by Mary Ting
“Don’t touch me. I’m a demon hunter.” I held up my chin and put up my hands as if I knew what I was doing. I’d seen it on television, though they weren’t fighting real demons. Shit! I was good as dead.
“Jack, my son. It’s me.” Even the sound of his voice, deeper than I remembered and more menacing, made me want to wet my pants.
I arched my eyebrows high. “Yeah, right. You forgot to say ‘Luke, I am your father.’ Shit. I mean, ‘Jack, I am your father.’ Never mind.” I shook my head. “Who the hell are you?”
I bumped into the wall when he stepped closer with his hands up in surrender.
“Jack. Look at me. Look into my eyes.”
“Hell, no. I won’t let you glamour me.” I karate chopped the air, like I was boxing with open palms. I probably looked like an idiot, but I didn’t care. “You’re not going to trick me. I’m not going to look into your eyes.”
He dropped his hands, and his eyes glistened. Tears? “When you were born, you cried so much, I held you on my chest. Every night you listened to the sound of my heartbeat. It seemed to be the only thing that soothed you.”
“Liar! Who told you?” I wanted to punch his mouth to shut him up.
He continued. “When you were three years old, you chipped your tooth when I taught you how to ride a bicycle with training wheels and you fell. I felt so guilty that I cried with you. I told you that story. We relived that story every time you lost a tooth.”
My pulse raced mercilessly. His words were true. Then a thought ran wildly—my family. “Where’s my family? Did you kidnap my mom? You tortured that story out of her, didn’t you?” I hollered. If he’d hurt them, I didn’t care if he killed me.
“You love the thunder and lightning, but you’re afraid of the sound. So I taught you how to count between them. It was the only thing that calmed you to fall asleep in a storm.”
I dropped my shaky hands and gawked at the demon before me. All his stories were true. His crimson eyes turned hazel, hazel like mine. And that face…if given a tan, it would be a mirror image of my father’s.
“Dad?”
“Yes.” His smile reached his eyes, and tears began to fall.
I shed my own tears. Not only was my father in front of me, he was a freakin’ vampire, or I thought he was.
“Where have you—” I didn’t get to finish. He wrapped me in his arms so tightly I thought he would crush me to death.
When he pulled back, he regarded my face and stared so hard, as if to memorize every detail of it. “You’ve grown up. I expected to see you older, but you’re a duplicate of me. I’m so proud of you, son.”
“Yeah, well, I wish you had been around. What happened to you? Mom, grandma, grandpa, Gustavo, we buried you. We mourned for you for years. Why didn’t you come home?”
He nodded. “I wish I could have. It’s not that simple. But listen.” Dad gripped my shoulders, forcing me to meet his gaze. “What I’m about to tell you might not make sense, but there’s a war coming. You have to get out of here.”
“Where would we go?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Go anywhere. Don’t stay here. It’s not safe.”
“But I can’t leave my friends.” I thought about telling him about Davin, Lucia, and the gang and what we stood for, but Dad being a demon changed everything. What if he was helping Cyrus? “Have you seen anyone else? Do Mom and Grandma know you’re alive?”
Dad sat back on my bed and scrubbed his face. “Gustavo knows. Kids are easier to speak to. I asked him to take everyone out to the park to give me a chance to speak to you.”
“Oh,” I said. Guilt racked me for not believing Gustavo.
“Children tend to open up more. I don’t think my mom and your mother would be willing to accept me as I am.”
“Of course they will,” I assured him. “We’ve been through hell thinking you drowned. What happened that night? Why won’t you answer me?” My voice got louder as I thought of all our unnecessary suffering.
My dad let his head fall and then looked back up at me. “I’ll tell you everything.” He paused to inhale a breath. “The waves were amazing that night. After I closed the surf shop, I went surfing. I called your mom to let her know I would be home after one ride. As I made my way out of the water, a woman approached me. I thought she was lost. I was wrong. I dropped my surfboard into the water when she lifted me up with her magic. She made me feel pain beyond imagining, and she hadn’t laid a finger on me.”
