Blood had dripped from its neck into the circle carving and into the salt. What if it broke the protection there?
Reia quickly ran inside, pushed the chair in front of the kitchen counter, and reached to grab the salt and the spike he used to carve. She bolted outside.
Digging into the carving while nothing was around to attack her, she flung bloodied salt out of the ground, cringing when she saw more seeping into it. She looked up at the Demon’s lifeless body lying there.
Oh crap, I have to move it. Reia wasted no time. She stepped outside the salt circle and began to yank it away so that its neck was facing the other way. He’d be mad. So, so mad if I knew I wasn’t inside the circle.
She kept looking around, worried he’d come and catch her red-handed.
He didn’t, and Reia was inside it once more carving into the ground until there was no more liquid and filled the crack with salt.
Here she was thinking she might be able to help remove the Demons that loitered around their home, and instead discovered that wasn’t going to be possible. She hadn’t thought about what would happen when the spray of blood fell.
She slumped back when she was done, sitting on her backside and staring at the ground. He’s going to notice that. If how she’d carved it wasn’t so obviously different to the rest of the line, the blood on both the inside and outside of the circle made what she’d done plainly obvious.
She knew other Demons would come and eat the body, but this was enough evidence for a scorning.
“That was naughty, little human,” a deep voice said to her from within the shadows.
Her heart almost leapt to her throat when she saw the bony skull of animal with horns on its head begin to emerge.
I’m in so much trouble!
“It’s not what it looks like.” She looked at the Demon still lying there.
It’s exactly what it looks like.
“The salt circles are important for keeping bad things out.” He was so slow to come forward, stepping closer while crouching and using one hand to balance himself. “You shouldn’t disrupt them so carelessly.”
Her brows twitched to frown with surprise since he didn’t seem angry with her. She scuttled back on her arse when she realised it wasn’t him at all!
It was a different Duskwalker. The same one from the previous week. She should have known it wasn’t him since his glowing orbs were green. Orpheus’ had never changed to that colour in front of her before.
“What are you doing here? What do you want?” she continued to crab walk backwards as he drew closer and stepped out of the shadow of the tree line.
He came to the salt circle and allowed her to see him fully.
He tilted his head sharply, making a rattling noise that was far more distinct than Orpheus’.
“I have been watching you since he left.”
“How did you know he was gone?”
She got to her feet and prepared herself to run if she needed to. She’d also grabbed her sword from the ground just in case she needed to fight.
“I was near the border when I saw him climbing the walls.”
“Stay the fuck back!” she yelled when one of his hands came forward, and he entered the circle!
She pointed the tip of the blade at him. He twisted his head one way and then the other, as he crept even closer, and brought his entire crouched body inside.
“Do not run. You will make me chase and hurt you.”
I like the hunt. Orpheus’ words echoed in her memory, reminding her of the danger she faced.
She inched backwards, trying to move slowly as not to incite any kind of hunger in him.
“H-how did you get inside?”
He turned his fox-head skull to the salt line, his large forking antlers casting a shadow on the ground.
“It keeps out those who intend harm.” Then he turned back and pointed at the house with a curved claw. “Those keep out those who do not live there.” She figured he was pointing to the protection trinkets. “I cannot make them.
The ingredients do not grow.”
“You don’t intend to harm me?”
He came forward on his feet and one hand while shaking his head.
“No. Not harm.” He scratched at the back of his shoulder like he was itchy, ruffling the fur and feathers he had there.
“Why is it you swing that pointy thing?”
She dared to look over her shoulder to see that the house felt miles away as she inched closer to it. Still won’t make it in time if he’s as fast as Orpheus.
“So I can kill anything that tries to eat me,” she answered, turning back to him to find he’d darted closer while she wasn’t looking. “Or hurt me.”
He was right in front of her now, just beyond her sword.
