Wednesday evening—day four

As if the demons took Alton’s raised hands as a signal, they attacked. Another howl rattled windowpanes and drew shrieks of fear from the people in the street. The horrible screeching was so earsplittingly loud, Dax had to consciously fight an instinctive reaction to cover his ears.

Some of the angels took flight, leaping into the air like a flock of startled ducks, flapping their wings and passing low over the astonished group of humans, but most of the demon-fueled avatars charged directly into the crowd.

Some people scattered. Others fought back against the unholy horde. A discordant cacophony of banshee howls, frightened screams, gunshots, and enraged curses rent the air. The ring and crunch of stone shattering and statues crumbling grew and expanded as the melee took on its own terrible rhythm of destruction.

Alton reached for his sword and started forward.

“Wait.” Dax held up one hand. “Watch the battle. The demons are no match for these folks! Let’s see what happens, what he’s planning.” He turned his gaze back in the direction of the gargoyle.

It flew in low over the town, paused a moment as if surveying the area, and then dove straight toward the angry, frightened humans. It swooped low over the uniformed men in the center of the fight, moving with such speed that the wind whistled over its wings. Deputies crouched behind their squad cars and raised their weapons. One patrolman dove for cover as the gargoyle zeroed in on his position. Gunfire rang out. Sparks flew from the creature when bullets bounced harmlessly off its stone body.

It circled the crowd, shrieking. Then it glided toward the spire of a nearby church, circled it once, and landed with surprising grace on the steep, shingled side of the steeple. One taloned fist grasped the top of a golden cross, and its clawed feet rested against the shingles.

“Dax! Look at that!” Ed pointed toward a large stone angel. With measured steps and wings spread wide, it marched directly toward a powerful-looking farmer wielding an ax. The angel’s mouth opened, exposing row after row of sharp teeth. Its eyes glowed crimson in the waning light.

The man didn’t hesitate. He swung his ax at the angel. With both hands grasping the thick, wooden handle, he aimed at shoulder height and put his entire body into the blow.

The angel’s head rolled out into the street. The red eyes dimmed, and the mouth closed. The body tottered in place for a moment, weaving slightly before it toppled to the ground.

The man stared at the head of the statue as if he couldn’t quite believe what he’d just done. Dax watched the body. Black mist rose from the angel’s shattered throat. It hovered a moment over the large man, pulsing as if it drew breath. Then the mist collapsed into the shape of an arrow.

It shot straight for the gargoyle.

Clinging to the cross atop the spire, the gargoyle rose up on its hind legs, stretched out one powerful arm, and captured the streaking mist. Jaws stretched wide, it seemed to either inhale or swallow the demon. It was hard to be sure, as dark as it was so high above the street lights, but as the mist disappeared, the gargoyle seemed to grow larger. Its eyes glowed brighter. Wings flared out from its wide, bony shoulders.

Dax stared, fascinated, as it rose up straighter, unfurling its wings to their fullest. They stretched out into the night until the gargoyle took on the appearance of a monstrous vampire bat. Then it turned slowly, pivoting about until it glared directly at Dax. He felt its hatred, the remorseless sense of pure evil—a vile loathing and malevolence aimed at him and those he loved.

He glared back, caught in the unholy malice and venomous hate, as if the creature held some personal rancor for Dax and his small band of fighters. Their gazes locked. Dax tried to see into its mind, but there was nothing familiar, nothing characteristic of demonkind or human.

Nothing but hate.

Eddy stood close behind him. She wrapped her fingers around his arm. Her presence, her confident touch, gave him strength. She was most definitely not a victim. No, Eddy was a fighter, and she’d stand beside him until his end. It was almost midnight of the fourth day. His end was coming closer, and the battle was far from over.

Even now, the street fight between humans and avatars raged, but the gargoyle ignored the brawl. Instead, it watched Dax, and now that she stood beside him, Eddy as well. Dax broke away from the malevolent stare and tugged Eddy closer.

He turned his attention back to the battle, but the image of the gargoyle grabbing that demon out of the night sky wouldn’t leave him.

At least the good guys were ahead. There was no doubt the humans were winning. Shattered statuary littered the road. Windows in a few nearby shops had been broken, but most of the damage was limited to crushed and broken statues.

