Why You Should Never Rescue Stray Demons Chapter 23

**OZ**

One second Kacia’s at my side, mid-step, mid-sentence, then she’s just gone. The sound of impact echoes a half second later, something solid slamming flesh, and panic punches straight through my chest. I spin, heart hammering, scanning the alley… There. Further down. Kacia’s on the ground, crumpled against the wall, eyes dazed and limbs slack. And looming over her is… Shit. Definitely not human. The woman has glossy, scale-covered skin that shifts from dull grey to sickly green with every movement. Her lower half isn't legs, but a thick, serpentine tail that coils and uncoils with anticipation. Her eyes are pure black, glassy and depthless and jutting out of her mouth are two huge fangs. Not just long, venom dripping, needle tipped, nightmarish fangs. A basilisk. Of course it’s a damned basilisk. And Kacia, she must’ve looked her in the eyes. Because she’s not moving. Not blinking. Nothing. Just frozen like a statue knocked on its side. The venom, I can deal with. Just don’t get bitten. The paralysis? That’s worse. Paralysis from a basilisk’s gaze is like magical shock, variable, unpredictable. Some creatures shake it off in seconds. Others stay frozen for hours. I have no idea how long it will last for a half-fae. Which means right now Kacia is completely defenseless. And that thing, whatever she wants, has a clean shot. No time. No hesitation. I launch myself forward. My feet barely touch the ground before I’m slamming into the basilisk with everything I’ve got, catching her off guard. She hisses, shrieking, claws raking out at me, but I’ve already shoved her away from Kacia and into the wall with enough force to make the bricks crack. My tail flicks free. I can feel my glamour strain, flickering at the edges. My body wants to shift back, to go fully demonic. But it’ll take a few seconds that I just don’t have. Not if she’s about to strike again. So I keep the glamour up, keep my human-ish form, and fight back. This alley is too narrow. Not enough room to move, no time to think. But I don’t care. I need to protect Kacia. 

There are two main things to remember when fighting a basilisk. Don’t make eye contact and don’t get bitten. One bite and you’re done. Game over. The venom is fast, cruel, and unrelenting. The claws? They’re painful, sure, but not laced with poison, something I remind myself of right as her talons rake across my bicep, slicing open a line of fire across my right arm.

“Shit!” I hiss, stumbling back half a step. I adjust fast, pushing through the sting. I can’t let her get in close again. I can’t give her another opening. My only real chance is to get behind her, restrain her from an angle where her eyes and fangs can’t reach me. So I keep my gaze low, fixed on her limbs and tail, which is currently writhing across the alley floor, trying to either trip me or trap me. Probably both. It’s fast. Too fast. I can’t afford to slip. What I don’t get is why she’s fighting so damn hard. I’m stronger than her, easily. And that’s without shedding the glamour. She’s gotten in a few lucky hits, but unless she lands a bite or locks eyes with me, her most powerful weapons are completely neutralised. She should be retreating. Running. But she isn’t. And then I see it. I manage to seize her wrists, ready to wrestle her into a hold, and I freeze. There, winding up her forearms in intricate spirals, are tattoos. Vines. Twisting and curling in unmistakable patterns. The same as mine. A chill floods my chest. It’s not just a fight. She was sent here for Kacia. By him. Just like I was. The spell’s on her, too. I can feel it in her tension. She’s not fighting because she thinks she can win. She’s fighting because she believes that she has to. She yanks against my grip, sensing my shock. I react fast, regripping her wrist tighter. If she’s going to choose the fae lord over me, then I need to make sure that I become the scarier option. The more dangerous enemy. The one she doesn’t dare cross again. Her basilisk eyes against my nightmare effect. Let’s see which curse wins. I grit my teeth, dig in my heels, and slowly release my glamour. My skin deepens to a stormy, stony grey. My claws lengthen, my horns push through my scalp, curling slowly into place, but most importantly, my vision sharpens, narrows, tunnels into black. I make sure not to look toward Kacia. Not even a glance. If she’s starting to recover, the last thing I want is for her to meet my eyes and get dragged into this too. I don’t need her frightened out of her mind as well as paralysed. This is between the basilisk and me. I take a breath. This is going to be risky, there’s every chance that by looking in the basilisk’s eyes I’LL be paralysed too. But hopefully by then she will be too terrified to do anything about it. Then I twist her sharply to face me, and look her directly in the eyes. Her eyes snap to mine. The effect is instant. Ice rips through my limbs, cold and heavy, dragging at my muscles. My body tries to lock up, but then I feel her freeze. Her breath hitches. Her jaw slackens. Then her eyes, those pale, venom-laced eyes, go wide. Too wide. And she starts to scream. She shrieks like she’s being flayed alive, the sound tearing through the alley with inhuman force. My ears ring. She thrashes violently out of pure panic and manages to rip her wrist free of my grip. She doesn’t speak. Doesn’t hiss a threat. She just runs. Tail lashing behind her, feet scrambling, she bolts down the alley and disappears into shadow like a terrified animal. I don’t think she’ll be back. I don’t think she CAN come back. Because whatever the fae lord promised her or threatened her with, tt wasn’t worse than me.

I take a few moments to breathe, just breathe, and drag my glamour back into place. My horns vanish beneath skin, claws shorten, and the unnatural grey of my skin recedes to something passably human. It’s like shoving all my instincts into a box and slamming the lid shut. My muscles are all stiff, but I can still move. No time to rest. I rush to Kacia’s side, heart hammering.

“Kaci? Sweetheart, are you okay?” I ask, crouching down beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. 

“Can you move at all?” I prompt her. She groans softly. Her eyes flick open and meet mine.  They’re still wide with lingering fear, but they’re clear. Alert. Tracking me. She’s there. Not gone. Not trapped. Just... Stuck. My shoulders sag with a wave of relief so strong I nearly drop to my knees. She wasn’t bitten. No obvious injuries, no blood. Just paralysed from the basilisk’s gaze, and gods only know how long that will last for her kind. 

“I’ve got you.” I murmur, more to myself than her. I ease my arms under her carefully, one behind her shoulders, the other under her knees. She’s not heavy, but holding her like this, limp and unresponsive, feels wrong. Kacia isn’t supposed to be still. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and right now, she’s quiet and cold against my chest. I hold her tighter. The moment I reenter Ulric’s store, the goblin twins freeze where they are mid-tail pounce. Their eyes go wide as they see Kacia in my arms.

“What happened?” One of them gasps, already darting forward.

“Back.” Ulric barks, voice sharper than I’ve ever heard it. 

“Go to the back room. Now.” He says firmly. They hesitate, clearly torn, but the tone does its job. They slink away, shooting worried glances over their shoulders. I approach the counter fast.

“She’s paralysed.” I say, not wasting time. 

“I need to get her somewhere safe while it wears off.” I explain. Obviously we can’t stay here. If someone is after her, we can’t stay in a store with two young children. Kaci can’t talk right now but I’m sure she would agree. Ulric’s brow furrows. His gaze moves over Kacia’s still form, his expression shifting from suspicion to concern. He nods quickly.

“The library.” He says, pointing toward the street. 

“Two streets over, then left. It’s neutral ground. Warded, protected and magically reinforced. Most supernaturals respect the rules there. Just remember, humans can enter during the day.” He warns.

“Understood.” I answer 

“Just keep to the quieter corners. She’ll be safe enough until she comes back around.” He says gruffly. I nod. 

“Thank you.” I say quickly. Then, without another word, I push the door open and step back out into the sunlight.