Demonspawn Academy: Trial One

by Annabel Chase

  “Lots of alcohol,” Rafe said. “Beyond that, I have no idea.” He polished off the rest of his drink and left the empty glass on the end of the counter. He plucked my glass from my hand and did the same. “Listen, about what happened back there, before Tommy came in…”

  The room swayed and Rafe managed to grab me before I plummeted to the floor.

  “Easy does it,” he said. “Looks like you could use a little help getting out.” He kept an arm firmly around my waist and guided me to the exit, where I stumbled out the door and into the alley. My stomach turned and I began to worry that I would vomit. If this was the result of drinking alcohol, I could understand why the Elders kept us away from it.

  “I’ll be fine. My stomach’s not happy with the contents, that’s all.”

  “Where do you live? I’ll drop you home before I head to the portal.”

  I balked. “You’re going now?”

  “Now’s as good a time as any. Just need to grab my weapons from where I stashed them.”

  “I should go with you. I’m an asset.”

  Rafe sighed. “You should go to bed and sleep off the alcohol. Tell me where you live and I’ll take you home.”

  “No,” I said quickly.

  He gave me a funny look. “Well, I’m not leaving you, so if you won’t tell me where you live, then we’ll just have to stand here all night.”

  The bouncer shrugged. “I don’t mind the company.”

  I felt too horrible to argue. “I’m staying at Hotel Franklin.”

  He cocked his head. “You live at the hotel?”

  “For now. It’s a long story.” The more words I spoke, the more in danger I was of puking.

  “One of these days I’d like to hear it—when you’re feeling better,” he said.

  I whipped around and puked into the dumpster. Then I turned back to Rafe with a smile. “Better now. Let’s go check out that portal.”

  Chapter Ten

  The entire way to Fifth and Arch, I replayed the evening’s events in my mind. Kissing Rafe was so unexpected and thrilling, but each time I remembered the way his face flamed when the curtain opened…His embarrassment had been palpable. Even in a demon nightclub, he was mortified to have been caught kissing a half demon, enchantment or not. You could take the nephilim out of Dominion, but you couldn’t take Dominion out of the nephilim.

  “Is this really the best time to be trawling a cemetery?” I asked. We’d arrived at Christ Church burial ground after stopping at a mailbox where Rafe had hidden his weapons.

  We started to scour the perimeter in search of a portal.

  “I would think the witching hour would be right up your alley,” Rafe said.

  “Only if I were a witch.”

  “Maybe not, but this is the most active time for demons,” he said. “It’s why I tend to sleep until the afternoon. If I get up too early, then I’m too tired to deal with demons at night.”

  I smiled. “And here I thought that was laziness.”

  “There’s no chance to be idle in this city. Laziness is a luxury I can’t afford.”

  “You’re not a slayer,” I said. “How much energy does it take to watch?”

  He laughed. “I think you know I do a lot more than observations.”

  “I sure hope so, because just watching is creepy.” I jumped when I thought I spotted something on a headstone, but it was only moss. “You said you used to meet with the other Watchers but now you have phones.”

  Rafe used the celestial light from his sword to examine one of the headstones, prompting a mouse to scurry across the grass and out of sight. “What about it?”

  “Is that your only interaction with others? Do you have friends?”

  He looked taken aback by the question. “I don’t really have the kind of life that lends itself to friends, I’m afraid.”

  “Why not? Do you really spend every waking moment as a Watcher?”

  “It’s a calling, Cassia, not a hobby.”

  “It’s not a calling if it was assigned to you,” I said. “A calling is something that you do because you choose it, when you can’t imagine doing anything else.”

  His expression softened. “That is a better definition, isn’t it? And what about you? Do you have friends? What were their names?”

  I chewed my lip. “Barris and Sage. Not quite.” There was a chance that I’d become friends with them in time, but now…

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m not upset. I just hadn’t really given it much thought until now.” I wondered what the others thought about my exit. Were they worried about me or had they not given me a second thought? After all, they were accustomed to life at the academy without me, so the days wouldn’t feel any different for them.

