Angie Fox - The Last of the Demon Slayers

It was important to know who was venturing in and out of camp, even if I didn’t want to be reminded of Dimitri’s obligations to the griffins.

I touched his arm. Warm muscle flexed under my fingers. “I know you’ve had to make compromises.”

“Rest assured,” he said, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear, “it’s not a sacrifice.”

I didn’t believe that for a second.

Of course I liked to think I was worth a few risks. What Dimitri and I had was amazing – and rare. But I wasn’t naïve enough to think love conquered all.

It didn’t change the fact that Dimitri was needed in Greece. He’d spend most of his life trying to ensure his family’s health and stability. He’d saved his clan, but he’d barely reached out to the griffin community before Grandma and the Red Skulls had grown restless. We’d stayed on Santorini a scant four months before we’d returned to the States.

He’d have to return home eventually.

Dimitri had work to do. He loved his home and his sisters. One of these days, I was going to be brave enough to let him leave and fulfill his own destiny.

We stood side-by-side, watching the moon. “Any sign of banshees?” I asked, moving on to a more pleasant topic, or at least one that was not so explosive.

We at least had clear answers on evil creatures. You saw them. You killed them. End of story.

“Nothing yet,” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and drawing me closer.

I reached up and kissed him, for comfort really. I loved the feel of his chest and the rub of his leather coat on my skin. I eased into the jacket, careful for his injured side, and savored his warmth.

I’d take this man for as long as I could have him.

He deepened the kiss. Hallelujah. Heat shot straight to my toes – and other parts - before I was able to gather my wits and pull away. The stubble on his chin scratched my cheek.

I caught myself before I leaned in for more. “I’ll meet you after guard duty,” I whispered.

“I’m not going to be able to sleep now.” His voice sounded rough.

He cleared his throat. “I did some investigating while I was out here. We’re standing over the ruins of a church. There isn’t much left, but I’m assuming it’s blessed ground. It should be easier to defend if anything comes calling.”

My opinion of Sid clicked up a few notches.

“The hotel backs up to a cliff, plus your Grandma had enough leftover ingredients to ward it pretty well. Flappy is trying to contribute, or maybe he just likes the smell of turtle knees and swamp mud. Either way, he’s perched out there on the edge of the canyon. I’ve been basing myself here, and then doing a full lap every few minutes.”

“Okay,” I said, scanning the area. The plains surrounding our location would help me spot anything before it arrived. Unless it came out of thin air – or a wall of flame – but I had to think I’d feel it first. I’d pay special attention to my instincts tonight.

“One more thing,” Dimitri said.

“Yes?” I tried to ignore the thump of the glass jar against my leg. The zombie rope was getting restless.

“I love you.”

Did my boyfriend know how to give a briefing or what?

He gave me a lingering kiss before heading back inside. Mmm…that would keep me warm.

The night was chilly and clear. After watching Dimitri walk back to the hotel – What can I say? The man could certainly fill out a pair of blue jeans. - I gave my dad’s gift a place of honor on a broken out window ledge.

I had to give Sid credit. He’d not only gotten a coven of biker witches halfway across the country in a day, he’d also found a relatively secure place to spend the night. I’d make sure it stayed that way.

My belly quivered. It wasn’t quite into threat mode. In fact, my stomach reminded me quite heartily that I probably should not have given my Pop-Tarts to Pirate. Yet I could tell something in the night air had shifted since I came outside.

Unhitching a switch star, I decided to circle the hotel and investigate.

Halfway around, just as Dimitri had predicted, I found an immense dragon. Flappy sat watch over the canyon like a great sphinx. His mottled white scales looked gray in the moonlight.

He whipped his massive head and his black button eyes lit up when he saw me. “Rrr-yow!” He huffed out a billow of smoke.

“Hiya, Flap.”

Rocks crunched under his scales as he rolled onto his back and arched his tummy.

“This isn’t a social visit,” I said, reaching up to scratch him across the leathery plates of his stomach. “You see anything strange out here?”

He lolled his head back and began kicking his left rear leg. “Urfle.”

“Yeah. You like that.”

“Grrr…” Smoke trailed from one nostril.

“You gonna eat some banshees if they come calling?”

“Grrr…”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” instead of ‘please keep petting me and I’ll agree to anything you say.’”

Flappy was shameless when it came to tummy rubs, same as another four-legged creature I knew.

I just hoped the dragon could take care of himself. “Keep an eye out.” The air had grown heavier in the few minutes I’d stood with Flappy. I could sense the storm moving in.

“You see something, you come get me.” I strolled up to his head and gave him a scratch behind the ears, just to see. Wouldn’t you know it? Tiny feathers prickled against my fingers. “Don’t be a hero.”

I’d already been attacked once this evening. And my enemies tended to be persistent.

The dragon sat up and shook the dirt out of his wings as he watched me walk away.

I was glad he didn’t try to follow. I needed an extra set of eyes at the back.

A smoky, burning presence weaved its way around the front of the hotel. Blackness shrouded the road and the desert beyond. My insides tightened.

“Dad?” I stepped into the darkness. It smelled of rot and death. “Dad, are you out there?”

I didn’t dare move farther forward or go back. I paced at the edge of the sinister cloud, listening to the wind swirling over dried grass, the occasional call of coyotes.

My boots crunched against the sandy soil as wisps of black, darker than night, curled around my ankles. Something was out there.

Whatever it was, I knew without a doubt it wanted me.

The ground was rougher than it looked. Crab grass sprouted in tufts. Every few feet, a hidden dip threatened to trip me. Stiff grass and nettles brushed my ankles.

The black silence crawled up my spine and settled behind my shoulders.

“Show yourself,” I called out into the night.

Let’s do this.

A wave of banshees screeched straight for my head. “Flappy!” I screamed as I hit one with a switch star. It flew backward as another banshee knocked me to the ground. Breath whooshed out of me as I hit hard sand and dirt. Razor sharp jaws thrashed, acidic spittle rained down as I took out the one on top of me, my switch star propelling it back into at least two more.

I scrambled to my feet and saw that Flappy had one in his jaws like a chew toy. The creature shrieked as the dragon bit it in half. I knocked out the last two with switch stars to the head while they tried to scramble away from Flappy, who’d chomped another one.

He tossed the creature out into the night. “Rrr-yee!” Flappy called, triumphant.

Biker witches poured out of the hotel, Grandma in the lead. I could tell it was her by her lavender housecoat, flapping behind her as she ran.

“Now they come,” I said, out of breath, turning a circle to make sure we didn’t miss any bad ass creatures of the night.

One of my pant legs sizzled with toxic banshee spit. Just when I was about to try and find a rock to scrape it with, Flappy licked it off.