The Vengeance Demons Series: Books 0-3 (The Vengeance Demons Series Boxset)

by Louisa Lo

  “No,” Serafina breathed. “That’s terrible. And I’m so sorry about your mother, Eldon. I didn’t know her very well, but to be murdered by her own child—”

  “I know. I don’t know how to feel about it.” Eldon sighed wearily. “My mother had spent eighteen years pining after the child she lost rather than caring about the one right in front of her, yet I can’t say I got a lot of satisfaction seeing how things backfired on her.”

  “I hate to say it, but I’m not shocked about Deirdre. The first time I met her was when she killed my cousin Gabriella.” Serafina shook her head. “I was horrified by the complete lack of hesitation in her decision to do so.”

  “My twin has gotten the worst of both worlds—cruel selfishness from her changeling blood and an arrogant disapproval for other supernaturals from the vengeance demons. I was in the middle of planning Trust’s rescue and overthrowing Deirdre when she surprised me. And now I’m here. And I can’t return home.” Anger and frustration filled Eldon’s voice.

  “Ah, and here we are, getting to the heart of the problem.” Grandma seemed to pay no attention to the darts, which had turned into some kind of neon-colored vapor seeping out of Eldon’s leg. They dissipated as soon as they left his body and he appeared no worse by having endured it. What the heck was that all about? “You want to return home, don’t you? You still want the throne, no?”

  “I did. I still do. I can do right by the minorities like Trust, the brownies, and the pixies. Hell, I’ll even be better for the rest of the world. My sister already has plans in motion to ramp up the switching practice. That would not happen under my reign.”

  From the corner of my eye, I could see Serafina looked disappointed.

  “No.” Grandma shook her head. “You want the throne because you want power. First and foremost. Helping all those unfortunate creatures comes a close second, but still a second.”

  Wow, she was really good at calling him on his shit.

  “Since when do people want the throne for the right reasons?” Eldon shot back. Huh, the guy was being just a bit too proud about doing the wrong thing. I could see where he and Serafina could clash. Though raised by changelings, her sense of right and wrong had always been bang on. The difference in their values had to be the reason why she returned to the vengeance plane alone. “And who are you to interfere with what should’ve been Dualsingian’s internal affairs anyway?”

  “Just some food for thought, Prince Eldon. From a friend.” Grandma released the holding spell she had on Eldon. He slid down the wall and hit the ground, then got up on his two feet, perfectly balanced. The movement was so fluid and painless that it took me a few seconds to realize that something was definitely different from before. “A friend who’s just given the full function of your leg back.”

  Serafina ran to Eldon. I let go of the breath that I didn’t even realize I had been holding. Now I was glad I didn’t doubt Grandma. Okay, I did for a little while there. But at least I didn’t act on it.

  Serafina stopped in front of Eldon as he shifted his weight from one side to another, testing the co-ordination of his legs, marveling at his newfound agility. She looked like she didn’t know what to say to him.

  “Prince Eldon, I took the liberty of restoring your physical strength, though I can’t do anything about the magic that was stolen from you,” Grandma said.

  “Why?” Eldon asked with a mix of wonder and suspicion.

  “First of all, to thank you for looking out for Miss Advocatus all those years when she was at Dualsing.”

  “I would’ve done it anyway,” Eldon said.

  “That’s not the point. She was a vengeance demon on foreign soil and the kindness you showed her is appreciated. Secondly, I would like to balance out your disadvantage in this current world, considering the loss of your magic. As a daughter of vengeance, I do truly believe in fairness. And then of course”—Grandma paused for dramatic effect—“I want to make sure you have the ability to run and not drag my Megan down.”

  I beamed at her calling me “her Megan.” Despite the trouble I might be getting myself into very, very soon, a part of me felt this amazing joy, basking in my gran’s love.

  And I loved her cut-to-the-chase practicality. I saw a reflection of her in me.

  So now Eldon had the strength of an able-bodied mortal. Kinda useless in a supernatural fight, but at least not a burden to carry around when things got rough.

  I just didn’t know how rough it was going to get.

