Liam twirled a pen into the air and caught it on his forehead where he proceeded to balance it. “Whenever we get a lead on one of the Plague escape artists, that takes precedence over all the other cases.”
“What makes you think that these children and the human trafficker are connected to your demon?” I asked. I observed Tate smack Liam’s hand as he reached for another bagel.
“From the mouths of babes,” Leto joked.
“I am kind of a babe,” Liam said and cut me a quick look. “Not that you should be checking me out or anything. We don’t do that here.”
“Supai has been on the list of those that have made their presence known or have been spotted,” Emil said. “It’s only recently that we’ve managed to garner any solid leads. He must be getting desperate for regenerative power or he’d have stayed hidden.”
“The more power he gets, the harder he is to kill,” Purvis added.
“Is there no way to imprison him again?” I asked. “If demons like him are so hard to kill, maybe the answer is to capture them.”
“Letting them live is too big of a risk at this point,” Natasha said, not sounding the least bit sorry. “They’ve caused nothing but chaos and devastation since their reign of terror began. We’ve barely managed to contain the damage, and as long as they’re out there, the entire population is under threat.”
My gaze swept the attendees. “The agents here are so young. Who was fighting the monsters before this group was out of diapers?”
Natasha leaned back in her chair and gave me a long look. “We were.”
I wasn’t expecting that answer. “We?”
She gestured to the other members of the management team. “We were the original five. The best of each of our species.”
Doran craned his neck. “Jonas?”
A red head ducked into the room. “Sir?”
“The smart board is giving us a bit of sass,” Doran said.
“It might take some fiddling…” Jonas began.
“Bloody technology.” The older witch rolled her eyes and muttered an incantation. An image shimmered on the screen until it was clearly visible.
“Never mind, Jonas,” Doran said pleasantly and the head disappeared as quickly as it had materialized.
The image depicted a male with a human head, the horns of a ram, the body of a lion, and the teeth of a tiger.
“Check him out, Tate. Looks like someone attracted to your dating profile,” Liam quipped.
The younger witch glowered at him.
“That is Supai,” Abra said. “Otherwise known as Lord of Minerals.”
Liam stifled a laugh. “Wouldn’t you want to lord over something tougher?”
“Don’t be fooled by the lackluster name,” Abra said. “His powers are not to be underestimated. He was in the pocket dimension for a reason.”
“And what reason was that?” I asked.
Doran stood and clasped his hands behind his folded wings. “He once ruled over evil spirits in one of the Lands of the Dead. His existence was confined to the bowels of the dark earth, but he became greedy, wanting his kingdom to exceed its current state.”
“He sent teams of spirits to earth to assist with this task,” Emil said. “He was finally captured and imprisoned, but not without great bloodshed.”
Team of spirits from the Land of the Dead? “The Abaasy…” I began.
“Very good, Miss Wendell,” Abra said. “I was wondering whether you’d make the connection.”
“We suspected something connected to Supai was happening here when our friend appeared at Salt,” Purvis said. “The sighting of Rex confirmed it.”
“So Supai’s been roaming the earth ever since the Plague?” I asked. I studied the image and wondered how someone with his appearance managed to lurk undetected.
“Some like Supai have been biding their time to make their big comeback,” Natasha said. “It seems he’s been hard at work attracting new followers with old methods.”
A knot formed in my stomach as the realization hit me. “Human sacrifice.” And not just any humans. Children.
“Supai can disguise himself with ease, however, he’s limited to animals.” Abra changed the image on the screen to one of a lion, then a tiger, then a ram with glowing red eyes. Then an image that combined all three animals. That explained his ability to walk the earth without drawing attention.
“One of the telltale clues is his sulphuric odor,” Doran said. “He excretes the smell in any of his forms.”
“There are fragrances for that,” Liam piped up.
“We think he’s focusing his latest efforts in the desert in Nevada,” Natasha said. “That’s where you come in.”
“I’ll bring as many bath bombs as I can carry,” Liam said.
