Bound Angel Bound Demon (41 page)

“
I’m not stupid, Marie.”

“
You don’t understand. They are cunning, strong killers and nothing will stop them from getting what they want, these creatures started off as grim reapers, if you like, but they became greedy, and out of control. Not fit for this world, they became intoxicated with their power. At first they took the souls of humans who’d committed nasty crimes, then they moved on to people with power, that was when they got the real taste for it. They realised that they could absorb the abilities of people like me and you and other magical creatures. They developed these powers in malign ways, and used them to conceal themselves, and thus began an orgy of killing us, hunting us down to take our magic.”

“That’s
why Gary could contact me through my dreams isn’t it?” asked Alex. “But why Gary? He isn’t magic,” then she remembered the dream of Gary when he was a young boy addled on drugs. “Do they take people who are at their lowest?”

“
Yes, they can see the future for these people and take the opportunity to gain control of them while they are weak.”

“So it used Gary
to hide from us, that is why he could use its powers.”

“
Yes, it seems the Alignment has weakened it, but come midnight it will be back at full strength. It will want you, because Alex believe it or not, you have intense power inside you. Alive, you are a threat to their kind, you are the one thing they fear, but it knows you don’t yet know your full strengths, that’s why it will strike now, so like I said you will need all the help you can get.”

Alex went quiet, she understood
the danger, but still didn’t want Marie risking life for her. Marie should hide somewhere but she knew Marie wouldn’t go of her own free choice.

“
Ok, I can see your point Marie, now I need some headspace and you need to sort out a plan, in case the men can’t protect us.”

Marie felt uneasy about leaving Alex, but she knew she was right they needed
to plan for any eventuality. “Ok, I will be downstairs, I’ll see if I can find out what Ryan and Nick are cooking up.”

Alex waited for Marie to leave and magically transported
herself into the attic along with her family spell book.

“
Right, first I need something to make Marie sleep, so I can keep her under the creature’s radar.”

The book began to flick through its page,
showing her a sleeping potion.
This could work I could slip it in her drink, and hide her in the cell, until it is over, or transport her home, Nick could take her
. She knew Nick and Ryan wouldn’t like this but she wasn’t dragging her friend into mortal danger.

Chapter
Twenty Eight

Alex
watched as the others nervously downed the gin and tonics she had prepared for them. She had popped the sleeping potion and a slice of lemon into Marie’s drink, and it soon took effect.

Marie started to feel light-headed. She wasn’t sure at first what was going on, and then she
turned to Alex.

“
Alex, what have you done?” she got out before collapsing into a deep sleep.

Nick
shook Marie, trying to wake her up, “Marie, wake up, what’s happened?”

Ryan looked at Alex.
“What
have
you done?”

“
I had to, I can’t have her risking herself for me, now Nick you have a choice, we either hide her in the cell or you go back to her cottage away from here and wait it out where she will be safe. We all know it’s me this creature is after, not Marie. You and Marie will just be a bonus, a tasty appetiser, if you get in the way.” Alex waited for Nick to answer.

“Nick
, she’s right, it may do more harm than good if she’s here, at least if you are with her at the cottage she will be safe,” said Ryan taking hold of Alex’s hand.

Nick
nodded, he hugged Alex, “Thank you. You beat this bastard, you hear?”

Alex smiled. Nick
said to Ryan, “You know what to do if you need me, I will be back in a flash.”

“
You just take care of Marie, we will be fine, now go,” replied Ryan.

Nick picked up Marie in his arms and in a
millisecond they were gone.

Ryan looked at Alex,
“Why didn’t you do that to me as well?”

“
I knew you wouldn’t be so easy to get rid of, we’re connected remember, and I need you Ryan, I’m scared and I don’t think I can do this without you, but I know if Marie had stayed I wouldn’t be able to concentrate with worrying something would happen to her.”

“
So you wouldn’t be worried about me then?” said Ryan looking deep into her eyes, and for the first time he could read her mind. She was really scared that this would be the last time they would be together and wanted to be with him up till the last moment. She believed she wasn’t coming out of this alive.

Ryan
wrapped her in his arms, never wanting to let her go. How could this beautiful woman be so brave yet so vulnerable?

“Alex
, I will stay with you and defend you till kingdom come, I will not let anything happen to you, we are going to live to an old age I know it,” said Ryan keeping his arms around her.

