Demon of Desire
Chapter Six -Hello Underworld

Sloan heard a commotion on the floor below her. She had been in the house for a couple of weeks so she was able to tell the difference between boys going wild and frantic panic.

She crawled out of bed in only her hot pants and her ripped Coldplay T-shirt, and hurried down the stairs to gauge the craziness. The six men ran about the room, unhooking the weapons on the wall that had earlier served as part of the decor. They were out of their usual scruffy clothes and clad in black. The bags on their backs were packed with ammunition, and their belts were full of gun holsters and knife pockets.

“What happened? Did Hello Kitty finally take over the world?” she called out, but the guys went on with their business. “Archer.”

Archer was dressed in a thermal vest that publicized his muscles and, from his back, two fist-like hilts stuck out. “What’s wrong, Sloan?”

“I should be asking you that.” She pointed at one of the hilts. “And what is that?”

“My knives.” Archer pulled a long, thick blade out of its sheath and showed it to her.

“Knife…so this is what you use to spread your butter with.” She stuck out her finger to touch the silver blade as it gleamed in the fluorescent light.

“Don’t touch.” He replaced the blade and took her arm by the elbow. He escorted her back to her room and gave her a gun. “Take this and stay here.”

“I like the machinery, but you must be crazy to think that you are going to leave me behind.” She put the gun aside and pulled on a pair of jeans.

“What are you doing?”

“Turn around. I want to change my top.”

Archer faced the door. “You can’t come with us. It’s too dangerous.”

“I have been training for weeks, and to tell the truth I am exhausted. So if I don’t see what the big deal is I am moving out.” She put on her black leather jacket and boots—she thought it was good to stay in theme.

Archer turned around and looked over Sloan’s get up. “How fast can you move in those tight jeans and those boots? Don’t get me wrong—you look hot, but you aren’t going out to the clubs.”

Sloan picked up the gun and tucked it in the front part of her jeans. Feeling how uncomfortable it was, she took it out and tucked it in the back. “That’s more comfortable. I don’t have anything else to wear, Archie. Let’s do this. I’m psyched.”

“No.”

“Look.” Sloan made a couple of kicks in the air. “I can move in it.”

Archer took a deep breath of defeat. “Fine, but these are the rules. You keep your butt next to me or Jake at all times. If we tell you to stay back you do exactly that.”

“Fine, fine, killjoy. Let’s do this.” Sloan strutted down the stairs to where the others waited.

Sloan didn’t need a mind reader to tell her what was behind the looks of shock and confusion on the guys’ faces.

“What’s going on here?” Unlike the others, Jake always voiced his concerns and objections when it came to Sloan. “No, she isn’t going hunting with us. I won’t allow it.”

“You won’t allow it?” Sloan smirked. “Wow, Dad, do you think it’s okay if I take this with me?” She took out the gun and waved it at him.

“You gave her a gun?” Jake sounded outraged, but Archer wasn’t paying attention to him.

“Ike, is the truck out front?” Archer walked past Jake and put on his custom-made coat.

“Yes, and Snoop volunteered to drive.” He handed Archer a duffel bag full of ammunition.

“Can Snoop even fit in the truck? I don’t think his long legs will be able to fit,” Sloan teased.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Remember this when a drooling demon comes after you,” Snoop teased back.

“Do you remember what I told you, Sloan? Do what I tell you, and you might just come back alive.”

“Thank you for the encouragement, Arch. I will stick to you like glue.”

“Actually I think it would be best if you hang around Jake. You got it, Jake?” He glared at Jake.

“I will protect her with my life,” he promised.

“Great. I will be stuck with Mr. Happy the whole night.” She followed behind as they all shuffled to the truck.

The truck looked more like a van, and on the inside it had hooks where other guns and swords hung. There were no seats, but most of the space was occupied by crates full of bottles.

“No windows, no seats, but plenty of booze. You guys have got your priorities backwards.” She settled on the cushioned floor, squeezed between Jake and Ike.

“Stick to me and I won’t let anything hurt you, I promise. I swear it on my life.” He traced an imaginary cross on his chest.

“Stop being overly dramatic.” Sloan didn’t know what to say next so she said the first thing that came to her mind. “That muscle shirt does you justice. You look sexy.”

“Thanks.” Jake chuckled.

“I’m glad the two of you are getting along but this isn’t the time for that.” Archer watched from the front, obviously worried that the night could take a turn for the worse.

“I know we haven’t been hanging out these past few weeks, but I’ve noticed you have been going out to the cemetery a lot.” Jake looked uncomfortable, as if he wished that he could swallow back each and every word.

“Excuse me?” There wasn’t much room in the van but she managed to turn and face Jake, letting the sudden flare of anger show in her eyes.

“I was worried about you. I was just looking out for you.”

“Do you know stalking is illegal in all the states of this great country? What are you doing following me around? That time is set aside for me and my parents.” And Levy. She added the last bit of hope in her mind. She went there each night hoping that Levy would turn up again, but he never did. Now she knew why.

“I wasn’t stalking, and because of you I finally got the courage to visit my parents.” He shrugged. “Avenging their deaths has always been first and everything else second. But now that I can actually talk to them I feel more relaxed.”

“You talk to them? What do they say back?” At that revelation she shed her anger.

“It’s more of a monologue. They never say anything back.”

“I’m glad. I was beginning to wonder how a crazy man was supposed to keep me safe tonight.”

“They let me make up my own mind. You don’t have to worry. I’ll protect you.”

Sloan couldn’t hold a grudge against him, especially since this was the first time he was telling her something about himself and his parents. She didn’t know much apart from how they died.

They were all in the same boat going after the same goal. They were all orphans of the darkness.

“Stay close to me.” Jake leapt out of the van behind Ike. Sloan followed, shadowing his every step and movement.

“Do not let her out of your sight.”

Sloan could only hear Archer’s voice and heard the guys’ feet shuffling fast. A sudden sense of confusion distracted her, leading her not to be conscious of her surroundings. Her eyes were not adapting fast enough to the darkness, but her other senses were serving her well.

She felt the wind push against her and heard the rustling of paper. The coarse wall against her back stood as her support. She felt Jake’s hand pull her firmly down to the ground and she followed. The sounds of the fierce blowing of the wind, cocking of guns and shallow but steady breathing confused her.

“Just stay close to me. You will be fine.”

Jake’s reassuring voice whispered in her ears once more. They were hiding behind a dumpster and Jake had his gun out, obviously ready to use it in a heartbeat.

Something about the scene seemed ridiculous to her. If she hadn’t been stiff from fear she would have burst out laughing.

“If there are demons out there, does it make sense for us to be hiding? Won’t they replace us anyway?”

