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

It made sense now, why the apartment was a mess. Melissa worked two jobs. A full-time one in security, and another working in demon clubs. A tough job, the latter. And he doubted a girl as pretty and with her talents simply served drinks behind the bar.

“Shall we wake him?” Alex asked.

Karen raised a foot and placed it on Marvin’s chest. She gave a gentle push. The chair moved back onto two legs, were it remained suspended, neither falling back on its four legs, nor hitting the ground. The three of them glanced at each other. Karen muttered something under her breath, then kicked Marvin in the chest.

The chair flew off the ground and slammed into the counter behind. The wood splintered. Some of it dug into Marvin’s back. He was no longer asleep. His eyes wide, he stared around the room, surprisingly calm considering the circumstances.

The calmness disappeared quickly as his eyes fell on Alex and Karen. “You survived?”

“We did,” Karen said. “And now we’re pretty angry.”

“...how… Krumier… How did… the Krumier? There was a Krumier there, right? They said there would be.”

“Who’s they?” Alex asked.

Marvin’s purple skin paled some. He glanced down at the ropes that bound him. They had loosened, now that the back of the chair was splintered. He jumped to his feet and stretched his arms against the rope. They gave way surprisingly easily. Alex moved towards the door to block his exit. But Marin darted towards the window.

“Does he know we’re on the fourth floor?” Alex said to no one.

Karen had her blades out. She threw one at Marvin. An excellent throw. It entered his left calf. The handle pressed against the flesh while the tip exited and dug into the wooden cupboard beneath the counter. Marvin let out a blood curdling scream.

“Jesus fuck…” Alex whispered. “That’s a fucking throw and a half.”

Karen grinned. “Thanks.”

Marvin continued to scream. From his calf, dark blood dripped onto the dirty white kitchen tiles. He pointed at it, his eyes bulging. “I’m going to die!”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Alex said.

“Oh, he’s definitely going to die. Question is, how much pain is he going to feel before it happens?”

Alex stared at Karen. She seemed serious. He sauntered over to her, then whispered in her ears “You’re going to kill him?”

“Yes,” she replied, not bothering to whisper back.

Alex cleared his throat, then asked again in a whisper, “But, if he definitely knows he’s going to die, we don’t have any bargaining chips?”

Karen turned to look at him. Her face only inches from his, he could still see the disgust. “You want me to lie to him?”

“Or, maybe just don’t kill him?”

Karen opened her mouth to retort. And Alex knew it was going to be a retort. But then, the front door flung off its hinges and spun towards them. Alex could see the blue corner of the door. It was going to strike him on the forehead. Just in time, a hand grabbed him and pulled him out of the way.

It was Karen. She did not look pleased. “You have to stop freezing.”

Alex nodded. It was solid advice. He stuck his head out and stared down the corridor. A green-skinned demon stood in the door’s former spot. She had one of those naturally angry faces. Her arms were by her side. Each held a curved sword.

“You deal with her,” Karen grumbled. “I’ll get Marvin.”

Alex turned to stare at the spot where Marvin was supposed to be. The pool of blood on the dirty tiles was still there. There was also a trail of blood on the counter leading to a smashed window. “He got away?”

“Well done. You finally noticed.”

Alex ignored the sarcasm. He glanced back at the green demon with the swords. “Why do I have to deal with her?” he hissed.

“Marvin just jumped out of a fourth-floor window. You want to go after him?”

Alex shook his head.

“Thought so,” Karen grumbled. “Asshole’s got one of my blades…”

Alex watched Karen leap through the window and disappear into darkness. There was no denying it. She was a proper badass. He turned to face the green-skinned demon with the two curved swords, wondering if it were safer to have jumped out of the window.

“You’ve learnt how to fight since the last time, right?” Melissa asked, apparently thinking along the same line. “She looks tough and Mark beat you really easily.”

“Yes, I’ve gotten better. I killed a Krumier, remember?”

“You did… Right. Yes.” Melissa smiled brightly. “This will be easy then.”

Alex reached back and felt for the longsword. Grabbing the handle, he pulled it out. The heavy metal felt good in his hand. He held it across his body and stepped into the corridor to face the green demon. Around this time, he expected to feel the sudden heat within his chest. From there, it would expand throughout his body.

But none of that happened.

“You there?” Alex asked. 

There was silence.

The green-skinned demon charged. Her long black hair flowed as she moved towards him at speed. The tip of her swords dug into the floor, slicing the carpet and the wood beneath. Any moment now, she would be in reach.

“Buddy?”

Silence.

For whatever reason, the voice in his head was not responding. Alex was on his own in this. Fuck. He was going to die. He should have jumped out of the window and gone for the purple freak.

Deciding to die in a heroic attempt rather than being slain like an idiot frozen to the spot, Alex charged. As the demon came within reach, he swung wildly with his longsword. The demon blocked his strike with both her curved blades. Alex saw her black boot rise, but was powerless to stop it as it hit him on the chest.

It was like