Of course, they weren’t killing the demons inside, but maybe once all the avatars were destroyed, the demons would be forced back to Abyss. Two women systematically beat a stone cherub into pieces with shovels. The statue was quickly reduced to rubble, but the black mist escaped.

Once again, as Dax watched, the mist hovered overhead and then shot toward the gargoyle.

A ceramic angel floated down out of the sky. One of the women hit the torso with her shovel. The other knocked its head off. Again, the black mist coalesced overhead. Again, after a brief pause, it raced directly to the gargoyle and his wide-open mouth. The mist disappeared inside the gaping jaws.

The sky was filled now with streaks of darkness, demons freed from their avatars, all of them streaming toward the gargoyle.

“We have to stop them.” Dax shouted at Alton. “Every avatar they destroy feeds another demon to the gargoyle. They’re not his army. They’re his source of energy!”

Alton shook his head. “I see that, but how can you use your powers here, with all these townsfolk around?”

“The same way you’re going to use that damned mute sword of yours,” Dax said. “Very carefully. C’mon.”

“Look!” Eddy pointed at the gargoyle as it grabbed yet another wraith out of the sky. “Hurry. He’s getting bigger!”

Dax kissed Eddy and raced toward the fight. He wasn’t sure how to use his powers without creating a panic, but he had to keep as many demons away from the gargoyle as he could. Alton moved to one side, closer to the church. A dark mist flew toward him. He intercepted it with his crystal blade, and the demon disappeared in a shower of sparks.

The gargoyle howled.

Alton pumped his fist in the air. “Proof at last that I’m actually destroying the damned things. He’s pissed now!”

Dax shot Alton a quick grin. Then he found a spot close to the crowd, but still far enough away not to draw too much attention. He glanced toward Eddy to make sure she was safe. She stood in the shadows, holding tightly to Bumper’s leash with Ed close beside her.

The stench of sulfur filled Dax’s nostrils. He glanced up and spotted the mist just over his head, already forming into a long, dark arrow.

Controlling his flame wasn’t easy. He was accustomed to frying the damned things with all the fire he could throw, and finesse had never been necessary. He sent a small burst of ice, then a quick flash of flame.

The demon mist dissolved and disappeared. Willow buzzed overhead in a flash of blue sparkles. She pointed to yet another demon. Dax spun around and fired at the black mist, but it dove beneath the icy blast. Alton caught it with the tip of his crystal sword. The stink of sulfur blossomed as the demon disappeared in a flash of light.

The gargoyle howled again. His frustration echoed over the town.

Dax gave the Lemurian a thumbs-up. Alton grinned and took a swipe at yet another demon mist. Sparks exploded overhead.

Within seconds, Dax found a rhythm of ice and then fire, keeping his bursts as small as possible. Alton managed to catch most of the demons Dax missed.

The gargoyle got the rest.

Dax raised his hands and zapped yet another. “We were wrong, Alton,” he said. “He’s not commanding the demons at all. They’re not his army. He might be encouraging them to fight, but he doesn’t want them to win.”

“No, he just wants them out of their avatars.” Alton slashed his sword through another demon. One just behind it got away. “Those suckers are fast.”

“So’s the gargoyle.” Dax watched as the gargoyle captured the stinking demon soul. It wrapped clawed fingers around the mist and popped it into its mouth. Then it turned and grinned at Dax, spreading thick lips wide, exposing row after row of razor-sharp teeth.

The tattoo shivered over Dax’s flesh, as if the strength of the demon’s glare was enough to bring the snake to life. There’d been no pain from the thing until now, no sense of the curse. He willed it down and remembered how it had felt to call its power, to own the pain.

Could he do that again? Could he once more use the evil that coursed across his chest, that crawled over his thigh and across his groin? He felt the tattoo pulse in a slow yet relentless rhythm. He concentrated on the ebb and flow of energy and attempted to link the rhythm to the beat of his heart.

Nothing. Tonight, the tattoo had its own rhythm, its own life force.

Eddy’s soft touch on his shoulder startled him. “The tattoo? It’s moving again, isn’t it? Are you in much pain? Here, let me….” She reached for the buttons on his shirt.

