Twelve Demonic Nights

Erin

When does a hunter become the prey? When she realizes that there is no other choice but to flee.

The demon was hot on my trail, his footsteps echoing behind as he smashed through the undergrowth of the forest. The crackling of branches and rustling of leaves accompanied the pounding of my heart and my ragged panting. The forest was eerily silent, as if even the birds knew to remain still in the presence of death.

I stumbled behind a massive tree, my hands shaking as I loaded my crossbow with the last enchanted arrow, the curse etched in elegant script upon the metal head. This was my most powerful weapon, and if it failed me, I would be as good as dead.

The footsteps stopped, the silence brief before the demon resumed his pursuit, heading straight for my hiding place. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself, and with a surge of courage, I stepped out from behind the tree. I aimed true for his heart and let the arrow fly. It struck its mark in an instant, piercing his body.

The demon stopped and touched the wound that would have been lethal to most demons, let alone humans.

“Ouch,” he said, and for a moment, I hoped that my shot had caused some damage, even if it didn’t manage to kill him. He smirked, his green eyes shining with mischief, and added, “That hurts my feelings.”

“What?” I asked, my brows knit in confusion.

“Well, it’s adorable that you tried, hunter,” he said, pulling the arrow from his chest as if it were a splinter in his thumb, “but this won’t cut it. I need something stronger to get me going,” he said, winking.

I ground my teeth together and grasped the hilt of my empty crossbow tighter. The demon’s eyes sparkled with amusement. Gods, I wanted to wipe that smug grin off his face, but I had tried everything in my arsenal—my sword, my dagger, my pistol—all lay scattered along the forest path like forgotten toys, having done no more damage than my latest effort.

“But it hurt your feelings?” I spat out through gritted teeth.

“Only because you thought it would kill me,” he dismissed the enchanted arrow with an exaggerated flick of his wrist.

For months, I had scoured the Shadow Mountains in search of the only witch capable of creating such a powerful enchantment. I had paid two golden crowns, and labored for weeks, just to pay the old hag the rest. All for nothing.

“Look at you, so pouty. Did the big, bad demon hurt your feelings now?” he mocked, cocking his head.

I had always known that one day I would meet my end at the hands of a demon. Such is the fate of most demon hunters. But I had hoped for a fight, not to be laughed at as I died.

“Just do what you came here to do, demon. Alright?” I tossed the useless crossbow aside and stood tall, looking him in the eye. If I was to face death, I would do so head-on.

“Where were we? Oh, right,” he moved in a blur and appeared before me in an instant, his presence menacing, his broad chest inches from my face.

I stumbled back in surprise and tripped over a thick root. I landed on my backside, wincing at the pain that shot through my body. The setting sun broke through the clouds, casting his shadow over me like a dark omen. I would meet my end sitting on my butt after all.

“If you can move that fast, why didn’t you catch me sooner?” I asked.

“Where’s the fun in that?” he replied and suddenly appeared beside me, crouching, his head tilted to one side. “I like to play,” he said with a mischievous grin, his eyes shining with excitement.

He had the most radiant green eyes I had ever seen and wore a human mask that was so perfectly handsome that it made me angry. Demons had ugly souls. He had no right to look this attractive.

“A silver for your thoughts, hunter,” he asked, a mocking smile on his face, as if he could read my mind. “Like what you see?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. Your mask can’t fool me.”

“But it does please you, doesn’t it?” he asked, his grin widening.

I clenched my jaw and lowered my eyes to his chest, exposed by the bleached linen shirt he wore loosely over his broad, muscular frame. My eyes were drawn to a line of script tattooed onto his collarbone. The intricate cursive was written in an ancient language, taught to me by my mother when I was a child. She had taught me the importance of knowing the ancient scripts, as they held many stories about demons, including their origins, habits, and ways to kill them. But I had always been partial to the physical training instead of sitting for hours in front of a dusty scroll.

As I was racking my brain to decipher the words etched on the demon who was about to take my life, I cursed myself for not sitting over the dusty scrolls just a little while longer.

“Twelve deadly…,” I read slowly, unable to remember the last word.

"…nights,” the demon finished it for me.

“Twelve deadly nights,” I repeated, feeling a chill run down my spine. The realization hit me like a pile of bricks. Could it be true? Was I really in the presence of one of the most powerful demons in existence?

“Hmmm, you’re smarter than you look, hunter,” the demon frowned, studying me intently. “You know who I am?”

“You’re…you’re ancient,” I stammered like an idiot.

“That I am.” He chuckled.

“And there is the twelve nights deal,” I recalled the text I had read all those years ago. “I want to make the deal with you, demon.”

He let out an exasperated sigh and stood up. I got myself up as well. I was hopeful now. Even excited. Very few demon hunters have had a chance to kill an ancient one. If I did that, I would make history. I would make my father proud.

“There is a deal, yes,” he said, his expression turning serious. “What do you know of it?”

“Twelve nights of torture,” I said, trying to recall the passage from a book written by the brother of a hunter who had made the deal and ultimately died. “In exchange for a chance to find the thing that can kill you.”

“Yes,” the demon nodded, “but not exactly.”

In the next moment, I was pinned against a tree, his strong body pressed against mine.

“For twelve days, you can search for an item that would kill me. For twelve nights, you will be mine. I will do anything I want to you, and your sweet body deserves something more fun for me than torture. I will take you in ways you never imagined possible. I will devour you, and you will hate yourself for enjoying it. You will be a toy for my pleasure every night. I will fuck you over and over, until your throat is too raw from screaming and your body limp from exhaustion. And then I’ll fuck you more until your mortal body can’t take it anymore and you’ll beg me to stop. But I won’t,” his breath was hot on my skin as he whispered these filthy words in my ear. My heart raced and my mouth felt parched. “So, hunter, do you still want to make the deal with me?”

“I’d rather take the torture,” I said with more courage than I actually felt. “You are just a repulsive phantom hiding behind this false guise of flesh. Your powers are merely—” The demon raised his finger and my voice was silenced. I tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Shh, little hunter, you’re too loud for your own good,” the demon said, pressing his finger to my lips. All I could do was scowl at him with all my might. “You do not make the rules, I do,” he frowned. “You’d beg me for the sweet release of death in no time if you chose torture. Trust me. I have seen the terrible things humans do to each other and I am quite imaginative.”

He withdrew his finger and I regained my power of speech.

“Oh, did I hurt your feelings again?” I taunted, trying to regain some control.

“No, hunter,” the demon said and laughed. “You can’t hurt my feelings—I have none.” His dark grin chilled me to the bone. “What will it be? I need your answer, mortal.”

He ran his thumb along my chin, sending shivers through my skin. When he reached the deep scar across my face, a reminder of another evil demon, he started tracing it. I jerked my head away.

“I accept your terms, demon. We have a deal,” I said.

Before I could protest, the demon pressed his lips to mine, and I felt a pull within my gut, as if something was now connected to my insides.

“The deal is sealed,” the demon said in a serious tone. “You will regret the day you were born, hunter. That I can guarantee.”