Demon Slayer Declan’s Scene

  Linsey Hall

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  1

  2.5 Seconds after Demon Slayer ended

  Declan’s Perspective

  * * *

  What. The. Hell.

  Aerdeca had just tried to erase my memory.

  After a kiss like that—one that had gripped me tight and made me lose my mind—she’d tried to erase all of it.

  I surged upright on the steps, anger and confusion roiling in my chest. She looked up at me from where she sat on the steps, beautiful and strong. Her pale hair glinted in the light and her blue eyes glittered.

  She stood, her back straight, and stepped a few feet away from me. For a moment, her icy demeanor slipped, revealing uncertainty beneath. “Ah, it’s not what it seems like.”

  “Then what was it like?” My voice cracked like a whip.

  Her expression hardened, cold as glass and yet still so lovely that it should be criminal. Uncertainty never lasted long with Aerdeca. Something I liked about her.

  What the hell was it about this woman that had me so hooked? Especially given what she’d just done.

  “I don’t owe you any explanations.” Her voice chilled.

  “Normally, I’d agree with you. But you just tried to fuck with my mind. That’s where it gets a little personal.”

  She lifted a shoulder, her expression cool and icy, but there was a banked heat in her gaze that still hadn’t died down after our kiss.

  I felt it, too, no matter how hard I tried to banish the feeling.

  “What can I say?” she said. “I wanted you to forget me.”

  Forget her.

  As if I could.

  I wanted her so badly it was like a physical ache.

  Worse, I liked her.

  Her strength, her stubbornness, her mind.

  But she worked so hard to hide herself that it was pointless. She had her reasons—she was too smart not to have them. She just hadn’t figured out she could trust me yet.

  “I’m not what you think I am.” I wanted to add you can trust me, but only con-men said that. You had to earn trust; you couldn’t just declare that it was so.

  “I don’t know what you are,” she said. “I don’t know who you work for. I don’t know about your life. I haven’t known you long enough to trust you.”

  She had a point, but I didn’t share my past with anyone. Beyond that, I had a feeling that she hadn’t known anyone long enough to trust them. Just her sister. Aerdeca had the demeanor of a feral cat—she’d take care of herself and bite your hand off if you tried to help.

  Yet another thing I liked about her—tough women were hot. But I’d prefer it if she let me help her.

  I shook my head.

  That would never happen. If she’d fuck with my mind, there was no way we’d be getting any closer. I couldn’t risk it, no matter how much I wanted her.

  And frankly, I was pissed.

  “Well?” she said. “Care to share any of those details about yourself? Childhood, job, etcetera?”

  “Not particularly.” As much as I hated to say goodbye to her—and I did, despite my anger—it was the only way forward.

  I gave her one last look, drinking in her lean strength and ethereal beauty, then turned to go. At the last second, I caught sight of her eyes widening on something over my shoulder.

  Then I felt it.

  A wave of dark magic, coming from behind.

  I turned, catching sight of a lone figure walking down the empty street. At this hour, Darklane was devoid of cars. The old Victorian houses lurked on either side of the street, blackened with the grime of dark magic.

  The man who approached fit right in—his signature reeked of the swamp and felt like a hangover. My stomach turned.

  Fates, I hated dark magic. I had a bit of my own after my fall, but I’d gotten used to it.

  He was still about thirty yards away, in shadow. A tall top hat and a long coat made him look ridiculous, though.

  “Do you know this guy?” I murmured to Aerdeca.

  “Not a clue.”

  “Witch!” the man shouted, his voice deep and strong. “I am Melkior. You concealed my property from me!”

  “No idea what you’re talking about, buddy!” Aerdeca shouted.

  “Marie is mine!”

  What the hell?

  I turned to look at Aerdeca, catching sight of recognition dawning on her face. Then her expression turned cold, so icy it could have frozen a lake to the bottom. She grinned widely, but there was nothing friendly about it.