“They can sense us. They have possessed human bodies but we can still send them back to hell. They do have incredible strength and can kill us without breaking a sweat, but don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

“Thanks, I feel safer already.” The words rolled off her tongue, laced with sarcasm. “What am I doing here?”

Sloan could feel something coming up behind her but she was too scared to check. She huddled closer to Jake and shut her eyes, tucking her head into her jacket. “I wish I could knock my boots together and replace myself back in my bed.”

“Sloan, I want you to get up slowly and get behind me.” Jake stood up slowly but Sloan clung to him, cemented to the ground. “Sloan.”

The urgency in his voice thawed her out and slowly, without opening her eyes, she stood up. She felt Jake shove her behind him and hold her in place with one arm. Cautiously, she willed her eyes open and looked over Jake’s shoulder.

Before them stood a man, barely Jake’s height, with a petite physique. Everything about him was harmless except his eyes—they were pitch black. No doubt they mirrored his soul. She felt for her gun and, as she tried to get a grip on it, it dropped.

“Shit!” Her voice bounced off the walls.

“Quiet!” Jake hissed.

“I dropped my gun—” Her hand skimmed over his back and felt his gun hanging off his belt. As she reached for it the demon reached for him. Sloan grabbed the gun just as Jake’s feet left the ground.

“Shoot it,” Jake gasped.

She could hear the rasping of his breath as he struggled to loosen the grip around his neck. Sloan didn’t know what to do. Archer and the others were out of sight and it was just her. Her protector was now the victim and it was up to her to get them out of danger.

She got a good grip on the gun as she circled the two men, trying to get a good angle and hoping not to injure Jake.

“Shoot…shoot now.”

“Don’t rush me.” She took a deep breath and raised the gun, aiming it at the demon’s head. But looking into his face was hard, because all she could see was a human. She had to force herself to see him as what he was, a demon. The man inside was already dead.

As soon as she had locked in on her target, he dropped Jake and lurched at her. Out of fear and impulse she squeezed the trigger and the sound of the shots rang in the air, one after the other.

She continued squeezing, even when the magazine ran empty. The demon was still standing but it seemed motionless, like it had been frozen in place.

A glimmer caught the corner of her eye and she turned to see Archer striding toward her, his swords drawn. She watched as he raised them above his head and swung them downwards on the demon. Like a large pair of scissors, they sliced his neck and sent his head rolling from his shoulders down to his feet.

“I told you to watch over her.” Archer tucked his sword back into their sheaths.

“I was…it just came out of nowhere.” Jake defended himself as he picked Sloan’s gun from the ground and took the other from her.

Sloan could hear them shouting but nothing they said registered in her mind. She felt Archer’s strong arm around her shoulders, leading her to the van.

“Everyone get in the car, we are done here. It’s a good thing none of us got hurt. Hey, Sloan, are you doing okay?” Archer shook her limp body.

Sloan could feel the bile rise from the pit of her stomach to her throat. She struggled to keep it all down but, as Archer continued to shake her, it grew worse.

Pushing against Archer’s body, she moved away and bent over. “I need some air.”

“Sloan, are you okay?” Jake took her elbow and tried to straighten her up, but she only doubled over again and this time she hurled.

She used the back of her sleeve to wipe her mouth then stood up straight. “Yes, I’m doing great. Can we go home now?”

She got in the back of the van and huddled into a corner. Pulling her knees to her chest she hugged them tightly, rocking her body back and forth.

Sloan was quiet all the way home, her eyes fixed to the floor of the van, and she didn’t respond when anyone spoke to her. When they got home the sun was already up. She got out of the van and stared at the old brick house. It was like her eyes were new and she was seeing the world for what it really was.

“Ike, make sure the guys offload the crates from the back. Put them in the cooler.” Archer took Sloan’s arm and led her to the house.

“Let me take her,” Jake volunteered.

“No, you help the others. I’ll handle Sloan.” He walked into the house with Sloan and carried her up the stairs to her room. He tucked her into bed and sat in the corner and watched over her.

Sloan fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but the demon she had just met invaded her dreams. She woke up in a fright a couple of times until at last she thought it was enough.

She sneaked out of the room, past her sleeping cousin, and went to the garage for her car. She needed to get out of the world she was in now and get back to her own world, where her biggest problem was Edwin.

“Where are you going?” Jake walked into the garage after her.

“Is this my new life, waking up in the middle of the night, arming myself and going hunting for demons? Have I turned into a warrior for the righteous? Or am I just an idiot chasing after ghosts?” She was confused rather than scared.

“Yes, this is your life. I know a first kill can be confusing, but you will get the hang of it.”

“How come it didn’t die when I shot it?”

“It would have eventually, but I’m afraid our guns aren’t as fast as Archer’s swords.” Jake chuckled.

“What kind of bullets kill demons?” She sat on the hood of her car, her curiosity piqued.

“Dead men’s blood.”

“Sorry, I don’t think I got that right.” She slid off the car and stood next to him.

“Follow me.” He led her to the six-foot cooler and opened it for her to see. “The crates you saw in the van are filled with bullet shells filled with dead men’s blood.”

“Awesome. This isn’t creepy at all,” she mumbled.

Jake burst out laughing before he continued. “The thing is, demons feed off human life. That is why they possess the bodies. Dead men’s blood has no life in it, so when you shoot the blood into the bodies they possess, it’s like poison and eventually, but slowly, the demon dies. But you have to get it before it leaves the body.”

“I get it now. But I think I like Archer’s method better.”

“Silver swords? Silver is the only thing that pierces through the skin fast enough. The bullets are silver casing and inside is blood or holy water.”

“Holy water kills them too?”

“Not exactly—it burns them so it serves as a proper way of distracting them. But you know swords aren’t Archer’s favorite weapon?”

“No? Then what is?”

“Can’t you guess? It’s a crossbow with silver arrows dipped in holy water or blood.”

“Archer the archer—cool, can I see it?” A cheeky grin crept up Sloan’s lips.

“I don’t think so. They are in his room and he always locks it. I’m sure he will show them to you soon enough.” Jake went silent and stroked a stray hair from her cheek. “I’m sorry about last night.”

“It’s not your fault. It just means that I have to put in more hours of training. I definitely need to learn more stuff about the underworld. I’m going to go out for a drive but I’ll be back in three hours.”

“Sure. Do you want me to come with you?” he asked hopefully.

“No, I’m fine going alone.” She jumped into her car and screeched out of the driveway.

Sloan was ready to embrace her new life and, as scary as her first hunt was, she felt like she had finally found her place in life. She needed a new look to go with her new life.

