Even at midday, thick fog obscured Abelaum. The streetlights were still on, glowing pale yellow, and cars drove slowly along the narrow suburban streets. The town lay blanketed in the damp, as if it had gathered the fog close and held it there, like a cloak to hide its secrets.
I’d hoped to feel some kind of weight lift, but my unease was growing; partially because Leon was clearly on high alert. He was rigid in his seat as he drove the truck down Main Street, his eyes flickering along the sidewalks, watching every passerby, narrowing at every car.
Kent’s death didn’t hit the state news, but it got a spread in the town’s tiny newspaper. HEAD OF LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY DEAD IN AN APPARENT SUICIDE was the headline on their website. Suicide.
“No,” Leon said firmly, when I read the headline aloud. “That man was too self-righteous to ever end it himself. His killers just knew how to cover their tracks.”
We stopped at Inaya’s apartment first to pick up Cheesecake. He purred in my arms, rubbing against my chin as Inaya leaned against her doorframe and said worriedly, “I haven’t been able to get a hold of Victoria at all. Jeremiah said she went to stay with her grandparents, and I know I should just give her time, but…” She chewed at a pink-polished nail. “It’s just so awful, Rae. I never thought Kent was struggling like that. His poor family.”
My natural inclination was to agree with her. But Kent being dead meant he wasn’t trying to kill me. So while I put on a sympathetic face as I hugged her good-bye, all I could really think was, Thank God he’s dead — thank whatever God is on my side.
The cabin was cold when we walked in. After just a few days without a human inhabiting it, the place already felt a little less friendly. It was strange, after spending so much time in old abandoned places, I knew the feel of them, the scent of them, the way the air felt stiller in them. It hadn’t taken long at all for the cabin to start feeling like that.
I turned on all the lights, despite the gloomy daylight outside, lit a few candles, and watered my window of neglected succulent plants. Leon sat on the couch with Cheesecake — who couldn’t seem to leave him alone — scratching the kitty’s head as his brows knit tighter and tighter with some unspoken question growing in his mind.
“It still doesn’t feel right, does it?” I said, having run out of useless tasks to keep me occupied.
He shook his head. “The danger isn’t over, Rae. Kent was an obvious threat, but the God still lives. It still has its servants. This isn’t over.”
My hands knotted at the edge of my sweater, my nails digging into my palms even through the fabric. “Let’s go to the store. I need stress snacks.”
The grocery market was just off Main Street, its flickering neon Food Mart sign dwarfed by the pines around it. Leon parked near the door, and gripped my arm before I could hop out of the truck, taking a long, slow look around the parking lot. Satisfied, he released his grip and said, “I’ll keep an eye on the door. You’ll be safe.”
His protectiveness made the fear knotted in my gut begin to unravel. I leaned across the seat, knotting my fingers into his blond hair as I kissed him — his lips first soft with surprise, then vicious as he dragged me over to him, his tongue pressing into my mouth with possessive hunger. The tender piercings he’d given me pressed against his chest and I whimpered into his mouth, his grip tightening and his claws digging into me at my noise.
“Don’t tempt me to bend you over the truck bed and fuck you,” he growled, smirking at me as I caught my breath.
“I’m already tempting you,” I said, a chill of excitement going up my back when his eyes flashed gold.
“You’d better get your ass in there,” he growled. “Or the only snack you’re getting is my cum down your throat.”
As much as I wanted that, I did really want snacks too. He smacked my ass as I crawled over him and out of the truck, and I was still smiling as I walked inside, the bells on the glass door jingling behind me.
“Welcome to Food Mart,” the checker called, boredom on his face as he glanced up briefly from his phone. I think I shared a class with him, but I probably shared a class with most twenty-somethings in this town. I grabbed a basket and headed straight for the chip aisle, grabbing Fritos and a can of bean dip before heading to the cookies. Chocolate chip or peanut butter…chocolate chip or…
In my peripheral vision, I could see that someone was standing at the far end of the aisle. Not walking closer, not talking with anyone, just…standing there.
I glanced up, right as he finally walked away. A young guy, yet another person I probably shared class with. Our eyes met as he headed to the next aisle, but his phone was in his hand and he’d probably just been standing there to answer a text.
