Prey by Carlos King

they did before, but they still maintain their dark-red glow.
    Markus makes his way toward the alert pair, exposing his sharp, animal-like teeth through a self-assured smile. “Well, well, well…I see we’re not the only ones breaking the sacred rules here,” Markus said, smiling at Alex. “You have no business here, angel.”
    “I’m making it my business, demon. And if you think I’m going to let you come anywhere near her, you’re even dumber than you look.”
    “Her?” Markus repeated. “Oh, you must mean Jade. Yeah…Of course you do. I can smell her delicious beat from over here. Come on out, Jade. It won’t do you any good to hide from me. I could track your delectable scent from a mile away. You’ll find that things will go a lot smoother if you tell your little bodyguard here to stand down.” Markus moves closer. “Just surrender yourself to me. You’ll save the angel from a great deal of pain if you do.”
    Alex takes two steps forward. “Take one more step, Markus, and I’ll show you pain.”
    “Ooh, I got chills all over. Talk is cheap my young, angelic friend. When you deal with demons, actions always speak louder than words.”
    Markus bolts toward Alex at an incredible speed. He grabs hold of Alex and throws him into the kitchen. Alex disappears out of the dim light of the living room and into the blackness of the kitchen. Shattering glass and the clatter of pots and pans resonate from the kitchen. Markus sets his sights back on Jade, spawning an eerie grin. Jade has no doubt that the creature standing in front of her is a demon. And here she was, standing face-to-face with pure evil, vulnerable and alone.
    “I’ve come a long way to meet you, Jade Harris.” Markus momentarily looks Jade over. “You’re a very attractive piece of human flesh. It’s a shame they’re going to dismember you. Such a waste. At least I get to do whatever I want with you until then. Everything short of killing you that is.”
    Markus reaches out to grab Jade, but before he can touch her, two arms wrap around him from behind. Jade looks over Markus’ shoulder and sees Alex positioned directly behind him. Alex proceeds to launch Markus and himself through the wall that separates living room from the spare bedroom.
    It all happened so quickly, that had it not been for the large hole in the wall, Jade would’ve just thought the two vanished into thin air. The lack of light prevents her from seeing pass the hole, but she can clearly hear the incredibly loud struggle that ensued between the two men. It sounds like sledgehammers are being used to demolish every item in the room. A thunderous boom can be heard when the two explode through another wall, taking the fight into another room. Minutes go by since the fight began, and now, dead silence marks its end.
    Jade’s feet are glued to the floor. She knows that the abrupt quietness means that one of the two men is more than likely dead. What she doesn’t know is which of the two that may be. From what she’s just witnessed, Jade is more than ready to believe Alex’s unlikely story. She only hopes that her belief hasn’t come too late.
    A soft noise arises from the dark hallway. She can’t make out for sure which of the two men is approaching her, but she definitely knows that someone is coming. Out of the shadows and into the dim lights of the living room emerges Alex. He’s winded and walking with a hunched-over limp.
    Relief reigns over Jade in one heavy dosage. Knowing that it’s Alex who’s still alive, Jade can finally breathe easy. “Are you okay?” she asked after recognizing his erratic movements.
    “No, not yet,” Alex retorted in a pain-filled voice. “I’ll be okay in a minute or two, though.”
    Observing numerous bruises and scratches on his face, Jade checks on him to see how badly he’s hurt.
    “No, stop,” Alex demanded. “Don’t come any closer.”
    “You’re bleeding.”
    Alex takes a deep breath as he leans his right