Demonspawn Academy: Trial Two

by Annabel Chase

“Cassia, my bianco diablo.” Liesel rushed forward and embraced me. As her wings wrapped around me, her feathers got caught in mine. She laughed as she disentangled herself. “A hazard of our kind.”

  “Our kind?” I asked.

  “The flying kind,” Liesel said. She took notice of my companions. “Wow. A whole crew. Are you all cambions?” She spotted Elder Sam in the mix. “Well, which one of these is not like the other ones? Good effort trying to blend in though. The lack of wings is a nice touch.”

  I didn’t have the heart to explain to Liesel that Elder Sam’s appearance was down to the cruelty of the seraphim she served. Instead, I introduced everyone by name. “This is Liesel. She’s a Watcher like Rafe and she’s also very handy with research.”

  We filtered into the library and I noted with satisfaction that my kenzoku seemed as awed by the place as I was.

  “This place is awesome,” Rylan said. “I could totally live in a place like this when I’m older.”

  Liesel looked her up and down. “You look old enough to me.”

  “We live together,” I said. “Sage, Rylan, and I are roommates.”

  “Now you’ve given me the perfect dream tonight,” Liesel said, her lips melting into a smile.

  “I can give you a few fun scenarios,” Barris offered. “I have a lot of experience…with the dreaming.”

  Liesel laughed. “I like you.”

  A scratching sound from the stacks caught my attention. “Did you get a cat?”

  Liesel snorted. “A cat? Why would I subject myself to that kind of abuse?”

  A familiar creature inched into view. His oversized head wobbled atop his smaller body and his large eyes shone the color of blood. The creature’s tail was reminiscent of a witch’s broom, sweeping from side-to-side, and his claws resembled bony spiders covered in black, wiry fur.

  “Jiffy’s here?” I hurried to the stacks to greet the lesser demon.

  “He must’ve picked up my scent in the cemetery that night we found the wizard,” Liesel said. “He showed up on my doorstep and he’s been here ever since.”

  Zeph recoiled. “Why did you let him in?”

  Liesel gestured to the tiny demon. “Look at those big eyes? Could you say no to those?”

  Zeph grimaced. “I most certainly could.”

  “He really likes peanut butter crackers,” I said. I rubbed the demon’s big head. “Don’t you, fella?”

  “I’ll make a note of it,” Liesel said. “I never thought I’d see the day when I adopted a lesser demon as a companion, but here we are. See the effect you’ve had on us, Cassia?” She winked at Rafe.

  “We need your help,” Rafe said. “We’re investigating a murder…”

  “Another one?” Her eyes widened and she shifted her focus to me. “You’re a magnet for trouble, do you know that?”

  “It’s nothing to do with me,” I said. “A little cambion boy.” We filled her in on the pertinent details.

  “Jessup didn’t mention anything in the group chat,” Liesel said, more to herself.

  “Which is why we’re getting involved,” Rafe said. “He didn’t seem particularly enthused once he discovered the child was part demon.”

  “Well, you know I’ll help,” Liesel said.

  “We appreciate your cooperation,” Elder Sam said.

  She gave him a sideways glance. “I’m intrigued by your role in this.”

  Elder Sam shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. The Elders knew I’d only confided in Rafe about the academy. Now we had an entire group swarming Liesel’s home and requesting her assistance. How could we continue to keep her in the dark?

  “He’s our chaperone,” Rylan volunteered. She was too intent on the bookshelves to notice Elder Sam’s tight expression. “Do you just lay around and read all day, Liesel? What a life.”

  Liesel offered a seductive smile. “Among other things.” She caught Rylan’s eye and held it.

  “Rylan is half succubus,” Sage said.

  Liesel’s smile broadened. “Is that so?”

  Rafe positioned himself between them. “Succubus or not, Rylan is too innocent for you.”

  Liesel practically purred. “Which makes her all the more appealing.”

  Rafe gave her a firm look. “We’re here to talk about the murder of a boy. Let’s keep our focus where it belongs, shall we?”

