Wildfire Gospel (Habitat) (15 page)

These guys look small, but they’re fucking Fairies. Shango only knows what they can change into.

Zulu taught me one of the biggest lessons in my life. It’s not the Fairies with the wing brands in their foreheads that I should ever watch out for, it’s the motherpounding Fairies hiding behind X brands. Those held more power than the Pureblooded ones. Those had more to hide.

“Five seconds is up, Graham.”

Graham crossed his arms. “I guess that means it’s time for you four boys to show me how pretty you are?”

In unison, the four guys touched their brands. Their images rippled like the surface of a disturbed lake.
They’re wearing glamour.
It all evaporated. I backed up as their true forms appeared. They towered over me and had to be twenty or so feet of bulk. Monsters. They were all monsters—dark green scales sliding on rugged skin, more eyes than I could count, green drool dripping razor sharp fangs, and each one wagged four arms with no hands. Instead of hands and fingers they shook crab-like claws. Yet, still their herbals scents drenched the area.

I battled with not showing any fear. In my cheetah form, I could take two maybe three on a good day. It helped that my beast blew fire and surged with speed and jagged claws. In this form, I was fire encased in jelly, sweat, and baggy skin.

Dear Shango and Oshun. Please let Graham be able to take them all.

Graham nudged my arm.

“Yeah?” I didn’t even look his way and kept my gaze on the four monsters as they offered razor smiles.

“What are we doing here?” Graham whispered.

I froze. “What do you mean what are we doing here?”

“Why are we here up in Ochosi Way?”

“Fuck,” I muttered and looked at the leader who now leaned on the wall still in his human form. “Excuse me for a minute. I think I should talk to my dad for a few seconds.”

“Sure. Go ahead.” He took out a cigarette, lit it, and shrugged. “Parents can be crazy sometimes.”

My right leg ached. My chest felt like it was caving into itself. If I even made it passed this warehouse door, I didn’t even think I’d have the energy or will to defeat my own killer for the skin.

“Why are we here?” Graham quirked his eyebrows. “I think I’m banned from this place.”

“What the fuck? Now you remember that part, once the monsters show up?” I ran my head over my skin’s bald head. “We’re here because the guy who killed me is inside of that warehouse. You gave me a tracking spell that feels like it’s killing me. We probably have fifteen minutes before this damn spell wears off, and then we’re—”

“Ok. I got it. Like Lanore, you always take so long to explain things. Basically, it seems we’re going to have to kill the Spraggins.” Graham rubbed his salt peppered beard.

“Spraggins?”

“What you keep calling monsters are just Spraggins.”

“Sure. Whatever. These four big things that I can’t fight on my own and won’t let either one of us in. You can name them whatever you want, just as long as we make it out of here.”

“You could take them by yourself, you know?” Graham pointed to one of them in such a relaxed manner as if he was simply gesturing toward a tree.

“I doubt I could take one of them in my present situation.”

“When’s the last time you ate?”

“Ate? I’m not hungry. Graham, let’s stay focused.” I couldn’t have him forgetting everything again.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

This won’t work. He’s too gone tonight. Too much has happened. He’s probably worried about La La.

Graham had the worst memory-loss episodes when he swam in stress. As soon as La La hit puberty, Graham forgot everything. He paced the house, anxious the whole time and harassing any man that knocked at the door, even the poor mail man who refused to bring the mail to our house the rest of La La and my high school years.

“Have I told you what you are?” Graham asked.

“Yes. I’m an Umboto.”

“Umbutu,” he corrected.

“And don’t forget that I’m a puppet.”

“Yes? I shouldn’t have told you that until you had skin, but you’re also a sort of … trash decomposer.”

The news of what I am is just getting better and better.

“In my realm, Umbutu’s not only make a lot of corpses from their battles, they also eat them.”

“I’m what humans would call a zombie?”

“No.” He laughed. “If a zombie sensed you, it would turn around and get out of the area fast. You’re an Umbutu.” He raised his hands in the air. “Let me show you.”

And just like that my body wasn’t my own.
What the … 
My hands rose in the air above my head. Something yanked me away from Graham. It was like invisible hands pulled at my front and pushed at my back.
Graham is controlling me.
I couldn’t even turn my head to look and see what he was doing.
Yep. Puppet is a good name for this. Fucked up would be another good name too.
I prodded along, step by odd step, until I stood directly in front of the monsters or what Graham had called Spraggins.

“Yes?” The one closest to me said.

What now?

I cleared my throat and still couldn’t control my body enough to back away or put my hands down. “Um … hello, there.”

One of them chuckled. The others cackled with them. Their scaled bellies shook. Cupfuls of green drool spilled out of their mouths.

“Um … Graham? Is there anything I should be doing?” I asked, thankful that I could at least control my own mouth.

“I’m trying to decide if I should take that skin off your wearing or not,” he said. “It’s good skin. My skin.”

