DAEMONEUM

by Laney McMann

  Dammit. “What’s going on? I was just at the Ward. Warden Caelius isn’t there, but some weird guy, who I’m probably going to report in a few minutes, was.”

  “What guy?”

  “He said his name was Cato.” He shrugged. “Whoever he is, I didn’t like him.”

  “Oh, no.” She paled of all color. “They’re here.”

  “Who’s here?”

  “I have to go. Thank you, Jake.” She ground the VW bus into reverse with such force, Jake thought the transmission might fall out onto the frozen driveway.

  “Wait,” he held onto the window, as the VW bus began to move, “does this have anything to do with Lindsey?”

  She didn’t answer, only shook her head, and frantically tried to roll up the window with one hand and back the VW bus out of the driveway with the other. Jake yanked his fingers away from the window as Plumb peeled out of the driveway on tires way too narrow to support any of the maneuvers she was attempting.

  Turning toward the common house, he strode in the front door, and straight toward the girl’s wing, off limits to the guys, but whatever, Lindsey was his Beta now. He knocked on her door. No answer. Knocked again. Nothing. Pacing a few doors down and over to the next hallway, he stopped in front of Giselle’s door and knocked. The weight of his knuckles forced the door open by a couple inches.

  “Giselle?” He tapped on the door again. Unlike Lindsey, who hated him, he and Giselle had actually dated for a little while. So he felt comfortable enough to peek inside when she didn’t answer. “G?” He pushed her door all the way open. Her room was stripped. No blankets or sheets on the bed, only a bare mattress. Closet doors open wide with no clothes. Shit.

  Closing her door with a snap, he made his way through the girl’s hallways and across the Kinship to his room, retrieved his cell phone from his pocket, and dialed Lindsey’s number. It went straight to voicemail. Great. With a very deep and extremely annoyed breath, he placed two fingers over the owl wings on his throat and tapped.

  “Did you find anything?” Cole walked beside Danny along the sidewalk away from the opera, the girls a few feet behind.

  “That place was scary,” he answered, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. “Kade’s dad’s house was—“

  “Uncle,” Cole corrected. “Uncle’s house.”

  “Right. I know that, sorry. Her uncle was insane. There’s a whole lower level compound the size of the house itself,” Danny explained, “underneath the house. Rows of steel tables with what I’m pretty sure were drops of dried blood, and bowls filled with I don’t even want to know what.” He glanced over his shoulder at Kade and lowered his voice. “Sketchy. Does Kade have any idea what’s down there?”

  “No,” Cole shook his head, “and I’d rather she not know. She said there was a locked room at one of the houses she lived at in Salt Lake City when she was little, but her uncle had told her it was patient files and stuff so it was off limits.”

  “I wouldn’t argue with the word ‘patient,’” Danny grimaced. “Looked like a laboratory of a mad scientist. We didn’t stay very long. It was hard to breathe down there. Hard to focus. And honestly from the looks of the place, the blood—all of it—was days old, not weeks old.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The stuff, some of it, seemed fresh. The smell for sure. Antiseptic. Like someone had tried to clean up. But also the sweet tang of blood. Not old blood, new blood. I think someone’s been in there. And there’s something else.” He lowered his voice even more. “We found a lot of baby pictures.” He eyed Cole. “One of them was of Giselle.”

  “What …?”

  Danny shook his head. “Giselle doesn’t want to talk about it, but I think Dracon did something to her. Think about it, she’s the only—“

  “Primeva in your family,” Cole finished the sentence on a groan.

  “Yeah. And Dracon said he’d experimented on other babies, not just Kade.”

  “I remember.” Cole ground his jaw, glancing toward Giselle. He let out a deep breath.

  “The timing works,” Danny said. “Kade and G are the same age. Our parents were all in the Brotherhood together before we were born, so they knew each other back then.” His green eyes were wide as he rambled.

  Cole looked like he wanted to hit something—no, he looked like he wanted to hit someone. “G doesn’t want to figure it out?”

