Excerpt

The dogman stopped. Head tilted, studying him with those burning yellow eyes.

Scarred flesh beneath the matted fur. Claws on the too-long fingers, black and curved. Opposable thumbs. Teeth that belonged in a mouth twice that size.

And the smell. Dear God, the smell.

Fizzy’s boots—yes, he wore them when riding, crunched on gravel as he took another step forward. His heart hammered against his ribs. Every instinct screamed to run, to grab Bradee and somehow get them both out of here.

But he’d learned years ago that running from demons only delayed the confrontation.

“You don’t belong here.” His voice came out steady despite the fear. That surprised him. “This land is under Kingdom authority.”

The creature’s lips pulled back, revealing more of those impossible teeth. A sound rumbled from deep in its chest—not quite a growl, not quite laughter.

Then it spoke.

The voice was wrong. Layered—multiple tones overlapping, like three or four voices speaking in unison but slightly out of sync. Grinding. Inhuman.

“Bold words, little prophet. But your authority ends where my master’s territory begins. This place was given to me long before you were born.”

Fizzy’s mind raced. Territorial spirit. Manifesting physically through… what? A host body? A created form? The theology didn’t matter right now. What mattered was the name above all names.

“It is true we’re on tribal land. And you you have a legal right to be here. But we are ambassadors of the Most High God. My rights supersede yours.” Fizzy took another step. Close enough now to see the individual hairs in the creature’s fur, the mucus dripping from its nose. “Jesus Christ gave us authority over your kind when he conquered death, hell and the grave. You can’t harm me and you know it.” In part of his mind, Fizzy’s prayer language was fulling engaged, rapid, fervent words in a language he didn’t know.

The dogman’s eyes flared brighter.

“Then come and remove me, son of Adam.”

Fizzy’s boots dug into the gravel as he stepped forward. He’d learned that faith requires action, and right now his faith demanded he move when every fiber of his being screamed to freeze.

Enraged, It dropped to all fours, mouth open wide enough to close around Fizzy’s entire head.

It attacked.

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