A small nervous laugh escaped me. It tilted its head like it was trying to understand me.
“Go away,” I told it, bravely.
It smiled, showing a crowded row of small pointy teeth. It reminded me of a shark. It was really grotesque because otherwise, it could pass for a human from a decent distance away. If you didn’t look too closely, you wouldn’t notice his pointed ears, craggy sallow skin and the fact that he only had four fingers on each hand. Unfortunately, I was close and noticed all these things. I could also see its snow-white aura.
“I don’t have what you’re looking for,” I said, gripping the strap of my bag a little tighter.
Sam, I need you.
Heven?
There’s a demon.
Run!
The demon was blocking the only exit to the place; running was not an option. I looked around for something I could use as a weapon. Too soon, the demon launched itself at me. I screamed and ran, coming up against the ice cream cooler. The demon jumped, landing right on top of the cooler. I grabbed up an ice cream scoop and chucked it at him. It bounced off its head, not even making it flinch. I rounded the corner of the cooler just as it reached out and caught my arm in a vice-like grip.
Just that moment Cole walked through the door. “Heven, I just wanted…”
“Cole! Run!” I struggled to get away, but the thing held on and let out a screech that rattled my eardrums.
“What the hell is going on?” he roared and ran farther into the store. He picked up a chair and swung it at the demon. It was a good enough hit that it was forced to let me go and I lunged toward Cole.
“Let’s go!” I yelled, pulling Cole’s hand. Cole thrust me behind him and advanced into the store. “Cole, no!” I shouted.
The demon launched itself at him and they rolled. Cole was a good match in size for the thing, but it was stronger. Cole got in a solid punch to its head just before being tossed across the room to land behind the cooler.
I ran forward to see if Cole was all right, but the demon jumped in front of me and grabbed the strap to my bag. “Get away from me!” I yelled and tugged hard. It backhanded me and I fell back, my bag not coming with me.
Cole ran out from behind the counter, jumped on the demon’s back, and began punching at its head. It began making the same awful screeching noise as before. I jumped up and ran forward, grasping the broom lying nearby and swung it, hitting the thing in its side. It shrieked and Cole punched it again, causing it to stagger. I seized the moment, grasped my purse, and tugged; the contents of the bag spilled everywhere, and the scroll rolled to my feet. I picked it up and headed for the door, yelling for Cole to follow.
The door to the shop flew open and Sam charged in, sweat lining his forehead.
“Sam!” I rushed towards him.
“Outside,” he growled and launched himself at Cole and the demon. They all went down in a tangle of limbs. Logan reached through the door and pulled me outside onto the sidewalk with him and we both stood there and watched as Sam straddled the demon and shoved his hand through its chest. It turned to dust, leaving a panting Sam and a speechless Cole lying on the floor.
“What the hell was that thing?” Cole asked Sam. He was staring at him with awe.
Sam ignored him and jumped up to stalk through the door toward me. “Heven?”
“I’m all right.”
Sam reached me and roughly grabbed the scroll out of my hands with a muffled curse and stuffed it into one of the many pockets in his cargo khaki pants. “I told you to run.”
“I tried.”
“Not hard enough.” His arms were shaking.
Cole came up behind him. “You’re yelling at her?” His tone was incredulous. “Are you kidding me? That thing was trying to hurt her!” He turned to me, his eyes softening. “Why was it trying to hurt you? Are you okay?” His aura was a wreck and I closed my eyes to spare myself the visual overload. Well, that and the fact I didn’t like what was coming through all those colors.
“We’re leaving,” Sam said, taking my hand.
“I have to wait until my replacement gets here,” I said tightly, pulling my hand from his and went back inside and began picking up all the contents of my spilled bag off the floor. Sam followed with Cole close behind, flinging questions left and right.
“What was that thing? How did you make it disappear like that? Have you ever seen it before?”
Sam spun to face Cole. “What are you doing here?” Anger clear in his voice.
“I came to see Heven.”
“Stay away from Heven.”
“It’s a good thing I was here or that thing would have hurt her.”
Like a whip, jealousy and rage slapped over me. I was a little stunned at the intensity of Sam’s feelings. I shoved the remaining items in my bag and ran to Sam’s side. Please, Sam, calm down. Don’t do this. Not here. Not now.
“Cole, please,” I begged.
Cole glanced at me. “What the hell is going on?”
“We’ll explain everything,” I told him.
Heven, you know we can’t.
I ignored Sam’s voice in my head to say to Cole, “But not here, not now.”
He looked mutinous as I hurried to right the overturned chairs and pick up the mess the demon caused. He was about to start questioning us again as my replacement came in, and we all quickly switched into fake, happy versions of ourselves. Minutes later, we were all on the sidewalk, relieved to be out of the place. Sam wrapped his arm around my waist and drew me into his side. It felt good to be there. Safe. But it also felt gross. I reached into my jumbled purse and pulled out some yummy-smelling hand sanitizer and held it out to Sam.
“Do you know where your hand just was?”
He looked at me like I had lost my mind, but then he held out his hand.
I gave him extra.
“This is so unmanly.” He grumbled as he rubbed his hands together. I ignored him.
“We’re alone now,” Cole said, his eyes meeting mine. Sam stiffened and I felt his muscles ripple. I hooked my arms around Sam’s waist, anchoring myself even closer and focused on Cole.
“Later, okay?”
“This is because of him, isn’t it?” he said, tossing a look to Sam.
“No!” I gasped.
“I told you he wasn’t good for you.”
“Cole!” I demanded. “We’re friends, but you don’t get to talk to Sam like that. Not ever.”
“Cole?” From down the sidewalk his mother called for him. He turned and I caught a look at her. She pretended I wasn’t even there.