“So slow Kalos,” she said with an easy smile as she adjusted her armor. “Charon’s death was to get you out of the equation. I have no desire to kill you. One day, I believe, you could be an important part of my new world.”
“That’s why you melted my ride into slag,” I said.
“That was a warning, honey,” Athena said with a warrior’s fierceness far too intense for the words. “I was hoping you would take the hint and give up.”
I fell silent.
The piece about the Demon’s Mercury finally fell into place.
“You freed Marrack and Isabella,” I said. “Demon’s Mercury is only found in Agonia.”
“Aren’t you quick,” Athena said, stalking forward. “And I bound your old friends to me, too. Although perhaps I needed lessons in wardenship. They have encouraged you to stay in the game far too long.”.
“You’re fucking insane,” I yelled, my eyes glowing white hot. I lowered my good shoulder, blade outstretched.
Like a cat batting at string, she punched me in the ribs and then unleashed her spell. A searing bolt of lightning rocketed down next to my ear. I rolled over, scrambling on the ground, ignoring the pain from my bleeding shoulder wound.
“Yield, Kalos Aeon,” she thundered, her voice reverberating across the empty Texas plains. “And you will still have a seat at the table.”
“With you and the Marksmen? I’ll pass.”
“Still on about the Marksmen. I thought you a man of vision and destiny, Kalos Aeon.”
“It’s an odd choice for bedfellows.”
“Those fools,” Athena said. “They will be dispatched once their usefulness expires. But as instruments of chaos, they have been quite helpful.”
“Planting Marrack’s talisman’s at the crime scene was a nice touch. Nice bit of redirection.”
“And yet, you sniffed me out. Despite the warnings.”
“What can I say. I’m persistent. And you didn’t keep your dog on a leash, either.”
Leave it to Marrack and Isabella to find a way to disobey their warden’s wishes and cause Athena annoyance. Part of the reason I stuck around Inonda for three days was because of their appearance.
Not that it mattered, much, in the end. The last stand idea was good for show, but now play time was over.
Athena leered, approaching slowly. Her gauntlets scraped against her skin as she adjusted them. But the pain seemed to have no effect.
You’d have to have a soul to feel something like that.
“You can’t stop it, Kalos,” Athena said, now only two paces away, clearly savoring the moment. “You and your friends will all be my instruments, one way or another.”
She leapt high in the air, ready to land on me as a finishing blow.
I had heard about this before.
It was all part of the plan, before the plan went south.
From my back waistband, I scrambled to withdraw Woden’s Spear. It had taken up a half-body length but a little magical help from Javier had shortened the massive shaft to something that I could hide, if I didn’t move too quickly.
And for all her intel and eyes and ears, Athena still had no idea that I had the spear. I guess her obsessive little minions Marrack and Isabella had failed to mention that, too. Same as she had failed to inform them of her world dominating plans.
Because they wouldn’t have been so damn hungry for a god’s spear if they knew they could become gods themselves.
Athena’s gauntlets flashed in the moonlight as she hurtled toward me.
I thrust the spear out, its point shining as I held it above my chest. She let out a blood-curdling scream before she even hit it, realizing that death was imminent. A last ditch burst of electricty jumped from her hands, missing my arm by a few inches. The spear’s tip sliced through her armor like it was made of tissue paper, plunging through her chest with a sickening thud.
Her inertia carried her all the way down, until her torn skin touched my hands. Blood dripped from her open mouth, not four inches from my face, as she laughed.
“That is why I didn’t want to kill you, Kalos Aeon,” she said. “It is your destiny—”
I turned the spear so I wouldn’t have to hear her bullshit.
She let out a last gasp, then slumped down.
Rolling out from beneath the dead weight, I surveyed the landscape. Not a bad night to die.
But I preferred my fate, if I had to choose.
Putting my boot on her chest, I wrenched Woden’s Spear loose.
Then I dragged her body to the SUV.
That would be Gunnar’s payment.
May he build many clubs with the essence in her bones.
But first, there was one last thing I had to do.
30
An army of hired gunmen sat on the rooftops of the abandoned gas station as I approached. I felt the essence in my veins being muted by outside blocks and wards. Apparently Isabella and Marrack had picked up some tech from the Order of the Marksmen.
Not a bad move, considering I was more powerful than at least one of them before.
Javier stood by a gas pump, his arms folded around his staff. Clearly uncomfortable being this close to creatures of dark magic. Next to him was a woman in a slick black cocktail dress and red pumps. Her blonde hair was done in a wave, falling over shoulders in a tantalizing fashion.
Even after all that had happened, I felt a twinge inside my chest.
Old flames don’t burn out too easily.
“Ah, Kalos,” Isabella called, her heels clacking as she came over to greet me, “I see you made it.” Her eyes widened when she saw the bleeding, half-feral man before her. I think I saw her lick her red lips.
Until she smelled me, at least.
All that bile and sweat from my essence binge still clung to my dust coated skin.
