Dark Hunger

"Caleb!" Elize shouted. "Give me my bag." But he looked so dark that her lips thinned. Out of irritation, she took out a pair of jeans and a black shirt and a white sweater from her wardrobe with vengeance and then rushed to the bathroom to change. She came out five minutes later only to find that Caleb was rolling his shirt sleeves up and waiting for her. She said in a mulish tone, "I will not go with you, and that's it." Saying that she grabbed her phone and tucked it in the back pocket of her jeans. Then she picked up her hair and rounded them in a messy bun. "So please give my bag—"

Suddenly a loud splintering crash sounded, and a deep groan emanated, as if a terrible beast was on a prowl. Elize shrieked as Caleb leapt and stood right in front of her, facing the entrance, his eyes wide, and fangs bared and a growl rumbling from his chest. Yet, another crashing sound came as if someone had hurled a battering ram into a nearby wood, which splintered on the impact.

Blue magic seeped from his palm in the form of mist, as Caleb heard heavy footfalls of someone on the other side of the door. "Go to the window," he snarled to her. "Now!"

Elize started shivering. "Wh— who is there?" she said, her voice squeaky. She closed her eyes as dizziness overwhelmed her again because of hunger. The door of her room came splintering down next, revealing a giant man with horns curled back and with black eyes. "You don't even know how dead you are Caleb," he said. "And that leech that hides behind you!"

Elize was dumbfounded. She recognized them. Who the hell were those who were coming after her every now and then? And this time they had horns? Their bodies were massive and they had sharp claws. Her voice choked and she stilled behind Caleb. She heard him through her dizziness, "Go to the window, Elize!"

She nodded weakly and slowly started moving back.

"You think she can escape, sorcerer?" the demon sneered. "You dethroned the demon king, Edyrm. Be prepared to face the consequences. We are going to take you and your mate down like dogs."

Caleb narrowed his eyes. He thought that this was over at Galahar, but he was so wrong.

The demon opened his mouth again, baring his fangs. "King Edyrm is still there in his feral form. And we are his trusted soldiers, who would never abandon him. That bloody unfilial son of his, Rolfe—he thought that the threat has gone." The demon twirled the batter ram in his hand. "No, the threat hangs on you in the form of death." He took a step closer and glanced at Elize. "We had our eyes on you and your mate from a long time. The king wanted you to join hands with him in his battle against Vilinski, but Ileus reached you before us. And now look at you. You have made the worst enemy you could think of—the demon king of Galahar, Edyrm."

Caleb snarled when the demon glanced at Elize. "I have to say that Edyrm thinks too highly of himself. And let me remind you demon, Edyrm is no more the king. As far as I know, he can be categorized as a runaway."

"You!" Enraged as hell, the demon threw the battering ram towards Elize. She screamed and ducked. When she opened her eyes, she found that the demon collided head first with the TV and the battering ram had splintered with green lights bursting around every splinter. Before she knew what was happening, Caleb had rushed to her. He hauled her on his shoulder and ran to the window. She heard loud snarls and grunts of the demon, who shouted, "You can't hide anywhere, sorcerer! We are going to hunt you down!" Saying that he barreled into Caleb, but by that time Caleb had crashed through the glass of the window and jumped down.

"Nooooo!" Elize shrieked and braced herself for the impact. She clutched Caleb's back and knew that was surely going to get fractures once they landed on the ground two stories down. But icy bursts of shock flitted through her when Caleb jumped and landed on the ground… perfectly. Eyes wide, she looked up to her bedroom's window, where the demon was looking down trying to punch an air shield, and speaking something she couldn't understand. Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, she noticed a shadow emerging from the end of the dark alley. It was darting towards them.

"Fuck!" Caleb said, gritting his teeth. He couldn't even see the Aston Martin. "The bastard!" He grabbed Elize and was about to run, when the car sped from the opposite direction and screeched to a halt in front of them, snow flying from its wheels.

"Get in fast!" said Auril who was on the wheels. He had his foot on the accelerator, ramming it up.

Caleb opened the rear door, shoved Elize in and then jumped in the car. Auril released the brake. The car reared and then Auril swung it into the opposite direction of the demon who was now running fast enough to catch the car. "Man, I love this beast!" exclaimed Auril with a chuckle as he sped up taking advantage of the lonely streets.

"What the hell is going on?" Elize asked in a squeaky voice when Caleb strapped her on the seat and then strapped himself. "Who is Edyrm? And those beasts—were they really demons? Like the ones from hell? Oh my God!" she pressed her hands to her mouth. What kind of trouble this man had put her in?

In the front Laurel was sitting frozen on her seat.

"Where did you go?" Caleb asked Auril, gruffly.

"Two demons attacked us!"

"By Skadi!" Caleb rasped. "How did you escape?"

He snorted, "I am sorry, but they are currently twined in the roots and branches of the trees somewhere down the alley!"

Caleb wanted to smile but he saw Elize fishing her phone out. Lips quivering, she looked at the screen. "Who are you calling?" he asked.

"My friend, Denise!"