Dream Chaser (Dark-Hunter 13)

CHAPTER TEN

Simone turned around to look out the shop windows. Sure enough, there were four men who appeared ready to fight outside on the sidewalk, staling in. Though to be honest, they didn't look like demons to her. Tall and lean, they were rather handsome. Dressed in jeans and leather jackets, they had sunglasses to shield their eyes and didn't appear any older than their late twenties, early thirties.

"Maybe they're customers."

Liza snorted. "For a doll store? Yes, I can just see them now ... I'll take the frilly pink baby doll." She patted Simone's shoulder. "No, lion. They're not customers. They're demons being repelled by the salt I use to keep the riffraff out of my shop." She let out a long sigh before she moved to her counter. She put on her glasses, then pulled out a small weapon that looked like a hand-sized crossbow. "You know how to use this?" she asked Xypher.

"Absolutely."

"Good. Give me back the amulet for safekeeping."

He obliged without another word.

Liza put it around her neck. "Now, wait here a second. There's something else you can use."

Simone was shocked. She'd known Liza was a Squire and a little odd, but she was seeing a whole new side to the tiny woman. Liza was fearless.

A second later, Liza returned with a gold broadsword. "This one's easy to use. The pointy end goes into their body."

"Thanks," he said dryly, "I'd hate to get that confused."

"Yes, you would, sweetie. Now, go kick some demon ass."

Simone arched a brow at that. "You know, the police station is only a couple of blocks down. Isn't this dangerous? What if they see the fight?"

Xypher snorted. "They won't live long enough to call it in."

Simone was horrified by his dry tone. "You can't kill them, Xypher."

"I won't have to. Demons will do it for me. Now, if you'll move closer to the door, I've got some fighting to do."

Simone followed him to the entrance and held her breath as he walked out into the street to face them.

The tallest demon moved forward. His brown hair was laced with blond highlights. He had a goatee and crystal blue eyes. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a brown leather jacket, he'd look like just another guy on the street to any casual observer. As would the other three. Like the tall one, they were handsome and dressed the same as anyone you'd see in public. It sent a chill down her spine to realize that such evil could exist without drawing attention to itself.

How many times had she sat beside a demon and not known it?

Xypher swept the group with a look that said he didn't consider them much of a threat. If only she could be so confident.

"Kaiaphas," he greeted, surprising her with the fact that the tallest one was his brother. Wow, without the boiling skin, the demon was rather prime. "I see you finally made some friends. You must have learned to use a toothbrush at last. You know it's the whole up and down, back and forth that confuses people ... or demons."

One of the demons opened his mouth and displayed two rows of serrated teeth.

Xypher curled his lip. "You really should see a dentist about that. I hear they can do wonders these days."

"Kill him," Kaiaphas snarled.

Xypher caught the first one with an upper cut of the sword. It sliced through his stomach. But before he could withdraw it, one of the other demons tackled him to the ground.

Simone hissed as she saw Xypher hit the side wall. "I can't watch this and do nothing."

"You can't fight a demon, Simone," Liza said. "You've no idea how strong they are. The best thing we can do as humans is stay out of it and let them fight. Don't become Xypher's weakness."

Liza's words reminded her of Acheron. She looked down at her wrist where she still wore the leather band. "Actually, I think I can."

Before Liza could stop her, she ran out to the sheet and shoved the demon away from Xypher, The moment she touched him, something went through her like an electrical current. The demon went flying, literally. He hit the building so hard that it jarred loose the masonry.

"Holy crud," she breathed, amazed at what she'd done. Acheron had been right. She had superhuman powers.

"Simone!"

She jerked around to see Kaiaphas rushing her. She caught his arm and flipped him to the ground. Unfortunately, he didn't stay there. He sprang to his feet and delivered a staggering lack to her ribs. Simone hissed from the pain of it.

He bit her arm, then backhanded her. She tasted blood. All of a sudden, Xypher was there. He caught his brother and slugged him so hard, the force of the blow lifted Kaiaphas off his feet.

Simone felt so strange . . .

Her vision dimmed, and everything went hazy. Another demon came at her, but to her, he appeared to be moving in slow motion. He started to hit her. She dodged it, then elbowed him hard in the back.

He spun around and sank his teeth into her arm. She screamed as unbelievable pain tore through her. "No!" Xypher shouted, rushing to her side.

She couldn't really understand or see anything after that. Everything was a blur. She heard someone screaming out in pain, and the next thing she knew she was in the doll shop again.

"Oh, no," Liza was whimpering. "No, no, no. What are we going to do?"

Xypher couldn't breathe as he saw the bite marks on her skin. Unlike a Daimon, who couldn't convert humans into vampires, the gallu could. Because he was part demon, he was immune from their infected saliva.

Simone wasn't.

Something hit the window, shattering it. "What's the matter, Xypher? You tired of playing with us?"

He rose to attack, but Liza pulled him back. "Simone needs us. Leave them be."

That was easier said than done, but in the end, he complied. Killing Kaiaphas could wait. Simone couldn't. Not to mention that so long as she was down, he couldn't go outside without killing them both.

He raked an angry hand through his hair as he tried to flunk of something to save her. Dammit, if he'd just been able to get to Jaden with the amulet, this wouldn't have been a problem. Simone would have been free to live her life without him, and he'd be off to kill Satara.

Now she could very well end up a gallu zombie, and it'd be all his fault. "What can we do?"

Liza pulled a cell phone from her pocket. "I'm calling Acheron. If anyone has a solution ..."

"Maybe I should call Jaden."

"No!" Liza said, her eyes snapping fury at him. "I refuse to have that creature here. He's more a threat than the gallu are, and I'm not willing to pay his prices."

She was right.

Xypher nodded. "Call the Atlantean and I'll call Jesse." In the event they failed to save her, Simone would want Jesse here, and Jesse would want to be with her. The only reason the ghost wasn't here already was because he didn't like attending Simone's classes. Being dead, he didn't like healing about autopsies or seeing other decedents.

Xypher pulled Simone's phone out of her pocket and called her house As soon as the answering machine picked up, he spoke as calmly as possible. "Jesse, it's Xypher. I think ..." He couldn't bear to say it, but he had no choice. "Simone's hurt. Bad. You need to come to Liza's store immediately." The ghost was there before he could hang up.

Jesse's face paled as he saw her lying on the floor, writhing in pain. "What the hell happened?"

"Demon attack."

Jesse's eyes flared as he ran for Xypher's throat.

Xypher caught him and threw him to the ground. "Don't push it, boy. I'm ill the mood to seriously mutilate someone, and since I can't reach my brother, you might prove a worthy substitute."

"Don't," Simone gasped, reaching out to touch Xypher's leg. "Please, don't hurt him."

All his anger fled. The last thing he wanted was to hint her in any way.

They both leaned over her.

"I'm here, Sim," Jesse said, his eyes tearing. "You're going to be okay. You hear me?"

She stared at him in disbelief "I can see the auras you talk about, Jesse. Yours is white. It's beautiful. . . like you."

Jesse sniffed. "Remember, stay away from the light. Go left, Sim. Left at the light. I'll be right here waiting for you to run away from it."

"She's not dying, Jesse." Xypher swallowed as pain hit him hard. Dying would be easier. Kinder. "She's turning into a demon."

"What?!"

"You heard me."

Jesse growled in a voice that was almost demonic. "Do something!"

"Don't you think I would if I could? I wouldn't wish this on my worst. . . Oh, hell, yeah I would, but I'd never wish it on Simone."

Simone shivered on the floor. "Why am I so cold?"