Dax shook his head and covered her hand with his. Black mist against a dark sky sped by, and he reached out with one hand, sent a freezing burst.

The mist escaped, circled beyond Alton, and reached the gargoyle. Once again he’d failed. He covered Eddy’s hand with his. “No, Eddy. There’s no time. I’m okay.”

He spun away and froze another burst of black mist, but another just beyond it got away. Alton missed as well, and the gargoyle snagged yet another black soul.

Dax hit the frozen shards of black ice with his flame. It sizzled and dissipated in the night air. Eddy gazed up at him with tears in her eyes and frustration in every move she made as she persisted. “You can’t fight as well when you’re in pain. Let me help.”

It hurt him more than the demon’s curse, to see the worry in her eyes. “Later. I’ll need you later.” He leaned down to kiss her. A bloodcurdling banshee scream jerked him upright. Eddy grabbed his hand.

The gargoyle leapt from the church spire and glided low over the milling crowd. Its eyes glowed red with an even brighter fire than before. The wings had lost the look of stone. They beat now with long, smooth, leathery strokes as the creature passed over the scene of the brief yet messy battle.

Most of the statues lay on the ground. Dax had no idea how many of the demons the gargoyle had absorbed. He and Alton had destroyed dozens, but the gargoyle had caught just as many. Now it looked powerful. Invincible.

Alive.

It no longer appeared to be an avatar made of stone. No, the stone had come to life. The body appeared supple, as if blood rushed beneath the surface. As if the accumulated power of so many demon souls had given their enemy unimaginable strength.

The red eyes glowed with a new intelligence—an intelligence focused entirely on Dax.

He grabbed Eddy’s wrist and jerked her behind him. Alton came closer, yet remained far enough away to safely use his sword. Ed held on to Bumper and dragged the snarling dog even farther away from Dax.

The gargoyle tucked its long wings and dove at Dax. It feinted at the last moment, pulling up like a fighter jet on a strafing run. Air whistled over the sleek wings. Dax curled his body around Eddy and ducked, but the sharp slash of claws left bloody ribbons across his back and shoulders.

He felt searing pain, but the rush of adrenaline gave him strength. Alton was too far away to connect with his crystal sword, but he moved into position near Ed, ready to protect Eddy’s dad on the creature’s next pass.

Willow burst into the air in a flurry of blue sparkles. She drew energy from all corners, feeding it to Dax.

“You’re bleeding!” Eddy reached for Dax, but he grabbed both of Eddy’s arms and stared intently into her wide, brown eyes. “Eddy. I’m okay. Go to Alton. Hurry, before that thing returns.” He fully expected her brief hesitation—he knew she was just dying to argue with him. He felt a burst of pride in her when she reached up, cupped his jaw in both hands, and kissed him hard. Then she broke away and ran to her father’s side, where Alton stood with his sword raised.

Dax would give his life to protect hers, but she wasn’t going to allow him that choice. She’d accepted the fact that if she remained, she’d put him at risk.

He knew it hadn’t been an easy choice for her. Eddy was brave, and she wanted to fight, but she was smart. Too smart to take unnecessary risks—or to force Dax to take more risks than he should.

With Eddy out of harm’s way, Dax focused all his attention on the demon. The pain in his back receded. He ignored the tattoo. The gargoyle circled the church steeple once again, screaming its bloodcurdling cry. Then it paused in midair, slowly flapping huge wings up and down as it hovered in place, staring directly at Dax.

He felt the evil in its glowing red eyes and braced himself for attack. He risked a quick glance at Willow. She glowed a brilliant sapphire, brimming with the roiling energy she’d absorbed, yet still she pulled in more. He opened to her, drawing the natural energy into his body.

The burst of Willow’s power exploded into overwhelming pain.

He gasped. Taken by surprise, Dax barely remained standing. Blood poured from the deep slashes across his back and shoulders, and the added charge of energy empowered the curse. As he absorbed the energy he desperately needed for the coming battle, agonizing pain rippled across his chest, over his belly.

The snake was feeding from Willow’s energy!

As Dax gained strength, so did the curse. The tattoo writhed and shimmied its acid dance across his flesh. The bleeding slashes across his back burned with their own fire. It was all he could do not to scream in agony.