“He’s in Nevada now?” Saxon asked.
Abra changed the screen to the original image of Supai. “We only know that preparations are being made.”
“Rest up, agents,” Emil said. “You’ll be heading out just before dawn. We’ll have your weapons and supplies ready.”
“How do we get there?” I asked. “Do we take the van?” Although it would be better than the bus, I wasn’t sure my stomach could handle the long drive.
“I told you we were the best of our species,” Natasha said. “Emil will help get you as close as possible without detection.”
I shot a quizzical look at the fae. “A portal?” I’d heard of portals, of course, but I’d never seen one and certainly had never stepped through one.
Emil gave me a conspiratorial wink. “See you at dawn, Callie.”
Chapter Nine
“Was there no closer stop?” Liam complained. “I bet we’re still a hundred miles away.”
“You know portals can’t always be precise,” Tate said. She flicked a glance in my direction. “How are you feeling?”
I was bent over, clutching my stomach. “I think breakfast will stay where it belongs.” Emil’s quick portal was still better than a long car journey. Short-term pain for long-term gain.
Liam put his hands on his hips and surveyed the area. “I really wish I could create portals.”
“Another reason we need Evadne,” Leto said.
“Her portals aren’t as good as Emil’s,” Saxon said. “Remember that time you ended up in Knoxville and the rest of us went to Miami?”
Tate laughed. “Dude, that was totally on purpose.”
“We should start walking,” Saxon said. “The longer we stand here complaining, the more time Supai has to carry out his plan.”
One thought of the desperate children and my feet were spurred into action. After half an hour of dusty paths, Saxon slowed to a halt. “Are we sure this is the right way?”
I understood his concern. There seemed to be bleak desert--nothing but landscape between us and the horizon. Not even a remote highway was visible from where we stood.
Leto sniffed the air. “I’m not too much help in a place like this. I don’t recognize any of the smells.”
“I don’t either, but I feel confident it’s the right way,” Liam insisted. He shaded his brow and pointed. “Look. There’s a sign of life.”
I peered into the distance to see an enormous tree towering over the barren land. “A tree? That’s your sign of life?”
“That’s not just any tree,” Liam said. “It’s so massive that we can see it from here. I bet it’s sacred, which means there’s likely civilization ahead.”
Tate shrugged. “It’s not a bad theory.”
“Should I fly ahead and take a look?” Saxon asked.
“There’s no point,” Leto said. “We’re all going in the same direction.”
The closer we got to the tree, the more its monstrous size became apparent. It was at least seventy feet high and thirty feet around with thick, twisting branches that seemed to stretch and reach toward unseen objects.
“It reminds me of Medusa’s head,” I said.
Leto offered a good-natured smile. “Yes, maybe
she’s buried here, lying in wait for travelers, and a giant Gorgon will break out of the ground and turn us all to stone.”
“I kind of hope she does,” Liam said. “I always thought she was rather attractive and I’m due for a new lady friend.”
“Typical Liam. Any port in a storm,” Tate said.
I snorted. “More like any mirage in a desert.”
The hot desert air dropped about ten degrees as we approached the tree. It was impossible to walk past without stopping to admire its canopy of branches and massive trunk. Liam jumped up and gripped one of the branches, swinging like a monkey.
“We don’t have time to play,” Saxon said. “Let’s keep moving.”
“Come on, you old curmudgeon. We can’t pass by a tree like this and not climb it. It’s unnatural.” Liam pulled himself upright onto the low branch and continued to climb.
“What’s unnatural is this tree,” Tate said. “It’s giving me the heebie-jeebies.”
“Since when does a witch get heebie-jeebies?” Liam asked. “Sounds like something you should see the healer about when we get back.” As he reached for another branch, a deep, guttural sound shook the ground beneath our feet.
We froze and stared at each other. “Did the tree just…groan?” Leto asked.
“Liam, you need to come down,” Saxon ordered. “Now.”
