“I don’t know…I don’t know,” he mutters, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’ve never heard of it happening before…I’ve only had experience with them in the Mortal World. To think they’ve somehow managed to enter Thiberoux…that must mean they’re more powerful than we’ve ever imagined. That’s why we had to get out of there…”
I’m dizzy from his words and my own incessant pacing, so I sit down on a rock. The Sirens are singing, but even their soothing melodies can’t calm me now. “Okay. You need to start from the beginning, because none of this makes any sense. Why can’t Bones know? Shouldn’t we alert the others?”
Kieron comes and sits beside me, his face grim. “There’s a lot I don’t know…but there’s some stuff I do know.”
“Start with what you know.” I pull my knees to my chest and hug them tight.
He takes a deep breath. “Okay. I know that sometimes we have conflicts with Light-angels in the Mortal World—”
“Duh, even I know that…but not here!”
Kieron shakes his head in wonder. “Maybe they found a way to get in through a Portal. I do know there’s a bit of a power struggle happening with their side, and it’s always been a possibility that our side may be dragged into it. I also know that if we go to war with them…again…the world will spin into chaos. Millions of lives—human and angelus—will be lost in the crossfire—”
I turn my face to him, my eyes hard. “But we must warn the others…we can’t just let them get away with it—”
He places a gentle hand on my knee. “A response is just what they’re after. They left those bodies to be found for a reason. Telling the others, especially before we have all the facts, would be tantamount to starting the Apocalypse.” He searches my face for understanding. I scowl.
“But what are we supposed to do—nothing?”
He nods glumly. “For now. It’s best to let the others think it was other demons. Better to fight a small battle with some of our kind than to bring about the end of the world as we all know it.”
“But what if they come back? We’re not safe here anymore…” My words fade away and I bury my face in my hands.
Kieron sighs, taking my hands in his. As he does, I realize how much I’m trembling.
“I’m afraid you might be right,” he says. Then he tilts my head and looks into my eyes. “But I promise I’ll get to the bottom of this, whatever it takes. Ivy and Cody’s deaths will not go unavenged for long. But for now, until we know more, we must remain patient. Calm. We mustn’t let the others know. Do you understand?”
I nod reluctantly.
******
“Everybody just quiet down. Silence!” Bones yells, jumping on top of a table. Kieron and I make our way around the crowd gathering inside the Bar. I’ve never seen it this full before…every demon, demion, and creature in the territory has packed the place to capacity. Once word about Cody and Ivy got out, which it did quickly, everyone came running.
I spot Catalina weeping in the corner and move over to place a comforting arm around her, Kieron right by my side.
“Okay, now that you’re all here…we have a problem. As you probably heard, Ivy and Cody were ambushed and killed. We found their bodies just across the Hlbafa border.”
“They crossed illegally?” a demion named Jax asks. Like Bones, he’s part hellhound, but unlike Bones, Jax’s other half is human, and he spends his days as a Junior High math teacher.
“No, we don’t think so. We think they were taken to their side. Attacked in Dryndara and dumped in Hlbafa.”
“An attack on one is an attack on us all!” a voice shouts, and the room breaks out in cheers and hollers. Bones raises his hands, signaling for them to settle down.
“But the Hlbafa are our allies…we’ve never had any problems with them,” a young succubus named Zanna says.
Bones nods. “Yes, that’s been true so far. But we don’t know if something’s changed. Perhaps it’s just the actions of a few rogues…”
“Kill them! Kill them all!” an anonymous voice shouts out. More cheers from the crowd.
Bones raises his hands to quiet them again. “I’m assembling a small group to accompany me to speak with their leaders. See if they know what’s going on—and if indeed this was unprovoked aggression.”
Several voices shout in unison, prompting Bones to shush them again. “I only want three…any more will make it seem like we’re attacking them.”
“I’ll go!” Jax shouts out. Bones nods at him.
“So will I,” my voice rings loudly over the chaos.
“And I!” Kieron follows up.
