Demons Like It Hot (Demons Unleashed #2)(77)

“Get the hell out of my kitchen,” she shouted, waving the cleaver in front of her.

A low, primitive growl was the demon’s response. He, she, or whatever it was, kept growing out of the pot, as thick plumes of black smoke swirled around it. The pot was like a magic lamp, but the genie coming out wasn’t so nice.

Two arms formed, the thick red sauce dripping onto her floor. Her sauce was indeed ruined.

“I said get the hell out.”

“I was invited,” the demon gurgled out, its head popping up like a bubble. “I don’t have to leave.”

And from what she remembered, the Infernati made their own rules anyway. And who exactly invited this freak? Matthias? Daniel? Kalli? Nah, Kalli had better taste than that.

“Wha’ is wrang?” Farquie’s Sottish burr rang urgency in her ear.

In all her excitement, she forgot the imp was on the phone. “I got a problem with the sauce.”

“Wha’ kind o’ problem?”

“It’s attacking me.”

“Wha’?”

The demon in the pot spewed hot sauce from its mouth, spraying her in the face. With a deep sardonic roar of laughter, the demonic marinara man leapt from the pot and lunged for her.

“It’s a demon,” she breathed.

The demon lashed out its hand, more sauce spraying in every direction.

Serah managed to duck to the ground and roll across the floor. With a quick leap up, she pulled open a drawer and yanked out another tool. Gripping the spatula tight in one hand, the cleaver in the other, she somersaulted across the checkered floor and jumped to her feet.

“Where’s yer bodyguard?” Farquhar asked in her ear. Thank goodness she still had reception.

“I kicked him out of the kitchen,” she managed in between ragged breaths.

“Inanna an’ Ah are on our way.”

She wouldn’t risk her friends’ lives. “No. I have it under control. Stay there.”

“Ye sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll call you right back.” She clicked the end button and stuffed the phone in her pocket.

With fluidity she didn’t know she possessed, she snapped back her arm and let the meat cleaver fly. It cut clean through the demon’s saucy head, slicing it into two. More sauce spewed across the room.

“Got you now you demonic pile of crap.”

The demonic roar of laughter echoed—quite literally—throughout the kitchen. What the hell? Serah glanced upwards, her heart plummeting. The sauce separated, and two equally menacing demons formed from the ooze.

Things aren’t ever that easy.

“Arrgh!” the twin demons bellowed in unison. Their fangs glinted with menace. Serah had never seen fangs that long and sharp. What kind of demons were these things? Then again, she didn’t have time to figure that out. She had to defend herself. Talk about a kitchen nightmare.

“There’s more where that came from.” Serah launched the silver-plated spatula right between one of demon’s glowing red eyes.

It dodged to the right, the spatula barely scraping its ear. Throwing back its head, it let out a deep chortle. The other demon joined in, lunging at her. This was getting worse by the minute. She had to do something.

“You will die!” it growled out. More sauce swirled, its body fully regenerating. It slashed out its hand, snagging her by the ankle. More demonic laughter rang in her ears as it pulled her toward the pot. What was it going to do, boil her to death? The other demon grabbed her other leg, helping its twin drag her across the checkered floor.

Oh, God. She really had to do something now. But how?

She couldn’t let this self-replicating demon win. It was bad enough it had already ruined her prize-winning sauce. She gripped the legs of the buffet with all her strength. No way was she giving up that easily.

Then she heard it. The door flew open. A warm gust blew into the room. Had Matthias found a way to break the demon code and enter somewhere he wasn’t welcome? She sure hoped he had.

“Let go ov her!” the rich feminine accent sang through the air. Edie?

“Edie!” Serah shouted, fear creeping through her veins. “Get out!”

“No! You need help.” Her tone remained calm, yet strangely assertive. “Zee demons must be stopped.”

“How do you know—”

“Zere iz no time for talk. Use zee necklace.”

Serah blinked. She knew about the necklace? What was she? She craned her neck for a glance at her sous-chef.

Edie threw her hands in the air, a giant ball forming between her palms. She closed her eyes. Cloaked in a flowing purple toga instead of her usual chef’s jacket, she threw her head back. Her red hair swirled around her face. Warmth emanated from her body. She’d felt that warmth once before. When she met Minerva.

Another goddess? No freaking way! Then again, she didn’t have time to contemplate it. She needed to vanquish these pesky demons.

“Use it!” Edie implored. “Now!” With that, she threw the giant ball of violet energy at the demon on the right. It howled and screamed, then burst into a million pieces of light and vanishing with a loud burst of air. Edie fell back and crumpled to the ground.

Serah had no choice but comply. She allowed her own warmth to pool around her neck and spread through the rest of her body. She looked down. The diamonds in her necklace sparkled and glowed. What was going on?