“He knows how we feel about demons because they killed our parents,” she snarled.
I blinked at the hatred in her voice. “Oh, I didn’t know.”
“Why should you? It happened thirteen years ago during the demonic raid,” she answered, her eyes flashing. “You were only three.”
Oh, no, not that again. Did they know my father was behind it? Would I ever put what he did behind me? My father had gone on a murderous rampage while searching for my mother and me, but no one had ever made me feel guilty for his actions until today.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“You should be,” Solaris said with so much venom I cringed.
“That is enough,” Esras interjected.
“You stay out of this, Esras,” Solaris snapped.
Solaris, her sister warned her telepathically, but somehow I heard her. It is not her fault.
Of course it is. He was searching for her.
Was this the purpose of this mission? To see if I could work with people who hated my guts?
Solaris continued to glare at me. “Your father—”
“Is in Tartarus,” I said with as much venom as I could master, which was easy because I was now pissed.
“No, he’s not. He’s been seen more than once the last two weeks.”
My stomach hollowed out. “That’s crap. My grandfather defeated him during the battle on Jarvis Island, and anyone who claims he’s alive is calling my grandfather a liar. I’m sorry you lost your family, but I lost my mother and grandmother, too. And, I am not responsible for Valafar’s actions.”
Solaris opened her mouth again, but her twin grabbed her arm and marched her to the back of the building. I didn’t bother to listen to their exchange. I took some deep calming breaths, then glanced at Lucien and Esras.
“You handled that very well,” Esras said. Lucien nodded.
I shook my head. The very thought that Valafar could be alive filled me with dread. My feelings toward him were still conflicted. Part of me wished he wasn’t suffering in Tartarus. He had once loved me enough to raid Guardian enclaves while searching for my mother and me. The other part of me wished he would just disappear forever. He’d been ruthless and ambitious, and if by some remote chance he’d survived Jarvis Island, he’d come for me again. Even giving weight to Solaris’s rants pissed me off.
“Are your feelings going to get in the way of this mission?” I asked when the twins rejoined us.
“Of course not,” Lunaris answered and I could tell she was telling the truth.
Solaris glowered instead.
I cocked my eyebrow, but she still refused to speak. “If you can’t be objective, Solaris, then go back to the valley and report to Master Haziel.”
A flicker of uncertainty flashed in her eyes.
“I mean it. If you can’t take orders from me, you have no business being here.”
“My feelings won’t get in the way of my duties, Cardinal,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Good because rule number one is never let personal feelings get in the way of getting a job done.” I glanced at Esras, then Lucien, before coming back to the twins. “If any of you have a problem with me because Valafar was my father, put it aside for now. You’ll have plenty of time afterward to continue hating me. Jethro may be a Hermonite, but he’s an ally. His customers are our allies too. You don’t attack anyone unless I say so.”
Silence.
“Is that understood?”
“Yes, Cardinal,” the four said in unison.
This time, I didn’t tell them not to call me Cardinal. We’d wasted enough time talking. “Let’s go.”
No one spoke as we sidestepped puddles of grey muck and walked toward the entrance. Valafar alive? What utter nonsense. We exited the alley and entered the road running in front of hulking warehouses. The parking area in front of the bar was packed with bikes.
Like most of the warehouses in the area, the exterior needed fixing. In fact, it looked exactly the same as the first time I saw it. The green and black canopy above the metal railing was faded, the chairs and table were chipped and paint was falling off the surface. The only new additions were the ancient words scrawled on the glass window.
“Ready?” I asked before opening the door. Lucien and Esras nodded right away. The twins took their time, but they eventually did.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mixed with spicy foods greeted us when I opened the front entrance. The tingle and heat at the base of my spine slowly spread upward and outward as though someone had injected something hot into my spine. My fingers grew warm and for one brief moment, my vision blurred then sharpened as I glanced around.
I recognized faces in the crowd, but the usual nods and smiles were missing. There was a mass transformation as the shape-shifters reverted to their human forms. Scales smoothed out and body hair shrunk until skins were human-like. Horns, tails, and claws retracted. Cat and dog-like ears shifted. Lizard-like tongues stopped lapping at bug soups. Then there was mass teleporting from the tables near us to the far walls, Hermonites tripping and bumping against each other.
They’d never run from us before. Maybe it was the new faces. I glanced back and was surprised when they all stopped walking and stared at me like I’d sprouted two heads. When Lucien’s eyes went to my hands, I looked down and gulped. My hands were glowing. Why?
