Page 6 of Fear the Fall

Monsters

My leather-cladleg kicks out as I twist in the air, slamming my steel-toed boot into the back of a demon’s head. It hardly registers the impact, shaking off the hit with a simple sneer in my direction. I land on my knees, fist to the ground, ready for the next attack.

I’m outnumbered three to one, but this isn’t the worst position I’ve found myself in. On a typical Friday night, I’m lucky to not find myself smack in the middle of a dozen demons, frothing at the mouth to taste my blood. I might be immortal, but I bleed just like any human, and these creatures crave it.

Despite all the movies and books that romanticize vampires, they’re grotesque. Vile doesn’t even come close to describing the three disfigured demons in front of me. No two are alike, having been molded into a foul version of their former selves by the torture they earned in Hell. Closer to animal than human, they only slink around in the dark shadows, unable to go unnoticed in the streets of New Orleans.

The city itself breeds evil, but the residents and tourists have no idea how evil. Luckily for them, I have built-in demon radar. If I’m within ten miles of demons, I can track them. And I do. Nightly.

“I’m going to enjoy draining your blood,” he jeers, moving toward me with his two buddies flanking him on either side. “It smells”—he sniffs the air with his pig-like snout—“divine.”

I titter. “You could even say it’s celestial.”

He growls at the confirmation of what I am. His two friends remain quiet, taking their orders from him. He’s in charge and because of this, I know he’s going to be the hardest to take out. They’ll protect him at all costs.

There’s a vampire hierarchy, and in this particular group, he’s king. That’s not saying much, as from the looks of their clothes and abilities, they’re on the bottom of the totem pole of vampires. The higher up the rungs, the more powerful and better dressed you’ll find them. The top of the top are swathed in gaudy jewels and designer wear, showcasing one of their greatest sins—greed. I can see them for the monsters they are, but the top echelon have the ability to cloak themselves to humans.

You’ll rarely see a top-rung vampire on the streets. Those spineless swine choose to let the others do their dirty work, while they enjoy the spoils—much like their savior.

I stand to my feet, motioning for them to bring it.

The vampire in charge nods his head, giving the others clearance to attack.

“Aww, isn’t that sweet,” I mock. “You two need permission. Must suck being the weakest links.”

The one closest to me bares his teeth, showcasing his elongated canines. Pretty pathetic compared to others I’ve seen. Tonight alone, I’ve gone up against scarier.

I quirk a brow at his pathetic attempt to frighten me.

“Honey, I’ve seen scarier things roaming Jackson Square in the daytime. You really need to practice your fear factor,” I goad, trying to get a rise out of him. The angrier they get, the sloppier they fight. Demons are too proud for their own good. Injure their pride and you’re already ahead.

“Bitch,” he spits, and I cackle, throwing my head back, and that’s when the two goons rush me, but I expected as much. They fight dirty, because otherwise they’d never stand a chance, and they know it.

I wait until they’re near enough for me to kick out into what can only be described as the splits, knocking both of their heads back so hard that they each fly backward, giving me time to slam back to the ground, unsheathing the sword at my back.

Not giving them a chance to retreat, I step forward, swinging the blade through the air, and slice the closest vampire’s head clean off his shoulders. It drops heavily to the ground, rolling to the feet of his king of the night. He kicks the head away, motioning for the other to attack. There’s no love amongst monsters. They simply run in packs in order to wreak havoc on the city they infest.

I roll my eyes. “Have you learned nothing? You’re both dying tonight.”

His head tips back and he shrieks into the night once more. I shrug at the approaching demon.

“Guess you choose death.”

I inhale, concentrating on moving the stored electricity through every synapse. It rushes over me like waves on a shoreline. My body tingles and every hair stands on end as I push the energy out of me and into the sword in my hands.

“Patet via lux et tenebrae,” I whisper into the night.

Light the way and clear the darkness.

My eyes open in time to see the weaker vampire running toward me. I lift the sword and, without preamble, run it straight through. The demon disintegrates into thin air, allowing me to swing around just in time to lop off the head of the one who was supposed to be the leader.

Pathetic.

Sheathing Solis—my trusty sword—I huff out a frustrated laugh.

“That wasn’t even fun.”

Slow clapping begins behind me, and I don’t need to turn to know Zeke’s found me. It’s not hard when we both are drawn to the demons’ presence. It’s like my own personal beacon, and Zeke never fails to follow it.

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