Demonicus (Overworld Underground Book 2)

by John Corwin

  Chapter 3

  The Custodians exchanged troubled looks. Carswell spoke. "Demons can't exist in physical form for long outside the patterns though, right?"

  "What we're looking at here wasn't an ordinary summoning." Tyler waved a hand toward the bodies. "This was like the opposite of an exorcism. If I had to guess, there were other people here who invited these demons to possess them." He examined the center of the large pattern and then at the group of bound victims. His brow furrowed.

  "What is it?" George asked.

  "I heard rumors that if a demon devoured enough souls, it would be more powerful in the mortal plane."

  "Physically?" I asked.

  "Demons have their own form of magic." Tyler shuddered. "Unfortunately it requires using soul essence. I only know the basics."

  I tried to grasp where this was leading. "What you're saying is we might have a powerful demon magician in this world now."

  His lips pressed tight. "Judging from all these summoning patterns, we have a small army of possessed humans on the loose, and no idea what in the world they're up to."

  George dropped us back at Tyler's condominium building, the Gregorian, an hour later. "I'll let you know when we need your help again, Miss Glass."

  "How about you let us know what in the bloody hell is going on with the demons?" I suggested in an impolite tone.

  "I was under the impression you were too busy to concern yourself with our day-to-day operations." George looked at Mr. Sticks. The other man offered a curt nod.

  "Well?" I asked.

  "I'd be happy to keep you apprised, but it would be beneficial if you and Mr. Rock attend the Overworld orientation classes in the meantime." He tipped his hat. "Until next time."

  "Let's keep things fun next time." Tyler flashed a grin and slid out of the backseat.

  I squirmed with impatience during the ride up the lift.

  "Are you okay?" Tyler asked.

  I narrowed my eyes. "I'm wonderful."

  His lovely green eyes widened. "Was it something I did?"

  The doors opened and we stepped into the foyer. His thumbprint unlocked the door to his palatial penthouse. The moment he closed the door behind us I shoved him against a wall.

  "You foolish man!" I pressed my head against his chest. "I thought that thing was going to kill you."

  He caressed my hand. "I'm sorry, Em. If I hadn't done something, a lot of people might have lost their souls."

  Tears flooded my eyes. "I know. It was very brave."

  "And sexy, right?" He tucked a finger under my chin and brought my gaze to his smoldering eyes.

  "Yes," I admitted.

  He swept me off my feet and carried me down the hall to the bedroom. "I think it's time we celebrated."

  "I must admit, I wasn't sure if I wanted to fuck you or beat you with a cricket bat after you fought that monster."

  "I wanted to tear off your clothes and take you right then." He tossed me on the bed and climbed on top of me. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do with you." He nuzzled my neck and traced my ear with his tongue.

  A shiver ran through my body, leaving goose bumps in its wake. "Well, Mr. Rock, that's a difficult decision."

  His tongue made its way into the hollow of my throat. "Perhaps the most difficult I've ever made." He reached a hand beneath my shirt and undid my bra clasp, then slid each strap down my arm. "I'll have to study each and every option."

  "Please do." His touch was electric. I gazed into his lovely jade green eyes. They were the color of his soul—I'd seen it when he revealed to me his true nature. After a day like today, I desperately needed to feel safe. Tyler was my refuge in a world gone mad.

  After a wonderful bedroom romp, we prepared a late lunch and ate on his balcony. The winter weather had given way to warm days this weekend, hinting at a possible early spring, though my British side cautioned against optimism, especially where weather was concerned.

  Tyler seemed preoccupied as he sipped his wine.

  "What's wrong, darling?" I touched his hand, wishing I could glimpse his every thought.

  He shrugged. "When George mentioned the Daemos, it just made me think."

  "About?"

  "What I am." His eyes saddened. "Demon spawn—Daemos—they're a permanent part of this world. Somehow, Baal mixed demon souls and human souls to make a perfect hybrid."

