demon slayer 05.5 - the tenth dark lord a leaping by angie fox Read Free Book Online

he yelled as the Dark Lords let out a rousing cheer. He gripped me by the shoulder, dragging me around to face him. “You have no idea what you saved back there,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.
    Actually, I did.
    “Congratulations,” I said. They were chosen for something big, and I had no doubt they’d handle it with the same dignity and integrity as they’d used to stick together for ten years under a demon.
    Frieda was smiling and crying at the same time. “Fuck, people. Don’t you think it’s about time one of you called an ambulance?”

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Bruce spent the night in the hospital. The doctors claimed they could find nothing wrong with him save for some strange bruising on his chest. He, however, claimed a near-death experience and said that dying wasn’t near as frightening as listening to me ramble when I tried to guide him toward the light.
    Smart ass.
    As we left the hospital, Skull patted Ant Eater on the butt and invited us back to the biker lodge for the following night. Once Bruce was out, they were throwing a party to celebrate brotherhood and to honor one of the greatest gifts of all—freedom.
    So that is how we arrived once again at the rounded red door to the decrepit resort. Dimitri looked particularly hot in jeans and a black T-shirt. It was more casual than the button-down he’d worn to our party, but then again, when with bikers…Plus, I knew how his arms looked in that T-shirt. And if I played my cards right, I’d get to see them—and a lot more—later.
    I held Dimitri’s hand as we walked up the chipped stone steps past the concrete totems. This time I could feel none of the darkness and malice that we’d detected the first time we’d come this way. It was simply a cabin in the high desert filled with biker witch ex-boyfriends.
    Heaven help us .
    I glanced back at Ant Eater, who had bought a very low-cut red-sequined sweater for the occasion. “Got your Camouflage Spell?” I asked.
    She arched her brows but couldn’t quite pull off the innocent look. Go figure. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    I couldn’t help but smile. I could warn Ant Eater that Skull was onto her, but that would ruin the fun.
    Skull opened the door before we could. He was dressed the same as he had been when we’d first met him, only the lines on his face had smoothed and he looked rested, at ease. “Come on around the back,” he said, closing the door behind him.
    He slapped Ant Eater on the butt as he passed. They fell into an easy stride, and we followed them around toward the back of the lodge.
    “I smell barbeque,” Pirate said, rubbing up against my leg before taking off in front of us. His fur was cold and wet. Once again he’d found a patch of snow to roll in.
    We rounded the corner and saw the makings of an outdoor party. Closest to the lodge, there was a long table filled with trays of food. They uncovered barbeque and potato salad and pickles. Cake and chicken wings and those little smokies in sauce. More Dark Lords were dragging chairs into circles just beyond that and tapping a keg next to the broken ski lift.
    Frieda broke away from us, running up to hug Bruce, who abandoned his keg-tapping duties and hugged her back. Flappy the snaggle-toothed dragon sat just beyond the circles of chairs on a pile of couch cushions, his tongue lolling.
    Skull grinned like he’d invented the entire concept of fun. “We had to have it outside, see,” he said as a couple of Dark Lords hauled a metal wash bucket out in front of the dragon. “Couldn’t leave Flappy out.”
    “He’s getting so big,” Pirate said like a proud parent.
    I reached down and picked up my dog, ignoring his wet paws. “Your dragon really saved the day,” I said, scratching him on the head.
    He leaned closer so I could get a better angle. “Good thing I taught Flappy how to play fetch.”
    Ah, yes. That was an important pet skill.
    The biker with the braided beard connected a plug into a