by Drako
Jarel shook his head. “I don’t take sides. I’m your patron, and as such I have to guide you as much as I do him. I’ll always be honest with you.”
Adonis stopped and stared at him, unable to resist asking the next question. “What should I do about him?”
“I can’t really answer that. I can only help you with information.”
Adonis gave him a bland stare. “You’re not helping much.”
“I’m mostly here to talk it out with you. In the end, you have to reach your own decision.” Jarel studied him for a few seconds. “I’ll tell you this about my grandson. Life will never be quiet and peaceful with him. He will inadvertently hurt you but he will be devoted and you’ll find no one that will work harder to repair the damage done to you. And you couldn’t ask for a fiercer protector either. This will be true whether you are lovers or friends. His dragon nature will not allow him to do any less.”
“But will he hurt me?” Adonis naturally focused on the negative part of Jarel’s description.
“If his absence hurts you, then yes, he will. He will never, however, betray you for another. Knowing him, he’ll refrain from even showing you signs of his temper. He will not intentionally cause you pain.”
Adonis sighed again. “I’m really confused now.”
“Give yourself time to think things through. Brandon has resolved himself to steer clear of you as much as possible. He will not force your decision.”
Adonis frowned. “He’s avoiding me?”
“Yes and no. He has to be around you at times due to the circumstances behind those wolves tonight. But I’d expect him to avoid getting too personal with you. In the end, the decision is completely yours.”
“Wait, what circumstances? I thought that was a one-time attack.”
“The wolves are merely puppets. I have a feeling about what they want from you. It will take time to confirm my theory. As such, I need you to be extra careful. You know my presence, and innately you’ve always known Brandon. You even know the difference between him and Demun. Be very careful who you trust from now on.”
Adonis was silent for several seconds, not liking the next question he had to ask. “Am I being targeted because of Brandon?”
Jarel shook his head. “Not this time. I believe that the master behind the puppets is a warlock, and Brandon hasn’t run afoul of a warlock yet.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Jarel raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Well, last time a wolf was after me, they were trying to hurt him and that always bothered him. At least he won’t have to beat himself up over this one.”
Jarel smiled. “From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
Adonis froze and looked at him with an almost horrified stare, causing the god to laugh.
“Rest, child, and let your mind be at ease. All things come in time.” Jarel vanished.
Demun had taken a shower and returned to his room to wait for his brother. Krazas had left on his own and Demun didn’t feel the need to hang around his uncles at the moment.
Finally the room went pitch black for a few seconds before Brandon appeared in the center. He walked to his bed and flopped down, seemingly exhausted.
“Rough night?” Demun asked.
“Something like that,” Brandon answered.
Demun took several seconds to speak again. “Your mind is completely closed to me. It’s strange.”
Brandon turned his head to look at him. “It’s going to take time for me to readjust. I didn’t even realize I was blocking you.”
Demun stared at him, not speaking again. Brandon sat up on the edge of the bed, looking his brother in the eye.
“What do you need to know?” he asked. “Something is eating at you.”
“I need to know everything that’s happened since we were separated in Shevat,” Demun told him. “Not knowing is killing me.”
Brandon crossed over to sit next to him. “If you really need to know, I’ll show you. I’m sure it wasn’t much different from you.”
“Show me,” Demun demanded.
Brandon took a deep breath and opened his mind to his twin, sensing Demun doing the same for him. The connection shocked them both as the link they were born with was reestablished. The memories of their time apart flooded their minds quickly, forcing them to concentrate to slow the flow down. Demun ground his teeth to hold back a roar of rage. Brandon had been through far more than he had and it bothered him that he’d had no way to know.
Brandon reached out and touched his brother’s arm. Demun looked at him, his eyes a blazing red as his demonic blood began to take over, consuming his rational mind.
“Calm down now.” Brandon gave the command softly while projecting the emotion to his brother.
Demun’s eyes slowly faded to brown. “Sorry.”
“It’s ok. There’s no need to get angry. You can’t change what happened.”
“I don’t understand why you had to fight so much, and why she blocked us from each other. I fought a lot, but you were singled out and picked on. You were hunted.”
Brandon shrugged. “She thought I was the weak link and was determined to remove the weakness.”
Demun scowled. “What weakness? Your power has always been stronger than mine.”
“My humanity is more obvious than yours. She wanted my demonic blood to take precedence of the human and dragon blood.”
“Why does she care?” Demun asked bitterly.
“I have a hunch, nothing more. We’re her weapon against Lucifer, our existence is meant to offend him and she needs us to surpass all his other children.” Brandon seemed ready to stop but continued on at Demun’s questioning look. “She liked to check my progress. I don’t know why, but as you saw she seemed extremely interested in my progress. I got the feeling she knew you would do fine on your own, possibly because your demonic blood has always been slightly more dominant.”
“Yeah, she never seemed all that caring to me.”
“She’s not. She’s merely using us to her own ends. Nothing she does is meant to directly help us.”
