Flames surrounded the bodies of the demons, as they smiled showing two rows of serrated teeth, and the hellhounds’ growling transformed into ferocious barks.
“Jesus Christ!” Marcus exclaimed behind her. “Are those dogs I hear?”
Humans. They are so easily impressed.
Without any other warning, the hounds jumped at Tara, who— guided by her acute hearing— was able to shoot at two before the others collided with her body, taking the breath out of her lungs and throwing her to the floor. At the same time, the three Yakuzas spread out to start shooting at Marcus.
Tightening his jaw because of the pain that shot throughout his body, the dark-haired man jumped over the sofa in the nick of time. The couch stopped the bulk of the lethal projectiles, but a few found their way through, barely missing his shoulder and head. Feeling warmness spreading over his abdomen, he glanced down and saw the growing spot coloring his bandages with red. Marcus cursed out loud. His wound had reopened.
At the other side of the living room, Tara grabbed one of the infernal beasts by the neck to stop it from ripping out her own and pulled the Sig Sauer’s trigger one more time. Silence followed the “click” of the gun. The woman paled when no bullet was shot but, instead, the glowing symbols of the weapon disappeared.
The damn thing needed blood.
Though, she didn’t have to wrestle the dogs very long. The moment the Yakuzas stopped their assault to recharge, a whistle sounded all around the room and the hellhounds lost interest in her. Their sulfuric stench left in the opposite direction, right where the monstrous mobsters stood killing her sofa.
No. Marcus!
As she rose to her feet, Tara was surrounded by the fire demons, who smiled before throwing two fireballs at her. She jumped to the air— the fiery spheres missing her feet by mere inches but incinerating her furniture— and, doing an aerial spin, kicked the two devils with all her strength. The males’ heads and backs hit the left wall with so much force that a web of fissures formed on its surface and their bodies slumped to the floor.
Not looking back, the witch ran to Marcus. But, as she passed by one of the Yakuzas, the bastard grabbed her by the hair, making her grunt, while the hounds jumped over her ex. One of the invisible beasts bit Marcus’ injured shoulder and the other munched on his right thigh, eliciting screams that were deafening in Tara’s ears.
Time seemed to slow down in the witch’s eyes.
Memories flooded her. Memories of him, of them together. His smile every time he welcomed her home after a long night. The sweet things he murmured to her ear during those waking hours in bed. The promises made by candlelight…
Despite all the pain he caused her, now, when his life was in danger, she could only remember the good times they shared.
Roaring like a caged lion, she transformed into her demonic self and jumped over her enemy. Her hand was thrust into his back, tearing fabric and flesh to reach his innards. One pull and she felt, more than heard, the arteries snapping while she ripped out his heart. The wet “pop” sound as she crushed the organ between her clawed fingers awakened her hunger.
At the same time, Marcus fought behind the bullet-riddled sofa with one of the hellhounds after the beast tried to go for his neck; but his strength was waning quickly. Thankfully, both dogs were flung out the glass window when the second mutt tried to imitate the first.
The Italian shivered from the sudden freezing wind that came from the broken windows while he gawked at the sight before him.
A white female monster with his Tary’s angelic face offered him her clawed hand. Her form was both frightening and beautiful, tempting him to not only grab her hand but also stroke the ghostly white skin adorned by faint black veins.
“Is that you, Tary?” he asked, holding her bright red gaze.
Any response she may have had was interrupted by two powerful growls coming from behind them.
Feeling threatened by the demoness’ stronger aura, the Yakuzas opened fire at her. But it only took a whispered spell to stop the bullets midair and return them to the mobsters. Sadly, those human-made bullets would only buy them a few minutes.
Summoning the magical Sig Sauer to her hands, the demon witch cut her wrist, letting her scorching magma-colored blood cover the gun. Symbols reappeared over the metal frame, glowing faintly at first but brightening with each second passed. However, before the weapon had time to recharge completely, the fire devils tackled the female, throwing her against the kitchen table. The poor thing broke under such force and she fell to the floor in a mess of splintered wood. An opportunity her enemies didn’t miss.
