The Mind Keepers (The Mind Readers) by Lori Brighton
“I’m lost,” he explained in a French accent.
I frowned. The demons even knew which accent women liked best. The bastards were becoming more evolved every year.
Emma stuffed her hands into her pockets, looking oddly bemused, as if she wasn’t quite sure why she remained there, listening to this strange man.
“Come on, Emma,” I whispered. “Use your instincts.”
She merely tilted her head to the side. “Where you going?”
Hadn’t she been taught not to talk to strangers? Especially in secluded cemeteries at night? Next, the demon would be offering her candy. I knelt behind a tombstone, the damp grass soaking the knees of my trousers. A crow called from a branch above. Territorial birds, they didn’t appreciate the demon near their home.
“Red Brick Pub.”
“Oh.” She seemed to relax, hearing the familiar name of a local restaurant.
The demon had done his homework; they knew how to play the game. How the hell had he had time to research, let alone find her? With an arrogant grin, the beast stepped closer, knowing he had her in his grasp.
Surprisingly, she stepped back. A reluctant grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. So, her instincts were overriding her attraction.
“Can you tell me the way?” the demon asked.
Emma glanced toward Main Street, just visible through the iron fence. “Uh, yeah, sure. You just head out of the cemetery and go left. You’ll see it. A brick building.”
My fingers curled as I resisted the urge to interfere. This was Emma’s first test, and I wasn’t about to get involved…yet.
The demon stopped a few feet in front of her. Too close. “You’re quite lovely.”
She paused for a moment, as if trying to make sense of his words, or maybe make sense of her feelings. That near the demon, her instincts would be dulled. I made my way closer, the vegetation underfoot soft and supple with spring rain. I’d hold out until the last minute, but if she didn’t react quickly, I’d have to interfere.
“Seriously?” She released a sharp laugh. “You’re trying to pick me up in a cemetery? I don’t know what kind of women you have in your country, but I’m not interested.”
I felt a moment’s relief, until she turned her back to the demon. Dear God, even children knew you never turned your back to a monster. Her footsteps were quick as she started for the gate that would lead onto Main Street.
The demon smiled. They loved the chase; it fed their sick need. He rolled his shoulders, preparing to transform. There in the cemetery, the demon’s handsome face melted away to reveal gray, boiled skin. His broad shoulders hunched as his vertebrae bent at an odd angle. More animal than human, he leaned forward, preparing to lunge at her. He’d have her throat torn out within five seconds.
Unfortunately for the demon, he wouldn’t make it. I disappeared and reappeared in front of the monster, placing my body between Emma and him, hoping my ward was out of sight so I could kill the beast without her interference.
“Going somewhere?”
“Yes,” the demon said, curling his clawed hands. Gone was the French accent and in its place, a menacing growl. “But apparently I’ll be waylaid for a moment.”
The demon burst forward. I ducked, swiping my leg wide and hitting the thing in the shins. If he had shins; I really wasn’t sure about demon body parts. Still, it worked because the demon stumbled.
I straightened and shrugged off my jacket, placing it upon the top of a tombstone while the demon regained its balance. Before I turned, I pulled a small bottle from the pocket. “You do realize I’m going to have to kill you.” I rolled the cuffs of my sleeves, unveiling a dagger strapped to my left forearm.
The demon drew to its full height, impressive at eight feet tall. “You can try.”
I laughed and placed my glasses atop my jacket. “Try? My, such a big threat coming from so small a brain.”
“Say what you will, Protector, you’ll die just as easily as they all do.”
I glanced behind me, searching for Emma. The path lay empty. Good, but I still had to get rid of the demon before there was a witness. “We’ll see about that.”
The fine hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, a warning of what was to come. My only warning. In a blur of movement the demon burst forward, faster than I’d thought possible. I spun around, searching for the beast. Too late. The demon’s claws sliced through my left bicep, shredding the white dress shirt. Numbness swept from the wound up to my shoulder and down to my fingers, but I knew the symptom would only be temporary. A hiss escaped my gritted teeth as I grasped at my injured arm.
The sound of laughter and conversation permeated the evening air, seeping through the cemetery in warning. Innocents were coming. The demon chuckled, strolling in a wide circle around me, pausing behind. “More for me.”
Blood rolled down my forearm, dripping to the ground. Shite. I glanced toward the fence, seeing a small group of humans strolling down Main Street. I needed to get rid of the demon and fast. The numbness in my arm was giving way to a burning ache that pulsed through my veins, spreading through my body. Pretty soon it would be useless, and for the next hour or so I wouldn’t be able to fight, let alone move.
Breathing through clenched teeth, I ignored the pain and waited for the demon. The water wouldn’t kill the beast, but it would hurt him enough to slow him down and give me the time I needed to recoup. I felt the beast’s heated breath on the back of my head, stirring the hair, and resisted the urge to turn. He was waiting for the poison to make me useless. Sharp claws pierced my neck, more fiery poison seeping into my blood. My throat constricted over the burning pain.
This wasn’t going as I’d planned, but I’d never actually fought a Bubontic Demon, merely read about them. Grappling with the bottle, I pulled the cork loose with my teeth and tossed the holy water backward. The demon let out a scream that sounded enough like a cat in heat that it wouldn’t draw attention from passersby.
I snatched the dagger from the sheath attached to my forearm. My heart slammed wildly, urging me to do the deed. But this was the moment of truth, and I knew I couldn’t rush things.
Fortunately, every demon had a heart, a spot where they were most vulnerable. Unfortunately, every demon’s heart was located in a different area of his body. Fortunately, I had done my homework while training.
I spun around and shoved the dagger in the demon’s left side. Black liquid seeped from the wound and the giant beast began to shudder. Unsure if I should be thrilled or disgusted, I pulled the dagger free and wiped it clean upon the grass. The demon fell to the ground with a thud that shook the cemetery. A nearby stone cross toppled over. I felt the soft swoosh of the demon’s energy being sucked into the ground, back to Mother Nature. The demon grew still. The night went quiet once more.
“Well then, that wasn’t so difficult.” I slid the dagger back into the sheath, watching with a wary eye. It wasn’t my first demon kill, but there was something oddly satisfying about seeing the rotting body upon the ground. Perhaps I could protect Emma after all.
As my chest grew numb, I realized I had only moments to hide the demon and myself. The world spun around me as I struggled toward the monster, my legs like leaden weights. I grasped the demon’s arms, my fingers sinking into his rotting flesh, and dragged him toward the closest and oldest mausoleum, a perfect place to hide a monster from human eyes.
The rusty lock broke easily. My entire torso was numb. Time was running out. Sweat broke out across my forehead, my body trembled as it fought the demon poison. Using what little strength I had left, I pulled the demon inside and closed the doors, trapping us both. Only then did I give in to temptation and collapse to the floor.
An hour. I had an hour for the poison to work its way through my system, and then I’d be able to control my body again. Until then, I was forced to lie on the ground, my body frozen, the side of my face pressed to the cold marble floor, staring into the face of a rotting demon.
Just another ty
About Lori Brighton
Lori has a degree in Anthropology and worked as a museum curator. Deciding the people in her imagination were slightly more exciting than the dead things in a museum basement, she set out to become an author. Lori writes Romance for adults, as well as Young Adult books for teens and adults.
To find out more about Lori visit her at: www.LoriBrighton.com
Lori Brighton, The Mind Keepers (The Mind Readers)