by John Corwin
"They couldn't do it without the help of Arcanes," Patrick said.
"Those are no ordinary Arcanes," George said. "Kassus and Drang are battle mages of the highest order."
"With degrees in demonology, right?" I still found it hard to believe such words came from my lips.
"Precisely." George took out his phone—arcphone—and tapped on it. "There's a confluence of powerful ley lines running beneath the construction site."
"That explains the location," Victoria said.
I paced back and forth and stopped. "Just like the blood bank?"
George nodded. "In that case, there was only one major ley line beneath it."
I glanced at the phone. "Do you have a map of these things?"
"Of course." He handed me the phone.
The map on the display looked like a mess of tangled yarn. "How in the world do you see anything in this mess?"
"You can adjust the filters to show ley lines of varying magnitudes." He scrolled to a series of checkboxes with numbers next to them.
I unchecked all the smaller ones and left only the four largest categories. Even then, it was hard to see everything on the small screen. "How do you project the image?"
"You don't want to do that here in the open," George said.
It seemed now wasn't the time to do this, so I handed back his phone. "What's the plan for stopping Karak from using the new demonicus?"
"I'm waiting to see if any Templar reinforcements are available," George said. "We counted thirteen possessed down there."
"Karak, his four knights, and eight lessers," Patrick said.
"So, the knights are the ones in between greater and lesser?" I asked.
"There is no accepted standard of demon classifications," Victoria said. "The Exorcists have long used feudal terms. The Templars adopted a numerical system two centuries ago."
"The thing is, ninety-nine percent of the demons we deal with are lessers," Patrick said. "Incursions by demons as powerful as Karak are virtually unheard of because they have a great deal of power to lose if they're caught and purged by Exorcists."
"Lessers, by definition, hold very little power in the demon realm which is why the mortal world holds such an allure for them." Victoria pursed her lips. "This second demonicus would not only raise another group of lessers and knights, but also another demon lord like Karak."
"Which means Domathus is exerting his influence in a big way." Tyler's forehead pinched. "I wonder if Baal or any of the other demon overlords know about this."
"According to our sources, Domathus achieved near parity with Baal some time ago," Victoria said.
"Sources?" Tyler looked puzzled.
"We have demonic informants." Patrick grinned at Tyler's expression. "That's one way we find possessed people so quickly. We also like to keep an eye on the power structure of the underworld."
"I suggest we return to Mr. Rock's penthouse to await word from the Templars," George said.
"Prudent idea," Victoria agreed.
Since it seemed there was little else we could do at the moment, I shrugged and headed back.
Victoria uncorked another bottle of wine when we arrived. This time, I made sure to procure glasses for Tyler and myself.
George took out his phone and projected a ley line map of the area. Several of the largest ones crisscrossed in one location.
I pointed them out. "Where's that?"
"That would be the Grotto way station," George said. He adjusted the settings and a translucent view of the city appeared over the ley lines.
I traced a large vein running north. "Where is the blood bank?"
George touched a spot on the map and highlighted it. Then he traced the same line down into midtown where five other lines crossed and highlighted the area there. "That is the construction site."
I zoomed out and looked at the junction. From there, each of the other five lines continued onward across the nation and presumably the world.
"This is odd," George said, peering at the five-line junction. "I'm almost certain there were only three ley lines there before."
"Surely, you're mistaken." Victoria leaned forward in her chair. "One cannot simply create new ley lines."
"You're quite right." George fiddled with the map. The image blinked away, replaced by another that looked identical except where there had been five lines, there were now only three. "And yet, there are now two extra ley lines."
My father exchanged a look of concern with my mother. "That's impossible. Are you sure your map is correct?"
"Yes, the spell powering this application is tied into the ley line grid used by the arcphone communication system." George switched back to the previous map. "This is the most current image."
"Notice how the two new lines are only a few miles long," Victoria said.
Patrick frowned and shook his head.
Even George looked uncertain.
I didn't understand much about ley lines, but seeing our resident Overworld experts stumped tightened my stomach with apprehension. "Are you certain there's no way to create ley lines?"
"Let me ask a specialist," George said. He flicked away the map and dialed a number using the holographic keypad.
"Zuba speaking," a voice said without an accompanying image.
"Professor, this is George Walker with the Custodians. We need some information and hoped you might be able to provide it."
"Of course. How can I help you?"
"Is there anything in the historical archives about ley lines being created?"
"Hold on." The holographic image of the keypad flickered away, replaced by the live feed of a young man in a gray robe. "It's odd you would ask me this since several new ley lines just appeared."
"In Atlanta?" George asked.
Zuba shook his head. "No, in southern Colombia beneath the city of El Dorado."
George's lips pressed together. "What created them?"
"I spoke with one of the Arcanes in the City of Angels—"
I couldn't help but interrupt. "Los Angeles?"
"No, this is a place with a similar name in Colombia. Legend has it, El Dorado was once ruled by angels." He chuckled. "It's all a myth, of course."
"Of course." Knowing what I knew now, I wasn't so sure.