The air in front of them shimmered. Brandon threw up a hand as Krazas appeared and sent the demon flying across the room. He struck the wall with a grunt and fell to the floor. Brandon realized his error as the demon stood up.
“Sorry, it’s a reflex.”
Krazas shrugged. “My reflexes are clearly off so I needed a reminder.”
“Well, I’ll just step out now.” The room darkened for a second as Brandon vanished.
“That is a unique way to flash,” Krazas commented.
“Not sure why he left,” Demun muttered.
Krazas smirked. “You are twins, so I assume he knows you pretty well. Did you need to talk?”
Demun smirked. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I do need to talk.”
Ten
Victoria let herself into the house, sensing that almost everyone was asleep. She made her way to the kitchen, where Brandon sat alone, eating a sandwich.
“Why are you the only one up?” she asked as she took a seat across from him.
Brandon shrugged. “Everyone else can sleep. I can’t.”
“Well, I need to talk to you anyway.”
“Adonis is safely at home pacing around his room,” Brandon told her flatly.
“You’re that in tune with him?” Victoria asked, surprise evident in her voice.
Brandon snorted. “I know everything he does, sees, and thinks about. With every passing moment in this realm, I learn more and more that I don’t want to know. I now know exactly what his boyfriend looks like naked. I’m fighting the urge to gouge my eyes out, or strangle the new boy. Either one would work marvelously.”
Victoria laughed softly. “That has to suck. You can’t tune him out?”
“No, his thoughts are too loud. If I try, he’ll force me to come to him in astral form and I really don’t want to.”
“What’s the situation with you two exactl
y?” Victoria asked. “Mother told me he was dear to you and Father, but nothing more.”
“There is nothing there. I’m forced to be around him to help you. Once you’re done, I’m done. He made it clear what he wants.”
Victoria wasn’t the mushy type, so she had only one suggestion to help get his mind away from his woes. “Well, then do you want to go smack some wolves around with me?”
Brandon smiled, though the humor didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ve got nothing better to do. I probably won’t sleep for the next several years anyway so I might as well be productive.”
“Get dressed and let’s go.”
Club Lumia was a recent edition to the city’s nightlife, clearly frequented by all manner of species. The inside was dimly lit and Brandon could sense all the different species inside even before he saw them. Getting inside had been simple enough. The doorman had seen their eyes and let them in with no ID, the custom among all nonhuman-run establishments. Only humans placed age limits to enter their clubs. The other races didn’t care about age.
Brandon followed closely behind his aunt, his long black leather trench coat flowing behind him. He observed their surroundings closely, catching sight of a few demons in the crowd. Id hissed in the back of his mind, an early indicator of demonic hostility.
Odds are tonight will get messy, he told his aunt telepathically.
I’d be disappointed if it didn’t, Victoria replied.
Brandon shook his head. At least he’d never get bored while out with his aunt.
Victoria spotted a free table in a corner and took a seat. Brandon sat across from her.
So why are we here? Brandon asked.
Frankly, I’m bored and we need info, Victoria answered.
Brandon smirked. I think this is more about your boredom than gathering info. Every demon in here is sizing me up.
Did you develop a reputation among demons while you were in Shevat? Victoria asked.
Yeah I’m the mixed breed that kills them first and asks questions later, who also happens to be one of only two direct blood descendants of Desdemona. Brandon looked around, spotting several pairs of blazing red eyes. No matter what I do, demons spot me and they’re out to prove themselves. Anyone stronger than the grandchildren of Desdemona would normally be an asset to the goddess. Now it would make them next in line to the throne she no longer holds.
So in other words, we should expect them to attack any moment? Victoria surmised.
Brandon nodded towards the door. As you can see, the humans are leaving. Once they’re out of the way, the demons will feel free to attack.
Well, I suppose we should stand up and get to it.
Brandon clearly disagreed. No, you stay here. It makes me look weak to have help, especially from a non-demon.
Victoria frowned. Andreas will have my head if you’re hurt. I can’t send you in alone.
I’ll be fine. But if I get in over my head by some miracle, then feel free to join. Meanwhile, you can see if your warlock is in here, and whatever else you came to do.
Victoria sighed. Fine.
The room went dark for several seconds. When it lit up again, Brandon stood in the middle of the dance floor, which cleared immediately. As quickly as it emptied, the floor refilled, this time with demons surrounding Brandon. He looked around to take a quick count.
“Only twelve demons? How boring.” Brandon conjured his chakram. “Alright, bring it.”
The demons seemed hesitant to attack, as what was clearly a spell from a witch surrounded them. It was a nonviolence spell clearly cast by a powerful witch, though it couldn’t truly hold Brandon. To him, it felt like the equivalent of a human male grabbing his arm.
“Weaklings,” he taunted the demons surrounding him.
The demons hissed in response, clearly not as capable of breaking through the spell.
“You’ll have to forgive me but fighting is not allowed in my club.”
A fairly large man appeared next to him. He was dressed in a black suit, complete with a tie and dress shoes. He was strangely well-dressed to be in a nightclub, and his eyes were as black as obsidian. The normal eye would miss the solid build underneath the clothes, but Brandon saw it as well as he sensed the power radiating from him.
