Found (Books of Stone Book 1)

by B. L. Brunnemer

  Atticus pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. Falk was the first to get out of the car. I went to follow only to be brought up short by the seatbelt. What the…? Oh, yeah. I unbuckled myself and slid out of the car. Not wanting to waste time, I jogged to the back door of the hospital and swiped my card. The light turned green, I tore open the door and hurried down the hall. The guys had no problem keeping up with me.

  I shoved the doors to the morgue open and strode in. Brian was already at a gurney, waiting. His eyes grew wide as we strode in.

  “Stop me if you’ve heard this one: five gargoyles walk into a morgue,” Brian teased. I rolled my eyes as I went to the bloody sheet covering the body.

  “You know about us?” Atticus asked calmly.

  “Relax, Atticus, he has the Sight,” I told him absently as I took the file Brian handed me. “It’s why I got him a job in the morgue.” I looked through the file quickly. Multiple lacerations to the stomach, chest and throat, right arm torn from the socket, left leg amputated. The list of injuries went on and on.

  “Any organs removed?” I asked as I shut the file.

  “We haven’t gotten that far, he was decapitated,” Brian answered. I looked down at the sheet. There seemed to be a head there.

  “His head wasn’t taken?” I asked.

  “Nope, it wasn’t too far from the body either,” Brian informed me. I looked at the guys.

  “Okay, gentlemen, things are about to get ghastly,” I announced as I pulled my hair up into a bun. “If you have a queasy stomach, please leave now.” I reached for a pair of gloves and pulled them on before looking up. No one had budged. “Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I reached for the sheet and pulled it down off the body. Or what was left of it. There was so much damage that it was hard to tell what was what or where it belonged. In short, it looked like a werewolf kill. I pulled the light down, took a deep breath and let it out. Then I slipped my hand into what was left of the stomach cavity. This vamp wasn’t a small man. The weight had to have been put on after he was converted. I eyed that belly, wondering how much blood it took to get yourself a big belly like that. I had a feeling I didn’t want to know. My hand moved through a plump fat layer. Then I got stuck. Oh, disgusting.

  “Brian?” It was all I had to say. Brian was on the other side of the gurney with gloves already on. He reached in and separated the tissue so I could feel around the cavity. Blood coated up to my elbow, my stomach rolled. My fingers found every organ still there. I pulled my hand out. “All the organs are still there,” I said absently.

  “Which means?” Ranulf asked.

  “It wasn’t a werewolf. They like taking parts of their kills, even if they won’t eat them,” I muttered as I moved to the head on the gurney. A smell hit me. I took another deep breath. Sulfur and smoke filled my lungs. I followed the smell to the victim’s hair. It was stronger there. “Brian, I need a lock of his hair in a bag.” I straightened and took off my gloves while he did that. “His hair smells like sulfur, so it might be a demon kill.” Brian cut off a large chunk of hair and put it into a plastic bag, then sealed it. “But to be sure…” I put my hand on the dead vampire’s forehead.

  “Don’t,” Atticus warned. I dove into the victim’s mind and looked for that last memory. It wasn’t as dark as usual; some memory banks were still glowing. After such a long life, it took longer for those memories to die. I focused on the one at the far end of the area. It was already a big ball, still full of energy and glowing. It only took a touch and I was standing on the snowy sidewalk.

  I was enjoying the walk, Lemora was cracking down on us about feeding on humans. ‘Use the clinics.’ God, her voice was annoying. Blood from a bag wasn’t the same as blood from the vein and it never would be. I turned the corner then I felt it. Rage pouring over me. It’s those wolves and that gargoyle who are to blame. My hands shook as I strode down the alley. If they weren’t here, we’d be free to do what we want. I needed to do something about it. Tonight. I smiled, my fangs slipping out. We’ll kill the gargoyle tonight, and tomorrow the wolves. A hand caught my shoulder and spun me around. I gaped up at the creature that towered over me. Its black skin was smoldering. It had a muscular build and horns scrolling back from its bald scalp. Its black eyes were empty as it tore my arm off. I screamed. Time to go!

