Margaret lowered her gaze and nodded.
“I met her father when I was buying my black stallion,” James said. “Margaret was with him. I saw right away that she was a cambion and he was human. I always check to make sure it’s a genuine father-daughter relationship.”
“You’ve seen ones that aren’t?” Rafe asked.
James gave him a dark look. “I’ve seen a lot of things.”
“I tried to give my dad pleasant dreams every night,” Margaret said. “I thought if I could offer something of value to him that he’d keep me.”
My chest ached for her. No child should have to offer something to a parent in return for their love. It should be unconditional. The most natural love in the world.
“He wasn’t equipped, Margaret,” James said. “It was nothing to do with you. You know that.”
“Sometimes I think if I weren’t part demon…” The young cambion stopped talking and I could see she was fighting her emotions. “My dad didn’t like when I tried to influence his dreams. He said my mother used to do that and it made him uncomfortable, but I think he found reminders of her too painful.”
“Being part demon makes you special,” I said. “And what an amazing ability, to give people pleasant dreams. I wish I had that talent.”
Margaret smiled. “I help around here. The littler ones have bad dreams sometimes, so I’m able to shift them to something happier.”
“Especially when someone new arrives,” James added. “They’re unsettled and scared. Margaret’s a huge help with giving them a good night’s sleep.”
“Everybody feels better after that,” she said, beaming proudly.
“You’re very lucky,” I said. “I don’t have any talent that makes someone feel better. Rafe can heal others, but I can only heal myself.”
“You can protect others,” Rafe said. “That counts for a lot.”
“Sure does,” James said. He drained his glass and pushed back his chair. “How about a tour? We’ve got a bit more to discuss.”
I got the hint. He wanted to talk out of earshot of the cambions. I’d seen the Elders behave this way often enough to recognize the sign, although it seemed funny to be the one included in the discussion.
I gulped down the lemonade because it was too good to leave behind and hurried after James. Rafe kept pace with the burly Brother’s long strides and I caught up as they crossed the porch and walked around to the side of the house.
James dug his toe into a patch of grass and I spotted a metal handle. He bent over and tugged it, lifting the entire section of lawn. He took a step down into the square of darkness and we followed suit. It was a tight squeeze and I couldn’t see, but for some reason I felt perfectly safe as I descended.
“And this is my bunker.” James threw open the heavy metal doors to reveal an enormous underground lair that spanned the entire footprint of the farmhouse.
“That’s not an exaggeration,” I breathed. There was enough food and water down here to withstand a nuclear winter.
“I thought you were working to achieve balance,” Rafe said.
“Oh, we are,” James said. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a Plan B in case the realm goes topsy turvy one day. We’re not infallible.”
“Better safe than sorry,” I agreed. I surveyed the bunker in awe. There was a medicine section with rows of pill bottles and multiple First Aid kits. A nonperishable food section. Jugs upon jugs of water. Pots and pans. A wood-burning stove.
I picked up a Swiss army knife from a shelf.
“Be careful with that,” James said.
“What? I’ve seen these on television. It’s a human tool,” I said.
“Uh, it might have a few embellishments,” James said.
As I popped out what I thought would be a pair of scissors, a tiny flaming knife appeared.
“You’re like a supernatural Boy Scout,” I said. I tucked away the knife and placed the weaponized tool back on the shelf.
“And you haven’t even seen the piece de resistance yet,” James said. He pushed on a section of the wall between two shelves.
“Another room?” I asked.
“Not just a room,” James said proudly. He motioned for us to enter.
Rafe ducked into the room first. “An entire armory.” He sounded as awestruck as I felt.
I was too stunned to speak. It was every bit as stocked with weapons as the armory in the main spire—and not just regular weapons.
“You have a flaming sword,” I said. I recognized it by its specialized hilt, designed to protect the hand from too much heat.
“The little knife is just for emergencies. I keep this one here for a full attack. We need to be prepared for all eventualities,” James said. “When the war comes…”
“When?” I asked. I swiveled to face him. “I thought this was a worst-case scenario situation.” An overreaction even.
James stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets. “We’ve ramped up in the past year. Been hearing rumblings from our contacts in the Nether.”
Rafe’s focus remained fixed on the weapons. “Rumblings?”
“There’s been movement,” James said. “Internal conflict that could spill outside the realm. We intend to be ready.”
“What makes you think it won’t be contained?” Rafe asked.
“The king,” James said. “He’s getting greedy. Wants to expand his demon empire.”
The muscle in Rafe’s cheek pulsed with tension. “Upward?”
James nodded. “Can’t get to Dominion without using the mortal realm as a ladder.”
“Well, that’s not strictly true,” I said. “There are portals.”
Rafe balled his hands into fists. “But the mortal realm is the layer between the celestial realm and the Nether. The king can’t take Dominion without overrunning this world first.”
“For what purpose?” I asked. “Just power?”
“The king’s been at odds with the celestials for a long time,” James said. “Seems like it might be coming to a head sooner rather than later. They used an emissary for a while, but that didn’t work out from what I hear.”
“So you’ve been rounding up cambions to what? Protect them?” I asked.