  Rafe continued to the next headstone. “About what happened earlier…”

  “You mean Pandora?” I waved a hand. “Don’t worry. I know it was the kissing enchantment. We don’t have to act like it meant anything.” How could it? We’d only just met.

  He halted in his tracks. “Do you feel that?”

  I did. There was a pulsing sensation that seemed to emanate from the headstone.

  “Do you think it’s the portal?”

  Rafe looked at me. “Only one way to find out.” He extended his hand toward the headstone.

  “Don’t go in,” I warned. “You don’t know where it will take you.” There were two types of portals—natural and artificial. The natural portals tended to be where the fabric of reality was thinnest between realms. There were portals all over the world that connected the mortal realm to Faerie, or Dominion, or the Nether. No one had created them. They simply existed. Artificial portals were like the ones at the academy—and this one on the headstone.

  “If I’m lucky, it’ll take me to the gray market.” Before he managed to touch the headstone, the grave erupted. Dirt scattered in all directions and a skeletal hand thrust its way out of the ground, followed by the rest of the body.

  I skittered backward and Rafe straightened, brandishing his sword. I quickly unsheathed the loaner he’d given me. Of course, I still had my daggers. They were well-concealed and Elder Sam had warned me never to leave them behind.

  “We must have triggered a protective ward,” Rafe said.

  All around us, the ground exploded and skeletal demons with burning eye sockets climbed out of the earth.

  I stared in disbelief. “They’re not the actual corpses, are they?” No way did I want to fight Ben Franklin’s corpse, or any other Founding Father. It would seem sacrilege.

  “No, these are grave demons,” Rafe said. “You’ve never encountered them before?” He inched closer to me so that our backs were touching and we were able to have a complete view of our opponents.

  “Uh, no. I don’t actually make a habit of hanging out in cemeteries.”

  “They’re basic foot soldiers. Disposable but tricky to dispatch.” He glanced at the sword he’d given me. “You should be able to manage with that. It’s a solid blade.”

  “Should?” I echoed. Not exactly encouraging.

  “Only one way to find out.” He slashed at the first skeleton that approached and the bone cracked. Unfortunately, the skeleton kept on coming.

  A hand thrust through the ground and bony fingers clenched my ankle, securing me in place. I couldn’t use my blade to detach it—the angle was too awkward and I risked cutting my own leg. I tried to yank my leg away instead but to no avail.

  “Cassia, watch out!”

  Another grave demon launched itself at me and I swung the blade, unable to move from my spot. The skeleton split in half—his upper half toppled to the ground and broke into pieces while his lower half kept moving. My blade sliced the air again and connected with one knee bone, and then the other.

  I turned in time to see Rafe’s blade coming toward me and I screamed as it broke the hand that held me in place. The bony fingers scattered across the ground and I jumped to the side as
the next demon advanced. Bones fissured and fractured as my blade hacked the demons. The only sound was steel on bone. At times it seemed that Rafe and I were fighting in sync, even when he was out of my peripheral vision.

  Finally, we bested the last of the grave demons and I watched in fascination as the bones were reclaimed by the earth.

  “Their eye sockets are the scariest thing about them,” I said.

  “I didn’t notice,” Rafe said. “I was too distracted by the way you grunt when you fight.”

  My cheeks grew warm with indignation. “I do not.”

  “Next time I’ll remember to record it on my phone so you can hear.”

  “You’d better not or you’ll find yourself without a phone.”

  The ground trembled and I gripped my sword. I should have known we weren’t out of trouble yet. The energy-charged headstone vibrated with a green hue and another wave of attackers appeared. These demons were different though. Not simply bones but flesh and blood. Small wolves with serpent tails and, judging from their dramatic entrance, they also breathed fire. Not an ideal development.

  “Terrific. Amon demons,” Rafe said.

