Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Visser and Bakker both reacted, reaching for weapons. Benedek and Tora reacted simultaneously, halting all action, freezing them where they stood on the steps and then forcing them to walk down the stairs and move completely out of the line of fire before encasing them in a cocoon of safeguards.
“Kill them,” Castello ordered Ese Jordan. “Do it now.”
Ese didn’t hesitate. He spun around, raced down the stairs, gun in hand, firing a hail of bullets at the two law enforcement officers. The bullets couldn’t penetrate the safeguards woven around Visser and Bakker, who stood frozen like statues encased in the protective cocoon.
Silke struck, leaping from her chair, crystal sword in hand, to take herself four steps forward, getting Benedek out of the line of fire. Sacred water shot from the rolled lily petals, hitting Castello across his chest, running down his arms and dousing his face. He screamed in pain and rage, coming to his feet so fast the chair fell over, covering the ceremonial knife.
Castello seemed to have forgotten all about the knife. He lunged at Silke, ran into an invisible wall and bounced back. The holes caused by the sacred water began to smoke. She continued to spray the water over the demon, circling to the right and chanting softly. The holes widened over his chest and began to fracture so that great cracks appeared all over his body. One rip went up his throat and around his neck, so his head tilted to one side.
He threw his hands into the air and began calling out in a demonic voice, one that reverberated through skin and bones to shake the body. His fingers curled and uncurled as he wove his spell of death. His nails grew thick and tapered with every curl until they were weapons, looking for all the world like stiletto scalpels. Tiny drops of venom glistened on the sharp points.
Watch your eyes, Silke cautioned all of them. He will throw the venom at your eyes to blind you.
Benedek felt the force of the dark words as they hissed and smoked in the droplets of water raining down on the demon. Each drop created more holes in the demon’s frame. Cracks immediately opened so that smoke poured out.
He’s breaking apart, Lojos said. Can he be that easy to slay?
No demon is that easy, Silke answered calmly. Not even the lesser demons, and this one is in a high position. Expect the unexpected.
Take his head off with a sword and be done with it, Tomas advised.
Nicu, Benedek and Silke gave an inner sniff of derision. That would be a mistake, Nicu said. You know better, Tomas. Lilith will have put some major surprise inside of that demon like a Trojan horse.
There is something, Silke said. Crouched inside him. Waiting to be released.
Benedek caught glimpses in her mind. She was still merged with the demon, reading his thoughts, the programming done to him, waiting for that moment when she would catch a glimpse of what was waiting for them.
The cracks widened and flesh tore away, leaving long, gaping holes in Castello’s body. The smoke began to spin like mini tornadoes pouring out of the fissures. Several blasted loose, targeting Silke, looking like arrows of spinning smoke as they shot toward her.
Benedek moved to shield her, blocking the whirling gray missiles from hitting their target. Two struck the barrier so hard he felt the impact.
Silke once more stepped out farther onto the middle of the porch where Benedek’s body didn’t block her. The dragon lily petals spit fire as the smoke tornadoes burst from the demon and shot in all directions. As the smoke hit the air, each grew in a whirling mass, stacking the smoke on top of each other to form copies of Castello. They were everywhere, on the porch, clinging to the ceiling, out in the yard. Once fully formed, they turned their glowing eyes on Silke.
She had managed to destroy several of the emerging demons with the dragon fire, but now Castello’s body contorted and seized.
This is what the ultimate goal has been, Silke said to the others. Castello knew he was the sacrifice. Whatever is coming out next is the one Lilith is certain will slay me.
She must believe you’re a grave threat to send an army after you, Benedek said.
Use dragon fire to kill them, Silke advised. They have to be fully incinerated to the finest of ashes.
All the while she spoke, she moved like a dancer, mirroring the steps of two of the closest Castello replicas. In the yard, as the clones turned their attention toward Silke, hurrying to intercept her from behind, the air was filled with dragons. Mataias emerged from the clouds riding on the back of a phantom red stone dragon. The dragon maneuvered through the shrubbery easily, homing in on one of the clones.