“What are you so worried about?” He leaped from one branch to another one closer to the trunk. I opened my mouth to yell, but the branch moved too quickly. It wrapped itself around Liam’s waist and squeezed. We watched in horror as the werevamp slumped in its grip.
Tate opened her palm and said, “Extrico.”
The tree must’ve deemed itself under attack because Tate’s spell seemed to awaken the rest of the branches. Each one began to stir and we backed far enough away to be out of reach.
“We can’t leave Liam,” I said.
“Are you sure?” Tate joked.
“Quick,” Saxon ordered. “We need more magic.”
I remembered a spell that my father had taught me to release animals inadvertently caught in traps. Before I could focus my energy, a branch shot out from the center of the tree and coiled around my neck. I gasped for air as it pulled me closer. The smaller offshoots dug into my skin like sharp wooden fingers. I writhed and yanked at the branch, but it was too strong. The tendrils of my subconscious unfurled like the tree’s branches and took hold of my mind. I was no longer being gripped by the neck by a tree in the middle of the desert; I was at the campsite where my father died. His lifeless body lay on the ground at my feet. I turned to confront the demon that killed him and saw that the creature wore the poker chip necklace. I touched my throat in confusion and jerked back toward my father.
“Where am I?” I asked aloud.
The demon’s mocking laugh forced my attention back to him. The sound was enough to make my blood boil. “My death was the beginning of the end for you, mongrel,” he said, his voice raspy.
“No,” I said. “It was just the end.” My dad was gone and I was alone. Killing the demon didn’t change the fact that my father was dead, but at least the creature would never harm anyone else. I’d made sure of that.
“Who do you work for?” I demanded.
The demon bared his sharp teeth. “I’ll never tell.”
“No,” I said, my body tensing. “You won’t.” Fangs slid from my gums and I wondered if they sported any gemstones.
The demon looked startled by my sudden change in appearance and took a frightened step backward. I advanced toward him, anger surging through me. How dare he kill my father. How dare he take the only thing in the world I cared about.
The demon couldn’t escape me. With a grace I didn’t normally possess, I covered the distance between us in a heartbeat. I anchored him with a powerful arm and sank my fangs into his flesh. My clothes were showered with thick droplets of black blood as I drained him of life. I didn’t just kill him.
I devoured him.
And even worse.
I enjoyed it.
As the demon shuddered and drew his final breath, I heard a noise behind me. I turned around to see my father’s eyes open and brimming with tears. He crawled toward me, clawing at the earth and whimpering.
“Dad, you’re alive.” I rushed toward him and saw the look of horror in his eyes as he noticed my appearance. The fangs. The blood.
“No,” he said softly. “No.” He stopped inching toward me. His eyes closed and he mumbled something unintelligible. The earth rumbled and dirt shifted, moving to cover his outstretched hands. Without warning, the ground swallowed him whole. I stood rooted in place, unable to go to him. To help him.
To save him.
“Dad!” My cries reverberated in the clearing. There was no one here. Not the demon. Not Nathaniel. Not the other victims. No one.
I was alone.
Around me the trees began to sway and beams of sunlight filtered through the branches. Had night passed so quickly? I shielded my eyes from the sudden light and saw wings glide down from the heavens. An angel had arrived to save me. My body began to shake and I thought it was the ground again until I heard my name.
“Wake up, Callie!”
“Shouldn’t we do mouth-to-mouth or something?” Liam’s voice pierced my consciousness.
My eyelids fluttered open to see four faces staring down at me. I bolted upright. “What in the hell just happened?” I touched my teeth. No fangs.
Saxon put an arm around me. “It’s okay. Try to breathe.”
I brushed him off and pulled myself to my feet. “I’m breathing, but how?” The last thing I remembered was that tree branch cutting off my airway.
“You can thank Tate,” Leto said. “She whooped its wooden ass.”
An image of Liam unconscious in the tree flashed in my mind. “Liam, you’re okay too?”