My mind raced with so many thoughts. I understood the shock of seeing a supernatural being, for I recalled the first time I had seen one.
Dad rubbed the side of his neck. “This woman forced me to drop to my knees on the sand and bit me. She said I have the bloodline of Jacques de Molay’s family and that I would be the key. She turned me into a vampire. I had to pledge my life to her and be her slave or else she would come for you or Gustavo. You have to believe me. I’ve wanted to come home. I’ve been watching all of you from a distance to ensure this woman wouldn’t harm any of you as she promised. There isn’t anything in this world I wouldn’t do to protect my family. Please son—” His voice broke. “You have to believe me even though I look like a monster to you.”
I had never seen my father in such a state of torment and agony. Though we had mourned for him, he had done the same for us. I had no words to say as tears fell freely, so I yanked him in my arms. We wept until I pulled back to see his eyes again, to remind myself that despite who this being was in front of me, he was still my father.
“Those are your eyes.” I ran my finger over them. “Everyone used to say I have your eyes.” Then I ran my finger down the side of his face, cold like ice and yet so smooth and beautiful. “Not human flesh.”
He twitched and jerked his head away.
“You might be some kind of demon,” I continued. “But I believe there are good demons like my friend Eli. You are my father no matter the form but don’t try to suck my blood. Then I swear I’ll kill you myself.”
Dad grinned wide. “Thank you, my boy.” He scrubbed my head, the way he did when I was little. “I’m proud of you son, the man you’ve become.” He paused to meet my gaze and continued with a serious face. “Listen. I’m running out of time. I need to speak with an angel called Davin. I know you know him.”
I was about to ask how, but then he had told me he’d been watching me. Funny, I had felt a strange, unexplainable sensation from time to time, and that told me why.
“You’ve come at a good time. I’m on my way to a meeting. I think I found something—” Could I trust him? I hated that feeling. Damn it, he’s my father. I should be able to tell him everything, but a little part of me shot a warning tug.
“Perfect. Take me to him. But before we go, tell me about your team.”
I hesitated but told him just enough.
Chapter 14
Lucia
Abel, Milani, Brody, Zach, and I waited at our usual spot in the living area. Jack being late made me worry. He was always the first one to arrive. My mind spun imagining Jack being captured, so many possibilities. Cyrus had seen Jack and knew he wasn’t a supernatural being. Humans were easy targets. I was just about to text him when my doorbell chimed.
Uncle Davin opened the door and willed out his sword. Zach and I moved in angel speed beside him, sensing a demon. A demon stood a few paces behind Jack.
Jack raised his hands and shouted, “Stop, Uncle—I mean Mr. President. He’s my dad. Don’t hurt him. He came in peace.”
What in heaven?
Uncle Davin let Jack in first and then examined Jack’s dad. “You try anything, I will gut you, pull out all your fangs and toss them into the ocean for the sharks. Got that?”
Jack’s dad arched his eyebrows, not amused.
“I give you my permission to enter.” Uncle Davin pointed his sword to Jack’s father’s chest.
“I don’t need your permission. It only works on television shows. You know that vampire show. I forgot what it�
��s called,” Jack’s dad said.
“Yeah, I know. But I wanted to say it.” He sounded like he was talking to an old friend, and then his expression turned serious.
“You must be Davin. I’ve heard so much about you. The description was very appropriate, but I didn’t know you had a sense of humor. I imagined angels to be proper and holy.”
At first, Uncle Davin beamed with the compliment, but then he frowned. “You’re implying I’m improper? Unholy? I am…” He rubbed his head, seemingly perplexed. “Sit away from the children,” he barked at Jack’s dad. “The dining chair will do fine, and keep your hands where I can see them. No funny business.”
“Yes, sir.” Jack’s father had a sense of humor too, it seemed. His walk. His grin. His gestures. A walking duplicate of Jack.
We waited for Jack’s father to get comfortable while we stared at him. Crimson eyes. Pale skin. Stunning man. Moved with grace, like an angel. A demon indeed. No. I gasped. Not Lamia, but a vampire. The more dangerous kind. Holy blessed. Poor Jack. When did he find out? Recently I supposed. He would have told me, right?
