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

Karen grinned, then grabbed me by the shirt. “Come on lover boy. Let’s go save your girlfriend. Maybe after that we can have a threesome.”

“Lover boy?” Alex frowned.

“You’re going to focus on that?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he muttered.

“That’s cute,” Karen said. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 38

It was only when they stepped out of the apartment did either of them notice the big round white ball in the clear sky. Not only was it Friday the thirteenth, it was also the night of the full moon. Alex gave Karen the address and they set off in her Porsche.

The location wasn’t Ignis Estate where all the demons lived. Ruskin Avenue was on the outskirts of London. It was a much nicer part of the city than Ignis Estate. It was ten at night and the destination was a thirty-minute drive away. Alex wondered if they were too late, or would the freeing of the demon begin at midnight? Karen had no idea either. Jocelyn was the expert on such things. All they could do was hope they weren’t too late.

If they weren’t too late, Alex had no idea what they would do once they got there.

Karen had one. Draw their weapons and fight their way through the demons. Alex didn’t like it much. Two Demon Hunters versus possibly hundreds of demons sounded suicidal. Alex had a feeling these demons wouldn’t be the cowering type like those in Ignis Estate. Jamie had more confidence than any Demon Hunter he’d ever met.

There were less cars on the roads of London at this time of the night. The roads looked wider and cleaner. The monuments of London passed by as they drove down the embankment along the River Thames. It was a mixture of modern buildings of glass and older ones made of stone and grey granite.

Alex took his eyes off the architecture and tried to focus on finding a way of saving Chrissy and stopping Jamie. There was always the chance it would be a traditional party with loud music and lots of people. They could sneak in, grab Chrissy and sneak out before anyone noticed.

He felt better as they joined the A road. Karen swiftly moved onto the fast lane and put her foot down. Doing over a hundred miles an hour, they whizzed past the other cars. At this rate, they wouldn’t have to worry about dealing with Jamie. The police would soon catch and imprison them for speeding.

But the police did not give them chase. They left the A road behind and turned off onto a narrow and winding country lane. Trees and bushes grew wildly on either side. With no lampposts, the cat’s eyes and the full moon above provided them with light. Karen continued driving at ridiculous speeds. Alex was sure they were going to crash when a small deer suddenly leapt onto the road. But Karen turned away from it expertly.

Finally, she slowed and turned left.

In front of them was the first signs of civilisation in a ten square mile radius. It was a mansion. If this was Jamie’s residence, he sure did not live in the poverty of his kind.

At above twelve feet, the wrought iron gate with the tips painted gold was imposing. Beyond it, the stone road led up to the nicely trimmed front lawn with the stone fountain in the centre. Painted white, the house was spread over three floors. The ground floor was dark, but light shone out from windows on the second and third. There was loud music.

Karen parked by the side of the road behind a yellow Lamborghini. Alex was about to step out when she dropped a bag on his lap. Inside was a black cloak and a red-faced mask.

“Put it on,” she said.

It was a full head mask, one that would cover his face, his hair and the back of his head before coming down to his neck. The skin was red. The material was rough like rubber dipped in cement. The eyes were black.

Alex started with the cloak. It had sleeves and at the end were red gloves in the same texture as the mask. He pulled it on and slipped his fingers into the glove. Then, taking a deep breath, he pulled the mask over his head and expected the worst.

It was surprisingly comfortable. The material didn’t grate against his skin. He could see clearly and breathe easily. Karen wore her own mask. The skin was blue, the hair blonde and the eyes yellow.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Alex’s eyes widened. She had sharp pointy teeth. He wondered if he had the same. He opened his mouth and felt inside. They didn’t seem any different. He followed her out of the car, his sword safely tucked underneath his cloak. The wrought iron gate was open. They walked up the stone path and past the manicured garden with the stone fountain.

A man wearing a red cloak stood by the door to the house. He looked human. He was holding an axe. He glared at them with his blue eyes.

“You’re late,” he growled. “The sacrificial ceremony is going to start soon.” He opened the door. “Go up the stairs.”

Karen stepped in first. Alex followed her up. They came to a darkened corridor with doors on both sides. The sound of music was much louder and light shone out from the gap underneath the first door to their left.

Karen grabbed his hand. “Don’t do anything stupid,” she warned.

“I never do-” Alex stopped as Karen’s brows furrowed. In his view, he’d never done anything stupid. Although others might see his killing of Mark and fighting angels as somewhat reckless, maybe even stupid. “Fine,” he muttered.

Karen maintained her grip on his arm. “Let’s find Chrissy and see if we can get out