Drift (Drift Series) (19 page)

Shade leaned into my ear. “Let me guess…that’s the Vampire Lord Shimmer?”

“Yes, he’s the oldest and strongest vampire ever known.”

“You’re right, he does look like Chris Angel.”

“Sssshhhh.”

Shimmer faced us again. “
If
you make it to me.
If
you survive…” In a blur, he shot into my face, intimidating me with those glowing red eyes. “I will rip you into a thousand parts and let my minions pick up the pieces. You’re not worthy of such a challenge, boy. When I’m finished with you, maybe I’ll turn your little toy here into one of my mistresses.” He glanced over to a cowering Shade.

A soothing woman’s voice came out of the darkness, “Oh
, Shimmer, stop playing with your food.”

All three of us looked to see
a beautiful woman coming towards us. Dressed like she was going to some kind of upscale social engagement, the bell of the ball, she glided through the snow wearing a beautiful blue lace Victorian era dress. It was the Goyle Queen of Hell, the head of all the stunning gatekeepers, Agrelia. One would never guess just how violent and merciless she truly was behind all that grace and beauty.

“Besides, our naïve friend here will never make it that far in the game. Now step aside my dear, and let me get a good look at the fool.”

Shimmer bowed. I couldn’t help but feel as though Shade and I were on display like some freakish sideshow, all for their amusement. I was hesitant to speak. I didn’t know what they had planned. I wasn’t about to provoke them into acting early.

Spiritual law gives me the fighting chance of taking them on one by one and they must abide by it. But nonetheless, these were the biggest deceivers of all and the most evil. They broke the rules many times in other ways and I wasn’t giving them reason to do it again, ending my chance before I ever got one.

“Well, my dear, you have chosen death. Good for you. We don’t need dissension in our ranks. Treason comes at a heavy price. It will be my pleasure to destroy you. Pity that the next time we make acquaintance we will be at fate’s end. No matter, not nice to meet you.”

Finished with me, she glided over to Shade. “Oh, to be the woman that soothed a savage beast. You
must
be a find. How splendid. But every rose has its thorn, I’m sure. Right, sugar? You’ve gotten our boy Leo here into quite the tiff. His death will be on your hands, not nice meeting you, either.”

I finally broke my silence. “Don’t listen to her
, Shade.”

“Oh, it speaks,” Shimmer chimed in.

“Yes, it does, apparently. Oh, Shimmer, I’m done here. I’ve seen what I needed to see. The boy is no challenge. You can have the girl, do what you will with her. Where is Christian? I have an engagement to attend and it’s so ugly to be late.”

A
s quickly as Agrelia spoke his name, the voice that made my spine crawl pierced the night, announcing his own arrival.

“I am here
, my lady. Patience now, patience.” Christian materialized from nothing behind the gawking duo of Shimmer and Agrelia. He tipped his top hat as he passed between them. He tapped the silver ball end of his leather cane into his palm in true Christian style.

He approached us, looping his thumb around the cane so he could clap his hands together arrogantly. “Fantastic. The gang’s all here, and you
, Leo my lad, are the guest of honor, Mister Diccitidel himself. I’m surprised you showed. That’s worthy in itself…almost. You’re still a blithering idiot, but you have courage…a trait that will soon lead to your demise.” Christian circled us, making Shade tremble even harder each time he passed.

“Then, when you fail, our dearest Shade here will be all alone. Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a shame. What’s a girl to do? I guess we
’ll have to let Shimmer here decide your fate, girl.” Christian pointed to a sadistically laughing Shimmer, who was rubbing his hands together.

“But for now we have other business to attend to. You have claimed freedom from Hell by Diccitidel. It is the obligation of the council to indulge you in this pipe dream.”

“As if you had a choice according to spiritual law,” I interrupted.

“You see my distinguished guests…” Christian walked through the piling snow and up to the smirking du
o of Agrelia and Shimmer, locking his hands behind his back as he twirled his cane magically through his fingers. “Our young friend here is always talking. He never listens. This lack of discipline will lead to his regrettable downfall.”
Christian spun to face Shade and I. “A sad story, really—he held such promise. But first, we must see if you are worthy of our challenge, strong enough to play with us—”

“I am
,” I interrupted, trying to show some backbone to the mocking trio.

