Page 49 of I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker
The first body stepped out fully into view: a creature with yellowed skin. It had spikes down the bridge of a wide nose with three nostrils and thick fur thatcovered its bare shoulders. It grunted as it stepped aside, allowing space for the others who followed. Each one was massive, dangerous, and I quickly realized Raymond couldn’t face them on his own.
The last one stepped out, the fifth in the crew. He pushed to the front of the group and locked his eyes on Raymond quickly. His mouth spread into a wide grin, allowing drool to spill down his chin.
“I'm sorry,” Raymond said without looking at me just seconds before they attacked.
It was one of those moments I would have expected to slow down, but it didn’t. Everything happened quickly. The first two demons charged. They targeted Raymond, ignoring my presence entirely. They weren’t there for me. I fell back, watching and hoping for the best.
Raymond met them with force, never backing down. At first, he fought like a human, with fists and hands, but then, it changed. His limbs stretched and became wisps of themselves. It was as if he were becoming the shadow. I watched him throw out a punch, and as he did, his hand phased into nothing before appearing on the other side of the yard to slam against the jaw of a man. He did the same thing with every blow—kicks, punches, elbows, whatever he could to keep them from me. But it wasn't enough. They outnumbered him, and though he looked strong, I knew he wouldn’t last long.
So much for keeping my secret.
I kicked the shoes from my feet and gripped the dirt with my toes to ground myself in my power. It took seconds to tap into the connection between myself and the land. Those plants that had cowered before perked up, ready and willing to aid me in my fight.
It took another moment for me to set my intention. This wasn’t a gentle request. This was a brutal one. I needed to fight, to defend myselfand Raymond. As if it were waiting for such a request, the land responded with exhilaration as for the first time in years. I used my connection to the Earth to hurt another being.
But these things weren’t from Earth. They were ugly and brutal and deserved to be taken down.
Just as one of the beasts turned its eyes on me, the vibration spread from my body into the ground, and moments later, vines that climbed the side of the fence shot out at the monster. They grew, tripling in length as they tied around the enemy and held it in place, its chest bared to the assault of roses. Their thorns, fortified by magic, shot out like bullets through the night and penetrated its chest. It let out a powerful roar as it fought against the vines.
I kept as much distance as I could, allowing Raymond to take up the hand-to-hand combat while relying on my magic to support him. Those same weeds he’d pulled up. I dug a hole with my hands and stuck them back in the ground. After a few strokes for confidence, they became rooted in the ground and then stretched beneath the surface, shooting up sprouts in various areas. The weeds grabbed hold of their ankles, locking monsters in place and making them easier targets for Raymond.
Even with nature on our side. I knew I had to do more. I had to fight. So, I did what I knew best. I put my fist up and chose a target. But I wasn’t dumb enough to think I could do it without help. As I marched forward, a vine shot out to me, wrapping a protective layer around my hands, pulling rock and dirt with it to fortify the glove.
As soon as it was done, I clenched my fist, and magic radiated from within me, pulsing across the surface of the eco-friendly accessories. I caught Raymond’s eye as I moved forward. He looked shocked, as expected, but now wasn’t the time to pause and ask questions. He had his secrets, and now he knew for sure I had mine. Just as we had the night of the attack at the studios, we fought. I singled out thesmallest of the demons to focus my energy on. Though the creature had hands, four to be exact, I managed my own. If I could keep it occupied long enough, Raymond could take care of the others.
My plan seemed to be working until I heard Raymond cry out to me.
“Jericha, watch out!” His voice had a frightened rasp to it that stopped me in my tracks.
I turned in time to see a pointed tail coming straight at my face. I held my hand up, hoping to protect myself, but I didn't have to. The tree next to me reached out, extending its branches and slamming down on the demon attacking me. It broke through the tail, and the demon wailed as it turned and ran back into the shadowy portal.
It vanished, but while I was distracted, the one with all the hands moved in on me. It wrapped two of the arms around my waist and grabbed my hands with the others, stopping me from moving.
That would have been smart, but bare feet left me connected to the Earth. I dug my toes into the dirt, and those same weeds sprouted up around us. They moved in between us and, with the help of the vines, ripped us apart.
“Crush it!” I called out, and the plants worked together, tightening as they wrapped around the demon. It cried out in pain as bones broke, flesh ripped, and odd-colored blood spilled from its eyes and ears.
After that, everything stopped. The other demons retreated and, as the shadowed portal snapped shut, the one wrapped in vines melted into a sickly puddle.
“Damnit. That can't be good for my garden.” I frowned at the mess.
“How did you do that?” Raymond breathed heavily as he stepped next to me.
“This is my house. I’ll ask the questions.” I headed inside.
“Where are you going?” he called out to me.
“I need a drink.”
13
I’ll take Bourbon
“Tea?” Raymond looked at me sideways as I pulled out the leaves from the cabinet. “I thought you meant something stronger.”
“Oh, hell no. I’m not about to get drunk with demonic things stepping out of the shadows!” I fussed at him.
“Okay, but I’m going to need something with some weight on it.” He leaned back in the chair and reached his hand out. It vanished for a moment, reappearing with a bottle of bourbon.
