Man, when I cracked open that envelope, the relief I felt almost made the whole ordeal worth it. I was debt-free, and I'd only had to take a demon into my body and hunt a coven of dangerous witches.
Maybe sticking to a dead-end desk job would have been the better route, in the long-run.
With the large payment I'd received for the job, I paid up all of my bills and still had a good deal extra to sustain me until the next assignment came.
And, believe me, it was only a matter of time before the next job came down the pipeline.
***
On the day before the new moon rose, Kubo gave me a call to let me know he'd be picking me up. I was to spend the night in the Veiled Order's containment room, a cement bunker inscribed with powerful seals that would weaken my demonic powers and keep me from busting out to wreak havoc on the city. It wasn't exactly my idea of an exciting night, but after losing myself to Gadreel at the church, I was in no hurry to let him have his way.
I climbed into Kubo's SUV without protest when he pulled up, bringing along only a new change of clothes and my phone. We drove to HQ and I was led down into the cellar to a room I'd never visited before. It was the size of a gymnasium, and was constructed completely of concrete. Intricate magic circles whose exact powers I couldn't guess were etched directly into the stone, and there was scarcely a surface in the unfurnished room that didn't feature some bit of spell craft. Even the manacles that would leash me to the room's center were done up in flowing, foreign-looking symbols.
Kubo ushered me inside, and from the moment I crossed into the first magic circle, I felt a strange sensation come over me. It was a numbness, not unlike the haze that'd come over me after surgery. There was no anesthetic in my system, however; it was the room acting upon the demon inside of me. I felt my limbs growing sluggish, felt my head grow fuzzy. And, deep within me, like a dog approaching a glowing hearth, I felt something lay down for sleep. Gadreel had been subdued, at least temporarily, by the power of these seals.
Kubo chained me up and took my belongings, setting them down on the ground near the door. “When the moon rises, Gadreel will take notice,” he said. “Don't be fooled by his weakness right now. He will take you over completely and won't give in till sunrise. Unless unbound and escorted from this room by someone else, you won't be able to leave it till morning. I'll be by then to unlock you.” Making sure the manacles were firmly locked, he added, “And when I do, we'll be discussing the next job. Something's just come down from the higher-ups, a new assignment. I know you'll be looking forward to it.”
I shook my head. “If it's anything like the last one, I have my doubts. Who knows... maybe I'll sit this one out, man.”
Kubo chuckled, turning down the lights and standing by the door. “No, this job may very well end up more dangerous than the last one. Get some rest while you can. We'll be needing your help.”
More dangerous than hunting Agatha?
Call me crazy, but deep down I liked the sound of that.
As Kubo prepared to leave the room, I called out to him. “One last thing, chief. Can you do me a favor? It's going to get pretty damn dull sitting around in this room till morning. Am I allowed to listen to music?”
The chief paused. “I guess so.”
I motioned over to my phone on the ground with my chin. “Hand me my phone real quick?”
Kubo walked it over, and I wasted no time in scrolling through my collection of music. Selecting Raw Power, I put the album on repeat and handed it back to him just as the first, explosive chords of “Search and Destroy” rang out. “Thanks,” I said.
Kubo set the phone down on the ground and walked out, locking the thick, concrete door and leaving me sealed within.
It was going to be a long night.
Standing at the room's center, marveling at the enormous carvings all around me, I tapped my foot to the song and started singing along.
Deep within me, something stirred and took notice.
END.
Thank you for reading! I hope you've enjoyed Raw Power. Want to read the next book in the Demon-Hearted series? See where Lucy, Kubo and the others end up next time? Consider joining my mailing list below for news and updates on the series!
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Raw Power: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Demon-Hearted Book 1) Page 22