I was way too paranoid. Leon was right outside in the truck. I didn’t have anything to fear. I grabbed the peanut butter cookies, then headed back toward the freezers for ice cream. So many options, how the hell was I supposed to choose? I opened the freezer door, the glass fogging immediately.
It was only after a minute of standing there with the cold air blasting me, that I realized someone was standing on the other side of the fogged glass door.
I glanced down, my hand tightening on the freezer handle. I could see clean white sneakers beneath the door, standing close, facing me.
I let the door close, taking a quick step back. Jeremiah stood there, hands in the pockets of his letterman jacket, smiling.
“Hey, Rae.” He smiled cheerfully. “Missed you at school on Monday, and at the Halloween party too. Did you bail out early on me?”
I gulped. Surely, Leon would have seen him come in here. Surely. “Oh, uh…yeah…yeah I left early. Didn’t feel good.”
He nodded. “I’d imagine not after that little treat I slipped in your drink. We could’ve had so much fun.” He took a step forward, and I took a quick step back, which made him laugh. Was he serious? He was going to admit to drugging me that easily? “But instead of a night wrecking your drugged-out ass, I ended up in police interviews for six hours, trying to explain everything I know about why dear old Dad killed himself.” He put big air quotes around that last bit. Shit. This was bad. My eyes darted toward the door at the far end of the market, ready to make a run for it.
But the guy I’d seen staring at me from the end of the aisle stepped into my path.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
“I suppose I should thank you and that traitorous demon of yours,” Jeremiah said. “For finally getting my father out of the way. Spending every waking moment trying to convince your own dad not to choose you as his human sacrifice will really fuck with your head.” He shrugged. “But in the end, Rae, I have to admit that I’m still pretty pissed off about it. All the fucking condolences and the I’m-so-sorry-for-your-loss bullshit. It gets so old pretending I’m in mourning.”
He thought Leon had killed Kent. He thought I was somehow responsible for his father’s death. I darted forward, trying to dodge around them, but Jeremiah and his buddy blocked me easily.
“Aw, Rae, not trying to run away from me again, are you?” Jeremiah chuckled, circling me. My back was to the freezers, and I still had hope that I could slip around them. Until Jeremiah yelled, “Lock it up, Tommy!”
I threw my basket toward him and bolted for the door. A loud metallic clattering jolted adrenaline through my chest, but I couldn’t stop, I had to make it to the door.
The metal security gate had been rolled down over the entrance. I stopped, panting, my heart beating painfully hard as the checker — whose name tag said Thomas — grinned as he locked the security gate into place.
“I don’t think my father made the reality of the situation clear to you, Raelynn, so let me elaborate.” I whirled around as Jeremiah sauntered up, his other friend close behind. “Abelaum belongs to the Libiri. It always has, and always will. Sure, you’ll find some poor naive souls like Inaya.” He rolled his eyes. “But your classmates” — Thomas grinned at me — “your neighbors, the sweet old couple you walk by on the street, they’re ours.” Jeremiah paused, and chuckled softly. “Or, I should say, they’re mine. They’re all mine, Rae. And so are you.”
“No.” My voice came out as a whisper, weak with terror. Leon had to have seen them lock this place down. He would come. Any second now, he would come.
Glass shattered behind me, followed by a roaring and a sound like stone colliding with metal. Jeremiah didn’t look surprised, but his friends’ faces fell, their eyes widening as they stared at the monster trying to break in behind me.
My monster. The only monster I belonged to.
“I thought Nick and Will were supposed to distract him, J,” Thomas said, his eyes flickering nervously to Jeremiah as another bang came behind me. I didn’t dare turn my back to them, but the screeching sounds of ripping metal told me that Leon was almost through.
Jeremiah slipped out of his jacket, tossing it carelessly to the floor. “They did. Their job is done. They had to be real dumbasses to not realize they were signing up for a suicide mission.” Jeremiah glanced over at Thomas, a wide, unnerving smile on his face. “Don’t be a fucking dumbass, Tommy.”
Tommy looked like he was going to be sick as a strip of torn metal flew over my head, crashing into the shelves and sending bottles of liquor shattering across the floor. There was a rush of heat, and Leon’s arms were around me, enveloping me, holding me close and safe in his arms. His shirt was damp, stained with blood, the metallic scent of it sharp in the air.