“See what I mean?” He checked with the giggling council members. “Always talking, never listening. If he listened a little more, he would have heard what was coming up behind him.”

Before I could turn around, a violent blow slammed me in the back. The force thrust me forward, between the casually dodging council members. My arms flailed out of control as I sailed twenty yards and landed, doing a face-plant into the snow. My feet shot over my head, causing me to roll a couple of times. I gathered myself and searched for what had struck me.

A boasting Christian yelled, “Game on!”

Shade screamed, “My god!” and ran from the scene like her butt was on fire.

“Go get the girl, Shimmer. She needs to witness this,” Christian ordered.

“My pleasure.” Shimmer shot like a rocket into the woods.

I still wasn’t clear as to which culprit landed the cheap shot. I focused my attention
on movement on the blanketing snow. A tattered varsity jacket came into focus. The closer it got, the more it became apparent what, and who, it was.

“Don’t look so surprised
, Leo,” an extremely familiar voice said. Then, his face, looking more deviant than ever, became perfectly clear. Those sadistic eyes met mine. Darryl Kite was back, and he was all demon now.

“Welcome back, chump,” I told him.

“I’ve been waiting for this. Let’s dance, Leo.”

CHAPTER 16

OVERDUE

Darryl stuck his hands out, palms up, waving them as if saying “bring it
.” Before I could answer his physical challenge right away, I was momentarily distracted. Shimmer was dragging a kicking and screaming Shade like a rolled up sleeping bag under his muscular arm. Even though I wanted to attack Shimmer, who was strong-arming my girlfriend, I knew I couldn’t take my eyes off the new and improved Darryl. He was glaring at me with a hatred that could burn a hole right through me.

Darryl took one step towards me but Christian slashed up to him and placed his cane into his chest, stopping his progress momentarily. “Easy now
, boys. I know the two of you are anxious to get reacquainted…”

“What the hell is going on here, Christian? What is
he
doing here?” I pointed at the predatory Darryl, who snarled and lunged at me once more, only to be held back again by our powerful leader.

“I told you to wait.” Christian shoved him back with his cane and then peered at me with disdain. “You
’re really beginning to tick me off with your utter lack of respect for my authority by interrupting me—”

“Answer me. What is
he
doing here?”

Christian
only grinned at my disrespect. “My, you are foolish, but I like your abrasiveness. You want to know, huh?”

“Yeah, I wanna know.”

Christian chuckled again. “Very well.” Christian removed his cane from Darryl’s chest and approached me. His face was beaming as if he had been waiting for some time to tell me exactly what I asked of him.

“I was there.”

“You were there?” I replied a little confused.

“Yes. I felt the need to watch your work up close and personal. Your incompetence was becoming more and more apparent, so I took matters into my own hands. We couldn’t let Darryl slip away, he
’s much too perfect for us.” Christian stared me down.

“What happened?” I asked.

“While you were busy disobeying me and saving that mortal slug…” He winked at Shade, which caused light chuckling to happen  among the evil onlookers. “Darryl and I came to a little understanding up in his room after your failure. I told him I had a need for someone a little more…loyal, evil…to do my bidding. For his sacrifice to the cause, through me, Hell would grant him an eternal life on earth. And maybe I could give him another shot at our mutual thorn in the side.” He held his hand out and aimed it at me. “You, Leo. So, I think more for the reason of being able to take you out, he flung himself off his deck and here we stand.”

I smirked at the two of them, knowing there had to be more to their deal. “So what would you have done if he refused?”

Christian opened his mouth wide and raised his eyebrows, proving their deal wasn’t that simple. “Always clever, Leo, always. I think you know the answer. Once I told Darryl here that he was damned to Hell, whether he took me up on my offer or not, he decided to pass on the torments of Hell.” Christian grinned. I guess that was probably the choice I would’ve made at one time as well.

“But he still remembers everything.”

“He does, a touch of spice I added just for you, my lad. After today, he’ll no longer remember anything, his old life, you, his decision, and this little skirmish here. He’ll be…reborn, as it were. I think you’ll be much more than our boy Leo here. Much more.”

