My Life As a Teenage Zombie

Frozen Heart

Once I'm calm enough to move again, I immediately open another window, then step through it. We've only got one opponent left, so I might as well be the one to deal with him. I'm the only one who can do it without risking his life. Spoiler alert: It's gone.

My expectations are shut down immediately, because there's a dome of thing ice separating me from the fight, and the window refuses to take me inside.

"Where are the others?" Henry asks, also shut out.

"Daniel's the only one who survived."

"I see."

He leaves it at that, and so do I. Through the thin ice, I see Belphegor has somehow come up with another paper fan, and he's using them to fight Simon and Sam in close range. The three keep slashing away, with the cousin team only jumping back whenever Belphegor blows some cold air toward them. Is that really Si? When'd he learn to move like that? He was always garbage in gym, just like me. Now, he's almost as fast as Sam, who's completely superhuman. He's using the sword, which I think is a katana, but can't make sure, like a pro, managing to both attack and block as he goes from stance to stance. Mason is watching them from the side, still in his wolf form, looking for an opening. Every few seconds, Bell sends an icy attack his way as a reminder he hasn't forgotten he's there.

Time to get in there. I swing my fist at the ice, but as soon as my fist meets the reflection of my fist, I'm thrown back, and I feel my arm break in a few places.

"That won't work," Henry explains. "I can't get in there, either. He used a high-level spell to keep us separated. All we can do is watch."

Whispering a curse, I stand up, and do as he says. Mason charges, but Belphegor simply flips back and lands out of the way. Sam is on top of him right away, and he raises his fan to block.

Then he lets her claws sink into his shoulder, and blows cold air into her face, freezing her remaining eye. He moves in for the killing blow, but is then forced back a gain, this time by an attempted hit from Simon.

Bell then notices me, and smiles like we're old friends out for coffee. "Oh, my. Don't tell me Carson and Darla lost already?"

"Lyra, too," I remind him, and his happy demeanor drops just a tinge.

"Well, since everyone's dying left and right, I should start getting serious, right?" He shuts one of his fans, then points it at Mason. Several vines made of snow appear out of Belphegor's back, and wrap around the alpha werewolf. Mason tries to fight, biting into one of them, but they just keep coming, regardless of how many he breaks. Then, once enough of them are around him, thorns pop out of the vines, and dig into the wolf's skin, making him whimper. When Bell lets go, Mason hits the floor, and Si is all alone, having placed Sam against the ice wall, far from their opponent. "One more, and then I'll be right over there, Jojo!"

Si stands his ground, reaching into his coat with one hand. "I'm not out yet."

"Indeed not. You're human, and yet you're the most dangerous one here. Why is that, I wonder?" The demon swings both fans toward Si, sending a cold wind his way. My friend pushes through it, then rolls forward to dodge an icicle falling from above. I hadn't even noticed it was there, so how did he? Is it an exorcist thing? Why was his dad so weak then?

Bell takes a step back as Simon tries to cut him in half vertically, and only winds up with a scratch across his chest. He slams his foot down on the katana, and doesn't let Si pull it out.

Reacting exactly as he should, Si lets it go and pulls a knife out with his other hand, then jams it into Belphegor's eye. The prince of hell is pushed back again, and Si is free to retrieve his weapon, after which he pierces the ice demon's chest, then twisting, chanting a prayer all the while.