“Here’s your spear,” I said, tossing the shortened spear to the ground.
Her gaze greedily examined the weapon. “It is shorter than the legends have stated.”
“Look at the blood,” I said. “Figure out who it’s from. That will show you its power.”
“My magic is quite dampened, as you might suspect.”
“You could tell your goons to turn off the dampeners.”
“Or you could just tell the woman,” Marrack said, emerging from the service station. “That would be more sporting.”
“Fuck you,” I said, spitting on the ground. “Take your spear and go home. I’m surprised you even found out I had it.”
Isabella gave me a wicked smile with her cherry red lips. “I sensed the faintest hint of a powerful hidden aura in your office, Kalos. A millenium alone gives a woman time to hone her skills.”
“And yet you accuse me of bringing you forgeries,” I said. “Seems your magic kind of sucks.”
She bristled.
“Aren’t you forgetting something? A mortal’s life hangs in the balance.” Marrack waltzed over, smiling, and gave Isabella a long, sensual kiss. “Manners, my demon brother.”
I noted that she was sneaking me glances, which gave me some sort of pleasure I wasn’t too proud of.
Then he walked over and picked up the spear.
“I sense an aura to this object.” He jabbed the air in my direction. “Tell me, Kalos, what is keeping me from thrusting this through your heart?”
“Honor,” I said, glancing between them. “Decency.”
He started laughing. Hollow, like a normal man, but if the gesture held no emotion. “Ah, he has always been so funny, has he not, love?”
“Yes,” Isabella said, stealing another glance at my bare chest, “an endearing quality.”
“No,” Marrack said, coming forward, his eyes flashing orange, “it is because we were instructed not to.”
That explained a lot. Like why Isabella hadn’t
caved my head in the minute she’d seen me in her office.
He tapped me on the chest with the spear’s tip.
It took all my self-restraint not to use every miserable shard of my soul to blow the gas station sky high.
Instead, I said, “How interesting.”
“Athena was impressed with his—what did she call it, dear?”
“His destiny,” Isabella said.
“Yes, your destiny. Apparently there is something about it in some book, somewhere. I told her she could not be serious, that the Kalos I knew was but a wretched thief. One wrongly spared my just wrath by a sentimental fool.”
“Well, you’ll be happy to learn she’s dead,” I said, glancing between them both. “That’s the big secret of the blood.”
Isabella and the Demon King shared a glance.
I cleared my throat. “So the way I see it, I did you assholes two favors. Which is why you’re gonna get the girl, and I’m gonna leave.”
“I’m afraid we are not honorable creatures,” Marrack said. “Which is why I regret to—”
“I know, dipshit.”
A look of embarrassment and shame spread across his face. I hadn’t seen that since 979 A.D., but I must admit, if I could die looking at that, I might just expire a happy man. His lips attempted to form a witty retort, but his brain was incapable of generating.
Isabella’s long red nails dug into his arm, practically begging Marrack to reply.
Instead he howled, raising the spear over his head like a possessed warrior.
“You are finished humiliating me, Kalos Aeon,” he roared through closed teeth. “It is I who will control you for all eternity.”
“Maybe another day,” I said, enjoying this moment far too much for a man suffering from severe blood loss. Time to wrap things up. “But you see, there’s one thing you didn’t consider.”
“And that is,” Marrack the Demon King said, his eyes alight with confusion.
“I planned ahead. That’s why I always win.”
Okay, Kal. Let’s not twist the knife so much that this thing blows up in your face.
“Kill the Halfling,” Isabella said.
I heard a number of rifles cock.
“Come on, Delphine,” I muttered, scanning the sky.
It remained empty.
“Last words, Kalos?” Marrack said. “I wished for your humiliation, but your death will also bring me eternal pleasure.”
I held up my hand, as I was in charge of my own execution. Now or never.
“Your beloved bled all over my office floor,” I said. “And…” I waited for the flash across the starry night. A sudden meteor burst through the heavens, lodging in the road. Dust showered our position.
I heard the rifles swivel to attention.
I laughed.
Like bringing rocks to a drone fight.
I’d used a payphone to change my appointment with Delphine to the gas station at around ten. Just a little fireworks show—the kind that got everyone nervous.
I gave Javier a wink. And he thought we couldn’t pull it off.
“You bastard,” Marrack said, gripping the spear tightly.
“You remember Delphine,” I said, nodding toward Isabella. “Wouldn’t want her to have my blood.”
I shrugged, not even wincing when I moved my busted shoulder. Advancing slowly, I reached Marrack and patted him on the chest.
“Enjoy the spear, buddy. I’ll be back for it.”
The cool all went into selling the bluff. Detective Scott was probably analyzing Isabella’s blood in his DNA lab right now, wondering why the hell it didn’t adhere to the properties of science.
But she didn’t now that. And the look on Isabella’s face was one of pure terror. Her face had blanched, and she was shaking.
