Devil's Pathway Read online

The words fall flat. I wish I hadn’t said anything at all. Aunt Kate raises her eyebrows but stays quiet.

  Are you thinking about that night I grabbed the biggest knife in the kitchen and shouted at the shadows that they couldn’t take her this time? How Ryan risked his life to stop me? Was that really sleepwalking, or am I slowly losing it?

  I hope she thinks my bad attitude is because we’ve driven over seventeen hundred miles in three days.

  Not because we’re moving to where life doesn’t exist. Not because I’m dreading school with every ounce of my being. Not because I fear what I’m becoming. Not because of what I saw in Lewiston.

  The car slows as we approach Grangeville. We pass a few buildings and a rundown gas station. There’s no life anywhere. Everything looks old and empty. I see nothing to make me feel better about this place.

  We drive down the empty street, and I realize my hobby of watching people is over, too. Why is everything I love always taken away from me?

  Ever since last year’s psychology class, I’ve been fascinated with body language. I’ve always been able to know what people are hiding, when someone is lying, or when they’re angry. Sometimes I know before they do.

  Ryan fed my interest in psychology with books from his work, and we made constant trips to the mall, watching people do exactly what the books said.

  And obviously the massive population of three thousand people here shuts themselves in at sunset. Who are we going to watch?

  Aunt Kate turns to drive down Main Street. The only restaurants are Taco John’s in a gas station and a Subway. Then we drive by the hospital. They know we’re here. Aunt Kate made sure of that. And they’d better be prepared by now, or they’ll experience Aunt Kate’s temper.

  Will I always be thinking about blood?

  Beside a small grocery store, we stop at the one stoplight in the town. The road dips and rises in front of us. I blink, unable to believe the lack of stores and restaurants.

  “This isn’t it, is it?” I ask. I twist to peer down the side streets.

  She accelerates through the green light. “As far as I know, this is it.”

  We pass a decrepit movie rental store and a Radio Shack. My hopes rise. A movie theater is ahead. It’s a strange mixture of brick, stucco, and rounded clay shingles. I peer ahead to scan the titles of movies playing. But a movement in the shadows on the roof catches my eye.

  “No way!”

  “What? That movie playing?” Aunt Kate laughs without any humor. “That’s pretty old, isn’t it? Wasn’t it out in the theaters about three months ago?”

  She keeps talking, but her voice fades away. I can’t take my eyes off the figures on the rooftop.

  Will the demons ever go away?

  Perched on the top, hunched over the edge, is the same demon I saw in Lewiston, just an hour ago. He has to be the largest demon I have ever seen. His wings are folded back like he is at rest, not prepared for flight like I usually see them.

  On each side of the demon are two men. The man on the left of the demon has short, dark hair, and his shirt is tucked into a nice pair of jeans.

  The other man crouches on the edge of the roof of the theater like he’s poised to leap off. The light reveals uncombed sandy-red hair.

  Neither of them have wings, but I have never seen men with demons before.

  Maybe they’re not men. But what else could they be?

  Before I have time to figure it out, I realize the demon is as relaxed and calm as a guy chilling on his couch on a Saturday afternoon with a video game. I’ve never seen any demon higher than a streetlight. They seem to prefer to stay close to the ground.

  The fact that this one is so far from the ground and so calm fills me with a new kind of fear.

  The two men with the demon draw back into the shadows as we drive closer to the movie theater. But the demon studies me. I stare at him, noting how his large body is covered with thick muscles and scars.

  I cannot wrench my eyes from the demon’s gaze. The familiar panic and fear courses through me. My hands shake so violently I dare not move them, not even to shove them into the seat. I’m sure Aunt Kate can hear my heart pounding.

  The demon sniffs once, twitching his scarred nose. He shakes his wings open while we crawl by.

  Drive faster, Aunt Kate! Get us out of here!

  I want to hunch over and hide in my seat. He’s examining me. He knows I see them. The demons are here, just like in Chicago, but they’re more aggressive, more confident.

