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Tristan and the others flew over the city. Tristan looked down and saw the clouds below him turning colors. Odd, he thought. Since he touched Terry, he’d absorbed everything the human knew. So, he knew things weren’t right. A ping of worry went through him for a moment. What if they had brought the plague with them? If so, the human realm was doomed. The Creator would have to fix not only their world, but her own as well. If she lived to do either of those things. Something in Tristan’s gut told him once Rall got what he wanted from her, he’d kill her or, at the very least, imprison her.
Why should he really care about her? Though, if wasn’t for her he wouldn’t be alive. Tristan had never really been much on helping others. He learned long ago it was a waste of time. He pushed his worry and other odd emotions to the back of his mind. He chalked it up to the human’s love for The Creator.
The demons circled the house that Terry lived in. They landed on the roof of the garage and, jumping off it, Tristan decided to go in through the backdoor. Slowly they made their way across the yard to the door. Tristan listened for any signs of the beast. Once at the backdoor Tristan stepped back. He looked over his shoulder at the others.
He knew the beast wouldn’t be happy to see them, but it would be best to send in the others first, use them as bait.
“You two go in first.” Tristan pointed at the two tallest demons. They nodded. The mermaid colored demon reached for the door, but hesitated.
“What are you waiting for?” Tristan gestured at the door.
“This doesn’t feel right.”
“Doesn’t feel right? What, are you a woman? Do you want me to tell Rall ‘I’m sorry, we would have had the Creator for you, but Zin’s feeling weren’t right.’ Go on, girls.” The others snickered.
Zin growled and opened the door and both he and the other taller demon went inside. Tristan pulled the door closed behind them. Now we wait he thought.
Boston had been walking a circle in Terry’s house. He checked every room. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he didn’t like it. He was standing in Terry’s bedroom, about to lay down on the bed, when he heard something outside. It wasn’t a car. He knew the sound of Terry’s car. He left the bedroom and headed for the sound. As he got closer, he realized it was voices.
When the backdoor opened, he hid in the living room behind the couch. The door closed, and he heard it click. He sat and listened. His nose was picking up a scent he had smelled from before. His ears went back. It was those things that attacked his mom and grandma. His coloring helped him blend into the shadows, so the demons didn’t see him as they started into the living room.
Zin scanned the room and stopped short, he heard something. His could smell the beast. The place smelled of human and beast. Both made him want to puke. His nostrils flared out as he started forward. He did his best to try to not puke from that smell. This world was so disgusting to him. As they passed the couch Boston crawled out from behind the couch. He slowly stood up behind them. He let out a low growl and leaped on the other demon. Zin was too far ahead to be his first target.
Boston’s claws and teeth sank into the demon, knocking him to the ground. Zin spun around to see a beast black as night with dark eyes ripping Xen apart. Zin stepped back giving him room to make sure if the beast came for him, he’d be ready. Xen’s screams filled the room.
Boston’s muzzle was once again smeared with demon blood and he had dragon-like skin pieces stuck in his teeth as he left the First Demon on the floor bleeding out. His large paws left bloody prints on Terry’s spotless floors.
Tristan heard the fight inside the house and the screaming, then it stopped. He wasn’t sure if the struggle was over. He put his hand on the door knob to go in when he heard Zin try and talk to the beast.
“We can be friends, can’t we!”
Zin tried to be calm as the beast stalked him. Boston’s ears were back, and his Great Dane body was tense all over. His head was low, but he didn’t take his eyes off Zin. He growled at him, giving Zin a warning.
“That’s a nice beast. I can just leave right now. No one else has to get hurt.”
Zin picked up something from the closest table to him. It was a heavy pewter bookend. Zin lifted the bookend over his head. The moment Boston saw him put it over his head he was ready for him. Zin slammed his hands downward trying to hit Boston in the head. The Great Dane went for Zin’s leg. Boston rushed at him. The bookend hit Boston in the back, making him grunt as the air left his lungs, but he managed to take out Zin. The demon hit the ground with a thud. As his head hit the floor, he started to see stars. The bookend dropped from his clawed hand. Boston ran for Terry’s room though his back was throbbing in pain. He let out a whine as he got to the bedroom. He forced himself to leap on to the bed.
Tristan heard another crash inside the house. This time he opened the door and walked inside to see Xen dead on the floor and Zin on his back.
“I gave you one small task, to get the beast. It can’t be that hard.”
“The beast is smart and large. If you think you can do better, please go get it.”
Zin looked at Tristan. At least, he tried to. He was seeing three of him. Tristan shook his head and stepped over Zin.
“Let me show you how things are done, you peon.”
Tristan listened as he heard a noise in a room off to his right. As he started for it, he was ready to use his magic to trap the beast. As he turned into the room, he saw the beast on the bed. Tristan’s blood went cold when he saw Boston.
“No, it can’t be!”
Tristan feared nothing, or so he told everyone. He had strange nightmares of a beast black as night. From Terry’s memories he had seen Boston, but now, seeing him in person, terror filled him. From a young age he’d had nightmares of a beast coming for him and killing him savagely. As he stood there, face to face with the beast, he felt like wetting himself. He would have, if that was something his species did.
Boston snarled at Tristan. His teeth were stained with Xen’s blood and Tristan could see pieces of Xen’s flesh still in his teeth. Boston got low on the bed. He was ready to jump if he needed to.
“I will not die here.” He wanted to make himself believe that. He was stronger than this. After all, he’d boasted to Zin he could do this easily.
He let out a curse in his native tongue before he started for the beast. Fear still choked him, but his stubbornness to not be weak in front of others pushed him forward. Boston leaped from the bed at him. Throwing his hand out Tristan blasted the beast with energy. It made time and space around the beast stop. Tristan wasn’t sure if it would work here or not.
“Thank fuck!”
He let out a sigh of relief as the beast hung in the air. He made a large metal box he’d seen in Terry’s head appear. He used his magic to get the beast inside it and lock it up tight. The metal cage sat on the bed in the middle of the room. Tristan called for Zin once he was totally used to the beast in full and he had himself in check. He would never show weakness, even if it meant his own death. Tristan ordered Zin to help him take the metal cage back to Maxius. Carefully they carried Boston outside. The Great Dane was still frozen in time. As soon as they were outside the demons took off into the sky with Boston. Tristan hoped Maxius didn’t try and free the beast. Maxius liked to play with things before he killed them sometimes. Tristan didn’t want this to be one of them, or he had a feeling his nightmares would become reality.