Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(66)
Its body writhed like a snake with spikes protruding from all angles. Though the body reminded me of a mutated anaconda, the upper half was more humanoid. Its torso was muscular, covered in the same scales as the lower half. It had the arms of a man, with thorns embedded in its shoulders. The eyes glowed yellow against the face of a man, and its teeth were too large for its mouth.
Four horns graced its head, the first pointed downward, pressed closely to each cheek, the other two horns protruding from its forehead, curving like a bull’s and thick as the tusks of a male elephant.
The tail held the torso up while it spoke down at us. "You think a litter of pups are going to prevent me from fulfilling my vow?" His voice was bottomless, combing through us and striking our eardrums.
Oh, you did not just say that, Poison Ivy spat in her Hellhound form.
"Why don't we find out?" Echo retorted. She had banished the nurturing tone I had grown used to. Now her voice was acid.
"Did I hurt your feelings, mutt? I'll make you a deal.” His eyes narrowed toward me and Ash. “Give me the young ones and I will allow you to leave freely."
"I don't think so!" Scrye screamed up at him.
Poison Ivy made the first move, sinking her teeth into the flesh of its tail, while Vixen tore at the demon’s eyes. Echo and the rest began to screech, evincing a wail from the demon as it covered its ears.
Opening my duffle bag, I grabbed a mace and handed Ash a spear. Then I ran forward in sync with the other Hellhounds. They shifted, but I remained in my usual form since I wasn't sure I would be much use in the other.
Vixen and Whisper focused on the demon’s face; the rest of us struggled with the tail. I threw myself onto the end of its wiggling form and hammered it with my mace. Echo used her claws to slice through the flesh and Ash darted back and forth, poking it with the spear. He called forth fireballs and threw them at the creature.
Our efforts seemed to be for naught. We caused it pain, but it recovered too quickly. We couldn't stop it, much less kill it. Suddenly, it sent me spiraling through the air, slamming me into a tree and knocking the breath out of me. Without oxygen, I couldn't move, giving me time to watch the events unfold. The others attacked the usual vulnerable areas, but this creature didn't seem to be equipped with a weakness.
Hellhounds were created to punish the souls of the dead, but demons didn't have souls, which meant that their usual methods wouldn't eliminate this demon. They were still incredibly powerful, but I was beginning to think that they were outmatched.
Frozen, I watched the others being beaten down. They had come to support me, but might end up dying for it. As they fought, their voices still rose, but the demon had acquired immunity to their unique weapon.
Vixen was the first to collapse. She lost her hold and was thrown to the ground. Then came Whisper, Scrye, and Echo. Echo limped to Ash, pulling him away from the fight. Poison Ivy was still attacking the demon’s head, one of its horns in her mouth. The demon reached up and pulled her off, his horn still held within her jaw. Poison Ivy landed hard, unmoving, but with her eyes wide open.
Reaching up, the demon felt the stump where his horn had been and screamed. "I'll rip you to shreds for that!" I willed her to move, but she seemed paralyzed. Her fur quaked under the demon’s gaze. She closed her eyes, awaiting death, and a single tear escaped.
Time stood still. Suddenly all my thoughts were banished, leaving me aware of only Poison Ivy, the demon, and myself. The fury I had felt during the ritual came back full force, confiscating reason, and directed towards a single target. Powered by bloodlust, intense hatred spread through me.
At some point during mine and Poison Ivy's bickering, I had developed a bond with her that I hadn't known existed. This thing was invoking an emotion I hadn't known she was capable of. She was afraid and it made me furious.
Rather than fighting it, I gave in to the Fury, recognizing it as the Hellhound. The moment I did, an explosion built within me, as if I were about to spontaneously combust. The fire raged out of control. Suddenly, the demon burst apart, showering us with bits of flesh. Disgusted, I pulled matted gunk from my jacket.
Poison Ivy shifted to her human self and eyed me. "Maybe there's hope for you after all." It was the closest to a thank you that I would get, but I didn't care.
I covered her naked body with my jacket and she winced in pain. "Gee, thanks. You have a real knack for fashion: a leather jacket with demon remains spewed all over it. Just what I've always wanted."
"Way to go with thanking the girl who just saved all our asses, "Vixen retorted. Then she spotted the mush in her hair and cried out. "Hell's bells. What am I supposed to do with this?" She held up a chunk of matted hair for all to see. Then looked down at her outfit and moaned. "Anyone know how to get demon gore out of designer jeans?"
Noting that all of us had a serious wardrobe malfunction, Echo called forth the vortex and made a clothing run. She came back with a cart of merchandise that I suspected were stolen. Among the items I found water, dry shampoo, clothes, shoes, and deodorant.
I ended up in a red dress that I wouldn't be caught wearing under normal circumstances. Thankfully, it came to my knees and I was able to snag some knee high boots to cover the rest of my legs. Poison Ivy brought me my jacket after cleaning the grime off. Once on, my outfit was more modest, if a bit clubbish. Yet I was able to salvage some dignity.