Free The League of Doorways (A Book of Vampires, Werewolves & Black Magic) (The Doorways Trilogy - Book Two) by Tim O'Rourke

Demon chuckled and came forward, Julio close behind, his hands pressed over his midriff so as not to spill his guts onto the sand.
    “You are very brave or very stupid,” Van Demon mocked.
    Tanner stared straight back into Van Demon’s eyes, one of which swiveled in a broken socket.
    “I am neither,” Tanner whispered.
    Leaning in close so as to hear Tanner, Van Demon said, “Si, it is a shame that thee dislike me so much, peacekeeper. We could have been great – how do you say it – friends.”
    “I’m no friend of yours,” Tanner whispered again.
    “Me thinks I was going to kill the senorita and senor uncle,” Van Demon explained. “We are heading into the outer-rim where great dangers lie. You have cunning and are quick on the draw , peacekeeper. You would have made a great companion. We could have shared the power in the box. Si?”
    “No,” Tanner whispered, and Van Demon took a step closer.
    “Such a pity, peacekeeper,” Van Demon smiled. “So me thinks I will kill senor uncle and take the senorita to bargain with, should I need to.”
    Hearing this, Fandel dropped to his knees and began to beg for his life. “No , you can’t kill me,” he whined. “How will you make your way to the Rusty Volcano without me?”
    “I think I will recognise a volcano when thee see s one, no?” Van Demon smiled, enjoying the sight of Fandel begging for his life.
    “You might find the box,” Fandel tried to bargain, “but you won’t be able to open it. Even the great sorcerer , Throat can’t open it. That’s why it hangs above the volcano, slowly burning open. But there is a key!”
    “Now there is a key, amigo?” Van Demon sneered. “Why did you not mention a key before?”
    “Because you would have killed me back then,” Fandel said, his long face ashen, greasy black hair flopping over his brow. “I thought I might need something to bargain with, and I was right.”
    “You were very wise, senor uncle,” Van Demon said. “You are cunning. Perhaps thee would make a better companion than thee peacekeeper.”
    “I would, I would!” Fandel sniveled as he shuffled towards Van Demon on his knees. “Kill him , not me.”
    Then turning to face Tanner again, Van Demon leaned in, and breathing coolly into his face, he said, “Si, I think senor uncle is right.”
    “This is your last chance, Bandit,” Tanner whispered. “Take your merry men and sail far away from here, or you die.”
    “Die, ye say?” Van Demon smiled again, searching Tanner’s crazy stare with his own.
    “Right here,” Tanner whispered. “Right now !”
    Before Van Demon had a chance to react, Tanner smashed his forehead into the bridge of Van Demon’s nose. There was a crunching sound as Van Demon’s already decomposed face shattered under the sheer force with which Tanner had struck him. The noise of Van Demon’s cracking skull was still ringing in Anna’s ears when the night exploded with the clatter of gunfire.

Chapter Twelve
     
    Faraday lurched the beet-wagon from left to right, and gunned it forward at an ever increasing speed in an attempt to outrun the tiger-bikes, which were gaining on them. The beetle rocked and rolled and bounced up and down, as it scuttled across the desert. Zach snatched a quick look back over his shoulder to see William, Neanna, and Bom huddled together on the backseat. Suddenly, tiger-bikes bounded alongside the beetle on either side. Faraday snaked the beetle back and forth across the desert floor, as he desperately wrestled to keep it under control.
    One of the tiger-bikes raised a giant paw and took a swipe at the side of the beetle. The vehicle cried out as if in pain. Looking out through the darkened galls, Zach could see the dead peacekeeper bent low over his bike, gripping the handlebars which protruded from the head of the tiger where it once had ears. The tiger-bike took another swipe at the beetle and Faraday turned the steering wheel, making the beetle scuttle out of harm’s