Angie Fox - ADS 01 - The Accidental Demon Slayer

“I can’t believe I saw a griffin tonight,” I said.

“Saw one?” Frieda scoffed. “You smooched one.”

My stomach squinched. “I was afraid of that.”

“Aw, don’t be so hard on yourself.” She grinned. “I sure wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating crackers.”

I tried to mirror her humor, but I wasn’t feeling it. Twenty-four hours ago, I hadn’t even known griffins existed. My brain needed to catch up with my hormones.

“At least he’s not a werewolf,” Frieda said, spinning her Jägermeister cap on a pink-glossed nail.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” I eased back onto my elbows. Even if I could accept what he was, I still didn’t know if I could trust him. “Tell me, Frieda. And be honest. What would you do?”

She pursed her lips. “I don’t know, honey. I just don’t know.”

Frieda fell asleep in the middle of her minibottle of Jägermeister. Phew. I capped the bottle and turned off the light. The faint odor of black licorice hung in the air as I stood by the window and watched Scarlet, still prostrate, in front of the glowing Yardsaver shed. Nothing had changed down there. I didn’t know if that was good or bad.

At least Frieda’s roommates hadn’t come up from the Beast Feast. Pirate would certainly be one of the last to leave the party. This room was closest to the storage shed. It was the least I could do, to watch over Grandma after I nearly messed her up tonight. And being with Frieda, even if she had fallen asleep, her lashes twinkling in the moonlight, was better than being by myself.

I don’t know when I fell asleep. I certainly hadn’t meant to. But somewhere in the early morning, as I sat below the open window, my night caught up with me. And that was a big mistake.

A heavy scratching grated me awake. My hands found the rough wood wall behind me and the musty carpet underneath. “Grandma?” I asked, right before a heavy hand clamped over my mouth.

What the—? Oh my God. Vald? Smoke swirled in the air around me. I felt suffocated, cut off.

Strong hands whipped me around, and I saw his face in the moonlight. Dimitri!

“Quiet,” he commanded, his Greek accent more pronounced than before. Boy, did he look ticked. He wore black from head to toe and looked more like a Navy SEAL than the GQ businessman I’d met. His eyes flicked over my revealing shirt and leather pants, and I felt myself flush.

I hadn’t been in my room to meet him. Had he searched the whole bar? Or had he sensed me? “How did you find me?”

He clamped his hand over my mouth. “I said—quiet.”

Frieda was gone.

What happened to Frieda?

Something was very, very wrong. I yanked his hand from my mouth. He let me do it, a steely warning in his eyes. “What happened? Where’s Frieda?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care.” He wrapped an arm around me and guided me to the open window.

He couldn’t possibly think…

Oh no. This is not how it was supposed to work. So much for my fantasies of a romantic tryst in the moonlight.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I fought his grip. Anxiety churned in my stomach. I might not be a part of this coven, but I could feel something was utterly, terribly wrong. And where was Pirate? I had to get downstairs. Anywhere. I had to see what was going on.

Dimitri picked me up and started down the ladder propped against the outside of the building. I kicked at the empty air. Eep. I hated heights and I hated having to cling to his shirt for dear life. Worst of all, I hated seeing the dark Yardsaver shed, its doors flung open.

As soon as my oxfords hit the rock-strewn ground, Dimitri pulled me toward the woods beyond the back of the property.

This was crazy.

“We need to go back!”

“I forbid it.”

“You whaaa—” We zoomed through the forest like we’d hopped on Grandma’s hog. I didn’t know how he did it. My legs ached and my lungs burned like we were running full speed. But we weren’t running. We practically flew. The moonlight flicked eerie patterns on the back of Dimitri’s back as we raced through the trees.

Wind whipped through my hair. I wanted to scream. Of all the hacked-up, strange and downright disturbing things that had happened since I met Grandma, this had to be the worst. Not because I was in any imminent danger—and lord knew I probably was. But because those witches back there needed me. I knew it like I knew my last name. And I was doing the worst possible thing. I was running.

Dimitri had pushed me too far.

I had no idea how long we sprinted before we lurched to a stop. The woods screamed with insects, animals and— Please let it be just insects and animals . After the zigzag path we’d cut through the countryside, it was impossible to tell where we’d come from or where Dimitri was headed. My heart sank. I didn’t know how I’d ever find my way back to Grandma.

Dimitri pulled me behind a thick tree. The rough bark scraped against my back. Every one of my nerve endings erupted as his hard body pinned me. I clutched him, trying to gain a foothold in the fallen leaves and soft dirt underneath. Heat burned through his soft black T-shirt. I braced my fingers against his chest. At least he seemed as out of breath as I was. And dang, there wasn’t an ounce of fat on the man.

Enough.

“What do you want?” I asked, letting go of his shirt, wishing I could shove past him. “Because it had better be frickin’ amazing.” And I couldn’t think of anything worth Grandma’s life.

Dimitri was going to lead me back, whether he liked it or not. I hoped I wouldn’t be too late.

He planted his hands on each side of my head. “I’m saving you from what could turn out to be a very unpleasant evening.” He bowed his head, breathing heavily. Whatever he thought we’d needed to escape, we’d run full out. He lifted his head, listening to the sounds of the night swiftly turning to morning. “You can start by thanking me.”

He had to be kidding. “Don’t hold your breath, buster.” Something very bad had happened. My best guess? Grandma’s mind meld with Vald the demon hadn’t gone as planned. Frieda said Grandma had to draw herself closer than anyone else would dare. Grandma had rushed in without preparing and, after our night, she’d been bruised and tired. “Did it ever occur to you that I might have been able to help Grandma back there?”

He looked at me intently. “The Red Skulls can take care of themselves. They’ve been dealing with Vald for thirty years. You, on the other hand, could get yourself hurt…or killed.”

Killed . The way he said it chilled me to the core. Worse, he was right. As it stood, I was no match for a fifth-level demon like Vald. And if the witches did have a plan, I was willing to bet it didn’t include me. Or Pirate. My poor dog . Tears burned at the backs of my eyes. Pirate trusted me to keep him safe.

Focus .

I couldn’t let this get to me, or I wouldn’t be good for anyone. “Okay,” I told Dimitri, easing him off me. The crisp night air crept between us, tugging at my nipples. “I might be more of a liability than a help at this point. I’ll stay out of the way of anything big. But I need to get my dog.”

Doubt touched the back of my mind. I wondered if I truly should have helped the witches in some way. Is that why they’d tried to give me the potion? Vald had been chasing Grandma and the coven for thirty years. It couldn’t be a mistake that tonight, the night I arrived, he chose to attack. Well, if that was the case, they should have had the decency to let me in on it. As it stood, I had to make a difference where I could. And that meant protecting Pirate. From the way Dimitri was scowling, I could tell he didn’t like my plan one bit.