Free Vessel: The Demontouched Saga (Book 4) by Douglas Wayne Page B

foot.
    “Indeed,” he says, sitting forward. “I thought we lost this relic years ago.”
    “Blaine beat you to it,” I say.
    “Blaine was worthless,” he says. “A wanna-be who was good for nothing besides killing women.”
    “I thought you liked that sort of thing?”
    He laughs. “Don’t get me wrong. I like a good murder like the next demon. But, I prefer my deaths to have a purpose.”
    “Purpose?” I say. “Then why were you killing her?” I point to Sara on the ground.
    “Killing her?” he laughs. “We were simply preparing her.”
    “For what?”
    He laughs. “You seem so intent on your destruction, Demontouched.”
    “Persistence is my middle name.”
    “Fine,” he says, standing up. “She should be close enough.”
    I feel someone grab me by the cuff of my neck, pulling me away. I try to pull free, but they are holding me tight.
    Louis kneels down at Sara’s side. He untangles the chain moments before placing the amulet around her neck, standing up once he has it clasped.
    “Arise my brother,” he says.
    On the ground Sara stirs. At first staring at her hands. Getting to her feet shortly after.
    “Balthazaar?” she says. “Is that truly you?”
    “Welcome home, old friend.”
    “What the fuck did you do?” I yell.
    “She obviously wanted the power,” Louis laughed. “I only allowed her to have all of it.”
    I shake myself free and run over to Sara, pulling off the necklace when I’m close.
    “Infidel!” she yells before hitting me with a backhand that sends me flying across the yard and through a plastic table.
    After dusting myself off I look at the amulet, noticing the color has changed from red to white. “How the?”
    “How were we to know he didn’t die,” Louis says.
    Sara takes a few steps in my direction, her eyes turning the color of flame. “You have interfered long enough,” she says, her hair waving in the air.
    Louis places his hand on her chest. “Save your power, exalted one. Abaddon needs your aid with the portal. I will handle this ant.”
    She nods, hair slowly falling around her shoulders as her eyes turn back to their normal color. “I will see you in hell, Demontouched.” She laughs for a moment before walking away with one goon.
    “I guess you had a plan for him too?” I say, pointing to Nal.
    “No,” he says. “We just wanted him to die.”
    He takes a few steps back towards the house, my blade in hand. “This weapon will come in handy in our coming battle.”
    “This one?” Nal says, firing the shot gun at the demon.
    Louis drops to his knees, screaming in pain as the flesh from his leg sizzles in protest. He drops the blades on the ground before clutching his leg.
    Alana elbows her captor in the gut before bringing him to the ground with a Judo flip. I reach out for my knife and send it her way allowing her to shove it into the man’s eye.
    Behind her, Nal pumps the shotgun sending the spent cartridge to the ground before walking up to Louis on the ground. “Game over, asshole,” he says, pulling the trigger again.
    Louis yells out again as the salt penetrates the flesh of his face, sending the flesh of his cheek into the house.
    “I got this,” I say, kneeling over his body. “Any last words?”
    Louis says something in demonic that I only assume is cursing me and my mother’s name. Demons never have been the creative type.
    I place the palm of my hand over the assholes face, fingers on his temples. “Exorcizamus.”
    The white flash leaves my palm, hitting him in the head. He leans back, hands on his face in a feeble attempt to hold his soul in. But it is in vain as the shadowy tendrils of his spirit floats into my eyes instead, sending Louis’s body collapsing to the floor in a pool of blood. As the soul enters my body, I feel a surge of adrenaline through my blood, sending me into a heightened state of awareness.
    “Well that was interesting,” Nal says, rubbing his wrists.
    “No shit,” I say, grabbing my sword. “We