Page 31 of Blood

He hasn’t noticed the weakening of the shield. I don’t point it out, just tell him that yeah we should go to the checkpoint and thank my lucky stars that Nova’s already out of town.

When we get there, the sight that greets us is worse than I feared.

At least fifty AMA fuckers are gathered on the other side of the shield.

“You got your wake up call, I see, Deputy.” The human speaking to me is called Tobias.Tobias Fletcher.

The self-appointed leader of the AMA’s rebellion against Phoenix Falls and The Original Six.

I scan the signage along the picket.

BURN THE ORIGINAL WITCH

BURN THE HELL HOLE

A lot of burning. “Not exactly a creative bunch of fuckers, are you?” I drawl.

Tobias square up to me. I wonder if he’d be so cocky if there wasn’t an invisible shield stopping me from squeezing the life out of his wretched body.

“Look,” I say, folding my arms. “You’re wasting ammo with these explosions, man. All they’re doing is scaring the wildlife and the kids. So, why don’t you just carry on with your protest. Call us names. Shout, wave your little signs. But stop trying to antagonize a town full of supers.”

“Is that a threat?” Tobias’ eyes flash.

I glance at Sam. Damn right it’s a threat, asshole. “No, Tobias, it’s not a threat. I’m just asking nicely for you to give it a rest. It’s Sunday, after all.”

“Like you supernatural freaks give a damn about Sundays,” Tobias spits. Literally. Onto the floor.

Sam’s upper lip curls. His body is tense. He wants to shift. He’s been holding back ever since Nova left.

While he and I aren’t close, not like he is with Tanner and Mack, I’ve observed him over the past few months and I think I have a pretty good idea of how he operates. It’s why I asked him to join the force; because he needs a purpose.

When Nova and I broke him out of Spine, he thought he had one – help Nova save the world. Then he found out he wasn’t so much part of the whole prophecy thing after all.

Since then, he’s been lost.

Tanner is still nursing – at least until they get sick of his almost daily disappearing acts– Kole’s got the bar, Mack and I have the police force, and Nova has a shit tonne of power and a part-time job at Rev’s while she figures out what she wants to do apart from saving the world.

Even that sniveling rat Nico seems to have found something to do. I almost called bullshit when Sam said Nico’s working with the SDB. But I guess it makes sense. Who better to track demons than an actual demon?

But Sam?

Until he joined the force, and starting his training, he had nothing.

“Stay calm,” I tell him, nodding to the myriad of cellphones that are – right now – recording this interaction. “We don’t need a full on wolf-shift to be caught on camera.”

Sam grits his teeth. But before he can reply, a scream that’s loud enough to curdle my blood slices through the air. A hulking, twisted form appears in the midst of the AMA rebels.

“Is that…?” Sam breathes.

“A fucking demon,” I reply.

“Damn right it’s a demon.” A familiar voice behind me makes me turn, and I see Rev running toward us at top speed.

Beyond the shield, the humans start to scream as the demon, with black scales and gnashing teeth, tosses them aside one-by-one like they’re no more than chess pieces on a playing board.

“What should we do?” Sam asks, eyes grazing over the shield. “Do we help them?”

I fold my arms in front of my chest and shake my head.