Beyond the Shadows (To Absolve the Fallen Book 0) by Babbitt Aaron

Author:Babbitt, Aaron [Babbitt, Aaron]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2015-02-11T05:00:00+00:00

***

Jeremiah stared at the wall clock impatiently. He’d gone for hours with the boy: cut, clot, heal, repeat. After cursing turned into tears, the demon decided he might give Dylan a short reprieve. The two hour rest was up.

He sighed and got up from the couch to walk towards the boy’s room. When he got to the door, he shook his head and knocked.

There was a silence; then he heard Dylan stammer, “Uh, come in?”

Jeremiah took a step back from the door and burst into flame. A burning hand shot out of the pillar of fire; the knob on the door turned on its own , and the door swung open telekinetically. Dylan stood there, wide-eyed, and behind him was a beautiful woman with long black hair, atop which were small, red horns that matched her similarly-hued, scaled skin. Behind her was an opened window.

Black, leather wings spread out behind her. “Well met, Jeremiah.”

“Hardly,” his voice boomed from the pillar.

“I know that you can burn me where I stand, and the boy wouldn’t even break a sweat,” she began. “My name is Muriel, and I just want to talk.”

“Okay,” he bantered, “I’d say my recently fostered son is a good conversation starter. Why are you holding him hostage?”

“He isn’t a hostage.”

“Don’t dawdle, succubus,” Jeremiah commanded. “I was already impatient before I opened the door.”

“Then, I shall be brief. General, Adversary requests your presence in San Francisco for the creation and maintenance of a demonic horde.”

“He sent a succubus to parlay with me?” Jeremiah growled. “Or perhaps he’s foolish enough to think you will entice me sexually?”

“I am no succubus, Jeremiah. That isn’t why I take the form of a woman, and that’s probably the last time I’ll bear the reference before I zap the kid from the inside.”

The fire around Jeremiah died. “Understood,” he said. “My mistake. I have an unfortunate history with a succubus.”

Muriel shifted into her human form as well. “I’ve heard, and I accept your apology. Please accept mine for intruding.”

“To business?” Jeremiah prompted.

“Indeed. Would you kindly ring down to your doormen to let my associates up? One looks like an unwashed hippy, and the other is an obnoxious, little girl.”

He shook his head. “Really?”

“Have to laugh to keep from crying. But I promise this plan has potential. Something big is in the works, and Adversary is controlling it.”

“Which one of you is keeping me from sensing your demonic nature?” he queried.

Muriel smiled. “I hope you’ll not be offended if I refrain from answering that right now, General, for my own protection.”

“Sure,” Jeremiah agreed. “Why do you keep calling me ‘General?’ I haven’t held that title in decades.”

“I’ve researched your impressive career. In my humble opinion, you’ve earned the title for life, even if—as legend has it—you died and, it appears, came back.”

Jeremiah nodded and rested his chin in his hand contemplatively. “Okay. May I be honest with you? For the sake of full disclosure?”

“Of course.”

“Great. I hate all other demons. I always have. That cocky attitude,

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