  Chapter Six

  First Right of Vengeance

  IT WAS WELL AFTER midnight when Grandma left for the Council. Before she went, she added her own brand of magic to the house’s protection, in case Sui-Ling decided to grab Eldon and make a run for it.

  Grandma knew right from the start that I was going to help Eldon. That was why she healed him. And she was right. I couldn’t not help.

  I packed as much as I could realistically carry for the upcoming escape. The plan was to get Eldon out of the house and then “accidentally” lose him once we shook Sui-Ling. Still, it would be good to have a backup plan. Hey, I was the girl whose life was threatened during a routine, low-risk co-op assignment, and I almost got tricked into releasing the ultimate Big Bad. I believe I could stand to have a little bit of paranoia.

  I packed fairy dust, which I had stashed in my old bedroom inside empty tampon tubes—it was quite a feat hiding them from my trickster half-brothers. I took two cans of Blue Unicorn, magical energy drinks that would allow me to display illusions of power, and I enchanted half a dozen magical manuals to be penny-sized for the road. One never knew when she might need to look up valuable information from resources such as 1001 Wild Herbs and How They Can Kick Start Your Vengeance Career.

  I divided what I had into two portions. One for me; and one for Serafina. Without the vengeance background or the magic to wield any spells, there was no point creating a separate pile for Eldon—not that I would trust a changeling with them anyway, even one I was trying to rescue.

  I barely got everything into two duffel bags when I heard a raucous noise from the front lawn, a mix of hoarse shouting and metal clanging.

  I ran.

  When I hit the living room, I saw Serafina and Eldon on the staircase, making their way out of the basement to check on the commotion. I shook my head and waved them back. It would be best if they stayed completely out of sight. I waited until they returned to their sanctuary, then I squared my shoulders and opened the front door—

  To the sight of a circus.

  My parents’ vibrant green lawn was now littered with tiny tents that looked to be made from rags, the birdbath and pink plastic flamingo barely visible. The tents must have gone up through magical means; otherwise, I would have heard their construction.

  There were over a dozen goblins, males and females alike, gathered in the clearing at the center of the tents and producing a great deal of noise as they trash-talked, cursed, and brandished their swords at each other. In the context of goblin culture, that meant they must be among friends.

  They showed off their prized daggers, flails, and axes, weapons that were made with the superior craftsmanship that their race was famous for, and polished to gleam like mirrors.

  If only they’d taken the same care in washing their grimy-looking tents.

  The goblins’ stocky bodies, which only came to my waist, bumped into each other in a mock show of dominance, their spirits high with every bone-crashing impact.

  Just how the heck were they able to bypass the house’s protection? And why were they here now, when hardly anyone had visited my parents’ place in the last two decades? Were they here for Eldon, too, like Sui-Ling?

  With a sinking feeling, I stepped onto the porch and closed the front door behind me.

  “A-hem,” I coughed.

  They ignored me.

  Calling upon my magic, I sent sparks to catch the tips of a few tents on fire. The sight of the fire soon sent the group screaming as they frantic
ally raced to find water to douse the flame. One resourceful fellow started kicking at the birdbath, hoping to get access to its water.

  For Hades’s sake, my mama would kill me if harm came to that silly birdbath. It was a battle keeping that thing on the lawn considering Dad’s constant objection to it. Hastily, I put the flame out with the snap of my fingers.

  “A-hem,” I coughed again.

  This time, the goblins stopped and listened.

  One, a clan chief from the look of the hammered silver helmet on his head, stepped to the front. His body was covered from head to toe in a wide assortment of chain mail and armor plates that were surely as heavy as he was, if not more so. In a low, gruff voice with a menacingly plodding pace, he said, “We ya from da Reavaz clan of da goblins. I um Greexet Pickbolt. We ya here for da changeling.”

  Oh no, not another one.

  Did Fir blurt out the knowledge of Eldon to somebody at the bar? That rat bastard! He promised not to tell. He swore in the name of Fleur, for Hades’s sake.

  The goblin chief’s next words banished that idea. “Miz Neringah posted it onah Twitter. So don’tah even t’ry to deny it. She even provided ze general permishion for us to be on zis lawn.”