* * * *

“Where is Sloan?” Archer sat on the mat in the gym. He looked exhausted but that did not stop him from working out that day.

“She should be back soon. She went out for a drive,” Jake answered.

“I think she ran away. I would if a demon tried to kill me on my first hunt.” Snoop chuckled.

Sloan marched into the gym, flaunting her new look. “Unlike you, I’m not a coward.”

The guys stared at her and she twirled around the room, showing off her new attire. She had cut her hair into a shorter bob and her new hunting outfit was pure black leather that hugged all her curves.

“You like?”

“I definitely like,” Snoop answered and Jake responded by slapping him at the back of his head.

“You cut your hair again. It suits you, but you will have to change your clothes—they are not suited for practice,” Archer suggested. He had an amused look on his face.

“I know. I just thought I would come and show off a little. I’ll go up and change.” She left the gym, pleased with the guys’ reactions. She got to her room to change quickly so as not to waste any more time.

When she got back to the gym Archer was waiting for her at the door. “I did the same thing after my first hunt. But in my case I got a tattoo instead of a haircut and a leather cat-suit. It’s a normal reaction, but if you feel like you can’t handle it come talk to me.”

“Sure, but honestly I have never felt more alive.” She ran into the gym and got on the mat against Snoop. Rarely had she been enthusiastic about getting an ass whooping but today was different.

“I’m going to the cemetery later on, you want to tag along?” Sloan asked Jake after practice was over.

Jake’s face lit up. “Sure, I’ll meet you downstairs in an hour.”

“Sloan!” Archer’s voice rang in the air.

“I think he found my new toy.” She went to the garage, not sure whether Archer was angry at her or not.

“You bought a motorcycle?” He leaned on the black Yamaha.

“I did, why do you ask?”

“Do you know how to ride a motorcycle? Do you even have a license for it?” Archer let his hand praise the machine as he smoothed it over the soft leather. “What did you do with the BMW?”

“I have a rough idea on how to ride it.” She pushed him off her bike and wiped his hand prints off. “This will be my new ride to and from the hunts. I had to sell the car to buy this. Just because I have money doesn’t mean I’m going to waste it. ”

“Okay, as long as you know what you are doing.” Archer left her and Jake alone in the garage, ogling the new machinery.

“I can’t believe you bought a motorcycle. In one night you change everything about yourself.”

“You have to deal with life as it comes, and this is my way of dealing with things. I’m living my life dangerously, so why not look the part?” Sloan left as Jake stared after her, speechless.

She mounted the bike and revved the engine, all the while grinning at a stunned Jake. “Are you coming?”

“Definitely.” Jake hopped on the back of the bike and wrapped his arms around her waist. He got as close to her as he could, whiffing up the scent that radiated from her skin.

She could feel his body crushing into hers but she didn’t tell him to move back. “Are you comfortable back there? The last thing I want is for you to fall off.”

“I’m good and I’m definitely enjoying the view back here.”

“Don’t push it.”

She revved the engine once more, causing the back wheel to skid against the cemented floor and smoke rise from the heat. “Ready or not, here we go.”

They screeched to a halt at the front of the cemetery gates, but Jake still had his arms around her.

“You can let go now.”

“Oh! Sorry. Your driving is ludicrous.” Jake dismounted the bike and helped Sloan off. “But that was a major rush!”

“I know, right.” She too relished on the adrenaline. If she had known a motorcycle would get her so keyed up, more than driving her BMW with the top down, she would have traded ages ago. “I felt so awesome.”

“Shall we?” Jake gave her his arm and she took it. Slowly they walked into the cemetery, their joyful mood left behind.

“I can’t believe you come here on your own.” Jake leapt over graves, scared of stepping on someone. It was dark and the wind was blowing, and the screeching sound of the swinging gate echoed in the emptiness of the night.

“Chicken…what do you think will happen? For someone who isn’t afraid of going up against demons you are oddly frightened of the dead,” she teased.

“Demons I can handle. The walking dead not so much.”

“Chicken!”

“Says the girl who clung to me when she saw her first demon.”

“Hey, I had never seen one of those before. It was an expected reaction, but I did help in killing it while you just hung around.”

“I didn’t have much of a say in that, but he did put me down eventually.” He laughed.

“I can’t tell you how scared I was. The whole way home I was convincing myself that it did actually happen and it wasn’t in my head. I can’t believe I shot someone.” She leaped over a grave and came up to her parents’ graves.

“So these are the famous Mr. and Mrs. Sloan.” He stood beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“They are. Even in death they are my rock and my support. Please take a seat.” She sat down on the grass and pulled Jake down with her.

“I’m not very comfortable here. It’s kind of creepy.”

“I’m about to introduce you to my parents and you cannot take your mind off the creepy cemetery. You are the first guy I have brought here, so pay attention.”

“Sorry, good evening Mr. and Mrs. Sloan.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m saying hi to your parents.”

“That is creepy and stupid. They can’t hear you and besides, they only hear my voice.” She punched his shoulder before she burst out laughing.

“You are the strangest person I have ever met.” Jake gazed at her as if taking note of every inch of her face and thinking back to the time he had the right to plant kisses along her smooth neck.

“What are you staring at?”

“You. I still love you.”

“I love you too, but—” As she looked ahead she caught a glimpse of a person’s frame in the dark. She stood up and strained to get a better look.

“What were you going to say, Sloan? What are you looking at?” Jake followed her gaze and immediately sprang to his feet. “Get behind me…now!”

Jake jumped in front of Sloan, shielding her, and brandished his gun. He grabbed her arm and slowly pulled her back while his eyes remained fixed on the figure in the dark.

Kellan stood still and stared at them. He watched as Jake pulled her away and steadily aimed his gun at him. He took a step forward, removing himself from the shade of the tree and into the moonlight.

“It can’t be,” Sloan mumbled. She dropped Jake’s hand and took a step forward.

Kellan held out his hand for her and she came running. Sloan ran toward him without thinking. All she saw was his hand stretched out to her, and to her it was a sign that he wanted her.

Jake ran after her and grabbed her arm, pulling her back. “What do you think you are doing?”

“Let go of me. Listen, take my bike and go back home. I’ll see you later.” She pressed the key into his palm and pulled away from him. “I have to go—please understand.”

“Understand what?”

Sloan didn’t answer as she turned around and ran into Levy’s arms. Levy quickly rushed her away.

“I can’t believe you are here.”

“Let’s continue this conversation in the car. Gabriel is waiting for us.”

“Gabriel is here? I missed him.” A thought crossed her mind and her feet stopped in response, “What about Ali…where is your wife?”

“She isn’t here. Ali has her life, and just because we are married it doesn’t mean we are joined at the hip.” He pushed her forward but she didn’t move. “You can come with me or you can go back to your boyfriend.”

