Red Blooded

She took a step toward me, her pupils expanded to form a perfect sapphire oval. “I’ve repeatedly told you I’m dangerous. I’ve never kept it a secret. I also told you I would swear an oath to you that I will not harm anyone on your plane. I am purely looking for asylum and nothing more. I will still swear that vow to you now, if only to prove to you my intentions are innocent.”

I peered at her hard. “If you really want to prove to me you’re innocent—then prove it by freeing me and my brother. Earn my trust and my favor and stop asking for it.”

She opened her mouth and for the first time I saw that some of her back teeth were pointed. “Fine. I will continue to earn your trust, as I have already done, but when this is over, and I have lead you both safely to the portal, you will owe me. But your brother’s life is in jeopardy. There is no more time to argue—”

A horrid scream rent the air.

It was Tyler’s.

I didn’t hesitate. I spun, kicking the door in and bounded through. I knocked several demons out of my way as I blindly followed his voice down one corridor and through another.

The demons would come after me, but I didn’t care. If Lily was true to her word, she’d take up the rear. The demons had already sounded the alarms. There was no way around it. By acting now, I had the element of surprise. It would take the demons time to organize, and if anything, I might be able to exchange myself for Tyler. I just knew I had to stop anything more from happening to him. His cries of anguish were real.

The tunnels I raced through appeared deceptively normal. They mimicked hallways in buildings where humans conducted business. I flew past several demon underlings, each one looking more surprised than the last. I plowed right by them in a blur, moving fast, a haze of red covering my eyes. The new speed I traveled at surprised even me. But I knew it was fueled by terror, thinking I might be too late to save my brother.

My wolf worked overtime as we ran, feeding me power and urging me on.

I made one last turn, following his continued screams, and found several demons standing in front of what appeared to be a door to another “mending room.” These demons didn’t have any beasts with them, but I was too preoccupied with saving my brother to be relieved.

One of them stepped forward and tried to block my path, bringing its hand up. “Halt. You… come with… us,” it said in broken English. “You are… our prisoner… now.”

“I don’t think so,” I growled as I charged forward, spinning at the last moment and catching this particular demon in the chest with my foot. I wished I had my throwing knives for one brief, sorrowful moment.

The demon I’d kicked collided with several others and they sprang apart, crashing around the hallway. They were clearly taken off guard by my hand-to-hand combat. Judging by their surprised expressions they had not expected me to fight. And, luckily for me, these demons were not skilled at all. They must settle everything by trial or magic down here, but it was clear demons were not used to engaging physically.

I used it to my advantage. “Get out of my way!” I yelled, hauling another demon away from the doorway by the scruff of its neck, its jumpsuit tearing as I tossed it behind me with little effort.

Once the door was clear, I brought my leg up, but before I smashed it open, it swung from the inside and an startled demon met my furious gaze. I reached in and grabbed it, throwing it behind me as I made my way in.

“Tyler, oh my gods. No!” I shouted as I raced forward. My brother was strapped to an ugly-looking chair with several demons surrounding him, one of which was in the process of administering something that resembled a giant leech to his neck via some sort of nasty pliers. The black bug whipped back and forth as it headed closer to my brother.

With horror, as I moved farther into the room, I saw there were already several of those things secured to his face.

Tyler was straining, but awake. He was covered in his own blood.

I sprinted forward, swatting demons out of the way with my fists, taking the one with the nasty slug by the shoulders, my claws sinking in. I whipped it around, seething, “What are those?” I shook the demon. “Tell me what you’re doing to him!”

The demon was too stunned to answer so I raised my hand in front of its face, my claws sharp and pointy. “If you don’t spit it out in the next second, I will sever your jugular. And if you don’t have a jugular, I will rip your head off. Now tell me!” I shook it harder.

It stammered, “We… we are applying these to drain his strength.” This one’s English was better.

“What are those leeches doing to him? Specifically?”

“They—” it sputtered.

“Their damage is not lasting,” Lily finished as she grabbed my slug-toting pal and knocking it out in one punch.

She hit it below the belly button. I had to remember that.

The demon went down hard. She picked it up by the neck and walked it to the door, tossing it out and slamming the door behind it. She turned back to address me. “The leeches dampen your brother’s strength or he would be fighting. They have had to keep him very well contained because he is so strong. He will recover as soon as they are all removed.” She stopped and punched something into a code box on the wall. “They will be here with reinforcements very soon. These demons here are like doctors in your world. But the guards will have been alerted now to your location. This was not the best plan, you realize. Now we have no choice but to fight our way out.”

I ignored her and bent down in front of my bleeding brother. I grabbed one of the slugs stuck to his neck and pulled. “Tyler, can you hear me? I’m getting these off of you.” It finally came off, but I had to yank hard.

There was a loud sucking noise, followed by a current of blood. These things had either thinned his blood or inhibited his healing, or both. He should’ve been able to regenerate from the bite instantly, but it wasn’t closing yet.

Tyler grunted and smiled. “Jess, it’s so good to see you.” He reached out and touched my hand, which was positioned right next to his shackled wrist. He was weak, but once he brushed me, our connection sprang to life. Almost like someone had flipped an on switch. It was such a relief to feel him again. “You finally got here. I was beginning to think you weren’t gonna make it.” He closed his eyes.

“What do you mean finally?” I asked him after I’d removed a few more of the disgusting leeches. “It’s only been a few days.”