Willow flitted about, obviously worried. Dax didn’t have time to explain. He felt the heave and thrust of the snake’s body, but he concentrated on the pain, on the strength in the reptilian muscles. Desperate, he called on his demon. Called for the soldier, for whatever strength his allies could share.

Then he called for the pain, and made it his own.

He would not fail. Eddy was too close, her safety tied to his success. He might have been sent here to save the Earth from demons, but Eddy was his focus, the one who mattered most.

Dax glanced upward, sensing the gargoyle’s attack. The creature stared back at him, a vision of evil incarnate with hatred glowing crimson in its eyes. Once again it screamed out a chilling banshee wail. Long wings arrowed back along its body, turning the gargoyle into a weapon of pure malice. Still screaming, it launched itself at Dax.

He raised his hands and sent an icy blast that solidified the air immediately ahead of the gargoyle. The creature hit the thick ice, shattered it, and blasted through, but the force of impact threw it off course. Screeching furiously, it circled right over Ed and Eddy. Alton stepped to one side and took a mighty swing with his crystal sword.

The tip of one leather wing hit the ground with a loud, wet splat. The gargoyle shrieked and streaked back to the church, trailing thick drops of whatever blood coursed through its veins. It caught its balance against the steeple, holding tightly to the cross at the peak. Thick fluid still oozed from the wing where the tip had been severed, but even as Dax watched, a new tip formed.

The gargoyle stretched its healed wing out to its full length, as if testing it. Then it launched itself once again. This time Dax hit it with flame. He felt the snake tattoo rise up from his chest, but he fought it, drawing on the pain as well as the energy Willow continued to feed him.

His demon roared to life, and he felt the soldier’s strength of purpose. The gargoyle approached, flying directly into the streams of flame shooting from Dax’s fingertips. Willow sparkled brightly, almost as if she were enjoying herself.

She hovered off to one side, drawing energy into her body, sharing it with Dax. The gargoyle kept coming. Dax felt as if he watched its approach in slow motion as the creature drew closer. He viewed the beast with preternatural clarity—its talons extended, jaws gaping wide, and teeth shimmering red in the light of Dax’s rippling fireshot.

Without hesitation, it flew directly into the river of flames.

At the last possible moment, it veered off.

Directly at Willow.

Dax didn’t have time to warn the sprite. He watched in horror as the gargoyle snapped her up in his slavering jaws and veered sharply away.

Silence descended. His flames sputtered out. Stunned, Dax stared after the gargoyle as it banked low and flew off into the darkness, bypassing its perch on the steeple and disappearing into the nighttime sky.

Willow was gone. He felt her absence, a physical amputation of an integral part of his body. She’d been so intent on helping him, she’d not had time to save herself. The gargoyle had feinted at the last moment and struck.

Dax had been terrified it would go after Eddy. He’d never even thought to worry about Willow. Never realized she might be an even more vulnerable target. Heartsick, Dax turned to Eddy.

She raced across the street and flung herself into his arms. “Willow? Where is she? What happened to Willow?”

He couldn’t speak. He wrapped his arms around Eddy and hung on, as much for himself as for her. The image of those foul jaws closing around his tiny friend sickened him. Alton walked slowly across the street. He looked as stunned as Dax felt. Ed trailed after him, tugging Bumper’s leash.

The dog’s curly head hung low, and her tail dragged, as if she, too, mourned the loss of her tiny friend.

“What about them?” Ed motioned blindly toward the crowd of townsfolk standing off to one side, each and every person staring wide-eyed at Dax and Eddy, Alton, and Ed.

Staring and trying to make sense of what they’d just been a part of—a most improbable battle. One that Dax could not allow to make the evening news. He nodded toward Alton. “Can you do anything at all?”

Alton raised his hands and bowed his head. A moment later, he raised his head and gazed at Dax. Tears coursed down his cheeks. “They won’t want to speak of what they saw. I can’t erase their memories—they’re much too intense—but I’ve clouded them. They won’t want to talk about any of this.”

He sat down hard on a low fence beside the road. “I wish I could cloud mine. Poor, dear little Willow. What a horrible end to a brave soul. I never imagined the gargoyle would go after her.”

