Firefox

No, no, no. Something was wrong. Not just with the unexpected knock on his door, but in the Twilight itself. Something was wrong. No, don’t open—

He was too late.

Chloe swung the door open. And Sparrow knew what was wrong, knew the source of heaviness he felt creeping its way into the air and darkening the light of his home.

A demon stood at his door. And the demon smiled at Chloe.

Sparrow rushed forward, coiling his lightning with the intent to strike at the hateful thing and send it far away from there, if he could. This one was powerful, and filled with the darkest hate imaginable.

Sparrow’s father had been a powerful demon, and Sparrow was half, but they had never toyed with the darkness. Their power didn’t come from hatred, bloodshed, or pain.

The one who cast a shadow in his doorway thrived on those things. Craved them.

Sparrow breathed in, intent on loosing the full force of his power upon it.

“Norman,” Chloe gasped.

Sparrow froze, scrambling to understand. Norman, the ex-husband she ran from, who was intent on getting her back. Norman who had turned hard and cold after he married her, and had blamed her for losing his baby. This was Norman.

Norman was a demon. It explained so much.

“Wife,” Norman spat, not even glancing at Sparrow. He clearly thought Sparrow was no match for him, so the demon didn’t care what he did.

Sparrow would show him the error of his ways.

Sparrow lunged forward again, to move past Chloe and teach this vile creature a lesson, but he sensed a growing heat around Chloe, one he’d learned to recognize as her powers gathering. Almost like a hot breeze that didn’t ruffle a curtain or flutt

er the leaves in the trees, but that warmed him. Perhaps him alone.

He sent a bolt of his firefox toward Norman. Its brilliant light exploded and propelled the unwelcome intruder several yards back, landing Norman on his back. Smoke and flickering electricity short-circuited from where he was standing.

Sparrow tsked when he saw Norman still able to move. It made sense. That man was a demon, all right. Normal humans wouldn’t have been able to withstand his firefox attack.

“Sparrow, don’t,” said Chloe.

“But—”

“This is my fight. If you fight for me that this whole Gaia thing is useless. I must do this by myself.”

Sparrow looked away. As much as he hated it, he couldn’t go against his goddess’ order.

“How…” Chloe hesitated, uncertainty in her eyes. “You said humans couldn’t come here.”

“They can’t. He’s only half-human. That darkness pressing down on you? It’s evil.”

“I know, but he—”

“Not just ordinary evil. He’s a half-demon.”

An amused laughter reverberated. Norman managed to get back on his feet. “How clever you are, blondie.” His eyes threw dagger at him. Pure venom.

“But you’re a half-demon,” Chloe said to Sparrow “You’re not like him.”

“Because his magic, his powers, are dark. Mine are not.” Sparrow pushed Chloe behind him, shielding her from Norman. “Allow me to deal with this cretin, Gaia. The likes of him will sully your hands.”

Norman kept advancing, lumbering. He took a deep breath, sniffing the air. “Ah. You’ve been unfaithful, Chloe. You have his stink. What am I going to do with you, my cheating little wife?”

Sparrow took a step forward. Chloe’s fight or not, this foul thing wasn’t going to go on taunting her.