hose to her gas tank while tapping her phone. Otherwise, the station was relatively quiet.
“Hey, where are you going?”
I kept moving, slowly allowing my demonic side to surface. This time, I would challenge Gage and see it through. He would tell me everything he knew or meet death. Too many things reeked of set up. Two Guardians protecting the girl, Master releasing me from punishment five years early, and issuing a six-hundred-year-old demon to babysit instead of the usual low-level demons.
“David, get back here. I must report your findings.”
I grumbled. Searing hot nails pierced my heart. Hair prickled on my arms and up my spine. My fingernails darkened and grew to pointed ends as I neared the darkness beside the gas station.
My eyesight sharpened and fastened on a cat perched on the dark green dumpster beside a door to the stucco building. I let a hiss slide past my fangs, and the feline scampered across the top, its nails scratching the plastic cover.
“David—”
I pivoted, wrapped my fingers around Gage’s throat and lifted him in the air. With one swift movement I rammed him into the wall, pinning him a foot from the ground. Bricks crumbled at the impact, dusting the tops of my shoes and clattering to the asphalt.
The smoky scent of Gage’s anger plowed over me, and my demon’s bellow echoed off the walls flanking us.
His eyes went black. Then his skin darkened, and his fangs slid from beneath his top lip. A hand came down on my elbow, and he swiped at my face. I met his blow with my forearm, but kept my grip.
I snapped my canines, glaring at him directly in the eye. Blood raged through my veins, pumping me full of the demon’s confidence. “Tell me everything.”
“I know nothing.” His nails grated my cheek.
With my free hand I drew my blade and held it to his neck. But at the same time a prick stung my side below my rib.
“Not so good after all.” Gage snickered.
“You’re not too bright, are you?”
He bared his teeth. Veins bulged at his temples, and his nostrils flared.
“My blade is at your neck. Yours, at my side. Which is lethal?”
His tense face softened as realization dawned on him. Demons were killed by beheading.
I pressed the silver blade to his throat. Blood beaded.
“You can’t kill me.” Gage’s voice cracked.
“I think I can. And I will if you do not start talking.” I eased him to his feet, keeping him in check with my growl and my fingers squeezing his neck. “It is I you cannot kill.”
“I could try.”
“You would fail. Why did Master really send me here?”
“The Mark.” Gage squirmed.
I loosened my grip. “And . . . .”
“And what, David? It’s always about a Mark. The next demon, nothing else. Same as always.” He batted my arm away and advanced.
His blade slashed my stomach. Burning pain crept up my side. My dagger penetrated his neck, and black blood spewed from the cut. I hadn’t exerted the pressure needed to sever the head, but enough to make an impression.
I pounded his stomach and scored my nails down his face.
He snapped at my fingers while his other hand covered his gushing wound. He pointed his blade, with a shaking hand. I paced in front of Gage, allowing more of my demon to emerge and heal my stomach wound.
“Yield, Gage,” I said. Energy pricked my skin like needles.
He struck again. His nails tore at my shirt. I spun and cracked my elbow to his temple. He stumbled forward, and I jumped behind him. My arm unyielding around his neck, I trapped his body to mine and dug my lethal fingertips into his throat.
“You’ve heard stories of my time in solitary, but do you know about my fingernails?”
He grunted.
“Sharper than the dagger you hold.” I carved into his skin. “Do you want to test them?”
Another grunt.
“Do you yield to this challenge?”
His body stilled against mine.
I jostled him. “Do. You. Yield?”
“Yes.” His dagger clanked against the asphalt, and his arms rose in surrender.
“Hey, where are you going?”
I kept moving, slowly allowing my demonic side to surface. This time, I would challenge Gage and see it through. He would tell me everything he knew or meet death. Too many things reeked of set up. Two Guardians protecting the girl, Master releasing me from punishment five years early, and issuing a six-hundred-year-old demon to babysit instead of the usual low-level demons.
“David, get back here. I must report your findings.”
I grumbled. Searing hot nails pierced my heart. Hair prickled on my arms and up my spine. My fingernails darkened and grew to pointed ends as I neared the darkness beside the gas station.
My eyesight sharpened and fastened on a cat perched on the dark green dumpster beside a door to the stucco building. I let a hiss slide past my fangs, and the feline scampered across the top, its nails scratching the plastic cover.
“David—”
I pivoted, wrapped my fingers around Gage’s throat and lifted him in the air. With one swift movement I rammed him into the wall, pinning him a foot from the ground. Bricks crumbled at the impact, dusting the tops of my shoes and clattering to the asphalt.
The smoky scent of Gage’s anger plowed over me, and my demon’s bellow echoed off the walls flanking us.
His eyes went black. Then his skin darkened, and his fangs slid from beneath his top lip. A hand came down on my elbow, and he swiped at my face. I met his blow with my forearm, but kept my grip.
I snapped my canines, glaring at him directly in the eye. Blood raged through my veins, pumping me full of the demon’s confidence. “Tell me everything.”
“I know nothing.” His nails grated my cheek.
With my free hand I drew my blade and held it to his neck. But at the same time a prick stung my side below my rib.
“Not so good after all.” Gage snickered.
“You’re not too bright, are you?”
He bared his teeth. Veins bulged at his temples, and his nostrils flared.
“My blade is at your neck. Yours, at my side. Which is lethal?”
His tense face softened as realization dawned on him. Demons were killed by beheading.
I pressed the silver blade to his throat. Blood beaded.
“You can’t kill me.” Gage’s voice cracked.
“I think I can. And I will if you do not start talking.” I eased him to his feet, keeping him in check with my growl and my fingers squeezing his neck. “It is I you cannot kill.”
“I could try.”
“You would fail. Why did Master really send me here?”
“The Mark.” Gage squirmed.
I loosened my grip. “And . . . .”
“And what, David? It’s always about a Mark. The next demon, nothing else. Same as always.” He batted my arm away and advanced.
His blade slashed my stomach. Burning pain crept up my side. My dagger penetrated his neck, and black blood spewed from the cut. I hadn’t exerted the pressure needed to sever the head, but enough to make an impression.
I pounded his stomach and scored my nails down his face.
He snapped at my fingers while his other hand covered his gushing wound. He pointed his blade, with a shaking hand. I paced in front of Gage, allowing more of my demon to emerge and heal my stomach wound.
“Yield, Gage,” I said. Energy pricked my skin like needles.
He struck again. His nails tore at my shirt. I spun and cracked my elbow to his temple. He stumbled forward, and I jumped behind him. My arm unyielding around his neck, I trapped his body to mine and dug my lethal fingertips into his throat.
“You’ve heard stories of my time in solitary, but do you know about my fingernails?”
He grunted.
“Sharper than the dagger you hold.” I carved into his skin. “Do you want to test them?”
Another grunt.
“Do you yield to this challenge?”
His body stilled against mine.
I jostled him. “Do. You. Yield?”
“Yes.” His dagger clanked against the asphalt, and his arms rose in surrender.