He hooked his thumbs through pretend buttonholes. “Fresh as a daisy,” he said. “All I needed was a nap.”
I surveyed the landscape in search of the tree but saw no sign of it. “Where did it go?”
“The earth reclaimed it,” Tate said. “The only sign it was ever here is a fissure in the ground.”
“That’s the good news. The bad news is that our witch needs a bit of a rest after that level of magic,” Leto said.
Saxon scanned the horizon. “I could fly her ahead and then wait for the rest of you to catch up.”
“I don’t think we should split up,” I said. Not after what just happened. What if there were more threats along the way?
“Callie’s right,” Leto said. “Let’s wait here and regroup. At least we know there aren’t any other demons lurking. Unless we need to worry about tumbleweeds attacking us, there’s nothing in sight for miles.”
Tate’s phone buzzed and she exhaled with relief. “Finally.” She glanced at her screen. “It was a Quercus demon.”
“Now you tell us?” Liam asked.
“I didn’t know. I’d sent the information to Nita before the brawl, but I lost the signal until now.”
“What’s a Quercus demon?” I asked.
“Ancient,” Saxon said. “It plunges you into a nightmare so horrible that it incapacitates you.”
“Then it squeezes you until you pop like a weasel,” Liam added.
“They’d basically gone extinct.” Saxon glanced back to where the tree had stood. “I guess they’re back in existence.”
“That one isn’t,” I said. I thought of my experience in the demon’s clutches. “So it’s like a nightmare demon? Plays on our fears?”
Liam scoffed. “Why? Would you describe yours as more of a picnic? I can promise you that mine qualified.”
“No, of course not. It was awful.”
“What did yours involve?” Tate asked.
I hesitated, not really wanting to relive the nightmare. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over now.”
“Why would a demon live all the way out here with nothing around for miles?” Leto asked.
<
br /> “Because that’s its best chance of preservation and attracting unwary travelers,” Saxon said.
“Like us,” Tate said.
Liam shook his head ruefully. “We should’ve sauntered right past it. I don’t know whose brilliant idea it was to stop and play.”
Saxon smacked Liam in the back of the head and the werevamp laughed in response, rubbing the injured spot.
We sat on an obliging cluster of boulders and Saxon distributed snacks and water bottles from the supply pack. I drank mine greedily, careful not to spill a single precious drop on the dry desert ground.
“Any guesses on how far we are from the town?” I asked.
“Now that my signal is back, I can tell you that we’re farther away than we’d like to be,” Tate said.
Liam growled. “Thanks a lot, Emil. Payback’s a bitch.”
“There are two towns between here and there,” Tate said, studying her screen.
“If we pass a bar, I’m stopping for a drink and no one’s stopping me,” Liam said. “I deserve it after what I went through earlier.”
“Fair enough,” Saxon said. He took a huge bite of an apple. No wonder he stayed so fit. I hadn’t seen him eat so much as a potato chip since I arrived at HQ.
“Maybe Saxon can fly ahead and scout out some horses,” I said. “That might speed things up a bit.”
Tate laughed. “You really are new, aren’t you?”
I glanced around the group. “What’s wrong with horses?”
Liam pointed to himself “Half werewolf, remember?”
Leto thumped his chest. “And whole werewolf.”
“So? My friend Nathaniel is a werewolf and he had a horse.”
Leto chewed thoughtfully on a hunk of bread. “Really? That’s unusual.”
“Not in the mountains. I mean, I guess werewolves that only travel with each other don’t need horses, but ones like Nathaniel that are in mixed company prefer not to shift to get around tough terrain.”
“Horses hate me,” Liam said.
“That’s because they’re highly intelligent animals,” Tate said. “Anyway, you don’t see a lot of horses in Atlantica City. They’re mainly for carting around tourists.”
Saxon spread his dark wings. “I think Callie’s idea is a good one. I’m going to fly ahead and see if I can find a decent mode of transport.”
Double Down on Demons (Pandora's Pride Book 1) Page 11