out.
The door behind them squealed open, and Kayla let loose a string of curses. Burke managed to turn just enough to see the shadowy form of another person step from the dim light outside into the blackness of the church. Kayla released his arm, and he stumbled before letting himself crumple to the floor.
“Well now, what have we here?” asked a man’s voice as the door once again slammed shut. Burke thought the voice sounded familiar, like something from the distant past or maybe a dream.
“This is none of your business,” Kayla said. Her voice betrayed her nervousness.
“Oh, I disagree,” said the newcomer. “You interrupted my fun and took what I consider to be mine, namely Mr. Burke here. Unless you’re going to kill that piece of garbage for me, it is very much my business.”
Burke heard footsteps as the new arrival moved closer. He wished he could see in the dark like they appeared to be able to.
“You really shouldn’t have interfered. That was a very bad idea.”
“I ain’t afraid of you,” Kayla said, though the tremor in her voice told a different story. “My master wants him alive, and I plan to deliver him that way.”
The man laughed. Either he felt much more confident in himself than Kayla did, or he played it off better. Burke hoped the latter. He had no idea what was going on, but if Kayla wanted him alive, he was rooting for her. He used his feet to slide across the floor, putting as much distance between himself and the other two as possible. A fight was about to break out and, in his current condition, he wanted to get out of the way.
“I’d advise you to leave,” the man said. “Just go away, and you might survive to see another day.”
Kayla chuckled, but it sounded different—like her, but not her. “That’s not happening, Denizen. That skin you walk around in may be able to take the one I’m wearing, but this close to the portal we don’t have to rely on puny human power, now do we?” Burke detected a change in Kayla’s tone as she spoke. The voice was the same—but, at the same time, not the same. Again, he wished he could see what was happening. He also wished he knew what they were talking about.
Burke heard a loud hiss, and a red light flashed so bright it lit the room like a flare, forcing him to slam his eyes shut. Then came a thump that Burke felt as much as he heard. The concussion moved his body a couple inches across the floor.
“So, that’s the way you want to play, eh?” said the man Kayla had called Denizen. “I can play that game, too.”
Burke huddled in a corner, feeling like a fly caught in a nightmarish web.
THE SERPENT GAVE over control of his body to Lord Denizen as soon as the girl’s intent became clear. She was a fool, of that he had no doubt. But, apparently, her master shared her idiocy. Her master could never defeat Lord Denizen. He wanted to laugh at the foolishness of it all. He probably would have if Denizen had not been so angry. The Serpent was able to separate himself and his emotions from those of his master most of the time. But when Lord Denizen was in a rage, the Serpent just went along for the ride. And what a ride it was.
This girl was not the first of her kind they had run across since Lord Denizen had come into his life, and she certainly wouldn’t be the last. Others followed their own god-like masters as he followed Lord Denizen. However, the Serpent knew that his master would be the last she would ever encounter.
The Serpent had watched almost calmly as the fireball his opponent launched flew at his face. The human part of him wanted to flinch, to dive for cover, but Lord Denizen had taught him to master such weakness. The girl’s face radiated frustration as her fireball exploded around her intended victim but caused no injury.
The Serpent felt power building inside of him and gave full control of his movements to Denizen. His hands shot out, sending two of his own fireballs at the girl. She managed to
The door behind them squealed open, and Kayla let loose a string of curses. Burke managed to turn just enough to see the shadowy form of another person step from the dim light outside into the blackness of the church. Kayla released his arm, and he stumbled before letting himself crumple to the floor.
“Well now, what have we here?” asked a man’s voice as the door once again slammed shut. Burke thought the voice sounded familiar, like something from the distant past or maybe a dream.
“This is none of your business,” Kayla said. Her voice betrayed her nervousness.
“Oh, I disagree,” said the newcomer. “You interrupted my fun and took what I consider to be mine, namely Mr. Burke here. Unless you’re going to kill that piece of garbage for me, it is very much my business.”
Burke heard footsteps as the new arrival moved closer. He wished he could see in the dark like they appeared to be able to.
“You really shouldn’t have interfered. That was a very bad idea.”
“I ain’t afraid of you,” Kayla said, though the tremor in her voice told a different story. “My master wants him alive, and I plan to deliver him that way.”
The man laughed. Either he felt much more confident in himself than Kayla did, or he played it off better. Burke hoped the latter. He had no idea what was going on, but if Kayla wanted him alive, he was rooting for her. He used his feet to slide across the floor, putting as much distance between himself and the other two as possible. A fight was about to break out and, in his current condition, he wanted to get out of the way.
“I’d advise you to leave,” the man said. “Just go away, and you might survive to see another day.”
Kayla chuckled, but it sounded different—like her, but not her. “That’s not happening, Denizen. That skin you walk around in may be able to take the one I’m wearing, but this close to the portal we don’t have to rely on puny human power, now do we?” Burke detected a change in Kayla’s tone as she spoke. The voice was the same—but, at the same time, not the same. Again, he wished he could see what was happening. He also wished he knew what they were talking about.
Burke heard a loud hiss, and a red light flashed so bright it lit the room like a flare, forcing him to slam his eyes shut. Then came a thump that Burke felt as much as he heard. The concussion moved his body a couple inches across the floor.
“So, that’s the way you want to play, eh?” said the man Kayla had called Denizen. “I can play that game, too.”
Burke huddled in a corner, feeling like a fly caught in a nightmarish web.
THE SERPENT GAVE over control of his body to Lord Denizen as soon as the girl’s intent became clear. She was a fool, of that he had no doubt. But, apparently, her master shared her idiocy. Her master could never defeat Lord Denizen. He wanted to laugh at the foolishness of it all. He probably would have if Denizen had not been so angry. The Serpent was able to separate himself and his emotions from those of his master most of the time. But when Lord Denizen was in a rage, the Serpent just went along for the ride. And what a ride it was.
This girl was not the first of her kind they had run across since Lord Denizen had come into his life, and she certainly wouldn’t be the last. Others followed their own god-like masters as he followed Lord Denizen. However, the Serpent knew that his master would be the last she would ever encounter.
The Serpent had watched almost calmly as the fireball his opponent launched flew at his face. The human part of him wanted to flinch, to dive for cover, but Lord Denizen had taught him to master such weakness. The girl’s face radiated frustration as her fireball exploded around her intended victim but caused no injury.
The Serpent felt power building inside of him and gave full control of his movements to Denizen. His hands shot out, sending two of his own fireballs at the girl. She managed to
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