‘I sincerely hope you’re a servant to Hecate and not Lucifer,” Brandon commented.
“I am a witch, not a warlock,” the man replied calmly.
Victoria flipped up over the group to land beside them. “Identify yourself, servant of Hecate.”
The man studied her, recognizing the authority behind her power. “I am Daniel McKane, subservient to Hecate these past 50 years, head of the McKane coven.”
Brandon studied the man closer. He was taller than Victoria, who stood about 6’1”, which meant he towered over the 5’9” Brandon. He had golden skin and short black wavy hair tucked neatly behind his ear to stay out of his face. He had only a thin line of facial hair along his jawline leading to a mustache and a goatee, all as neatly kept as his clothing.
“I do hope you know your nonviolence spell won’t hold them for long,” he warned Daniel. “They’re pretty much bound to attack me.”
As he finished speaking, the first of the demons broke free of the spell and launched itself at him. Brandon let the chakram fly, embedding it in the demon’s chest. He waved his hand and sent Victoria and Daniel flying out of the way as the remaining demons broke free and charged in. The chakram flew back to his hand and he went to work.
Victoria and Daniel landed off the dance floor and pulled themselves up.
“Your nephew is quite powerful.” Daniel began straightening his clothes. “I’ve yet to have a demon break through that spell here. To spur them to such action, they must feel an insane urge to overtake him.”
“Well, it’s their funeral,” Victoria replied.
Brandon was moving through the demons with ease, cutting them down one at a time. He moved with the demons in a deadly circle, using only his chakram to aid him. Victoria watched with no small amount of pride as with one swipe of his arm Brandon slashed the throats of three demons at once. As the black demon blood flowed freely, Brandon turned to the next, continuing the dissection of the group. When he got to the last demon, however, he held up a hand and the demon froze in place.
“Now, since you forced me to make a mess all over this nice man’s dance floor, start talking,” he ordered.
The demon merely stared at him.
“Well, I guess I’ll just start cutting off things that you’ll severely miss.” Brandon studied the demon, who had taken his true form. The demon was fairly small with black scales and beady little red eyes, which were becoming frantic with the loss of control over his body.
“Wait!” he pleaded in a high pitched squeak.
“Start talking, and it had better be worth my time.”
“We were told to come after you! The goddess instructed us to lie in wait and attack you on sight.”
Brandon actually yawned. “There are a lot of goddesses in the cosmos. Be more specific.”
“The demon goddess. She has ordered the execution of her grandsons on sight. Any demon found aiding you will be punished severely.”
Brandon’s bored expression never changed. “Why’s the old bitch after me?”
“She didn’t say. She said only to kill you.”
“You’re boring me again,” Brandon warned.
“I speak the truth! She never gives reasons.”
“Fine, I’ll spare you, you whiny little shit. But only because you get to tell her something for me. Are you listening?”
The demon nodded frantically but was smart enough to remain silent.
“Tell her I don’t want her throne, but I’ll take her head if she screws with me again.” He waved his hand and the demon vanished.
“Well, I suppose I’ll take care of the cleanup.” Victoria spread her arms and began to chant in the ancient language Hecate had taught her long ago, the language of the earliest
witches. Power filled the room as the blood vanished along with the bodies of the demons, leaving no evidence of the fight that had taken place. The power slowly receded as Victoria stopped chanting.
“Interesting,” Daniel commented.
“Yes, interesting indeed.” Ares appeared next to Victoria. “Although I had hoped to see you in action again.”
Brandon waved his hand and the crowd went on as if nothing had happened. Apparently he’d frozen them in place himself when he’d moved to confront the demons. He walked off the floor to join his aunt.
“Here I thought the god of war appreciated any good warrior,” he commented.
“Oh, I do. You’re quite impressive, but your aunt is better to look at,” Ares replied with a smirk.
Victoria scowled at him. “You’re an ass.”
Ares shrugged. “I’ve been called worse.”
“I can imagine.”
Daniel examined the exchange. “Only one witch would converse with the gods in such a way and be able to speak the old language so easily. You must be the Dragon Witch.”
Victoria turned back to him. “Yes, I am, and I’ll need to talk with you.”
Ares gave the male witch a smoldering look, making it clear that the male needed to go away quickly. Brandon laughed while Daniel adjusted his tie.
“Well, I’m a bit busy this evening but I’ll be glad to assist you at another time.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes in warning. “Make time. You have until your club closes. I don’t think you want a visit from my mother.”
“Don’t need another one from Ares either,” Daniel mumbled.
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m sure I’ll have time later tonight. I’ll send the doorman for you later.” Daniel walked off.
“Nice one, Ares,” Brandon commented.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ares replied, mischief obvious in his eyes.
Victoria rounded on him. “There had better be a real good reason for you being here. I actually needed his help.”
“Why ask a witch for help when you have a god at your disposal?” Ares smirked. “I offered my services and your mother agreed.”