The Demon Within (A PeaceKeeper Novel)

by Stacey Brutger

  In an amazingly dexterous move, Ruman dropped to one knee, sliced his arm out and snatched Henry’s wrist in mid strike. A flip sent the other man to the floor and with a twist, the knife Henry still held was at his own throat. The power behind the move chased goose bumps across her skin in admiration.

  “He is a demon. Test him.” Henry’s voice squeaked and he cleared his throat nervously.

  “Release him.” Ruman’s muscles bunched, and Caly didn’t know if he heard her. “Please, he’s not well.”

  And he wasn’t. Henry’s complexion was pale, a ghost of his former self. Once lean and whipcord thin, his frame was now skeletal. Hair thinned and retreating, eyes haunted, he looked like a man with his last days numbered and time was quickly ticking off the seconds.

  A spasm went through her hand, and she recognized the feeling she had upstairs. Something was preying on Henry.

  Ruman reluctantly retreated. Henry lumbered to his feet, clearly pissed when nobody defended him. “Oscar would never—”

  “Oscar would be the first to knock you on your ass.” Kelly rounded to face Henry, her hands on her hips and attitude written all over her face. “You’ve spread your venom for days, tried to sow seeds of discontent through the troops. No leader would do that.” She tipped her head back, lifting her nose in the air. “No wonder Oscar replaced you.”

  “Enough.” Weariness passed over Caly. She missed the quiet, missed having a place where she could retreat from everyone and be alone.

  Henry stalked forward, his face alarmingly pale. David quickly placed himself in front of Kelly and crossed his arms, bristling impressively for a desk jockey. It halted Henry on the spot. He spread his arms wide. “I’m only trying to protect the group. She’s brainwashed you into thinking she can save you.”

  With nowhere to vent his anger, Henry turned on her. “Ever since Oscar allowed you on the team, you’ve ruined everything. Now you’ve condemned the rest of them.” He backed away from the crowd, shifting closer to the exit.

  “Your name’s Calypso, she who conceals. Tell us, what’re you hiding?” He cast a scathing look to Ruman. “Or should the better question be who do you think you’re trying to fool? Did you think hiding a demon in plain sight would work?”

  In his fervor, he glared at everyone in the room. “You made your decisions. Let’s hope you survive the night.”

  The door slammed behind him as he left. Caly sighed and turned to follow. He was in danger, a demon had fed from him recently. She needed to warn to him.

  “Leave him.”

  Caly looked down at the hand on her arm. It didn’t offer a restraint, she could easily shrug him off, but something in Ruman’s tone alerted her to the fact that he knew the reason she wanted to confront Henry.

  “He—”

  “In his current state, he’d never trust a word you said.” Unrepentantly, he dropped his hand and stepped away from her. “You have more important decisions to make.” From the challenge issued in his eyes, Caly knew he meant both what happened between them upstairs as well as the future of the group.

  With those ominous words, he, too, left the room, abandoning her.

  He wanted her to tell the truth, spill her deepest fear and expose her past to the group. Part of her screamed that it was a mistake. If they left, she couldn’t keep them safe. But she wasn’t sure it was her decision anymore. With death hovering like a specter, it was time to drop the subterfuge. These people thought they knew the score. They deserved to know the truth.

  Taking a deep breath, Caly tried to put in words her betrayal. To hope for understanding would be expecting too much. “Henry was partially right. I am not what I seem, nor is Ruman.”

  It took over an hour and a lot of coffee before she finished telling about Oscar’s lessons, and admitted to the demon infection. But she couldn’t bring herself to explain Ruman or how she felt about him. She wasn’t sure she could put it in words and was terrified to examine her feeling too closely. She wasn’t brave enough to face the truth if he didn’t return the way she felt. They listened to every word, their expressions grave until she could no longer look any of them in the eye.

  Hollowness opened up in her gut as she waited for their verdict. She felt exposed down to the bone, one blow would break her. She’d grown up with many of them. They knew her, but Ruman and her past put a whole new twist on things. They were trained that demons were evil. No matter how they looked at it, she was part demon.

