The Demon Realm

Chapter 02. A Bad Day

Up ahead, something stirred. In the gloom, two sulphur-bright eyes blinked open.

Demon.

My breath stuttered. I froze, halfway up the alleyway.

We stared at each other. The moment was breathless, stretched thin.

I readjusted my grip on the hilt of my knife, a thin sliver of light flashing along the blade.

It was enough.

The demon erupted from its hiding spot, knocking over a stack of crates and boxes. I dodged as they flew past me, hitting the pavement with a crash I knew could be heard from the street.

Not good.

I lunged, slicing upward at billowing blackness. Tendrils of black reared away from the blade, collapsing down into a hound-sized creature. It walked on four shadow-dark legs with a thick, furred body. The black fur gave way to smooth bone, its head a horned skull. Sulphur-yellow eyes gleamed at me from the bone sockets, and it opened its jaw to let out a piercing shriek.

I lunged again, slicing upward with the blade. The demon turned aside from the blow, long, wicked-looking obsidian claws sliding from its hands with a snick. I cursed and brought my arm up to protect my face. I felt my sleeve tear, the claws ripping into the fabric.

I pivoted aside as the claws slashed down again, sparking against the cobbles where I'd been. It shrieked again, muscles bunching under its shadow coat. I saw the leap coming and turned clumsily aside, almost tripping over the fallen crates. The creature crashed into the wall, claws gripping the stone, and rotated its head almost a hundred and eighty degrees to look at me.

I bared my teeth at it, and struck again. It scuttled away, up the wall, stone dust raining down as it used its claws to get a grip.

It was getting away.

I looked round, frantic. Breakable crates and rain-soaked wooden boxes, nothing to get me up there fast enough. Think, think, think.

There was a sound above.

I jerked my head up. A pointed face appeared over the edge of the roof. Dark hair caught the wind in an eye-catching banner. The fingers that gripped the edge of the roof were sepia-toned, stark black bands of tattoos standing out stark against the warmth of her skin.

The woman spared me a single glance, turning to face the demon crawling up the roof toward her. She grinned, a flash of white teeth, and threw herself off the roof.

She thrust a hand out as she fell, a knife biting into the stone wall with a shriek of metal. The demon looked up, too slow. As she plunged past I saw her other hand move, a knife appearing as if by magic. She stabbed down into the beast, leaving her blade behind as she plunged past. She dropped the last few feet to the cobbles and rolled, rising gracefully to her feet.

Fae. I didn't need to see her ears under that mane of hair to know it.

"You're welcome." she said, her voice rich. Amber eyes danced with amusement. "You can thank me for saving you life later."

The demon dropped to the ground behind her.

I sighed and rolled my shoulders. "Amateur."

Her brows drew together. "Excuse me?"

I jerked my chin in the direction of the wall. She turned in time to find the demon rising to its feet, its shadowy body working to expel the knife from its back. Smoking tendrils lashed the air, its jaws opening in an ear-splitting screech.

The fae lunged for it again, preternaturally fast, getting in under its flashing claws and slicing a silvery line across its upper body. The shadow stuff healed with barely a ripple, and the demon turned toward the open end of the alleyway, scuttling away on clawed feet.