  “You have no business here,” the first demon said, and I jerked backward. I wasn’t prepared for conversation. I expected them to be as silent as the grave demons.

  “We’re looking for a portal,” Rafe said. “That’s our business here.”

  The amon demons didn’t seem satisfied with that answer. They fanned out around us, preparing to attack. Hot flames streaked from their mouths and I blocked the fiery breath with my sword. Rafe’s blade glowed with a blue light that seemed to absorb any wave of flames that came his way.

  “Sorry, pal,” he said. “Celestial fire trumps elemental fire any day of the mortal week.”

  My own sword lacked the benefit of celestial fire, so I pulled out a dagger and flicked it at the nearest demon. The blade struck the demon’s head and the creature fell on its side. I ran to retrieve the dagger and strike again. As I whipped around, another demon opened its jaws and released a torrent of flames. I felt the intense heat as it engulfed me and braced myself for the pain.

  It didn’t come.

  The demon appeared as surprised as I did. Its serpentine tail slashed right and left, a sign of agitation. I didn’t give it the chance to attack again. I hurled the dagger directly between the demon’s eyes. Blood bubbled from the wound and the creature went limp. I charged ahead to reclaim the dagger and wiped the blade clean on the demon’s fur before securing it. Not the most sanitary move, but I’d clean it properly once this fight was over, assuming I lived through it.

  Another amon demon snarled as it shot out from behind a headstone. Its claws tore at my pants, slicing apart the fabric at the thigh. I knocked it aside with the hilt of my sword. There was no time to recover. Its companion jumped at me. The amon demon’s claws slashed my shirt open, exposing my midriff. The demon pounced again and slammed me back onto the ground. The sword flew from my hand, too far to reach. The demon showed its fangs and seemed ready to tear into my flesh when, inexplicably, the snarling stopped and the powerful jaws snapped closed. I glanced down and saw that it was staring at my bare stomach.

  The demon lowered its head and backed away. An unexpected howl pierced the air—more high-pitched than a typical wolf—and the other amon demons gathered behind it in a tight pack. They moved to stand in front of the headstone that Rafe had identified as the source of the energy. One by one, they jumped into the headstone and disappeared. I ran after them, but when my hand reached the portal, the headstone had turned solid again and my knuckles cracked against the hard surface.

  “Are you okay?” Rafe ran over to check on me.

  I shook the pain from my hand. “That was weird.”

  “I don’t understand what happened. They were winning and then they left.”

  “Maybe their master called for them to retreat.” I didn’t mention the amon demon’s reaction to the mark on my midriff. There was no point when I didn’t know what it meant.

  “Whoever their master is, he has this burial ground under his protection,” Rafe said. “The question is why?”

  “He has a secret he wants to keep buried?” I cringed at my own joke.

  “Or it’s the portal,” he said.

  I glanced back at the headstone. “Well, he’ll move it now.”

  Rafe nodded. “Whoever is responsible for this, he’s got a lot of power to be able to command that many demons without being present.”

  I inclined my head, thinking. “But what if he was present?”

  “What do you mean? He was one of the demons?”

  I thought of Harlan. “What if their master was here watching but invisible?” It didn’t make him any less powerful, not really, but it was certainly a possibility.

  “Then why have them retreat if they were winning?”

  I shrugged. “To prove a point. Maybe he didn’t want to kill us, only scare us to stop looking for the entrance to the market.”

  “I don’t know.” Rafe sheathed his sword as he stared at the headstone. “It’s almost as though they ran in fear.” He shifted his attention to me. “Wow. They did a number on your clothes. We should get you back before you’re arrested for indecent exposure.” He paused. “Not that I mind the view.”

  I yanked the shredded material together in a lame attempt to cover myself.

  “I swear I saw that demon douse you in flames,” Rafe said.

  “He missed,” I lied.

  “I figured it was the angle,” he said. “It was difficult to watch what was happening with you while also trying not to die.” He broke into a broad smile. “You have to admit—it was kind of fun, wasn’t it?”