Alex
felt safe and comfortable in his protective embrace, “How do you know?”

“There is no way
, after all this waiting to meet my soul mate, that it will end just like that, our bond is too special for that, it’s fate. But now, Alex, I need to go and check the area soon. It’s nearing midnight, I don’t want to leave you alone, do you want to come with me? You can ride on me again.”

Alex remembered the
sense of exhilaration she’d had the last time she ridden him. There had been no more worries, everything flew away with the night air as they raced through the woods.

“
I will come with you, partly just in the hope it will clear my mind,” said Alex

Ryan
took hand and led her out the house. He changed into the wolf. He was so strong yet gentle in this form, she shuddered at the thought of him fighting, of the outcome, would he be strong enough?

She looked into his
pellucid amber eyes which were sad and careworn. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight. Ryan took her to the back of the house, he was heading towards the woods again. In the woods she sat up so she could feel the breeze on her face, but still gripped his warm fur coat, it was soft and comforting to the touch. She began to relax; it felt like they could run forever. Maybe that is what they should do, run away, but the creature would chase them to the ends of the earth. She needed to face it whatever the outcome; she knew she needed to complete this one way or the other.

Ryan stopped, his head
cocked to one side, alert. Alex gripped his fur tightly, she looked in the direction that his head had turned but couldn’t see or hear anything. Ryan crouched down for Alex to climb off. He turned to look at her, she stared at him and sensed he didn’t want her to follow, whatever was out there, he needed her to stay back. Alex didn’t try to argue with him or plead with him to stay. She watched as he ran off in pursuit of whatever he sensed.

Alex was now alone in the dark wood
s, and she was terrified. She heard a howl in the distance, was it Ryan? She ran towards it, trying to find him panicking, something had happened.

The
howl became more urgent as she approached. She saw Ryan still in his wolf form, his back arched, snarling and gnashing his teeth at something, but she couldn’t see past him to what it was. Alex moved closer but keeping behind trees to conceal herself still.

Ryan was face to face
with the creature; it was just like in her vision. Ryan wasn’t moving, the creature took one step at a time ever closer, its hand stretched out ready; the nails were like razor blades. Its flesh was lobster red; it looked like a human that had all its skin peeled off, burnt and flayed alive.

Its eyes were
zinc white, its mouth wide and grinning rictus-like at Ryan, awaiting the next move. Ryan was tense, waiting attack. Again it took a step towards him, then it struck with vicious speed. Ryan leaped in the air to stop the onslaught, Alex heard Ryan yelp as the creature’s nails razored into his flesh.

Ryan pushed him
off, with all his force throwing the creature back. But the beast sprung back to its feet straight away, it was strong and agile maybe stronger than Ryan had anticipated. Alex was frozen to the spot as the battle continued. Now it shot a bolt of pure evil energy towards Ryan. This unholy creature knew magic and would not relent till Ryan was destroyed.

Ryan was now limping but still continued the fight, each blow from this
creature was wearing him down, yet still he rose and went back at him with all he had. Alex could see how this was sapping Ryan, this dark creature was going to overcome him. Alex couldn’t let this happen, Ryan wouldn’t give up, she knew he would try everything to protect her.

She ran out from her hiding place.

“At last you have the courage to come out from your hiding place, now I can get rid of this idiot and do what I came here for,” it rasped at her.

Alex watched as the
creature raised its hand ready to despatch Ryan once and for all. Alex screamed and ran in front of Ryan, holding her hand out in front of her to try to block the magic the creature threw towards Ryan.

Alex hands tingle
d and electric blue light came forth and shielded her and Ryan. He was lying prone on the earthy ground, still in his wolf form, his strength now drained. He tried to rise and help Alex, but there was nothing left besides pain. Alex knew he would not survive another attack. While still maintaining the shield, with her other hand she touched Ryan with infinite gentleness, tears rolling down her face, she could see and feel his agony, he shook his head as if he knew what was to come. With a flick of her hand she made him vanish, sending him from any further harm.

The
creature stood with a wicked smile on his face. Then he began to laugh with diabolical glee. “I have been waiting for this moment a very long time, Alex, your mother did well at hiding you from me. You would have been hidden for a while longer if it weren’t for you waking me from my dormant state, and for that I thank you.”