Darryl chuckled at his master’s lofty expectations.

“So why don’t you show me what you’re made of, my newborn friend.” “My pleasure,” Darryl said with a smug certainty.

“Play nice
, boys.” Christian walked backwards a few steps before turning to rejoin his council members.

All my attention was squarely on the demon Darryl now. I fully felt what it was like to be that fierce demon I was supposed to be as all the hate in my being was aimed in the direction of my menacing rival. I have to admit it; I hate Darryl, in any form, with a passion.

“When I’m done with you, I’m going to finish what I started with Shade. I’m going to take her like I was about to before you stuck your nose where it didn’t belong. Let’s see who pulls the strings in our relationship now, Leo.” He swiped his tongue across his teeth like a scavenger about to pounce on an old piece of meat. This enraged me, which I’m sure was the reaction he wanted. It was on now.

I charged him like a bull to a matador. Just as I was about to make contact, Darryl flew into the air with a laugh, dodging my first blow. I wasted no time in following him into the stratosphere.

“What’s the matter? Am I too fast for you?”

“No, you’re too stupid to be fast
and
cunning at the same time.”

I caught up to him and grabbed his foot, pulling him face to face with me. I socked him in the stomach, sending him whirling further into the sky past the storm clouds. I followed quickly behind him
, trying not to give him rest. I flew through the dense clouds and was taken aback by how beautiful it was above them. I could see every star just as clear as could be. It was so quiet it was hard to believe that a nasty storm was dumping so much snow below. My attention was drawn back to the task at hand because Darryl wasted no time in retaliating.

“That’s all you got?” He spun around to face me. We collided with such an impact that it sounded like a clap of thunder echoing across the calm night sky. I can’t be certain how many punches were thrown, but our fists connected on one another at a rapid pace as we twirled around in the heavens. Our wings flailed violently as we jockeyed for position. While spinning and punching, we fell back through the storm clouds and once again entered the raging snow blanket.

Darryl had his back to the ground with me on top as we continued throwing blows. His wings were folded as the force of our fall caused wind to push them forward like a shell over us. I used our momentum, shoving my shoulder into his abdomen and thrusting us earthbound with every bit of strength I had. We rocketed so fast back to the ground that his cocoon-cupping wings actually caught fire. Darryl shrieked.

I shoved him harder. I had no idea how long it would be before we made contact with the ground. It didn’t take long to find out. With an earth-rattling thud, we slammed into the dirt, kicking up a tidal wave of snow and leaves. But our momentum didn’t stop us. We continued, much more slowly now, hundreds of yards underground before we finally came to a halt.

The impact dazed us both. Oddly enough, it was Darryl who came to first. His fist launched into my chin with every bit of power he possessed. The energy shoved me up and out of the hole. I shot from of our makeshift tunnel like fresh-struck oil and landed on the level ground, right in front of the catcalling council members who heckled me with great joy.

Only Shade shouted words of encouragement. It seemed her fear had turned to anger. I hopped to my feet and hesitantly peeked into the hole. It wasn’t long before I realized I
’d made a tactical error. Darryl blasted out of the hole and crashed his shoulder right into my throat, lifting us back into the air in an arch fashion, only to have us crash into tree after tree with my backside taking the brunt of the blows. We hit the tallest timber so hard that a few branches broke and fell to the ground along with us.

Darryl snagged me by my head and belted me in the face. I skidded and burst through some large boulders that
had probably been stuck in the ground for centuries. I came to rest with my back against another rock that propped up my limp body.

He stood over me and gloated. “Christian was right. You
’re weak. This is going to be epic. Not only do you lose to me but you lose in front of the council…and Shade. Now she’ll know just how pathetic you are. It will be my pleasure killing you in front of her. Then, I’ll make her mine all over again.” He laughed sadistically as he rained down punches upon me in a fury.

The council and Shade had moved closer so they could see the potential end of the fight. All I could do to escape his pummeling was wrap my wings around me like a shield, hoping to buy time to figure out how to get out of this predicament.

The more he punched me, the more the laughs came. Shade continued to scream support until finally I made a move to stand up. I blasted my wings wide open as fast as I could. This maneuver created a shockwave of compressed air and knocked Darryl backwards like he was being pulled from behind by a bungee cord.