“Who cares about the skin?” I barked back.

“You’re going to owe me some more.”

“Fine! Just do whatever you think I should do before we lose this spell!”

I jumped without commanding myself to. Just like that. I simply jumped in the air and soared above the monsters. They laughed even more. My body turned upside down. I dove toward the first Spraggin. My mouth widened. Fangs, lots of them, that I didn’t even know I had in my jaw, extended. Smoke escaped my lips. Sizzling sounded from my mouth, which led me to believe my fangs were not my usual ones. These were something different, something so hot it crackled like wood within a fire. And Hunger. It churned in me, bubbling and swishing around. It rumbled against my bones. I sniffed and groaned at that herbal scent radiating from his scales and knew that in that moment I would never be the same again.

“Huh?” the Spraggin said right before my opened mouth met his forehead and my teeth seared into his flesh. I burned off a chunk of his head, and so help me Shango, that scaled flesh melted on my tongue like the creamiest butter and oozed the sweetest liquid down my throat.

“No!” He screeched in horror. His green blood dripped down my lips.

I dug my nails in his skin on the sides of his face and chomped down on his nose. “This can’t be a good turn of events for you.”

He slammed and swung at me. I latched onto him. He fell back. We crashed to the floor. My stomach growled. The Spraggin wacked at me with his claws. I took the beating. I’d experienced so much pain from the tracking spell hurting my chest and legs that the Spraggin’s back hits was nothing. Plus, all I could think about was chomping down on monster flesh.

I bit at my own command. Graham’s puppetry had ended. He now fought on my side. Pounding, rips, and grunts filled the air. Footsteps pounded. A man screamed. Another ran off. A body crashed into the concrete behind.

Graham’s laughter sounded next. “Where you going?”

Another man screamed. Sloshing noises blared. All around me Graham dealt with the other Spraggins. I didn’t get up. I didn’t help or even turn his way.

All I could do is feast on that supple flesh in my hands. The head was gone. My teeth seared through his skull in no time and sucked in the brain that resembled more of a clear looking grapefruit verses a regular Supe brain. I spit out the X brand. The metal fell to the ground with a clink. I gnawed on the neck. More scales stuck to his skin near his chest. They forced me to dig my nails into his chest and rip the tough skin away. His heart still beat. It was such an amazing thing, but not at that moment. All I could focus on was my hunger. Nothing could fill me sooner. My stomach served as an unending pit and I yearned to pack it up all the way to the rim.

“Graham! Enough!” a deep voice came in front of me. The Spraggins warm juices smeared my lips and cheeks, spilled between my fingers and drenched my shirt.

“XO. I think you’re going to need more Spraggins.” Graham hit my back. It had to be him. I couldn’t think of anybody else who would have disturbed me while I sat there on top of a monster’s chest and fed. “MeShack. MeShack. Are you there?”

Something tugged at me. A thick sensation pushed at my chest. I ignored it for more food.

“That one is strong, Graham. You can barely control him.”

“Then he’ll have to learn to control himself.” A bang hit my head.

Pain exploded all over the back of my skull. My vision shifted to a hazy view. My eyes closed. I fell and smashed into the wet ground next to me with a full stomach and dreams of more flesh to come.

Lanore

The Endo Family compound door opened.

We stepped out into a massive dark forest, sweltering with heat. I’d never seen anything like it. Leaves and pink flowers lazily hung from the branches. Knee-high black grass swayed and leaned in the direction of the wind. The fragrance of jasmine saturated the whole space and under it was a hint of that sweet French toast and syrup aroma. Bushes were sculpted into various shapes. I looked up. A limitless green sky greeted my eyes with no barred ceiling.
No cage, so we’re not outside.
No moon rested in the dark sky, just thousands of stars that glittered in all of the colors of the rainbow. Far off into the distance were tiny houses, ones that had triangular roofs with edges that curved upward toward the sky. White birds flew above our heads in a V formation.

“What is this place?” Black grass rustled under my feet and separated as I walked through.

“This is our living space in the compound.” Sakura remained in the doorway and didn’t come in.

“There’s some serious fairy glamour in here.”

“That’s the best thing about being taken over by Fairies. My people have learned a lot from them. In my country, many humans as well as supernaturals are fluent in glamour spells. My blood family preferred their living space to mimic the world they knew before they were turned. There are houses spread out all over this area. We have village, market, security, and a square for just our events.”

A heated breeze passed. Keo growled next to me as he inhaled my scent. I stepped away. “Where’s the tiger?”

“He’ll come to us eventually. These beasts somehow know their way around here and always come straight to this main entrance. We think the person delivering these fire animals is trying to not just destroy the Endo Family, but all the Vampires in the compound. It has been trying to pass our section each time.”

