Read Online Stranger at the Hell Gate by Ash Krafton - Free Book Online
Authors: Ash Krafton
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fourth-ring demon for days now. Not real bright, but evasive. Or at least Jagger let it think so. He'd hit it with holy water buck shot the day before, wounding it severely, then let it run. He gave it a head start.
Jagger toyed with his quarry. Once there was a time when he killed the demons and went home. Now there was no home. He had no need to rush.
The trail led into an old hotel, windows boarded up and tenants long gone. Jagger followed the drips of demon slime to a green puddle on the floor right outside a room on the third level. He moved like a gale wind, wearing a steel-cold smile while he kicked in a door. "Wouldn't it be easier to stop running?"
Dirty, dark room. Something small and sharp-nailed scurried behind the wall. "Nice try, asshole. No way out."
Click.
"Well," Jagger said, his smile stretching wider. "That sounded like a big ass gun. Since when did scary demons start needing those?"
"I swear if you don't leave me alone—" The voice, tremulous and thin, held a level of desperation that Jagger recognized. It was the sound of nothing left to lose . "I'll use this—"
Then it struck home. Jagger fought to keep upright.
It was Sonya.
DEMONS
"Sunny?" He shook his head, trying to quiet the demon blood and clear his senses. After running hot for so long, it was hard to find his humanity. He lit a flare and peered into the dark, seeking the source of a bright spot of light against the wall. "That you?"
"Leave me alone," she said. "Stop looking like him."
Sonya crouched in a corner, knees drawn up in front of her. Her eyes were wide. Her agony was nearly tangible.
She was alive. And she was holding a sawed-off double-barrel that under less abnormal circumstances he would have whistled at and asked to try out once.
But not now. Right now, it was pointed at him. And judging from the tangy smell of ionic vapors, it was loaded with demon shot. If the bullet didn't kill him, the divine poison could.
"Oh, God. Sonya. Put that gun down."
She coughed and cocked the hammer. "I'm not a sucker, either."
"Sunny. You can't hurt me with that. Well, it'll hurt like hell. But you can't—"
"Didn't say it was for you." She turned the gun around and pressed it to her chin. "I'll end this. I'm so sorry I started it."
Jagger panicked, the white-hot flood of fear surging though him and washing down through his feet. "Stop! It's me!"
"No, it's not." She was dirty, ragged-looking, gaunt. He never heard this tone of voice, so devoid of hope and sunlight. "It's never really you."
"Easy, Sunny. I didn't come all this way to take you home in pieces. Put the gun down."
"I want to believe you…but it's been so long." Tears cut rivers through the dust on her cheeks, pale streaks under white eyes. Holding the gun steady she ripped off the bright crystal, snapping the thin leather cord, and set it on the floor. Flipping the gun, she used the butt of the gun to smash it.
A flare of light shot out and flattened against the wall, which disappeared under its glare. The surface glimmered and pulsed, forming a portal. It hummed as it charged.
"I'm going back."
"Don't leave me again! I don't care what anything means anymore." His anguish, pure human anguish, dispelled the last of the demon thrall. His voice cracked. "Just don't leave again."
"Jagger?" She whispered his name and reached out to him. "Is it…really you?" She pushed to her feet, using the wall for support. Her round belly made the simple act of standing a laborious effort. "Open your jacket."
He wrenched open his jacket. It clung to him, blood and mud and who knew what else making it stick to his skin. In the pale glow of the portal, his sickle-shaped scar shimmered. She wobbled on her feet. "Oh, God. Jagger. You're real."
He ripped his gaze from her midsection and pointed to the portal. The humming sound swelled to fill the room. "Shut that thing off, Sunny."
"Jagger?" She approached him with tiny steps. He threw the flare. Closer, closer, until he could feel
Jagger toyed with his quarry. Once there was a time when he killed the demons and went home. Now there was no home. He had no need to rush.
The trail led into an old hotel, windows boarded up and tenants long gone. Jagger followed the drips of demon slime to a green puddle on the floor right outside a room on the third level. He moved like a gale wind, wearing a steel-cold smile while he kicked in a door. "Wouldn't it be easier to stop running?"
Dirty, dark room. Something small and sharp-nailed scurried behind the wall. "Nice try, asshole. No way out."
Click.
"Well," Jagger said, his smile stretching wider. "That sounded like a big ass gun. Since when did scary demons start needing those?"
"I swear if you don't leave me alone—" The voice, tremulous and thin, held a level of desperation that Jagger recognized. It was the sound of nothing left to lose . "I'll use this—"
Then it struck home. Jagger fought to keep upright.
It was Sonya.
DEMONS
"Sunny?" He shook his head, trying to quiet the demon blood and clear his senses. After running hot for so long, it was hard to find his humanity. He lit a flare and peered into the dark, seeking the source of a bright spot of light against the wall. "That you?"
"Leave me alone," she said. "Stop looking like him."
Sonya crouched in a corner, knees drawn up in front of her. Her eyes were wide. Her agony was nearly tangible.
She was alive. And she was holding a sawed-off double-barrel that under less abnormal circumstances he would have whistled at and asked to try out once.
But not now. Right now, it was pointed at him. And judging from the tangy smell of ionic vapors, it was loaded with demon shot. If the bullet didn't kill him, the divine poison could.
"Oh, God. Sonya. Put that gun down."
She coughed and cocked the hammer. "I'm not a sucker, either."
"Sunny. You can't hurt me with that. Well, it'll hurt like hell. But you can't—"
"Didn't say it was for you." She turned the gun around and pressed it to her chin. "I'll end this. I'm so sorry I started it."
Jagger panicked, the white-hot flood of fear surging though him and washing down through his feet. "Stop! It's me!"
"No, it's not." She was dirty, ragged-looking, gaunt. He never heard this tone of voice, so devoid of hope and sunlight. "It's never really you."
"Easy, Sunny. I didn't come all this way to take you home in pieces. Put the gun down."
"I want to believe you…but it's been so long." Tears cut rivers through the dust on her cheeks, pale streaks under white eyes. Holding the gun steady she ripped off the bright crystal, snapping the thin leather cord, and set it on the floor. Flipping the gun, she used the butt of the gun to smash it.
A flare of light shot out and flattened against the wall, which disappeared under its glare. The surface glimmered and pulsed, forming a portal. It hummed as it charged.
"I'm going back."
"Don't leave me again! I don't care what anything means anymore." His anguish, pure human anguish, dispelled the last of the demon thrall. His voice cracked. "Just don't leave again."
"Jagger?" She whispered his name and reached out to him. "Is it…really you?" She pushed to her feet, using the wall for support. Her round belly made the simple act of standing a laborious effort. "Open your jacket."
He wrenched open his jacket. It clung to him, blood and mud and who knew what else making it stick to his skin. In the pale glow of the portal, his sickle-shaped scar shimmered. She wobbled on her feet. "Oh, God. Jagger. You're real."
He ripped his gaze from her midsection and pointed to the portal. The humming sound swelled to fill the room. "Shut that thing off, Sunny."
"Jagger?" She approached him with tiny steps. He threw the flare. Closer, closer, until he could feel
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