The ancient texts were visible on my wrist and the back of my hand, and it hit me. I was a human lethal weapon. The Kris Dagger’s powers had sensed the demons, just like they had with Dante and Kael a week ago. Chances were I was already emitting rays harmful to everyone in the room. No wonder they’d teleported away as soon as we stepped inside the restaurant.
I glanced around and fought panic. Jethro’s customers stood near the walls and watched us warily. The tingle along my spine and arms intensified, and the glow around my hands grew brighter. If I didn’t control my powers, I’d flood the room with the Kris Dagger’s death rays and kill every Neutral in the room.
I focused hard on staying calm. It was one thing to control my powers when I sparred at home and quite another when I faced demons. They’re not my enemies…they’re our allies…they’re not my enemies…they’re our allies…
Flashes of past scenes zipped through my mind—Jethro welcoming us with open arms, giving us information, riding in a motorcade, eating, playing a game of pool in the next room, listening to Karaoke singers. Some of the memories were hazy, possibly because I couldn’t remember when they happened, but being in the bar brought them back.
My hands grew dimmer. The more I focused on the Neutrals’ past goodness, the dimmer the symbols grew. After a few more seconds, the glow disappeared, though the buzz along my spine remained. I glanced at the other Guardians, who were watching me with a mixture of concern and awe. Even Solaris forgot to glare at me with hatred.
Let’s go, I telepathed them.
Eyes followed us as we approached the counter. One of the bartenders teleported, leaving behind the one I recognized from a few months ago. He’d helped us locate a Nosferatu demoness. Because of my messed-up memories, I didn’t know how often our paths had crossed since.
A wave of fear and resentment flowed from him, his gaze shifting from me to the others then back to me again, but he didn’t bolt like his friend.
“We need to talk.” I could see the Neutrals watching us from the corner of my eyes, so I kept my voice low. “Privately.”
He nodded, then appeared on our side of the counter. I must not have been emitting the harmful rays because he didn’t appear to be in pain. We followed him across the restaurant, eyes drilling holes in our backs. I had no idea where the resentment came from. It couldn’t be because I’d become a demon’s worst nightmare. From what I remembered, Jethro’s customers had always liked having us around.
Before we left the restaurant floor and the narrow hallway leading to Jethro’s office and private quarters, I glanced back. The Neutrals watched us like hawks.
&nbs
p; “Esras, you come with me. The rest of you keep watch out here. If anyone approaches, stop them and find out what they want. If they want to talk to me, ping me. If they attack, knock them out.”
They nodded, even Solaris. Her attitude had undergone a dramatic change, but I knew it wouldn’t last.
“I’m an empath, so I’ll know if you need our help,” I added, then followed the bartender and Esras down the hallway to Jethro’s office, which was a lot more spacious than I’d first thought.
The once dreary room had undergone some changes—several bunk beds and a dresser now replaced the piles of newspaper that had taken up most of the space. The lumpy sofa Bran had used when he’d lived with Jethro was still there along with the desk.
I faced the bartender, who kept his distance as though he expected me to hurt him. “Where’s Jethro?”
“He is missing because…because…” He swallowed.
I frowned. “Because of what?”
“His association with you guys…the Guardians,” he finished in a rush, his face flushing.
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“Two nature-benders came looking for him last night after he left for a meeting with the Cardinals. They knew he was meeting with you. Not you, Cardinal Lil. I mean the older Cardinals, who picked him up. The nature-benders vowed to come back. As soon as the Cardinals brought Jethro back, they reappeared and took him. I didn’t know what to do, so I contacted the Hermonites out there.” He slanted his head to indicate the bar. “They organized a search party. Most of them spent the night searching for Jethro. Some are still out there.”
That might explain the resentment toward us.
“What did the nature-benders look like?” I asked, hoping they were Dante and Kael.
“Tall, big, long, curly brown hair. They looked like twins.”
Definitely not Dante and Kael. “Have you seen Cardinal Llyr?”
“He was here an hour ago. As soon as I told him about Jethro, he left to search for him, too. He thinks whoever took the others has Jethro.”
“The others?”
“Young Hermonites have been disappearing for several weeks now. There are rumors that the Guardians kidnapped them.”
“What would we want with demons?” Esras asked.
“To turn them into Guardians, like you turned Cardinal Llyr,” the bartender said.
I sighed. How many times did we have to go through this? “Bran chose to be with the Guardians. No one turned him. And we have nothing to do with their disappearances,” I added firmly. “I’ll talk to the Hermonites before we leave.”
“Do you think that’s wise?” Esras asked.
“They are our allies, Esras. Of course we have to calm their fears or they could turn against us. With Jethro gone, that seems more likely than ever.” I turned my attention to the bartender. “Did Cardinal Bran sleep here?”
