by Megan Hepler
Persephone nodded in agreement.
Can this day be over already?
After Demona turned and was given her position at TGHC, Claudia and Persephone had approached her. They had befriended her and brought her into their circle of friends. Demona had trusted them and considered them her best friends. She thought she had done everything a person would expect. When she had apologized to them, in case she had offended them, her apology was shoved back in her face.
Demona had no one. She only remembered a few scattered fragments of her past that had been revealed through her flashbacks. All of those memories were of the night of the attack. She did know that she had been in foster care, which was one of the few things that TGHC was able to dig up on her past. Mostly they were just pieces of information that were found in records from doctors visits or from when human services had checked up on her in foster care. Her loss of memory seemed to be a form of amnesia that was not common with the transformation. The nurse witches could not explain why she could not remember her past.
In reality it made things easier for Demona. When someone asked about her past she just told them she had been in foster care her whole life. It seemed to end conversations quickly. Nobody wanted to hear of a child growing up in the system and all of the sad stories they had to tell about not having parents or some of the experiences they had in bad foster homes.
A man approached her as he exited the elevator. It must have been Balen. He had some handsome features, though mostly ruined by the collection of scars across most of his visible body. She guessed he was turned in his mid to late twenties. He had messy, blond hair and stubble across his face; he needed a haircut and a shave. Balen had a very muscular build. There was an air about him that gave Demona the impression that he was silent and mysterious, yet strong willed and dangerous when he needed to be.
Balen stopped in front of her. “Brennan?”
“Have fun!” Persephone said. She and Claudia walked away.
“Yeah,” Demona said. She stood up straight and stared ahead. I will not run from this. At least it will be better than being stuck in a stupid cubical with them.
“You have been assigned to me as a partner. You will follow my instructions. No heroics!” Balen said. He studied her for a moment. “If you pay attention to what I say you will learn how to survive in difficult situations. If not, you will meet your telos. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Demona said.
“Good, follow me,” Balen said.
He led her towards the back of the building to an area she had never been to before. They walked down a flight of stairs and through a long empty hallway with many doorways. It appeared to be some kind of medical wing; there were rooms for triage and patient recovery. A few nurse witches passed them as they continued down the hall.
Demona thought she heard someone screaming from behind a closed door and was mildly curious as to what was taking place on the other side. They continued past a few more closed doors and entered another stairwell that took them even farther below ground.
Demona and Balen entered the first open doorway on their left. There were a few small desks in a windowless room. Each had a laptop placed on it and the usual office supplies. Corkboards and dry erase boards practically lined the room. Demona could not make out the words on the papers pinned on the boards, but easily read the large letters G.L.C. written on the dry erase board.
“What’s GLC?” Demona asked.
A large dark skinned witch that sat at one of the desks flipping through paperwork and looked up at her question. “GLC, or Good Light Council, is a group of do-gooders. They’re always interfering with TGHC business. They’re our enemies, more like a nuisance really. You will probably never have a problem with them.”
“Agrippa,” Balen said. “This is the recruit, Brennan.”
“Hi. But why are they our enemies? They don’t sound so bad,” Demona said.
“There is a long history of conflict between our sides. Sometimes a dark being likes to stir up trouble and the GLC thinks they need to stop it,” Agrippa said.
“Okay…” Demona said. It doesn’t make sense.
“Calvin Agrippa does most of the reports for the prisoners that we bring in. When we bring in criminals we bring them to the office. Calvin processes them and files a report. The criminals remain in these cells, until Darius decides what is to be done with them. When the need arises, he’s also our backup field agent,” Balen said.
Balen and Demona continued to walk through the room towards another doorway. When they entered the room Demona saw a series of barred prison cells each with a cot and a toilet. Most of the cells were empty, but one nearby held a werewolf in transformation.
The werewolf’s skin sprouted fur and canine teeth popped out of his mouth. Then, his body contorted and he screamed in pain. His recently sprouted fur began to shed and the teeth fell to the floor to be replaced by human teeth once more. The transformation repeated back and forth, over and over again.
That doesn’t look like fun.
“This guy was cursed by a witch, his former girlfriend, who is currently at large. She put a spell on him after he insulted her. The spell causes him to relive the most agonizing moment of the transformation process. The other agents are out hunting her down. I will introduce you to them when they return,” Balen said.
They walked farther down the cell block and stopped in front of another cell.
“This witch practiced unsanctioned magic on an innocent woman. We had to bring him in, after we received reports that he was preparing to sacrifice someone in a ritual,” Balen said.
The man stood in the back of the cell chanting in a different language. He completely ignored their presence.
“Follow me,” Balen said.
They walked down the remainder of the cell block and out a door, which lead back into the hallway. After going a few feet they made a turn into a doorway on the right. Demona and Balen descended another set of stairs. At the bottom of the flight a security guard sat on a folding chair reading a newspaper.
“Brennan, this is Hellerson, the day shift dungeon guard,” Balen said.
