The Irin Chronicles Box Set

by T. G. Ayer

  Barry smiled sadly. "Okay then. Let's see about getting us some privacy." He stopped pacing and faced Evie, making her feel uncomfortable enough that she got to her feet. After a while he whispered, "How did you get rid of your recent visitor?"

  Evie thought about the magic, squinting as she went over the last few moments before the entire basement had been destroyed. "I'm not certain. I think I can remember though."

  "Good. And then, what about your glamor? Try to think about how you feel when you draw the glamor over you. Where that power comes from and how you are able to control it, to make your appearance change and to keep that glamor strong for hours?"

  Evie nodded again. Her glamor was almost part of her, so answering Barry's question was easy enough. "Yes. I'm familiar with the process."

  Barry tapped his lip. "So what if you took those two things and combined them together? Can you figure out a way to do that in your head?"

  Evie smiled, understanding what Barry was trying to have her see. Combining the mental focus she used to generate and hold her glamor in place with the power that had come through her body and been thrust out of her meant she could have controlled the blast. But what she could do was to use the same concept of the glamor and turn the use of the magic into something different.

  The power was still there in her mind, but it meant she could manipulate it however she wanted. Generating a field of protection around her to prevent people from seeing her shouldn't be all that different to creating a sound barrier around her.

  Evie was nodding to herself and at last she let out her breath. "Okay. I think I can give it a try."

  Barry grinned and clapped his hands. The sound clanged around the room and Evie could only shake her head as the demon winced and looked around the cell, eyes darting to the door as though someone would be barge inside the cell any second.

  Eviue cleared her throat and shook her hands at her side.

  Then she inhaled slowly and drew a glamor around her, only this time it was a blanket to distort sound. She understood that she wouldn't be able to silence their conversation. Even the angelic glamor was based on scientific principles, as was the intricacies of the magical sound barrier.

  Why had she never tried this before? But it was a waste of time looking back. Now, she concentrated on the glamor and infused it with energy from inside her. Then she stiffened as she became aware of the heat simmering in her body, the same heat that had run through her arms, the heat that she'd believed was caused by the Marks of Hades. All along they'd simply been channeling her own innate powers in her for her to use.

  Feeling much calmer now, Evie infused more of her power into the protective field and at last she opened her eyes and looked at Barry. He smiled and said, "Say something. You can hear me because the barrier only works one way."

  Evie cleared her throat. "Testing, 1, 2," she said, feeling idiotic as she spoke. Could she not have found something else to say? But then did it really matter since Barry appeared to be patiently waiting for her to speak. He raised his hand and eyebrows in question.

  She shook her head, "What? I already spoke."

  Barry put a hand to his ear, though his smiled confirmed that her magic had succeeded. Thrilled with her success she held out her hand to Barry and he took hold of it, stepping into the protective field carefully.

  "Wow, you're a natural," he said, sounding in awe.

  She shook her head. “I’m not even sure how this is possible.”

  “Of course it’s possible. Nephilim are meant to have magic, just like gargoyles and demons. It’s the one good thing the Angels handed down to us.”

  Evie gave a nod, all too aware of the truth of Barry’s words.

  With the dome of silence cast over them, Evie let out a sigh and then a groan of relief. She sank back onto the stool and said, "Ugh. Why is this happening?" She plopped her chin onto her hand and pouted.

  Barry gave her a quizzical look then walked over to her. Crouching in front of her, he said, "I don't think you have time to sit here feeling sorry for yourself. Or rather, maybe keep the woe-is-me for after I leave when you will have nothing else to do."

  Evie gave a mock-hurt gasp. "Harsh, Baa'ruk. That was harsh."

  Barry huffed and shook his head. "The truth hurts sometimes. Put a bandage on it and let's get on with getting on." He got to his feet and patted his thighs. "What's on our agenda. Fill me in on how I ended up being roped into this mess."