  Since when did demons and men join together? Why are they staring at me so intently?

  The darkness inside of me fights to erupt. It pulsates deep inside, flooding me with the pain and emptiness as raw as when it first started.

  I distract myself by looking at the titles of the two movies at the theater. It doesn’t work. I try to care about something, anything, to forget the madness inside. I blink, fighting the anguish. Rage almost overwhelms my pathetic self-control.

  “I imagine a place like this will play older movies,” Aunt Kate says quietly, following my gaze.

  “It’s not...It’s...” I twist around to see the demon watch us drive away. Pulling my attention back to her, I try to remember what she’s talking about and figure out how to hide what’s happening to me. “That movie is old! I saw it months ago. Why’s it playing in the theaters here?”

  The darkness inside me subsides as the figures in the mirror grow smaller. The demon pushes off the building and flies in the opposite direction.

  “I imagine they just got it,” she shrugs.

  “Just got it? Does that mean I have to wait for the new movies?”

  My hands are still shaking so bad I don’t want to move them, and this hole of a town isn’t helping.

  “Probably.” She clearly doesn’t want to talk about this.

  I sit back and seethe, not about movies like Aunt Kate thinks I am, but about demons. This place is worse than home.

  Would you understand if I told you any of this?

  In the few minutes it took us to drive through town, I know moving here is a bad idea.

  If only you could see what I do for five minutes.

  We approach another small grocery store. Its sign proudly proclaims Cash and Carry. I can’t stop the gasp.

  “Don’t they have credit cards here?” My mind spins at the thought of not using plastic.

  Are we in the Dark Ages with no cards? What about the change? What do they do with that?

  Aunt Kate laughs. “I’m sure it’s just a name. They’ve got to use cards here.”

  But she doesn’t sound sure. We stop talking as we pass a few bars and a park and then go up a hill. At the sign that says Snowhaven Ski Hill, she turns right. A few houses flash by, and then we’re in the dark again.

  “Where’s the Starbucks?” I ask. I repeat myself when she doesn’t answer. “Where is the Starbucks?”

  “I don’t know, Nic,” she replies like she’s losing her patience at how hard I am pushing. “I bet there isn’t one.”

  Isn’t one? Just great. And they brought me here.

  I sit back in the seat, stunned.

  She thinks I’m being petty, but movies and coffee keep the darkness in the background where it can’t hurt anyone. It never goes away, like something you think you see but no matter how much you turn, you can’t ever find it. But at least with coffee and movies, I don’t have to worry so much about it erupting.

  Without the things that keep it buried, I’m not going to hold back the darkness on my own.

  I can’t repress the shudder that ripples over my body. I glance at Aunt Kate, but she is too focused on the small mountain road to notice me.

  Aunt Kate, what will happen when I can’t hold the darkness back any longer? I don’t know what may happen.

  I’m terrified about what I might do.

  I swallow, but the lump in my throat won’t budge. Until now, I didn’t want to move because I didn’t want another change. Now I don’t want to be here be
cause I am scared for the lives of the people around me.

  And mine.

  Chapter Three

  Our Time

  It was a quiet night in Grangeville like every other night. Blaise stood on the roof of the movie theater and tucked in his wings. There was no need to be prepared for flight as was custom. The enemy had forgotten about this sleepy town in the backwoods of Idaho long ago.

  When the Master received rule of this insignificant area, his superiors meant it as an insult and not an honor. Goddard was one of the first to side with The Great One, Lucifer, but Goddard made a mistake.

  Instead of joining in the never-ending battle against the angels of light, Goddard wanted to impress The Great One with a gift so priceless that it would secure his position with Lucifer forever.

  There was one such gift. The demons whispered about a human warrior bound to blood but not ruled by it. Once convinced to fight, this human would be unstoppable, even to the angels.

  While the other overlords commanded demons into battle for rewards from Lucifer, Goddard searched for this person. Of the many overlords and princes under Lucifer, only Goddard clung to the belief of such a human. The ridicule never ceased, and Goddard ruled a realm with no value or prestige.

