Dark Descent: The Arondight Codex - Book One by R Nicole (manga ebook reader .txt) 📕

of scaring me…” he trailed off, the concern in his expression more infuriating than anything.

He thought I was tripping out, hallucinating, having a mental break, losing the plot. Any of those were apt descriptions, but the problem was, it was all real. It was a tinfoil hat free zone and a demon was body jumping to keep up with me. Allegedly. Who knew why, but I wasn’t about to let it hurt us.

“Someone’s following us,” I said. “Please just… follow me.”

“Following us? Like they want to rob us?” He glanced around. “Then we have to go back into the station and find the police.”

“No! We can’t go back in there. We have to get away from the crowds…”

“That’s the complete opposite of what we should do, Scarlett.” He looked around again and shrugged. “I don’t see anyone. Are you sure you’re not…” Awkward.

“Please, Jackson,” I practically begged, “just this once, humour me.”

Reluctantly, he nodded, tensing when I threaded my arm through his.

We crossed the street, weaving through the mass of pedestrians. Why were there so many people out after midnight on a weeknight? London was always bustling, and usually that was an exciting thing, but not tonight. Tonight, it was a pain in both my arse cheeks.

We passed the ornate gothic façade of St. Pancras station, turning off Euston Road, heading north towards Camden. The air felt like it’d dropped a few degrees as we walked, our breath vaporising in white plumes. Jackson brooded next to me, his win at the O2 forgotten.

Abruptly, a shadowy figure stepped out of the darkness and cut us off. Jackson squeaked as we skidded to a halt.

“You can’t run,” the man said, his voice rasping like it was disembodied. “We’ll always find you.”

Turning, we legged it down a side street, weaving past a few startled pedestrians.

“Scarlett!” Jackson cried, his breathing ragged. “What the hell was that? Did you see his eyes?”

“Don’t look back,” I said as we turned down another street. This time it was devoid of life, so the only person we had to worry about was the current body the demon had possessed. If we could lose it, we had a shot at getting home in one piece.

“Do you think he was on that zombie drug?”

“What are you talking about?” I asked irritably, my gaze raking all the dark nooks and crannies as we powered down the street.

“It’s a drug that people get high on like E, but some people had a bad reaction to it and it turned them into living zombies,” he said, hardly slowing down for a breath. “They go mental—biting, scratching… they’re completely rabid.”

“It’s not a drug,” I shouted, storming towards the next crossroads. “We need to get home. If we get home, we’ll be okay.”

“Wait!” His footsteps pounded on the footpath as he caught up to me.

Before he could say anything else, a figure stepped out of the darkness ahead of us.

“Is that…” Jackson trailed off as we stared at the man’s unnatural posture.

He was all twisted. His head lolled to the side, his shoulders were hunched forward, and his arms hung limply. It felt like the demon possessing him didn’t know how to work a human body or maybe it didn’t have ultimate control over its host. Either way, it was a demon and we were screwed.

I didn’t have an arondight blade or a fancy dagger to stab it with. I had no clue how to perform an exorcism or use my Light. It wasn’t like I could dial the emergency services and ask them to dispatch a squadron of Naturals. I didn’t even know Wilder’s number—not that he’d come anyway. There was no cavalry. We were it.

“If we’re about to die, then you should tell me what’s going in as few words as possible,” Jackson declared, his entire body trembling. “I’m six-foot, but I’m weedy as hell. I’ve got no muscle mass and I’ve never hit anyone in my life. Not even the kid who bullied me in high school. Worst I did to him was superglue his locker shut. Of all the people to be trapped in a life or death situation with, you had to get stuck with the coward who’s only a hero in video games.”

“This isn’t the time for an existential crisis, Jackson,” I said, edging in front of him. “He’s possessed with a demon that’s been following us since I brushed past it on the tube.”

“A demon?”

“An Infernal. Or at least, I’m pretty sure that’s what it is.”

The man tilted his head to the side, regarding us with a smug expression. He knew he had us. The only way out now was to fight, and we had nothing going for us. I knew I said my life was basic, but I wasn’t ready to give it up just yet, and I was especially not going to let another Infernal jump into Jackson’s body.

“Scarlett,” Jackson said, his voice wavering, “what do we do?”

There was only one thing I could do, and it was a long shot at best. I had to try to tap into my Light. Ramona had said it was in there, theoretically blocked by my meds, but I’d been off them for weeks now. There was no other option left but to try.

“Stand behind me.” With my heart pounding, I stepped towards the demon. I didn’t feel any different, so how could I be sure my Light was still inside me?

“Scarlett!” Jackson exclaimed. “Don’t.”

I raised my hand and his voice cut off. Focusing on the demon, it grinned, its tongue darting out and wetting its lips. Oh man, the poor guy it was hitching a ride in. How the hell did I fight it without hurting him?

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, reaching inside myself. “It’s us or you.”

I searched desperately for my Light, my anxiety threatening to overwhelm my senses. The demon took a step towards me, its eyes shining eerily in the glow from the orange streetlights overhead. Raising my hands, I prayed for a miracle, but nothing