“What do you mean waking
you?”

“
When you let that waste of space ex of yours walk through you while you were invisible, it woke me, your magic is strong but not strong enough yet. I could taste it when you entered Gary that night.”

“
Why didn’t it happen the first time I entered Gary’s body?”

“
Because you didn’t know you were magic, your power was not active; I must admit that was another clever thing your mother did, pity I never got the chance to meet her.”

Alex stood waiting for his
next move but all he seemed to want to do was tease her with chatter.

“
I didn’t know my mother or father, so trying to upset me by talking about them isn’t going to work.”

The
creature looked at her pensively. “I can remember a lot of things from when I was stuck inside Gary, his memories are mine and mine are his, I can remember the first time I saw you, the first time we had sex,” he started to giggle.

“
That wasn’t you, it was Gary!” snapped Alex.

“
Oh come on, Alex, he would have been dead if it wasn’t for me. Then you would never have got to sample what we both could give you.”

Alex stared at him
wondering what he meant by dead.

“
I take it you know what I am, I’m a soul taker,” he continued.

“
You’re a grim reaper that got greedy, that’s my understanding.”

The
creature cackled again, “I like it, you’re a feisty one, no wonder Gary was attracted to you, I found Gary when he had almost given up, tried to kill himself, he was young, left home, wanted to travel the world all that, fell out with his father, but then it got hard on his own, and he just couldn’t take it anymore. Just at his weakest point I came and gave him a second chance.”

“That’s crap.
He loved his father, he was just taking a year out, that’s all.”

“Whatever.
I found him in some kind of perverted den, he was tortured for other people’s kicks, given drugs to keep him going, and so on and so forth, you get the picture, you’re a clever girl.”

Alex clenched her fist
, this bastard was really pissing her off now; she could feel her anger rising.

“
So you took his soul?”

“I took control of his life.
I stayed in that den for a little while. I quite enjoyed the cruelty they inflicted, it was quite nasty by human standards. He would cry out in his drugged up state, telling people I was inside him, no one believed him they just thought he was high. I love how most humans have no regard for others. They were so wonderfully vicious, then I got bored and made him take control of his life, once I knew he could behave how I wanted. Then I lay dormant until it was time, who would have thought me choosing Gary would lead to me finally getting the last of the Fleurs.”

“What you’re saying,
it’s all part of God’s master plan.”

“
Come on Alex, we both know you don’t believe in God.”

“
You don’t know what or who I really am,” Alex raised her hand and shot out a bolt of pure magic towards the creature, the creature staggered back laughing.

“
Have I found your weakness, is it Gary or is it Ryan?”

“
Shut the fuck up and just get on with why you’re here.”

“
Now, now Alex, all in good time, aren’t we having a nice natter? Filling in some of the gaps in your life.”

“
I want Gary to see you one last time before you die, you know, I promised him that, he wasn’t happy, but he can’t control me anymore, you should bring Ryan back and have both of them see you die, in agony.”

“
Ryan is safe.”

“
Yes I’ll let you have that one, but at least I have one of your men to watch you exit this world.”

“
He has done nothing to you, you chose him, not the other way round, just let him go.”

“
Don’t spoil my fun, Alex, I told you, you will see him once more.” The revolting creature melted back into Gary again. He smiled, Alex knew this was not the real Gary.

“Don’t you love me anymore Alex?
I thought we were made for each other,” snarled the Gary-like creature.

Alex raised her hands again, wanting to kill him but couldn’t even though she knew it wasn’t
really Gary, she knew he was in there somewhere, she needed to rescue him.

“
Stop playing games, you evil bastard.”

“
Had enough of living already? Well I’m happy to help,” lightning fast it jumped forward and punched her full in the face, knocking her to the floor. Alex shook it off and stood back up.

She ran at
it, and struck back with all her might. It stumbled, “Getting angry, good, but you are still not strong enough to hurt me.”

Alex shot out another bolt of
pure magic again; her rage was fuelling her magic. It struck the creature again, this time with real force.

The
creature stopped laughing, “I am growing bored with you now Alex, it’s time to go.” It went back to its true form and began throwing out shocks of evil electricity with a crackling noise and foul odour. Alex used her shield to protect her from most of them, but some struck home, ripping at her flesh and burning, but still she raised herself back up to fight.