“Fine.” She hated to admit it, but he was more important to her than anyone else.

“Then let’s go.”

They walked a few meters before coming up to the familiar Mercedes Maybach. Gabriel jumped out of the driver’s seat to open the door for them.

“It’s good to see you, Sloan.”

“It’s good to see you too.” She slid over the leather seat to give Kellan room. “So where have you been?”

“Could we get to the house first before you grill me?” His devilish grin lit up his face as his white teeth bit down on his plump lip.

“Whatever,” she mumbled before looking out the window.

They drove past her black Ducati and Jake who still stood at the cemetery gates, waiting. A feeling of guilt pierced through her but she knew it wouldn’t last long. Levy always had a way of taking her mind off things that troubled her.

She stuck to his side in the elevator, occasionally sneaking a glance at Gabriel. He always had a serious, solemn expression on his face but that night was different. It was like he didn’t approve.

They stepped out of the elevator and into an ordinary Soho apartment. It was beautiful. The Mediterranean colors leaped off the walls as the florescent lights danced around the rooms. She walked out to the balcony and enjoyed the moonlit view of New York at night.

The city looked peaceful and mirrored a graveyard, so unlike what it was in the day. Her short bob tangoed in the evening breeze as she closed her eyes and let the night air bathe her.

“You like the place?” Levy handed her a glass of whiskey and took a seat on the lounge chair. “I like it out here, especially the view. It shows me all the possibilities I have at my disposal.”

“I noticed you are always fifty feet off the ground, literally.” She took a swig of the whiskey and choked on it. Clearing her throat and squeezing her tears back into her eyes, she turned to face him. “Why is that, Mr. Gutierrez?”

“One simple reason. I don’t belong in this world. My existence is extraordinary and unique. I am great in everything that I do.”

“Should I get you a soap box? I’m sure there is more to this self-gratifying banter.”

“Banter? No, I am just speaking the truth. You, more than anyone, know that I am always honest.” He settled his drink on the floor and went to her. Putting his hands at her sides on the rails, he trapped her between his rock body and the metal.

Sloan felt her insides melt under his gaze. She watched in pain as his lips curled into a heart-stopping smile. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to hold herself together and willed her knees not to give out from under her.

“You are trembling.” He cupped his palm on her check.

“You think?” she managed to croak out.

“I know. I can feel your body trembling against mine.” He chuckled. “And your jaw just went stiff. I wonder why?”

“I wonder why too. It must be the wind, it’s a bit chilly.” Her hand loomed over his chest. She was afraid that her palms would sizzle once she touched him.

“If you react like that when I touch you I wonder what would happen if I kissed you.” He lowered his lips to her chin and delicately nibbled on her smooth skin.

“I might get a heart attack and pass out.” She only felt this way around Levy. Even if she combined all the times she had been with Jake, they never measured up to an eighth of what she felt when she spent one night with Levy.

“We can’t have that, can we?” He took a step back and sat back into the chair. “Besides, I need you conscious so that we can talk about something.”

Sloan leaned on the railing as her body recovered from the assault. Although Levy had practically rejected her she knew that she would heal faster than if he had made love to her. “What do you want to talk about?”

“What are you doing in that old house just out of the city. It should be condemned.”

“I live there with my new family.” She finished what was left in her glass.

“The house is past its due date and those men in there are not the kind of company you want to keep.”

“Excuse me?” She stood up straight as her anger tightened into her muscles. “Those guys are the kind of company I want to keep. We share a lot of history and our future is one and the same.”

“Your future holds more than theirs. How can you bring yourself down to their level?”

“We are on the same level and we are going to keep living together until we finally kill that bastard.” She left him at the balcony alone and went to the bar to pour herself a drink.

Levy followed her, his curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”

“Remember the scar that got you spooked?” She stopped, her eyebrows creased. “Wait a minute…you seemed like you knew it was there already there.”

Kellan stared at her, his expression unchanged. “What do you mean?” he asked with apparent nonchalance.

“A year ago, you asked to see my back…like you knew there was something there.” Sloan looked into his face with suspicion.

“I thought I saw something when you were getting out of the car,” he lied.

She shrugged her shoulder, abandoning her suspicions. “That sounds rational. The boys and I are kind of hunting a demon. Before you say I’m crazy, I have seen one before—last night, in fact.” She chuckled. “I have never been so scared in my life!”

“Demons…and you are sure you saw one last night?” He couldn’t keep the worry out of his voice.

“I swear, and then it grabbed Jake around the neck so I had to shoot it. But he never went down so Arch beheaded him. His head just dropped to his feet like a bowling ball.” She used her hands to explain, animating the description.

“Arch beheaded it?”

“He’s my cousin. He’s sort of like the leader of the hunters and I think he mixes the shots, dead man’s blood and holy water. Arch holds the hunters together and I don’t think we could survive without him,” she said.

“Really? I’m happy for you.” Levy wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his body. “But now you are here with me and you don’t have to chase demons. I’ll protect you.”

“Then who will protect me from you?” She turned to face him and slowly traced the contours of his face with her finger. “Your beauty is paralyzing, and every time I’m around you I get brain-freeze. And when you kiss me, my heart stops.”

“I think you are in love with me.” He nuzzled her neck.

“I’m not sure what it is, but all I know is that I’m drawn to you. But I’m not sure if its love or need.” She lowered her hand to the left side of his chest. “Love has to come from here, but my feelings for you seem to come from all over me. I feel like my mind is programmed to…have feelings for you.”

“The mind is the source of everything.” He kissed her.

“It is, but right now my mind is blank.” She fed off the electricity from his lips and let it course through her.

“Move in here with me.” His lips travelled from her lips down to her chin and rested on her neck.

“What?”

“Move in here with me.”

* * * *

Sloan sat at the back seat of the Mercedes, looking out to the weathered house she called home, and she thought about Levy’s offer. Leaving her new family behind for a future of uncertainty was attractive to her. It would be no different from living with the hunters—an uncertain future but with no Levy.

But there was Jake, a guy she was sure she was in love with, and leaving him to live with a man for whom she still couldn’t decipher her feelings didn’t seem right. But Levy had a hold on her and every fiber in her being was drawn to him.

Gabriel was the only person she knew who was close enough to Levy to know what he was thinking. “What do you think, Gabriel, about Levy’s offer? Do you think he’s being serious? Or is it a power play because he saw me with someone else?”

“I don’t know, but what I do know is that the master has taken a fancy to you, one which I have never seen before.” He spoke with a hint of worry in his voice.

“So what exactly are you saying?”

