bra was somewhere between horrible and funny, really.
Her steps echoed on the pavement and into the night. The street was quiet, the lights on in the terraced houses. Most people were home from work now and sitting with their families in peace, the curtains closed. Sarah wrapped her arms around herself and sped up, walking as quickly as she could without breaking into a run. A little park, and after the park – the moorland. Black, deserted. And somewhere about a mile from where she stood, Sean’s house.
Sarah stepped onto the soft, mossy soil. She swallowed. Would a hand come out of the earth? Would a white face appear, mouth open to bite the air blindly, looking for flesh?
She slipped her hands under her jumper, and took out her sgian-dubh. Just in case.
She didn’t feel it coming, she didn’t hear it coming, and it didn’t spring out of the ground. The creature stepped behind her and held her in a vice-like grip, scratching at her jacket, shaking her like a dog shakes a rabbit.
Sarah could feel the Surari’s fur against her neck – but no, it wasn’t fur – it felt different – were they feathers? She looked to the hands that had grabbed her waist – they were monstrous, with claws as long as little daggers, tearing at her jacket. Something began to burrow into the back of her neck – something pointed, sharp. Painful.
Because the demon had both her arms in a vicious grip, Sarah couldn’t use the sgian-dubh in her defence. Instead, she writhed and struggled, trying to free herself, but getting nowhere. To her horror, she felt one of those clawed hands travelling up her arm and to her neck – the claws felt cold against the throbbing skin of her neck, so thin, with its watermark of veins and arteries just beneath, easily reached, easily torn.
But in moving its hand, the creature released its hold a fraction, giving Sarah just enough time to lift her arm and elbow her attacker in the chest. She used her advantage to turn, her aunt’s sgian-dubh in her hands, and she was face to face with her assailant.
She let out a gasp of horror – in front of her there was something feathery and beaked, crowned with a mane of long, straight, lucid black hair. Two black, almond-shaped eyes glared at her from among the feathers – but the gloomy light made it impossible for Sarah to see more. Sarah shook herself and summoned her power. She stared into the Surari’s eyes, expecting the thing to shake and wail under the Midnight gaze – but it didn’t move, it didn’t even flinch.
No demon is immune to the Midnight gaze! thought Sarah in anger and disbelief.
Sensing her hesitation, the Surari launched itself again towards Sarah. She went to push the sgian-dubh into its stomach but she missed, the feathered creature had turned at the last minute. Her hands were burning with the Blackwater – one touch, if held for long enough, would suffice. If only she could touch it, and at the same time avoid those claws.
Sarah and the Surari were face to face again now. It wasn’t any bigger than she was, and it seemed just as slight as her – gaunt, even – had it not been for those claws, and that vicious pointed beak.
After a brief moment of sizing each other up, the demon went for her again. Sarah lifted her sgian-dubh, and this time she grazed its arm. Immediately, the creature stopped, holding its wounded arm against itself, frozen. Sarah was dumbfounded. It was just a graze – definitely not enough to kill it. And this was a Surari – one of the most terrifying forces in the world. Why was it standing there like a child crying over a scraped knee? It made no sense.
Sarah saw her chance. She jumped on it, her hands burning, ready to strike with the Blackwater.
And something completely unexpected happened.
The Surari lifted itself out from under Sarah’s astounded gaze and slowly began to levitate away, its black, almond-shaped eyes never leaving Sarah, its arms extended and its legs curled beneath it like a hawk’s legs. It rose further and further up until it was in line with the roofs of the terraced houses, then it did a backwards flip and disappeared towards the city. Sarah hadn’t spoken a word, and the creature hadn’t made a sound.
She was burning with shock and anger. The Midnight gaze failed. This Surari must be