  “No. She said she wants to forget we found the picture because it doesn’t matter now. She’s a Primeva. Can’t change it. Just like Kade can’t change that she’s an Anamolia. And if Dracon’s dead, then …”

  “If he’s dead.” Cole said in a hushed tone.

  “Exactly—If. I’m pretty much convinced at this point that we stumbled onto him in the pit underneath Crystalline and Bangerang. I know that smell. And what would the Nefarius have been guarding? The stuff in the lab under Kade’s house was fresh.”

  “Well … Heru got word that the Principals didn’t find anything in the sewer lines we found. No Nefarius, no Leyline grid, no Dracon.”

  Danny’s brows furrowed. “How's that possible?”

  “That's what I said. No idea. Looks like we’re still hunting phantoms.”

  “More like the phantoms are hunting you,” Danny said. “We just killed some of them.”

  “Point,” Cole agreed. “So … we got tracked last night,” he said, “and when I questioned the guy—gurgulio—he said Kade’s uncle was still alive. He referred to him as her custos. Her Keeper. Dracon may not be where we think he is, but he’s somewhere.”

  “Mother fu…”

  “My thoughts, too. Apparently, he barely survived. We’re onto something, and they know it. I think they cleaned up shop in the sewer lines before the Principals got there. Maybe Dracon crawled his lame ass back to his house and hid in the lab after the attack.”

  “I don’t doubt that at all,” Dan said. "It would explain the blood … but then, where the hell is he?”

  "That's the riddle.” Cole grinned.

  “It’s just … when you threw Dracon against the side of the mountain after he attacked Kade … there was so much blood. I mean, I think he’s alive, I hate to say that, but you know I do. But at the same time … there was sooo much blood, Cole. Maybe you were too distracted to remember that night, but … ”

  “I wasn’t paying attention to Dracon at that point.” Cole glanced over his shoulder at Kade.

  “I know. I’m just saying … what condition could he possibly be in now?”

  “I don’t know. Hopefully terrible condition. We’ll figure it out. Listen, talk to Giselle,” Cole said. “See if she’ll change her mind about talking about what you found in the lab. If for no other reason than to put her mind, and your parent’s minds, at ease as to why she’s a Primeva.”

  Danny knew that Cole was more than aware of the issues Giselle had about her Devil’s blood. They’d all been friends since they were nine, and Giselle had always made it known that she was the outcast. Cole had never agreed with her. He’d always been protective of her. Danny couldn’t express how much he’d appreciated Cole for that. His heart was bigger than most people knew.

  They stopped alongside a four-door sedan parked beside the sidewalk. “Are we all gonna fit?”

  “No.” Heru eyed Dan from a few paces in front of them.

  “Hi, I’m Giselle.” She sidestepped Danny and held her hand out to Heru, “I’ve seen you before at the Ward—well, a long time ago.”

  Heru shook her hand politely. “It’s nice to meet ya.”

  “Lindsey.” Lindsey gave an uninterested half-wave.

  “Nice to meet you, as well,” Heru nodded and turned to Danny. “Since ya seem to have no plan other than tagging along, I have a job for ya.”

  “Okay …”

  “Find the coiled ring,” Heru said. “We’re out of leads at this point. Ya find that ring and perhaps we could get along.” He ducked into the driver’s seat of the car.

  “I’ve never done anything
for you to not like me,” Danny argued.

  Heru grinned and said, “Yet, I still don’t,” and shut the car door.

  “He’s an asshole.”

  The car engine revved.

  “Seriously?” Danny took a step away. “What’s his problem? And I have to find the ring?” He stared at Cole. “How? Where?”

  Cole laughed. “That’s a good question. Back in Boulder? Sounds like something’s going on under the house.” He leaned forward and whispered in Dan's ear. “It makes sense that if Dracon’s not in the sewer tunnels anymore, he’s somewhere at his house. The blood didn’t show up on its own. Maybe check upstairs?”

  Danny sighed. “Okay. I’ll check.”

  Cole gestured to Lindsey. “Oh, wait …” His smile morphed into a shit-eating grin. “I forgot to congratulate the new Kinship Beta.”

  “Shut up.” She gave him a dirty look, and Cole burst out laughing.