“Oh, I found out today my dad is alive…a demon, if you will.” He waved a hand to his father and lit an unsure grin, kind of goofy. “I’m sure he’s safe.” He squeezed between Zach and me on the sofa.
“We’ll see about that.” Uncle Davin sat on his one-seater chair, keeping one eye on Jack’s father. “So, do I call you Jack One? Jack the Father? Demon Jack? Jack Dead? Oh, wasn’t there a Jack the Ripper? Maybe we should call you Jack the Vampire?”
“Uncle Davin,” I hissed in a whisper. “Stick to the topic.”
“Just call me Jacques,” Jack’s father said. “Or call me Jack the Great.”
Uncle Davin shrugged, shaking a finger at him. “For a demon, you have a sense of humor too. I think we’ll get along fine, as long as you’re on our side. One mistake and you’re dead. You’ll be deader than dead.”
Brody leaned closer to me from the opposite side of the sofa. “Is there such a thing?”
“Of course not, Brody,” Uncle Davin muttered, sounding annoyed. “I made it up. Now, where were we? Oh yeah.” He turned his attention back to Jack’s dad. “Why are you here? Why are you back in your family’s lives after all these years?”
While Jack’s father told us his side of the story, Jack’s eyes teared up. I linked my fingers through his, giving him my friendship and comfort.
“Wow,” Uncle Davin said at last, a look of sympathy marked on his face. “Can you at least tell us this bitch woman who took your life?”
Zach and I exchanged glances and suppressed a laugh. Uncle Davin would never let us say the word bitch. He was using more human words these days and making us laugh. Most of the time, he used the wrong slang words.
Jack’s father released a long sigh. “She’s the first Elementa. Lilith.”
“Lilith?” Uncle Davin barked.
The walls shook, and the windows vibrated. Uncle Davin moved so fast, and within a blink, Jack’s father was pinned to the wall, Uncle Davin’s sword pointing at the man’s throat. “Are you spying for her? Tell me the truth.”
We shouted our opinions, and loud voices filled the room.
“Stop. He’s on our side,” Jack said.
“Don’t hurt him,” Abel barked.
“Be careful. He’s not an ordinary vampire.” Milani’s balls of flame flared inside her fists, ready to be used.
“I swear I’m telling you the truth.” Jacques’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’m risking my life by coming here. There’s so much you don’t know. You must act fast.”
Uncle Davin released him and backed away, sword pointing at Jack’s father. “What are you saying? Do tell.”
“Find the Snow Queen, and the war will be over.”
“Say what?” Uncle Davin’s pitch rose.
I covered my mouth to stop from laughing. Uncle Davin said it exactly like a teenager.
“Finding the Snow Queen is the last thing on my to-do list.” Uncle Davin scowled and dropped his sword to his side. “We need to decipher the last clue to find the treasure.”
“But if you find the Snow Queen, you won’t need to.”
“Do you know where she is?”
Jack’s father dipped his chin low, as if ashamed he didn’t know the answer. “No.”
Uncle Davin threw his hands up. “If you don’t know where she is, how the hell are we supposed to know? We don’t even know if she’s alive. Nobody seems to know what she looks like or where she’s been hiding. For all we know, she could be dead. I’m not going to waste my time on the possibilities. We are out of time.”
“Maybe I can help you,” Jack said.
Jack’s father moved away from the wall, inching his way to Jack.
“I found something, and maybe my dad could enlighten us.” Jack showed us his cell phone. “A mysterious 700-year-old cave was discovered beneath a series of rabbit holes in a farmer’s field in England. The underground caverns were rumored to have been used by the medieval Knights Templar, and it was sealed up to keep out practitioners of black magic. What do you think of this? Maybe we should take a look.”
“Good work, Jack. I found the same thing,” I said.
“So did I.” Abel’s blue eyes sparkled.
“I found the same information,” Brody grumbled.
Milani glanced at all of us as if we should have known. “It’s the only tunnels that talked about Knights Templar. It’s all over the internet. So what are we waiting for?”