  Liesel reluctantly tore her gaze away from Rylan. “How can I help? I suppose you need to find information in a book.”

  “That’s the most likely source,” Rafe said. He produced the picture that Maria Mancini had drawn. “We need to find a symbol like this one. See what its significance is.”

  “Assuming it has any,” Liesel said.

  “My gut says it does,” Rafe said.

  “Okay, team,” Liesel said in a loud voice. “I have an entire section devoted to symbolism.” She pointed to the stacks to her left. “Not all of the books have an index, but for those that do, start simple with the word ‘snake.’”

  “This will be a good lesson for us,” Rylan said. She skipped past us and headed to the relevant stacks.

  “Lesson? Chaperone?” Liesel looked at us. “What kind of group is this?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Rafe said.

  Liesel eyed him curiously. “You know.”

  Rafe blinked. “That information isn’t related to the task at hand.”

  Liesel narrowed her eyes at me. “Does this information have anything to do with your argument in the cemetery? Don’t deny it. I know you two were on the outs when we left.”

  “No,” I said honestly. “That was a different issue.”

  “That we’ve resolved,” Rafe said. He gave me a shy look. “We have resolved it, right?”

  “I’ve accepted your apology, yes.”

  He appeared relieved.

  “If you’re not going to spill the tea, then we should get to work,” Liesel said. She turned abruptly and joined the others in the stacks. I noticed that she positioned herself between Rylan and Sage.

  Rafe and I started at the far end of the aisle and began paging through books.

  “It wasn’t like this, was it?” Barris held up a page with a snake eating its own tail.

  “That’s an ouroboros,” Elder Sam said. “Unfortunately, it’s not what we’re looking for.”

  “Yes, I would’ve recognized that symbol,” Liesel said. “It’s a personal favorite.”

  I scanned the index of another book but saw nothing of relevance.

  “This is so boring,” Sage said. She shoved another book back onto the shelf. “Can’t we just go out and start threatening suspects?”

  “We don’t have any suspects,” Barris said. “If we find the symbol, then we might be able to move on to your idea.”

  “No one is threatening anyone,” Elder Sam said. “I only agreed to let you participate in the research because I think we owe it to this boy to do everything we can.” The seraph wore a faraway look. “The system failed him. Our system.”

  “I found something,” Zeph said. He glanced up from a book. “Do I get a prize?”

  “You found two intertwined snakes?” I asked.

  “One black and one green,” Zeph said. We crowded around him for a better look at the page.

  Rafe’s brow furrowed. “He’s a Brother of Solomon.”

  “What’s that?” I asked. I’d never heard of that particular group.

  “He’s like a sage,” Elder Sam said.

  Sage perked up. “Like me?”

  “Isn’t a sage some kind of smart person?” Rylan asked. “Although I don’t know how smart he can be if he’s smoking a cigarette in this day and age. Everybody knows smoking kills.”

  “If this man was a Brother, then I think Maria’s instincts were right,” Rafe said. “I think the man was probably watching the house.”

  “Why?” I asked. “Do you think he’s the one that killed Charlie?”

  Rafe gave his head an almost imperceptible shake. “It woul
d be uncommon for a Brother of Solomon to kill, although not unheard of.”

  “Charlie used his powers,” I said. “Maybe the sage was defending himself and used lethal force.”

  “I suppose anything’s possible right now.” Rafe took the book from Zeph and continued to read.

  “So what is a Brother of Solomon?” Sage asked. “Are they an organized group or just a bunch of dudes that named themselves?”

  Rylan leaned back against the shelves. “Balls of hellfire. They’re not like the Whistlers, are they?”

  My heart skipped a beat at the mere mention of the Whistlers.

  “They’re not like the Whistlers,” Rafe confirmed. “They seem to be more of an order.”

  “What makes them an order versus a group of demon killers?” Sage asked.

  “The Brothers don’t search the realm for demons to kill,” Rafe said. “Their main function is balance.”

  “Balance?” I asked.

  “Like good and evil?” Barris asked.