  I pulled back into my own mind. I fell back into a hard body, strong arms held me up. Shouting echoed through the room.

  “I’m fine,” I gasped. The room fell silent as I tried to get my bearings. The scent of parchment filled my nose. I opened my eyes and looked up to find Atticus holding me against his chest. The warmth that filled me wasn’t overpowering, it was soothing, comforting. It was just what I needed right now.

  “What did you see?” he demanded. Well, it was comforting. I sighed, pulled away from him then headed for the sink.

  “It’s another fully formed demon,” I announced as I scrubbed my arm and hands until they were pink. “This one is a Deava.”

  Zahur cursed.

  “What kind?” Ranulf asked.

  “They start wars, create trouble where there wasn’t any,” Zahur answered for me. I dried my hands with a paper towel as I turned back to them.

  “Why do we have another fully formed demon after just killing the last one?” I asked them.

  “That’s a very good question,” Atticus said. I threw the paper towel away.

  “We’ll figure it out. But right now, I have to convince the big bad vamp of Chicago not to go to war,” I announced. Brian held up the plastic bag. “Thanks for the heads up, Brian. Can you have that couriered over to Lemora’s?”

  “Your wish is my command,” he said sarcastically. I shot him a look before I headed out the door with the guys following. I pulled out my phone and called Lemora back. This time Craig put me through immediately. I focused on my call while we moved through the hospital.

  “It’s a demon. A Deava.” I didn’t bother with the niceties.

  “Proof?” Lemora asked.

  “I checked out his death memory, and a hair sample that smells like sulfur and smoke is being brought to you today,” I countered as we walked outside to the parking lot.

  “Alright,” she said. “I’ll tell my people to stand down.”

  “Have a nice day, Lemora.”

  “You as well, enjoy the hunt.” Lemora hung up as we reached the car.

  I put my phone away. “We need to hurry.”

  “Sunrise is in twenty minutes,” Ranulf pointed out. “It’ll go into hiding.”

  “Yeah, but what if it chooses somewhere that’s populated?” I countered.

  Ranulf's brows went up. “Good point.”

  “Let’s go back to the apartments,” Atticus bit out. “I have some questions for you.” His face was blank as a wall as he climbed into the car. The others exchanged looks before getting in. Wondering what had Atticus so grumpy, I got in too.

  The car ride was full of tense silence all the way back to our apartments. He pulled into a spot in front of the building door. I got out and headed up, not bothering to wait for any of them.

  The others caught up quickly as I walked into my apartment. I started for my bedroom door when the front door closed.

  “Evelyn,” Atticus called, his voice cold. I turned back to find all of them in my apartment. Zahur was sitting on a stool at the breakfast counter, Ranulf was leaning against the back of the couch, Falk was still next to the door. All of them were somber and watching Atticus.

  “What are you doing? Go gear up,” I reminded them. We had a demon to catch and I wanted to get it soon.

  “Why are you mediating between vampires and werewolves?” Atticus asked in a deadly, calm voice. Wasn’t it obvious?

  “Because that’s what they agreed to when I got them to stop fighting forty-five years ago,” I explained. “Each side agreed to stop fighting, take their side of town and any problems come to me.”

  Atticus ran his hand down his face, his shoulders tense. “You
made deals with these species?” Zahur shifted on the stool, his feet moving to the floor.

  “I guess you could call them that, we call them Treaties,” I explained, not understanding why Atticus was clenching and unclenching his fists.

  “We don’t do that,” he declared, his voice icy.

  “You don’t make deals?” I didn’t understand.

  Atticus strode towards me then stopped four feet away. “We police these creatures, keep them in line,” Atticus growled. His piercing eyes met mine. “We don’t make friends with them, we don’t talk to them on the phone. We hunt them down when they break our laws, that’s it.”

  “Why did you make these Treaties?” Zahur asked. I turned to him. His eyes weren’t judging, just curious. It was a nice change from Atticus’s blank face. I opened my mouth to explain but Atticus talked right over me. My own temper started heating up.

  “It doesn’t matter why, it’s against the laws set by the Elder Council,” Atticus declared. I shut my mouth and looked at him. His face was hard, his eyes cold.

