It was a very nice and spacious bathroom, plenty of stalls and one long mirror over the eight sinks which were sunken in what looked like white marble but was probably fake. It was a government building, after all, not the Ritz.
I chuckled at that turn of fortune, and I turned to push the door closed faster. Four sharp words under my breath locked it, the snick of the deadbolt was audible. My fae magic reached out, and dropped a silence barrier on the walls, ceiling, and floor, just in case she screamed, or pulled a gun and fired on me when I revealed myself.
I started my cell phone recording, then I dropped my disguise.
“Director Carter, I’d like a word,” I said not impolitely, but there was plenty of steel in it.
The director looked annoyed as she glanced at me dismissively, and if I was one of her employees, I imagined I’d be looking for a job shortly, or perhaps get shipped to the FBI office in Alaska. Then her eyes widened as she finally recognized me, and she froze for a good two seconds, before she went for her gun.
I just smiled, and then let her empty it at me. I was pissed, and my witch magic could take a few rounds, and I thought people would find it interesting when they saw it. The sharp retorts in the bathroom were deafening, as her bullets stopped dead at my protections. My ears were ringing by the time she was done, and despite my confidence my heart was beating a whole lot faster than moments before as adrenaline flushed my veins.
But I didn’t show that on my face.
“Are you finished?” I asked politely, or at least, that’s what I’d been going for.
She threatened, “You won’t leave here alive.”
I snorted, “No one heard those shots, and I’ll be leaving directly from this bathroom when our little conversation is over. So, if you’re done with the threats…” I trailed off. I had to give credit to Janice, she looked afraid but was far from paralyzed, and I could see her mind churning on a solution to her dilemma.
She asked, “What do you want?”
I looked in the mirror, breaking my gaze, before looking back, “The half-demon council is at war with the Nephilim and their puppet councils. My plans were to wait of course, I think the two involved in the New Haven incident are acting prematurely. That said, they are members in good standing of the half-demon community, and they’ve broken none of our laws. They took out the council with precision, and avoided collateral damage, I don’t think it could’ve gone better.”
Janice snorted, “That’s crazy, they’re breaking the laws of this country.”
“Perhaps, if the humans hadn’t agreed to stay out of supernatural law enforcement that would be true. We’re also at war, they want to exterminate us, we have no choice. I’d have waited for human support, and until they were fully and properly trained in magic, but that doesn’t change the pertinent facts.
“What your agents did today violates the laws of the United States. Logically, they should be on our side, and not working for murderous dictatorial regime operating right here in this great country of ours. You’d think America would be against the act of genocide, for no other reason than our parentage, our only crime is that we exist. Does that sound right to you?
“So, I’m here to ask you director. Is the united states declaring war against the half-demon council and community? Why have your people thrown out the laws they’ve been following for years. Surveillance, information, but not violence. That’s the rules, right? I can only assume you’re either joining a supernatural civil war, or your violating your oaths. So, which is it?”
Janice shook her head, “You’re evil, and your kind needs to be put down. This is about saving the world.”
My eyes widened, “So you ordered all your people to start taking us down. Is that why they interfered in Portland and New Haven as well when I rescued Joseph for the first time?”
She said, “Kill me I fyou want, but I won’t be taken in by your lies.”
Wow, she was nuts.
“So, the fact I’ve been bouncing around the U.S. free for almost four and a half years, doesn’t tell you that the Nephilim are lying, and the apocalypse is just the ultimate bluff and fear tactic?”
Janice shook her head, “You’re all planning something, I wouldn’t dare to make a guess, but the sons and daughters of angels are good. You’re just a spawn of hell, and nothing you say will make me believe differently. So, kill me, or get the fuck out of my building.”
Add self-deluded to the list.
“Does the president know about this? That you’ve given illegal orders, that amounts to declaring war between the U.S. and the council of my kind.”
She didn’t answer, which was answer enough wasn’t it?
I sighed, and started to stalk forward, which made her back up into the far corner, “Perhaps director, seeing is believing, since you won’t hear the truth. Did you know I’ve never opened a gateway to hell? Shall we give it a try, here and now? Let’s see if we can end the world.”
Her eyes widened in shock and alarm, and I laughed. It may have sounded a little unhinged, and my plan probably was a little crazy, but every time she opened her mouth the rage in my chest grew hotter. With a wave of my hand a gateway opened up behind me on the other side of the bathroom. I made sure to slowly turn as my hellfire poured out of me and licked along my clothes and skin. She was directly behind me now, after all, as I stood between her and the portal.
Though I admit, I entertained the idea of letting a demon eat her soul. Crazy bitch.
She was silent for quite a while, her breath hitched and rapid, and I was almost afraid she’d pass out from fear. But, that kind of reaction couldn’t last for long, and almost five full minutes passed without anything coming through.
I said in sarcastic mock disappointment, “Damn, I guess they didn’t have the legions ready. We need to give them some time,” then I made a tsk noise, “Now, now, director. Put the cell phone back in your pocket.”