Bones glares in our direction for a brief moment before nodding tersely. “Okay. I have my trio. We’ll travel to the Hlbafa council tonight and meet with their tribe leaders. Then we’ll know if they are now our enemies, and if their blood shall be spilled.”
Kieron and I exchange a quick glance. I close my eyes and make a silent wish it doesn’t come to that.
******
We approach the border, and Bones and Jax shift back to their human shapes. I dismount Diablo, and Kieron parks his motorcycle. My heart hasn’t stopped pounding since we took off from the Bar, and I find myself continually glancing down at my Boumeaux to see if it’s starting to shine yet.
The four of us gather in a circle. “We walk from here,” Bones says. “And stay together. It shouldn’t be long before one of their scouts spots us. When they do, let me do all the talking.”
I light the Otium Torch I’d brought with us with a controlled stream of fire from my fingers and hand it to Bones. The flame glows green before changing to a sparkling white…a show of peace for our neighbors as we cross their lands.
“What if they don’t want to just talk?” asks Jax. “For all we know, they’re waiting for us and we’re walking right into a trap!”
Kieron and I exchange a private glance. “We need to be on guard,” I say, pulling my dagger from my boot. “But even they know the penalties against attacking when we carry the White Otium Torch. If they do anything at all, then they are in violation of the treaty.”
“I’d say it was nice and violated when they decided to slaughter Cody and Ivy,” Jax growls.
Bones stiffens. “We need to be sure it was them before we act. It’s more than possible it was demons from another tribe. They could easily have placed their bodies there.”
Jax persists. “But still, what if it was them? What do we do if we are attacked? Do we fight back? What if there are too many of them?”
I understand his concerns are valid, but Jax’s questions are getting on my nerves. Of course he doesn’t know what Kieron and I know—that it was most likely Light-angels behind the killings, and the Hlbafa had nothing to do with it. Still, I wish Bones had chosen someone else to accompany us.
Kieron, silent up until now, steps forward. “I, for one, feel that if we encounter any hostility, our best option is an immediate and rapid retreat. There are only four of us. We’ll be outnumbered easily. We only have the barest of weapons. If anything should happen, we flee back to Dryndara.”
Bones smirks. “I’m not surprised you’d be the first one to suggest running away. If there’s a fight, then it’s each demon for him—” he looks at me, “or herself. If you want to fight, go ahead. If you want to run away,” he glances at Kieron pointedly, “be my guest.” Pivoting on one foot, he heads toward the border.
Kieron glares at Bones, but says nothing. He falls in behind me as we form a single line. Bones is in front, with me following. Jax takes up the rear.
We soon arrive near the spot where we found Cody and Ivy. I look at my Boumeaux to make sure it’s still black. Kieron paces the area, a puzzled look on his face as he examines some of the surrounding earth. “What is it?” I whisper. He just shakes his head.
I can’t bring myself to revisit the scene of the crime, so I stand guard while the other three investigate. I keep one wary eye on the terrain, the other on my Boumeaux. Fortunately the ground h
ere is flat and mostly barren—with the exception of occasional patches of trees—so there’s little chance of an ambush. But if these aren’t some ordinary Light-angels, who knows how they can attack us? Anything powerful enough to take out Ivy is a frightening force to be reckoned with.
After they’re done examining the wooded groves, Bones, Kieron and Jax come back to where I am. “Ivy is already ash and Cody soon will be,” Bones says, his voice flat. He doesn’t know that I’m the one responsible for Ivy’s accelerated decomposition.
“Did you see anything new? Any clues?” I ask, looking at Bones. But my question is really meant for Kieron.
Bones shakes his head. “No. It’s just like it was last night.”
But it’s Kieron’s eyes that have my attention. He saw something... I can tell.
I know he knows something.
But what?
******
The four of us march on through the valley, and I’m beginning to wonder if we’re ever going to see anyone from Hlbafa. We’ve been walking for a few hours now and haven’t seen a soul. Even if they don’t have sentries stationed at lookout points, like we do in Dryndara, we should’ve come across some form of life by now. I’m also starting to get concerned about my time. I still have several hours left, and I can always run if necessary. But still, I didn’t think this was going to be such a bust.