  "What makes you different from Daemos?" I really hadn't given it much thought, but Tyler seemed to be struggling with it.

  "I'm a pure demon possessing a body." He twisted the wine glass between his fingers. "It's like I'm an invader—a foreign cell that this realm would purge if it could."

  I shook my head and gripped his hand. "You belong here, Tyler." I pressed myself to him. "You belong with me."

  He squeezed me and laughed. "I know. I guess I overthink things sometimes."

  "You overthink things?" I pshawed. "You, sir, tend to jump first and overthink things later."

  "Guilty as charged." Tyler sipped his wine. "On another subject, what would you like to do tomorrow?"

  I glanced at the kitchen table where I'd piled work documents on Friday. "It's not so much about what I want to do as what I have to do. Our little vacation let my work pile up at OnTech."

  "We can have someone else do it, Em." He leaned back in his chair. "There's no need for you to work."

  I arched my eyebrows. "We've had this conversation before, Tyler. I will not be a kept woman."

  "That much is obvious, what with your little jaunts with those Custodians." His voice bore a hint of condescension.

  "Little jaunts? Can you really call them that especially after your hands-on experience today?"

  He bit a pickle and chewed on it. "Well, today was probably more exciting than what you're used to."

  "More exciting?" I almost threw the mustard bottle at him. "Every single mission has been terrifying. I was being stalked by a vampire, for God's sake."

  "Yeah, and you took away his vampire mojo." He frowned. "If it's so terrifying, why do it? I mean, it's not like we don't have money."

  "I don't do it for the money."

  He leaned forward. "Then why do you do it?"

  I dropped my sandwich on the plate. "Because I can help people."

  Tyler pursed his lips. "Well, I guess that's a good enough reason."

  My mood rose to a simmering anger and I was about to shout at him when I remembered a very basic fact. Tyler was a demon in a human body. True, he might perform selfless acts at times, but that didn't change the fundamental difference between him and humans. He simply didn't process emotion the same way we did.

  "I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to be absolutely honest with me." I looked him directly in the eyes.

  He braced his elbows on the table and rested his chin on a fist. "Go for it."

  "Why did you really fight that crawler this morning?"

  Tyler's smile faded.

  I waited several seconds before prompting him for an answer. "Well? Why did you?"

  He cleared his throat and looked down. "It seemed like an exciting challenge. Plus, I figured I could save some souls in the process." Tyler met my stony gaze. "I mean, it's the end result that matters, right?"

  This time I did throw the mustard at him. "You bastard! You did it for the excitement?"

  He caught the mustard bottle before it hit him and stood, holding his hands in front of him. "Emily, please. I also wanted to keep you safe."

  I pressed my lips tight and took deep breaths through my nose. He's right. What's important is that he saved lives. Otherwise, everyone there might have died. Finally, I spoke. "It sometimes makes me wonder if you really do love me, or if you just tell me that."

  Tyler wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tight. "Baby, don't say that." He kissed my forehead, my cheeks, my lips. "If there's any one thing in this world that I'm sure of, it's that I love you." His chest rose and deflated with a sigh. "I'm working hard on pinning down my other emotions, but i
t's like speaking another language sometimes. My demon side gets these urges to do things for stupid reasons."

  "Your demon side? Aren't you demon all the way through?"

  "Well, yeah, but I have human experiences and a human body, so you might say I'm just a man with a demon soul."

  "Well, that doesn't sound sinister at all, does it?" I couldn't help but smile at his description. "Perhaps we should get you to church."

  Tyler laughed. "Been there, done that. They tried to send me back to Haedaemos."

  I kissed him and then dropped back into my seat. "You make me so emotional about the smallest things."

  "I know the feeling." He poured himself another glass of wine. "If working with the Custodians and for OnTech makes you feel complete, I won't stand in your way."

  "Working for the Custodians makes me feel like I'm making a difference in the world." I prodded the remains of my sandwich with a finger. "Working for OnTech makes me feel normal. Grounded. It almost makes me forget that there's a universe of hidden horrors waiting in the darkness."

