Tenebris said nothing.
“What happens if I get into a fight with these people? Are you on my side or theirs?”
“I don’t have a side,” he said flatly.
I didn’t believe that for a second. He might not take sides in a human-on-human throwdown, but he had to have a stake in what was happening. Why else would he shadow me?
“Can you do anything in this realm, or are you like a ghost?”I had the sudden urge to reach out and see if my hand would pass right through him.
Except I’d grabbed his scythe back on the island.
“I can affect the physical world around me, if that’s what you mean.”
“So, they can’t see you, but you could shove them into traffic if you wanted to and no one would know what happened?”
“I would never push a human into traffic,” he said, with a hint of distaste in his tone.
“It was a hypothetical question, Ten.” It wasn’t like there was any traffic, anyway. In fact, the only vehicle I’d spotted was the one kicking it turtle-style on its roof.
“Fates only interfere with the living when necessity demands intervention.”
“Which still doesn’t answer my question.” But rather than waiting for him to come up with some other way to avoid telling me the truth, I let it go. I opened my mouth to tell him my apartment was about a ten-minute walk from where we were, but a tingling in my spine pulled me to a stop, and the words died on my lips.
“Something’s wrong.” I turned, half expecting my stalkers to be charging toward me. Instead, all eyes were on the park. I followed their gazes, and a shot of adrenaline pulled me up straight.
Demons—two big, ugly bastards—came lumbering out of the trees, headed straight for the couple that was tailing me.
Could the couple actually see them? It looked like everyone else on the street could.
That was new.
I kneeled, yanked Hook’s dagger free of my boot, and took off toward the couple. “Run!” I yelled.
They were going to be slaughtered if they just stood there. Asix-foot fence versus two big ass demons? It might slow them down for a few seconds.
A moment later, both the man and the woman were holding weapons of their own. The guy had a blade a little bigger than mine, and the woman held a gun.
Okay, who the hell are these people?
The first demon let out a shriek as it charged the couple. Three gunshots rang out, somewhat muffled by the rain, but either the woman missed, or her bullets were no match for the monster closing in on her.
Further down the road, Bike Guy circled back and was barreling toward them.
What the fuck was he thinking? Was everyone high or something?
“Get back!” I tried to wave him off, but it was too late. The first demon spotted him and lashed out with its long arm and thick black claws, batting the fool off his bike like a badminton birdie.
More gunshots rent the air. Demon number two let out a roar and charged the woman. She held her ground and kept squeezing the trigger as her bearded partner circled around behind the big baddie. Her aim was high enough that she didn’t have to worry about hitting her fellow human, and she nailed the demon at least twice.
I’d always wondered if a gun might be an effective weapon against a demon. Now I knew. While it did slow down Big, Bad, and Fugly a little, it also pissed him off something fierce.
When her gun started clicking instead of firing, she yelled, “I’m out!”
I skidded to a stop between her and the demon. This dude really was a fucking monster. He had to be pushing nine feet tall, with ruby red lips that were peeled back into a disgusting grin, showing off his pointed teeth.
That creepy ass grin reminded me of a giant killer clown.
“Hey, big boy,” I said, flipping the blade in my hand, making sure his eyes were on me. He glared and snarled something that almost made sense in my head. It was like a bastardized version of English that my brain was struggling to piece together. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”