I could guess what had happened to Nick and Will.
“Oh, bravo, what a show, Leon.” Jeremiah clapped his hands. “A little slow there though, I actually expected you” — he glanced at the watch on his wrist — “nearly a minute ago. Damn. And here I thought you cared about your precious little human fleshlight.”
Behind him, Jeremiah’s nameless friend chuckled. “You should give her up to someone who’ll use her better —”
Leon’s arms left me in the same moment that the man’s head left his body. The headless corpse swayed for a moment, blood spurting, before crumpling into a heap. I clapped a hand over my mouth, nausea overwhelming me. Thomas began to scream, the sound ringing hollow in my ears until it choked off with a liquidus gurgle; Leon’s hand wrapped around his throat from behind, squeezing tighter, tighter, crushing his windpipe and then — with an audible crack — his spine.
My head was light as I stared at the carnage. Leon rolled his shoulders, moving himself back between me and Jeremiah. I pressed against his back, despite the blood on his shirt, whispering frantically, “Get me out of here, please, let’s go, let’s go, please.”
“Easy, baby girl.” He pulled me around under his arm, kissing my head. “Sorry I took so long.”
Jeremiah shook his head. “Damn, you’ve really got that sweet, caring monster act down to a science, don’t you? It’s pathetic how much she’s fallen for it, honestly. Impressive, Leon. I’m going to have to punish you for killing my father, but after that, I might still give you the opportunity to serve.”
Leon laughed. “Punish me? You’re about to go the same way as your father, boy.”
This time, when Leon left my side, I managed to preemptively cover my eyes. I expected a scream, a spray of blood — I didn’t expect the sounds of struggle.
Leon had Jeremiah pinned on the floor, his veins bulging thick in his arms, his sharp teeth bared as they grappled. Grappled. Jeremiah was matching his strength, somehow holding back those claws from going through his throat. It should have been impossible. It was impossible. No human could match a demon barehanded. I’d seen what Leon could do.
But something was wrong with Jeremiah.
His eyes were glazed, like fog had seeped over his irises. He was expressionless, the only real sign of his struggle being the bulging muscles in his arms and twitching in his legs. As Leon leaned down with his jaws open wide to bite, a drip of dark, thick liquid seeped from the corner of Jeremiah’s mouth.
They tumbled, a sudden flurry of movement before they clashed again and skidded apart. Leon rose slowly, his eyes narrowed, as Jeremiah remained crouched on the ground, panting.
Jeremiah was laughing.
Leon pushed me back, toward the ruined metal security gate. Jeremiah raised his head, coughed, and more thick black goop dripped from his lips. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and stood, clenching and unclenching his fists, gazing at his arms as if in wonder.
“Goddamn,” he said softly. “Oh, that is a gift…”
His eyes darted over to us, slowly deepening to their normal color. I was torn between running outside, and staying close to Leon, but then Jeremiah spoke. So softly I could barely hear him, he said, “God chose me. It chose me.” He laughed again, nearly hysterical in pitch. “I made my sacrifices. Two, two in my name.” He held up two fingers as if to drive the point home. “God rewards sacrifice. God rewarded me.”
“Get to the truck, Rae,” Leon said. “Now.”
I backed away, stumbling and nearly falling on the ruins of the security door, my shoes crunching on broken glass. The cold air outside smacked reality into me as I jogged toward the trunk, trying not to stare at the torn, broken body lying on the concrete, or the second corpse splattered against the side of the market.
What the hell just happened? How could Jeremiah be that strong? How?
I climbed into the truck, clutching my head in my hands, and jumped when only seconds later, Leon was getting into the driver seat. The tires screeched as he backed out and he slammed on the gas as he hit the road, pushing the truck to its limit. He avoided Main Street to take the long way home that curved along the bay.
“What happened?” I gasped, trying not to scream — or cry — or keep replaying the gore I’d just witnessed again and again. “Leon, how…how —”
“Jeremiah gave himself over to the God,” he said grimly. The words didn’t make sense, but they tightened that knot of anxiety inside me until I thought I might vomit. “That strength isn’t his. It’s God’s.”