  “Does Jake know you’re here?” he asked.

  “No.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Ah,” he reached for Kade’s hand and opened the rear passenger door to the car, “interested to see how he takes it when he finds out.”

  “He’s not my overseer.”

  Cole grinned wide. “I’m not sure that’s how Jake will see it. He likes to give orders, if I remember correctly.”

  Lindsey rolled her eyes. “I’m not the order taking type.”

  Cole laughed again. “I know.”

  “’Bye you guys,” Kade waved and slid inside the car. “Be safe.”

  “You, too.” Giselle shouted. “And it was nice to meet you formally, Heru. I love all your tattoos!” She motioned to his neck covered in blue wings.

  He made a noncommittal wave through the windshield.

  “Stay in touch with me.” Cole tapped his throat, glancing at Danny, and got in the car next to Kade. “I want updates. And watch your back. Oh,” he jumped out and took a step toward Dan, “you guys saw no one and you know nothing if the Eldership comes knocking.” He glanced at each of them in turn.

  Danny nodded, along with Giselle and Lindsey.

  Cole dipped forward, whispering in Danny’s ear, “Find out whatever you can about Dracon.” He stared him the face. “And let me know. Only me. If he’s still walking around, he won’t be for long.” Cole climbed in the car next to Kade, and Heru pulled away from the arena.

  “What’s the coiled ring?”

  Danny shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll tell you on the way to Boulder.”

  “Shit,” Lindsey cursed under her breath.

  “What?” Giselle turned toward her.

  Lindsey touched the side of her throat. “Jake.”

  Chapter 24

  Elder Cato stood on the steps outside the Ward in Rome, eyeing the wrought iron gate at the end of the walkway that Jake had exited through a few moments before. The kid was cocky like his father. Cato wasn’t surprised. All Primordial who resided on the Mortal Plane had an attitude of betterment. Cato, himself, knew it was utter rubbish. Anyone that lived outside the Star City, even Primordial, was tainted.

  Once a Primordial left the Celestial Plane to reside on the Mortal Plane, they took their fate, and all of the Mortal Plane’s plagues, into their own hands. He wiped the bottom of his shiny black shoes off on the edge of the concrete step.

  “Good riddance,” he said under his breath. Jacob Phillips could have all the earthly ills and arrogance he wanted, same as his father, and rot for all he cared.

  The Primori and Primeva who lived among humans and Daemoneum were no better than either, and were good for one purpose and one purpose only: to protect Stella Urbem along with Cato’s own pristine existence within the Celestial Plane.

  If it weren’t for the Anamolia, he wouldn’t have had to come to this wretched Plane at all. He would rather not associate with anyone here. As Chancellor of the Eldership, they were all beneath him. Removing a white handkerchief from his pocket, he placed it over the doorknob and opened the door, entering the Ward.

  He walked through the palatial entry, admiring the rose and gold painted murals of cherubs lining the walls and high ceilings. The Ward in Rome was lovely, he thought. One of the only buildings he felt fairly comfortable in. Granted, it was built by the ancient gods of the race in a time when hierarchy still had meaning. When a snotty nose punk like Jacob Phillips wouldn’t have been tolerated. No matter, he thought, with his chin held high, Jake was Warden Caelius’ problem. Well … assuming Cato allowed Caelius to return to his post as Warden. He was still undecided about it. Keeping him held in the Star City’s prison would be simple to do. Cato had worked tirelessly to remove the Warden’s mother, Hadriana from her seat as Chancellor. It had been worth it just to see the look on the family’s faces.

  Hadriana’s family had held control of the Ward, Stella Urbem, and all of the Celestial Plane for far too long. It had been time to shake the system up a bit, plant a few well-placed lies to disrupt the family seat and remove Hadriana from the position of Chancellor. With her grandson, Spurius, having gotten himself blown up in the Araneum attack three years ago, it had been easy for Cato to move himself into her position. She was distraught as the rest of her family was to learn of the tragedy, so Cato had simply shoved her out when she was too weak to fight back.

