Demon Hunters 1: Blood Sacrifice (Stand Alone Series) (Demon Hunters.)

Demon Hunters 1: Blood Sacrifice

Published by

Broken Gate Publishing

PO Box 6241

Maroochydore BC 4558

Australia

978-1-925131-01-7 (Kindle)

978-1-925131-18-5 (Print)

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy/Horror

Copyright 2013 © Avril Petersen

Cover design by Caitlyn Petersen

All rights reserved

For Cat, who is always willing to help me with research no matter how crazy it seems.

Everyone knows about stranger danger. Never talk to a stranger. Don’t take candy from a stranger. And no matter what, never, ever accept a ride from a stranger. In a moment of anger at her parents, eighteen-year-old Alyssa ignored these basic rules. Now she’s facing the most terrifying situation of her life. A world of demons, sacrifices and swords suddenly becomes her reality. Not many people survive demon encounters and Alyssa fears she might not either.

This novel was written by an Australian author using Australian spelling.

Alyssa’s eyes narrowed, anger making it impossible to speak.

Grace, her mother, stood with a hand on her hip, her foot tapping. “Well?”

The words exploded from Alyssa. “I’m eighteen. I’ve finished year twelve and start uni next year. I’m not a kid. Stop treating me like one.”

“Do not raise your voice to me.”

“You’re not listening.”

“When you stop acting like a child, I will.”

“A party. A stupid bloody party. What do you think I’m going to do there?” Alyssa’s hands tightened into fists. She wanted to throw something. She’d thought turning eighteen last week would change things. Most of her friends had been given more freedom when they turned fifteen.

“I’ve already said no. That’s enough. I don’t want to hear another word.”

“Why? Why can’t I go?”

“You can’t. Stop questioning me. As long as you live under our roof, you live by our rules.”

Alyssa glared at Grace. She hated the way everyone said she looked like her mother. So she wore her dark hair layered, to fall past her shoulders, and had a purple streak in it that curved from the crown of her head to frame her left cheek. There was nothing she could do about their matching green eyes, high cheekbones and honey coloured skin.

Grace turned away, stepping around the wooden table and chairs in the middle of the kitchen.

“Then maybe it’s time I left home,” Alyssa said.

Grace spun to face her. “And how do you think you’ll live? Food doesn’t appear on the table because you’re hungry.” Her mother’s hand returned to her hip. “Well? You haven’t got an answer for that, have you?”

Anger burned through Alyssa, hotter than before. Her teeth clamped together. “I hear you can make a good living on the streets. Maybe I should find out for myself.” She grinned bitterly, satisfied at the expression on her mother’s face. Before her mother could recover, Alyssa spun on her heel and strode for the front door, flinging the words over her shoulder, “Guess I’ll be back if I can’t find any customers.” As she reached the door, she heard her mother’s hurried footsteps behind her.

“Don’t you dare walk out that door.”

“Or what? I can’t walk back in? Yeah. Real loss.” Alyssa shoved the screen door open as she grabbed her handbag from the hallstand. She pulled the strap over her head and tugged on it so the bag slid across her hip to a more comfortable position.

“I’m serious.”

Alyssa looked over her shoulder, her eyes clashing with her mother’s. She hesitated, mentally cataloguing what was in her handbag. Money, make-up, change of clothes for the party, her phone and various unknown items that had been thrown in there and forgotten about in the year she’d owned it.

“Alyssa.”

The warning tone in Grace’s voice was all Alyssa needed to make up her mind. She knew if she gave in, she’d spend her four years at university living by her parents’ rules. A simple party! It wasn’t even like she was asking to go to Schoolies. She wasn’t a child. She was sick of being treated like one. Another rush of anger hit her at the injustice.

This time she managed to keep her voice low. “So am I.” She stepped through the doorway, letting the screen door bang shut. She grabbed her knee-high black boots off the verandah, paused at the top of the stairs to lean against the post to pull them on and zipped them up.

