Page 1 of Demon Huntress
Chapter1
Cassandra
She pulled her chalk out of her pocket, making quick work of drawing the pentagram along the sidewalk. She drew up the wall of the building and down over the concrete to make sure each line touched, bringing it all together.
Mere seconds ago, she caught sight of the demon stepping into the store. You wouldn't have guessed what he was with his stern face, brown hair going gray, and expensive suit.
But Cassandra had followed him for hours, and no one could say she wasn't invested in her work because she had followed the demon to the Bronx, for heaven's sake.
She closed her eyes as she bent down and placed her fingers on the ground. She pushed her power into it, watching it shine for a second before it stopped. She stared at it, feeling the power on the chalk. Once the demon entered the pentagram, he couldn't leave. She would get the answers she needed from him.
The door to the shop opened, and she stepped away like she was a normal person passing by until she heard the man hissing out with a screech. She smiled, knowing she had him. It was taking candy from a child.
She looked over her shoulder, taking him in. He looked around, confused until his eyes landed on her. They narrowed, and he scowled at her, enraged. He knew who she was, and he knew what she'd done.
"Interesting." She smirked, turning to him. "I honestly thought it would take a little more to slow you down, but I guess you're just a lower-level demon, aren't you?"
"What do you want?" He snarled at her, unable to step over the chalk. She could see he wanted to.
She crossed her arms, needing to work this in her favor. "I have a few questions I would like answered. It's a very painless process, I promise."
"And why would I help you?" he growled back, snapping his teeth. He glanced around at the chalk before his eyes came back up to her. "I'm not helping a demon hunter."
She pulled her chalk back out, rolling it in her palm. "I can make your cage even smaller if you would like. Maybe you'll be up for talking then."
"I'm not telling you anything," he growled.
She made a sad face, tilting her head slightly. "That's a pity because I was up for bargaining. You know,give me a name, and I'll let you livekind of thing. But if you're not down for that kind of an agreement, I guess I could just let you stand here forever."
Everything she was saying was a lie, but he didn't know that. She never gave anything away on her face. "Guess I'll just have to kill you instead."
"What makes you think I have any information you want? You're going to kill an innocent person before you even know if they have anything you need?" He laughed. "Is that how you demon hunters work now?"
She laughed and rolled her eyes. She shook her head, glaring at him. "You're hardly innocent, so don't try. And I happen to know you are involved in a vast demonic conspiracy. I have my way of finding out what I need. Give me a name, and maybe I'll be nice tonight. I'm feeling giving."
He studied her for a moment, his mind churning. He had no way out, and honestly, she was his only answer.
"If I give you a name, you'll let me walk?" He glanced at the chalk. "You'll remove this so I can leave?"
"God's honor." She smirked, batting her eyes. That wasn't entirely her plan. He would be leaving, but not the way he was thinking. He wasn't leaving alive.
He took a deep breath before he sighed. He rubbed his eyes and squeezed his hands into fists. He looked at her, and his face fell. "Phar-scape ..." Suddenly, his entire body tensed, and he screamed. She jumped back, startled. She covered her ears, stunned by the intensity of his volume.
His jaw unhinged, a red haze filled his mouth, and his body started to glow orange. Her eyes widened as she realized he was burning from the inside out.
Smoke rose as his body continued to blister, and he tumbled to his knees, snapped, and crumbled to the ground. Her magic tingled, feeling another demon's presence fill the area. It made her hair stand up.
She scanned the alleyway and the rooftop seeing nothing. Someone higher on the evil chain didn't want this man saying anything. Quickly, his insides turned to ash, and the rest of him disintegrated. She frowned, wishing she had gotten more out of him first.
She curled her hands into tight fists and sighed. Damn it. She pinched the bridge of her nose, tired. She needed sleep, but she needed answers more.
She arrived back at her hotel room, frustrated. She grabbed her laptop off her bed and swung into the nearest chair. She flipped it open and typed in the name the demon gave her.
She scanned the different articles and newspaper clippings, finding it was a company on the verge of being worth a billion dollars thanks to the rollout of Torpor, a drug promised to relieve suffering from depression. It was supposed to be the newest and best thing for people who struggled with it.
The articles didn't give her much, leaving her with more questions than answers. What did demons want with antidepressants? She wasn't seeing any connection that would make sense.
She didn't like mysteries, and she knew someone who could figure the answer out faster than she ever would. He could break in where she needed him to and get her the keys she was looking for.
