Page 4 of Twisted
“Now that we’re all alone,” it goes on, “you can confess.You know you don’t belong.You know the people you call family aren’t your family.”
“Family isn’t always blood.”Out of the corner of my eye, I see Antonio getting up.My left hand is resting along my side and I give him a signal, coordinating our next move.
“It is to them,” the demon sneers.“I can feel the hatred coming off in waves.It’s delicious.They will betray you someday, you know.Leave you for dead to save their own kind.You’re not one of them.”The demon blinks several times, trying to appear more human than monster in an attempt to mess with my head.“I know what it’s like to be unwanted.Join me and you’ll never feel that way again.”
“Yeah, no thanks.I’m good.”I inhale, wait a beat and then spring forward, pushing the demon against the wall.Anger fuels my magic, and the demon grunts in pain as tendrils of energy burn it from the inside out.
“They don’t want you,” the demon hisses and I hate that there is some truth to these words.
Antonio is back on his feet and is next to me in seconds.Using magic, I force the demon’s head back, pinching the dead woman’s chin so her mouth is forced open.Antonio pulls a vial from his pocket with one hand and tips the demon’s head back with the other.The demon gargles and sputters as the vanquishing potion is poured into its mouth.
We jump back as the old woman in front of us coughs up blood, unearthly screeches coming from deep inside as she collapses to the floor.
“Fuck,” Antonio sighs, whirling around.The demon’s power died right along with it, and Leo gasps as the hold is released.I rush to him, and he gives me a nod, letting me know he’s okay.We both go over to Larissa.
“Liss?”I ask, slowly shaking her.The sleeping spell doesn’t last long.
“Is she possessed?”Antonio asks, saying what I’m thinking.
“No,” I say, reading the energy.“It was a command spell, not a possession.”
“Good.”
I hold my hand over her head.“Excitare.”
Larissa groans and Leo helps her up.“We got the big bad wolf.Well, Wren did,” he tells her, and even with her hair over her face, I can see the look of disdain in her eyes.
“I had help,” I say, automatically downplaying my role.It’s something I do often because, as much as I don’t want to admit it, there are times when Idofeel like the ugly duckling in a family of swans.
Larissa gets to her feet and looks at the house.“Are we burning it down?”
“The entire funeral home?”I raise my eyebrows.
“We can’t exactly leave it like this.”She gives me a look that implies I’m dumb.
“This is someone’s business.”I wave my hand at the room.“They’re already going to deal with a loss.”
Larissa lets out a sigh and we all look at Antonio, waiting for him to make the decision.
“We were not granted permission for a controlled burn,” he says after a moment of consideration.“Stealth is always the main objective, so we’re going to clean up the best we can and make it look like a satanic cult is responsible.”He looks at the mortician on the floor.“We have our leader.”
“Fine,” Larissa huffs.“Why did you have to make such a mess, Wren?God, you’re so careless sometimes.”
I curl my fingers into my palms and the dim lights above us flicker.Internalizing it, I let it go and get to work on setting up the scene.
“You know what the demon said wasn’t true,” Antonio tells me quietly as we each grab a foot and drag a body to the center of the room.“You are one of us.Even if we find your parents, you’ll still be my sister.”
“Yeah, of course.Demons lie.”I don’t look at Antonio as I speak.I’ve lived with the Russo family since I was a baby.I don’t remember my birth parents or any time I spent living in Italy before the Russos found me.My real family was attacked by demons.My parents are believed to be dead, but I was told their bodies were never found.
But I also know how hurtful it has been over the years to not be able to go to family functions.To be left out at events because they couldn’t risk any other members of the Order of the Mystic Realm finding out that the innocent baby Vivian Russo took under her wing was actually a witch.
I’m a superior hunter for it, able to sense things others can’t.I can kill demons without getting my hands dirty and can track monsters without breaking a sweat.You couldn’t create a better supernatural assassin, yet here I am, always toeing the line of being included, but never fully.And while it’s been ingrained in my head thatdemons lieto get their way, I know that sometimes they tell the truth.
And the truth can really fucking hurt.
CHAPTER3
“Ijust heard you guys took out a demon last night.”