“Alyssa! I’m ringing your father!”

Alyssa laughed harshly. “Go ahead. What’s he going to do? Drag me home again? Tell him to go ahead and try. But he’s got to find me first.” Alyssa took every second step in her haste. Before she’d reached the concrete footpath, her phone was at her ear so she could call her best friend to say she was going to the party.

Alyssa held the phone away from her ear at Erin’s shout. “Great, now I’m deaf.”

“I can’t believe they’re letting you go. I thought they’d keep you under lock and key until you were thirty.”

“Yeah, well they tried to. But Dad’s over at his mate’s place. I hit Mum with it after he’d gone. I bet she’s ringing him right now. Look, I’m going to catch a bus into the city. We can meet up at Del’s and head to the party from there.”

“What time?”

Alyssa glanced at her watch. “Probably take me a couple of hours to get there at the most. Meet up about seven-thirty?”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you there.”

Alyssa hung up and slipped her phone into one of the outer pockets of her handbag, unable to resist a grin as she strode towards the bus stop. There was no way her father could be home in time to catch up with her. The bus would arrive within a couple of minutes. And even if it was late, there was another bus due in five minutes in the opposite direction. Either one, it didn’t matter. As long as she put some distance between her and home she could take the scenic route into the city.

Alyssa sat on one of the cold metal chairs in the noisy interior of Del’s. The table was equally as solid as the chairs, since Del’s couldn’t go a week without at least one fight breaking out. But Del, a large man who looked more like he belonged in a boxing ring than behind the counter in a coffee shop, would slowly make his way to the offending parties, grab each by the collar and drag them outside. No threats, no warnings. He’d shut the door and head to his counter as if nothing had happened.

Alyssa took a bite of her burger and glanced around. She knew probably half the crowd. Some well, some by sight, many from the high school she’d recently graduated from. The sound of the door opening again had her glancing over and she quickly swallowed her mouthful.

Waving, Alyssa called out, “Erin.”

Erin grinned and made her way through the crowded tables. She slid into the seat across from Alyssa and dropped her bag on the floor. Erin was a few inches shorter than Alyssa and people called her dainty or cute and the occasional unfortunate called her a doll since her resemblance to a blue eyed, blond haired, porcelain doll was uncanny. The words always made Erin see red and having four older brothers had taught her how to hold her own in a fight.

“Where’s mine?” Erin glanced towards the burger.

“Split it?” Alyssa offered.

Erin frowned. “Guess that’ll have to do. I haven’t the time to wait for one. I don’t want to miss even a minute of this party.”

“What about late enough to make an entrance?”

“Who cares about making an entrance? I’d rather have all the fun.” Erin took the half a burger Alyssa held out. “No one makes a burger like Del.” She took a large bite and her eyes closed theatrically.

Alyssa laughed. “It’s just a burger, Erin. No need to make out with it.”

“Blasphemy. This is not just a burger.”

“Hey.”

Alyssa glanced up at the young man who had stopped at their table. He had the same fine blond hair and blue eyes as Erin, but his narrow frame was taller. “Aiden.”

“So who let you out of jail?” Aiden, the brother closest to Erin in age, mocked.

“Get lost, Aiden,” Erin muttered. “Can’t you be like any normal older brother and act like you don’t know me?”

“Nope. No fun in that now, is there?”

Erin sighed heavily, then her blue eyes widened. “No!”

“No, what?” Aiden’s grin broadened.

“You’re not going to Kylie’s party are you?”

“Who else is going to make sure the guys behave themselves around you?”

Erin groaned. “I swear I’ll kill you if you have a ‘word’ with any guy I talk to at the party. I don’t need you to look out for me. I can take care of myself.”

“Would I do that?” Aiden tried for an innocent expression.

“You’re dead. You got that? Dead.”

Aiden chuckled. “See you there, brat.”