Zuba continued. "As I was saying, one of the Arcanes went on an expedition to apprehend the notorious demon spawn, Vadaemos Slade. During their adventure, they were chased by ley worms."
"I'm sorry, but are we still talking about myths?" Victoria said.
"Ley worms aren't mythical," Zuba said. "On the other hand, though we know they exist, we still don't know a lot about them except that they're attracted to ley lines and possibly feed off them."
"Are you suggesting the ley worms actually make ley lines?" Patrick asked.
"Let me show you something." Zuba vanished, replaced by a map of glowing lines. "Before the Vadaemos expedition, there were seven major ley lines beneath El Dorado." A red circle appeared around the cluster. The image changed and three new lines appeared, though none of them were as long as the original seven. "You can clearly see the new additions."
"That's exactly what's happened here," Victoria said.
"How large are ley worms?" I asked Zuba.
The map flickered away to reveal the professor. "Let me show you." He picked up a small orb I recognized as an ASE and spun it. A dim image appeared. Screeching wails like those of infants sent shivers down my spine. A bright glowing orb shot into the air, revealing a large cavern. The ground swarmed with shiny black monsters eerily resembling toddlers.
Before I could proclaim my horror, the audio rumbled and a gargantuan snake plowed through the masses. Its long lean muzzle bore spikes and shiny red scales. Massive parietal eyes gleamed with an inner light. This creature was no worm.
"It's a bloody dragon!" I shouted.
The video vanished, replaced by Zuba. "The expedition managed to capture this footage."
"Just before they were all killed?" I a
sked.
"Improbable as it seems, they escaped." Zuba shook his head slowly.
Tyler chuckled. "In other words, we have giant underground dragons that can create magical power lines."
"Accurate," Zuba agreed. "It appears you must have some ley worm activity there in Atlanta if you're seeing new formations."
"Any idea what might cause a ley worm to do such a thing?" George asked.
"None whatsoever." Zuba leaned forward. "If school wasn't in session, I'd love to come investigate."
"We'll keep a close eye on things," George said. He reached for the phone and paused. "I do have another question. Are you familiar with demonicuses?"
"The correct plural is demonicus," Zuba said. "Yes, I have some cursory knowledge of them." He tapped a finger on his chin. "During World War Two, there was a Nazi cult that tried to raise an army of greater demons to help the Germans win the war." His eyes narrowed. "Hang on, let me find the text." Zuba vanished off screen.
"Are ley lines visible to the naked eye?" Tyler asked.
George shook his head. "No. They're also buried hundreds of feet below ground. The magical energy filters up through the earth, creating smaller veins of magic."
"This can't be coincidence," I said. "These new ley lines must serve a purpose."
"Agreed," Patrick said.
"Got it." Zuba walked back into view. "The cult was called the Children of Armageddon. They created a demonicus, but lacked the major ley lines necessary to summon a demon lord. Apparently, they raised a number of lessers and three demon knights, but the circuit collapsed and the demons devoured their souls."
My lips curled in disgust. "How lovely."
"That's what happens when you disturb powerful demons." Zuba clicked his tongue. "The cult still exists. Some reports claim the demon knights who were summoned took over the bodies of the cult members and are still around today."
"Demons corrode mortal flesh over time," Victoria said. "Even if they didn't, the bodies themselves are mortal and would perish."
"In this case, the knights might have had the power and the souls to maintain their presence." Zuba shrugged. "There are so many different kinds of demons that it's impossible to know the truth without proof one way or the other."
My heart fluttered anxiously. "In other words, some demons won't corrode their hosts?" The subject hit close to home because of Tyler.
"Absolutely," Zuba said. "Jacob Snelling is a perfect example. He made a deal with a demon to devour his soul because he didn't want to go to an afterlife, if one exists. The particular demon he dealt with is what demonlogists refer to as a jade spirit. This kind is very humanlike and closely related to the sapphire spirits."
"Do you call them jade and sapphire because of the color of their spirits?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yes, they're easily distinguished in spirit form by their color. Both are members of the symbiotic spirits. The worst ones are the caustic spirits—they tend to be a putrid yellow in color. They're far more common in history and legend thanks to their tendencies to possess people and wreak as much destruction as possible."
Immense relief swelled in me. I knew there was something different about Tyler.
"My natural form is jade in color," Tyler whispered in my ear. "That means I'm a jade spirit. I'm different than Barboar."
The happiness in his voice nearly brought a tear to my eye. "You're special, Tyler. You're good."
George raised an eyebrow at mine and Tyler's private conversation, but continued speaking to Zuba as if nothing had happened. "I wasn't aware you knew so much about demons," George said.
"I almost specialized in demonology," Zuba replied. "I changed my mind since there's so much negativity surrounding the subject."
"What do you know about Karak?" Victoria asked.
Zuba's eyes widened. "He's a demon lord with allegiance to the overlord Domathus." He tilted his head slightly. "Why?"
"Because he's in Eden in mortal form."
Zuba's face went pale. "I take it someone successfully used a demonicus to summon him?"
"Yes, and those responsible are here in the middle of Atlanta making another one," I said.