Marrack coughed, spear still raised, then gave a shrill whistle. “Get the girl.”
As Nadia was led out, he whispered in my ear, “This is not over, Aeon.”
“Oh, I would hate if it was,” I said. “I hear the alligators in Agonia are getting lonely.”
He growled, his eyes glowing orange as Nadia passed by, walking unevenly in her one remaining high-heeled boot. She embraced her father with an awkward hug, and then looked at me.
“You have a lot of questions to answer.”
“In time,” I said, walking away from the gas station, not looking back. “Still a couple things to clear up.”
*
The nice thing about having a dog that reads up on potions for fun is that you heal much quicker than you might at a hospital.
If you were willing to spend the cash.
And all these unforseen expenditures had left me in need of some capital. Gunnar had been good about retrieving Argos from the pound (and stealing the necessay ingredients from the pharmacy) since I was still on the lam. Would have to figure that one out once I was back at full strength.
At least I had managed to sneak into a rest stop shower to grab the best shower of my life. Although my wanted picture stapled to the light posts was a little disconcerting.
But despite my problems with the American judicial system, Gunnar still wanted his club back. And Delphine still demanded her hefty toll for her little sideshow.
Fortunately, Nadia hadn’t demanded restitution for her kidnapping. Although she wasn’t speaking to me, since I’d lost her mother’s necklace to evidence.
That was gonna be a hard hole to dig out of.
Diana had profusely apologized for not being more upfront, and even had offered certain “services” in compensation. Unfortunately, I couldn’t exactly patch my shoulders with blowjobs and apologies about secret werewolf spy breeding programs, so I told her to piss off and make sure my membership among the surface dwellers was turned into a lifetime one.
And that the Sol Council was to fuck off and leave me alone forever.
So, overall, the aftermath of my victory was a little up and down. And the slight problem of the tainted blood-drug hadn’t gone away. It worried me, too, that it could be used to control and kill supernatural creatures. Marrack’s troll had clearly been under its influence in the forest, and the Demon King wouldn’t hesitate to use it again.
If he wanted to continue Athena’s chaos.
After all, he had no idea about the Journal.
So maybe the supernatural was safe from exposure.
Not my problem.
Demons didn’t do public relations.
Favoring my shoulder, I dragged the body from the SUV, toward the alchemist’s hut. It had begun to stink with decay, but the essence within was the payment that would eliminate many of my more immediate problems.
I brushed aside the beads, and smiled at the smoke.
“And you brought your dog,” the old woman called through the haze. She sniffed the air. “What foul creature have you brought to my door?”
“The Goddess Killer.”
“A nasty sort,” the alchemist said, beckoning Argos and I inside. The beads clacked as we entered.
“I wouldn’t disagree.”
“You have changed, Kalos Aeon,” the woman said. The haze parted, and for the first time, I saw that she was completely blind, performing these operations entirely by feel. “You are on the path you are meant for.”
“Any idea where that might lead me?” I said.
“I am but a humble alchemist,” the woman said with a sly smile, her wrinkles bunching up around her eyes. “I know little of destiny.”
“What do you figure this will run me,” I said, nudging the body with my boot. The armor clanked, and a boil burst, letting out a hideous odor. Argos hacked in the corner of the hut and then rushed out.
“A story of love,” the alchemist said. “And perhaps the path that led you here.”
I smiled and knelt down on the groun
d. “The hills of beautiful Scotland were rife with—”
“Don’t bullshit me child,” she said with a friendly grin. Taking a sharp handsaw, she began sawing at Athena’s leg cheerfully. “I’m too old for that.”
With a knowing smile, I restarted.
“Isabella Kronos is a total bitch, a plague on the world. And she was the most fascinating woman I’ve ever met, at least in the beginning.”
“It sounds like you are destined to meet again.”
Thinking about The Journal of Annihilation, I nodded sagely, and shrugged. “If it’s meant to be, right?”
“That’s right,” the woman said as the fire crackled. “And the story better be good. This is a lot of damn work.”
I winked, and Argos barked outside.
It was good.
But it still needed an ending.
Somewhere, Marrack and Isabella were plotting my eternal servitude. And next time, they’d come harder and faster.
Right now, though, I could reflect on the path.
And as a demon, you gotta savor those luxuries when you get them.
So I began again, “I pulled her from a burning village. And it probably would’ve been better if I hadn’t. But, after all the shit that’s happened, I’m not sure I’d change a thing.”
Well, I would change one thing.
Because one day soon, I would likely have to kill Isabella Kronos and eliminate her from the world forever..
Even though I promised her I never would.
END OF BOOK 1
To download STORM SURGE, an exclusive novella that tells the story of Isabella and Kalos’ meeting and falling out in 979 A.D., visit watchfirepress.com/dn. You’ll also receive a heads-up (and a discount!) when the sequel, BLOOD FROST, is released.
Demon Rogue (The Half-Demon Rogue Book 1) Page 15