Free Execution (The Divine Book 6) by M.R. Forbes

me like a second skin.
    His fist came at my face. I pushed out against it, catching the force of it and leaving him standing with his weight forward, into his suddenly ineffective punch. I returned his smile as he adjusted himself and backed away.
    "You tougher than you look," he said. He lifted his head slightly. "Train coming. I break you now."
    He didn't hesitate this time, rushing toward me at ridiculous speed. I stepped out of the way of his first punch, ducked under the second, and steered myself around to his side. I threw a couple of ineffective punches of my own before dancing away again. I could hear the train in the background now, a growing howl like it was powered by a million tortured souls, and it probably was.
    Jazir growled in frustration as I moved away from two more strikes, and then jumped forward and punched him in the face. He didn't even flinch, and I barely escaped his grasp before he crushed me.  
    "Stop moving," he said. "You like little piss demon, flying around and being annoying."
    A harsh light appeared over the mass of demons, the lights of the approaching train. It was time to end this game.
    I gathered my power, pulling it in and bunching it into a tight ball. I stepped back away from Jazir, putting a few feet of distance between us.
    "Give up now," I said.
    Jazir wasn't the only one who laughed. A hundred demons laughed with him.
    He tried to hit me again. I pushed my power out, wrapping him in it and lifting, throwing him up and over the crowd.
    He howled as he arced through the air and landed right in front of the train. His skin might have been impervious to a blade. His bones weren't immune to being crushed. The train didn't notice his howling, or when it stopped.
    The laughter stopped with it. All eyes fell everywhere but where I was standing, and the demons began assembling to climb onto the train.
    Alyx grabbed my arm and kissed my cheek. "Well done, my love," she said.
    "Yeah, nice work, diuscrucis," Zifah said, still hovering under Alyx's leg.
    "I saw you looking," I said.
    He backed up a few steps. "Heh. I am a demon, you know. Damn mortal prudes. Look, I saved your life-"
    "How did you save my life? I would have had to fight him whether he got that sucker punch in or not."
    He shrugged. "At least I tried. How many demons down here would go that far?"
    "I'm still not interested."
    He growled softly and spat on the ground in front of me. "Fine. Have it your way. One more word of advice: you should be more careful who you make enemies with. Or at least, who you refuse to make friends with. See you later, Landon."
    He scampered off into the crowd, vanishing in a sea of legs.
    "Do you think I should have listened to him?" I asked Alyx.
    "No. Take your chances with what you can see in front of you, not intangible threats and promises."
    I nodded before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek for once.  
    It was good advice.

Fifteen

    The train was a distorted replica of the Orient Express, a steam locomotive powered by the Damned, who were chopped and fed like coals into a massive furnace. The interior was mahogany and red, the seats plush and relatively comfortable, and filled with demons. They acted almost civilized, choosing a seat and sitting quietly while the locomotive made its travels.
    Alyx and I found a seat near the back. As with the Terminal, none of the demons on the train would look at me, turning their heads away the moment I came anywhere near them. It was odd how it made me feel more out of place than being the only non-demon in an entire plane full of them did. Even though it was a sign of respectful fear, it was easy for my formerly human ego to take it as rejection.
    "How far to the Desolation?" I asked.
    "According to Damien, it's the third stop. He said about an hour."
    "I still can't believe this is Hell."
    "Me neither."
    "Really? You're a demon."
    She looked hurt by the statement, true or not. "I'm a Were. A child of Lucifer, yes. Does that make me nothing but a