LITMIR.BIZ

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the shadows around his feet. The inky darkness pulled toward his hand, seeking the touch of warmth Black Crow exhumed before he pulled it from the ground. It too met the flames with a spark that quickly turned into an explosion, making Misery reach up to shade her eyes.

      An inhuman wail filled the clearing and Misery watched as the shadow slithered up from the flames, glowing red from the heat. It flew across the clearing back to where Black Crow had grabbed the dirt and vanished into the ground. Moments later, the dirt began to heave like it was breathing and two withered boney arms thrust up out of it.

      Black Crow immediately went to the blood sacrifice Misery’s vampires had acquired and pulled him from their grasp.

      The young man, a student at the local community college, awoke from the vampire’s thrall when Black Crow took possession of him. Still disoriented, he didn’t know what was happening until he saw the long blade approach his throat. By the time he could do anything about it, the blade ripped into his flesh and his scream was silent.

      Blood sprayed over the open flames, feeding the bonfire with hisses and sparks. The arms that had thrust up from the ground were now pulling the rest of its body out into the dark night. Long, low pitched moaning erupted from its throat accompanied by grunts of hunger as it dragged itself toward the dying man.

      Skeletal fingers fisted into the man’s shirt and the creature lowered its head to the open wound, feasting on the blood and flesh. As it ate, muscle and flesh started to grow over the protruding bones and Misery found herself titillated by the scene. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the work of art Black Crow had created and clapped her hands with glee.

      “He will need more to feed upon before he is completely revived… but this one will do for now,” Black Crow said with a touch of boredom caressing his graveled voice.

      “Can we make more?” Misery asked as she watched the blood and gore glitter in the firelight.

      “I can,” Black Crow said simply and Misery didn’t miss his implication… he could do it and she could not.

      “Now young demoness… show me your power,” Black Crow ordered.

      Misery smiled and touched the spider pendant hanging around her neck. The spider immediately scattered into thousands of its tiny counterparts before scuttling back together. Black Crow watched as two of the arachnids crawled down her legs and across the uneven ground. The creatures stopped about halfway between him and Misery before burrowing into the dirt.

      Black Crow stood in silence as the ground began to shift and a thin blood red crack split the earth open accompanied by a small earthquake. The trees rustled and the cries of forest animals joined in as the ground rumbled in annoyance. Five shadow demons flew out of the opening and around the clearing. Their cries sounding more like screams filled the night with their song. They converged on the bonfire and flew in circles around it, coming closer before pulling back at the last second.

      This continued on until the demons grew tired of the game and vanished into the darkness of the forest… toward the city where they could sense their prey. Black Crow stared at the rift into the underworld with an unreadable expression. However, when he approached the jagged crack, he stepped down on it, closing the rift and preventing other demons from escaping.

      “A fair effort,” Black Crow stated. “But you are young and foolish. Such a thin sliver between worlds will only allow simple shadow demons to enter back into this realm… leaving our real allies still trapped on the other side. You will need more power than this!” his voice rose then calmed. “While you gain that power, I will make your army... but they will ultimately answer to me.”

      Misery had no choice but to nod her head in acquiescence and humility. As she turned away, her childish lips lifted in an evil smirk. The old demon was right about one thing, she needed more power… and she knew exactly how to get it.

      Letting the darkness within her expand, she shot back toward the city leaving her underlings to follow. A plan had begun to form and she needed to track down the demon child who could help her. She would have to give up her remaining stash of Kane's blood but the end satisfied the means… it would be worth the sacrifice.

      She flitted over the city toward the slums where she’d found a temporary home. Going from street to street searching the darkness, she tried to catch the scent of her target. The problem with this demon was that he had the ability to hide his demonic aura. To anything hunting him, he would appear to be human and that was the biggest lie of all.

      Not long after she began her search, Misery felt the hybrid Skye following her. He did not engage her activity and he would not come closer, but she could feel him haunting her every move. Did he miss being trapped in the cave with her? She would give him a refresher course if he tried to interfere with her plans. It was bad enough that the two fallen were tracking his every move… he would only lead them to her if he kept this up.

      It was nearing daybreak when she finally found the little demon she was looking for. He came out of the shadows and scurried across the street and into another alley. Misery had stumbled across him out of sheer chance a few days before and had mistaken him for human… that was until he decimated the vampire underlings who had attacked him.

      On the outside, the demon looked like nothing more than a little eight year old boy living as a street rat. His shoulder length dark hair hung in tangled, oily locks around his face, which was pale but sweetly angelic in every other way. It only lent to his human camouflage when he wanted to draw in the hearts and minds of his victims. His clothes were ragged and he had no shoes. When he lifted his head to look out at the street behind him, his eyes glittered like black diamonds.

      Misery moved over the alley above him before dropping straight down in front of the other demon, taking on the form of the little blonde girl as she fell. She landed in a crouch in front of him before standing upright and dusting her frilly dress off.

      “Hello Misery,” the boy said making Misery smile at the small voice.

      “Hello Cyrus,” Misery mimicked.

      “You’re the one that made all those humans kill each other on the bus the other night,” the boy whispered.

      Misery smiled proudly, “Yes I am, and I have need of what you know how to do.”

      Cyrus tilted his head to the side. “What can I do that you can’t already?”

      Misery giggled and took off the spider necklace that had the remnant of Kane’s blood and slipped it over his head.

      “You’d be surprised young one,” she whispered.

      “Will I be able to play?” the boy asked making Misery realize just how young this demon was.

      “Oh yes, you’ll be able to play all you want,” Misery answered.

      The blackness of the boy’s eyes expanded, blocking out all color until they looked like two bottomless pits of nothingness.

      “I like to play,” The boy said and a malicious smile appeared while his fingers played with the spider hanging on the end of the chain.

      *****

      Kriss lay in bed on the top floor penthouse of one of the more prestigious apartment buildings in downtown Los Angeles. He’d taken refuge here in order to avoid Tabatha and his growing feelings toward her.

      His mind flashed back to the last time he had seen her. He’d steadfastly kept his distance from her for a couple days before the separation became too painful for him. His chest had begun to ache from not being close to her and when he entered their apartment to find her asleep with dried tears staining her cheeks… his only thought was to hold her and make it all better.

      He’d slipped under the covers with her, not realizing she was naked until he wrapped himself around her in a protective embrace. That’s when he’d frozen, straining toward her and away from her at the same time. She’d turned toward him in her sleep, throwing her arm around him to cuddle like she often did her extra pillows. When her breasts pressed up against his chest, the self-control

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