Page 75 of Unbinding the Demon
It took a ridiculous amount of effort not to throw up, as my squeamish stomach churned in disgust for the millionth time. The metallic smell of blood was now so strong in the air that I could almost taste it. A young girl, who looked like she was at one point quite beautiful, crouched down next to my chair and began to gnaw and slobber on part of a hand. I frowned at the girl with pity in my eyes and felt sorrow for all these people who were now only withered shells of who they had once been.
Not wanting to watch the carnage any longer, my puffy eyes despondently gazed down into my lap. I disassociated from my macabre reality and smiled as I thought of Ashton. I imagined of the life we could’ve had together, as I waited for this awful nightmare to be over.
32. Blood Sacrifice
The silhouette of the distant mountain range slowly devoured the dying sun. Crimson rays streamed out from the sinking sunset as the sharp, towering peaks acted like the murderous blades of athames. They spilled its blood throughout the reddening skyline, sacrificing the fading light to the growing darkness.
A few small finches flew away as I manifested from the shadows next to the twisted boughs of a lone apple tree. The sanguine horizon mirrored the splattering of droplets that decorated my skin and dripped from my hair. I gazed over at the quaint yellow house before me, with hatred filling my glowing eyes. A joyless smile crossed my lips as I listened to the sound of a beating heart coming from within the home. A sound I wasn’t able to hear while in the shadows, thanks to the enchanted sapphire necklace that the mage was no doubt wearing.
I didn’t have to look to know that Belzar had manifested beside me. “Have any of them talked yet?” I asked, referring to the six mages we were holding hostage and torturing in the shadow realm.
A small, remorseful whimper left him as he responded in my mind.“No. I’m beginning to think that they are telling the truth. I don’t think they know her location.”
I looked at him and sighed in frustration. Blood drenched his fur and dripped from his snout as he hung his head in sorrow with his pointed ears flattened back. Rage boiled in my blood, and it took every effort not to teleport into the shadows and slaughter them all. I’d killed many of the mages off already, but, just in case I might need to use some of them as bargaining chips later on, I’d decided to keep our hostages alive...for now.
Belzar’s suspicions were probably correct, though. These weak, 21st-century ninnies had very little resolve. If they knew Gwendolyn’s whereabouts, at least one of them would have talked by now. Especially while I was slowly burning a single eye out of each of them. They seemed to have really hated that part. Which, to my dismay, meant we still didn’t have any leads on where to find her. She was likely being hidden from me with some accursed enchantment, so interrogating the mages was still currently my best course of action.
“Well, keep torturing them regardless. I’ll see if this one knows anything.” I nodded toward the house. The empty trees rustled in the breeze behind it, while a flock of honking geese flew in a V-formation across the scarlet skyline.
“Azathoth,”he said softly while gazing up at me with concern in his glowing canine eyes.
“Yes, Belzar?” I quietly responded as the wind blew through my blood-soaked hair.
“We will find her.”His dampened head nuzzled up beneath my hand and gave it a small, comforting lick.
“Thank you.” I gave him a wistful smile and stroked behind his ear.
Belzar went back to the shadows, while my wet boots began staining the dead, frost-kissed grass red as I walked up to the house. Except for the glow in my eyes, I was in my human illusion. Yet, the fact I was drenched in blood made me a terrifying sight to behold, regardless. The empty branches of a lilac bush obscured my view, as sudden movement in one of the darkened windows caught my eye.She knows I’m here... Good.I stomped up onto the front porch, then kicked down the pristine white door, leaving a big red smear behind. I then barged into a small, homey living room.
“Oh, Patsy...” I called out to her in a sinister voice, making it a point to use her name. “You can’t hide from me, Patsy. I know you’re here.” A wicked grin stretched across my face as the sound of her frantically beating heart led me into the rustic, chicken-themed kitchen. I found her wide-eyed and clutching a butcher knife in her trembling hand. I chuckled in humorless amusement and raised a brow. “Now, now, it would be a shame to ruin a perfectly good knife like that, don’t you think?”
She cowered while grasping the cherry-red countertop behind her with her empty hand. “Please, Azathoth... I-I... P-Please—”
I growled and leapt over to her. The blood on my hand stained her light blonde locks as I grabbed her head and yanked her across the room. One of the wooden dining chairs scraped against the floor as I dragged it away from the table. I roughly threw her down into it and wrapped my hand around her throat, squeezing the air from her lungs.“Where is Gwendolyn!?”I roared.
Terror filled her honey-brown eyes as she clutched the knife for a false sense of comfort. “Please, I’ll tell you everything I know. I-I want you to find her.”
I extended my claws so that she could feel their sharp points against her tender, vulnerable flesh. “You want me to find her?” I laughed maniacally. “And why should I believe you?”
“B-Because I was a good friend of Elowynn’s, and I-I know that Adelstein’s a lying monster. I was there... when she released you... from The Abyss. I saw what really happened,” she nervously stammered.
I knew she told the truth about being there the night of my release. I recognized the sound of her blood. My claws retracted, and I removed my hand from her throat so she would stop fucking stuttering. It was getting annoying and taking up too much time. “Go on, but be quick.”
“I was a member of Elowynn’s coven before she passed away. After Adelstein took over and made it his clergy, he initiated a bunch of new members from his religious groups. He lied to everyone about what happened that night,” she said with a shaky voice, eager to finish.
“Oh?” I raised a brow. “And what does this have to do with finding Gwendolyn?”
“Because it’s why I want you to find her. He told them you slaughtered Elowynn the moment you were released. The others were too busy panicking to notice, but I saw what really happened that night. I know you didn’t intentionally kill her, and I know the girl is safer with you.” I kept my expression blank and stony as she continued. “To honor the close friendship I had with Elowynn, and to stop Adelstein, I’ll tell you how to find the girl.”
I wrapped my hand around her throat again, causing her to drop the useless knife. It clanged to the brown tile floor with an ominous echo.“So where is she then!?”I growled through gritted fanged teeth. I was growing rather impatient and didn’t give a shit about Adelstein, or Elowynn, or the idiotic clergy! They were all going to be dead before the night was over, anyway. All I cared about was getting my Buttercup back and holding her safely in my arms again.
“I-I don’t know where she is right now. Adelstein only told a few select members. But they’ll be taking her to their altar in the Mount Sumac State Forest tonight. We’re s-supposed to all meet there three hours after sunset to help raise the energies. He’s planning to spill her blood to bring down the magical barrier.” She rasped as her hands desperately clawed at mine to allow her more air. “The altar is near the cliffs and accessible from Blue Spruce Road. Just go up—”
“Silence!”I interrupted, causing her to flinch. “I already know where that worthless slab of rock is.” I rose to a standing position and moved around behind her, adopting a predatory stance. “I owe you thanks for the information you’ve given to me. Unfortunately, you’ve still willingly been a member of Adelstein’s clergy for these past five years. I've watched as you helped commit heinous acts of abduction and blood sacrifice. In fact, you’ve even partaken in the corruption of innocent souls with dark essence from The Abyss. And I still fully intend to ensure that every last one of you vile mages are the last and final sacrifice this valley sees while I’m around.” She whimpered and tears rolled down her cheeks as I gently placed my hands around her head. “However, unlike your comrades, your death will be painless and quick. That is my thanks to you.”
“A-Azathoth, p-please... don’t,” she fearfully begged through her sobs.
“Shhh, it’s alright, Patsy,” I cooed as I brushed her bloodied hair from her face, taking a firm hold of her skull. “May you make wiser choices in your next life.”