She said, “You’re insane.”
I grinned over my shoulder, “Am I? We’ll see. You’re the one that said you wouldn’t believe anything I said, but surely seeing is believing. You’re the one that needs this little demonstration. I just hope we don’t both die, in hell,” I said that last in a faux thoughtful worried tone.
Yeah, I was totally being a bitch.
It was about three seconds later that a demon leapt through the portal, looked at me and screeched in anger, then lunged. It went straight for me, and totally ignored Janice, though I hadn’t been sure of that I’d believed that was what would happen. Demons are driven to consume power, souls, and lives, through hatred and greed. They truly were evil.
The demon pushed me back hard, hard enough that I bounced off the hard tile walls almost six feet behind me. My shields protected me, but I did feel a little rattled. Demon magic was black and oily, and tough as hell. But, they had a weakness.
I summoned a tranquilizer pistol full of holy water darts, and I emptied into his stomach and chest at point blank range, before the plan could go even more wrong. Another hit like that first one, and I could lose my focus.
The demon screamed in rage and pain, as his whole body started to smoke.
I lunged forward, and kicked him at an angle, slamming him into one of the stalls to continue dying.
Then I turned to Janice with a grin, and snapped my fingers as the hellfire gateway closed.
“Do you see now, can you feel its evil, the weight of his presence in this room? That is true evil. I’ll also note, it wasn’t my friend, it tried to kill me immediately. What do you suppose would happen if it had?”
Janice opened and closed her mouth, eyes still wide with terror.
I said, “Simple, if I died, my magic would’ve died, and the gateway would close. Not only do I have a soul, not only am I not judged and not evil, like that being. Even if I was bug fuck nuts, I couldn’t start the apocalypse even if I wanted to, the first demon through would kill me.”
“But you killed it.”
I nodded,
“I have holy water weapons, they’re defenseless against them. If I’d faced it with nothing but my magic, it would’ve easily killed me. But I can also tell you it would take about a hundred times more bullets and grenades to kill a full demon than it would to take down a half. Have you any holy water on you?”
She shook her head.
I sighed, “So, director, seeing is believing. Forget what I said, forget what the Nephilim said, and believe your own eyes and other senses. Attack my people again, and there will be a true accounting, not just a pissed off lecture and demonstration. Follow your laws, stand true to your oaths, or your nothing but thugs with guns aiding psychopathic and murderous genocidal liars.”
She narrowed her eyes.
I said, “You aren’t a baby to politics, if you made director. Don’t let their press fool you, or who their parents were, they’re more corrupt than congress.”
I opened a gateway, and walked through, wondering if I’d gone too far.
Chapter Eighteen
The video went to Karl and the others, and I asked him to post it. I also made a second video that everyone would see too, but I addressed my demands to the councils and Nephilim. I demanded they end their hunts, and that they declare the half-demon council as autonomous in supernatural society.
No, I didn’t expect it to work, but the message would have impact in other places, and it would also scare them and piss them off. Which, seemed fair, because I was still angry. I wondered if I was making stupid mistakes, but perhaps it was time to up our rhetoric. We wanted a peaceful solution, but we’d also fight for it if we had to.
When I got to the meadow, the five of them were already sitting cross legged and shielded by hellfire on the grass, trying to maintain their shields solidly, without the magic’s wants and hungers making their fire shoot out. They were getting better, but they still had so far to go. Once they mastered shielding while focused and still, they’d have to keep that while fighting, and using magic in other ways. It’d take time.
When they finished, I had them all watch both videos, and Karl posted them both to YouTube and added links to them from our website blog.
Celeste snickered, “I wish I’d have seen that in person.”
I snorted, and said playfully, “Now I know I went too far.”
She stuck her tongue out at me.
Karl said, “No, I don’t think so. We’re just surprised you did it at all.”
I nodded, “It was just a talk, and a small demonstration.”
Sabine said, “Demonstration,” pronouncing the first part of the word clearly as demon, then she giggled.
I said, “It could backfire, but if the human police and FBI joined the hunt for us, with their guns, it will make things even harder. Perhaps impossible. It was worth a try to nip it in the bud before it became accepted, even if it backfires it can’t get any worse than what just happened earlier today.”
Terrence nodded soberly.
I asked, “So, any ideas on how we can help our crazy duo?”
Karl said, “Letting them bounce here will help the most. Weapons maybe, so they don’t have to hit another military depot?”
“Where will we get the weapons?”
He replied, “Could Muriel make them? They could pick them up right before an attack, they’d last a few hours in the real world, more than long enough to complete a mission.”
That… was brilliant.
“Yes, I think she could duplicate a bullet, they could use the same rifles though. She could duplicate a fragmentation or incendiary grenade, and flash bangs as well. I think. They should test it first, I fear they may fail to work before they fade away in the real world. It’s a process of fast entropy, so at some point the bullets won’t fire, and the grenades won’t explode. But, as long as they do for an hour or so it should still work.”