“Aiden!” Erin leapt to her feet, burger clutched in one hand. Her only answer was a wave from Aiden who didn’t even bother to turn at her call.

“Just great!” Erin slumped into her seat. “The party’s ruined. Why do my brothers have to do this? I can take care of myself.”

“At least you’re allowed to go to parties. Your brothers are a small price to pay. Come on. Eat your burger so we can go,” Alyssa encouraged.

“Easy for you to say. You’re so lucky being an only child.”

“Maybe my parents wouldn’t be overkill if they had more kids.”

They shared a look and then grinned at the same time and shook their heads. “Nah,” Erin said as Alyssa said, “Not.”

Alyssa finished off the last of her burger and licked her fingers clean. “I’m going to the bathroom to change and do my make-up. Be back in a few.”

Erin nodded, her mouth full.

The chair scraped across the floor as Alyssa stood and wove her way through the crowd. She pushed the bathroom door open and there was an instant quiet as it swung shut. A girl stood at the mirror filling the wall behind the hand basins, fixing her hair. Alyssa made her way to the far end of the bathroom, did her makeup then brushed her hair, running it through the purple streak last.

The bathroom door flew open. Erin stood in the doorway. “What’s taking so long?”

“Nearly finished.” Alyssa headed into one of the toilet cubicles and locked the door. She hung her bag on the hook near the top of the door and started to change her clothes, replacing her jeans with a short skirt.

“All the fun’ll be over if you don’t hurry.”

“Erin!” Alyssa’s voice was sharp as she tugged her skirt into place.

“Okay. Fine. I’m shutting up.”

Alyssa grinned as she changed her shirt. Her friend was permanently impatient. And she’d be surprised if Erin lasted thirty seconds without trying to hurry her. She glanced at her watch then decided to use the timer on her phone. It was still off. She’d forgotten she’d turned it off when her parents wouldn’t stop ringing earlier. There was no point using it to time Erin, but maybe she could turn it back on now. Surely they’d have gotten the message and given up ringing.

“Allie?”

Alyssa chuckled. She turned her phone on and shoved her roughly folded jeans and shirt into her bag. Grinning, she swung the door open and held up her phone. “I was going to time how long it took before you started again. But I knew the phone would take too long to turn on.”

“Very funny,” Erin said dryly. “Can we go now?”

“Sure.” Alyssa glanced at the girl still standing by the mirror. The girl threw a nervous glance towards Erin.

As soon as they were outside Del’s, Alyssa asked Erin, “What did you do to her?”

“Who?”

“The girl in the bathroom.” Alyssa had to lengthen her stride to keep up with Erin who believed life should be taken at a run.

“Nothing.”

“Sure,” Alyssa said dryly. “I recognise that tone.”

“She was staring at me. I hate it when people stare at me.” Erin glared at her.

Alyssa laughed. “You know that look won’t work with me. I’ve known you too long. But that poor kid in the bathroom, I’m surprised she didn’t run out screaming. Actually, on second thought, I know why she didn’t. You were blocking the only exit.”

Before Erin could comment, Alyssa’s phone started to ring. She checked to see who the caller was and frowned when she saw it was her home number.

Erin tilted Alyssa’s hand to peer at the screen. “They must be calling every ten minutes or something.” She let go of Alyssa’s hand. “Or they’ve got really good timing.”

Alyssa shoved the ringing phone in her bag. “I wish I could afford to move out. But working part-time at the bakery doesn’t give me enough money to pay for rent let alone food and everything else.”

“At least you don’t have to share a bathroom with four brothers.”

“No, but I get to constantly argue with my parents even though I always tell myself I’m not going to. They treat me like a kid who has no clue and then I start acting like one. They push all the wrong buttons.”

“Parents are good at that.”

“Well mine certainly are.” Alyssa gritted her teeth as her phone started to ring again.

