Demon Trackers: The Anointed

part two

"Watch it! Hey!" the demon clapped a hand over his chest, slapping out with the other that sent Cal tumbling through the air, landing with a jolt against a parked car, then bouncing to the pavement.

Disoriented, Cal shook his head, seeing two of the demon running at him. Cal rolled, not certain which way to go since he was seeing everything doubled, just hoping to get out of the demon's path enough to grab up a rock or something for defense when his brother shouted, a dark blur that jumped in front of Cal and took the brunt of the demon's supercharged momentum. Bodies slammed against the car behind Cal, legs tangled around him, feet stomping around him.

His breath gushed out in a whoosh when a bare foot clomped down on his belly.

Jake hit the ground hard beside him, the demon easily holding him down with one arm while Jake struggled, trying to pry the hand away from his neck.

Blinking hard against his wavering vision, Cal pulled himself up to do...something. The demon stretched out his other arm and a wall of air slammed into Cal, pinning him to the ground.

"You're up next, cupcake." The demon smiled at him, and then leaned closer to Jake, sniffing. "Mmmmm-mmmm, delicious." Cal's pulse kicked into high gear. Not good, not good. Not all demons had a penchant for human flesh, but some…some really hungered for it.

Cal's vision finally focused. The demon edged back and looked from Jake to Cal.

"Wait a minute. I've heard of you." Hot fingers feathered along Cal's cheek. Grunting, he tried to turn away, but the pressure of air held him fast. The demon's hand slipped into Cal's hair. "One light as gold…" He looked at Jake. "And the other dark as a raven. You're the little half-breed brothers who have been making our get-out-of-Hell free cards not so easy to cash in. Word gets around down there you know. You're Celalundria's little bastard whelps."

"Not bastards," Jake ground out, his feet gouging across cement.

"Your mortal husk of a dad must have been a good ride for the rebellious princess to go back for seconds." The demon flicked at glance over to Cal. "Ah, well, you know how the Anointed are, all high and mighty, yet horny as Hell."

"You don't talk about our mother," Jake growled.

"Your mother." The demon snorted. "Noble of you to defend her when she tossed you two halflings out on your ears."

"She didn't have a choice."

Cal flinched at the venom in Jake's voice. Several of the lights in the apartment building windows went on.

"Didn't have a choice," the demon sing-songed. "Here you are, the two sons of the great Celalundria, taking on gigs that are beneath the true Anointed. Plugging up the little holes made by the hellhounds—terrific job on that by the way—or taking out a few evil spirits here and there. Maybe a zombie or two on a good day? Clean up work at best. It's kind of like you guys are the Anointeds' janitorial service." He laughed. "You're nothing more than garbage men."

"Yeah?" Jake's dark brow rose. "Guess that makes you…" And there it came, that full out smirking smile that was pure unadulterated defiant Jake "…garbage."

It scared the crap out of Cal because he knew what his sibling was doing. Jake was keeping the demon's focus on himself. And it was working.

The demon's nostrils flared like a snorting bull's. The pink of his irises dilated. "Say that again."

The green of Jake's eyes darkened. "Gar...bage."

The demon lost it. Enraged, his neck craned back. A grinding, crackling noise reverberated across the demon's skull as wicked sharp teeth extended, breaking through his gums.

No! No! Cal pushed against the bonds of air. The demon was going to eat Jake! Cal fought with everything he had, surging upward, the veins in his neck throbbing with effort.

The demon dived onto Jake, bloody strings of saliva flinging off his bleeding gums. Jake screamed, thrashing.

And the bands of air around Cal loosened.

He flung himself at the demon, knocking him off Jake. They pitched across the rock-strewn ground. Adrenaline roared through Cal's veins. He kicked, gouged, and punched the much stronger creature. "You…do not…get to eat…my brother!"

His head snapped back, vision blurring at the lucky punch from the demon. Hands shot out to push him away, but Cal hung on like a dog to a bone, fighting wild and sloppy, nothing like he was trained for, yet the unpredictable jabs actually seemed to be throwing the demon off.

Suddenly Jake was there, shoving at the demon like a football player at a blocking sled. "Into the hole!"

Cal changed tactics, twisting over the demon to get to the other side and pushed with his brother before the evil thing could get up off its back. Together, they slid it to the edge. The demon howled, clawing, swiping at them, but the brothers were determined and working together.

The demon teetered, eyes flared wide. Cal kicked. Jake shoved. The demon fell past the jagged up-heaved cement. He latched onto Jake's arm, determined to climb back up.

"Now Cal!"

Jake's free hand slammed onto the demon's head, holding him down. The crystals flared bright as Jake's energy poured from him, into the omthrodite, over the demon's stringy hair.

Cal let his energy stream out, anger and fear unleashing it in a wild uncontrolled rush. The ground groaned, splintered and moved beneath them.

Cal yelled, his voice blending with Jake's as the force leaked around them, stronger than he'd ever felt it, built on rampant emotion. The demon scrabbled at the earth folding over him. Jake snapped his hand back just as the stone sealed over the demon's head, severing the demon's hand still clamped onto Jake's other wrist.

With a resounding crack, the crystals went dark and Jake and Cal sank to the ground. Where the hole had been, there was a smooth layer of unbreakable stone surrounded by broken upturned pavement and dirt. Whoever owned the parking lot was going to have a hard time figuring this one out.