Page 43 of A Cursed Noel

I step toward the bed,breathing in the medicine coated room. Several nullits wait on theother side. But something bigger is hiding in the closet. It’shungry, and well into adulthood. It could be the first born from thespell, or it could have leeched from the strongest family member ofall.

Celia.

MyCelia.

There’s nosuppressing my growls now.

These creatures, all ofthem, have been robbing this family of their lives and relishing intheir pain. I want to tear them to pieces. If I get them, all ofthem, the girls will recover with time. Ana Lisa won’t. For her,this wonderful woman who took in these girls no one else wanted, it’stoo late.

The cancer, and thechemo permeating through her graying skin, have incapacitated her.With the nullits gone, her health will slightly improve. She’llhave more time, maybe another few months, but not more than that.

The click-clack soundsbeneath the bed draw my attention. The nullits are taunting my beast,daring us to investigate.

No worries. We will, intime.

Closet first.

I move slowly, catchingsight of a shadowy hand that disappears beneath the bed, the longthin fingers more like claws than digits. The hasty motion and itsdesire to draw my attention leave marks along the wood.

Hmph. This thing reallywants me under the bed. Fine. We’ll play its game when I’m ready.Right now, I make the rules.

The room isn’t big,just large enough for an antique bed, a nightstand, the dresser, anddesk. It’s not an ideal place to fight. The advantage is there arefew places for these things to hide. I round the bed as if I’mheaded to the other side. I change direction quickly, throwing openthe closet door and reaching in.

My hand snags whatfeels like hard stretched rubber. I yank a nullit as tall as me bythe arm and twist, securing it and the opposite wrist.

We’re taught to fightmany types of supernatural creatures. We’ve also studied weaknessesand strengths from those born of spells. Nullits suck on souls andmagic through multiple mouths.

Yes,multiplemouths. On faces, hands, and feet.

The red, sticky lips onthe nullit’s palm drool and eagerly slurp, desperate to lick andtaste my magic. I do as I told Celia. I shove the malevolent energyaway, effectively blocking it from feeding on me.

Nullits, while able toflatten into shadows, are pliable and slick in their solid form. Theydon’t possess bones or joints, permitting them to adjust into anyposition for an optimal feed.

I twist the nullitaround, locking its limbs around its own chest. Decapitation works onmany supernaturals. It would work on this creature if its form wasn’tso malleable. I search for a weapon, spotting a standing lamp nearthe corner.

It’s exactly what Ineed. I release the nullit long enough to grab the lamp.

The nullit is damnfast. I’m faster. I secure the metal rod of the lamp against itsthroat and pull.

Most supernaturalcreatures tend to abhor metals.

Weresand vamps,gold.

Demons and spirits,silver.

Nullits are noexception. The metallic rod burns through its throat. It should be aquick kill. It’s not. This one is strong and wants to drain medead.

It slams me against thewall. I hang tight, grunting with the effort. Like burning through atruck tire with a lighter, it takes time to cut my way through.

The nullit flails as Idrive the rod deeper. It thrusts me into the dresser, sending thetelevision crashing to the floor. I kick away from the wall when ittries to mash me through it, my frustration helping me pull tighter.

Its fear makes it angryand more vicious. It swats at me, trying to reach me without touchingthe rod. The fingers slash my skin, leaving lesions that sizzle likeacid. I push aside the sting and focus, allowing the nullit to swingme around and spare my energy. This is the first and many more await.

I concentrated mystrength into my arms and use my weight to drag the rod closer to mybody. I’m almost through when the Nullit under the desk snags myankle.

I fall purposelybackward, bending the Nullit’s spine and snapping the rod againstits throat. I stomp the other Nullit as I land, but not before itsclaws rake across my calf and sever my Achilles tendon.

The first nullit’shead breaks away, exploding into a puff a smoke. The rest of its bodyfollows, meeting the same fate.