Rustling sounded to my right. That sweet aroma became stronger. My stomach growled again. I looked at Keo. “What is your typical protocol when you deal with these fire spells? I don’t want to overstep anything you do, but I think I can handle this animal on my own.”

The skin around his brand wrinkled. “You haven’t even seen the beast yet.”

“True. However, I can smell the demon fire in the air. To you this animal is made of poisons warmed in treacherous flames. To me, it’s a beast carved in a pound of chocolate.” I licked my lips. “I can take him all by myself.”

“You can suck in all of him?” His check twitched as if he was holding in laughter.

“Oh yes. Feel free to let me take him all by myself. You can even go back in the hallway and close the door.”

“No. Someone should be with you. If you’re harmed it could begin war against the Bottelli family.” Sakura placed her hand on the door while she gazed around the area with fear pooling in her eyes. I could tell she wanted to finish this conversation as quickly as possible, just to close the door and hide in the hallway.

“I won’t be harmed,” I said.

“Still I at least want Keo near you.”

A fierce grumble came far off in the distance, in the same direction of the sweet scent. As soon as we figured out who was doing what, I would race off in that area. While what I’d said about demon fire not harming me was true, I had other reasons for wanting to suck the entire beast into me. I couldn’t make this type of fire. It took a high level and pureblooded Demon. Not many of those existed on Earth. Dad was one of a few. However, although I couldn’t make it, I could store demon fire inside of me for several weeks.

The few times I caught it from my father, being annoyed and slinging it at me, I had major fun. It was unlike any other fire in this world. I could hold it in my hands, stream it through my mouth in a rope like shape, and even form it into my own creations, trapping whatever I desired into it. For most creatures, it burned worse than fire, shredding as it slid by and seeping poison into the victim’s system. And even more awesome, it tasted like it smelled. Burnt French toast. Anytime I sucked it in, my stomach filled with the stuff as if it was food. I didn’t have to eat for days.

The grumble sounded again.

“I must leave. When these beasts get a sniff of me they do everything they can to try and kill me.” Her bottom lip quivered. “Keo will stay with you, but he can follow your orders.”

“That’s fine.”

She shut the door without waiting for Keo’s response.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked.

“Oh yes. Just stay behind me at all times and watch.” I inhaled the air and raced toward the yummy fragrance. “Here, kitty kitty!”

The tiger wasted no time. More than half of a mile in front of me, the beast rose from the long blades of grass and stood at least twenty feet in the air.
Oh shit.
It was a mountain of an animal formed into glimmering ice blue flames that swayed from side to side. I could see through its raging body. Heat and those sweet fumes radiated from it. Keo coughed next to me and pulled his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth.

“What does he smell like to you?” I asked.

“Poison.”

“Figures.”

The tiger opened his mouth, exposed blue burning fangs, and roared. Keo jumped back. I giggled to myself. After being with a man that’s roar sent tremors of fear through my body, the beast’s roar was humorous at best. Right before I was going to say this to Keo, the tiger charged our way. I dove toward it, meeting its movements. Before I decided to suck him in, I had to make sure the demon fire was something I was familiar with. Most likely the spell caster lived in the Shinto Habitat and maybe was a Demon there. I didn’t know much about Demons in other habitats. His or her magic could be different from mine, even though I doubted it.

“Come here, kitty.” I ran its way. The dumb spell continued forward, where a more intelligent living being would have possibly halted and wondered why I didn’t run away in fear. Dust kicked up around its feet. Grass singed and burned away each time his flaming paws hit the ground. Smoke rose around him. The space between the beast and I closed in as I increased my own speed.

“Be careful!” Keo called out.

I glanced behind me. He ran on my right with a huge crystal ax in his hand.
Where did he get that ax from? And could it handle demon fire?
I made a note to ask Dad about it when I saw him and turned in front of me just in time to witness the tiger snapping his fangs at my face. He widened his mouth and tried to chomp at me. I ducked. The tip of one fang pricked at my skin and then dissolved into a pleasant liquid of warmed honey and cinnamon.

Yep. Just regular demon fire.

I sucked in the fang. The spell didn’t realize the problem and probably wouldn’t. He gnashed at me with the rest of his burning fangs. Each time, my flesh tingled and more of the fire sank into me like metal to a magnet. I didn’t even have to suck. The closer he came the more the spell chose my body to exist in. And it felt so good, Zulu would be sad to hear it, but it was better than sex or sweets or watching the sunset or smoking a joint filled with MeShack’s best home grown ganja. Demon fire served as the best drug, what others would call heaven. Little by little, the beast’s shape melted away as the flames soared to me. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth, not even sure where Keo was at and what he was doing. Molten liquid poured down my throat, tasting sweet and hot just like I loved it.

Oh my god.

