Page 12 of Demons In My Head: Exposing the Exiled
Three other guards simultaneously hit the ground, glints of metal sparking in the sunlight. Misha stomped over to the dead guards and plucked his blades from their bodies like it was just another day at work. I supposed it was.
I barely registered that Felix and Ashland were working together to swiftly eliminate the four remaining guards because my eyes were locked with the big bastard who was about to incur my wrath.
"Y-you're the... t-the..." the girl stammered with wide eyes as I marched to where she had been dropped.
"The Exiled," I finished for her with a wink. "And you're one of us."
The guard spat in my direction and cracked his knuckles as his wings jerked in irritation. I began rolling up my sleeves, eager to crush his nose. "Fuck The Exiled. Your lot won't last the evening. Once Asrael learns of this, it’ll be your death!"
I snarled at the sound of his name, which was the guard's only warning, before I slammed into him with as much force as possible. He grunted in pain as he hit the cobblestones beneath our feet. I had no desire to hear his mouth, whether it be words or noises of pain. My hands found his throat.
"Fuck. You," I hissed, applying enough force to have already killed a human man. "Asrael doesn't know what just waltzed intohis kingdom. We wear the faces of The Exiled, but believe me when I say this." I leaned down, relishing the way his face was turning purple. "You’re looking at fucking death."
His eyes widened as I tightened my grip with all my might, followed by an audible crunch. His gaze then became empty and vacant.
Ashland landed beside me, his boots tinged red with blood. "Can you fuckin' believe it? There are people in the bloody castle chanting the oath?" He was never one to get overly emotional over much of anything, but it was hard not to notice the shine of building tears in his ice-blue eyes.
"Isn't that something?" I said softly, almost as if my voice got one octave higher, then the illusion would shatter, and we would be back in Port Black, working endlessly on creating the gas that allowed us to break Asrael's mind control and return home.
Suddenly, a sickening splat from behind us broke the moment, and we whirled around, ready to fight whatever enemy wanted a turn. I frowned at the body lying at the base of the wall as a pool of red flooded the cobblestones.
"Oi! I thought unicorns were supposed to fly!" Talon shouted, looking down at us. His wings snapped out, and he stepped from the wall, catching himself at the last possible moment.
"What are you talking about?" Ashland demanded.
Talon pointed at the body of the guard. "I found this fucker hiding up there." He pointed up at the wall. "Hidinglike this was a game of hide ’n seek!"
Felix snorted. "Doesn't he know we're the best at that game?"
"He does now," I grumbled.
"What's this have to do with a unicorn?" Ash asked again, keeping Talon on topic.
"Right, right. I was getting there, man. So, like I was saying, this little bitch was hiding, and was about to toot on the ol' horn. Send out the alarm. I can't really fault him there. It is his job.Even I understand that sometimes we don't like the jobs we're given in life, but by the stars, you gotta forge your own—"
"Talon," Misha growled in warning, clearly tired of the babbling. He normally would've entertained Talon and all of his quirks, but this wasn't a normal situation.
As though he hadn't heard the warning, Talon tucked some rogue red strands of hair behind his ear—with his middle finger. "I gave the guy a choice. I said you can pretend like you didn't see a thing, or you can try to toot toot on that nark flute. But I warned him, if he reached for it, I was going to give him a unicorn send-off."
Felix began laughing and shaking his head. "No, brother. Tell me you didn't..."
Talon held his hands out dramatically. "What was I supposed to do? I gave him a choice, and I was quite clear on the consequences."
"For fuck's sake," Ashland said as he marched over to the body. "How is it we've been together this long, and I have no bloody clue what a unicorn send off—" He looked down at the man, "Ohhhh." Ash's eyes darted to Talon's as he chuckled. "Oh, Talon. Your creativity is a gift."
He bent over and lifted the dead man up as though he weighed nothing. I had to admit, my curiosity was piqued, but I wasn't prepared. Neither was our little fan girl, who was sitting in the same spot she'd been dropped minutes before.
"Can't say I've ever seen that before," Felix said, admiration in his tone. "I think I may need to tattoo that on your ass cheek, brother."
My head tilted involuntarily as I took in the gruesome sight.
Laughter broke through the contemplative silence, and we glanced at the girl who was wiping tears from her cheeks. When she realized we were all watching her as she laughed at Talon's unique murder methods, her face fell.
"P-please, don't kill me," she begged, eyes wild.
"You're a member of The Exiled," Felix stated. "Though you've never been properly inducted, and I'm dying to know how it is you know of our oath, you still cited the pledge in the face of deadly enemies."
Talon crossed his arms, looking a little pissed off. "But why were you laughing at me?"