  Evie sighed though she still felt a little pouty. "So the new master of the Irin is all about fairness and justice. She'd also been a little suspicious about what's been going on with Marcellus and his minions. So when I woke up, she popped by for a visit, told me why I was here. She pretty much assumed I'd be given all the rights and privileges I was entitled to."

  Barry snorted. "Let me guess. Marcellus' minions?"

  "Probably. Even the simplest of things like regular meals weren't sent up. That as well as a visit from the Brotherhood rep to update me on my rights and to provide me with a view of the case against me. I was supposed to receive the file to read through but that never happened."

  "Not surprised," Barry grunted.

  "So Mykia eventually had me brought up to see her, by a very amenable gargoyle guard I might add. She found out and threw a fit, had my food brought and then gave me the briefing herself. Which was when she said I needed to select legal counsel. I figured I had to make my own choice or the brotherhood would set me up with one of Marcellus's minions."

  Barry was shaking his head. "I still can't believe that they actually allowed you to have me as your legal rep. This is unprecedented."

  Evie had to groan at the words. "Man, you have no idea how much of what is happening is unprecedented." She gave a deep sigh. "Anyway, Mykia assured me that she would support whoever I chose but I guess she didn't expect me to elect Barry the demon overlord."

  "Mykia eh? You two on very familiar terms, now?" he wagged an eyebrow though he did appear to be far more curious.

  Evie shrugged. "She's nice. And so far she'd been incredibly fair about everything,:

  "What have you told her so far?" Barry asked, tipping his head to one side as he waited.

  "Pretty much everything,"

  "Except for the," Barry pointed at Evie's wrist eyes going wide as he waggled his head.

  "Of course not, Evie replied dryly.

  "And what about the," Barry waved a hand around the room, grabbed his throat to mimic choking, then shuddered pretending to drown, then thrust his hands out to indicate a huge explosion.

  Evie simply stared at him before saying, "Of course not," though this time the words came out clipped with a dangerous edge.

  "Okay okay, just checking."

  Beneath her breath, Evie muttered, "My only hope of getting out of here is a demon comedian. Lord help me."

  Chapter 17

  "Sorry. I get funny when I get nervous," Barry chuckled, eyes dancing in amusement.

  "Well, get un-nervous real quick cos we probably don't have all day." Evie said before continuing, "Now that you're getting started you should know that the Supreme High Council will be sending a representative who will act as overseer. The SHC rep will be present at all our meetings with my accusers as well as anyone who has given witness either for or against me. I think that the rep will also have to be present when the brotherhood speaks to anyone we bring in to speak on my behalf."

  Barry was nodding, his expression serious now. "That's correct. I'll speak to the Grand Master as soon as I am done here. if the SHC hasn't communicated with her as yet, then I'll make contact with them myself." Barry paused for a moment. "Since I haven't been fortunate enough to have a look at the paperwork before I got here, you're going to have to fill me in on anything else I need to know."

  "Well, we need to arrange a meeting with Ash and Ling."

  "Your two warrior buddies?" Evie nodded. "Why?" Barry asked his tone hard, eyes flashing as though he suspected they'd thrown Evie under the bus.

&n
bsp; Sadly, she couldn't counter him. "Their testimony kinda gave the brotherhood enough reason to charge me. But it's not as bad as it seems. I have a feeling they did what they did in order to protect Castor."

  Barry frowned, "Fine. I’ll get that arranged as well. Just tell me how exactly is Castor involved in this?" he asked folding his arms as he looked over at the door probably wondering how far away the halfling was. Castor had been the one to contact Barry who told him where Evie was. Which was how Castor ended up in Hades in the first place.

  "By the way, I meant to ask why you told Castor where I'd gone. the fact that he even came after me is what's gotten him in trouble But he's taken the fifth, and now he's hanging out in a cell nearby."

  "Ah, that's the reason for all the whispering," Barry said slowly.

  "Yeah I don't want him to know I'm here. If he finds out then he's likely to freak out. he'll think there isn't any hope of saving me and then he may say something to incriminate himself. Which will make him an accomplice. As long as I am breathing, Castor remains out of danger and out of jail."