Dax sat heavily beside him. He tugged Eddy into his lap. “He must have guessed how much I need her. She collects the energy I use to power my demon abilities, the fire and ice I throw. Without her, I’ll have only a fraction of my strength. Without Willow, I…” His voice broke. He’d been on this world for such a short time, yet Willow had been with him since the beginning.

She’d been part of him. In his head, and very much in his heart. Not only had he lost the tiny engine that ensured his powers, he’d lost a dear and loyal friend.

Eddy buried her face in his shirt and cried. Ed stood beside them, softly rubbing her back, but he looked ready to burst into tears as well.

Almost as if it were an afterthought, Alton stood up and walked back across the street. He leaned down and picked something up off the ground, and then returned with a triangular piece of stone. He stared at it a moment, frowning. Then he held it out to Dax. “Look. It’s stone again. This was the demon’s wingtip. I wondered what would happen without the demon to power it. The thing had the texture of leather when I cut it, supple and strong. It looked as if it were really alive, but this is nothing more than stone.”

He turned it over in his hands and pointed at a dark stain. “It’s just a rock, now, but it bled when I cut it. I saw fluid pouring from the wound. It might have been green, but it’s still blood. The demon bleeds when it’s hurt. If it bleeds, we can kill it.”

Alton’s quiet statement carried the resolve of a blood oath. Dax stared into the darkness, thinking of Willow, of her horrible death, trapped in the gargoyle’s jaws. He shuddered and absentmindedly rubbed his chest. It was good to know the gargoyle bled. The creature would die. He would see to it.

Eddy sniffed. “Are you in much pain? Those cuts on your back aren’t bleeding as much, but I can’t tell how deep they are. The tattoo…”

Dax frowned. He rolled his shoulders. His back and shoulders stung, but the pain wasn’t nearly as fierce as it had been. Instead he felt a dull ache and the stickiness of drying blood. He rubbed his hand over his chest once again. The tattoo was nothing more than colored ink. There was no pain, no sense of life. The glow was gone, but so was the pain. He shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt. I tried working the pain, drawing on it for power, instead of letting it control me. It appears to have worked.” He sighed. Little good it would do. Without Willow, he wouldn’t be able to draw enough power to fight. Without Willow…

Eddy hugged him close and pressed her cheek against his chest. Dax rested his chin on her head and stared off into the darkness.

Where he watched a small, glowing speck of blue grow and solidify before his eyes. “Willow?” He lifted Eddy off his lap and stood up. “Look! Do you see that?”

Bumper barked. They all stood and watched as Willow slowly reformed and materialized in front of their eyes. She buzzed up to Dax and hovered mere inches from his nose.

Willow?

The little sprite spun in a swirl of blue sparkles. Sorry to worry you, but I disincorporated so quickly, I sort of misplaced some of me.

“Where have you been? We thought the gargoyle…” He couldn’t say it. His eyes burned, and his throat felt tight, but he didn’t understand why, only that it had something to do with Willow. With the fact she was safe and alive and showering him in blue sparkles. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I’ve been worried sick about you! We’ve all been worried. We thought…damn it, Willow! Where were you?”

She tilted her head and grinned at him, cocky as ever. I was in Bumper, she said. Where else?

Before Dax could come up with a suitable answer, Willow buzzed over to Alton and crawled into his breast pocket. Dax glanced at Alton and almost burst out laughing at the bright grin on the big man’s face. Then he smiled at Eddy and her dad and shrugged. “She was in Bumper. Where else?”

 

“Where else?” Eddy was still chuckling a few minutes later. She waited on the corner under a streetlight with her father while Dax and Alton checked the area for more demons. She didn’t mind the wait at all. She didn’t mind much of anything, now that she knew Willow was safe. She’d been so certain the little sprite had been swallowed by the demon gargoyle that the relief was unbelievable.

Bumper nudged Eddy’s thigh with her nose, obviously searching for a little more attention. Eddy complied. “Bumper, if not for you, Willow might not have made it. You are such a good girl.”

Bumper wriggled and danced, practically turning herself inside out for more of Eddy’s attention. Talk about living for the moment. Nothing seemed to faze the dog—not a demon attack nor sharing her consciousness with a terrified sprite. Eddy ruffled Bumper’s blond curls and wished she could be a little more doglike.

