Not wanting to touch the remnants of the demon, I snap my fingers and allow my powers to do the job for me. Sometimes it’s great being a demon. I know, totally lazy, but I hate cleaning. I walk out of my little den of torture and head up the stairs and to my bathroom which is connected to my bedroom. I am in desperate need of a shower, as I smell like sweaty ball sack and need to scrub every inch of my body clean. I walk into the bathroom, strip off, fiddle with the taps until the water is a perfect temperature and step in.

There aren’t many things in the human world that I love, even with living here for nearly a century. I’ve never understood how humans could be into half the shit they are into. Though there is one thing that they got right, and that is the ability to live in luxury. Living in the deep and dingy depths of the Underworld my room was not as bad as others, but it was nothing like what I have now. Now I’m living in luxury in a mini mansion. It is an older style Spanish home on the outskirts of Sarria-Sant Gervasi in Barcelona, Spain. The beautiful white stone home with it’s red rooftop is tucked away on an acreage. It’s peaceful and relaxing and I can go about my day without anybody bothering me.

I finish scrubbing myself raw and, satisfied that I smell clean and decent, towel myself off and walk to my cupboard. I had acquired quite a wardrobe. I’m very materialistic, which surprises me, but I’m in a hot ass vessel and she needs to be shown off. After being repressed for so long, Esmerelda needed some time to let loose and get all loosey goosey. At first she wasn’t a fan of my very, ummm, promiscuous lifestyle, but eventually she just dealt with it and took a backseat whenever I would go hard on some guy. Yes, as much as I hate humans, the men are very useful.

I fish out a pair of navy blue shorts then a black tank top and put them on along with a pair of socks and my black combat boots. Grabbing my phone from the bed I look at the time. It’s 3:00am here in Spain, which means that it’s roughly

10:00 pm in America. This is a good time to go to the church, there shouldn’t be anyone there.

I look up the Church of Notre Dame in Washington DC on my phone. It has some information on it, but all I need is a picture of the inside to be able to teleport myself to it. I go to the photo gallery and find enough photos of the exterior and interior, and I teleport myself into the little entrance of the church. I expect to be greeted by the sound of silence, but instead, I’m greeted by the sounds of a struggle. Opening the door to the church slightly, I peer in and what I see actually stuns me.

“Woah, who’s that?” Vee asks.

“You’re seeing the same thing I am, at the same time I am. How the hell am I supposed to know?” I snap at her.

I feel like I’m watching a movie and have a sudden urge to cook up some popcorn, sit in one of the pews and watch the scene that’s unfolding before me. A man is fighting off three demons and doing a rather good job of it. He is definitely no stranger to fighting them as he expertly kills them one at a time. Just as he is about to kill the third, he is suddenly thrown across to the side stone wall and pinned there. I look to the demon responsible for this. He is in a relaxed stance, hand held up like he is pushing something and walking, no, stalking towards the man.

I’m so enthralled that I almost miss the demon that is slinking in the shadows, his movements lithe as he heads my way. If it hadn’t been for the moonlight catching the brass on the book he’s carrying, I wouldn’t have even seen him.

“Are you going to get him?” Vee asks quietly.

“No, I can’t just go in and wipe the demon out. I have to do this with as little hassle as I can and as quietly as I can. I don’t want the other demon to know that I’m here.”

“Do you think that’s the Book of the Dead?”

“Demons in a church and one is carrying a thick book, sneaking away? I have no doubt.”

I wait in my spot, not wanting to give my position away so I can take out the demon swiftly and silently, without alarming the other demon in the room who is still preoccupied with his little pet. I wait with bated breath as he comes closer and closer.

Come on.

He is close to the last row of pews when my attention is torn away from my demon target. I hear the distinct sound of a person being choked to death. The gurgling and rasping sound of someone trying to inhale against a force that is pushing down on their windpipe. I ignore the sound, he can take care of himself and if not, it is not my problem. My job is to get the Book of the Dead and destroy it so it can’t be used to raise Malphas.

“You have to help him!” Vee shouts, creating an annoying ringing in my head.

“No, I don’t. He’ll be fine.”

