Free The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox Page B

six
bloodred candles.
    Flames burst from the candles on the chandelier, igniting stray bits of
flesh like spider webs. "Oh that is disgusting," I murmured.
    "Do you like it, darling?" she asked my uncle. "I made it
from the bones of my enemies."
    Enough. I wanted to reach through the blood-smeared mirror and throttle the
woman. "That's insane."
    "She is the bride," Grandma said, her face lit in the red glow
from the mirror. "If she wants a chandelier made from the bones of her
enemies, well…"
    I couldn't believe it. "How are you okay with this?"
    Her jaw twitched. "I'm not. But I don't see what we can do to stop
it."
    Yeah, well maybe I did. I'd called Phil once before.
    I focused my emotions—scattered as they were. Now was the time to
prove to everyone, including myself, I could do this. I concentrated on Phil.
Even though I'd barely met the man, I could picture him perfectly. I imagined
his heavy-lidded eyes, his laugh, the smell of cinnamon.
    Please work.
    "I need my fairy godfather
now
."
    Phil's ears perked. I saw it. At least I thought I did. He gave no other
indication he even sensed me. Serena laid a possessive hand on his arm.
    Oh no, she'd better not. I tried again, calling up every bit of power I had.
    The flames in the candles danced as I focused on my fairy godfather. I
watched him with her. Black smoke swirled and a squat-figured man with gray
dreadlocks appeared. He wore red, flowing robes and held an ancient book. It
was a demon. I knew it without even smelling the sulfur.
    Phil took Serena's hands in his and spoke as if he were in a daze. "I take
you as my bride. I am yours." He reached for her with the ring, stopping
only inches away. I could almost feel him fighting it.
    "No!" I yelled, my voice echoing off the tile. "I summon you
now!"
    Nothing happened.
    "Now!" I hollered, heart pounding, head swimming.
    Serena jammed her finger into the gold band. So much for free will.
    Her beautiful face twisted into a sneer of pure triumph. "I take you,
Phillip Rosewood Clausen Whirley. For eternity." She grabbed his hand and
screwed the ring onto his stubby finger.
    I felt the energy build. Heard it in the way the bones on the chandelier
clacked together. A sulphurous wind blew through the fortress of a room,
sending jonquil leaves and petals cascading down.
    "Man and wife," Serena grated. I felt the rush of power as she
wrapped her fingers around the back of my uncle's head and yanked his mouth
onto hers.
    The red candles blazed high. "Are you sure this is real?" I asked,
not really wanting to know.
    "Yep," Grandma said hoarsely.
    Serena released Phil's lower lip with a long, lingering suck. She stole
energy from him, from the marriage, from her unholy victory. She curved her
chin, shoving Phil backward with a finger to his chin.
    Her crimson eyes settled on me.
    Holy hellfire, could she see us?
    I could feel her rage, her hate. Triumph burned in her eyes. "Leave us
alone, demon slayer," she spat, "and I'll only kill him when I'm
finished. Push me and I'll take his soul."
    My stomach lurched. "What am I going to do if I can't go after
him?" I asked Grandma. I couldn't be responsible for Phil surrendering his
soul. Or for what the demons would do with his power, or…
    Grandma clutched my arm and said something I'd never heard her admit before.
"I don't know."

Chapter
Eight
     
    The candles snuffed themselves, leaving us in a freezing, pitch-black
bathroom. It was the least of our problems. In my short time as a demon slayer,
I'd dealt with renegade witches, black magic and the wrath of corrupted souls,
but nothing had prepared me for a choice between letting my godfather die, or
risking his eternal damnation.
    Dead if you don't. Damned if you do.
    I couldn't let them have him, could I?
    Even if I did, I didn't honestly believe the succubi would leave us alone.
Something big was going down in Vegas and I had a feeling this was barely a
glimpse of the horrors we'd face if we stuck around.
    "You ladies ever coming