It had to be sort of a Zen thing…but it would be great not to worry about things she couldn’t change. Wonderful not to always be thinking of what could happen next. She stared across the intersection and thought of all the things that could have gone wrong.

Bumper licked Eddy’s fingers, and she sighed. Maybe she needed to think of the things that had gone right, instead, but it was hard. None of the avatars had survived the battle, but with so many of the crushed statues or garden gnomes, the gargoyle had gained another demon’s energy. At least things here in town had settled down for now, and the gargoyle was gone. The townsfolk had already dispersed, confused, no doubt, by Alton’s special brand of group hypnosis.

It wasn’t as powerful as the first time he’d used it, but so far it appeared to be working, which meant the people weren’t immune to it yet. She wondered how they’d have handled the community without the Lemurian’s help.

Okay. That was a good thing—the fact Alton had the courage to choose exile in order to join them. She wondered if Taron was having any luck with the rest of Alton’s people. Dax needed more help. So far, they’d survived everything the demon had tossed their way, but they weren’t winning. Not by a long shot.

Eddy heard men’s voices and glanced toward the scene of the fight. The highway patrolmen had taken off right after Alton’s spell, but Milton and Bud were hanging around, checking the damage. Their voices carried on the still night air.

Eddy touched her dad’s sleeve to get his attention. “I’m going to have a chat with Milt and Bud. I’m curious to see how they’re explaining all this.” She leaned over and patted Bumper’s head again. “Be good, beast.” Bumper yipped and licked Eddy’s fingers. Then she sat and planted her butt on Ed’s foot.

Eddy walked across the intersection to chat with the deputies.

“Hey, Eddy. I thought I saw you over there.” Milton glanced up from his perusal of a shattered angel. “What do you make of all this? First the blocked on-ramp, and now this mess.”

She shrugged. “I have no idea, Milt. What’s your guess?”

Milt shoved his hat back and scratched his head. “I’m wondering if we’ve got some sort of cult we weren’t aware of. Someone had to bring these things into town, but I have no idea what got into that mob. I watched ’em with my own eyes. It was mass hysteria, beating these statues into dust. Can you imagine desecrating graves like this?” He swept his hand to encompass all the broken statuary. “Every gosh-darned one of these was guarding a plot at the cemetery. I wish I knew how they got them all here. Even more, why did those people think they had to destroy every single one?”

Eddy knelt down to examine the angel. She glanced up as Bud joined them. “Do you think any of these can be repaired?”

Bud shook his head. “I don’t think so. What a mess.” He took a few steps and knelt down beside the shattered body of a tiny cherub. “This looks like the one from my grandma’s grave…sick bastards. I need to go see if hers is still there.”

He lurched to his feet and brushed the dust off his hands. “Ya know, it doesn’t look like somethin’ a gang might’ve pulled. I’m leaning more toward a satanic cult. Devil worshippers, maybe. Most of ’em are angels,” he added softly, pointing to the broken wings scattered about.

Eddy nodded gravely. “I noticed that.” She stood, slipped her digital camera out of her pocket, and got a few pictures of the mess, along with shots of the two deputies. “Should I mention that in my story? The cult angle? You never know…. I can see if it gets you some leads.”

Bud nodded. “You do that, Eddy. Folks around here look out for each other, but this was just weird. What would make them all go so nuts that they’d destroy all these statues? They’re good people…most of the time.”

“Did the call come through Shascom?” she asked, referring to the 911 dispatch center in Redding, south of Evergreen.

Milt frowned. “I’m not sure. I can’t really remember, but we got a call from someone after checking out a disturbance at the south end of town. Bud, what was the problem there?” He chuckled. “I must be getting old. I know we had something near the freeway.”

“That’s okay.” Eddy gently touched his arm. “Don’t worry about it, but if you think of anything important, let me know, will you?” She pocketed her little digital camera and went back across the street. Dax and Alton were there, talking softly with Ed. Her dad yawned and stretched his arms high overhead. He’d been up since dawn, and it was obvious he was running out of steam.

She flashed him a sympathetic smile and nodded toward the deputies. “They’re talking satanic cult and devil worshippers. Nothing about the demon gargoyle or the shots they fired at it. They’re going to notice they’ve fired their weapons, so that might confuse them, but whatever you tossed their way, Alton, it certainly took them off track.”