Just when I’m ready to say something, there’s a howling in the distance, quickly followed by another…and another.
We’ve been spotted.
I take a deep breath, and Bones holds the torch up higher. I know he wishes he could shift into hellhound mode right now. But he can’t, as it would surely be perceived as a sign of aggression. But Bones doesn’t do passive very well.
“We stay here,” he says, tensing up. “Let them come to us.”
My heart races and I take several more deep breaths. Even though I know they’re not the ones who killed Ivy and Cody, a rush of adrenaline shoots through my veins. We are trespassing on forbidden lands. This is reason enough to kill us. Even though we carry with us the recognizable peace torch, it’s not exactly unheard of for demons to disregard it, slay the trespassers, and claim no such torch was present.
The hairs on the back of my neck rise, and Kieron shifts closer to me. Both of us are focused on the figures racing toward us. Three…no, four…five hellhounds, each the size of a Sapie automobile, are charging at us from every direction.
We stand in a small circle with our backs pressed together, as the growling beasts surround us. Their eyes are glowing red, and venomous saliva drips from their razor-sharp fangs.
“We come in peace,” Bones says holding out the torch. “We respectfully ask for passing to speak with your leaders.”
The largest hound inches closer, growling and sniffing. Then it shakes and convulses, revealing an Amazonian beauty with blonde hair tumbling in waves down past her hips. She is easily the most exquisite creature I’ve ever laid eyes on, with a face too perfect to be imagined. Half of her body is covered in strange, bright-blue markings, reminiscent of ancient tribal tattoos. I’m more stunned, however, by the fact that the hellhound revealed itself to be a female; I’ve always assumed they were all males. At least, they are in Dryndara.
“Why are you here?” the goddess asks. Even her voice sounds like sublime harmonic perfection. Another large hellhound hovers right behind her possessively, while the other three form a triangle around us.
Bones clears his throat. “We come from Dryndara. Two of ours were murdered recently and found on your side of the border.”
“I see,” the woman says, gliding closer to Bones. She reaches out and graces the side of his cheek with a long, shapely finger. Bones doesn’t react, and she laughs. “Ah, an incubus. Too bad. You would have been fun.” The other hounds make small yapping noises, almost as if they are…laughing?
“Did you or yours sanction the attack on us? Can you account for how they were killed?” Bones demands.
“Can you account for how you found them on our side of the border?” she retorts, her large, lapis-colored eyes now menacing slits.
“That was my fault,” Kieron says, stepping forward. “I’m a Latros. I was tracking the victims’ scents and crossed onto your lands unintentionally. I was unaware of the boundaries, as I am only temporarily visiting Dryndara as part of another job. Please forgive me.” He bows his head slightly toward the woman.
The beauty laughs, a tinkling sound that makes chills race down my spine. “Ah…such a handsome young man. And not an incubus. Yes, you will do quite nicely.”
My eyes narrow.
Do what?
Chapter 18. Lucky
“We have done nothing to provoke unwarranted trespassers on our lands,” the beauty continues. “But, we demand a sacrifice for your transgressions. A penalty of sorts.” She appraises Kieron thoughtfully, a sly smirk crossing her lips. The hounds yap again.
I raise my dagger to my face and catch her eye. She smiles at me menacingly. “Oh, what have we here? You claim to come in peace, yet this lovely young creature possesses a weapon of death. How interesting.”
“I have a right to defend myself,” I say.
She laughs. “Yes, my love, of course you do. Just as we have a right to defend ourselves.”
“We want to know who killed our friends,” Jax shouts, startling me. “They were found here, on your land. You’ve broken the treaty. That gives us a right to investigate.”
The four hounds circle us like sharks. Bones, Jax, Kieron and I press our backs closer. The blonde creature floats over to Jax and puts her face mere inches from his. “We have broken nothing,” she hisses. “It is you who have violated the law. And for that, one of you must pay.”