  But Goddard poured over the ancient texts continuously and believed that the tiny town was the place the warrior would appear. Blaise was required to spend his every hour watching and waiting for the possible warrior. And what he saw in Lewiston grabbed his interest, so he followed the car with the boy to Grangeville.

  A car rolled to the stoplight and crawled toward the movie theater. Blaise glanced at the sky, unable to overcome the natural instinct of watching for the angels, his eternal enemies. The full moon was hanging low, larger than normal. Instead of the usual pale light, the moon was deep red, like the color of blood.

  Blaise examined the car and the boy peering through the window. There was nothing special about him, except for the intensive way the boy studied the town. It was like he was judging the setting to see if it was acceptable.

  And then the boy saw him. Blaise knew it as easily as he knew that fear was strangling the boy while they drove past. This little human knew what Blaise was and what he was capable of doing. Their eyes locked. The boy continued to stare like a mouse caught in the gaze of a serpent, and Blaise heard words recite in his mind.

  On the night of the blood moon, the warrior will come forth. He shall see you but not know you.

  The other signs the Master commanded Blaise to learn flooded over him. Blaise smelled the air, longing for the scent to be a sweeter type of blood. His desires were confirmed. He lunged at the car to seize the boy in his impatience.

  Before he left the roof, he pulled back. He couldn’t just react as he wished. No. This had to be done carefully and precisely.

  The car passed by and continued on its way. Blaise remained on the roof, unable to believe what just happened.

  Could this boy really be the one we’ve searched for thousands of years?

  “Follow him,” he growled at the others on the roof.

  Without waiting to see if they obeyed, he pushed off the top of the movie theater and spread his great wings. They knew not to disobey. Quickly banking right, he left them behind without further thought. He had news to deliver to his Master.

  He knew who was in the car. His Master had read the prophecies correctly. And he was going to be the one to inform the Master of the good news.

  The time for Blaise to rise in favor with Goddard was now. With this news, he would secure his position as most favored one, subject to only Goddard. Then he would gain immeasurable rewards, something he had been anticipating for a long time.

  He scanned the skies for enemies, but there was no sign of them tonight. The cowardly angels who didn’t have the guts to evolve to something greater than the Creator made them stayed away from Goddard’s realm, signs that their battles were almost over, and it wouldn’t be long until The Master reigned over this land. And once their kingdom was established here, Goddard had plans for extending his reach until he became the most powerful overlord in the world, second to Lucifer.

  A thrill coursed through Blaise while he savored the thought of a vanquished enemy. They would use the humans as they were truly intended: slaves made to serve the overlords. Blaise laughed with evil glee. With the arrival of the boy, that day was coming soon.

  He flew into the mountains south of Grangeville toward a long forgotten mining town. Smaller demons scattered out of his way, and he sneered. The scum. Only good for throwing into battle to wear down the enemy before they’re dispatched.

  He passed the foothills and soared deeper into the peaks. When he passed over a lake, he caught his reflection far below and knew he was an imposing figure with his massive frame and strong wings.

  The enemy had resisted changing their form, choosing to be exactly as the Creator had made them. Blaise considered his wings to be his finest feature, proof of their freedom of the tyranny from the Creator.

  Beside the meadow where Florence once existed was a deserted log cabin with some scaffolding over a deep tunnel. Inferior demon guards lounged at the entrance, their sentry more traditional than necessary. Mortals and those do-gooder angels had departed a long time ago, leaving them free rein to live as they please.

  He swooped down to land at the entrance by the cabin. Two of the minions with swords drawn blocked his way.

  “You know who I am, fools,” he growled. “Stand aside.”

  “We have our orders, Blaise,” the larger of the two protested. His sword shook with fear. “No one enters without the Master’s password.”

  Blaise growled and seized the demon by the throat to dangle him high in the air. The pathetic spirit dropped his sword with a yelp of terror.

