Chapter 3
There were two yells and a pinging sound as it hit the wall at the other side of the room. Roxanne looked and sighed in relief. Two men were standing in the doorway, looks of plain shock freezing their faces. Thankfully neither of them were demons. "What the hell, lady?" One of them barked, a deep, country twang branding his voice, his hand clutched over his heart. He was 5'11 and slightly better than average build. His hair was sandy blonde and his eyes were green. But they weren't the bright, vivid green that she was used to seeing in demons. Just normal, pretty pale green. His friend was taller, somewhere close to 6'2 with deep brown hair that fell to the nape of his neck in soft, slight curls and soft blue eyes. He was more muscular than the other. "Dean." The taller of the two said, glancing at the other. While the one called Dean's country-twanged voice was rough, his was softer. Kinder. "Opps." Roxanne thought, a gentle blush highlighting her pale cheeks as she turned into her room and closed the door. The room was plain. Two queen sized beds, an armoire, a crappy looking television that probably only received four channels with crappy reception and a set of thick, tacky looking curtains hanging over the window that blocked out the sun. "Thank God. At least I don't have to wear this ring all day." Roxanne removed her ring and placed it on the silver chain that dangled in front of her throat before dropping her bags on the floor and collapsed on one of the beds. Good thing the beds were comfortable. She felt bad about almost giving those two guys heart attacks. But wow they were hot! Young. Built. Masculine. Instantly, she mentally slapped herself and took the paper that was tucked under her arm and flipped through the pages. She found her first assignment almost right away. The headline struck her like a slap in the face. "Children Death Toll Rising", Roxanne scanned the article and with every word, she felt her chest constrict as though someone was gripping it. According to investigators and forensics, a total of twelve children, ranging from six to thirteen years of age, were found, blood drained completely and skinned to the bone in their beds. All of them were also living around White Lake. The first possible culprit that came to mind was her own kind and disgrace instantly began to gnaw at her insides. She could not believe her very kind could be so cruel. To children! But then, she stopped when something came to mind. Something that had escaped her concentration the first time. Wait...victims skinned to the bone? Vampires don't do that! Well...the typical sane ones at least. Roxanne bit back her exhale of relief. With the possibility of these murders being her own people's fault lessened, she was back to where she started with no inkling of a lead. But something about this did seem familiar. Blood drained like a vampire and skinned like a Deshie demon. Then it seems like the only connection between these kids besides their deaths alone was the fact that they all currently lived around the lake. Then it clicked. As though she had been electrocuted, Roxanne jolted up from the bed and snatched up her weapon's bag and pawed through it until she pulled out her little black leather journal where she has been recording the demons she had hunted down over the years. With her tongue between her teeth and her quick mind reeling, Roxanne thumbed through the pages, gently worn from age, but otherwise in perfect condition. It wasn't long until she found what she was searching for. Monarche Demon was scribbled at the top-most line of the page and a short description was scrawled underneath it. Found in virtually any climate, known as a brand of messenger to higher demons and warlocks. And are also known for consuming the flesh of children and using the blood as a way of reviving the dead to do their bidding. Monarch demons are immune to fire and any means of regular human weapons. Can only be killed by decapitation and a silver dagger soaked in a young pigs fresh blood. "Excellent." She hissed through her teeth proudly. Now all she had to do was find this demon. But that wouldn't be too difficult to find. They tended to hunt at night in areas close to bodies of water. It will rise from White Lake again. She knew it would. And luckily, she had passed through this area enough to know where that was. But until then, God she needed a shower! Roxanne removed her clothes as she crossed the room into the bathroom. Just like the bedroom, the bathroom was just as ordinary. It was small and dingy, but it had the essentials. The tub, toilet and sink. And at least it was clean. As briskly as she could, she blasted the hot water and climbed in. She sighed as the water pelted her skin, washing away the dirt, blood and sweat from her body and hair. She watched it flow down the drain. A long breath whispered from her lips as her tense muscles relaxed and steam caressed her bruised and battered body in a soft embrace. Roxanne snatched up the shampoo bottle and shook it into her hair, which was still a matted mess.