  Looked like my nosy neighbor did more than spy this time. All the home protection spells had a built-in exclusion for the household’s immediate neighbors—otherwise they would be attacked every time they accidentally crossed the boundary while mowing the lawn. It was the same idea if kids came over for birthday parties and sleepovers, a blanket exclusion that allowed the neighbors’ guests to bypass the protection. What we didn’t expect was for Miss Neringa to provide an open-ended consent for anyone who stepped onto our lawn. Our lawn. All they had to do was read the tweet, and the invitation stood.

  So much for top-notch security.

  Foiled by technology and someone who had no life.

  And if the news of Eldon was on social media, soon there would be a riot happening right on my parents’ front lawn. How was I supposed to make a quiet escape? How was I supposed to protect Eldon if everybody wanted a piece of him?

  Suddenly Sui-Ling appeared in front of Greexet, her post at the parkette across the street abandoned. She seemed to have arrived at the same horrifying conclusion I did regarding the magnitude of the problem we were about to face.

  “Mr. Pickbolt,” Sui-Ling began diplomatically. “The house of Aequitas had already promised to present my organization’s case in front of the Council. I can assure you that all the formal procedures will be followed in determining the proper order of vengeance. If you can be so kind and take your leave, I’ll make sure to file your concern under the proper classification and forward you the appropriate paperwork to fill out.”

  Looked like the girl wasn’t just the muscle. She was also the politician.

  Greexet dismissed Sui-Ling’s words with a wave of his dinner-plate-sized hand. “Papah-work? Zhat’s bullroar! Lookzie here, Mizzie. Ze changelings had done us goblins wrong, and he iz going to pay. We have every right to get ’im. Even ze Council can’tah deny us zis vengeance.”

  His words were greeted with loud cheers from his kinsmen, along with blade clanging that went on and on like a kissing request at a brutish version of a wedding reception.

  If my original plan to quietly get past Sui-Ling was blown to hell, maybe I could shift gears and keep her distracted with the goblins. Hoping to draw the chief into a conversation, I asked him, “Just how did the changeling wrong you?”

  “Zhose tricky bastards switched zheir babe with one of my ancestor’s babes.” Greexet leaned closer, his hoarse voice filled with anger. “And zhey stole ze secret for forging ze Unforgeable Sword.”

  “Sorry, the Unforgeable Sword? I thought that was just an old legend. A myth.” I frowned.

  “No it iz not! Ze Unforgeable Sword was real. Ze changeling learned its secret before it was lost to time for me people.” Greexet sighed.

  “Well, it’s not like the market has ever been flooded with this invincible weapon.” I shook my head.

  “If the changelings weren’t able to master the making of the sword,” Sui-Ling added, her eyes gleaming with triumph, “then no harm was done. No grievance means no vengeance needed.”

  “No harm done?” Greexet’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “While it iz true zhat ze traitor was only able to take half-learned skills back wis him, zhat was enough to kick start an explosion of knock-offs. For ze first time in history, our customers were introduced to ze alternative of cheap goods. Ze day ze world moved away from ze genuine craftsmanship to embrace mass production was ze start of me people’s decline. Wis less demand for our goods, many of us could no longer stay togezher as a clan. Children started moving on to ozher more modern profeshions, like ze mechanics or, worse, ze awful telemarketers. Tell me, miz, iz zhat what you call ‘no harm done’?!”

  Alright, harm was definitely done when he put it that way.

  “If, upon careful examination it is determined that your people had suffered, it would no doubt be classified as vengeance well-deserved,” Sui-Ling conceded.

  Greexet snared. “‘Upon ze careful examination’? You mustah be kidding me.”

  “Think of it this way.” Sui-Ling dropped her diplomatic tone. “What makes your clan, the Reavaz, the representative of your race to claim this vengeance? And more importantly, out of all the races the changelings have wronged through the ages, what makes you believe that the goblins truly have the first right of vengeance? We have to perform a thorough investigation with due diligence.”

