“Let me help.” Naomi rose to her knees, helped him to his, then took his hand in hers. Almost instantly some of the pain went away. The black crust grew less dense, and the blisters lessened.
Warren calmed.
“I need you.” Naomi looked at him. “Help me. It’s still more than I can do.”
More in control of the animalistic fear that rattled through him, Warren concentrated on his hand. The healing sped up. In only a few seconds, his hand was once more whole. He flexed it, feeling everything again and finding the hand totally mobile.
Once more on his feet, Warren picked up the spear and turned back to the demon. Daiyu and the Cabalists attacked with fire and lightning, with swords and pistols that fired insects that dug into Kareloth’s flesh. The demon roared with rage and fought the nets that held him. Other Cabalists held on to ropes and anchored the demon in one spot so he couldn’t run.
Pustules and sores covered the demon’s body from the Cabalist guns. The insects burrowed into the flesh and sapped strength as well as spurting toxins that sped through the central nervous systems. Before any of the demon’s body was used to enhance Cabalist recipients, those harvested pieces would have to be thoroughly disinfected.
The nets continued to rip. A hole grew larger, and Kareloth thrust his two-faced head through. His right hands clawed at the nets and forced a shoulder through as well.
Warren wanted to stab the demon again, but he was hesitant. The pain from the earlier attempt remained fresh in his mind.
“When I get out of here,” Kareloth bellowed, “I’m going to kill you. I tried to kill you quickly. Before, you were just a small favor for Merihim. Now, I owe you for the pain you’ve caused me.”
Warren’s first instinct was to run. He couldn’t imagine going one-on-one with Kareloth. The Cabalists were hard-pressed to restrain the demon now, and that small edge they maintained was slipping away.
You can’t run. He’ll only follow. This is your only chance.
Focusing on the fear, Warren embraced it and let it feed the power that surged through him. He was no hero. He’d never be a hero. But he was a survivor. He’d faced his stepfather down when he was just a child. And he’d used the one power that had always been his.
“Kareloth,” Warren said in a voice that only cracked a little.
The demon swiped his right hands at Warren. They were only three feet short. The nets hung halfway down the demon’s chest. Once they plunged below that, they’d fall quickly.
“I know your name,” Warren said. “You have to listen to me.”
“I don’t,” Kareloth said. “I’m going to grind your bones to dust.”
“Stop struggling. Now.”
The nets finally gave way and dropped to the pavement. Kareloth managed one step forward…then stopped.
“Daiyu,” Warren said, feeling as though his heart were about to explode. “Pull your people back.”
Daiyu gave the order. With the demon free, they were only too happy to comply.
Kareloth lurched but couldn’t take another step. His arms waved helplessly. Muscles bunched across his body as he strove to fight off Warren’s hold over him.
“You’re at my mercy.” Warren lifted the spear in his metal hand. “I’m going to kill you, and you’re not going to do anything to prevent it.”
Fear glazed Kareloth’s eyes. Both his faces quivered. “You…can’t…do…this.”
“I can.” Warren felt the demon fighting against him. The demon felt immediately more tired, and weaker. Hefting the spear, Warren walked forward and drew it back. If there had been other demons around, his power wouldn’t have worked so well. While he was controlling Kareloth, another demon could have killed him. But in this instance, his power and strategy worked.
Without another word, Warren threw the spear through the demon’s heart. Once more, the obsidian spear burned cherry red. But this time Kareloth’s chest blackened as it was consumed by the heat. In seconds, only the spear held him up.
When Warren retrieved the spear, Kareloth dropped to the pavement. All four of his eyes stared sightlessly.
Trying not to show how scared he still was, Warren walked over to the demon. Warren’s knees quivered and almost buckled under him. He took a shuddering breath and fought not to throw up. It wasn’t the scent of burned flesh that got to him. What bothered him most was how close he’d come to dying.
“The corpse will draw other predators,” Daiyu said.
Warren nodded and kicked Kareloth in one of his faces. The demon didn’t move.
“Harvest it,” Warren ordered.
The Cabalists fell to the task with zest. Horns, eyes, hands, and sections of scaled hide all slid into bags. The demon’s corpse diminished, shuddering as they took what they wanted.
Naomi drew her knife and moved in as well.
Warren watched them silently and tried to keep himself quiet and controlled. He couldn’t help thinking that the Cabalists’ bloodlust wasn’t far removed from the demons.
But they were his people.
Later, back in Daiyu’s lair, Kareloth’s pieces were sorted out and distributed. Warren withdrew from them and found a room to himself. His fear and the energy he’d expended had taken their toll on him.
The room was dark. Night still remained, but not much of it.
Without undressing, he lay down in the bed. He was glad to be alone, but he also wished that Naomi would join him. However, he knew he wasn’t going to ask her.
Before he could give the matter much thought, he drifted off to sleep.
“You spent all our money again!”
Hearing his stepfather’s voice so clearly again woke Warren just as it had all those years ago. When he focused his eyes, he woke on that threadbare couch back in that Manchester flat all those years ago.
Martin DeYoung, his stepfather, sat in the open window and drank from a whiskey bottle. He was a powerful man who was slowly turning to fat. His black skin held a bluish tint. His shaved head gleamed in the streetlights. A short goatee framed his square chin. His nose had been
