Demon Angel

we will travel to your house, and they will feast on the girl there."
    Savi. Hugh tensed, but he kept his voice even. "Do I have anything to persuade you otherwise?" This must have been what the demon had been waiting for—Hugh had something he wanted. It was the only reason to threaten Savi; the demon would probably try to bargain for her life.
    "Submit to the ritual." The demon smiled, and he indicated the two nosferatu with a sweep of his hands. "I have friends who desperately want to tear the girl apart, but they will settle for you."
    A lie. No doubt they would enjoy killing Savi, but they needed Hugh. It would not be settling.
    "Why?"
    "Is always better when the sacrifice is willingly made. The power of free will," Beelzebub said.
    That was truth. Selah gave him a warning glance, and he understood; they were running out of time, and the nosferatu out of patience.
    Hugh shook his head. "No."
    His denial snapped whatever had held the nosferatu back; Colin began firing. Selah held out her hand, ready to teleport them to safety. Hugh's fingers brushed hers, and then he was knocked back, slammed against the concrete wall. Not the demon, who couldn't have killed him—the nosferatu stared down at him with burning eyes. Just enough time for a quick slash; the nosferatu howled in surprise as his belly opened—he'd not expected a human to have Hugh's speed. The creature's hand shot out, connected. Dark spots swam before Hugh's eyes and he felt himself fall, the swords slipping from his grip.
    Dimly, he heard the rifle fire cease, and the second nosferatu's angry cry as Colin went to work with his blades.
    The nosferatu's teeth sank into his neck; unlike a vampire's bite, no pleasure in this, but a dark tearing through his mind. He heard the demon yell for the nosferatu not to kill him, wondered if the creature was going to listen.
    His lower back ached, throbbed where he'd landed on Lilith's gun.
    God, but he loved her.
    The nosferatu eased back, grinning, his lips rimmed with Hugh's blood. "And we will have her, too."
    Arrogant and proud creature—bragging in the midst of a fight, even when victory seemed assured, was a terrible habit. It did not give Hugh a lot of time, but enough to slip out the gun and pull the trigger.
    The safety was on. Hugh fumbled with the unfamiliar weapon. Hard to say who was more surprised, Hugh thought, as the nosferatu's eyes widened before he trapped Hugh's hand to the floor, and began laughing.
    Sir Pup cut his laughter short. The hellhound took the nosferatu's head in one mouth, and clamped down on each arm with the others. The nosferatu's body jerked. A sickening crunch, and Hugh rolled out of the way of the gush of fluid, swayed as he climbed to his feet. "Selah," he said, the sound barely escaping his damaged throat, and he had to lean against the hellhound for support.
    Colin was retreating from the nosferatu, slowly wearing against the creature's superior strength. Selah glanced over at the vampire, ducked a slice from Beelzebub's sword, and dived for Hugh, her wings outstretched as if to block him from the demon's sight.
    He needed to see that Savi was still safe. Selah grabbed his arm, and he rasped, "Savi," opening his mind to give her an anchor, though his blood would have been enough.
    The world spun around him, and they crashed onto a table; it collapsed under their combined weight, sending metal and plastic skittering across the floor. Pain seared through his side, but he forced himself to remain conscious, look around.
    From her small kitchen, Savi stared at him, a shattered teacup at her feet. Her mouth was drawn tight with fear and disbelief, and the remnants of grief.
    Someone was sitting at breakfast bar, but he couldn't focus. Auburn hair. He knew—
    "Hugh," Selah said urgently, "I need to get you to a Healer."
    He shook his head, the movement an agony. "Colin first."
    She nodded tightly, flicked a glance at Savi and the woman, and disappeared.
    "Hugh? How the fu—ohmygod." Savi fell to her knees next to him, yanked up his sweater and pressed it to the wound at his throat. "What the hell is going on? What was that?" She glanced over her shoulder, and began whispering, frantic. "The cops are searching your place. They have a warrant—Javier… and Sue—they're both dead."
    Other hands touched him. Taylor. Detective. Talking into a phone, a civilian down.
    "Stay with the police," he said to Savi, not even sure she heard him. "Don't be alone."
    She nodded, tears