The Devil's Apprentice Patrick Stewart (suggested reading TXT) 📖

deeply. Karen did have a point. Having her and Melissa at the same time… in some aspects, his life was pretty awesome.

The only noise that followed was that of the knives and forks crashing into the ceramic plates as they both ate. Alex was famished. He’d had an increased appetite since being a Demon Hunter. After the morning’s exertion, he found he was starving. As he finished his plate, Melissa returned.

She was wearing an old t-shirt of his. It came down just below her waist. The three buttons at the top were undone. She made them both teas, and when she knelt down to place his mug on the table, Alex stared at her breasts. He wondered how it was possible for him to still want sex after going for two rounds in the morning.

He knew the answer, of course. It was because of how hot Melissa and Karen were.

“You won’t believe what happened yesterday,” Karen said, as she sipped her tea. “Apparently, another Demon Hunter died last night in the slums.”

Alex swallowed nervously. The brim of the mug pressed against his lips, he inadvertently glanced at Melissa. She’d been cleaning the countertops, but turned to look back, their eyes meeting.

Karen seemed not to notice and continued, “It’s going to be horrible. This whole thing started with the death of a Demon Hunter. Now that another has died…”

“Who uh… who was it?” Alex asked, trying hard to be innocuous.

“Who was what?”

“Who died?”

“What does it matter?” Karen asked. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. “You went there last night,” she told him. “You know something, don’t you?”

Alex was tempted to lie. But at the last moment, he decided against it. The initial shock of Mark having died in his arms had passed. He didn’t feel guilt or remorse. The guy deserved to die. He was a murderer and a sexual predator. He wondered if that was why Veronica had switched allegiances so quickly.

“I killed Mark.”

Karen stared at him with blank eyes, comprehension not registering on her face. The mug was at her lips, and it was mid-sip that she’d frozen. She placed the mug on the table, then swallowed the tea in her mouth somewhat noisily. “You killed Mark?”

Alex nodded. “Am I in trouble?”

“Yes!” Karen said. “He’s an asshole, sure, but it’s very illegal to kill a Demon Hunter. What the hell were you thinking?”

Alex took another sip of his tea. He felt strangely calm. “What’s going to happen to me?”

“Anyone see you do it?”

“Veronica. Melissa. Possibly a whole bunch of demons.”

“Veronica?” Karen repeated. “The purple-haired chick? Are you sure she saw you?”

“Well, she was right there when it happened. She told me to hurry out from there. Even dropped me home after. So yeah,” he nodded, “Pretty sure she knows.”

“She helped you?” Karen asked, then answered her own question. “I suppose that makes sense.”

Alex wanted to ask how it made any sense, but Karen had moved on. “Killing a Demon Hunter is a crime punishable by death. Why’d you do it?” she asked. “You don’t strike me as the vengeful type.”

Alex told her how it had happened. They duelled. Alex won. After defeating another Demon Hunter, he dispersed the crowds of demons and the hunters. But Mark wasn’t finished. He came back to charge with his sword. Alex’s instincts took over. He sidestepped and drove his sword into Mark’s chest. He didn’t mention how it was almost too easy…

Karen absorbed it all silently. When he was done, she picked up her mug and leaned back against the sofa, deep in thought. Alex watched her carefully, as did Melissa, who stood in the kitchen leaning against the counter. Their eyes met. She raised her hands in concern. In return, Alex shrugged. He had no idea what Melissa was concerned about. He imagined it was a long list.

He turned back to Karen and waved a hand at her. “You alright?”

The absent look in her eyes vanished and she nodded. “Anything else you’ve done that you shouldn’t have?” she asked, taking a long sip of her tea.

What the hell, Alex thought. “I’m the one that’s been attacking the angels.”

Karen spat her tea out.

Chapter 32

Suffice to say, Karen was not impressed. Apparently, the number one rule for Demon Hunters was to stay out of the way of the angels. They were not to be interfered with. Angels had free rein on earth. Karen stressed the importance of the truce between Satani and God. Satani had put down many powerful demons that had challenged the truce. If she knew what he’d done…

Karen didn’t finish the sentence, but Alex had a pretty good idea of what the devil would do to him if she knew. He didn’t feel bad for fighting off the angel. Angels weren’t… angelic, if that made sense. They were assholes. Just like the Demon Hunters. Except, more everything. They were a little taller, apparently stronger too. Definitely more arrogant, and with this white glow about them, possibly better looking too.

Alex knew what would happen if the truce between Satani and God was broken. Demons and angels would turn earth into a battlefield. He couldn’t imagine what that would look like, but he was sure it would be more devastating than any war the humans had ever waged.

Despite how imperfect the current set up was with Demon Hunters, angels and the powerful demons doing whatever pleased them, it could get infinitely worse. And that was why, when Karen left the apartment, after having told him to keep a low profile and not do anything else, Alex ignored her and set off for the Red House of Satan.

* * *

Later that evening, Alex stood on the narrow kerb beside a large green metal bin that overflowed with kitchen waste. To his right,