Hellerson gave a casual salute. The chair he sat on was located off to the side of the dungeon in an alcove. Beside him was a vault made of shatterproof glass. A thick door was centered on the wall that was sealed and locked. The vault was white and sterile, unlike the rest of the dungeon.
“Hey,” Demona said. “What’s that?” She pointed to the sealed door.
“That is the demon vault. It’s where we keep demonic spirits, which are trapped in vials. We use strong seals to make sure that if the vials would happen to break the demons would have no chance of escaping the vault,” Hellerson said.
Demona and Balen walked farther down the cell block into the dungeon. It was similar to the cell block that they had previously visited, except for the rusty shackles that were chained to the walls. Demona saw rats scurry across the floor out of the corner of her eye. She found it hard to breathe in the dungeon, because the air was much more dank than the floor above. Balen stopped in front of a cell to their left.
“The criminals that are put here are sentenced to terms ranging from weeks to a lifetime. Since vampires don’t die, you can imagine how long some of them are down here. The deeper into the cell blocks you go, the longer the prisoners have been there.
“We won’t go any farther; I just wanted you to see what it was like. You need to understand that if you go in without a guard you could get lost. The prison blocks are like a maze. You don’t want to go in the deeper cells, unless it is necessary. TGHC is a new entity, but Darius has owned this land for a very long time. There are caves and tunnels that have been here for hundreds of years.”
Demona heard shrieks and screeches coming from deep within the cell block. It sounded like there were raving lunatics within the walls. She imagined that most were chained in the shackles, spending a lifetime in the dungeon.
They left the dungeon and cl
imbed back up the stairs. When they entered the hallway, two field agents drew closer dragging a witch between them. One of the agents was a tall slender woman. Demona assumed she was a witch, but she was not certain. She was beautiful and elegant in the way that she moved. With long straight blonde hair that extended to her lower back. When the woman saw Balen she smiled.
The way she looks at him makes me think there is history between them.
The man on the other side of the prisoner was a vampire. He was large and muscular, even more so than Balen. The vampire’s broad shoulders and thick thighs reminded Demona of one of those professional wrestlers on TV. He lumbered alongside their captive as they grew nearer.
“Kerrick, it’s good to see you,” the slender woman said to Balen with a Scandinavian accent.
Yup, definitely history.
“Same to you, Salina,” Balen said.
Demona was not certain if that history had ended badly or not, but there was more than just a coworker relationship in their past. They were on a first name basis and agents always went by their last names.
“Foss,” Balen inclined his head to the big guy. “We have a fresh fish.”
Foss gave a sly grin at Balen’s words.
“Welcome,” Salina said. “Have you recently finished your training?”
“No, I worked in the office, until last night. Mr. Grier told me he wanted me to be a field agent,” Demona said.
“I see. No worries then. Kerrick will take wonderful care of you,” Salina said.
What’s that supposed to mean?
Foss and Salina continued to drag the witch along with them towards the office.
“That is it, just the five of us. Usually, one or two of us can handle an assignment on our own. It will be difficult for me to get adjusted to working with a partner again. When big trouble arises we call in reinforcements, which would be the other team or Agrippa. We are the day shift agents and Salina, I mean Bergfalk, and Foss are the night shift. Are you aware of the different species we will be dealing with?” Balen asked.
“I suppose vampires, werewolves, and witches?” Demona said.
“Yes, but there are also a wide variety of others we might be confronting. Fairies, demons, ghosts, dragons… the list goes on. There are also several different races of some of these species,” Balen said.
“Can…can I ask? What species is Bergfalk? I couldn’t tell.”
“Dragon.”
“Wow!”
Dragons were rarely heard of. They were defiantly an old and rare species. It was no wonder Bergfalk was so beautiful and elegant; dragons were known to possess an ancient gracefulness.
“I just got a call from Darius. He wants Lobo brought in,” Agrippa said.
“Again?” Balen said. As Balen and Demona entered the office Agrippa handed the report to them. “Are you ready, Brennan?”
“I guess,” Demona said. “What’s our assignment?”
“Here’s the file, take a look for yourself,” Balen said.
Demona reached for the folder and opened it on the counter before her. She gasped at the images on top of the file. Him!
There were two pictures on the first page. One of the pictures was a mug shot of a tanned man with black hair and pale blue eyes. The second was a snapshot of a wolf. Its eyes gleamed and its lips pulled back in a snarling grin.
That is one angry wolf. He’s the one they’re always sending memos out about when he’s causing trouble.
Name: Lobo Blake
Age: 27
Species: Dire Werewolf
Description: In Lobo’s human form he is rugged, muscular, and stands at five foot tall. Lobo has black hair and blue eyes. He has poor hygiene and long nails. In Lobo’s wolf form he is a dire wolf. Lobo is smaller than average, but vicious. He has a strong sense of smell and quick reflexes. Lobo is a bone crusher. Avoid his teeth at all costs.
