Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)(35)
Author: Cambria Hebert

I began tossing aside the fluffy throw pillows on the bed, thinking that even if I couldn’t sleep I could lay there and talk to Sam, to feel him. I tossed the last pillow away and reached for the bedside lamp, clicking it on.

Then something clamped onto my foot and ankle.

I looked down and stifled a scream.

A gnarled, green hand was grabbing me. I kicked and stomped but whatever was under my bed was strong and it wasn’t going anywhere. It started yanking, as if to drag me beneath the bed.

Every childhood nightmare I ever had came rushing back.

There were such things as monsters under the bed.

I threw myself forward, half lying across the bed, trying to unbalance my weight so I wouldn’t be so easy to pull. I lifted my free leg up into the air, frightened another hand would reach for it.

This was the first time a demon had come into my house.

Into my room.

Turns out, lifting my leg didn’t do anything because another terribly long arm shot out and grabbed my ankle and tugged me down. I fell backward, landing on my butt as the demon slowly dragged me under the bed. Frantically, I looked for something, anything to help me. I reached for the lamp, but it was too far away. I grappled for the cord hanging over the nightstand and managed to grasp it. The lamp came tumbling over the side and I caught it before it hit the ground and made a loud noise. It was still plugged in and the light was bright so I shoved it toward the darkness under the bed.

It was a sight I wished I never saw.

There was a swirling, black sort of tide pool thing that circled around the demon holding me. It didn’t have any eyes, only a round white head with no hair and only two black holes for a nose. What was most disgusting was its mouth. It was a huge black hole that took up half its face and sharp, jagged teeth lined the mouth’s circumference. In the center of the mouth, this pink thing came forward and released these long tentacle-like things. All of them waved in my direction, straining to reach me.

I gagged and kicked my legs harder.

The tentacle things weren’t very long so they couldn’t touch me. Yet. Thinking fast, I tore the lampshade from the top and smacked the bulb against the metal frame of the bed. I was left with jagged broken glass that was hot to the touch. The demon pulled me a little closer and I shot my arm out, aiming the makeshift knife at its hand. The glass cut into its green hand and it shrank back, releasing one of my feet. I brought it out and used it as leverage on the bed frame to push myself away from him. Surprisingly, it worked and I got free. I stood and backed away, pressing against the wall, hoping the thing would go away.

No such luck. I watched in horror as two green hands shot out and slowly pulled itself from beneath the bed.

It was blind—that much was obvious—so I figured I could use that to my advantage. But judging from the size of the two holes on each side of its head I guessed it relied heavily on hearing. As silently as I could, I tiptoed away from the wall to the other side of the room. It stopped, cocked its head and turned to face me. The next thing I knew, it shot across the room, its long snakelike body following behind it. I don’t think it had any legs, just arms and a heinously long body. Which it proceeded to wrap around my body.

I bit down on my tongue to keep from screaming and tried to struggle. It was useless. This thing had me and I was dead. I watched as its head came closer and it sniffed me. Then it made a sound and the tentacle thing at the center of its gaping mouth extended and the things reached for me. I turned my head to the side and squeezed my eyes shut.

Wet, sticky things touched me, running along my cheek, and I whimpered. I waited for it to bite me, but it never happened. I heard this weird sound and then I was coated in wetness. Gross. Did this thing just barf on me?

“Sorry about that,” Riley said from above.

I looked up to see him smiling. The demon’s head dangled from his left hand and a dagger was in his right. I looked down at myself. I was covered in blood for the second time that day. “This is Sam’s favorite shirt,” I whined.

“Not anymore.” Riley tossed the demon head to the floor, reached down to grab me by the elbow and yanked me up.

Then the burning started. I jumped up and ripped the shirt over my head, taking most of the blood with it. Thankfully, my tank top beneath seemed clean. I used the shirt to wipe away what was left on my cheeks and arms. “Damn demon blood is like fire to the skin.” Oh well, at least there wasn’t any spit this time and I wouldn’t get sick.

The back of my head screamed in pain and I blinked my eyes at my blurred vision; then I looked up.

“Hey,” Riley said, I could hear the concern in his voice. “Did that thing bite you?”

“No bites, just demon blood.” I insisted. “Sorry, my head hurts.”

“Did you hit it?” His fingers were gentle when he pushed them through my hair. I closed my eyes because, damn him, it felt good. The thought jolted my eyes open and I was glad to see my vision was clear. Riley’s face was close to mine as he searched my head for bumps and I couldn’t help but stare at his navy eyes. This close, I saw flecks of silver in the center.

His eyes shifted and he looked at me.

“I thought you went home,” I whispered.

“Good thing for you I didn’t.” His fingers were still tangled in my hair and they flexed against my scalp.

“I’m not hurt.”

“I know.” He stayed where he was.

I cleared my throat and stepped back. “I need to shower and change.”

He picked the head up off the floor and held it like a football. “I’ll get rid of this thing.”

I looked at the bed. “There was some sort of portal under the bed.”

“It’s gone. It died when this thing did.”

I nodded. It’s funny how I never questioned anything he said.

He tossed the head out of my bedroom window and then reached for the body.

“Umm, hell-O,” I said as I got out some clean, demon blood-free clothes. “Don’t you think Gran might notice body parts falling from the sky and into the yard?”

“Nah. It’s dark and she’s old. Good thing you don’t have neighbors,” Riley said. I swear he was trying not to smile.

I shook my head, trying not to be amused. “I don’t understand why that thing showed up. If Beelzebub has the scroll, why keep sending demons?”

He looked back. “Maybe he doesn’t.”

“Maybe.” I said the word, but I didn’t believe it. “That’s the first time one of them came into my bedroom.”