Celeste interjected, “Potions could save their lives if they’re hurt badly in a fight. Healing potions, maybe something else?”
I nodded, “Not a bad idea, healing potions. I could give them a case of throwing darts as well, with knock out potion for shifters. It wouldn’t kill them, but it puts them down a lot faster than overwhelming their magic to heal with bullets would. They’d have to practice with them first, but they’re easy to throw and well balanced to fly straight. Anyone or anything else?”
Terrence said, “That gives them more than they had earlier today, and should be enough, I’d think.”
I said, “Agreed. Have them send us one of everything they want duplicated, so Muriel can read it. We’ll also give them empty throwing darts to practice with while they plan their next engagement.”
The best we could do was to keep them alive as long as possible.
As usual, the reactions to our videos and actions was a two-edged sword. We were all in my house surfing on our phones for news, after our morning workout. I was shamelessly leaning against him on the couch in front of the others, but we didn’t cross any lines.
The government was pissed off at my stunt, several senators had decried what I’d done. No doubt I scared the crap out of them, as they realized I could walk into any government installation in the country, using my magic.
A half demon fighting humans could do a hell of a lot of damage, a half demon with witch and fae magic would be a nightmare beyond reckoning.
On the good side, there were several demonstrations by the people which the news was covering. One of the most popular words written on their signs was genocide. Stop the genocide, don’t support genocidal murderers, and it went on in that bent. Law enforcement was also a big target, with signs that read enforce the law, or telling them they weren’t the law.
Not all government officials were angry, at least not at me specifically. Director Janine Carter had turned in her resignation by mid-morning that next day. No one, not even one reporter, suggested it was anything else but her being fired, the resignation a mere face-saving move. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but it was probably a good thing.
My hell gate was described by reporters and pundits alike as an insanely dangerous and a stupid stunt, but no one debated the interpretation of what it had proven. The naysayers avoided any questions relating to that, and just changed the subject. Humans could be good at that, ignoring facts that contradicted their subjective truth.
I’ll admit to a nagging doubtful anxiety of my actions the previous day, when the announcements came in that the president would address the nation that night at eight Eastern time. I’d really kicked the hornets’ nest, the only question was would they be coming for me, or the Nephilim?
Sure, he’d fired the director, but that could’ve just been about the illegal orders she’d given, and not an indication of his own personal opinion about the larger issue.
The pundits took delight in predicting which way the president would jump, and no doubt they’d be discussing it ad-nauseum for the rest of the day until the last second as the man walked out onto the podium in the White House press room.
Celeste said, “Well, this should be interesting.”
I sighed, “We’ll see.”
William said, “Either way, you did the right thing. The director was a nutjob.”
We met back up in the living room that evening, I had the streaming coverage of it going to the flat screen television. We still had no cable television, I’d have to work on that one day.
The pundits transferred to the press room at the last second, as I predicted they would. The president was already standing in front of the microphones.
“My fellow Americans. The last few months has seen a split in the country regarding our four year agreement and treaty with the supernaturals that live in our great nation. Some of it has been quite disturbing, and I know congress is already looking into the matter. I urge them to alacrity, but to also be thorough, and not be swayed by fear or our past conclusions.
“While it is being looked into, something must be done now. I have signed a temporary executive order which states law enforce
ment will no longer assist the supernatural councils in hunting the half-demons. If I’m sure of one thing, it is that they have misled us, with half-truths and falsehoods. We will not be taking sides, or assisting either side, either tactically or with information, in their supernatural civil war.”
The president raised a finger as the press went crazy, and he had to repeat the word unless several times before they shut up again. As for me, I felt a bit gob-smacked. The president wasn’t taking our side, but he might as well have said we were in the right.
“Unless, our fellow citizens are put directly in danger, and are harmed, then our law enforcement officials are directed to take the least amount of action to secure our people’s safety. I advise all human citizens to stay away from all supernatural council buildings in our cities, to be safe.
“Four years ago, the United States took the Nephilim and council reports at their word. Fear of hell and demons, which many had believed to be myth by then before that day, as well as the horrific deaths in Manhattan, and their half-angelic nature all pushed us to make up our minds way too quickly. Demons are evil, seemed like a no-brainer, but apparently the truth is twistier. Recent actions and new facts coming to light about that tragedy, put all that in doubt, and we will find the truth. If half-demons are truly not evil, and only a temporal threat to the Nephilim’s dominance in the supernatural world, it would be immoral, unethical, and reprehensible for the United States to continue to aid them in what very well be genocide against a race of innocent peoples.”
Holy shit.
He said, “Once we determine where justice and truth lies, we will act. God help them, if they turned our country, one of justice, self-determination, and honor, into innocent child killing genocidal fools. I will take a few questions.”
Demon Underground: Kyra Bell Book Three Page 16