  “According to the book, they serve the duality of our natures,” Rafe said. “Light and dark. Active and passive.”

  “So good and evil,” Sage said, sounding bored.

  “It’s not that simple,” Rafe said.

  “What would they want with Charlie?” Rylan asked.

  “His mother said he was a good kid but having trouble keeping his powers under control,” I said. “Maybe the Brothers got wind of it and wanted to help.”

  “Help with what?” Barris asked. “Keep him from the dark side? Make sure he uses his Jedi skills for the right reasons?”

  Liesel glanced up from an open book. “I found a mention of the Brothers in this book too. They exist to help the realms maintain harmony.”

  “How do they do that?” Barris asked. “Little cambions like Charlie are getting whacked in back alleys. I wouldn’t call that harmony.”

  “Maybe they were watching to prevent that,” I said. “If they knew about Charlie, they might’ve been lurking outside the house to make sure no one else got to him before he made it to the academy.”

  “In that case, they suck at their job,” Sage said.

  “This is all speculation,” Rafe reminded her. “Our best bet is to find the Brother that was monitoring Charlie and talk to him.”

  Liesel drew a breath. “I’m not sure how easy that’s going to be. They don’t exactly take appointments.”

  “How do we find him?” I asked.

  “I think you have to summon him,” Liesel said.

  “Are you sure about that?” Barris asked. “Because people used to think they had to summon us and it’s not strictly true.”

  Liesel continued to scan the page. “The Brothers of Solomon maintain a secret identity due to the delicate nature of their responsibilities, but one can attempt to communicate with them by performing this ritual.” She tapped the page. “I think we can handle this.”

  “How dangerous are these guys?” Zeph asked. “Is there a risk to summoning one? I mean, what if the whole Brotherhood shows up?”

  “I don’t think it works that way,” Liesel said. “We’d probably only get one.”

  “Like the Whistlers,” Sage said.

  Rylan groaned. “Can we please stop saying Whistler? I’m sure you’re giving Cassia PTSD.”

  “I’m fine,” I said.

  “The book doesn’t say he shows up,” Liesel said. “It just says it’s a way of communicating. That could mean any number of things.”

  Elder Sam glanced out the window at the darkening sky. “How long does it take?”

  “The ritual itself won’t take long, but who knows about the reply?” Liesel carried the book over to the table. “If you need to be somewhere, feel free to leave this in our capable hands. The Watchers won’t let you down.”

  Rafe placed a hand on Elder Sam’s shoulder. “Liesel and I will keep it to ourselves.”

  “That’s probably for the best,” Elder Sam agreed.

  “I’m staying,” I said. I crossed the room to join Liesel at the table.

  “Cassia,” Elder Sam said, adopting an authoritative tone.

  “Let her stay,” Sage said. “She can be our eyes and ears on the ground. Literally.”

  Elder Sam crooked a finger at me and we rounded a corner so that we were out of earshot. “I want you to come back to Domus tomorrow by midnight, whether you’ve managed to find the Brother or not. Do you understand?”

  “You’re really going to let me stay?” I thought for sure he’d put up a fight.

  “Sage is right. Having you as part of the investigation is helpful to us. Who knows what the Watchers would do if left to their own devices? If they learn something that threatens the rest of us, we need to know.”

  I nodded. It was clear I trusted Rafe and Liesel more than Elder Sam did. That was okay, though, because it meant I was allowed to stay. I clamped down on the excitement of another night and day with Rafe. The point of this ritual was to find the suspect, not kick my hormones into high gear.

  “It’s nice to know you believe in me,” I said.

  He cupped my cheek. “I’ve spent years teaching you and training you to be the best that you can be. At some point, I need to let go and admire the fruits of my labor.”

  “I won’t disappoint you.”

  “I know you won’t. Stay safe, Cassia.” In a rare display of affection, Elder Sam kissed my forehead.

  “Now you’re freaking me out,” I said. “It’s just a ritual, Elder Sam. It isn’t dangerous.”