“Teach them to protect themselves,” James corrected me. “We’ve got Whistlers out there hunting them like prey. We’ve likely got a war coming. These kids have power. They should be taught how to use it.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I said. As much as I wanted to tell him about the academy, I had to preserve our secret. It wasn’t my place to tell an entire Brotherhood about the existence of our school. I’d tell the Elders about James and his mission and let them decide whether to approach him. They could help each other, of that I had no doubt.
“Where did you hear about Charlie?” I asked.
“We track reports of incidents that are often linked to wayward cambions,” James said. “That poor woman’s house was almost burned to the ground more than once. For the human authorities, it was a sign of an electrical issue that needed fixing. For us, it was a red flag that there might be a kid in need of our guidance.”
We left the armory and moved back into the heart of the bunker. “Now I know where I’m coming if the apocalypse hits,” Rafe joked.
“You’re more than welcome,” James said. “We could use someone like you. I’m an experienced fighter, but I’m not half seraph. Your kind has skills I can only dream of.”
“Are the contacts yours specifically or the Brothers of Solomon?” Rafe asked.
“The Brothers,” he replied. “We’ve got a much larger network than anyone realizes.”
“What are you?” Rafe asked. “You’re not a cambion, but you seem human.”
James grinned. “I’m human. I’ve just been juiced with mystical powers.”
Rafe scrutinized him. “What kind of powers?”
I hadn’t offered the details I’d learned during the ritual. I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to keep the rest of the
information secret. At least now I didn’t have to.
“Not your kind,” James said. “I’m a little stronger, live longer. A slight upgrade.”
“Like a Whistler,” I said, although I hated to say the word aloud.
“Not quite.” James didn’t seem to like the comparison either.
“So you don’t know who might’ve wanted to hurt Charlie?” I asked.
“I wish I did.” His brow furrowed. “I only wanted to help that kid. He was upsetting the balance in his own space. It was my duty.” He tugged his ear. “I will say this, I’ve been hearing other reports, not just about the Nether, but local. There’s been an uptick in kids going missing.”
“Charlie isn’t missing,” I said. “He’s dead.”
“Maybe the other kids are too, only they haven’t been found.” James groaned. “Gods, I hate even having the thought.”
So did I.
“Thank you for speaking with us,” Rafe said. “You’ve been helpful.”
“I would have liked to be more helpful,” James said. “Do me a favor and let me know when you figure this out. I’d like to be able to give the cambions here some good news.”
“Absolutely,” I said. I hesitated. “And James?”
He looked at me. “Yeah?”
“Thank you for taking care of them,” I said. “I know you see it as your duty, but it’s still a remarkable thing to do.”
“I only hope when the war comes that I can make a difference,” James said.
My chest tightened. “Trust me, James,” I said. “You already have.”
Chapter Nine
Rafe and I spent the rest of the day in the city together, going back through everything we knew about Charlie. We revisited the crime scene to look for clues we might have missed. We tracked down Dr. Brand and Nurse Maynard and confirmed that their stories corresponded to the information we already had. Even though we’d managed to find the Brother of Solomon, I technically had until midnight to return to the academy and I was going to milk every last minute. We’d just finished enjoying a cheesesteak dinner from Pat’s when Rafe’s phone buzzed.
“Liesel wants to see me,” he said.
I clutched my stomach. “Is it possible to be too full to fly?”
His grin made my knees feel wobbly. “If you start to take a nosedive, I’ll catch you,” he said.
I launched myself into the air and stayed airborne until we reached the library balcony. Liesel sat at the table, clicking her fingernails on the smooth wooden surface.
“I got a request to research a stolen artifact,” Liesel said.
“That’s why you wanted to see me?” Rafe asked. “To let me know you’re in demand?”
Liesel rolled her eyes. “I’m not telling you for funsies, you muppet. I’m telling you because I think you’ll be interested in what I found so far.” She shifted her gaze to me. “You in particular, Cassia.”
She now had my full attention. “What is it?”
Liesel tapped on the screen of her phone. “I got a text from Logan earlier, another Watcher, asking whether there’s anything significant about an item that was stolen from a private collection.”
“Logan covers part of the Main Line,” Rafe said. “Ardmore, Villanova, Radnor.”
“She doesn’t need a geography lesson, but thanks.” Liesel gave an impatient sigh.
“By significant, I assume you mean of a magical nature,” I said.
Liesel pointed at me. “Exactly.”
“We have contacts that report stolen artifacts in case they weren’t stolen for their monetary value,” Rafe added.
Liesel groaned. “Rafe, stop seraph-splaining. She’s already proven she’s intelligent. She can piece it together herself.”
“Sorry,” Rafe mumbled.
“Anyway, I got to work and it took me some time, but I found this.” Liesel slid a book across the table to me.
The book appeared old and worn, with yellowed and tattered pages. I honed in on the image on the page. It was a crude drawing of a rock with straight lines around it, presumably to indicate light or energy. I read the caption beneath the image out loud. “The Palasu Stone? I don’t recognize it.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Liesel said. “It’s been lost to history. That’s what happens when things fall into the hands of wealthy collectors instead of public museums.”