“Have a nice day, Sloan.” He got out of the car and opened the back door for her.

“First you don’t answer my question and now you are kicking me out. Some help you are,” she grumbled and watched as Gabriel drove away. “Awesome, just awesome.”

She kicked a rock and whined her way back to the house. Sloan took in a deep breath and shook a bit, trying to shed her guilt and confusion. But just as she came up to the front door, Jake burst out and she turned and walked in the opposite direction.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Jake ran after her and turned her around.

“Hey, Jake I think I dropped my…I think I dropped my earring.” Her hand flew to her ear, hiding the earring that was firmly in its place.

“I’ll help you look, but you have to tell me where you ran off to and who that man was.” His eyes were fixed to the ground as he moved the stones with his feet.

“It doesn’t matter. I can get a new pair.” She rushed back to the house but Jake was at her side.

“Where did you go? I was worried.”

“I was just visiting a friend of mine. He usually knows that I’m at the cemetery at that time and sometimes we hang out.” She ran up the stairs, not looking back at him, but his loud footsteps rang in her ear as he followed.

“I have been following you to the cemetery and I have never seen him with you.”

“He went for a trip but now he’s back.” She stood at her bedroom door and turned to look at him. “I need to take a shower. I’ll be down to check on my baby, and if you scratched it I’m going to kill you.”

“I was once your baby,” he lamented. “Don’t worry, your bike is in top condition. Do you think we can talk about us when you are done?” He smiled.

“Sure, I think we should definitely talk. But now I have to shower. Did Arch notice I didn’t spend the night in?”

“No, he didn’t notice. When I came in he was already in his room. I think he thinks we spent the night in the same room. Actually I sort of made it seem that way.” His cheeks turned bright pink and he twirled his fingers around each other.

“That’s fine. I’ll see you in a little bit.” She closed the door and dropped on her bed, and just as she was tracking the cracks on the old ceiling she got an idea.

The one thing that kept her from moving forward romantically with any of the two men in her life was that she couldn’t do without either of them. Archer wouldn’t like the idea of her seeing a man much older than she was, and the last thing she wanted was to cause Jake any pain.

Levy would not understand her reason for rejecting him, especially with their connection and their cavernous passion. She couldn’t choose and there was no reason why she should have to.

Both men were so different, but they had one thing in common—their love for her. She could deal with having both of them in her life and she would deal with the consequences when they came. She jumped into the shower, comfortable with her decision, as unorthodox as it was. She got dressed and headed back downstairs, welcomed by the sounds of grown men groaning.

“Come on, guys, you can do better than that.” Archer stood in the middle of the gym with a paint bucket in his hand.

“What’s going on here?” Sloan walked into the makeshift living room and watched as the guys painted the worn-out walls.

“Grab a brush.” He handed her the paint bucket.

“Nope.” She pushed it away. “I’m a girl and I am not getting paint in my hair.”

“You and Jake had a late night yesterday. I assume your relationship is back on track.” He grinned.

“It depends on what you mean.” She gazed at Jake who was on top of a ladder. “Looking good,” she called out then whistled.

Jake turned back and smiled at her. With that smile Sloan was sure that she had made the right choice. “Excuse me, Leonardo Da Vinci, when you are done with that masterpiece do you think you could give me a couple of minutes?”

“I’ll give you a lifetime if you only ask me nicely.” He grinned at her and went back to his painting.

“You can have him now. All that grinning is making me nauseous,” Archer teased.

“Thank you, Archie.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Sloan and Jake went out to the garage. He pulled the cover off the bike and showed it to her. “You see, not one scratch.”

“Thank you for taking care of my second love.” She sat on her bike.

“What is your first love?” He put his hands on the steering bars.

“Oh, I don’t know…my new bob.” She put her hand over his. “What do you think is more important to me?”

“I suspect I know where you are going with this. But I just need to hear you say the words. I won’t believe any of this unless you say the words.”

She cupped his cheek and he closed his eyes and kissed her palm. “I want to be with you, but I want it to be different. Open your eyes and look at me.”

“I could look into your eyes forever.” He opened his eyes. “I promise never to keep you in the dark.”

“Awesome.”

* * * *

“Do you want to join me for dinner tonight?” Jake wrapped Sloan in his towel.

“It depends what’s for dinner,” she said as she untangled herself.

“I don’t know, but we could have some fun while we are thinking about it.”

She let Jake rock her in his arms and she buried her nose in his neck as she bathed in his scent. “I love being with you like this, and I—” Sloan was interrupted by the buzzing in her jeans pocket. “Sorry, sweetie.”

Sloan took out her phone and the caller ID made her stiffen. Quickly she ignored the call and tucked it back into her pocket and rushed back to him. “Give me a kiss.”

“Who was that?” He could feel the tension in her body and couldn’t ignore it.

“It was my friend—he must be wondering why I’m not at the cemetery,” she lied.

“Were you going there today?”

“I was, but I decided that being with the living is more important. But I will call him back and meet him tomorrow. I’m sure he will understand.”

“All you have to tell him is that you are in love,” Jake whispered on her lips.

“That I am. You should put on a shirt or something or we are going to end up barricaded in this room again.” She ran her finger along his arm.

“When can I meet him? I want to know every single person in your life.” He pulled his shirt on.

“He’s a private person but I will definitely ask him.” She chewed down on her lower lip as she lied.

Her phone buzzed again and she turned it off. Sloan kissed Jake before he could ask any more questions.

Sloan dropped her phone to the floor and lay next to Jake. It was almost midnight and she was counting on the taxing practice they’d had earlier on to make him sleep deeper tonight. She watched him sleep for a couple more minutes before she got up and got dressed.

She crept out of the house and pushed her bike out the driveway so that the revving engine wouldn’t wake anyone up. She was going into the city to see Levy.

The elevator ride was silent except for the droning background music. She had a key so she didn’t expect him to be waiting up for her, but when the elevator door open he was standing there waiting, his hands neatly tucked behind his back.

“I tried calling you,” he said as he blocked her way.

“Jeez, can I get through the door first?” When she tried to go around him, he still blocked her. “For more than a year you haven’t been in my life. I have things to do and if you won’t let me through, I will get back to doing those things.” She took a step back into the elevator.

Calling her bluff, Levy moved away from the elevator door. Sloan pressed the lobby button and watched as the doors closed, but before they could go all the way Levy’s foot jammed it.

“Please, come in.”

“I’m not staying long. I just need to know why you were calling me.” She stood in the elevator.

“Get off the elevator first so that we can talk in here.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her out.

She walked past him and into the open room. “Speak. I don’t have that much time. I need to get back before the guys wake up.” She sat at the bar stool and faced him.

