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

Alex stared at her in shock. “You can hear him?”

“Hear who?”

“Never mind,” he shook his head.

With his longsword in his right hand, he carefully approached the naked demon. Much like Melissa, this demon did not look demonic. She had human-looking black hair. Her teeth weren’t sharp and numerous. Her eyes, nose, her facial structure, it was all very human. As was her body. Aside from the green skin, she was very human like. And she was kinda hot.

This was wrong, Alex thought, as he grabbed the demon by the arm. She’s naked. This was sexual assault. But then up popped the image of the human bodies in the crate and the little child with his eyes missing. Alex’s grip on her arm tightened and he dragged the demon to the kitchen. She offered no resistance.

“What now?” Alex asked. 

His attention fell on Melissa. She stood over the cooker. The gas was on and she held a serving spoon over the blue flame. As the silver metal began to darken, she stepped back and without warning, pressed the now burning metal against the naked right breast of the green-skinned demon.

To her credit, the demon did not scream, though a low growl did escape her lips. Melissa moved the serving spoon away. The demon glanced down at her right breast. The skin was a nasty shade darker. She met Alex’s eyes, the defiance still there.

“This is where you start asking the questions, dumbass,” the voice said.

“She does not look cooperative. If anything, she looks more pissed than when she broke the front door open.”

“Just start questioning!” 

“What’s your name?” Alex asked.

“Seriously? That’s what you start with? You’re so useless at literally everything.” 

The demon’s eyes faltered. “My name?”

Alex nodded. “You do have one, right?”

She nodded. “My mother named me Akash, but I go by Green Death.”

Green Death? Alex had to stifle his laughter at that. As a result, his throat made a strange noise. Melissa raised an eyebrow. The Green Death frowned. Even the nameless voice in his head decided to get involved.

“What’s so funny?”

“Green Death? Isn’t that a bit… lame?” Alex asked. 

“No. She’s green. She brings death. The literalness of it brings about fear.” 

Alex still didn’t see it. “Can I call you Akash?”

“I don’t care what you call me, Demon Hunter. You’re meddling in things way beyond you. You will die a painful death. Much more painful than my own.”

Alex frowned. “I’m not going to kill you.”

“You’re not?” both Melissa and Akash said at the same time.

“No. I mean, Melissa might torture you some more… but you’re not going to die.”

Akash turned to Melissa. “Is this some sort of trick?”

Melissa shook her head. “Alex isn’t like the other Demon Hunters, but, Karen, when she comes back…”

Melissa left her sentence trailing. Alex knew what she meant. When Karen came back, she would want Akash’s death. The green demon before him, she didn’t seem so frightening anymore. It might have had something to do with her nakedness. The act of taking away a person’s clothing was akin to removing their shield. It left them defenceless and vulnerable.

And that was what Akash looked.

Vulnerable.

That fierceness from before was gone. She watched with wary eyes. Her features had softened. They looked more feminine, much like her body. The cloth stripped away to reveal firm breasts, a soft navel and slim legs.

“I don’t want you to die,” Alex said. “But if you don’t tell me what I need to know before the other Demon Hunter returns, it’ll be out of my hands.”

Alex could see the uncertainty in her body language. Where only moments ago she had stared at him fiercely, now those eyes looked down at her feet. Alex opened the freezer and pulled out a frozen jar of what he hoped was ice cream. Akash flinched as he approached her. Her body tensed as he pressed the frozen jar against the burn on her right breast.

Standing so close to her, he could feel the heat emanating from her body. She smelled good too. Berries. He met her eyes as she stared up at him. She was nervous. She took a deep breath. Her chest rose and her breast pushed against his hand.

“The bodies piled in the crate had parts missing,” Akash spoke softly. “They need those parts to perform the spell. There is only one item left before they will be ready. The heart of a Demon Hunter is required. They want to free a demon bound in hell. A really powerful demon.”

“Which demon do they want to free?” Alex asked.

Akash shrug her shoulders. “I’m just a foot soldier. I’m not even supposed to know that but I overheard them talking.”

“Who?” Alex asked. “Who did you hear talking? Who wants to free the demon?”

Akash opened her mouth to reply, but stopped with her lips parted. Little dots of sweat formed on her forehead. She was afraid. Her breathing came to a complete still.

“She’s afraid, poor little bitch.” 

Alex didn’t respond to the voice. Even when it was being sympathetic, somehow it still managed to be annoying.

“He can never know it came from me,” Akash said.

“I promise he won’t,” Alex replied.

Akash nodded quickly. “Jamie Azarath,” she said. “It’s Jamie Azarath who wants to free the demon.”

Chapter 29

Jamie Azarath.

Alex knew the name. Had bumped into the demon. He did not like him. Alex knew little of the fiery place down below. But he did know the Azarath family was supposed to be a powerful one. So powerful, Satani needed their help to keep order in hell.

Jamie was already breaking the rules. Demons weren’t allowed to date humans, but Jamie did exactly that. Alex gritted his teeth. Jamie was doing more than dating Chrissy. He had