Last Wish (Highland Magic #4)(78)

The pixie’s response was unequivocal. ‘Monster.’

She wasn’t wrong. The thing that emerged was something out of my worst nightmares. It had some of the features of a Fomori demon but it wasn’t like any of the ones I’d seen before. For one thing, it seemed to be twice the size of the others. Its body was crisscrossed with scars, some gouged so deeply into its flesh that it was a wonder the wounds had ever healed. It was wearing a covering around its groin which I doubted had anything to do with modesty. It wore enormous boots, studded with sharp nails; its face, contorted into a snarl, spoke of darkness and pain.

Involuntarily, I stepped back and the crowd roared louder in delight. The pixie held her ground though her legs were shaking. I kept my focus on the creature advancing slowly towards us, one heavy foot after the other. The closer it got, the more the promise of vile murder glittering in its eyes became obvious.

One of the winged bastards above us dropped something on the sand in front of the monster’s feet. It didn’t even pause but bent down and scooped it up while it continued to stride in our direction. With a sinking feeling, I realised that it was a medieval flail – a spiked ball on the end of a heavy chain. It was far larger than anything I’d seen on television or in a museum and its weight didn’t seem to bother the bastard. With as much effort as it would have taken me to wave a feather boa round my head, the monster began to swing. And still it advanced.

Suddenly it broke into a run, the flail spinning in the air with greater and greater speed. The pixie screamed, a sound not of terror but of a battle cry. She launched herself towards the monster and I had no choice but to throw myself after her. One swipe of that weapon and she’d be mincemeat.

I grabbed a hank of her hair and she yelled in pain as I threw her to one side and out of the demon’s path. It bared its teeth in what was supposed to be a smile. By this point, I was barely aware of the screaming crowd.

The best thing I could do was to get rid of the flail. That was where the immediate danger lay. As my hefty opponent took his first shot and almost lopped off my head, I concentrated on the last trickle of Apportation magic I had left. There was very little there and, even as I pulled it out and concentrated it towards the weapon, I knew it would be touch and go. I clenched my fists and focused. The flail vanished from the creature’s hands. While it stared down at its empty palms, I let out a quick breath of relief.

The creature snarled while the crowd booed their dismay then it barrelled towards me, using its whole body as a weapon. I ran, zigzagging away. It bellowed in frustration and turned from to me to the pixie, who was just getting back to her feet. Shite.

‘Hey!’ I yelled. ‘Ugly boy! Get your arse over here!’ I jumped up and down and waved.

It snorted and glanced back. Whatever it might look like, it wasn’t stupid. It knew that I was trying to distract it and didn’t veer off course. Before I could think of something to do, there was a sickening crunch of breaking bones as its fist connected with the pixie’s body. She crumpled like a rag doll. The move was so sudden and completed with such brute force that I had no way of knowing whether she was alive or dead. Whatever state she was in, the demon decided he was no longer interested in her. He twisted back to face me and grinned, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in delighted anticipation.

I backed up again, unable to go much further because of the dangerous spikes surrounding the arena floor. In my peripheral vision, I caught a glint of metal as something flew down from the crowd behind me. A knife thudded into the sand by my feet. Huh; so not everyone was against me. I picked it up, gripping the smooth blade in my sweaty, clumsy fingers. There was a scuffle in the audience, no doubt because of whoever had tossed me this weapon. I didn’t have time to worry about them; the demon was charging towards me again.

I took off, running away and following the ring of the arena round and round. I noted that the pixie was still breathing – that was something. The demon kept pace, hurtling behind me at full speed. When I felt it gaining on me, I switched direction and darted across the middle of the floor. It leapt high into the air, landing a foot or so away, then it kicked, catching me on my thigh as I spun away to avoid the blow.

I crashed in a shower of sand. I rolled, throwing myself into the movement to get away. When I thought I had enough momentum, I sprang back to my feet. The demon was already there in front of me and still grinning.

I raised my hand, the knife in front of me. For a second, the demon’s smile faltered as I gazed from the blade to its stomach and back again. With a shrug, I tossed the knife away and crossed my arms.

It blinked then it hit me on the side of my head and I went flying. The force of the punch was strong enough to send me crashing into the ground several metres away. I climbed to my feet again and again the demon came after me. This time it went for a kick to my stomach. I was thrown onto my back, wheezing for air. I tried to spring up but my body wouldn’t respond and I lay there, motionless, for several seconds. My opponent nudged me roughly and snarled. I knew what he wanted. He could have easily killed me by now but this was about more than ending my life; he was putting on a show.

I staggered up and faced him, stretching my arms out and waiting. He lunged and grabbed my hair and it felt like my scalp was tearing away from my skull. The pain was excruciating. He threw me in the air once more, sending me to the other side of the arena. I coughed, spitting blood. My vision was swimming but I got to my feet.