The Devil's Apprentice by Patrick Stewart (polar express read aloud TXT) 📕

the market place behind and walked down the streets with terraced houses of yellow brickwork, red tiled roofs and front lawns empty of flowers. Karen held the whip by her side, the fall still wrapped around Marvin’s neck, she pulled him along.

They were done for the day. Marvin would be taken to the Rubrum Domus Satanas, where he would be placed in a cell pending trial. If it was determined he’d murdered the woman for her flesh, he would be sentenced to death. If it came from an already dead woman, normally he would be sent back to hell, never to return to earth. But as he had attacked a Demon Hunter, Satani’s favoured, he would most likely be killed.

Alex tried to make peace with the fact that he was playing a part, however small, in the death of Marvin. He glanced back at the demon who was still struggling to free himself. The whip’s fall was tightly wrapped around the demon’s neck. He stumbled to the ground, but Karen kept walking, dragging Marvin along the rough ground by the neck.

It was an unpleasant sight. But Alex told himself that it was a harsher world, a reality much different to the one he was used to. A reality where not only did demons exist, but they sold bits of human flesh in jars.

“Given half a chance, a demon would kill you, or worse,” Karen said.

Alex didn’t doubt her. He recalled how quickly the situation escalated. Marvin began by denying any wrong-doing, and within a couple of minutes, attempted to kill or seriously wound Karen. He couldn’t shrug it off as a single crazy demon. The crowd that had surrounded them, their eyes were full of hatred.

As they turned down another street, the terraced houses gave way to rows of grey tower blocks with blue railings running along the external corridors. Near the entrance to one such tower block, he spotted four humans and a single demon.

They were the first humans Alex had seen in the estate. He stared at them as they passed. He realised quickly that they weren’t humans. Three tall, toned and handsome men and one tall and gorgeous woman. They were Demon Hunters. They stood surrounding a demon with light blue skin, yellow eyes and black hair.

This demon had human features, and looked oddly familiar to Alex. He stopped walking to stare at her.

“What is it?” Karen asked.

“Nothing… I think,” Alex mumbled. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the demon girl. Why did he think he knew her?

Beside him, Karen groaned. “The guy with the blonde hair tied in a headband, that’s Mark. A complete dick, even for a Demon Hunter.”

At that precise moment, Mark turned to look at them. His blue eyes lazily passed over Alex before settling on Karen. His lips spread in a grin.

“When are we fucking,” he shouted at her.

With her free hand, Karen raised her middle finger at him. Undeterred, he strolled over to join them by the sidewalk, looking every bit as arrogant and confident as the two angels Alex had seen.

“It’s going to happen. You know it.”

Karen smiled at him sweetly. “Touch me and I’ll cut your cock off.”

“Rough. I like it,” Mark’s voice changed to a harsh tone, sounding simultaneously like a threat and a challenge. His eyes fell on Marvin who’d managed to climb to his feet. His naturally red skin was darker on account of the whip still around his neck. “What are you doing with that?”

“He was selling human flesh and he tried to attack me. I’m taking him to the Rubrum Domus Satanas.”

Mark took a step towards Marvin, but quick as a flash, Karen came to stand in-between the two.

Mark frowned. “He attacked you.”

Karen nodded diplomatically. “We have processes for that.”

Mark let out a scornful laugh. “You’re going to take him in and put it in a cell and let there be a trial?”

Karen didn’t respond, but she continued to stare at Mark evenly. Her stance remained, but her body tensed, as if expecting a physical confrontation. Mark’s hand rested by his waist. Alex wondered if he too had a weapon hidden there.

“He looks like shit,” Mark nodded at Alex.

“It’s his first day.”

“He looks shit for a human,” Mark said nastily.

“He’s got a bigger cock than you,” Karen retorted.

“Fuck off,” Mark said instantly. “Let me see.”

It took a few seconds for Alex to process the fact that Mark had just asked to see his cock. Karen had turned to look at him too, the corners of her lips twitched in amusement. There was an obvious history between these two. Whatever it is, Alex very much didn’t want to be part of it.

“What did she do?” he asked, pointing at the demon girl surrounded by the other demon hunters.

“She’s a nymphomaniac.”

“That’s a crime?”

Mark’s brows furrowed. “You’re new to this, so I’m going to ignore the tone just the once.” Turning to Karen, he continued, “You volunteered to train another newbie? How many is that now? Fifteen? How many stuck by you?”

Their conversation faded away as Alex stepped off the sidewalk and onto the narrow grassy lawn at the foot of the tower block. The demon girl looked so familiar. How could he know her? She stared back at him. And then he saw it. Recognition. Her eyes wide, her mouth hung open as a tinge of red coloured her blue cheeks.

“Alex?”

 

Chapter 13

 

 

 

 

The blue-skinned demon said his name. The doubt was gone. She knew him. He knew her too. That face was too familiar. But how did he know her and from where?

Mark let out a laugh that sounded like an evil cackle. “The nymph knows you?”

Alex used every bit of his will power to not look back at