Page 93 of Demons & Damnation

Chapter 38

Azazel and Balthazar had no time to spare. Focusing on the ley lines, they teleported to the heart of the energy within the blink of an eye.

The instant they appeared outside the stereotypical family home, they both took in their surroundings. And set eyes on Sam’s car at the same moment.

“Sam can’t be the witch,” Balthazar whispered, his mind running riot. “It’s not possible.”

Azazel pulled his lips into a thin line. “That’s Sam’s car. But she’s not had it since the incident the other night.” He quirked an eyebrow up as he looked at his brother, wondering when the penny would drop.

“Kyla,” Balthazar replied. He looked towards the house, the metallic scent of blood already tinging the air. “It can’t be her, surely?”

“No!” Kyla screamed.

Azazel raced towards the house, Balthazar close behind. Bursting through the front door, ripping it off its hinges, Azazel rushed into the living room just in time to see Kyla collapse on the floor. She locked eyes with him a split second before her eyelids fluttered closed.

There were few times in Azazel’s life where he willingly admitted he was wrong or made an ‘error in judgement’ as he preferred to call it. However, this current moment, of seeing Kyla unconscious, surrounded by her murderous activities, was something he realised he had gotten totally wrong. He’d seen something dark and lurking in her but too afraid of scratching his own wounds, he’d ignored it.

Now, that old shrew, Mildred, had made her move, exactly as he and Balthazar had feared. Now they were too late.

Sitting on the floor, Azazel lifted Kyla up, pulling her away from her mother’s body, cradling her head in his lap. The fact that she had tortured her own tormentors intrigued him immensely. Not only was he fascinated by the sheer depravity her imagination went to, but he found himself contemplating the situation with Balthazar.

Sure, the pair had had their fair share of fights, but the fact they knew they would never fully die surely played a part in the frightening carousel of their sibling war. How would things have panned out if they both knew the kill would be it, the final cut?

Despite everything that had happened, would he prefer a life without his brother? Mulling it over, he decided no, he wouldn’t. He and Balthazar had endured times darker than most relationships, and in all honesty, that was something to be proud of. They still bickered, but that was no different to any other friendship or relationship in the universe.

Somehow though, in Kyla’s case, all this murderous chaos seemed to be healing something inside her. Was that normal or did it just mean she was different?

“Azazel!”

Balthazar’s shout of despair cut through the demon’s ponderings in an instant.

“Yeah?” he said, still slightly dazed by his deep thinking.

It was when he registered his brother hurtling towards him at full speed that he realised he’d lost the moment.

“Fucking move!” Balthazar yelled, pelting towards him.

Seconds later, Balthazar flew back through the air, crashing into a wall. Before Azazel could even think, a huge weight knocked him flat on his back. Looking up, Azazel wasn’t surprised to see the huge furry head of a mahogany brown wolf, its dark eyes boring straight into him, its front paws on either shoulder, pinning him to the floor with its weight.

“For fucks sake, Dylan,” he shouted. “I’m trying to help her. Get off.”

A dinner plate sized paw smacked Azazel around the head, leaving him stunned and with his ears ringing. To top things off, the beast used him as a springboard to hurl himself back at Balthazar.

Meeting one another in a mid-air bear-hug, the demon and the wolf wrestled for a few seconds. Grunts sounded from both sides until after a few seconds, the sound of a body being thudded against the earth signified a winner.

It wasn’t Balthazar.

---