  When no one tried to lynch her, Caly cleared her throat. “Take the rest of the night and think things through. I’ll take first watch on the ridge.” The future of the group was in their hands. She needed to be alone to decide what to do about Ruman. If they demanded he leave, could she cut him out of her life?

  “No need.” Casper, one of the two team leaders and the only member of the group with military training, shook his head. “Oscar trusted you and knew the truth. He trained you harder than any of us.” He stood and snatched the last pastry from the middle of the table, dodging Kelly’s swatting hand. “Henry’s main concern is Henry. You’d give your life for any one of us without a second thought. That’s leadership material.”

  He signaled the men, and they left for rotation. Some nodded to her, others avoided her gaze, but none of them tried to knife her while her back was turned. Progress.

  Casper grunted when the last left the room. “The rest of the team will come around once they think the matter over. Where else would they go?” With a brisk nod, he left, too.

  The stark question didn’t make her feel any better but, considering what she dumped on them, everything went smoother than she could’ve hoped. She was still alive.

  “What’s your plan?” David’s words jerked her attention back to her friends.

  The understanding in his eyes had tears catch at the back of her throat. “We need someone to follow Henry. Whomever he’s been in contact with is not human. From the look of him, I’d say they’re using him for information and will soon dispose of him.”

  Kelly swore. “I’ve seen him with a woman in town more than once. Every time I’ve tried to catch up with them, they’ve disappeared. I believe he’s staying with her.”

  “A succubus?” The interest in David’s voice earned him a smack on the back of his head from Kelly.

  “Don’t you be thinking those thoughts. You can’t handle a human woman, let alone one of those creatures.”

  A sheepish smile crossed his face. “Purely professional. I was just curious what one looked like, that’s all.”

  Kelly pursed her lips and crossed her arms.

  David caved, reaching for her. “Ah, honey. It’s not like that.”

  Everything was so normal, Caly blinked. That was it? No protests? No threats? As the other two continued their spat, Jarred nudged Caly. “I found something in the tests you might find interesting.”

  Caly tensed, but she could detect nothing but curiosity and concern in his gaze. She looked at her three friends when understanding hit. “You knew, didn’t you?”

  Kelly and David quieted. David spoke for them. “We’ve suspected. It made sense. How you fought. How Oscar trained you harder. We figured you’d tell us when you were ready.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Heat burned her cheeks; her hands were so cold they felt brittle.

  “You would’ve told us if you wanted us to know. We figured you were trying to protect us.”

  A lump of tears gathered at the back of her throat for the second time that day. A deep shudder went through her as all the baggage she’d been dragging around for years finally dropped away at their easy acceptance. If these people could accept her, could she finally accept herself?

  She touched the darkness that hovered inside, but couldn’t force herself to pierce the veil to find out what hid there, too afraid she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t like what she found. She had to stay focused on the mission to save her friends. She’d lived with it for years. She could survive a few more
days.

  Jarred had information about the blood samples. “What did you find?”

  “The anomaly in your blood isn’t permanent. The chemical that thrives in your bloodstream dies once it’s outside your body.”

  “Any clues as to what it is?” Caly avoided his too perceptive gaze and opened the drawer to search for a suitable sheath. She suspected her infection and the blade had bonded. The connection forged her body into someone strong enough to wield the blade.

  “Like nothing I’ve ever seen. If I didn’t know better, I would guess a liquid metal of some sort.” Then he snorted. “But, of course, any metal in that quantity would kill us.”

  “Of course.” Caly mumbled, not daring to look at him. The way her body reacted to the slight scent of demon on Henry left her little doubt. It made her question why she didn’t get the same reaction around Ruman.

  Or had she?

  She’d all but attacked him when she woke. Instead of killing him, she’d jumped him like some love-starved teen. Heat bloomed in her face and her ears burned remembering the way she all but stripped him naked and forced herself on him.