  Barry huffed. "Of course he's not strong enough to handle jail. Even I know that."

  Evie gave him a small smile. "We have another task on the list. You got any DeathTalker's in your little black book?"

  Barry appeared startled for a moment. Then replied slowly "I may have. I haven't had a need for one in awhile but I bumped into a deathtalker when she just joined the sisterhood. I can give her a call, see if she can recommend someone if she can't do it herself."

  Evie nodded, relieved that even though Barry had started off reluctant, he was now focused and interested.

  Then he lifted a finger. "So in particular, why are we needing to bring a deathtalker on board?"

  "We will need to have a little chat with Marcellus. I've been told that the Irin wouldn't be partial to contacting Marcellus to obtain his version of the events so it's up to us to get him to spill the beans. Which of course we will have a witness for so his posthumous testimony will be part of the record of the case."

  "And if he tells the truth about what happened? That he had Patrick killed and that he'd gone to Hades to apprehend or to kill you, and that he'd been after the Seals for years now? Surely that will get you off?"

  "Maybe. But there is something else you need to know."

  "You mean those?" Barry waved vaguely in the direction of Evie's forearm.

  "Yes. I mean those."

  "Well? Don't' keep me in suspense," he said, glaring at Evie.

  "Okay, so you know how you said it should all be fine because the final piece of the set of Seals that was needed to allow the ascension to be completed, hadn't yet been found. They were meant to be in safekeeping somewhere. Well, that final piece had been in my possession since I was six years old."

  Barry made a strange choking sound though he didn't say anything.

  Evie took a breath. "So when I went to Hades to return the Seals to their rightful owner, I kinda took a wrong turn and ended up flat on my back on a stone table, the ascension taking place literally without me being able to do a thing to stop it. I had all the Seals with me so when I passed the room, the table and the magic just called me. It was a magnetic pull that I had no choice but to obey. before I knew it I was screaming my head off as the Marks fixed themselves on my arm. And Hades wasn't too thrilled when he found out."

  "I'll bet. You just took his job without him even knowing. Bet he threw a fit."

  "Actually he was rather understanding about it. Of course, we did have a month after which the Rite of Ascension would not be reversible. I thought I'd be able to return the things to Julian and be on my merry way but things didn't go according to that plan."

  "You couldn't undo it?"

  "Not if I wanted Julian to lose his position as Hades."

  "What's the big deal?"

  "Julian is mortal. The moment he's freed from the role of Hades, he will be mortal again. And he will age much faster than most people age."

  "making up for lost time," muttered Barry. "So you decided to rule together."

  "Pretty much. I'm just not sure what my responsibilities are."

  "So why did you come back here then instead of staying and figuring out your new responsibilities?"

  "Because there were a few other pieces of information I bumped into in Hades."

  "Cryptic," Barry said, scanning the room again. "Any chance of ordering room service?" he asked, eyebrow curving.

  Ignoring him, Evie said, "I've always been searching for my father. And I found him in Hades. And I bumped into someone in Hades who I believed was my father. The angel Gavriel." Barry's eyes went wide and this time he didn't butt in. Evie said, "I honestly would have been happy to know that Gavriel was the father I'd dreamed off my whole life but that wasn't the truth yes he took me to Patrick and left me there. and yes, he was the one responsible for leaving the final seal with my guardian for safekeeping, but in the end it wasn't meant to be."

  "But I thought you just said you found your father in Hades. You're confusing me, Evie."

  Letting out an irritated breath, Evie sent the demon a sharp look. "I did find him. After Marcellus arrived and ended up as chimera chow, his assistant came looking for him. But when he arrived, he showed his true colors. He was the archangel Daniel, posing as Feinstein and playing Marcellus like a violin."

  "Was he looking for the Seals for himself?"

  "Probably. Though I never got to figure it out. He didn't know who I was until Gavriel arrived to fight him. And that was a battle to witness. In the end, Daniel was sent to Tartarus, though not before he made it pretty clear that he was incapable of affection for his daughter. He barely reacted when he found out he was my father."

