“Actually, I was hoping you would do that. You were always so good at it.” His arm slid over her shoulders. He kept his chest away from the cross, she noticed. “Down in Hell, you were the butt of all the jokes. The demon who dreamed of being human.” His laugh rang out in the square. “It’s why Master never gave you the rank of high demon lord. He knew he couldn’t trust you. He was right, of course. Look at you: weak, powerless. Pitiful. It seems you finally got your wish.”
She took the cross and plunged it into his chest. It glanced off his ribs but sank deep enough. An unearthly shriek filled her ears. He hurled her to the ground, his hand pressed against the bubbling, ruined flesh.
“Mistake,” he hissed, leveling an arm at Quel. Wave after wave of persuasion and dark energy flew in Quel’s direction until the demon hunter writhed in agony.
“Stop it, Nevin!” Quel was suffering, and she was weeping. She couldn’t bear to watch. Then again, Nevin knew that. He was torturing Quel for her benefit. He’d kill Quel, then her, but before he did, he intended to thoroughly enjoy the moment. With feline delight, he’d toy with his prey.
“Nevin, please.” Choking on a sob, Shay reached for the hem of her blouse and lifted it. “I’ll do it.”
“Pretty water!” From across the square, a little figure in Transformers pajamas appeared. Dread pierced Shay at the sight of Damon Junior toddling toward the fountain, dragging his beloved “binkie” blanket behind him.
Nine
Little Damon stumbled once, landing on his padded bottom before righting himself. The town square looked like a battleground. The babe gave the remains of the subdemons little more than a passing glance. “Bad doggies,” he muttered.
Nevin followed her horrified gaze. His lips slid back over his perfect teeth. It wasn’t a smile as much as it was a snarl. “What is this?”
Pure, cold terror plunged down Shay’s spine and slowed down her racing thoughts. Slowed down everything. Protect the boy. As if she were under water, she was flinging off her heels, tossing the pumps over her head. She was glancing in Quel’s direction, seeing him pushing to his feet with shaking hands, his face pain-ridden but determined. Turning, she ran as Nevin lifted his arm to fire.
“No . . . !” Her voice was deep, drawn-out, as was each long stride that carried her ever so slowly away from Nevin and toward the approaching child.
Her focus had narrowed to one goaclass="underline" reach the babe before Nevin attacked. “No matter where you run, no matter where you hide, I will find you, and end you. You will never escape your fate.” Even as Lucifer’s awful threat echoed in her mind, she focused outside herself, shoved aside her qualms. She did in fact no longer matter; what happened to her was irrelevant. Instead of the idea being frightening and terrible, it was freeing and wonderful. This was bigger than her, far bigger. Bigger than any of them. This little boy would save the world, and she would save him.
One last straining leap brought her to the boy. Sweeping him off the ground, she whirled, dancing on bare feet as she came face-to-face with Nevin. The demon’s glowing eyes had narrowed, both of his arms rising, weapons to be used on her and the babe.
“Shay,” the child said calmly, patting her arm. “Shay, good.”
She’d already turned away from the imminent threat of Nevin, intending to flee across the square. Caught in the odd time warp of slow motion, she knew what she had to do. Save the boy. At all cost, save him.
“Bad man.” Little Damon peered over her shoulder. His cherub mouth had screwed up into a frown. He pointed a chubby finger in Nevin’s direction. “Bad man!”
Energy crackled, lifting her hair and blowing it in front of her eyes. It gathered strength and released in a resounding boom. Then a shout of outrage and pain came from Nevin’s direction.
Shay turned to see what had happened, shoving tangled curls out of her eyes. Nevin clutched his chest with one hand, his other arm coming back up. Quel had risen to his feet behind him, raising his rifle as if it weighed hundreds of pounds.
Giggling, Little Damon clapped his hands together. “More!” Another pulse of energy lit up the night.
“More!” Lightning arced out from the babe’s outstretched hand. Nevin lurched backward. Quel took aim and fired. The demon’s eyes dimmed and grew bright again, like dying coals.
“Bad man!” Again and again the babe attacked, until Nevin’s last cry drowned in a resounding splash. Then, it was silent, utterly silent.
Shay let out a startled sob. “Good Shay,” she heard the boy soothe as he stroked her cheek. Everything seemed to speed up, the world returning to normal. Nevin was in the fountain, his feet hanging over the edge. Limping, Quel and now the town sheriff ran toward him.
Shouts sounded all around them. Drawn by the commotion, what looked like the entire town converged on the square.
Quel vaulted into the fountain and yanked the demon out of the water. With Quel’s arm locked around Nevin’s elegant neck, he wrenched him backward as Jeanie secured his hands behind his back with handcuffs.
“Damon Junior!”
“Mama!” Little Damon twisted in Shay’s arms, straining to reach Harmony.
Shay was drawn into the family embrace, submitting to the hugs and kisses as the child was lifted from her arms. “He is an amazing boy,” Shay said, breathless. “He saved my life, and Quel’s. He defeated a demon lord. He’s more powerful than we ever imagined.” The estimations of her former master, Lucifer, included.
A familiar, foul odor filled the air. Harmony wrinkled her nose at the dirty diaper. “A shame my heroic son’s superpowers don’t extend any . . . lower.”
They shared a teary laugh. “There’s a lot more to tell you, Harmony,” Shay confessed.
“I know.” The woman’s eyes revealed that she did indeed know. “For now, you belong somewhere else.”
“With Quel . . .”
“Yes, honey.” She smiled her knowing, enigmatic smile, the one that revealed her powers that she kept so well hidden. “Not everyone gets a second chance, Shay. Take it, and do not squander it.”
“I won’t,” she whispered. It looked like Harmony would have to run another ad in the newspaper.
“Shay!” Quel was striding in her direction. Blood trickled from a cut above his right eye; bruises and dirty scrapes marred his knuckles. Their embrace was long and heartfelt. She breathed in his scent, willing it to stay inside her forever.
“Nevin?” she asked when they separated.
“He’s being read his rights.”
Sitting near the fountain, Nevin appeared decidedly unhappy as the sheriff angrily recited something to him. “Now I’m hauling your ass off to jail,” Jeanie declared. “Get up and walk, pretty boy.”
“I was sure you’d kill him.”
“I thought about it.” Quel’s eyes narrowed at the departing demon. “Then I realized fate cooked up a worse punishment for the man.”
“Man? You mean he’s turned mortal, too?” The magic wishing fountain, she realized. Like her, Nevin had fallen in and come out with a soul. Unlike her, he’d never wished to be mortal. Or so she’d thought. “Just when you think you know someone . . .”
“My son Damon made that decision for him,” Harmony said. “He wished it on the demon, not the other way around.”
“Ha. Poor Nevin.” Shay grinned and threw up her hands. Her giddiness reminded her of the postrace celebrations at Circus Maximus. “To Damon Junior, the new champion!” Everyone around them applauded and cheered. This was one victory she’d savor. Two ancient demons lost in the space of a week: Lucifer wouldn’t be so eager to send another for quite some time to come.
“Now, I’d like to see you alone, Miss d’Mon.” Quel grabbed her by the elbow, steering her away from the crowd.
“Both of you need medical attention,” Dr. Fogg called out after them.