The next morning, as dawn broke over the farmstead, Elias sat on the couch with his shotgun resting against his side. The dark blade in his lap was still slick with demon blood. His hands trembled slightly as the memories of the previous night came to him; salt lines destroyed, and the leader's words echoing in his mind.
The floor bore deep scratch marks made by sharp nails and the sour stench of sulfur filled the air. Ash lay thick where Daniel had burned the demon's remains. Mara moved through the wreckage, gathering shards of glass into a pile. Her left arm was wrapped in a bandage, though fresh blood seeped from a wound caused by a demon's nail, as she worked.
Her boots crunched over the debris as she met Elias's gaze. "You stayed sharp, Elias. You got me out of there," she said in a steady voice.
Elias nodded, his throat tight as he recalled the moment his knife sank into the demon's side. He did not speak, merely tightening his grip on the knife.
Outside, Daniel hammered boards over the windows. Each strike echoed across the barn. He stepped inside with his shotgun slung over his shoulder. A bruise was forming on his jaw, and ash covered his boots.
He surveyed the wreckage and then looked at Mara. "They were not random," Daniel said. "They knew the house. They targeted us."
Mara leaned the broom against the wall and asked, "Did we cross someone? Was it something from the old job?"
Daniel rubbed his jaw and said, "Maybe. That altar we burned in '84, west of Lawrence; something felt wrong then, but we never looked into it further."
Elias shifted on the couch, the weight of the knife in his lap heavy. The demon's threat; 'we will carve you slow', echoed in his mind. In a low but steady voice, he asked, "What was it?"
Daniel shrugged, his expression grim. "I don't know yet. It was a ritual site. There were claw marks and burnt ground. We torched it and moved on without looking back."
Mara pulled a battered journal from the debris and flipped through its pages until she found the relevant entry. "I have notes here," she said as she scanned the pages. "It mentions a site ten miles out, in the west clearing. Something about buried items, but it's vague." She looked up at Daniel and added, "If this is connected to what we missed, we need answers."
Elias nodded firmly. "Should we go look?"
Daniel shook his head. "Let's go tomorrow. Today we rest and then plan our next move."
The rest of the day passed slowly. Elias helped Daniel haul boards and nail them over the claw marks on the barn. Meanwhile, Mara redrew the salt lines, making them thick and tight. A crackling sound from the corner drew Elias's attention. The radio sputtered static, "...Nebraska… kids are missing…" before Daniel turned it off.
Elias frowned at the lingering words but continued working. The sharp scent of pine and sweat slowly replaced the smell of sulfur.
Outside, Mara set up a tripwire by the creek, tying a small bell to it. Elias stepped forward and tested it. The bell rang out clearly in the quiet.
Mara watched him, her rifle slung over her back. She fixed him with a steady look and said, "You are not fighting again tonight. Not yet."
Elias nodded, keeping the knife close at hand but tucked out of sight.
As dusk fell, the farm felt exposed and raw, each shadow distinct in the fading light. Elias sat by the hearth, carefully carving a stake from a block of wood. His blade moved with steady precision.
Daniel, hunched over a rough map of the area, marked a spot ten miles west. Mara tended the fire quietly. In a low voice, she said, "If this is linked to our past troubles, we must be cautious when we confront it."
She placed a reassuring hand on Elias's shoulder. "We have time to prepare, even if it is just a little."
Elias nodded, his attention fixed on the stake's sharp point. The radio's earlier words, "...Nebraska… kids are missing…" still echoed in his mind, leaving him unsettled.
The bell by the creek fell silent as the night deepened. The tension in the air made it clear: the fight was not over. Not yet.