“I want you to stay here with me tonight.” He stood between her knees and stroked her cheek.

“Do you now? I would love to but—” she was interrupted by his screeching phone. “Don’t pick that up.”

“I have to. It might be important.” He reached for his phone but she grabbed it first.

“What could be more important than me right now?” Looking at the caller ID she laughed. “Besides, it’s Gabriel, and we both know if it was that important he would have come here to pull you away from me.”

“Please give me the phone. I need to tell him something.” He reached for the phone but she moved away. “Sloan, I don’t have time for your childish games.”

“My childish games.” She put the phone down on the counter after it stopped ringing. “Take it.”

Levy took the phone and immediately she began walking toward the elevator doors.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m taking my childish games elsewhere.” She gave him a quick salute as the door closed between them.

Sloan sat on her bike and looked up at the balcony that had a light on. She waited to see if Levy would come out and, when he did, she revved the bike and skidded forward.

* * * *

Jake could hear the commotion from downstairs but he didn’t panic until he felt the void next to him. He felt the bed but Sloan wasn’t there. He checked in the bathroom but she wasn’t there either. He ran to his room and picked up his guns, then slowly went toward the hubbub.

His caution was tossed aside when he saw Snoop hurled across the room. “What is going on here?”

“Demons. There are about eight…no, seven, Archer already killed one.” Snoop got up and picked up his guns. He jogged slightly before surging into the next room, guns blazing.

Jake walked into living room now turned battleground. He watched as Ike drove a dagger through a demon’s throat and as Archer filled one mouth with bullets.

He looked around the room but there was no sign of Sloan. He got into the mix of things, throwing punches and receiving some in turn. The room looked less congested as bodies piled up on the ground.

* * * *

Sloan pushed her bike into the garage as silently as she could, but when she heard a crashing sound she ran into the house.

She saw as they lurched at each other’s throats, and she could catch the mixed odors of dried and fresh blood and smoldering flesh in the air. She ran into Archer’s armory room and grabbed the first thing she could replace. She dismounted the crossbow from the wall and ran into the living room.

Holding it as steadily as she could, she aimed it at the demon attacking Jake and, once she was sure enough of her aim, she released it and the silver arrow drove itself into his back.

“Sloan, you are alive?” Jake yelled as he made it across the room to her.

“I am. What did I miss?”

Archer took the crossbow from her. “I think it would be better if I take that.” Balancing it on one arm, he took a shot at every demon that still stood and, once they were down, Ike, Spike and Eric beheaded them.

“Let’s clean this up before that smell soaks into my carpet.” Archer kicked a dead body away from his feet. “Load them into the van and we’ll dump them somewhere else.”

“What happened here?” The puzzled look felt glued to her face.

“Where were you?” Archer grumbled.

“The cemetery.”

“For someone who lives you spend a whole lot of your time with the dead. We were attacked, but I still don’t know how they managed to replace us.”

“They are demons—can’t they replace just about anything and anyone they want to?”

“They aren’t that clever. Lately there has been a bunch of them popping up from the underworld. It can only mean one thing.” A worried look settled on Archer’s face.

“Do you think?” Jake cryptically asked.

“The big dog is back,” Snoop said, his hand over his injured arm.

“Could someone tell the newbie what you are talking about?” She looked from one worried face to the other.

“If it was him he would have come after ‘the girl’ by now, but he hasn’t,” Jake put in.

“Are you sure? You haven’t seen anyone creepy around her?” Archer asked.

“No, I haven’t. I think this is just random. We have no reason to suspect that ‘he’ is back,” Jake said.

“I’m glad, because he scares the shit out of me.” Snoop chuckled.

Seeing that she wouldn’t be getting any insight on what they were talking about, Sloan left for her room.

As Sloan stood at her window she saw a figure in the bushes. She knew who it was, and the fact that he was standing in the dark outside her home made her smile. Jake walked into the room and she quickly drew the curtains closed.

“Are you hurt?” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I’m fine. Thanks for the save, by the way.”

“I just really wanted to use Archer’s crossbow.” She laughed.

* * * *

“What was that all about?” Sloan watched as Jake eased painfully out of his ripped T-shirt. “Here, let me help you.”

“Thanks.” He let her free his hand. “I don’t know what that was. But I’m glad you were with your parents at the time. When I woke up and found you weren’t with me, I panicked.”

“I’m just glad you are okay.” She laid her head on his chest and he held her closer.

“Everything is going to be fine.”

“Jake, can I ask you something? What were you guys talking about? What girl were you talking about?”

“It’s nothing to worry about. I need to take a nap—will you join me?”

She gave up with the questioning. He wasn’t going to tell her what was going on, and considering the night he just had she wasn’t going to push. “Sure, why not?”

As they lay down on the bed she rested her head on his chest and looked out the window through the crack between the curtains. She was in two different places at the same time.

The summer sun rose to take its place amidst the thin clouds and blue sky. Every shade between yellow and orange gleamed in through the window and Sloan knew it was going to be a good day. She let her hand float above Jake’s rising chest with each breath he took.

He looked beautiful and at peace, and her imagination had enough room to let her mind wander to the possibilities of what could have been. She imagined a different life for her and Jake, but immediately the cloud of dreams popped when she realized that in any other life she couldn’t have Levy.

Dying, drowning and basking in the love of two beautiful men were what her life was about. She knew her shine would not be as bright with either of the two missing.

She had to eventually pick one man and she knew it, but the hunt for her parents’ killer was the best excuse and the cloak she needed to hide under for a while.

The beauty of the sun’s rays bouncing off Jake’s chest was interrupted by another sort of commotion. The noise echoed in the old house and bounced off the mature stones that stood on each other to hold it up.

“What is that?” Jake woke up with a start and leapt off the bed and grabbed his guns.

“Can I get one of those?” Sloan held out her hand.

“Sure, but stay behind me.”

Sloan took the gun and gripped it firmly in her hand. Slowly, she followed the semi-naked Jake down the stairs and when they got closer to the gym they were able to distinguish the noises.

It was the sound of laughter laced with panic, and it was a woman’s voice.

Jake let his hand drop and his gun hang at his side. A look of wonder and amusement crossed his face. “I can’t believe this.” He laughed.

“Can’t believe what? Do you recognize that voice?” she asked, startled.

“Not just the voice but that laughter. No one laughs like Axel.” He tucked the gun into the back of his trousers. “Put that away. She doesn’t like guns around her unless they are hers.”

“Axel?” She put the gun in one of the hallway drawers.

“Yes, Axel.” He took her hand and dragged her into the gym. He dropped her hand and held his out to the other girl in the room. “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

“The grace of our Lord be with you.” A tiny, chirpy, dark girl rushed into Jake’s arms, squealing. “Nice abs and the guns—they are deadly.”

