The Dark Storm by Kris Greene Read Free Book Online

flesh just over the corpse’s ribs and heart sizzled as the poison from her nails killed the flesh. The creature howled and loosened its grip enough for her to slip out of its reach.
    De Mona snapped her hands at the wrists, flicking theStalker’s bodily fluids and the excess poison to the ground. She raked her nails across one another, causing a faint spark, and glared at the Stalker. “Come get it.”
    “You’ll need more than a light show to save you, Knight,” Riel said, circling Gabriel while trying to shield his eyes from the trident’s glare. “But it’s good to see that you do have at least a little fight in you.” He tossed his blade from one hand to the other. “Let’s have at it then.”
    Riel moved with inhuman speed as he charged Gabriel, Poison swinging in a high arc, only to meet the head of the trident instead of Gabriel’s throat. When the two ancient weapons collided they sent a ripple of power out like a stone hitting a still pond. Riel tried to force Poison into Gabriel’s neck, but the man’s strength rivaled that of the demon. Gabriel’s brown eyes seemed to melt in on themselves, leaving behind two silver pools. Within these pools identical storm clouds rolled over a barren hill, lightning flashing in their wake.
    “This cannot be,” Riel hissed, with fear edging into his voice.
    Gabriel smiled triumphantly at Riel. “Ah, but it is, lapdog of the dark lord. The storm master has returned.” With the force of his will Gabriel pushed outward, flinging Riel backward. “And my rain shall cleanse the earth!”
    “If it’s all the same to you, I’ll stay dirty for a while,” Riel said smugly, staggering to his feet. When inhabiting a host’s body he also adapted some of the demon’s resilience but could still be broken. The host’s ribs had been cracked, but the body was still functional. “Lord Titus will have your heart for this, dog!”
    Gabriel cocked his head as if he’d heard something in the distance. His face suddenly twisted and the thunderbecame louder. “You serve the betrayer? The whore of Belthon was supposed to be as a god, but instead he commands an army of half demons and walking corpses,” Gabriel chuckled in the voice that wasn’t quite his; lightning webbed his lips when he spoke. “I think his death shall be sweetest. But first, back to hell with you.” Gabriel pointed the trident for emphasis.
    Riel took a defensive stance. “Surely I’ll be sitting with my master soon enough, but not this night,” Raising his Poison in the air, he shouted, “Attend me!”
    The air whistled behind Gabriel and he moved barely a second before another Stalker shot out from behind him. Gabriel grabbed the thing by its decomposing neck and held the head of the trident near its face. The Stalker cringed as the skin on its cheek began to smoke.
    “Behold what the mighty armies of hell have been reduced to.” Gabriel tossed the Stalker roughly to the ground. “Borrowed flesh!” Gabriel howled as he raised the trident high above his head and plunged it into the Stalker’s heart. White light began to pour from its eyes, mouth, and ruined ears. For a brief moment Gabriel could see what the host had looked like before becoming a victim of Belthon’s evil. The portly man even seemed to be smiling as his spirit rose from his body in a wisp of smoke. His soul was finally free, and all that was left of his body was the clothes he had been buried in and a pile of charred flesh. Gabriel turned his attention back to Riel, but the demon was gone.
    De Mona seemed to be holding her own against the wrestler, but the hulking corpse was wearing her down. She threw a wild punch at the thing, which grabbed her and slung her onto a car, breaking the windshield. De Mona tried to recover, but the hulk had her by the neck and was lifting her off the car. She hit it with a series of lefts and rights, but it didn’t seem to want to let go.
    Gabriel raised the trident over his head and began