  Her attraction to the buffoon had intensified as if the newly enhanced demon part of her was programmed to lust after the jerk. The only explanation was that the bond must have amplified her emotions.

  She was sure it was all Ruman’s fault somehow.

  The phone rang, and she snatched up the receiver, desperate for a distraction.

  “I’m in trouble.” It was Henry.

  “Where are you?” Caly grabbed a pencil then pushed Kelly away when she tried to listen in on the call.

  “West Fiftieth Street. Near the bridge.” Static broke the connection.

  “Henry?” Caly straightened, and her grip on the pencil snapped it in two. “Stay on the line. What’s happening?”

  The phone clattered on pavement. The sound of fighting filled the background. A short scream, quickly cut off, echoed in her ears.

  “Henry?!”

  “Don’t come. It’s a trap.” The words were yelled in the background then the connection died. She looked at the phone as if it was at fault.

  “What is it?” Jarred carefully took the receiver out of her hands and hung it up.

  “It was Henry. I think he’s dead.” The address where he’d disappeared stared up at her.

  Kelly slapped her hand over the pad. “Don’t even think about it. I might not have heard everything, but I clearly heard him say it was a trap.”

  Resolve filled her, gave her a focus. Caly looked up, her gaze unerringly found Ruman as he entered the room. He studied her closely, his expression giving away none of his thoughts.

  “If there is a chance he’s alive, we can’t leave him.”

  “Hell yes, we can. The man is a rat. Capital R.A.T.” Kelly leaned back into the comfort of David’s arms. “For all we know, he could be behind the whole thing.”

  Caly stared at Kelly, unblinking. “I know .”

  “But—”

  “I’m not asking you to come—”

  “The hell you say!” Kelly’s shout rang her ears, and David nodded.

  Ruman just shrugged. Caly narrowed her eyes at him. “Why go? You didn’t even like the guy.”

  “I’m not going for him.” He turned on his heels and left before she could form coherent words.

  “You go, we go.” The fierce looks on their faces healed a small fissure across her heart.

  A slight smile kicked up the corners of her mouth. “We leave in ten minutes.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Darkness shadowed the bridge like a hungry cloud; ready to eat anything that dared get close. Caly cut the engine then lowered the kickstand. Ignoring the brisk cold that tried to peel off her skin, she scanned the area. Nothing moved, not even the air, making her acutely aware she was alone. She hesitated then forced herself to dismount.

  The bike and a little extra gas gave her a ten minute lead over the others. Glass crunched under her boot heel as she passed under a light post. All the lamps were doused twenty feet in each direction, creating a darkness that could hide anything. A chill swept up her arms and down her back. Something was watching her, and she was too exposed.

  As she crept closer to the shadowy overpass, the blade glowed a vivid red, easily seen through the sheath tied to her thigh. Trouble. The deep cold burn soaked through her clothes and pressed heavily into her bones.

  The color from the knife dimmed as it seeped into her flesh. Heat snaked under her skin like an injection. Her flesh tingled. Every inch became sensitized. She could detect shifts in the air, felt the microscopic grooves and bumps of the road under her boot.

  She saw well in limited light, but tonight, her vision penetrated the darkness deeper. The smells though, she could do without. She wrinkled her nose at the nearly overwhelming urine odor. The street under the bridge was one large trash receptacle.

  Blue and red swirled over the blade again. Without hesitation, she yanked it free. A fierce yearning flooded her system, a sense of homecoming, and the gut-deep feeling that she’d never be helpless again.

  “What did you think to achieve by coming here by yourself?” The words hovered in the air.

  Caly whirled, instantly recognizing the voice from her childhood, a voice that at one time saved her sanity then later had her questioning it. The one person who tried to stand up to Oscar and protect her. And the very same one who left her as soon as she could. Not that Caly could blame her. If she had stayed, she would’ve died. Her chest tightened with emotions she didn’t know how to express. “Djinn.”