“Oh please, answer it,” Erin groaned. “It was bad enough having to listen to it ring out once. I’ll be tempted to throw it in front of the next car that passes if you don’t.”

Alyssa answered her phone. “What?”

“Tell me where you are and I’ll send your father to pick you up and we’ll forget all about this incident,” Grace said.

“No.”

“Alyssa-”

“Quit ringing me. I’m going to the party and that’s final.”

A car horn made Erin and Alyssa turn towards the road. Three young men in a sleek, black car pulled over.

“Want a ride, ladies?” The one in the back seat leaned out the window.

“What is happening?” Grace demanded.

“We’re busy hitchhiking and someone just pulled over to give us a lift.” Alyssa’s words dripped with sarcasm.

“Don’t you dare,” Grace warned.

“Allie,” Erin said hesitantly from beside her.

“Where are you going?” The man called out. “You look like you’ve got a destination in mind. How about we all go?”

“Alyssa!” Grace screeched in her ear. “Daniel, come and talk some sense into your daughter.”

Alyssa guessed her mother had covered the phone with her hand to tell her father what was going on. But even that couldn’t mute his bellow.

“We haven’t got all night. It might only be young now, but the night’s rapidly aging.” The man let the car door swing open. “Plenty of space.”

“Allie, please.” Erin stepped away, her clasped hands pressed tightly to her chest.

Alyssa took a step towards Erin, starting to take the phone from her ear. She halted at her father’s angry tone.

“Alyssa Ann Evans! You will tell me where you are immediately. You will not hitchhike. You aren’t too old I can’t ground you. This is beyond belief. You keep trying to tell us you’re an adult, well act like one.”

Blind rage coursed through Alyssa. “Get stuffed,” she snarled at her father and turned her phone off before she dropped it in her bag. She stepped forward, eyes sparking with anger, a forced smile on her lips.

“Well, hey,” the man scooted over. “Hop right on in.”

Alyssa rested one hand on the car roof, the other on the top of the door and leaned forward a little. All three men looked to be in their early twenties. Two had close cropped, dark hair while the one in the back wore his a little longer.

“I’m only going a couple of blocks that way to a party.” Alyssa waved in the direction they had been heading. “I’m Allie.”

“Nathan. That’s Eric,” he pointed to the driver, “And Shawn.”

“Allie!” Erin stayed well back from the vehicle. “We’re going to be late.”

Alyssa hesitated, glancing at her friend. When Nathan spoke she turned towards him.

“No you won’t. We’ll have you there in no time, won’t we guys?” Nathan appealed to his companions who instantly agreed. He smiled up at her. “Hop on in, Allie.”

Her hesitation evaporated at his smile. Reassurance filled her. “Thanks.” Alyssa slid into the car to sit beside him. “These boots aren’t exactly made for walking long distances. And I’ve already walked too far in them today.”

“What about your friend? She coming too?”

“Erin?” Alyssa watched as her friend shook her head, taking another step back.

“You’re mad. I’m walking. No, better yet, I’m calling Aidan.” Erin pulled her phone out.

“See you shortly.” Alyssa reached out and pulled the car door shut, buckling up. She smiled at Nathan with a shrug. “I guess not.”

“All right then. We’ll see her at the party. A pity since she was so worried about being late.”

Eric pulled away from the curb. “So where’s this party?”

Alyssa leaned forward to explain the directions. She felt a quick sharp pain in her arm and looked down. Her mouth opened silently as she saw the needle being withdrawn. She stared at Nathan.

“Guess you should have listened to your friend, huh?” Nathan pushed her back into the seat, another smile curving his lips. “I think tonight’s going to be a bit different than you expected.”

Alyssa couldn’t think clearly and it felt like the world was fading. The reassurance she had felt last time he smiled didn’t come. This time it was fear. A cold fear that skittered through her body and froze limbs and vocal cords. The last thing she saw was Nathan’s deep brown eyes watching her slip away. She was surprised to see they were filled with mocking amusement.