Page 29 of Demanding Discord
“How do you even know they’re in there?” the gruff voice asked. “No demon has ever been able to get close to that house.”
“There’s nowhere else they could be, you imbecile.” Hooves stomped on the stone, and I leaned, craning my neck again. I caught a quick glimpse of a horse’s ass, his tail swishing in annoyance.
“Cinder, it’s the centaur.” I tugged from her grasp, and the window behind me shattered. Something hard hit the back of my head, making my vision swim, and Cinder gasped, her eyes widening as she pressed a hand to her chest.
“There’s a shroud on this building,” the centaur said. “I heard glass break where it appeared there was none.”
Another object crashed through an adjacent window, and I picked it up before grabbing Cinder’s arm and dragging her away from the glass.
“Why are they throwing canned meat?” I held up the culpable object.
“Long story. How many are out there? Can we take them all?” She darted toward the counter and grabbed her bag.
“If we were operating at full strength, yes. But in this condition, and without weapons…”
“Here.” She reached into the bag and handed me a knife, taking one for herself before situating the straps on her shoulders.
I tested the weight of the thin, serrated blade. “This is used for cutting meat at dinner.”
“It was the best I could find.” She slid the curtain aside slightly to peer out the window. “Holy shit. Horse-man rallied the whole town.”
I looked from my left hand, holding the canned meat, to my right, holding the flimsy knife. I could do more damage with the can.
Standing behind my witch, I peered out the window as the centaur clutched an imp and hurled it toward the house. The moment the creature hit the ward, its body exploded, slime and blood flying outward in every direction. The imbeciles cheered, encouraging the centaur, and Cinder drummed her fingers against the wall, narrowing her eyes as she watched the commotion.
“He’s trying to break the ward.” She turned to me as the centaur picked up another imp and threw it onto the porch. Guts splattered against the window, and she flinched. “He’ll sacrifice them all to get to us, and they’re egging him on. What morons. Is everyone in Hell that stupid?”
I arched a brow, silently asking her to examine her words.
She rolled her eyes. “I obviously don’t mean you, silly.”
“Demons possess varying levels of intelligence, the same as humans and witches in your realm.”
Another flying demon bomb soared through the air, the lower-mid-level fiend making it all the way to the door before it screeched and darted down the steps, clutching its head and running face-first into a thorny bramble. It thrashed and screamed at a high pitch that nearly burst my eardrums.
“Let’s head out the back.” Cinder clutched my arm and guided me down the hall. “Talk about your déjà vu.”
“We do seem to find ourselves the targets of ambushes frequently.” As we passed the bedroom, I cast the rumpled sheets a longing glance. Of course, our peaceful solitude had been too good to last. Perhaps one day…
A thud sounded from the front of the house, like a body slamming against the door. I spun around to find the silhouettes of half a dozen fiends darkening the windows. Hooves clattered on the stone outside, a guttural roar ripping from the centaur’s chest as he charged.
“It appears they’ve broken the ward,” I said.
“No shit.” Cinder held up a hand, indicating that I should stop. “They’re behind the house too.”
I peered out the window. Eight more demons approached from the alley. “Is there another way out?”
“How would I know?”
“Did you not just commune with Hecate? What did she show you?”
“It’s complicated. I’m still processing.”
Another thunk sounded from the front. More glass shattered. Something splatted onto the floor. An imp chittered, its reedy voice grating in my ears before three more hit the floor. They charged down the hallway toward us, screeching like the animals they were.
I held up my hand. “Stop. Obey your prince.”
They froze, their gazes cutting toward each other as they attempted to comprehend my order. “Priiiiince…?” one of them uttered, tilting his head like a hellhound who’d just heard a banshee scream.
