Page 24 of My Roommate from Hell
But then his features drop.
“Die, foul demon!”
A second later a crossbow bolt embeds itself into the wall of the food truck, inches from his head.
CHAPTER NINE
It’s easy to see who fired the crossbow, as they are the only one dressed like they’re from a different world. Even Zarmenus blends in more than he does. He’s wearing a brown leather cloak, and his face is covered by a golden mask.
And he’s holding a freaking crossbow.
“Don’t move,” he says.
A belt of shining knives is wrapped around his waist, and the crossbow he’s holding looks deadly. I am frozen to the spot, held in place by fear. The man walks forward. He’s big and bulky, and could even be double my weight, with most of that being solid muscle.
I try to figure out what to do. He’s aiming a crossbow at Zarmenus. If I am recognizing the golden symbol on his chest, this man is a member of the Order of the Golden Sun.
He’s a demon hunter.
It means I’m not his target. His order is all about human empowerment. He’s not here to kill me. I hate the thought and the relief it offered for a split second. Just because he’s not planning on killing me doesn’t mean Zarmenus is out of the woods.
“You missed,” says Zarmenus.
Even though he has a very armed man holding a crossbow at him, Zarmenus doesn’t seem worried.
“On your knees,” barks the man. Most of the people nearby haverun. I hear a scraping sound and see the owner of the food truck has closed his window.
“I would,” says Zarmenus. “But you didn’t ask nicely.”
“Get on your knees!”
“Again, you’re going to have to use your manners if you want me on my knees.”
“Die, demon!”
He shoots the crossbow. A bolt flies through the air. Zarmenus’s necklace flashes, and the bolt stops in midair.
“You know,” says Zarmenus, spinning the bolt around his finger. I glance to the side, and notice a few people are filming on their phones. “Even if this hit me, it wouldn’t kill me.”
The hunter pulls a fresh bolt from a quiver on his back.
“Nope,” says Zarmenus. He splays his hand, and the man goes rigid and drops his crossbow. The veins in his neck bulge, turning black. He lifts up off the ground like a rag doll, his arms and legs limp. Then he drops, earning a gasp from the crowd. He lands in a kneeling position, and is totally still, saved for the ragged expanding and deflating of his chest.
I peer closer. His eyes are now a milky shade of white.
I turn to Zarmenus. He’s gone still as well, and his eyes are a similar milky shade.
What is happening?
The hunter stands, then wipes some of the dirt off his pants. He pulls his mask off, revealing the guy’s face. He’s got dark hair and a short, well-kept beard.
“Hey, Owen,” he says. His voice… he sounds just like Zarmenus. “Sorry about this, I had to possess this guy. Do you know how to get to campus security?”
“Um, I think it’s in the student center.”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” says the demon hunter, still in Zarmenus’s voice. Now I’m starting to think it is him, just in the hunter’s body. Like that’s a totally normal thing to happen. “It’s me in here. I can make him do whatever I want. See?”
He spins around like a ballerina.