I dropped to my knees and sucked harder. My panties moistened. My nipples hardened in an unbearable throbbing need, so agonizing I touched them to quiet those hungry points. Moans fled my lips and still more of the blue flames filled me. My body felt as if it was expanding like a balloon to the point that I would rise in the air and explode into tiny little pieces that rained down on the land. But I couldn’t stop drinking more. I couldn’t end this succulent feast. It was everything that was right about life—rainbows after a ferocious tropical storm, the discovery of a cure in the face of death, a pile of money while in debt, sex for the lonely, shelter for the homeless, a newborn for the barren, hope for the miserable. It was everything and more, then multiplied again.

“Are you okay?” Keo’s hands clamped onto my shoulders.

“Leave me alone.” I shook him away and pulled down the front of my dress to get better ability to caress my nipples. As soon as my fingertips touched the points, I groaned in ecstasy.

“Kuso.” Keo kneeled in front of me and licked his lips as he watched. The wrongness of the situation didn’t hit me. All I could do was drown in the volcanic sensations as I rode the sweet sensuality of demon fire. I collapsed onto the ground, rubbing myself, my hips writhing in circular motions.

I hope this never stops. I hope it just keeps coming and coming.

Keo got on all fours next to me and snatched off his glasses as if to get a better look. Minutes of ecstasy passed. And I drank more. Soon the density of the fire lessened until I whimpered and opened my eyes at the oncoming ending. Only the beast’s tail wavered in front of me and then in no time I sucked in all of the rest.

On his knees, Keo swayed in front of me. “Can I touch you?”

I shook my head to get out of my high, but a clouded sensation remained in my mind, even my vision blurred a bit. The tail slipped into me and lodged in my throat for a few seconds before stuffing itself further into my gorged and full body. It was in that moment when I truly realized the reality of the situation—my panties soaking wet, my breasts exposed, nipples hard for Keo to see, and my present position on the ground.

“Demon fire can be the worst sort of drug. Never encounter it without me,” Dad said long ago when I got drunk off of it.

Dad had made a small amount once and kept it in a copper container inside our fridge. I finished the container in seconds. An hour later he discovered me, naked and slurring love songs on the roof. My only saving grace was that it was in the back of our house, so no one could see me from the street.

“Can I touch you?” Keo crawled to me.

“No!” I scooted back and yanked up my dress.
I can’t believe I did that in front of him. Zulu is going to kill me.
A giggle fled my lips. I didn’t know what I was laughing at, but still I struggled with getting up. Keo extended his hand to help me. I didn’t take it. His eyes glowed with lust. I’d done enough in front of him and didn’t need to mess with him anymore.

Raging winds rushed through the land. The grass and trees danced back in forth in violent twists and turns. The dark green sky bled blood red for a few seconds, before returning back to normal. A sugary scent saturated the space and then slowly, second by second, the fragrance shifted to a horrid smell, one that made me think of death. And then, just like that, the wind calmed, the sky returned to dark green with rainbow colored stars, and jasmine rode the cool air around us.

“This happens every time a beast is conquered.” Keo rose. “I’ve told Sakura there must be a link between the glamour and the spell caster, but she won’t listen to me.”

“Who do you think is doing this?” I rubbed my face with both hands. A shiver ran through me. I had to suppress a moan.

“I don’t know. The Endo Family has many enemies.”

“Yeah?” I blinked a few times, trying my best to regain sobriety. “Why?”

“A Vampire’s very nature is to be evil. I wouldn’t trust any of them. In the end, it is always their desires that are more significant. Their species. Their need to be free.”

“Don’t we all want freedom?”

He stepped close to me. “Of course. But not as bad as them. How far would you go to be free of your caged city?”

I considered it for a minute. “Pretty far.”

“Would you kill for it?”

“If the person deserved it.”

“Who truly deserves death?” He put his glasses back on his face. The glittering stars reflected in them. “And who judges the people who deserve it? And what makes a person deserve it?”

I laughed. “You’re not only a Dragonshifter. You’re a philosopher.”

“No. Just very serious when it comes to taking a life.” He looked around and leaned my way. “Vampires will kill whomever and how many required to get freedom. There is no limit for them. They’ve lived as long as my species, which is very long.”

“How long can Dragonshifters live?”

He flashed me a wicked smile. “Longer than many. Long enough to see centuries of death and destruction as well as the worst in humanity. The more creatures see evil and realize the world can continue past it without anything so much as a pause or break from suffering, the more they’re desensitized. The more they don’t mind murder. The more they see misery as another game.”

I stepped back as he moved closer to me. “So should I assume that you’re not happy with your service to the Endo Family?”

He brought his lips close to my ear. “I don’t like Vampires at all, but they were the only species to accept us as every other group shunned us away when we became stunted.”

“So are Dragonshifters like the Vamp-owned?”

His expression hardened. “Very close. Yet, while we’re stunted, those Vampires who considered placing a collar around our necks were mysteriously discovered as burnt shells of themselves the next day.”