  Barry was incredibly silent at that revelation. And Evie couldn't blame him. Poor guy had a lot to digest. "So Daniel wanted the Seals so he worked his way into the Irin, got Marcellus under his control, managed to push Patrick out of his position and then kill him in the end. But in the end he didn't get what he wanted."

  Evie pursed her lips. "Pretty much sums it up."

  Barry sighed and rubbed his head. "Seriously, I need a drink to get over all of this, Evie. Every time I meet with you I end up leaving shell-shocked."

  "Sorry?" Evie smiled at the demon and then sighed. "That brings me back to who I want the gargoyles to bring to me."

  Barry's eyebrows rose in unison. "No. Don't tell me Evangeline the Nephilim, Warrior of the Irin, fell in love with Hades, Ruler of the Underworld?"

  Evie waved a hand and laughed him off. "Don't be so dramatic. It's hardly love. He's pretty hot for a guy his age, but that's not the reason I want to get a message to him."

  "What other reason could there be?" Barry smirked.

  "so he can speak on my behalf, idiot."

  "ah, yes, of course, Hades, would probably be the best character witness as well as the best alibi a girl could want."

  "I don't want him here to give me an alibi. I want him to tell the brotherhood the truth about Marcellus and Daniel and to clear Patrick's name."

  Barry nodded slowly. "Well, those are pretty good reasons. We'd better get on with writing that message then."

  Evie swallowed. "Er, Barry?"

  "Yes, Evie?"' the demon went still as he stared at her face.

  she gave an innocent shrug. "I don't exactly have a bottle of invisible gargoyle ink lying around. Any chance you could procure some for me?"

  Barry put a hand to his forehead. "Oh hell's frickin bells."

  Chapter 18

  Evie studied the demon overlord’s shocked face and bit her lip. “What now, Barry?”

  He sighed, the sound weary and overly-patient as though dealing with a little kid. “Evie, you don’t know anything about gargoyle ink?”

  “No, Barry,” Evie replied with equal patience. “Which is the reason I am asking you, isn’t it?”

  He fell silent for a moment. “I can’t believe you know so little about who you are and what you're capable of,�
�� he muttered almost to himself. “But then, I guess if Patrick didn’t know much, you didn’t have much of a chance did you?”

  His voice was soft and Evie only heard because her hearing was so good. But she didn’t respond with her instinctive need to defend her guardian. Mostly because it appeared that she had really missed out on learning the most important parts of her heritage and her powers.

  The sound of Barry clearing his throat broke into her thoughts and she blinked, watching as he nodded then said, “The gargoyle ink isn't all that well known but it isn't the hardest magic to create. The origin of the ink is like a fairy tale, usually some bullshit story about fae and secret lakes of mercury. But in actual fact, the source is within those descended from the angels."

  Barry paused and gave Evie a pointed stare. She replied, "Okay, so what's so special that's in all of us? Our powers? Our blood?" Barry's eyebrows waggled as if to say, "Obviously," and Evie smiled. "Fine. Keep going and explain the process. I'm assuming it has something to do with being drained of my blood."

  "Nothing as macabre as that but close enough."

  Evie glared at Barry. "As if your reassurances mean anything when you put it like that."

  He huffed. "You saying you squeamish about a little blood-letting? Thought you were a badass, stone-cold, killing machine?" he said smirking.

  But his words hit Evie deep and he must have seen the hurt in her eyes because he waved a hand and then reached out to grab her shoulder. "Hey I didn't mean it like that. I know you're still having issues with that stuff. Sorry."

  Evie shrugged, making sure to use the shoulder he wasn't holding. "It's okay. It's my burden to bear. those are my crimes for which I will need to atone. I can't take offense every time a random joke is made that reminds me of what I've done."

  Barry patted her shoulder. "I know it's hard. Many of us have been there so when I say I get it I really mean I get it."