Page 18 of Dream Warrior (Dark-Hunter 16)
CHAPTER 6
Delphine was more than ready to lay into Jerichofor his cruel intentions as she followed him outside the restaurant. Whoever he was going after didn't deserve to die, and from what she could see, it was one of two young women.
Or, Zeus forbid, both of them.
What was it with him that he'd forgotten all compassion? What could those girls have done to him to make him want to kill them? They looked as harmless as could be.
At least that was her thought until she saw the demon rush into a dark alley to attack the two young women they'd been following.
She tried to blast the demon, only to be reminded that her powers were completely gone.
Jericho ran at the demon and grabbed him from behind. No more then five-eight in height, the demon had dark skin, flashing black eyes and a bald head. Lean and wiry and extremely handsome, he struggled against Jericho.
Jericho pulled the demon off the screaming co-ed. "Get the girls out of here," he shouted at her.
She did as he said, knowing he wouldn't be able to fight the demon with witnesses present. Humans really didn't want to know what was out in the world, preying on them.
As soon as she had the alley clear and the crying girls were running toward safety, Jericho let loose the demon, who turned on him with flashing fangs. Jericho caught the demon's shoulders as he came at him and flipped him onto the ground.
In one fluid move, he pulled the dagger out of his boot and held it against the demon's throat. Unable to move now without hurting himself, the demon's eyes turned red and his demon's marks appeared on his bald head.
"What are you doing here, Berith?" Jericho demanded in a cold, lethal tone.
The demon's eyes bulged as he realized who Jericho was. "Kyrios?" he asked excitedly, using the term meaning "master." "It's so good to see you again. I'd heard you were banished. Stripped of your powers."
Jericho kept him in place. "I'm sure my father's filled your head full of bullshit. As you can see, I'm hale and whole, and willing to gut you. Now why were you after those girls?"
"Bidden."
"By?"
Berith shrugged. "Dunno. Some boy-man who says he bought my ring in an antique store. You know the rules. I can't question my orders. I only carry them out."
Delphine was completely confused by what was going on but didn't want to interrupt them.
Jericho pulled his knife away from the demon's throat and sat back on his haunches. "Where is this boy who owns your ring?"
"In something called a dorm room not too far from here. It's a small place. After I bring him the girl he sent me after, he wants me to put him in a house. A big one in something called the Garden District. Not sure what that is. I'll have to do research on it."
Delphine finally interrupted. "I take it you know this demon?"
Nodding, Jericho rose to his feet, pulling the demon up with him. "He was one of my father's generals until he pissed him off. For that aggravation, my father bound him into slavery to a ring. You own the ring, you own Berith."
Berith straightened his clothes with exaggerated jerks. "And it hurts every time they conjure me. I swear it feels like someone peeling my skin off."
She shook her head in pity for both of them. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked at Jericho. "You must have had such a great childhood with a man like that for your father."
"Yeah. All puppy dogs and rainbows and those weird furry people with padded coat hangers on their heads that look like space aliens on acid."
Berith paused as he brushed debris off his clothes to frown. "You mean the Teletubbies?"
Jericho gave him a smirk. "The fact that you know what they're called, Berith, truly scares me."
Berith shrugged. "As a demon of torture, it behooves me to know all things that are deeply annoying. You'd be amazed how many people in the modern age no longer fear zombies as much as Teletubbies."
Jericho snorted. "Not really. I'd rather battle a brain-eating zombie any day than hear them sing."
"You're both sick individuals," Delphine said, yet she was oddly amused by their conversation.
Jericho ignored her. "So what were you going to do with the girls?"
Berith rubbed his eyes before he answered. "One I was going to eat, the other the kid wanted for his girlfriend. You do know I still have to take her to him, right?"
"No, you don't," Jericho said in a flat tone.
"What do you mean?" Berith's voice was filled with fear. He took two steps back. "You plan to kill me?"
"No. I'm going to liberate you."
Berith backed up another step, his face contorted with suspicion. "That's the demon euphemism for death. . ."
"I'm not going to kill you, Berith."
"Really?" He dragged the word out slowly. "Why not?" The way he said that was comical. It was almost as if he were disappointed.
"Because I need an ally and I can think of no one better."
Berith scoffed. "Sure you can. I can think of a lot of gods with more power than a bound demon."
"Yes, but I know your weaknesses, which means you'll think twice before betraying me."
"Very good point. You get the ring and I'm yours to command."
Jericho looked at Delphine. "Shall we?"
"Have I any choice?"
"Not really."
"Didn't think so."
Berith took them straight to his master, who turned out to be a pimple-faced nineteen-year-old college student. Some master he was. He actually wet his pants the moment they flashed into his room.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice shaking as he cringed in a corner of his dorm room.
Jericho crossed his arms over his chest in a tough stance as he scowled at the boy. "I want Berith's ring."
"It's mine. I bought it fair and square."
"Kid," Jericho said sternly, "hand it over. I'll reimburse you. Most importantly, give it over without a fuss, and I'll let you live."
The boy swallowed. He looked at Berith. "What about our deal?"
Berith indicated Jericho with his thumb. "The man doesn't want me messing with it and, no offense, I wouldn't anger him. I've seen what he can do and it's the stuff horror movies are made of. Body parts flailing, blood. Lots of blood and torture." He leaned forward to whisper loudly, "and the woman with us? Goddess of nightmares. These two can get you sleeping and awake. You might want to let them have the ring so that they'll go away peacefully."
"But-"
Delphine stepped forward. "No buts, sweetie. Give us the ring before someone gets hurt."
Berith cleared his throat. "That someone would be you, just for clarification."
The boy's eyes widened before he pulled the ring off his pinkie and held it out to them. "I just wanted Kerry to notice me."
Jericho took it from him. "For the record, kid, summoning a demon to kidnap her, not the best way to meet a woman. It usually backfires on you."
Delphine arched a brow at that.
Jericho didn't comment on her unspoken sarcasm.
The next thing Delphine knew, they were all back in Azmodea in Jericho's room.
He turned to the demon. "Berith, back in the ring. Now."
Berith saluted him before he complied. Jericho slid the ring onto his finger. Small and gold, it held a single blood-red stone that had a skull etched into it. The ring looked rather creepy, and given the fact that it housed a demon, it was rather apropos.
"What are you planning to do with that?" she asked, indicating the ring.
He shrugged. "It never hurts to have a surprise your enemies don't know about. Even the toughest of us need the cavalry from time to time."
That made sense to her. And Berith would have nothing to gain by working for Noir.
Not to mention Jericho didn't trust Noir. Even though he didn't say it in so many words, she sensed it in the way he was more on guard here than he'd been in the restaurant.
He might talk the game, but he knew the drill. She gave him credit for not blindly following someone she had no doubt would turn on him even worse than Zeus had.
She walked closer to Jericho. His hair was long and blond again-he'd made it short for their brief trip to New Orleans, probably because he seemed to have an aversion to standing out. But now he looked like the god he was, complete with an eye that glowed with color.
He was so much larger than she. Stronger. She should be afraid of him, and yet she had this overwhelming compulsion to rub herself against him. To have him hold her.
In spite of those feelings, she playfully narrowed her gaze. "By the way, I want to revisit that demon comment you made earlier. Isn't that how we met?"
He scoffed. "And you see how wonderfully sweet you've been to me as a result of it. You've done all but bite me."
She tucked her hands behind her back and smiled devilishly. "1 probably should have done that while I had the chance."
"Well, there's always tomorrow. I'm sure you'll get around to it then." There was no humor in his tone at all. It was deadly serious.
"I was teasing."
"Sure you were."