  "There are wonders in the Overworld too," Tyler said, a dreamy look in his eyes. "George Walker's car is definitely one of them."

  "I have a feeling you'll find a way to get one, won't you?"

  "It'd look great next to the Lamborghini."

  I snorted in a very unladylike manner. "I'm certain it would." I stood up. "Well, I suppose I should get back to the apartment. I'm certain it's an awful mess with just Isabel around to keep it tidy."

  Tyler touched my hand and shivered. "I don't want you to go, Em."

  I dropped back into my seat. "I don't want to go either, but—"

  "The thought of being here alone without you makes me feel cold." He stood and pulled me to my feet.

  I pressed my cheek to his chest. "It makes me feel cold too, Tyler."

  He cradled my face in his warm hands. "We saw each other nearly every hour of every day during vacation, and it made me realize how much I love having you around all the time."

  "You do?" It was exactly what I wanted to hear.

  "I know you're headstrong and independent, but, would you consider moving in with me?"

  He looked so vulnerable and adorable, I let the question hang in the air for a long moment. Tyler was usually bold and brash, and rare moments like this were like little treasures.

  I finally ended his suffering. "I'd love to."

  "Yes!" His confident smile returned and he picked me up and swung me around.

  I giggled and wrapped my arms around his chest. "Just don't expect me to share toothbrushes."

  "We don't even need to brush our teeth anymore."

  An unladylike snort burst from me. "I wouldn't go that far."

  Tyler set me down and kissed me.

  I'm home.

  After dinner, I dug into the mound of paperwork for OnTech and read the backlog of emails on my laptop. It seemed Jack and Kevin had several more security software contracts in the works, but hadn't managed to finalize any agreements. They were hoping Tyler could help them seal the deals. His demonic aura and dashing good looks usually did the trick.

  By the time I made my way through everything, I realized there was actually very little they needed me to do. I closed the laptop and pushed away the files as disappointment replaced my earlier enthusiasm. Who am I kidding? I'm just a glorified office assistant. Then again, maybe I could get these companies to sign the contracts.

  "How's it going, hot stuff?" Tyler leaned over my shoulder and kissed my cheek.

  I hid my disappointment. "Very well. I think I'm ready for Monday."

  "Wow, that was fast. The way you were talking I figured you'd be working all day Sunday too."

  I stood and brushed off my hands. "Nope, I'm all good."

  "Great!" He brushed the back of his hand across my cheek. "In that case, I'll plan something fun tomorrow. Might as well enjoy the amazing weather."

  "Can't wait." I got up and hugged him, unable to resist his boyish enthusiasm.

  Cold rain the next morning washed away our plans for a hike. A phone call from a manager at one of the other companies Tyler owned put a final nail in the coffin. He ended the call, a grim look on his face.

  "There's word someone is trying to steal programmers from Vermillion Unicorn," he told me.

  "Is that your company that programs apps for mobile devices?"

  He nodded. "Out of all the companies Hugo's father gave him for the sibling rivalry contest, this is the only one that actually performed well out of the box."

  "How does someone steal programmers?"

  "By offering them more money, better benefits, and so forth." He sighed. "I've spent so much time focusing on OnTech I haven't kept track of the other companies."

  I folded my arms across my chest. "I'm surprised you're acting so responsibly."

  "I gave what you said a lot of thought. If I'm going to be more human, I need to be responsible and figure out why I should care what happens to other people." He put on slacks and a blue button-up shirt. "Fake it 'til you make it, right?"

  "I suppose." I felt a bit sad that he had to leave when we could've just spent the day cuddling inside. "I'd like to come. Perhaps it would help if I knew more about your other businesses."

  He paused in the middle of buckling his belt. "Sure, if you want."

  I suddenly felt very presumptuous. It wasn't as if I knew a thing about managing multi-million dollar companies. "Then again, maybe I'd just be in the way."