  “Death Wielder.” She nodded her head.

  The name sounded unusual to Caly’s ear but, she guessed from a demon’s standpoint, appropriate. It’d been years since she’d last seen her double. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her.

  “You need to leave.” The words were careless as if the demon was bored, which was more than likely. Caly locked away the memories of the past and tried to remember they were not friends anymore.

  “Can’t. I came here to retrieve a friend.” It was strange to look at herself and see what she could’ve become if she’d lived a normal life. They say that djinn were supposed to be the darker version, but Caly couldn’t help feeling that she’d absorbed that trait. Her djinn’s appearance spoke of enjoyment of life, while Caly had more of a warrior toughness that sent people scampering away.

  The djinn raised a brow and stepped forward only to stop abruptly, a pained look on her face. Her gaze dropped to the dagger then bobbed back up. “You need to listen. There are things you don’t understand.”

  Caly barely managed to hold back a cynical laugh. “I understand all too well. Trap. My death.” She waved her arm around the street.

  “Shut up and listen. We don’t have much time. Your welcoming committee is gone for now, but they’ll try again. If you get yourself killed, it’s only a matter of time before I’m destroyed, too. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to die.” She lit a cigarette and blew out a heavy cloud of acidic smoke. “Demons are trying to find the unclaimed Wielders.”

  A tremor shook her fingers, and Caly sheathed the dagger before she dropped it. She had no intention of using it on her double, and they both knew it. She’d wanted this meeting; she needed to use her time wisely. “Tell me.”

  “If they find out you survived the claiming, the demon council will stop at nothing to take you alive. That you already have the weapon only sweetens the deal.” She puffed almost continuously on her cigarette; her gaze darted about as she searched the ebony night.

  Caly could almost swear the demon was trying to protect her. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Does that include your angel?” A smirk came and went, but there was no threat behind the comment.

  The mention of Ruman was like a kick in the gut. The demons knew about him, and they were going after her anyway. Either Ruman wasn’t as big a threat as she thought, or they wanted her that badly des
pite him.

  “The demons hunt you because they know you withstood a demon possession. That we both survived. It doubles your value.” She dropped her cigarette and ground the butt under the toe of her shoe.

  Parthina’s words came back to haunt her. Don’t let them take you alive. A shiver worked up her spine. “What do you mean, ‘that we both survived’?” Caly assumed it was a given that demons survived.

  “As children, we’re kept within a certain distance of our double until we grow into our power. Ever wonder why so many kids have invisible friends? Anyway, the older we grow, the greater the temptation to merge.

  “Most possessions can’t be separated once they join. Eventually one person gains dominance, and the slow slide into insanity begins.”

  Caly remembered all too well, fighting thoughts and emotions not her own. What drove all the blood out of her head was the thought of being stuck in her body with someone else at the helm. Her talent, her knowledge, used to destroy humans. “They plan for us to merge and use us as a weapon.”

  A harsh laugh escaped. “If the one in charge remained sane long enough. Before, our minds were young enough to withstand the onslaught. Our neuropathways weren’t fully formed. Though we survived the separation, there are some days I wonder if it might have been better if we hadn’t.”

  Caly often asked herself that very question. “Aren’t you worried you’ll be punished for talking with me?”

  “What’re they going to do? Banish me? Most of them pretend I don’t exist anyway. Kill me?” She shrugged. “As your double, I’m too valuable. I can locate you at any time.” She smiled devilishly. “If I wanted.”

  “Come with me.” The invitation was impulsive, but it felt right.

  It must have surprised her double as well, for when she went to light another cigarette, she almost dropped her lighter. “What?”

  “You’re in as much danger as I am. I have an apartment above an old barn. It’s nothing fancy. We know the danger we pose to each other. We’re stronger and smarter than when we were children. We can make it work.” Caly laughed self-consciously. She wasn’t a people person and it felt odd to reach out to someone. Her double was in danger, and she could do nothing to protect her if they remained apart. “I can pass you off as my sister.”