Other Notes: Lobo is also dangerous in human form. Be cautious when approaching. His transformation is quick. Lobo is one of the dirtiest fighters out there. Be prepared for anything. He has no regard for TGHC and he is extremely difficult to capture.
She skimmed over the list of crimes. He was wanted for domestic violence, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and murder. Apparently Lobo was wanted this time for being a rogue werewolf. He was also wanted for being in danger of exposure. Lobo was to be brought in by any means necessary.
“Geez, this guy is crazy!” Demona said.
“Lobo is very dangerous. I had difficultly catching him previously. That was before the murder charges and treachery charges were brought up. He won’t go without a fight. Be prepared for anything. When we get there try to be as quiet as possible. Stay behind me and do not do anything heroic, because if you do you will not make it to the end of the day,” Balen said.
“So, how do we find him?”
“We’ll have to track him down. We’ll need to find out if anyone has seen him lately.”
“Who do we ask?”
“Logan, an imp. We’ll need to find him in Terra Hollow, probably at Club Chamber,” Balen said.
Terra Hollow was an underground city located in several cavern chambers. It was the hub of activity for supernatural creatures of all kinds. There were three main caverns in the market district called Bazaar Hall, the residential section, and Club Chamber. Club Chamber was an underground club, where all things nasty found entertainment, dancing, and crime. It was reputed to be the most dangerous place in the city. Demona had never been brave enough to go to Terra Hollow on her own.
A majority of their kind resided in Terra Hollow, especially those that looked less human. It was difficult for them to continuously disguise themselves in the world above, so they felt more at home in the cavernous city. Most vampires, witches, and werewolves lived among humans where they were still able to blend into their world. They were more comfortable with that way of life, since they had been human at one point.
Demona knew that the majority of TGHC’s employees frequented Club Chamber. She supposed the reason was that it was the only place where their kind could truly be themselves, without risking exposure. Still, Demona found the idea of going there appalling.
Chapter 3
Trouble with Werewolves
Balen and Demona descended a long windy stairway, with steps cut from clay and rock. A drop of excess rainwater fell from the roots above and landed on Demona’s face as she walked below. The walls on either side were a mixture of clay and roots. Demona’s stomach clenched the further they descended the stairs and she followed Balen around one final bend.
They entered into an enormous cavern where stalactites and stalagmites protruded from both the ceiling and floor. Along the sides of the entrance were several stands. It looked as if most were run by witches from a variety of covens and practices. At each of the stands they sold various ingredients that pertained to their own craft. At one stand candles of various colors were displayed. Demona also saw herbs, fortune telling cards, and pendants. At another stand were shrunken heads, skulls, and wooden masks.
Demona noticed the air in Terra Hollow was damp and musty. There were tunnel entrances to different chambers branching off in various directions leading to different parts of the city and the residential area. Demona heard the bumping of music from an entrance where people were standing in line. The air coming out of the chamber billowed with smoke and fog.
They approached the entrance to Club Chamber as Demona followed closely behind Balen. They walked around a few stalagmites, until he reached the entrance of the club. A cyclops stood with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a t-shirt with security written in bright yellow lettering. Demona had never seen a cyclops before and tried to avert her eyes, however her gaze kept drifting back to the single eye on his forehead.
“Golias, I need to speak with Logan about some business,” Balen said.
“Don’t cause any trouble. Go on through,” Golias said.
They entered the tunnel that took them into
the club. Strobe lights flashed and colored spotlights danced around the room. The lights illuminated a sea of dancing bodies. Machines spat out fog that spread over a dance floor in the center of the room. The music was so loud that she could feel the bass thumping through the air. It made Demona feel as if her heart were beating once again.
I wonder if this is what a rave looks like?
Located on either side of the dance floor was a bar lit up with fluorescent colored lights. Seated on stools that lined the bar were different races and species of creatures. Behind the dance floor was a section of tables where those who needed a break could rest. Balen pushed his way through the dancers towards the tables. He stopped at a booth where a tiny middle aged man sat.
The little man’s head bobbed and his short legs swung back and forth. The little man seemed to be having such a good time that he did not notice the pair standing at his table. He reminded Demona of a child.
Balen indicated for Demona to have a seat.
The imp seemed momentarily startled by their presence, until he caught the beat of the music again and bobbed his head along.
“I’m looking for Lobo Blake!” Balen said
“Blake is it? You misplaced him!” Logan asked.
“Yes,” Balen said.
The little imp’s eyes had glazed over and his body went limp. He seemed to withdraw into his mind for a period of time.
“We’ll have to wait a few minutes, until he’s done,” Balen said.
“What’s he doing? How do you know he’ll tell us where Lobo is?” Demona asked.
“He’s an imp. He’ll do anything if he thinks he’s helping you find something lost, especially if there is music playing nearby.”
The imp seemed to regain consciousness and returned his gaze to Balen. “Blake is at a cabin in the mountains. It is remote, with many pine trees, and is at the end of a long gravel driveway. Head north on route 81. Then, go towards the Poconos. You will know when he is near,” Logan said.