Page 92 of Dead Serious Case 5 Madame Vivienne
“Tristan’s right, Dusty.” Danny stands and moves closer to me. “We have to stay.”
“What did you just say?” I look at him in shock. “Danny? Can you see her?”
He nods. “Just like I can see all of them.” He points to the outskirts of the demon trap to the hundreds of ghosts forming a pale silvery mist around the glowing circle.
“How is that possible?”
“There’s a hell of a lot of magical mojo flying around in here right now,” Dusty says. “It’s like a supercharged battery.”
“Never mind them, what are we going to do about that?” Sam says, nodding towards the giant flaming hole in the middle of the floor.
“Harrison,” I say urgently, “is there any way to close the trap?”
“Yes. One,” he whispers painfully. He winces as he tries to move. “Help me up.”
“What? Why?” Sam scowls. “You’ve lost too much blood. You need to stay there until we can get you to a hospital.”
Harrison shakes his head, swallowing slowly. “It was my blood that opened it. It can only be closed with my blood.”
“Harrison, no,” Sam growls. “You’ve already lost too much blood, it will kill you.”
“If I don’t, we’re dead anyway. At least this way you’ll survive,” Harrison whispers, lifting his hand and cupping Sam’s face. “You have to let me go.”
“I can’t.” Sam’s face twists into a mask of agony. “Ask anything of me but that.”
“There’s no other way.”
“No,” I say resolutely. “No way. We’re the fucking musketeers, all for one and all that shit.” I fist my hands at my sides. “No one is fucking sacrificing themselves. We just had my dad’s funeral, and I’ll be damned if I’m losing anyone else today.” I stare at Harrison. “Stay out of the fucking light.”
“Right on,” Dusty cheers next to me.
“Uh, Tris.” While I was staring down at Sam and Harrison, Danny had been watching the flamey hole. Now, his eyes are so wide that I’m almost afraid to turn and look. “It looks like a giant, naked man may be climbing out of the floor.”
I spin around and my mouth falls open. Two thick arms have reached up through the gap, followed by a bald head, then a torso, a pair of buttocks, and, finally, thick legs. The body stands slowly, its back to us. The skin looks painful, like it’s made up of lava and covered by a cracked layer of thick black crusty volcanic material.
But even as we stare in mute horror, its skin begins to cool and change. The black, charred layer crumbles away and the raw burning skin banks, changing to a smooth, pleasing gold. Jet-black hair begins to sprout on his head, coiling into large waves and curls.
Then he turns around and my breath catches in my throat.
“Oh my god,” Dusty mutters.
“Okaaay, so that’s a very naked demon,” Danny murmurs.
“Shouldn’t he have horns?” Dusty hisses. “Or a tail?” She leans slightly to the side, trying to see behind him, like she hasn’t already had an eyeful of his very round golden bum cheeks—minus a tail.
The demon closes his eyes and inhales deeply, the rounded muscles of his pecs rising as his lungs fill, but when he speaks, his deep voice sends chills down my spine and not good ones.
“This world smells different.”
“Fuck, how am I supposed to respond to that? Am I even supposed to? Is he even speaking to me or us?”
He opens his ruby-red eyes and they immediately lock on me—shit, okay then.
I clear my throat and step in front of Harrison and Sam, Danny and Dusty flanking me. But even as I draw myself up to my full five-foot-six, I feel all the ghosts and spirits gather around us protectively.
The demon looks at them and then at me, interest flaring in those red eyes. He takes a step towards me and I’m not going to lie, I almost pee myself a little bit. He’s fucking scary. There’s something so wrong about his very presence that it makes my skin crawl despite his outward beauty.
“You’re powerful,” he says, inhaling again. “You burn so brightly.” His tongue slides out as if tasting the air, and I shudder in revulsion. It’s long and black, like a serpent. “Delicious. I think I’ll start with you.”