  “I was hoping to meet you.” She drew her mace from the ether and swung it idly in her hand.

  Hot.

  I turned back to the guy, who was only about twenty feet away now. Close enough to make out his features.

  He had a long, narrow face and a slash of mustache that made him look like a snake oil salesman. A blue light flickered over his skin, faint and translucent. Heavy necklaces hung from his neck, threaded through with all sorts of beads and twigs and small dead animals.

  Fucking weirdo.

  The man raised his hands, dark magic swelling on the air, rancid and foul.

  Shit.

  He was far more powerful than we’d realized.

  Blue light flashed from his palms, brightly fierce. It plowed forward in the shape of a man—like a ghost shooting right for us.

  A fucking poltergeist.

  Only voodoo priests who had perverted their religion could throw poltergeists, and they were deadly. I often hunted them as part of my work.

  Aerdeca was already moving backward to get away. I lunged for her, then grabbed her around the waist and leaped over the stair railing, taking us down into the bushes.

  At the last second, I twisted so I took the brunt of the fall. She crashed against me, soft yet strong, then scrambled away, keeping her head down below the top of the steps.

  The poltergeist shrieked as it smashed into the steps upon which we’d been standing. The creature obliterated, and a shock wave of dark magic slammed into me, feeling like massive full-body punch.

  I lurched up from behind the cover of stone and called upon my magic, throwing a blast of heavenly fire at the man. It plowed into him, sending him flying back. He crashed against the ground, but he wouldn’t be down long, not if I knew voodoo priests.

  I ducked back down. “Why the hell do you have a voodoo priest after you?”

  Aerdeca peered up over the stone steps, her face twisting in disgust. “That bastard is after his ex, a woman named Marie. I made her a concealment charm to help hide her from him. He must have figured it out and wants me to remove it.”

  “Sounds like a real bastard.”

  “He is.” She grinned, a cold smile that would likely scare the shit out of Melkior if he saw it. “But it’s okay. I wanted to meet him.”

  “You mean you want to kill him.”

  She nodded. “Basically.”

  “If he can throw poltergeists, there’s going to be a bounty on his head. I’m taking him in.” He’d be more useful alive than dead.

  “Seriously, we’re going to go through this again?” Aerdeca asked. “Arguing over who gets the target?”

  “I’m done arguing.” But I would take him in. And I’d work with her to make it happen, no matter how pissed at her I still was.

  In the street, Melkior stood again. He raised his hands once more, ready to throw another poltergeist. Voodoo as a religion dealt with the spirits. Bastards like Melkior weaponized them for their own use. If one of the haunted souls hit us in the torso or head, it could pulverize our insides. They were twice the strength of a sonic boom, and a direct hit to the chest could cause a slow, horrible death.

  “We need to get away from the house,” Aerdeca said. “I don’t want my sister hearing something and walking out. She could get hit unexpectedly.”

  I had a feeling Mordaca could handle herself, but I couldn’t blame Aerdeca for worrying.

  I eyed the street, looking for a better hiding place for planning our attack. Taking out a voodoo priest would require a good plan if we didn’t want to die. Which I didn’t. We’d need good cover until we were ready to strike.

  My gaze caught on an abandoned building across the street. The dark structure had a turret on the roof, behind which was a protected spot—perfect.

  “Come on.” I called on my wings, feeling them flare from my back, then grabbed her around the waist.

  “Hey!”

  “I’ve got a spot.”

  She scowled, then wrapped her arms around my neck. I tried not to enjoy it, but damn, she felt good.

  I shook away the distraction, then launched myself into the air. My wings caught on the breeze, and I flew for the building across the street.

  Melkior shouted, then directed his magic toward us. A blue blast hurtled in our direction, forming the shape of a shrieking woman who shot like a bullet. She was so fast that there was no time to launch an offensive. I dodged, curling myself around Aerdeca to protect her.