Jack’s father squeezed the top of the sofa, his eyebrows arching in confusion. “You’re going to this hole to find a clue? Don’t waste your time. Please. Listen to me.”
Uncle Davin crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Jacques. “Get out. You’re wasting our time. You have no idea what we’ve been through. So here’s what’s going to happen.” He pointed at himself and swung his fingers at all of us. “We’re going to this hole.” He stabbed a finger on Jack’s father’s forehead. “You go hunting for the Snow Queen.”
“I can’t. I have to go back to Lilith. I’m bound to her by my word and her promise. If I’m not back, she’ll go after my family.”
“Don’t worry,” Uncle Davin reassured. “We have Lamias watching over your family, and we’re next door.”
“But Lilith is powerful. You don’t know what she’s capable of.”
Uncle Davin sized up Jack’s father, face to face. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. Let’s start with this: Get out of my house, or I’ll make you.”
“Are all angels as difficult to deal with as this one?” Jack’s father asked.
Uncle Davin huffed out air. “This one is the most difficult, so you need to do as I say, shark teeth. Get out so we can do our job. You say one word about us to Lilith, and so help me God, she will be nothing compared to what I’m going to do to you.”
Jack’s dad dismissed Uncle Davin by turning away from him. “I’ll be back, Jack. Don’t tell Grandma and your mom about me, not yet. I have to play Lilith’s games to keep you safe.” With that, he walked out the door.
Uncle Davin yanked the man back in. “Wait a minute. You’re the one who left the edelweiss flowers in our homes, weren’t you?”
Jack’s father paused, considering Uncle Davin’s accusation. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t. I took a guess. But now I know. Why? That was pretty tricky. Only I do things like that.”
“Well, I guess that makes the two of us.” Jack’s father slowly guided Uncle Davin’s hand off the back of his shirt, clearing his throat. “I want you to find the Snow Queen. I thought if you saw the edelweiss flowers, you would consider it.”
Uncle Davin wiped his hand, as if he could clean off the feel of Jack’s demon father. “But we don’t know if she’s alive or dead. To us, she’s only a myth.”
Jack’s father leaned closer as if to stress a point. “I assure you. She is real.”
“How do you know?”
“Bec
ause Lilith has been running away her entire life. Let me tell you something, to show you my good faith and that I’m on the same side. You need to be careful of what you say in front of Harper and Hugo. Lilith kidnapped their parents and threatened to kill them if they don’t do as she says.”
“I knew there was something fishy about them,” Brody grumbled and dropped his head lower when the adults glared at him.
Uncle Davin’s nostrils flared, his eyes flamed, and his chest rose and fell too fast. “I’m going to kill them.” He softened his tone. “I mean not literally kill them, but nobody double crosses the Chosen Knights.”
Jack raised his hand nervously and then brought it back down. “I just want to clarify they’re not technically in our chosen knight group.”
“Jack,” Uncle Davin drawled. “Not now.”
Uncle Davin shook his head and scowled at Jack’s father. “Next time, don’t play stupid games. For the love of God, just tell us. We’re running out of time. I don’t need this kind of shit. And now that we’re done, get out.” Davin shoved Jacques out the door.
Jack remained seated with his jaw hanging in a what-just-happened expression.
“Milani.”
Milani twitched and stood up when Uncle Davin snapped her name.
“Take us to England,” he commanded.
Chapter 15
Eli
I flew back to England to the same circle of concrete. Why was Clarissa standing on top of it, as if to hide something? I glanced around. Only grass and trees. I jumped on the slab. If there was nothing to see on top, then…underground?
My heart thumped out of my chest when I lifted the concrete. I didn’t like being in cramped places, especially in a dark cave. Using my supernatural vision, I estimated the drop would be safe. I’m a demon, I reminded myself, and then I dropped in.
Cool, musty air filled my nostrils. Lights flickered ahead of me, but I couldn’t make out what it was until I inched closer. Eternal light glowed every few feet on a low wall along my path, maybe three feet high and one foot wide. When I reached the center of the cavern, some lights beamed on the ground and even in high places taller than me.