“HELP HIM!” She screeches.

Ouch! Bitch, that hurt my head.

“Fine!”

Just before the demon can reach me, I burst through the church doors and throw the demon that pinned the guy across to the back of the church with my powers. His body hits it with the force of a wrecking ball at full swing. I teleport right in front of the demon holding the book in his vice like grip and punch him. This unfortunately doesn’t have the effect that I needed, and I immediately regret not doing something more when he throws me across the church. I land right on the back of the pews, a crack resounding off the walls.

Ugh, you fucking cocksucker.

I get on my hands and knees, waiting for the sharp pain to dissipate before I stand up and brush myself off. The demon goes to attack me with a kick but I’m ready for him. I grab his leg and snap it, the sound of bone breaking meeting my ears. He screams out in pain as he drops to the floor, the book sliding across and stopping between two pews. I take this opportunity to make a grab for the book but before I can run to get it I’m kicked in the back of my legs. Still falling to my knees, he whacks me in the back of my head and I land flat on my face.

I’m jerked from my resting place on the floor and brought up to above his height by my neck, my feet flailing around below me. My entire body is jerking back and forth so much that I look like I am either having a fit in the air or fucking a ghost. Like a fish out of water.

Damn he’s strong.

I manage to look down and see that his broken leg is resting on the ground, putting all his weight on his good leg, looking quite like a lame horse.

With all the power I can muster, I shoot him across the room and fall to the ground, grasping at my neck and rubbing the sore spot while my breathing returns to its regular pace. I look up to see the demon stalking towards me. Well, stalk limping towards me? This guy must be made of rock or hocked up on energy drinks or something because nothing is bringing him down. Great, I’m dealing with the man of steel.

I decide to bring out the big guns to end this fight so I can grab the book. I freeze him in place, closing the distance between us and placing my hands on either side of his head. Using my powers, I start to drain the life away from him. I watch as the colour slowly drains from his face. His skin turns a sickly grey and blood starts trickling from his ears. He must have put this vessel through hell and killed it.

Most demons did, they didn’t like the human fighting against them. Killing them kept the voices away.

I usually followed the same practice, but I had saved Vee from certain death at the hands of her husband. I wasn’t going to go and kill her after saving her life.

Maybe I’m becoming more human.

A wide grin forms on my face, I can’t help feeling extremely satisfied at my kill. I walk over to where I see the Book of the Dead and pick it up. Taking a look over at the demon and the man going at it, I’m shocked when I see wings spanning behind the man as he lifts himself off the ground. A tail trails behind him, the end of it coming to a point like an arrow.

Gargoyle.

The gargoyle flies straight at the demon, knocking him into the ground with a loud thud. Whomever this gargoyle is, he is mesmerising to watch. He moves with such fluidity that he’s more like water than an actual gargoyle which is made of stone and known to be quite stiff.

I internally giggle from my sad little joke.

It’s a beautiful dance of swinging fists and flying feet, his elegant movements so graceful. For the majority of the fight the gargoyle has been the one in front, he has had the upper hand. And then somehow, in the blink of an eye, the demon has him pinned against the wall again. It doesn’t matter how strong the gargoyle is or that he can fly, he is no match for the demon. He strides towards the gargoyle, claws extended, his movements lithe and calculating. Animalistic, like a panther stalking his prey.

He walks up to the man and just as he moves his arm back to take a swing at him, I intercept. Using my own powers, I throw him across the church. The hold that had pinned the gargoyle against the wall breaks and he falls to the ground. The demon instantly jumps back up and uses his powers on me. Well tries to, anyway. I smirk as he attempts to take me down, throwing shot after shot of energy at me.

I freeze him in place and watch him try to move, but he can’t move an inch. The tension is evident on his face as beads of sweat start dripping down.

“Now, I’m going to unfreeze you so we can talk. Try anything and you will regret it.” I explain.

I release him from my power. He goes to throw me across the room but I stop him short and pin him to the floor where he can’t move and put up an invisible wall so if he uses his powers, it will be on himself. I walk over to the gargoyle, who is now standing, watching us.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” he says gruffly, the deep and rich tone of his voice music to my ears, hitting me in all the wrong places. Well right places, but wrong for me.