  The poltergeist nailed the tip of my wing as it raced by. Pain like I’d never felt radiated through me, and I grimaced, my stomach turning. My heart stuttered in my chest, the organ threatening to fail. We faltered in the air, dipping low.

  I twisted around, calling upon my heavenly fire. It was one of the only substances that could hurt a poltergeist. The ghost was swerving in the air, coming back around for a second attack. I hurled the ball of flame. It smashed into the poltergeist’s chest, obliterating it n a burst of blue light.

  “Are you okay?” Aerdeca cried.

  “Fine,” I gritted, pumping my wings as I headed toward the rooftop. There was nothing as deadly as a poltergeist hit, and thank fates I hadn’t taken that one directly. I’d be dead as a fucking doornail.

  Nearly there. Nearly there.

  We made it, and I set Aerdeca down on the slanted surface. Melkior would need a short while—a very short while—to recharge his magic and create another poltergeist.

  I turned toward him, then hurled another blast of heavenly fire. It was hot leaving my hand, nearly burning, and it slammed into his chest and took him down once again.

  “Come on.” I sprinted to a safe spot behind the turret, and Aerdeca joined me. My wing hurt like hell. “We can’t get hit.”

  She shook her head, her features white. “He’s fired off two poltergeists in less than two minutes. I’ve never met one so strong. No wonder Marie wanted to hide from him.”

  “The blue lights that flicker over his skin—he’s got the gifts of a poltergeist himself. We can’t let him touch us.” I looked back onto the street. He was struggling to stand, his chest smoldering. “And he’s got protection from my heavenly fire.”

  Damn, this bastard was strong.

  A vicious grin sliced across her face. “He doesn’t have protection from my mace.” She met my gaze. “You hit him with lightning or fire—keep him distracted—and I’ll sneak up from behind him. He won’t see me.”

  As pissed as I was at her, worry still tugged at me. Last thing I wanted was for her to get hurt, but I had long-range magic and she had invisibility. It was the only rational plan.

  Not to mention, she was tough as nails and one of the best fighters I’d ever seen.

  I nodded sharply. “I’ve got your back.”

  “I know.” She gave me one last look, something unreadable in her gaze, then darted away and climbed down the roof.

  I turned back to Melkior, who had stood. His long coat flapped in the breeze behind him, and his skin flickered with that eerie blue light.

  “You can’t hide forever, witch!” he shouted.

  As if Aerdeca would ever hide.

  She was headed straight for him. I caught sight of the faintest shimmer in the air—invisible unless you knew to look for it.

  She hadn’t explained her invisibility, but I was fairly certain it had to do with her white fight suit. It was the only charmed thing she wore besides the comms necklace, no matter what she said about her mysterious magic coming from blood sorcery charms.

  I called upon the lightning that flowed through my veins, feeling the crackle and burn, then shot a bolt directly at Melkior.

  It hit him in the chest, and he stumbled, going to his knees. He was up a half second later, throwing another poltergeist at me. The ghost glowed blue and bright as it hurtled toward the turret.

  I heaved a blast of heavenly fire at the poltergeist, but it was too fast. It swerved right, barely avoiding the flame. I ducked back behind the structure.

  The blue bomb plowed into the turret, sending wood and glass splintering through the air. I ducked as huge shards of glass flew over my head, narrowly avoiding decapitation.

  I turned around.

  He obliterated the turret.

  And the poltergeist was gone, having been destroyed when it smashed into the turret. They were highly destructive forces, but the energy created when they plowed into something could often destroy them.

  With the turret gone, I was now able to see straight over the wreckage to the other side of the street.

  Excellent.

  Hiding wasn’t my thing anyway.

  I called upon my wings, letting them flare from my back, then launched myself into the air. Cool wind buffeted me, and a sense of freedom flared in my chest. Despite the ache in my injured wing, I loved flying. Always had.

  Melkior kept his gaze trained on me as I flew over him. A shimmer in the air indicated that Aerdeca was nearly to him.