  He breathed in the sweetness of that victory as he strode down the hallway of the Ward. Now with her youngest grandson run off with the Anamolia, no one in their right mind would ever allow the family to regain the power they once held.

  Turning on his heel, he entered Warden Caelius’ office. The Anamolia represented a threat the Primordial race had feared for a very long time, and any creature with that much power, especially one who was more devil than god, needed to be eradicated. The Daemoneum, at least, they had been able to control, but a Devil God … He shook his head. That creature could have the power to wipe everything off the map. Why Caelius would be aiding and abetting such a menace to their kind, he could not begin to fathom.

  She could likely create an army of others like herself if she chose, he thought. A Devil God army. A full takeover. He would lose his seat in the Eldership. He would lose everything. He shut Caelius’ office door soundlessly behind him and strode behind the man’s desk. Papers were scattered all over the top. Cato rifled through them searching for clues of the Anamolia’s whereabouts. They were all blank. Plain white sheets of paper. Odd. But Caelius had always been strange. Removing his handkerchief from his pocket, Cato tried to open the desk drawers, but they were all locked. He shook them, rattling the contents, but they refused to open.

  He would be able to runs tests when he found the Anamolia, he thought, unfazed by the locked drawers. The lab at Stella Urbem was well equipped. Perfectly suitable. And he would be the one to bring the Devil God in. It would only enhance his standing within the Eldership. With a grin, he scanned the various book titles on Caelius’ desktop, careful not to touch them:

  A Guide to Growing Red-Ripe Tomatoes;

  When Your Hair Simply Won’t Grow.

  Cato screwed up his steel blue eyes, wondering if he was reading correctly. The next spine read:

  Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Feet and Feet Fungus.

  Cato backed up like he might catch something from the book and stood, staring. Next to the stacks of books was a Walt Disney World coffee mug filled with bobble-head Goofy pens. Confused, Cato turned around and eyed the floor to ceiling bookshelves behind him. Rows upon rows of leather-bound books looked back. Hundreds of them. He stepped forward, reading.

  The Art of Hair Weaving

  Yes, You Really Can Eat Dirt!

  How to Become a Detective for Dummies

  33 Ways to Remove Blood from Underwear

  “What in the …” Cato breathed, face heating in anger, “what is all of this?”

  Not one single book was of anything of importance or in any way related to the Primordial race. Fine, he thought, two can play this game. He stormed from the offi
ce, slamming the door as he went.

  Boarding a train in Verona at the train station after they left the opera had Kade's nerves twitching. Once she’d changed out of her formal dress and into her normal clothes in the tiny train car bathroom, her body was humming with anxiety. Cole sat next to her in their private car, one hand holding hers on the armrest, the other holding a map she wasn’t sure why he needed. He seemed to know his way around in Italy better than he did in Colorado.

  “What are you looking at?” she asked, hoping that talking would ease the chills creeping up and down her spine. Not knowing where they were going again wasn’t her favorite.

  “Just refreshing my memory.” He didn’t look up, continuing to scan the map with determined focus.

  “Don’t you know your way around Italy?”

  “I do.” His finger made a straight line from one little dot to another little dot. “But it’s not somewhere I’ve been in a while.” He finally looked at her, grinning. “Not like I hang out here.” He kissed her nose. “And this is a map of Europe.”

  “Oh.” She breathed, shoulders slumped.

  “It’s okay. Nerves are part of what we do. If we weren’t nervous, we’d be dead.”

  “Thanks for the visual I didn’t need.”

  “I just mean fear is useful if you know how to use it. Our bodies are hard-wired to keep us safe. But it’s our job to listen to the signals they give us.” He raised the map. “This is me double-checking everything, looking for anything I might not be seeing. It makes me feel useful when I’m not doing anything useful.”

  “Does it seem odd to you …” she said, “I mean, Heru is obviously hunting someone, but he’s not telling us much.” It had been eating at her. She’d come to hate secrets.

  Cole shrugged. “He has his own methods, and he’s used to working alone.”

  “But where are we going?”

  Cole turned the map he was holding around so it faced her and put a finger over his lips. He pointed to a city. Kade’s eyes got wide. Venice. “Feel better now?”