The professor stared blankly at me then shook his head. "If this is true, they must be stopped at all costs."
"Any word from the Templars?" Patrick asked George.
George nodded. "I'm afraid all resources are currently engaged in a major conflict with vampires."
Victoria's eyes hardened. "Do they know what's at stake?"
"It's not a matter of knowing," George said calmly. "It's a matter of having no spare soldiers to send to our aid."
"In other words," I said, "we have to stop an army of demons on our own."
Chapter 18
The silence greeting my proclamation lasted several seconds.
As usual, my mother was the one to end it. "No, we can't stop so many demons ourselves," she said. "At best, we can delay them."
"The pattern looked nearly complete," my father said. "If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say they plan to activate it tonight."
The idea of even more lessers and demon lords prowling the streets of Atlanta brought a queasy feeling to my stomach. I couldn't stop thinking about Barboar and his three associates. The more of their kind they had in this world, the harder it would be for us to capture them and banish them into the Abyss. I knew my reasoning was selfish, but after everything Tyler and I had been through, I didn't want to risk losing him as I'd almost lost him before.
"What if we sneaked inside and wiped away some of the lines in the pattern?" I asked.
Patrick shook his head. "It's not that simple. Patterns like this are magically etched into the surface and traced in blood. It's not the same as drawing a diagram to summon one demon."
I announced another solution. "We could pour paint over it."
"The lines still exist beneath the paint," George said. "Think of them as a magical circuit just as wiring conducts electricity."
"Except these won't short circuit unless there's a flaw in the pattern." Patrick pounded a fist into his palm. "You have to break the lines by force or magic."
Tyler got up and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Would a sledgehammer work?"
"Sure, but we're talking about reinforced concrete," Patrick replied. "The lines in the pattern at the blood bank were nearly an inch deep."
"George and I have the strength to do it." Tyler straddled a chair and leaned on the table. "Two or three hits ought to do it."
Victoria clapped her hands slowly. "Brilliant. I suppose Karak and his minions will simply stand by and watch?" She arched her brow. "After they dispose of you, it will probably take them another day of work to patch the concrete and repair that part of the pattern."
"Actually, there's more to it than that." Professor Zuba reappeared in the holographic image hovering above the phone, holding up a book with a worn leather cover. "I located my first edition of Ezzek Moore's original demonomicon. He has a thorough description of constructing a demonicus, among other things."
George frowned. "Is this something a person could find in any demonomicon?"
"No, after the Demon Treatise of 12 BC, Ezzek Moore decreed that certain knowledge should be limited." Zuba gingerly turned the pages in his book. "This is perhaps the last remaining copy of his original work."
Victoria gave him a cross look. "Details, professor, details."
"Ah, yes." Zuba turned the book to display the illustration of a person creating a pattern. "Creating a demonicus is a very complex process. First, there must be an anointed—a person chosen who will seal the pattern with their blood and soul." He pointed a finger to the person. "The anointed person's blood is used to draw the pattern. After the circuit is completed, the anointed seals it with their touch, thus infusing the diagram with their soul."
I was aghast. "The process of creating the demonicus drains their soul?"
Zuba carefully set down the book. "It would appear so, yes."
"W
hat does this mean for us if we want to destroy the pattern?" Tyler asked.
At this, the professor pressed his lips into a grim line. "Once a pattern is infused, it cannot be destroyed except with more soul essence."
"In other words, a sledgehammer isn't going to cut it."
"Precisely." Zuba looked at the book for a moment while the rest of us exchanged uneasy glances.
"I saw Kassus and Drang drawing the pattern," Patrick said. "I doubt they'd use their own soul essence to seal it."
"Agreed," George said. "I noticed a person with his hands inside a bucket while we were inside. In retrospect, I believe he was filling the buckets with his own blood."
"Can they use more than one anointed to infuse the diagram?" I asked.
Zuba shook his head. "No. The entire pattern would need to be retraced with the new person's blood and re-infused with their soul essence." He held up a finger to ward off another question and looked back at the book. "Ah, here it is. To destroy a demonicus, one must draw a counter pattern along any line of the demonicus and infuse it with their soul. This will disrupt the circuit."
"Show me this counter pattern," my mother demanded.
Zuba displayed a star inside a circle.
"A pentagram?" I asked. "I thought those were for summoning demons in the first place."
He tilted his head to the side and looked at me. "Actually, this is a pentacle."
"Is it holy?"
Zuba stared blankly at me for a moment. "You must watch a lot of nom movies."
My face grew warm. "Sorry about the interruption. Please proceed."
He shook his head and continued. "The diameter of the circle must be at least one cubit. The pentagram must be drawn in one continuous motion with blood, and all five points must extend slightly past the circle. This is how the infused soul essence is freed from the demonicus."
"How large is a cubit?" I asked.
Zuba displayed his forearm. "Traditionally from the tip of the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, or about forty-seven centimeters."
Tyler traced his finger on the table as if practicing. "Does it have to be perfect?"
"Not perfect, but reasonably symmetrical," Zuba replied.
"In blood?" I clarified.