“Is this normal? Eating humans?” Snoe asked.
“No, it’s a rarity. Some witches get pulled into the demon realm and lose. Once their soul is taken, their bodies are usually tossed to us lesser demons and we eat,” Smooth answered.
“Well, how about you guys can eat anyone I say, but children—soulless or not—are off-limits,” Snoe offered.
“Okay,” Wolly said, shrugging. It was as if the answer didn’t matter to him.
“Bury them somewhere,” Snoe said.
It was all catching up to him. The forest was slowly tilting, and Snoe caught himself before he fell over. His pants and hands were coated with blood. A few inches from him lay a dead woman. It was a lot of death that he was at the root of. Snoe felt the bile burning the back of his throat and turned away from the sight of blood and carnage and tossed up the delicious soup Blade had made him for breakfast. It wasn’t so good coming back up. The putrid smell of his own vomit had Snoe hurling once more on the ground. He’d have to go out back to the creek and get some water to get rid of it before it stunk up the small cottage. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Snoe made his way back outside. He’d thought he’d prepared himself for the sight, but as his eyes landed on all the bloodshed and the dead bodies, he bent over and started dry heaving.
This is revenge. No one ever said it’s beautiful and tidy, Snoe reminded himself. He found one of the water buckets that still had water left over and scooped some out, rinsing his mouth out a few times. He needed to calm down and take a hold of the situation.
“Master,” Dox said, his voice steady and with a surety Snoe craved.
Snoe took in a few calming breaths and looked at Dox, avoiding the bloody mess. Dox cupped Snoe’s face and stared into his eyes. No disgust or sympathy showed in Dox’s light green eyes. It was just him staring at Snoe as if he hung the fucking moon just for them.
Snoe breathed out a heavy sigh. This was only day one on the journey that was his vengeance. Snoe wanted so badly to ask Dox if this was the right thing. If the path he was choosing was the best one. Snoe shook his head free of such thoughts. If he hadn’t made the choices he did, then he wouldn’t have Dox, Smooth, Nyght, Wolly, Joker, Gunner, and Blade. Snoe wasn’t alone anymore, and that feeling was reason enough to continue on the path of destruction and bloodshed. It was naïve of him to think only the ones who’d done him wrong would be the ones to bleed.
“I better get cleaned up,” Snoe said, needing more than ever to wash the blood from his skin.
“Would you like us to come with you?” Dox asked.
“Of course,” Snoe said.
Even with everything going on, he felt safest surrounded by his demon wolves. They made their way toward the creek behind the cottage. With Snoe still not having running water in the cottage, it made it impossible to use the shower.
“Where is the piece of paper Arnold wrote on?” Snoe asked. He wasn’t sure if he could trust the information, but he wasn’t going to completely toss it out either.
“Here.” Blade handed it to him.
It was soaked in blood, and most of the information was lost, but there was one part that was still clear. He ripped the paper, making sure the blood didn’t continue to travel. There was one legible address. Snoe had to take that as a win; they’d just have to ask the next one where the others were located.
“We can do it tomorrow. You look exhausted,” Smooth said as he picked Snoe up, and Snoe couldn’t help but sigh in relief. He felt as if any second his legs were going to give out on him.
“Summoning the demon lord is a lot more magic than I have,” Snoe said.
“Not to mention this puts a toll on your mental state,” Blade said matter-of-factly.
Snoe couldn’t disagree with that, even if he wished he were stronger. All he could do was continue to strengthen.
“I still plan on going through with my revenge,” Snoe finally said.
“I expect no less from our master,” Blade said.
“Tomorrow we need to steal cars and clothes. I hope you guys know how to drive,” Snoe said.
“I’m sure we can learn, but why do we need clothes?” Dox asked.
Snoe looked at each of them as they made it to the creek. “We have to sneak into shifter territory to get the next guy, and as much as most people are taught shifters just walk around naked, I’d prefer to have clothes just in case it’s a baseless rumor.”
In the next few days, they would kill another person or people. Hopefully, he didn’t have a family like the last one. Either way, their sacrifice would help pave the way for Snoe’s vengeance.
Chapter Twelve
Nyght
It had taken them over a week and a half to find the address provided by the other shifter they had killed. Nyght held one of the shifters who’d hurt Master. He wanted nothing more than to rip him to shreds. But Master had asked for them to attempt to keep this one alive. This one had a family, which Master had informed them was even better.
“Now I just need to get in touch with the one man I know will help me,” Master said.
He glared at the man in Nyght’s arms. A visible shiver racked up his Master’s lean frame, and his face twisted into one of disgust. He turned away, and Dox was next to him in a second, noticing their master’s discomfort.
“Are you okay?” Dox asked.
A scream penetrated the room. Gunner came out dragging a woman by the back of her neck. Her eyes glowed the same bright yellow as the man’s had. She bared her teeth at them, but no matter how she fought against Gunner’s hold, she wasn’t breaking free.
“Place her in the middle of the circle,” Master commanded.
There in the middle of the floor was a demonic circle Master had drawn up. The woman went on kicking and screaming, but there was nothing she could do.
“Can’t I yank out her larynx?” Blade asked. He licked his lips. Demons were violently driven by nature, and the fact that their Master permitted it only fueled them each even more.
“No, I need her alive,” Master said.
Blade tsked. “For how long?”
Master didn’t answer him, instead turning to face Nyght.
“Wake him up,” Master said.
Nyght picked the man up. The shifter was easily just as tall as Gunner though not nearly as muscular, but thanks to his demonic strength, Nyght moved him around with ease. Nyght’s hand crashed down against the man’s cheeks. They reddened with each slap, and Nyght only stopped when the man’s lashes fluttered.
“He’s coming to,” Nyght said.
“Good, move him close. I don’t want him to miss this,” Master said. His voice was steady with resolve.
Nyght did as instructed. He held the man’s head up so he wouldn’t miss one second of what was about to transpire. He was groggy, and that was to be expected. If it wasn’t for his shifter genetics, he’d mostly be unconscious still. Or dead, Nyght had taken to slamming the man’s head against the wall and floor until he passed out. Blood still covered most of the shifter’s face.
The woman on the floor screamed again, and that seemed to help the man wake up a little more. He tried to pull away from Nyght, but Nyght pushed him down onto his stomach and placed his knee in the middle of his back. He yanked the man’s head back up. He growled and tried in vain to buck Nyght off his back, but Nyght wasn’t budging.