Chapter 17

Chaos? I thought, confused. Talon hadn't mentioned any other siblings. Was there another brother?

"Carnage," the Demon before me replied in a double-timbre voice so deep it rumbled in my chest.

"My name is Zaire!" The other Demon let out a roar that, while menacing in its volume, reminded me of a young child whose mother calls them by another name. "I am the one in charge now, not it!"

Voice deadpan, my guardian standing over me said, "It only took you a millennia; congratulations. It doesn't matter who's talking; when it comes down to it, you are still nothing but a host for the parasite." His words were meant to sting and they succeeded in making Zaire stiffen but didn't provoke any other physical response.

Instead, he merely returned fire, saying, "And you think you're so much better because you were born with it?" He sneered. "I earned mine in battle-"

The one called Chaos barked a contemptuous laugh, "Battle? You understand nothing of battle if you believe stabbing a man in the back for slapping you down qualifies."

Zaire bared shark-like teeth in a snarl, saying, "It doesn't matter what you think of it. All that is important is that I made it submit to me while you keep yours bound in chains, which means that my power is far greater. And now, I will take your head, brother. After, I will take her," he pointed one clawed finger at me, "though I might keep her as a pet now that I have tasted her. She is very exotic, is she not?" He went on in a conversational tone. "Like rare nectar of the gods. I had no idea what she was or that there were any of her kind left in this world. Is that why you took her for your own?" He chuckled darkly. "Bad boy, Talon, keeping such a treasure to yourself."

Talon? My breath left me in a rush, the impossibility of it rendering me incapable of thinking, though that was mostly due to the complex conversation and pain. I still couldn't smell anything besides Zaire's stench and I hadn't seen Talon's naked form from the back enough to identify him that way. But my enemy had no reason to lie and that gave me hope.

He continued to prattle on about how delicious I was for a long while. It occurred to me as he talked that he should have gone to work for an advertising agency instead of becoming a murdering psychopath; the way he described me made me want to buy and eat myself! Through it all, my Demon stood motionless, giving no sign that the other Demon's attempt to bait him or distract him had any effect. He didn't relax his guard, didn't move from his position in front of me and something in the way he stood was familiar enough that I really started to believe.

My mind spun as I tried to take it all in but my concentration was shot. My left leg, the one with the large piece of tree in it, was feeling decidedly more cold and numb than a few moments ago, and that worried me. I could still feel blood leaking out, my body trying desperately to heal itself before I could bleed to death. The good news: That would take a long time at this rate. The bad news: I wasn't sure I'd survive tonight no matter the outcome.

"Are you done yet?" I blurted out without thinking, my pain making my mouth run freely. "All this talk about flavors is making me so hungry that I might just eat myself and save you the pleasure. Of course, I might do it anyway just to save myself from dying of boredom. Seriously, this is worse than a Clear Eyes commercial."

Chaos, Talon, whichever it was jerked minutely in what I thought might be a laugh, a tiny whiff of amusement scenting the air briefly before the pungent odor of sulfur smothered it out. Maybe it wasn't very intelligent of me to recall my enemy's mind to the present and my mostly helpless and weakening body but his speech was really starting to irk me. If he was going to kill me, I'd prefer he do it before I die of old age.

"Fine," Zaire snarled, clearly peeved at having been interrupted by his victim, "have it your way. Let us end this, then, once and for all."

"Damn drama queen," I muttered to myself as the two Demons stepped forward and out of my immediate range.

I watched as they stood there staring at each other for a long moment. I blinked and they were a flurry of motion almost too fast to see. Another blink and they were apart, Zaire standing hunched over, one wing dragging the ground and a score of oozing slashes dripping dark blood down his back.

Chaos/Talon wasn't even breathing hard.

I got a better look at him as they stood, preparing to square off again. He was taller than the Talon I knew and broader, though he still possessed the sleek, powerful build I recognized, his leathery skin a smooth expanse across rippling muscles, beautiful wings tucked tight to his body to avoid damage. I could just barely see the glistening blood dripping off his claws to land in the grass at his feet.

They clashed a few more times, each session shorter and punctuated with cries of pain and grunts of effort.

Zaire wasn't the only one receiving damage, though. As they stepped back again, I saw that Chaos/Talon was favoring his left side where Zaire had gotten a few good hits. I could see muscle beneath the blood, even the white of a rib before he shifted his stance and removed the sight from my vision.

It soothed my conscience a little to know that Zaire was worse. Both his wings hung in limp tatters, one arm hanging at an awkward angle that looked broken in at least two places, limping as he tried to follow the other Demon. Dark blood dripped from multiple slashes on his corpse-colored flesh and he was missing part of a horn.

Anger and hatred rolled off Zaire in waves I could easily detect, even with my seemingly crippled sense; from Talon, I could sense nothing.

I was concentrating so hard on the fight and trying to block my pain that I almost didn't notice the others until it was too late.

"Talon!" I scream as the remaining mercenaries opened fire with automatic weapons, Zaire dragging himself out of the line of bullets. I saw the other Demons lobbing balls of energy while the rest continued to fire their guns until their clips ran out.

"No," I whispered, denying what everyone else was so certain of as the cold wind blew the smoke away. I felt something inside me snap and all conscious thought fled as a black rage took over.

I found myself in full panther form, leaping on the closest person. I had their throat ripped out and was on the second one before anyone even knew I was there. I continued to savage them, not stopping, not feeling any pain, not caring.

When I finally did stop, all was still and quiet except for my heavy labored breathing. I dropped where I was, half-shifted and retched, the sight of what I'd done bringing up

Pure bile as there was nothing else left in my stomach.

Managing to drag myself a few feet away, I collapsed again, panting and crying, my insides and outsides a mess. I'd lost him. Talon was dead. I felt despair rear up to swallow me and I welcomed it as the tears poured down my face. Talon, I whispered in my head, I'm so sorry.

: Giving up on me a little quickly, aren't you?: I heard Talon say, though not with my ears.

I raised my head up, peering around me but not seeing anything besides the mutilated corpses I'd created. Then the air shimmered and a figure walked out of the trees. Blood covered him almost completely, making it impossible to tell his color and, with the moon once again hidden, I couldn't see his face.

I reached around blindly, my hand closing on the comforting hilt of the dagger and bringing it around to my chest. I didn't know how well I could protect myself but I wasn't just going to die. Not yet.

The figure stopped as soon as it saw my weapon. "Ramirez."

"Talon?" I called out weakly, the hand that held the blade shaking. "Prove it," I demanded, "or this blade is going in your eye." I doubted I could manage it, but I didn't really care. My voice and vision were weak, my body so far past drained I would be surprised if I fully recovered.

He took a stop back and stiffened. "I can't change back just yet." His voice was colder yet, worse than the suddenly freezing air.

Racking my brain frantically, I blurted, "Wings." My voice was a weak croak but I knew he could hear me. "Move your wings." Zaire's had been torn to hell towards the end of the fight and I seriously doubted they'd be quick to heal. My chest was aching with the small shred of hope that stood stock still a few feet away. I held my breath.

And he opened his wings.

I collapsed, my strength leaving me in a rush as the blade fell from my limp fingers and I began sobbing, my body shaking painfully. I closed my eyes and, when I managed to drag them open again, he was kneeling beside me. The moon peaked out again and I gasped as I finally saw his face.