My heart races even faster, and I steal a quick glance at Bones. His face is hard, his jaw set. I peek at Kieron, who appears to be struggling internally, but his expression is impossible to read. “I believe you,” he says. “I don’t think that one of yours is responsible. I think it was a different—”
But his words are cut off, and we are all knocked forward by Jax’s massive body as he suddenly transforms into a hellhound. I feel like I’ve been hit in the back by a bus, and fall to my knees. Kieron and Bones stagger forward, but then regain their balance. A ferocious growl is followed by loud barks as Jax lunges at the woman, pinning her down.
Instantly the other hounds pounce, and before I can even blink, Bones shifts form. Kieron grabs my arm and yanks me away from the bloody fracas. “Stop it!” I scream, but it’s too late. Bones and Jax are both embroiled in the vicious fight; fur is flying, and it’s impossible to tell who is who.
The blonde beauty lies motionless on the ground, her eyes staring vacantly, her throat ripped out. “Bones!” I scream again, and watch in horror as two hounds jump him at once. I hear his painful yelp as he twists and turns, fending off the duel attack.
“Kieron, help him!” I plead desperately.
“Do you know which one is which?” he asks, a terrified look on his face.
“That one is Bones…” I say pointing. “I think Jax is the one with the grey tail…I don’t know!”
“You just have the one dagger?”
I nod, my eyes wide as my fingers grasp the smooth hilt. But I can’t use it. If I get anywhere near the brawling hounds, I’ll be torn to shreds in seconds. And my powers are of no use; using demonic fire against a hellhound is only slightly more effective than punching an ocean’s waves.
“You’ll have to throw it,” he says. “Aim right between the eyes. It won’t kill it, but it will stun it long enough to give Bones a fighting chance.”
“Impossible! They’re moving too fast…there’s no way…”
“It’s our only chance right now. You have to try…!”
I take several long, deep breaths and steady myself. A few more moments of this one-sided fighting and Bones and Jax will both be dead.
I grip my dagger tight, cocking it behind my ear, waiting…I need one
of them to turn and face me, if only for a second.
My heart pounds. I narrow my eyes and focus my attention on the one who keeps attacking Bones from behind. It’s almost looking my way…almost…
Swish! The emerald blade flies out of my hand and lands squarely between the glowing red eyes. There is an ear-piercing squeal as the hound falls back, legs twitching in the air. For a brief moment Bones and the other hound seem distracted, but Bones for a fraction of a second less than his opponent. He spins and clenches his razor-sharp jaw on the animal’s jugular, and shakes his head back and forth mercilessly.
The other two hounds continue lunging at Jax, apparently unaware of what has happened. Kieron races over to the fallen beast and retrieves my dagger. He hands it back to me. “Kill the other ones…” He sprints back to pick up the fallen Otium torch, using its bright flame to set fire to the stunned animal.
My eyes shift from Bones to Jax. One of Jax’s attackers turns and spots Bones pinning its comrade, and instantly guns for him. “No!” I scream, before letting the dagger fly again. It hits the charging beast mid-air squarely in the forehead, knocking it back. Kieron races over with the torch, yanks out my dagger, and engulfs the hound in flames.
Bones drops the wounded dog from his deadly grip, and leaps over to where Jax lies squirming and bloody beneath the last remaining hound. He jumps on its back and sinks his teeth in the animal’s neck. The hound lets out an anguished cry and crumples to its side. Bones furiously paws, claws and bites, ripping the flesh to shreds until there is nothing left but bloodied fur.
After Kieron finishes setting fire to the remaining creatures—including the blonde leader—he jogs to where Bones and I are standing over Jax’s body. In death, he has shifted back to the form of a man.
“Stupid fool,” I mutter. Kieron comes to stand beside me, and Bones, still in hound form, lies at my feet. I reach down to pet him and he whimpers. I pull back, surprised by the dampness in my hands.
The Complete Demonblood Saga: A Demon Made Me Do It; Fire With Fire; Curse of Shadows and Light Page 20