“Doll, you never grow any taller than five feet.” He held her at arm’s length and ruffled her short Mohawk.

“Doll?” Sloan snarled.

“I call her that because she’s pint-size. She’s small enough to be confused with a little walking doll.”

“You missed me and I see you tried to replace me. You have a fetish for dark chocolate, don’t you?” She pointed at Sloan.

“You know me so well. Axel, this is Sloan, my girlfriend.” He put his arm around Sloan’s waist possessively.

“Girlfriend? That is awesome. I’m pleased to meet you.” Her smile exposed a row of pearly whites, a contrast and complement to her rich, dark skin.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Why Sloan? Why not Christy?” Axel asked.

“How did you know my first name, I don’t let anyone call me that.” Sloan couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

“Axel, behave.” Archer walked in with his crossbow in hand and a look of irritation on his face.

“But I’m just saying hi.”

“Be nice, and by the way your friend is poking around my bike and she scares me.” Archer stood beside her.

“Oh, little bro, you were always afraid of women with a stronger character.”

“Little bro?” Sloan gave Archer a questioning glare.

“I forgot that part.” Jake chuckled. “This is Axel, Archer’s elder sister and your cousin.”

“Archer told me about you and your connection with Kellan.” Axel’s tone was much more serious and her rigid posture echoed it.

“Who’s Kellan?”

“We haven’t clearly explained that yet. But this isn’t the time for it.” Archer evaded Sloan’s glare. “What are you doing here?”

“You were attacked. Did you expect me to sit on my hands? Besides, you have the golden goose that needs to be protected, and that also can be used as fish bait.”

“Axel.”

“Axel, this dump blows—are you sure we have to stay here?” BB came tumbling into the room and froze when she saw Sloan.

“BB. Jake, that’s BB.” She pointed in disbelief.

“Yes, it is. Just when I thought you were out of my life.” He shook his head.

“Can it, Jake. I thought you were under house arrest?” BB directed the question to Sloan.

“I thought you were at NYU?” Sloan ran to her and embraced her.

“That plan sucked, especially since my parents just got gutted. Fun times.” She gave her a strained smile.

“Welcome to the club. This is the orphan’s clubhouse where we replace parents with purpose, goals, demons and heavy duty weapons.”

“Thank you, but right now I’m more scared than I am comfortable. Are you sure this house won’t fall down over our heads?” She pointed up at the ceiling.

“I walk around this house with my fingers crossed behind my back,” Sloan teased, taking note of the scowl on Archer’s face.

“Great, more estrogen in the house. Can the one I am not blood-related to sleep in a motel?” Archer said sarcastically.

“Be nice, little bro.”

“If it keeps offending my house it will leave.” He turned to face BB, his hands crossed over his chest, filling up the muscles in his arms.

“I kill demons for a hobby. Do you think steroid-filled fat is going to scare me? Just because you are a six-foot pile of muscle doesn’t mean you are going to refer to me as it.” BB took a step toward him and folded her arms.

Sloan threw her arms around BB and hugged her again. “I missed you.”

“I love her personality, don’t you?” Axel gave Archer a tap on the back before pulling him to a corner.

“Cover yourself, Jake, no one is interested in seeing your beefy body.” BB jabbed again.

“Fun times,” Jake growled.

* * * *

“Hurry up, people, we need to go.” Axel wore a leather catsuit resembling BB and Sloan’s. She had a long sheath on her right leg, and in it snuggled a silver blade.

“I like that.” Sloan pointed it out.

“Here…you can have this.” Axel gave her a sheath that cradled two blades. “You have to strap it on your back.”

“Thanks, they look just like the ones Archer has.” Sloan strapped it on her back and practiced drawing them out.

“I don’t get why you need such a big blade.” BB’s leather outfit was adorned with little silver daggers and a holster of guns strapped on her waist and one on her legs. “All I need are my knives and my four guns and I am all set.”

“Whatever, BB.” Sloan looked herself over in the mirror. “Let’s do this.”

They went to the living room where the guys waited.

“Finally! We are going for a hunt, not a fashion show. I knew it was a bad idea letting chicks live here,” Archer said in annoyance.

“Jake, I have something for you.” Axel beamed.

“Please, tell me you brought my baby back.” Jake was boiling over with excitement.

“I brought your baby back.”

“No bikes. We all go in the van,” Archer instructed.

“I don’t think so. No, I’m taking my bike and so are you, little bro,” Axel demanded.

In the end Axel won. Jake rode by Sloan’s side as they made their way into the city. His bike wasn’t that much different from hers, except that it was red and had aged a little bit. They rode through the noisy city to the other end of it. Archer and Axel led the pack while Jake, BB and Sloan followed behind and, in the rear Eric, Ike, Spike and Snoop in the van.

They looked like a bunch of bikers and their roaring engines buzzing in Sloan’s head didn’t leave much room for thinking or worrying. She didn’t know where they were going and her eyes couldn’t see the street signs covered by the darkness of the night. So she followed Axel’s tail light and the van followed them behind.

They ended up in an area that looked pretty much like where their home was. Raising the bike on its back wheel, Axel rode through the gate, bursting it apart and paving the way for the rest of them.

“Is she that much of a show-off, or is it because she’s got a large audience this time?” Sloan snickered to BB.

“She just loves an entrance.” BB laughed before surging her bike forward.

“Leave the bikes here. But I must warn you, if we have to make a run for it you may have to leave them behind.” Archer’s announcement was received by groans and mumbled ‘hell nos’.

Axel looked at the small army, her gun in her left hand and her right placed gently over the hilt of her sword. “You don’t need to tell me how dangerous this place is, but what I should tell you is that this guy isn’t like the rest of them. He is extremely strong and will kill you the first chance he gets.”

“Don’t all demons?” Sloan whispered to Jake.

“No, this one is different.” He rested his arm lightly on her back where her scars were, and immediately she understood what he meant.

“Do not split up from the group, is that clear? Let’s do this.” Archer flexed his shoulders as if taking inventory of what he had, checked that his crossbow was in place and his swords too, and that his guns hung just right on their holsters.

“Jake, stay close to Sloan,” was his last word before going into the house.

“It’s not locked? Then I guess this demon doesn’t have much of value in here.” Sloan’s nerves were beginning to kick in when she got into the house. “Shouldn’t we put the light on? That way we will be able to see much better.”

“No!” Jake caught her arm before she could reach the switch. He held on to it as they continued their long trek down the dark hallway. She could feel his muscles tense and, as they did, his hold tightened around her wrist.