“I’ve never heard of it either,” Rafe said.
“At first, its rarity made it seem like a money grab,” Liesel said. “I couldn’t find anything on it except its existence. Then I found a reference to it in this book.” She pushed another book toward me. At least this one seemed in better condition.
I scrunched my nose as I scanned the title. “Liesel, this is a work of fiction. It says right here these are fables and legends.”
“And check out the story on page twenty-three.” She pressed her lips together, seemingly satisfied with her discovery.
I flipped to the relevant page and reviewed the story. It was about a prince trying to break the ward on a castle so that he could enter the tower and rescue the princess. The ward had been put in place by a wicked witch and was known as the unbreakable curse. Everyone who’d tried to break it had failed, but the prince was determined to rescue the princess and win her hand in marriage.
I glanced up at her. “This is a fairy tale,” I said.
“Keep reading,” Liesel said. “You’ll see.”
I continued to read, and felt Rafe’s breath on the curve of my neck as he read over my shoulder. I ignored the tingling sensation in my stomach and tried to remain focused on the story.
“Naturally the prince went to a seer for help,” Rafe said. “That’s what we heroes always do when we want to rescue a princess.”
“I like how you’ve cast yourself in the role of hero,” Liesel said, amused.
I kept my attention on the story. The seer told the prince that the only way to break the unbreakable curse was to find the Dragon’s Eyes. The legend stated that the fiercest dragon in the realm was one with mismatched eyes—one blue and one green. He had to slay the dragon and return with both eyes and only then would he able to save the princess.
“So he slayed the dragon,” I said quietly. “And the eyes turned to two glittering stones, one blue and one green.”
“The blue stone became known as the Palasu Stone and the green stone became known as the Hasedin Stone,” Liesel said. “This story was translated from a couple of languages and I’m not talking about French. I mean ancient languages.”
“Do you think whoever stole the stone wants to break an unbreakable curse?” Rafe asked.
Liesel tapped her fingernails on the table expectantly.
My pulse sped up. “The book! Someone wants the stone to open the Book of Admissions.”
Liesel smiled at Rafe. “Told you she was intelligent. I’m guessing that someone’s been continuing their due diligence after Mephisto’s death and trying to find a way to crack open that secret book of yours.”
I felt so guilty about keeping the academy a secret from Liesel. Here she was giving me a lead—not because it was her job or because she knew what was at stake—but out of the goodness of her heart. Her tongue might be tart, but the Watcher was pure sugar inside.
“Do we think they already have the other stone?” Rafe asked.
“As it happens, the owner of the stolen stone used to own both,” Liesel said. “Apparently he was a fan of the old tale, but he didn’t think it was real.” She chuckled. “Silly human. Anyway, he donated the green one as a tax write-off. You’ll never guess to where.”
“The Smithsonian?” Rafe ventured.
Liesel smiled. “Nope. He kept it local. It seems a friend of his works as a scientist there and guilted him into giving one of the stones to the Academy of Natural Sciences right here in Philadelphia. It’s part of their mineral vault exhibit right now.”
“Which means it’s only a matter of time before the thief figures out where the other stone is,
” I said.
“The owner said that the thief broke in last night and he slept through it,” Liesel said. “They only took the stone. Left all the valuable artwork. Didn’t even attempt to open the safe.”
“At least he didn’t tell them where the other stone is,” Rafe said. “That means we still have a chance to get to it first.”
“And with only one stone, they won’t be able to break the ward,” Liesel said. “They need both of the Dragon’s Eyes to unlock their power.”
Rafe and I looked at each other and I saw the spark of enthusiasm in his eyes.
“It’s nighttime,” I said. “The museum’s closed.”
“Which makes this the perfect time to get the stone,” Rafe said. “Nobody’s in harm’s way.”
“Won’t it break some kind of nephilim code to steal from a bounder museum?” I asked.
“Not under the circumstances,” Rafe said. “This is one situation where it’s probably best not to have an ancient object on public display. They have no idea of its power.”
“Fair point,” Liesel said, somewhat disgruntled.
“Thanks for this, Liesel,” I said. “Amazing research.”
She offered a modest shrug. “I do what I can.”
“Are you in the mood for a trip to the museum?” Rafe asked. “We could use a lookout.”
Liesel jumped to her feet with such force that she tipped over her chair. “Let me grab my sword and I’m good to go.”
Rafe and I waited for her on the balcony and the three of us flew to the museum together. Once airborne, I noticed the fullness of the moon. Its amber glow was intensified by the dark canvas behind it.
We landed on the rooftop and Rafe pulled a small stone from his pocket.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Our way in so we don’t trip any alarms,” he said. He dropped off the edge and I followed. We hovered in front of the window at the top of the building. It was a small square, but large enough to accommodate us if we tucked in our wings. He touched the stone against the window and the glass quickly dissolved.
“Won’t they notice this tomorrow?” I asked.
“It’s only a temporary enchantment,” he said. “The window will reform in an hour.”
Demonspawn Academy: Trial Two Page 9
