Read Hexed for Free Online

eatin’ lunch inside. «
    » What, at the school? Where ever’one could see? «
    » Nobody seen it happen but me. She was by herself, eatin’ flatbread outside. An’, besides, humans can’t see this one. You coulda seen it, though. An’ I seen it for sure. «
    » What did it look like? «
    » Huge black thing with wings. « Oberon belched and I felt a bit of indigestion as well. I knew the demon Coyote meant. It was one of the first creatures out of hell when Aenghus Óg opened the portal and the first demon to disregard the binding. It was very strong, and since it flew, there was no way I could kill it with Cold Fire, which required the demon to be in contact with the earth. » So what’re ya gonna do? « Coyote asked.
    » I’m gonna wait, « I said. » Eventually it’ll come after me here, and when it does, I’ll be ready. «
    » Lemme suggest a different plan, « Coyote said, his half smile still playing about his face. He pointed the mouth of his beer bottle at me. » You’ll go out to that school tomorrow an’ kill that demon afore it kills again. There are more of my people at that school, an’ I don’t wanna lose another one ’cause you wanna wait. «
    » Why don’t you just kill it, Coyote? «
    » ’Cause I ain’t responsible for it bein’ here, paleface. You are. An’ it’s a demon from the white man’s religion, anyways, so my medicine won’t be as strong against it as yours. But I’ll help ya if I can. «
    » Well, my medicine might not be any stronger. I may be a white man, but this thing don’t figure into my religion neither. Besides, I’m awful busy with problems of my own. «
    Coyote’s perpetual smirk vanished, and he glared at me from underneath his hat brim. » This is your problem, Mr. Druid. Or didn’t I make that clear? You’ll fix this situation or you’ll answer to me. An’ to Pima Coyote. An’ Tohono O’odham Coyote, an’ Apache Coyote too. An’ while ever’ single one of us might die in the first fight, an’ maybe the second an’ third fights too, you know we’ll keep comin’ back. How many times can you come back from the dead, Mr. Druid? Me an’ my brothers can come back all we want, but I reckon we only have to kill you once. «
    › Atticus? ‹ My hound flattened his ears and showed his teeth, but didn’t quite growl at our guest.
    It’s okay, Oberon. He can hear you, so don’t give anything away. I’ll let you know if I need you . He subsided but kept watching Coyote warily.
    I nodded for Coyote’s benefit. I didn’t tell him I was awfully tough to kill, since the Morrigan had promised never to take me. Still, Coyote could do a lot of damage I might never recover from, as my mangled right ear testified. I just wanted to know how serious he was about this, and now I had my answer.
    » Think ya can give me a ride out there? « I asked. » I ain’t got a car. « Skyline High School was on the east side of Mesa, near the borderline with Apache Junction—which, of course, was the city right outside the Superstition Mountains where the demon had escaped from hell. It would be a twenty-mile bike ride for me one way, which would be less than comfortable.
    » I ain’t got a car neither. « Coyote grinned as he took another slug of beer, threats forgotten. » But that shouldn’t stop me from gettin’ one by tomorrow. «
    » All right, pick me up here at ten in the mornin’, « I said. » And bring a bow. We’re gonna shoot us a demon out o’ the sky. «
    » With regular ol’ arrows? « Coyote’s eyebrows rose so high they got lost underneath his hat.
    » No, we’ll get ourselves some special arrows, « I said. » I think I know where we can get us some holy ones, some demon-slayin’ arrows. «
    » You do? I ain’t never seen any for sale in any of those Cath’lick churches, « Coyote said.
    » When were you ever in a Cath’lick church? « I asked incredulously, and Coyote started to laugh. It was infectious laughter, the kind you cannot help