  “Battling demons in a burial ground and praying that Ben Franklin’s corpse didn’t pop up?” I shook my head. “Not my definition of fun, Rafe.”

  “You fought well, Cassia. Someone with lesser skills would have perished before the demons chose to retreat.” I saw the admiration in his eyes and my stomach fluttered.

  “You, too. I guess all that Dominion training paid off.”

  We left the grounds and started down the street. Blood dripped down my leg. The amon demons had proven to be more vicious than sparring with the Elders at the academy. We passed a group of drunken young men and one of them whistled when he saw my clothes.

  “The ripped look is the best,” he yelled, as though I’d dressed this way for his benefit.

  We continued past them in silence until we reached the corner.

  “Cassia, you’re limping and bleeding,” Rafe said.

  “I’m a fast healer,” I said. “I’ll be fine by the time I get there.”

  “You can’t leave a trail of blood all the way to Hotel Franklin. I might be able to heal you faster.” He rubbed his hands together and produced a faint white glow. Gently, his fingers touched the wound on my leg and the pain vanished.

  “Neat trick,” I said.

  “Being half seraph has its advantages. Listen, I only live a couple of blocks from here. Come back with me and I’ll get you cleaned up. I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone after that encounter.”

  “I’ll be fine. Balthazar will be there and I can fly, so no one will bother me.”

  “You think he’ll protect you? Don’t be fooled.” He waved me back. “Come with me. I promise it’ll be fine. It’ll certainly be safer.”

  I glanced down at my shredded clothes and the rest of my untreated wounds and relented. “Okay.”

  “You should probably cloak yourself now,” he said, and extended his wings.

  “You said it’s only a couple of blocks.”

  “I know, but this is how we reach it.” He launched into the air and I followed suit. At least there was nothing wrong with my wings.

  We stayed relatively low, only skimming over the tops of buildings. He landed on a rooftop balcony. “This is home. I call it the loft.” He opened a door and ducked inside.

  The loft was two l
evels, with the room adjacent to the rooftop balcony serving as Rafe’s bedroom. The bathroom, kitchen, and living area were on the level below.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. “I can cook.”

  “Not really. I feel too gross to want to eat,” I said.

  “The shower has great water pressure,” he said, and gestured downstairs. “Everything you need should be in there.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go first?” I asked.

  “I think you need one more than I do.” He waved a hand in front of his nose and I gave him a playful shove.

  I didn’t bother with the steps. I flew to the lower level and landed soundlessly in the living area. The loft was compact and neat, so different from the spires. For a fleeting moment, I felt homesick.

  I entered the bathroom and stripped off my torn clothes. My muscles ached as I let the warm water wash over me. It was comforting to know I wouldn’t be sore tomorrow. While I appreciated that the demon part of me recovered quickly from injury, I was a little envious that Rafe actually had the power to heal others.

  After I washed off the blood and dirt and dried myself, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror to examine the mark on my midriff. I’d always known it was there, of course, but I’d never paid much attention to it. The mark was just another part of my body like fingers and toes. It was slightly larger than a freckle and shaped like a star. The strangest thing about it was the color. It wasn’t brown like most freckles. It was dark blue, the color of a sapphire. Mariska commented on it only once during my entire childhood and only to say that it was “unusual.” I didn’t give it much thought at the time. If the Elders didn’t think it was important or significant, then neither did I.

  I stood naked in the bathroom, realizing that I couldn’t glamour clothing. That only worked on humans. If I didn’t want Rafe to see me naked, then I needed actual clothes, preferably ones that weren’t ripped and bloodstained.

  I cracked open the bathroom door and, as my lips parted to call his name, I spotted the pile of neatly folded clothes on the floor outside the bathroom door. I scooped them up and brought them into the bathroom. A Penn T-shirt and a pair of black cotton shorts. They were a little big, but they fit well enough.