Volumes 5 and 6 - Blood Beast/Demon Apocalypse

Cover

Title Page

Blood Beast

Dedication

Part One: Loch

Damn The Sandman

Misery

Nightmares

Preparations

Party Animal

Treasure Hunt

Hard Work

The Cave

Part Two: Juni

The Promise

Coming Clean

Misery Mark II

Home Visit

A Familiar Face

A Secret Shared

Shake Dog Shake

Savage

Fly Me to The Moon

Demon Apocalypse

Dedication

Part One: Beranabus

The Snatch

Flight

Power of The Beast

The Veteran

The Monolith

The Stuff that Heroes are Made Of

A Face from the Past

The Warning

Part Two: Bec-E

The Messenger

Valkyries

Spartans

A Second Chance

Timely Intervention

The High …

… And The Low

Empty Vessel

One Small Step For Man

Other Works

Copyright

About the Publisher

For: Mary Barry (my gruesome Granny), who overcame a much fiercer beast than any Grubbs Grady ever faced!

Glad to still have you with us, old ‘un!!!

OBEs (Order of the Bloody Entrails) to: Catherine “the cut-throat” Holmes Katie McGowan—there’s a new killer kid on the block!

Mage superior: Stella “the gouger” Paskins

Magical support: Christopher Little’s circular crew

→My hands are red with blood. I’m running through a forest. Naked, but I don’t care. I’m an animal, not a human. Animals don’t need clothes.

Blood on my tongue too. Must have fed recently. Can’t remember if it was a wild creature or a person. Not bothered much either way. Still hungry—that’s all that matters. Need to find something new to chew. And soon.

I leap a fallen log. As I land, my bare feet hit twigs. They snap and I sink into a pool of mud. I collapse, howling. The twigs bite into me. I catch a glimpse of fiery red eyes peering up out of the mud. They aren’t twigs—they’re teeth! I lash out with my feet, screaming wordlessly…

… and mud and bits of bark fly everywhere. I stare at the mess suspiciously, my heart rate returning to normal. I was wrong. I haven’t fallen victim to a monstrous baby with mouths in the palms of its hands and balls of fire where its eyes should be. It’s just a muddy hole, covered with the remains of branches and leaves.

Scowling, I rise and wipe my feet clean on clumps of nearby grass. As I’m using my nails to pick off some splinters, a voice calls, “Grubbs…”

The name doesn’t register immediately. Then I remember—that’s my name. Or it used to be, once upon a time. I glance up warily, sniffing the air, but all I can smell is blood.

“Grubitsch…” the voice murmurs and I growl angrily. I hate my real name. Grubbs isn’t great, but it’s better than Grubitsch. Nobody ever called me that except Mum and my sister Gret.

“You can’t find me,” the voice teases.

I roar into the darkness of the forest, then lurch at the bushes where I think the voice is coming from. I tear through them but there’s nothing on the other side.

“Wrong,” the voice laughs, coming from a spot behind me.

I whirl and squint, but I can’t see anyone.

“Over here,” the voice whispers. This time it’s coming from my right.

Still squinting, I edge closer, towards the source of the voice. This feels wrong, like it’s a trap. But I can’t back away from it. I’m drawn on by curiosity, but also something else. It’s a girl’s voice and I think I know whose it is.

Movement to my left, just as I’m about to round a tree. Eight long, pale arms wave in the light of the moon. Dozens of tiny snakes hiss and slither. I cry out with fear and slam into the tree, shielding my eyes from the horror. Seconds pass but nothing attacks. Lowering my arms, I realise the arms were just branches of a couple of neighbouring trees. The snakes were vines, blowing in the wind.

I feel sick but I force a weak chuckle, then slide around the tree in search of the person who called to me.

I’m at the edge of a pond. I frown at it. I know this forest and there should be no pond here. But there it lies regardless, the full moon reflected in its still surface. I’m thirsty. The blood has dried on my tongue, leaving a nasty copper-like taste. I crouch to drink from the pond, going down on all fours and lowering my head to the water like a wolf.

I see my face in the mirror-like water before I drink. Blood everywhere, caked into my flesh and hair. My eyes widen and fill with fear. Not because of the blood, but because I can see the shadow of somebody behind me.

I start to turn, but it’s too late. The girl pushes my head down hard and I go under. Water fills my mouth and I gag. I try to fight but the girl is strong. She holds me down and my lungs fill. The coppery taste is still there and I realise, as I blink with horrified fascination, that the pond is actually a pool of blood.

As my body goes limp, the girl pulls me up by my hair and laughs shrilly as I draw a hasty, terrified breath. “You always were a useless coward, Grubitsch,” she sneers.

“Gret?” I moan, staring up at the mocking smile of my sister. “I thought you were dead.”

“No,” she croaks, eyes narrowing and snout lengthening. “