Hell's Geek Read Online Free PDF

a spider on a leaf and a rather vivid pink flower that seemed out of place. Now that he’d put on his observer persona, he had all the courage necessary.
    And as to the handful of predators that crept behind him, and down trees, looking to pounce on this man who would disturb their home, she quietly disposed of them.
    Not that there were many.
    Certainly not enough compared to the stories she’d heard about this place. Those of her tribe who’d wandered the wilds in search of glory had returned with grandiose stories of the non-stop battles they’d fought against the beasts that lived within.
    Had her tribe mates exaggerated, or was there something wrong?
    Around mid afternoon, the latter seemed more likely as the trees thinned, but not because there were fewer of them. More because they appeared to be dying.
    Gray trunks, barren branches, and a ground littered in moldy leaves. This was not the appearance of a thriving forest.
    Adexios stopped abruptly. Curious, she came alongside, but before she could speak, he pointed at a hump, covered in a dusting of ash, just ahead on the faint trail.
    When the lump twitched, she drew her sword.
    “I do believe we’ve found our first demon,” he whispered.
    A demon that wouldn’t live long enough to serve his lord.
    Valaska stood over the barely breathing body and feared touching it, with reason. The demon’s once-red skin, which in healthy specimens shone bright, the fiery color the unmistakable mark of a fire imp, had faded to a rusty orange streaked with gray. However, it was the blotches and open sores that oozed yellow pus that kept her from touching.
    Adexios showed no such fear. He knelt beside the creature and placed his hand on the dry, cracked skin of its forehead. “He’s not feverish. A bad sign for his kind.”
    “Is he contagious?”
    “No.” Said with utter certainty.
    “How can you be so sure?”
    He flicked her a glance. He must have seen the doubt in her face and offered her a reassuring smile. “These wounds are burn marks. The skin eaten away as if from some acidic substance or hot source. Whatever he came in contact with must have contained something poisonous to his kind. See how the edges are gray, and there are no signs of healing? His immune system has been compromised. It’s why his body is shutting down and his fire is burning low.”
    “He’s dying.”
    “Yes.”
    “How do you know all this? I thought you were simply a ferry man, not a doctor.”
    “I am a boatman to the souls. Not a very good one though, and that is why I spend my off-duty hours studying.”
    “Studying?” Her nose wrinkled.
    “You needn’t say it like it’s such a dirty word,” he chided with a chuckle. “Some of us prefer to exercise our brains instead of our bodies.”
    “So, since you’re so smart, geek boy, what did this to him?” Because whatever it was, if it proved that virulent to demons, then it would prove deadly to them with their more fragile, humanish traits.
    Amazon women might prove tough, but they were mortal.
    “I have no idea what did this, but maybe this fellow can tell us?”
    “And how will you manage that? He’s unconscious. Are you going to read his mind?”
    “I have something that should wake him up.” Adexios pulled a flask from a pocket in his knapsack and wiggled the stopper from it. He tipped it over and let a few drops hit the demon’s lips.
    For a moment, nothing happened. Then the imp swallowed.
    Its eyes shot open, dark orbs with jagged red streaks. It sucked in a deep breath and sat upright with a yell. “Fuck a duck!”
    “I don’t think they’d like that,” Adexios replied, with the most serious mien.
    She almost giggled.
    Get a hold of yourself. This was not a time for mirth.
    Taking a look around, the demon took stock of their surroundings before facing Adexios with a suspicious frown. “Who are you?” growled the red imp. “And what did you give me? It felt cold. But good.”
    “I gave you a few drops of