  “First, I was never taught those laws,” I explained, trying to stay calm. “Second, the Treaties I’ve made work.”

  Atticus cursed. “You only think they work because the vampires and wolves want you to think it. They are probably still out there killing and you have no idea because they are hiding the bodies or converting.”

  “I’m not an idiot, Atticus,” I bit out as I tried to explain how it worked. “They can’t convert without my consent.”

  Atticus grew still. “Have you ever given it?” Tension filled the room.

  I knew he wasn’t going to like my answer. “Once.”

  His furious gaze met mine. “Do you know what would happen to you if the Elder Council ever found out?”

  “They aren’t here,” I snapped. “They pulled out of this city before I even got here. They left chaos. I fixed it. Who cares what this Elder Council thinks? I don’t know them and they don’t know me.”

  “You’ve allowed conversion. There is no reason good enough to sink to that level,” he growled as he came closer. His golden eyes were full of rage as he answered. “It’s against a millennium of tradition that has kept the world from disaster.” He shook his head, his disappointment clear. My stomach knotted at the sight.

  “You’re done,” he announced. “You are clearly not capable of understanding the repercussions of the decisions you’ve made here. You obviously don’t understand what you’re doing.” That hit me hard in the chest, as if a blade had been driven deep. My lungs grew tight as I fought to hide the hurt. Damn. This Matching stuff was starting to irritate the heck out of me. His eyes met mine again. “You’ll have a guard from now on, at all times, no question about it. Any decisions that need to be made, I will make,” he declared. My heart sank. Did… did he not even respect me as a person? I looked away from him to the window above the sink as I fought back tears. The sun was rising. I needed to get to work, but first I had to get control of myself.

  “Atticus, it's a dangerous situation, yes. Though…" Zahur started.

  “You can’t just…” Ranulf trailed off to silence.

  When my emotions were under control I met Atticus’s eyes.

  “Good luck with that,” I said, my voice tired. If he thought he could just take over in Chicago, if he thought that little of me… I pushed it away as I headed for my bedroom.

  “We aren’t done, Evelyn,” Atticus growled.

  “I didn’t think we were,” I called over my shoulder as I started to close the door. “I’m just changing.” I shut the door. The males started arguing in the living room.

  I took a shaky breath as I sat on the bed, braced my elbows on my knees and buried my face in my hands. My throat was tight as I swallowed hard. The way he looked at me. I took a deep breath. It wasn't as if I had much choice. Yes, I can be too trusting but I wasn't foolish. I knew every species in the city, I knew their weaknesses and strengths. Dropping my hands, I lifted my head. Zahur said to pay attention to his actions not his words. He was making that rather difficult.

  Dawn began to lighten my room. I needed to get to work. I went to my closet and pulled on my usual demon hunting gear. My worn, scorched, black leather pants, y-back black tank top and my hardened, black-leather, armored vest. The leather fit me like a glove, with extra armor over my heart. Lots of demons liked to go for the heart. I fastened the silver buckles at my side and pulled on my black leather, knee-high boots. The voices in the living room were getting louder while I put on the same belt from the trunk of my car. I pulled on my shoulder harness, thankful only my emergency harness had been destroyed. I tied it tight. This one was thicker and more comfortable to be honest.

  I went to my closet and pulled out my jacket, more black armored leather. I slipped it on and buttoned the three buttons below my chest. The coat was fitted through my arms and torso, then flared down to my knees. It hid my weapons from view and covered my body when I wasn’t using magic. I slid my second short sword into the sheath at the back of my neck.

  The males weren’t even trying to be quiet now. Ranulf’s voice was clear through the shouting. I ignored them as I pulled a dented, round, metal flask of holy water out of the chest at the bottom of the closet. I slipped my phone into the breast pocket of my jacket. I pulled my hair out of the bun and quickly made a tight braid that reached the middle of my back.

  When I was done I moved to the door and listened. The others were arguing with Atticus, Ranulf cursing the most. Falk, of course, said nothing.

  I couldn’t take these guys on a Deava hunt. It’d have them tearing each other apart, not to mention the damage I could do to Atticus right now.