With the demons over her, their flames burning her clothes but leaving her skin unharmed, she screamed at Marcus to grab the gun that lay on the floor, not three feet from him.
Grunting and mentally cursing his luck, he crawled to the weapon at the same time the Yakuzas stood up. He was able to shoot one in the head before invisible jaws clamped around his flesh once again. A scream tried to force its way out his throat, but he bit it back and turned the gun’s barrel above his right shin, where he felt the teeth tearing open his skin. Another shot filled the air and the hound dropped heavily over his wounded leg, ripping a painful moan from him.
Black dots began filling his vision while he used all his waning strength to grip the Sig Sauer and waited for the remaining dog to make his presence known. But, instead of hearing the infernal hound, his ears were bombarded by the deafening scream of a semi-automatic machine gun as it rained bullets from one side of the living room to the other.
The dark-haired man rolled over his good leg, taking cover behind the couch but not before two bullets hit his stomach. Wincing as blood began to pour out the new and old wounds, Marcus’ vision blurred, and his hands moved sluggishly to apply pressure over the bullet holes. He was slipping away. His strength and consciousness were slipping away from him.
I’m sorry, Tary.
Still wrestling with the two fire demons, Tara glanced to the couch and her stone heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Behind what was left of her once mahogany sofa lay Marcus’ unmoving form, a small pool of blood growing bigger with each one of her heartbeats.
No, no, no, nooo. I won’t let you die!
The ear-piercing scream that ripped out her throat shattered all the glass in the house and created an energy shockwave that threw her enemies through the walls— including the remaining Yakuza— and even moved some of her heavier furniture. Wasting no more time, she dashed to her man and teleported them out of the house. She needed a safe place to attempt her rusty healing spells and do something she had never done before: pray to her father.
Darkness surrounded him like a black mantle covering the world. There was no sound, smell, or any type of sensation other than the desperate need to run away from that place. The problem was he couldn’t. Everywhere he looked or ran to was the same. A pitch-black void with no end or beginning.
He was alone.
Forgotten…
But why? Why was he there? What had he done to deserve such punishment? But a worse thought snaked inside his mind. What if this was how death looked like?
What if he was dead?
As if someone had answered his question, a small light appeared in the darkness of the void. A tiny light that seemed too weak to shine but that Marcus found the most beautiful thing in his now desolate world.
He felt something warm over his stomach but when he looked down his torso there was nothing there. Frowning, he turned to the light and found it shining brighter than before.
Then, he heard it.
Sobs.
He heard faint sobs. Hushed things barely above a whisper but at the same time the loudest sounds inside the dark void.
The warmth over his stomach increased and a voice broke through the darkness.
“Marcus. Marcus. Don’t you dare leave! Don’t you dare leave me without an explanation!”
“Tary,” he whispered as his brown eyes widened. “TARY! I’m not leaving you, not again!” He shook his head and began running toward the light. “Where are you, Tara? I can’t see you.”
Around him, the darkness thickened, trying its best to banish the tiny light that twinkled and fought to shine. The blackness beneath his feet changed, becoming soft like mud and slowing his advance. With every step he sank deeper into the void until it reached his knees, taking almost all his strength to move forward.
The damn void wanted to keep him but hell no. Nothing would keep Marcus Di’nardo apart from his woman ever again.
Desperate, he pulled strength from all the recesses of his body to move one leg in front of the other. The force pushing him back was worse than trying to walk at the beach with a high, turbulent tide; even so, he pushed forward.
Tara’s scream shattered the silence once again— an agonizing, raw, and full of impotent rage sound that tugged at his heart. At the same time, the tiny star burst, sending pure white rays to all the corners of the void and blinding him with its ethereal beauty.
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A/N: I hope to have the second half ready in the following days.
Chapter song: Heart of Fire from Black Veil Brides
Chapter Word Count: 1,642
Total Word Count: 6,219