  “I have business with the Master,” he snarled. “Shall I bash your head in on the rock or just go on in?”

  “Go in,” the winged demon yielded without struggle.

  The second guard bowed from the waist and scurried backwards. Blaise dropped the imp to the ground. He strode past them without a glance to the tunnel and dropped down into the earth. His eyes needed no time to adjust to the darkness. They instantly reverted to their natural state.

  Before long, the red glow of the earth eased the strain on his eyes, and he landed in a large cavern. He strode across the open space and ignored the menial spirits pushing open the large iron bar gates stretching from the floor to the ceiling. The lesser demons strained as they struggled to make the gate wide enough, but Blaise only had eyes for the massive castle behind the gates where Goddard waited.

  Once the gates were open, Blaise chose to fly to Goddard’s quarters, ignoring the stairs inside the castle. This news couldn’t wait any longer.

  Blaise landed on the balcony at the top of the castle and entered the room. It was hollowed out of black rock and lit with a red glow from deeper in the earth.

  Goddard lay stretched out on a flat rock, his long and powerful form radiating strength and evil, a force much stronger than Blaise could achieve. He stopped watching a small demon beg for mercy and glanced at Blaise. The Master’s green eyes flashed irritation over the rude and unusual interruption.

  Blaise shifted on his feet. Anger flared hot. He was treated like a slave, but he knew his place. Goddard was his lord and master, and he lived to serve him. Any power Blaise hoped to have would come from Goddard, so he had to do whatever it took to seize his rewards.

  But he hated it. Goddard’s body didn’t hold any scars. Despite his power, he did not fight. He wouldn’t consider going into battle unless there was a dire need or great reward. None of the overlords would lower themselves to the level of a soldier or risk sullying their bodies.

  Envy coursed through Blaise at the sight of Goddard’s silver-blonde hair that stood out against tan skin. He wore black velvet robes, reminiscent of medieval days. Blaise had to be more practical with pants and a shirt to make fighting easier. Of course, Goddard never wo
rried about battle.

  Blaise caught the snarl before it escaped as he remembered that he would never be accepted by the overlords even if he somehow achieved a realm of his own. Scars slashed across his arms, white reminders of what he had sacrificed. In fact, most of his skin contained a reminder of what the enemies’ swords had done to him, but he hated the scar mark across his nose most of all. It marred his looks and destroyed his ambitions to become an overlord.

  Blaise had plans to find that wretched angel fiend and tear his arms off before using the sword that scarred him to dispatch the vile creature of light to eternity. But first he needed his reward.

  He strode forward and lowered himself to one knee. “My Master.”

  Goddard ignored him and spoke to the imp on his knees. “Get out of here. I tire of you.”

  With a flick of Goddard’s hand, the underling hurtled through the air and slammed into the far stone wall. He crashed to the ground and stumbled out of the room.

  Without noticing the minion’s departure, Goddard turned to Blaise with a sneer. “Rise, my servant, and tell me what has occurred that you would dare interrupt me.”

  Blaise rose to his feet. “I saw him, my lord!”

  “Who?” Goddard snapped. “Who’s him?”

  “Him! The one you told us to watch for! The warrior!” Blaise blurted out the encounter. “He smelled different. His blood is unusual. And it’s the full blood moon. Doesn’t the prophecy say...?”

  “Don’t quote the prophecies to me!” Goddard yelled and leaped to his feet. He stretched out his wings and flew across the room.

  Goddard grabbed Blaise by the throat and shoved him hard against the stone wall while clawing at Blaise’s throat. Blaise wanted to scream from the pain, but the hate and rage in Goddard’s green eyes warned him to take his punishment.

  Blaise forced his wings to his side to fight back. He had seen what happened to others when Goddard was in this mood. He made his body to go limp as hate washed over him. When he glanced down, he realized they were high above the floor of the cave.

  “I taught you every one of those prophecies! Years of study I gave freely to you, and now you dare waltz in here and try to teach me!” Goddard thundered, his face a hair’s width from Blaise’s nose.