shaking whatever it was off.
Too late. That stall had Adnan landing two intense kicks, one to her stomach, and one bashing against her thigh. Her feet saw sky. The dull thud of her body sounded like it hurt.

She struggled to get up.

“That’s enough,” I said in a firm voice. Claudia glared up at me from the ground. “Look, Claudia, you’re good, I’ll give you that. And you’d keep going, but I’ll need you here protecting things when we’re gone. I need you healthy for that.”