  I went to my nightstand and grabbed my spare keys for the Mustang, then walked softly to my large window, opened it and slipped out onto the fire escape. I closed the window and moved quickly down the metalwork, my mind already going over what I would need to do to kill the Deava.

  It wasn’t long until I was at the murder scene. Another alley. With all the dead bodies found in alleys you’d think people would steer clear, but no. They kept taking that shortcut at night. It wasn’t hard to find the blood spatter. I knelt down and used a blade to scrape up some blood. I created a ball of fire in my left hand and dropped the scrapings into the flame. The flame turned red. I dropped it on to the blood-stained cement. Flames spread over the splatter then shot down the alleyway and towards the street. Great, we are going where the people are. I started walking.

  My mind wandered back to Atticus, the way he had looked at me. I knew it was the whole Matching thing, but it hurt. And I didn’t like that it hurt. He didn’t even give me a chance to explain. It was just, ‘You’re breaking the laws, you’re doing it wrong.’

  I sighed as I followed the flame down another alley. Never mind that I’ve done just fine over the past hundred years. No, I had to be wrong.

  The flames moved further into the warehouse district. Super. I kept walking. Did the male even like me? As a person? I thought about it. No, I didn’t think he did. I sighed and kept going. Did I even like him? I liked the Atticus I first met, the one that was in the car yesterday morning. The one who could challenge me with quotes. The one that took care of me last night. Where had that Atticus gone?

  The flame led straight to a large warehouse at the end of the long block. My phone rang. I pulled it out. It said Zahur. They must have finally noticed I was gone.

  “Hello?”

  “Where are you?” Zahur asked, his voice strained.

  “Oh, just hunting down a demon,” I said matter-of-factly. “You know, my job.”

  “This isn’t a good idea, Evelyn,” he advised.

  “No, it’s a great idea,” I said cheerfully. “A Deava feeds off creating trouble between people. Taking a group into that would be incredibly stupid. It’d have us killing each other in no time. This is a one gargoyle hunt and you know it.” He was quiet as he thought about it.

  “That doesn’t mean it has to be you,�
� he countered.

  “I know, but I have some anger I need to work out. This is just good timing,” I offered. I wasn’t lying, I was rather angry at Atticus.

  “Atticus is furious,” he said quietly. Surprise, surprise. Atticus is angry with me.

  “I don’t care if he is,” I told him honestly. “He can’t barge into my life, try to take over and bark orders.” I reached the rusted warehouse door. “Look, I appreciate the concern but I’ve found its hidey-hole and need to go.”

  “Don’t do something suicidal because you’re angry at Atticus,” he cautioned. I smiled to myself.

  “Zahur, you guys don’t really know me, but I don’t do suicide. I need to go.” I hung up the phone, frustrated. I tucked my cell back into my pocket then took off my jacket. I carried it with me to the door. I rolled my neck until it popped then charged my powers. The markings in my skin, which were usually invisible, glowed bright blue. Long lines down my arms and across my chest lit up. It only ever happened when I used a lot of energy, and I had a sneaking suspicion that I was going to need it today. My body practically thrummed with energy as I walked into the warehouse.

  It was the office, and it was a mess. The stench of copper filled my nose as I let the door close behind me. Desks were overturned, papers were scattered over the blood-soaked floor. Three bodies littered the floor of the office, one with a letter opener sticking out of her neck. One had a tie wrapped around her throat, her lips blue. It looked like she’d been strangled. Another was further along the floor with his head caved in, brain matter and bone exposed to the air, a bloody stapler on the floor beside him. Damn it. Were there more people in the warehouse?

  I walked over the bloody floor and opened the door to the main warehouse. Large crates blocked my view of the main floor. I moved behind them until I came out into the center. A body was draped over the railing of the catwalk, several others had been ripped open. But I only had eyes for the large demon waiting for me in the center of the warehouse.

  He looked like your stereotypical monster, hunched over with its claws digging grooves into the cement floor. Its obsidian skin was on fire, flames rising and flickering in the dim light. Its red eyes were watching me out of its sharp, almost wolfish, face. Its black tongue licked its lips, or what there was of them.