“Do you need help? You took quite a beating.”

He grunts as he pushes passed me, making his way to the demon and standing in front of him.

“Wow, dick much?” I mumble.

I hear Vee groan.

He swings his head around so fast it looks like it’s going to snap off. “What did you say?!” he growls.

I hate it when people play this stupid little game, like they have no idea what you said. They know very well, it’s so irritating.

“You heard me, I said. Wow. Dick. Much,” I say to him in a condescending tone. “I just asked a fucking question and instead of answering me you grunt at me like a Neanderthal and push passed me. Oh, and by the way, you’re welcome! It was no problem saving your life.”

“I had the situation under control.” He says.

“Oh yeah, you were in the winning position! If this was a paid fight, I would have totally bet against the demon.” I respond sarcastically.

All I receive is a low, grumbling growl.

Oh for shit’s sake, are you serious?

“Is that deep throated growl supposed to intimidate me? Scare me? Have me shaking my boots?”

Another growl.

Does this gargoyle have any other threat at his disposal other than growling like a dog? He is seriously in need of a 101 lesson in intimidation.

“Okay enough of this, what are you wanting with the demon, and who are you?” I demand.

“That’s none of your concern, demon.” he spits out, hate and disgust evident when he says the word demon.

“Well it is, otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here... Instead, I would be in Aruba, soaking up the sun and getting even browner than I already am. So, out with it. Who are you?”

Ignoring me, he turns his attention to the demon in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

“Fuck off!” Well that went as well as expected.

He takes a step forward, so close to the demon that they could have made out. He straightens up, trying to appear much taller. He isn’t. It’s a very futile attempt at intimidation. Shit, this guy needs help.

“I won’t ask again. Tell me, what you are doing here.” Again, the low timbre of his voice hit me in all the right places. Just at the wrong time. Is it normal for someone to feel incredibly turned on when in a heated situation like the one I’m in?

“No, no it isn’t. But he is hot though. Incredibly. Are you sure he’s a gargoyle? Aren’t they usually ummm. . . ugly?” Vee asks.

“I’m definitely sure, but I get what you mean. Gargoyles are usually ugly, stumpy little stone things. Not the dirty blonde Adonis standing before us.”

“You’re a fucking idiot if you think I’m going to tell you anything, gargoyle.” I turn my attention back to the demon and the gargoyle.

“I was hoping you would say that.” The menacing grin and voice dripping of death made it clear of his intention to torture it out of him if he didn’t comply.

His tail snakes up the demon’s body, coiling itself around him slowly as it works its way up. I then watch the tip of the tail which is made of metal, and not skin and muscle like the rest of it. Before I know it, the arrow tip of the gargoyle’s tail pierces straight through the ear and out the other side, crimson liquid flowing out of his ears. The demon jolts in shock, shaking from the intruder inside his skull.

“Are you willing to talk now?” He asks almost nonchalantly.

The demon twitches and nods. Quickly, the gargoyle removes his tail from inside the demon’s head.

Crumbling into a heap on the floor, the demon hunches over. He spits out blood and starts laughing, sounding much like a mad scientist.

“You can do whatever you want to me, I will never tell you.”

“He’s right you know?” I interject. “You can do whatever the hell you want to do to him, he’s never going to tell you. Well, not with your tactics.”

The gargoyle moves so quickly in front of me that I take a step back to distance myself.

“And what would you know?”

“Hellooooo! Demon! For shit’s sake, where did you get your lack of knowledge on demons from? A school for bunnies?” I go to shove him out of the way but the guy is a brick house.

Damn!

“Why don’t you let me demonstrate my knowledge of demons on you then, Demon.” he sneers.

“The little that you know would do nothing to me. Now step aside, while I actually get the information out of this guy.”

He steps in front of me as I try to get to the demon, blocking me with his wings. I groan.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

While he is so concerned with my presence at the church, he’s failed to notice the demon that was once crouched on the floor has moved and is making his way towards the church door.

“Look, this isn’t the time to be bickering like an old married couple.” I turn and freeze the demon . . . again.