Holidays Are Hell Esther Egg Hunt by Sam Cheever Page B

flung the thing away, sending it soaring through the air and into the circle, where the monster screeched in horror as its thick hide melted under the protections he’d woven into the circle.
    Luc turned, his heart breaking in his chest. Esther had stopped screaming, a terrible sign. She was buried under slavering gargoyles, and all he could see were her feet. Her small sneakers twisted as the monsters ripped at her, her silence even more terrifying than her screaming had been. Luc roared in rage and fear, lunging toward the creatures.
    He flared up and grabbed the first ’goyle, wrapping it in a crushing grip as his fire burned into the howling creature. When it went limp he flung it away and grabbed another. As he dragged the gargoyle off Esther he sobbed.
    She was a torn, bloody mess on the ground, her pretty eyes staring blankly skyward in death. Even while Luc grieved over the way she’d died, he knew her soul form would appear soon, and he needed to finish off the monsters before it did.
    If the dark creatures extinguished her soul form, Esther would be gone forever.
    The last gargoyle chewed noisily on Esther’s body as Luc ripped it free, flinging it over the bushes to die a horrible death.
    Luc knelt beside Esther’s body, gathering it close. “I’m sorry, Esther Egg. I should have stopped you.”
    White light flared behind Luc but he didn’t look up. “You took your damn time, Bri.”
    “If you are intent on doing this thing, I had preparations to make.”
    Luc looked up, tears blurring his vision. “You’ll do it?”
    “I’ll attempt to, yes.”
    Luc lowered his head, pulling Esther closer. He’d never get the sight of those monsters chewing on her lifeless body out of his mind. What a horrible way to go.
    “Luc?”
    He looked up as Briathos stepped between them to hide Esther’s bloodied corpse from her soul form. “Esther Mooring, I am Briathos, your guardian angel. I’ve come to carry you into the light.”
    Luc placed her body behind a bush and stood, forcing his features into a mask of indifference. He nearly lost his resolve when he looked upon Esther’s beautiful, confused face. “Go with Bri, Esther Egg. He’ll take good care of you.”
    She blinked, frowning. “What? Why, Luc? Shouldn’t you be taking me before the assembly?”
    “No. I’m not going to let them torture you anymore. In Heaven you’ll be safe and free from the ugly cycle they’ve put you through.”
    Briathos wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Come, child. Heaven awaits.”
    The ground rumbled, and they all looked toward the horizon, where the sky had turned black and roiled with clouds. “The assembly’s coming. You should get going, Bri.” Luc avoided Esther’s gaze, not willing to see the hurt and confusion there.
    Esther grabbed the angel’s hand. “No! We can’t leave and let them punish him.”
    “Go, Esther!”
    She shook her head, stepping away from Bri. “I won’t leave you to take my punishment, Luc. I refuse.”
    Luc panicked. “Esther, be reasonable…”
    “Don’t tell me to be reasonable. I thought you and I were partners. But you made plans without me. Plans to send me away. That’s bullshit, Luc. Don’t you even care what I want?”
    Instead of answering, Luc looked at his friend. “Make her go with you, Bri.”
    The guardian stared at Luc for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. Finally he shook his head and stepped back. “Nay. It’s enough that we are stretching the bonds by altering her contract without legal means. I’ll not take her to Heaven against her will.”
    A tree branch snapped by on a roiling wind, hitting the bushes and spearing through. Leaves and dust spun as the wind picked up, bringing with it the sour stench of sulfur. The dark clouds in the distance had grown until they almost touched the ground.
    “Esther, quit screwing around. The assembly is almost here. If you thought your situation was dire before, they’ll make sure it’s much worse now