“It’s nice to know I can do something right,” he grumbled, glaring over his shoulder at the sparkling hilt of his sheathed sword. “I can’t believe this thing still refuses to speak. What does it want from me?”

Dax grinned. “It probably wants you to kill me, so I’m perfectly content that the two of you aren’t communicating. I’ve grown attached to all these human body parts.”

Alton grunted. “I’d laugh,” he said, “but I have a feeling you might be right. We’ll have to continue to fight separately.” He glanced at the waning moon hanging low in the sky. “It’s after midnight. I say we go by the library, see if the gargoyle is there or not. I doubt he’s expecting us to hunt for him any more tonight. There’s no sign of him here.”

“Eddy?”

She turned toward the question in Dax’s soft voice.

“Are you okay with that?”

“I am, but Dad looks beat.” Bumper whined and rolled over on her back. Her tail flopped slowly against the ground. “And it looks like Bumper is, too.” She laughed. “Dad, why don’t you take the dog home and get some rest. We’ll be there in a bit.”

Ed gave her a hug. “Great idea. I’m ready to fold.” He rested his hand on Dax’s shoulder. “Check out the gargoyle, son, but I’d feel a lot better if you just looked. We’re all exhausted, and I’d prefer to see you live to fight another day. You probably need to get those cuts on your back checked too.” He took a closer look. “Maybe not. They’re already closing.”

Dax nodded. “Part of my demon powers—we heal quickly—but I agree. I want to see if the gargoyle returned to the library. Then we need to rest and figure out how to beat this creature in battle. He grows stronger by the day.”

“It’s all those demon souls he had for dinner.” Ed patted Dax’s shoulder, tugged Bumper’s leash, and gave Eddy a quick kiss on top of her head. Then he slowly walked down the street to the Jeep, climbed in, and headed back toward the house.

Eddy watched him until he turned the corner and disappeared from sight. He was obviously exhausted, but she had to admit he looked better than he’d looked in years. As if the last few days had given him purpose. It had definitely confirmed all his wild theories and wilder beliefs. She smiled even as her heart clenched when she thought of how lonely he must have been before Dax came into their lives.

How lonely both of them were going to be when he was gone. How was she going to cope when Dax was no longer here? She knew she’d never love again, not like this. She couldn’t allow herself to think about the future without him. Not now, while he was standing so strong, so alive, beside her.

As if he read her thoughts, Dax grabbed her hand and tugged. She linked her fingers in his and looked at the way they fit so perfectly together. Then she matched his steps, walking between him and Alton down the dark street toward the library.

“Eddy? What are you guys doing out here in the middle of the night?”

Eddy spun around. “Ginny! Hi…uhm, I was just out with Dax and his friend Alton. You just getting off work? You’ve met Dax, but this is…”

“Yeah,” she said, focusing intently on Alton. “We’ve met. Hello, Alton.” She turned her back on the Lemurian and smiled at Eddy. “My car’s in the shop so I got a lift with one of the deputies. I told him to drop me off here. It was on his way, and not too far for me to walk home.”

“Is that safe?” Alton asked. His deep voice seemed to startle Ginny. “Walking alone at night? Isn’t that how you got hurt before?”

Ginny nodded, almost as if she were in a trance. “Yes. There was a street fight. I got knocked around, but I’m okay.”

Eddy glared at Alton. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

Alton shook his head. “Nothing,” he said.

“Yes, you are.” Ginny glared at him. “I know, because you’ve done it to me before, but for some weird reason, I can’t remember exactly what it is.”

Alton’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not really sure what you’re…”

Eddy interrupted. “Do you think it’s safe for you to be walking home alone this late at night?”

Ginny grinned at her. “C’mon, Eddy. This is Evergreen. That fight in town was a total aberration.”

“But it happened,” Alton said, “and you could have been badly hurt.”

Now why did Alton sound like he had a bee up his butt? Eddy watched the Lemurian as he glared at Ginny.

Suddenly, Alton seemed to come to a decision. With a grim smile plastered on his face, he took Ginny’s arm in his. “I’ll feel better if I walk you home, Ginny. I remember where your house is. It’s not far.”