  He gave me a sad smile. “That’s not the part that worries me.” He walked back to the table and motioned for the other cambions. “Time to head out. Thank you for your help, Watchers. We do appreciate it.”

  Rylan peeled herself away from Liesel. “When’s our next trip to the city?” I heard her ask Elder Sam on the way out.

  The door had barely clicked closed when Liesel slapped her hands flat on the table. “All right, friends.” Her teeth gleamed in the dim light. “How about we summon ourselves a Brother of Solomon?”

  The ritual itself wasn’t very challenging. We gathered the materials from Liesel’s stash in the pantry, except for the feverwort which required a quick trip to an herbalist that frequently worked with the Watchers.

  We set up on the rooftop because, according to the book, it was best to perform the ritual outdoors. We cloaked ourselves so that no one had a view from another building. I watched Liesel as she added the last of the feverwort and took a step back.

  “We need to join hands,” she said, and wiggled her fingers at us. Rafe and I clasped one of her hands and then each other’s so that we formed a tight circle.

  Liesel began to hum and soon our voices mingled with hers. I felt the vibration deep in chest. There was something incredibly soothing about the sensation.

  A dense mist rose from the rooftop and wrapped around us, blocking my view of the others. When it finally cleared, I looked around and realized I was alone. Where were Rafe and Liesel?

  I twisted to check behind me. There was no sign of them. The moon still shone overheard and everything seemed as it was except for my missing friends.

  At the edge of the rooftop, a soft and fuzzy light blinked into existence and then disappeared. I stared at the empty space where it had just been. I closed my eyes and opened them again, thinking that I imagined it.

  There it was again.

  The ghostly light drifted closer to me and blinked again.

  “You’re a will-o’-the-wisp,” I said. This was the result of our ritual? An atmospheric ghost light? Maybe we made a mistake.

  The light winked one more time before it disappeared. A hooded figure appeared in its place.

  “Are you a Brother of Solomon?” I asked.

  The figure stepped into the moonlight and removed the hood, revealing a woman with a long, narrow nose and a sharp chin. Her gray hair spilled over her rounded shoulders.

  “No,” she said in a raspy voice. “I am merely a conduit for c
ommunication.”

  I peered at her. “Who are you?”

  “My name is unimportant. You did not summon me. You summoned information.”

  “Where are my friends?” There was still no sign of Rafe and Liesel. It was as though they’d never been on the rooftop with me.

  “I need only communicate with one of you,” she said. “I tend to choose the purest of heart, which happens to be you.” She offered a congratulatory smile. “Not to worry. When our conversation has concluded, you shall return to the place you were.”

  I frowned. “But I’m at the place where we performed the ritual.”

  The woman slotted her fingers together. “Are you?”

  I surveyed the rooftop. She was right. Something seemed off. Although the mist had dissipated, there was an odd stillness around me.

  “We’re in a pocket of reality,” the woman said. “It allows our conversation to remain completely private.”

  “I need to find one of the Brothers of Solomon,” I said. “I don’t know his name, but he was watching a boy, a cambion, in a place called Manayunk.”

  “And what is the nature of your need?” she asked.

  “The nature of my need?” I asked. “I don’t understand the question.”

  “What is the purpose?” she asked. “Why do you wish to speak to this particular Brother?”

  “Because that boy is now dead and the Brother is our only lead,” I said.

  The woman’s expression remained impassive. “The Brothers were not created to disrupt. They were created to achieve balance.”

  “What do you mean they were created?”

  “The Brothers of Solomon serve a critical purpose in this realm,” the woman said. Her arm swept in a wide semi-circle and a black and white image appeared above our heads, which I recognized from my lessons as the symbol for yin and yang. “When the demons and celestials were threatening each other with mass extinction, there was a risk that the entire realm would be thrown out of balance. You cannot have only light and no darkness, nor only darkness and no light.”

  “But there was a treaty,” I began.

  She waved her hand and the image disappeared. “The treaty is only one safeguard. The Brotherhood was formed to help prevent an imbalance regardless of any treaty.”

  “What are they?” I asked.