She remained quiet, following the rest as they led them into the darkness. She looked around, trusting her eyes to tell things apart. The ceiling was high and crystal-like chandeliers hung from it. She could tell that there were frames on the walls and she assumed that they were portraits.

She found it odd that a demon would bother with filling his nest with a decor that would be found in a normal human’s house.

Sloan wasn’t sure what she feared most—the silent darkness or what loomed in its cover. She didn’t want to replace whatever they were looking for, what had left her with the scars, but she couldn’t bear the deathly silence.

Archer stopped when the long hallway came to an end and before them stood a large brass door. “Stay alert, for whatever is in there will come running out.”

“I would much rather let it run past us.” Sloan swallowed the huge lump forming in her throat.

Archer slowly pushed the heavy door and it silently swung open. The darkness on the other side of the door seemed heavier than the one in the rest of the house. The air was heavy and the silence tomb-like.

“I can’t see anything, Axel. Would you crack a light?” Archer asked.

* * * *

“What was that?” Snoop broke the silence as everyone stared in the direction the noise came from.

“I bet it’s just the wind. Where is that light, Axel?” Archer asked, agitated.

“Did you feel that? I swear I felt a breath on my neck.” Sloan turned around, cutting the air with her free hand.

“Just relax,” Jake reassured her.

“It’s just your mind playing tricks on you.” BB took a step back and swore. “Damn, I think I stepped in something.”

“Axel, the—” Archer’s rant was interrupted when the candles in the room lit up, shining a bright flame in the room clear enough to see what was around them.

“No! Eew!” BB moaned. She lifted her foot as a squishing sound followed each of her movements.

“What is that?” Axel asked.

There was a thick carpet of red goo stretching from where BB stood to the other side of the room. A foul smell rose from it and attacked their nostrils, paralyzing their sense of smell for a couple of seconds.

“Blood?” Axel asked.

“It looks like it was boiled first. But that doesn’t make sense…he drinks this stuff,” Archer said.

“Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might want to see the art work hanging off these walls.” Snoop pointed at the wall, his arm cemented in place and terror flooding in his eyes.

Dead bodies hung on top of the fireplace, neatly arranged next to each other. There was no sight of string or anything that could be holding them in place. The men were fully clothed while the female bodies were stripped down to their knickers.

“Men? Archer, what’s going on here?” Axel asked.

But before he could answer two bodies fell to the ground, creating a splash as they slid to Archer’s feet then stopped.

“That was freaky,” Jake said.

“You think?” BBs sarcastic remark didn’t have the same tone as it usually did. You could tell that she was frightened.

“Look at her neck—it’s completely torn out.” Archer squatted to the ground to take a closer look at the body. “He drank from the females and drained the men.” A realization dawned on him and immediately he took his crossbow from his back and balanced it on his arm.

Grabbing Sloan, he put her at his side as Axel went to Sloan’s other side, her gun held tightly in her hand and her sword drawn out of its sheath.

Sloan watched in shock as BB and Jake finished the square cage around her. “What’s going on?” she asked, frightened.

“He’s here. He knew we were coming and he has been waiting for us. He did all this for us,” Archer whispered through gritted teeth.

“We need to go now,” Axel muttered, agitated.

As they took a step toward the door the rest of the dead army fell to the ground, revealing that nothing had held them in place on the walls. Spatters of blood stained their clothes as they stared at the mounds of bodies now on the ground. Sloan pulled out her swords from the back sheath as the rest of them armed themselves.

They watched the dead bodies and, when they were convinced there wouldn’t be any more movement, they began their long exodus to the brass door.

Sloan made it out into the hallway with the rest and, when she looked at it, it seemed longer than she remembered. With a quick jog they made their way to the front door and instantly it parted, giving them an exit they didn’t think they would have.

“Wait!” Archer shouted. He took a step toward the door, his bow in place, ready to kill anything that might jump out and surprise them, and when he was satisfied it was safe he beckoned the rest to follow.

They walked out in a row, their weapons ready for defense, but nothing seemed out of place. Eric had the rear of the pack, and as he was about to step out the door it shut without warning.

“What the hell?” Archer, Spike, Ike, and Snoop pushed against the door as the rest stood at her side.

“It won’t budge,” Archer huffed.

Through the thick door they heard pounding and screaming. Eric seemed to be flinging his body against the door as hard as he could, and yelling as loud as his lungs would allow.

The silence inside was thicker than the silence outside. Archer and the rest stopped their attempt to open the door when Eric went silent. They stopped and listened, waiting for any sign of life from the other side of the door.

“Get back.” Archer ushered the rest away from the door, convinced that Eric was dead.

The sounds of guns blazing renewed the team’s hope of replaceing Eric alive. This time all of them went to the door to try to force it open. But, just as they took their positions, the door swung open with a creak that was never there before.

They took a couple of paces back as it swung open. The moon’s rays fell on the door and a spotlight shone on Eric, who was on his knees.

“Eric, get up and run,” Archer shouted.

At the mention of his name and the sound of a familiar voice he thawed out of his frozen state and stood up. Relief filled him and poured out of his eyes, streaking his cheeks with tears. He dropped the empty guns at his feet but, just as he was about to take his last step out, a different kind of breeze ran past him.

“What is that smell?” Sloan pinched her nose.

Ike and Spike surged forward to help but Archer held them back. They wrestled with him, but when Jake and Snoop intervened they managed to pin the two to the ground.

“What is that?” BB’s hand rose, pointing inside the house but past Eric.

A large light, burning from the end of the hall, illuminated the whole house. It seemed to be growing brighter and brighter, so that they could feel its heat from outside the house.

“Guys, is that light moving toward us?” BB asked.

“It’s not light,” Axel said in a panic. “We have to move—now.”

They soon came to see what Axel saw. The light was a ball of fire rolling toward them. Eric didn’t move. Clouds of smoke seemed to be rising from his body. But even as he seemed to be fixed in place, his eyes darted frantically around their sockets.

Unwillingly, they all ran to the gate where their bikes and the van sat waiting for them. A great enough distance from the house, they stood and watched as the ball rolled toward Eric, stopping inches away from him.

“It stopped. Let’s get him out of there.” A new voice boomed through the air. Spike stood his ground as he waited for someone to accompany him, but when no one did he decided to go at it alone.

His first step seemed to shake the ball out of place as it rolled forward faster than before, swallowing Eric in its rage. But before it could roll out of the house the doors shut, containing its ferocity inside.

Sloan packed her bike at the back of the van and sat quietly in a corner. She and Snoop sat across from each other, but none of them said a word as the made it across the city to their house.

That night she snuggled next to Jake but couldn’t fall asleep. The vivid picture of Eric’s death played in her mind.