  Tyler slipped his arms around my waist and planted a kiss on my lips. "You're never in the way."

  I smiled. "Let me get ready." My phone chimed. I walked to the dresser and picked it up to see a text from George Walker.

  We have two vampires in custody who might have information about the blood bank massacre. Would appreciate your help questioning them. Can pick you up in twenty minutes.

  I wasn't precisely sure how I could help with an interrogation.

  Tyler came up behind me. "Let me guess—George or Isabel."

  "George." I showed him the text.

  "Looks like we both have important business to attend today."

  "I suppose so."

  Tyler's driver, Joe, picked him up in a black SUV in the covered drive of the Gregorian.

  Joe nodded when he saw me. "Hello, Miss Glass."

  "Hey, Joe. Having a good weekend?"

  "Excellent, thanks for asking."

  Tyler kissed me. "I love you. Let me know when you're back."

  "I will."

  Tyler nipped my ear. "Until later, hot stuff." He turned and walked to the vehicle.

  Joe held open the rear door for Tyler and gave me a questioning look. "Aren't you getting in?"

  I shook my head. "My ride will be along shortly. Keep Tyler out of trouble, okay?"

  He smiled and quickly covered it up. "Yes, ma'am." Joe climbed in the front and drove away.

  George's sleek car pulled silently into the drive a few moments later. He got out and opened the passenger door for me. "Good day, Miss Glass."

  "You can call me Emily."

  "I prefer keeping it professional."

  I groaned and slid into the front seat. "Calling me Emily won't make it any less professional. I call you George and not Mr. Walker."

  George closed the door and went around to the driver's seat. "I'll consider it."

  "Where's your BFF today?"

  He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not familiar with that term."

  "Best friend forever."

  He smiled. "Ah, Mr. Sticks saw no reason to accompany me since I'm taking you to our holding facility."

  "After watching him fight I know why you call him Mr. Sticks."

  "Because he uses staffs?" George pulled into his favorite blind alley. "That actually has nothing to do with it. Sticks is his last name." He pressed a button and the car's exterior faded to near invisibility.

  "It's a very strange last name." I peered out the window as the ground receded below. "Why doesn't he talk
?"

  George steered the car to the east and accelerated. "He prefers not to."

  "How do you know what he's saying—telepathy?"

  "Excellent guess, Miss Glass." He veered around a flock of birds and resumed course. "Mr. Sticks could talk anytime he likes, but he prefers nonverbal communication."

  "He's a bit of a condescending ass, isn't he?"

  George chuckled. "Yes, he is. You must admit, however, that he's very good at what he does."

  "Sure, he's amazing at fighting, but he really needs to work on human relations." I ran a hand along the smooth wood trim on the dash. "Well, I suppose you should tell me what I need to know about these vampires I'm to see."

  "Of course." He tapped a large glass screen on the dash. "Display dossier, subject Franco."

  The image of a man with black hair, long sideburns, and a goatee filled the screen. "Subject Franco, Colombian drug lord, vampire, illegal weapons seller," a monotone voice said. "Captured by Templars two weeks ago while in pursuit of rogue Daemos Justin Slade."

  George frowned. "They still haven't corrected his status."

  "Whose?" I asked.

  "Justin Slade's. Apparently, he helped capture Franco, his right-hand man, Marcel, and Vadaemos Slade." He stared at the rainy sky. "I'd say that means he's not a rogue Daemos."

  "Daemos are the human-demon mixes, right?"

  He nodded. "Something like that. They're a secretive bunch." George nodded at the dossier. "We've found evidence linking Franco to the blood bank. We think he was using it to smuggle illegal weapons into Atlanta for a vampire named Maximus. Unfortunately, he's not talking."

  "How am I supposed to make him talk?"

  His lips curled up. "Because you can take away that one thing he values the most."

  "And that is?"

  "His vampirism."

  Chapter 4