The look on Christian’s face was one of bewilderment, like he just saw something he’d never seen before. Shade must have thought the move was cool because I heard her mutter, “Bad ass”
when Darryl hit the snow.

I flew to the stunned Darryl and landed on him, cramming my two feet into his chest. Then I picked him up by his hair about three times and drilled him in the chin each time. I let him go at the end of each punch causing a whiplash effect that slammed his head back into the compacted snow. He was fading. I picked him up and tossed him face-first at the feet of a concerned looking Christian. I flew into the air and plunged down, jabbing my knee into the screaming Darryl’s back. As I applied pressure to the center of his spine, I tore the wings off his weakened torso. Darryl begged for mercy but it was too late. I waved the wings as if hoisting a trophy. I could only show them off briefly as the wings disappeared in a matter of seconds.

He was finished, so I put him in a stranglehold with my forearm, picked him up and shoved him into the face of a quite aggravated Christian. “I have seen enough. This is over. Let him go, Leo.”

Just to grind some salt in the wound, I held onto Darryl for an extra second or two, applying a little more pressure to my choke-hold. Then, with great delight, I dragged him toward Shade and presented him to her. With every bit of force in her slender frame, she swung her hand and smacked the heck out of Darryl. Even though there was nothing that could ever pay him back for what he did to her, she clearly took some satisfaction in having the final word in their relationship.
Now
it was officially over between them. I dragged Darryl back to Christian and released his whimpering carcass into the snow at his feet.

“Come and get this blithering idiot. He had his chance. He’ll spend his days in the underworld, he’s not worthy of being a drifter,” Christian ordered Shimmer and Agrelia.

Reluctantly they did. They were no longer laughing as they reached between Christian and I and picked him up by each arm.

“No. No, please, Christian! Give me another chance. Please!”

Christian ordered him taken away with a wave of his hand. “Agrelia,” Christian shouted.

She turned, releasing the still pleading Darryl into Shimmer’s care.

“Don’t forget this!”

Christian tossed her his cane that disguised the demon dagger. It was officially on with the council now. Agrelia held the demon-killing blade in her right hand. If she stabbed me with it, I was done. End of story.

She caught the cane and said, “Toodle-loo,” as she waved to me. They all disappeared into the falling snow, leaving Shade and myself with the frustrated Christian.

“It only gets harder from here.”

“I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Christian scoffed at me as he turned to leave. “Good luck…it will be the only thing you can hope for.”

Shade ran up to my side and hugged me, asking me if I was all right. I assured her I was. By now, Christian was almost out of sight, getting ready to pull
his
disappearing act. Then it dawned on me that I didn’t know where to look for Agrelia. According to the spiritual law of Diccitidel, Christian had to give me my first clue. He knew this and was trying to scamper off before doing so.

“Christian!” I shouted through the falling snow. “I get a clue! Give it to me!”

Slowly he turned, half-cocked. “You can find her in the town too tough to die. This is her favorite portal from Hell to earth. You will find her there.”

Just like that, Shade and I were alone again, like nothing happened. This part of the journey was over. But now what stood before me was the test of all tests.

“C’mon, let’s go. I’m freezing,” Shade said.

We soared back to her car. When we landed, her vehicle was already half buried in snow. With a few flaps of my wings, I blew off her ride. Knowing we could
n’t possibly drive out of here due to the already rickety road that was now submerged in snow, Shade stated, “You’re gonna have to fly us out of here. We’ll have to come and get the car another time.”

“Nah, we can get out of here now.” Shade looked at me funny. “Demon…remember? Go ahead and get in the car and turn on the heater.”

She got in, still looking confused, and started the engine. I walked to her driver’s side window and winked at her. Suddenly, Shade rolled her eyes and mouthed the words “duh” through the window as she remembered my extreme strength.

On that note, I hefted her car on my shoulders and delicately flew toward the base of the mountain. Once I found a safe spot on a paved road, I placed the vehicle down and got inside with her. We stayed pretty quiet on the way to my place. We just held hands and were content in knowing that we made it out of this round okay. We
were together, that was all that mattered.