Ginny frowned and immediately tugged her arm out of his grasp. “That’s not ne—”

“Yes. It is.” Alton stared down his long nose at Ginny, and Eddy bit her lips to keep from laughing. No one gave Ginny Jones orders. Ever.

Before Ginny could explode, Eddy interrupted. “Ginny, I’d feel a lot better if you let Alton go with you. There’s been so much weird stuff going on lately, you can’t say for sure it’s safe. Which reminds me, thanks for the tips today. There really were statues and garden gnomes blocking the on-ramp. It was nuts. Then someone stole a bunch of statues from graves at the cemetery and left them at the intersection of State and Lassen. Some folks from town showed up and bashed them all to pieces. Really screwy stuff. The cops think it could be devil worshippers. Whatever’s behind all this stuff, I’d rather you weren’t alone. I know it’s not far to your house, but please let Alton go with you.”

Ginny laughed. “Oh, give me a break. Devil worshippers? In Evergreen?”

“Or gangs,” Alton said. “Whatever is causing all the problems, they’re not good. I’m going with you.” He glared at Ginny.

Ginny rolled her eyes at no one in particular. “All right,” she said, matching Alton’s glare with one of her own. “But only so Eddy won’t worry.”

Once again, Alton grabbed her elbow. Ginny shook him off, but when he started walking, she went with him. Alton glanced over his shoulder at Dax and Eddy. “You guys check things out, and I’ll meet you at Ed’s later.”

“Don’t hurry on our account.” Giggling, Eddy dragged Dax toward the library. “I’ve never, ever seen that look on Ginny’s face in my life.”

“What? The furious ‘I’d like to kick your ass’ look?” Dax laughed and kept walking.

“No, silly.” Eddy gazed back at the two figures crossing the street. “There’s something between those two. I’d bet on it.” She sighed and turned away to follow Dax. “Okay. One look at the library. That’s all you get. Then we’re going back to the house.”

“I think Alton likes her.” Dax gazed over his shoulder at the tall Lemurian as he escorted Ginny home. He sighed and turned away, still keeping pace with Eddy.

“What’s wrong with Alton liking her?” Eddy wrapped her hands around his arm as they walked.

“He’s got the opposite problem of mine.” Dax sighed again. “He’s immortal, and Ginny’s not. If he falls in love with her, he will have to watch her grow old and die while he remains much as he is now. Forever.”

“In just a couple more days, I’ll have to watch you die, or at least disappear.” Eddy leaned her cheek against his arm as they crossed the small park to the library. “It hasn’t kept me from loving you, Dax. And I won’t regret it. Not one minute of the time we’ve had.”

He paused and turned to face her. “Are you certain?”

She shook her head. “No, but that isn’t going to change a thing. I love you. I’m not sorry, either. But it’s going to hurt when you’re gone. It’s going to hurt like hell.”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “I know. It hurts already. I had no idea what it would be like, to love someone. To love you.”

“Well, now we both know.” She tugged his arm. “And it’s stupid to waste what time we have worrying about the time we won’t have. Now where’s the gargoyle?”

They stepped out of the shadows and stared up at the parapet. The gargoyle sat there as it had before, perched on the stone platform. Even in darkness, it was obvious the creature had changed. Tonight, instead of looking like a carved stone statue, it appeared to live.

Leathery wings were folded across its back, and the toes of one foot twitched, as if the creature dreamed. Its chest moved slowly in and out as its lungs expanded with each deep breath it took.

Dax and Eddy stood and watched it for a long time. Neither of them spoke, but Eddy knew that Dax’s worries were the same as hers. How did one fight a creature that not only continued to grow, but to evolve? One that gained strength from the death of other demons.

Each time they fought one of the avatars and won, unless they destroyed the demon inside, they provided more demon energy for the gargoyle.

It rested, almost as if it could relax now, as if it knew they were weaker.

So obviously confident it would win in battle.

More exhausted than she’d imagined possible, Eddy grabbed Dax’s hand and silently turned away. They needed to sleep and plan, but they were running out of time.

She glanced at her watch. It was well after midnight, which meant Dax was into his fifth day. At midnight on the seventh, his time on Earth would end, whether or not the battle between good and evil had been resolved. Not a particularly comforting thought as they headed back to her father’s house.