  “Due diligence, me goblin ass! Everybody else, zhey ain’t here. We are. And we are going to get ze changeling!”

  Another wave of weapon banging exploded from the goblins and I used the noise as cover to slowly retreat. I was still on the porch, and all I had to do was inch backward until my back hit the front door.

  The first right of vengeance was often a note of contention even amongst the most cut-and-dried cases. The idea was that whomever was the first victim of an injustice got to have the first right to benefit from the relief and comfort brought on by the act of vengeance. The goblins and Sui-Ling could go at it for a while. In the meantime, I could make off with Eldon and Serafina.

  And it wouldn’t be a moment too soon. The big fish, like the Council and Sui-Ling’s group, would try to use Eldon to wreak havoc on his entire race. The likes of the goblins, though, would be happy with just tearing Eldon apart.

  “We have ze first right!” Greexet roared.

  “No, I have the first right,” a female voice rang through the lawn, stopping me in my tracks. Damn, I hadn’t moved backward enough to touch the front door yet.

  A tall, blonde woman with a willowy figure stepped from the large hole that appeared on the lawn. Despite her entrance, her long dress was unsoiled by dirt or mud. There were ivy and wildflowers adorning the woman’s outfit, making her look more at home in a magical forest than a suburban lawn with streetlamps and fire hydrants.

  She had the face of an angel. Her skin was flawless and milk white, her movements graceful, and there was an ageless quality to her. She could be sixteen or thirty-six, or a lot older than that.

  As she stepped fully from the hole, the ground closed behind her feet. The grass, smooth and even, as if it had never been disturbed. Damn, another user of Miss Neringa’s all access pass.

  She approached the group. “I am Eldratha, the elf queen of Orlagroth. I have the first right of vengeance. My ancestor, Livana, the Head Queen in all elvendom, was tricked into sharing her beauty formula of Eternal Youth.”

  “If stealing zhat secret was any more successful zhan what zhey did with ze Unforgeable Sword’s,” Greexet sneered, “zhen how come I’ve seen me fair share of ugly women in me life?”

  His clansman laughed. One of them shouted, “Zhey’re not as ugly as you, chief!”

  Considering the goblin males considered scars and deformity to be a point of pride, that was actually a suck-up-to-the-boss complim
ent, not an insult.

  Eldratha huffed. “Regardless, the beauty formula was stolen from us and sold to the human plane. Since the beginning of time, mortals have been clamoring for the ultimate anti-aging secret. What the silly fools don’t realize is that all those so-called new and improved anti-aging products on the market are really just the same old thing derived from my ancestor’s original recipe. Incomplete formula or not, it was theft by the changelings and retribution shall be ours.”

  “Well, zhat still does not mean you got ze first right. Beauty is only skin-deep. Ze sword is mightier.” Greexet snorted.

  The elf queen looked down her nose on the soot-smudged clothes of the goblins and swept her elegant fingers over her long shiny hair. “The quest for beauty has always come before the desire for warfare, and warfare was what made the skills of your kind necessary. Without the beautiful Helen, there would have been no need to launch a thousand ships.”

  Okay, she kinda had a point there.

  And it looked like she might have possessed some brawn to go with that beauty. From where I stood, I could see half a dozen animated shrubs inching closer to the goblins on the fringe of the lawn, while thick tree roots slowly crept their way out of the underground, waiting to ambush the goblins.

  The engine of a bus hissed as the vehicle pulled up at the stop across the street, but I was too distracted to care. My inner trickster smelled the potential for chaos and wanted to grab a front row seat with some popcorn. My inner vengeance demon prompted me to start retreating toward the house again, satisfied that the different players on the lawn would now have even more to fight about and would forget all about me.

  I did a miscalculation, backed into a large flowerpot beside the front door and almost stumbled. Luckily, all the goblins were surrounding Eldratha and Sui-Ling, not bothering to pay me any attention. I turned away from the crowd and smiled at the sight of the front door. I would be out of sight soon, then I would lock the door, wrap the house in a thick layer of anti-neighbor protection, and figure out a way to get Eldon out of here without going out the front.