  Lightning crackled in my veins as I called upon another bolt. It cracked through the air and plowed into Melkior. He lit up like a firework, but didn’t go to his knees. Pain twisted his features as he raised his hands again. The blue glow that surrounded them intensified.

  Incoming.

  Dark magic swelled on the air as another poltergeist rocketed from his hands. It flew toward me, its face twisted in a grimace as it shrieked. I waited until the last minute, flying upward and narrowly avoiding a hit.

  The poltergeist flew past, shooting into the night sky.

  Before it could turn around, I hit it with a blast of heavenly fire. It exploded in a blast of blue light, disappearing.

  I swooped around, catching sight of Aerdeca’s form glimmering in the night. The more I looked at her, the easier I could see her.

  She was nearly to Melkior, racing up to him while he kept his gaze trained on me. I hit him with another bolt of lightning, more to distract him than to hurt him, since his magical protection charm was so strong.

  Aerdeca’s steel should take him out, though.

  She reached him and swung her mace in a wide arc. The metal ball slammed into his head, then disintegrated in a flash of light.

  Shit.

  His charm protected against magic and metal? That was rare.

  Melkior whirled to face her, and she darted backward, drawing something from the ether. A sword, most likely. It was hard to tell since she was a shimmery ghost-like form, but it was definitely a weapon.

  I hit him with another bolt of lightning, which only slowed him for a second, then drew my own blade from the ether. It was imbued with heavenly magic and might stand up better than Aerdeca’s steel.

  I was itching to get into the fight anyway.

  Aerdeca slammed her blade against Melkior’s side. Another flash of light. Her sword disintegrated. I swooped low and landed on the ground near Melkior, then sprinted toward him, blood lust rising in my veins.

  I raised the sword and brought it down on his neck. The bastard darted left, and my steel cut into his shoulder. He howled as smoking blood welled to the surface.

  The blade hadn’t cut nearly deep enough. I’d swung the steel so hard that it should have severed his arm, but it was a just small slice.

  This bastard’s protection charm was a real piece of work.

  I raised my blade again, but he lifted his hands. The blue glow that surrounded them was nearly blinding.

  Shit.

  This would be a big one.

  My gaze darted to Aerdeca, who stood behind Melkior.

  The bastard’s eyes widened, as if he realized what I was looking at. A sadistic grin swiped across his ugly mug. “You value her.”

  “Oh, you fucker.” I knew what he was going to do before he turned, ready to hurl his poltergeist at Aerdeca. He was so close to her he’d hit her dead-on.

  My blade couldn’t make a real dent in him, so I threw myself against him, slamming my shoulder into his back so hard that he crashed to the ground.

  A lightning bolt of pain shot through me, enough to make my muscles seize and my vision go blind.

  Soft hands grabbed my arm and dragged me back. I blinked, clearing my vision as agony surged through me, lighting up every nerve ending like a fucking firework.

  “Declan!” Aerdeca tugged harder at me, trying to get me away. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine.” Melkior looked like he’d get up any second, and I was in no shape to fight him.

  I let Aerdeca pull me away. She dragged me behind another stone step—right next to her house, I realized.

  She yanked off her hood so I could see her, then hissed, “That could have killed you.”

  Damn, she looked mad. “I was banking on his hands being more deadly.”

  A voodoo priest’s killing touch was generally most powerful if he intentionally touched you. That way, he was shooting the deadly magic directly into you. But even slamming myself against his back had given me enough of a shot of his power that it had felt like a heart attack.

  “You saved my life.” She sounded vaguely suspicious.

  Ah, Aerdeca. I shouldn’t be surprised at the suspicion in her voice.

  Anyway, I wasn’t that pissed at her. I’d probably never see her again after this, but I wasn’t about to let her die. Even if it meant I died instead. I ignored how loaded that thought was and looked out at Melkior, who was now standing. “We’re not going to be able to get him unless we can break down his protection charm.”

 

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