CHAPTER FOURTEEN: RC’s Gambit

“Hey, you!” yelled RC. “Demon freak!” He picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could at the Demon Master. He missed, but at least he got the Demon Master’s attention. “Get away from them!” He picked up another rock and hurled it. This one hit, but didn’t seem to hurt the Demon Master much.

“No, RC!” screamed Mr. Ryden. “Run!” He threw a weak magic bolt at the Demon Master’s claws, trying to escape.

The Demon Master brushed off the attack and laughed his horrible laugh. He tossed Mr. and Mrs. Ryden aside like dirty T-shirts. RC heard them hit the ground.

The Demon Master ignored them and turned towards RC. Now we’re talking. Come to me, dinner!

RC moved a little farther away from Danny’s hiding spot, just in case, and kept throwing rocks. His aim was really bad now, since he was shaking with fear. Mr. and Mrs. Ryden weren’t moving from where they had landed when the Demon Master threw them, which was something RC hadn’t counted on. Still, there was no turning back now. Come on, RC, he told himself, you can do it! But it was hard to really believe it.

Ah, excellent. This one still has some spunk left in him, said the Demon Master as he flew casually toward RC. That always makes them so much more spicy.

RC swallowed hard. He wanted to say something really clever, like the heroes always did in movies, but he couldn’t think of anything. Instead, as the Demon Master came closer, RC filled his pockets and his fists with loose dirt from around his feet.

The Demon Master landed with a whoosh a few feet away from RC. Up an’ at ‘em, boy, he whispered and reached out one huge hand to grab RC.

RC’s legs went numb from the Demon Master’s crushing grip. But as the Demon Master lifted him up, RC saw clearly what he’d only caught a glimpse of before: a shining silver crystal hanging on a thin necklace around the Demon Master’s neck.

He remembered what Mrs. Ryden had said: “Salt and holy water don’t do anything to demons. Their power is all held in a crystal they carry. Usually they wear it as a pendant or necklace. The only way to destroy a demon completely is to break the crystal.” Unfortunately, this crystal was high up on a very large demon, right up by his neck. Which meant that the only way RC could get close enough to smash it would be to let the Demon Master pick him up. And the only way that was going to happen...

Suddenly, RC’s hair was sucked upward. The Demon Master was sniffing him, like you would a flower or a particularly good-smelling meal. Ah... Tasty, this one. You Aeryans have good taste in friends, truly. He laughed at his own joke. Good TASTE, ha!

As he laughed, he pulled RC closer to his chest. And closer to his mouth. And, as RC had hoped, closer to his necklace. When he had lifted RC as close to it as he was likely to, RC threw the dirt in his hands straight into the Demon Master’s open mouth. Then, while the Demon Master was busy spitting out dirt, he grabbed at the crystal. He tore as hard as he could and broke the cord holding it.

Yes! Now all he needed to do was break it. RC crushed the crystal as hard as he could between his hands.

And nothing happened. He wasn’t strong enough to break the crystal!

The Demon Master roared in anger and flung RC back and forth in his hands, crushing RC’s legs even harder. How dare you! How dare you try to trick me! I was going to make this painless, but now I’ll just take my time. I’ll shake you first, so you’re tender enough to chew. Then I’ll rip off your skin and eat it while you watch. Then the ears – such a delicacy...

He continued to talk, but RC couldn’t keep track of anything anymore. His legs hurt so much and he had already thrown up from all the shaking. The last thing he did before he completely panicked was throw the crystal as hard as he could towards the ground.

But nothing happened when it hit.