“No. He was in and out of here yesterday during the day. He told Jethro he was searching for his brother. He came back an hour ago, changed his clothes and was about to leave again when I told him Jethro was missing.” The bartender pointed at a scrunched-up black T-shirt and pants at the foot of the couch.
I picked them up with the tips of my fingers. They were filthy and smelled. Beside them were a plastic bag and several price tags. I glanced at Esras. “What do you think?”
He lifted the shirt, then the pants. “The dirt covers the front of his shirt and pants, which means he was on his stomach, either lying down or crawling.” He sniffed them. “Smells like sewer.”
If Bran had spent the night in some rat hole, it might explain why I’d tossed and turned all night long. I’d felt his discomfort. I glanced at the bartender. “Did Cardinal Bran say where he was headed?”
“No. Are you going to find them?” the bartender asked hopefully. “Jethro means a lot to us. This bar is a refuge for my kind, and half the people in the bar have called this home, just like Cardinal Bran has.”
“I know. Why don’t you go back to the bar and tell them I want to talk to them? They have to know we would never hurt them or turn our backs on—”
Several pings hit me at once. What is it?
A demon is here, and he insists on talking to you, Solaris telepathed.
I stepped into the hallway and frowned. All the three Guardians had their weapons pointed at…Gavyn? Dressed in white slacks and a matching blazer over a light blue shirt, his silver hair cropped in layers, he looked like he’d just stepped out of a country club.
He smirked and waved like we were best buds. The tingle at the base of my spine shot up my spine.
“Hey, little sister,” he said. “What are you doing in this dump? With the Tribunal’s army hunting your kind, I thought you’d be hiding with the rest of the Guardians.”
Tribe…Tribunal? The two words sounded almost alike. Did they mean the same thing? I had no interest in asking Gavyn because he’d only gloat and piss me off more. Already, I wanted nothing better than to wipe the smug smile off his face, but Bran would never forgive me.
I struggled to calm my mind and bring my powers under control. It wasn’t working. The power pulsing up and down my spine needed an outlet.
“What do you want, Gavyn?” I called out, fear of hurting him keeping me in the doorway.
“You and I need to talk. Alone. Tell your new minions to,” he wiggled his fingers, “move out of my way.”
“I don’t think so,” I said, aware that Esras had followed me. He stood protectively behind me, tension shooting from his body.
“Scared to be alone with me, little sister?”
“Yeah, scared for you, and I’m not your sister.”
He cocked his brow. “What? You’re not going to be mated with my brother? Last time I checked, the sun rose and set on him. You even saved my life from your malevolent sister. That’s the kind of thing you do for family, or family-to-be. By the way, I never got around to thanking you for that.” He touched his chest and bowed. “Thank you.”
No matter how annoying he was, I had to remember he was Bran’s brother. I focused on controlling my powers until the tingle on my back receded.
Meanwhile Gavyn lowered his head to peer into Solaris’s eyes and whispered, “How do you feel knowing your precious Chosen One is the reason you are being hunted, sweetheart? Why do your people have to suffer because of her? First Valafar and his raid, and now the Tribunal and its, uh, what do you Guardians call its army again? Yeah, the Tribe, the mighty Guardians’ worst nightmare.”
Seriously? He was like a child sometimes. When he didn’t get his way, he threw tantrums by saying the dumbest things. Solaris didn’t need him egging her on. “Let him pass.”
Instead of obeying, Solaris hissed out a breath. “What are you talking about, demon?”
He smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Move aside like a good little Guardian.”
“Only the weak and incompetent summon more powerful beings to fight their battles,” she snapped, then shifted closer to him. “And if you ever call me sweetheart again, fiend, I’ll send you to Tartarus so fast they’ll be picking pieces of you off the walls for centuries.” She threw a look at me over her shoulder. “He’s all yours, Cardinal.” Then she stepped out of his way.
For one brief moment, Gavyn leered at her. “I hope you and I meet again, sweetheart. I’d love to show you a thing or two that would make your head spin.” He sauntered past Esras and me. “Stay here, old man. My business is with the lovely Lilith.”
Esras hesitated and glanced at me.
“I’ll be fine,” I reassured him. Gavyn’s arrogance was annoying, but he only ever acted cocky when he had the upper hand. He knows where the Summoners are, I telepathed Esras. Just give me a minute with him.
He nodded, but he didn’t like it. I hurried after Gavyn.
“Scram, minion,” he ordered when he entered Jethro’s office and saw the bartender.
“You shouldn’t be here,” the bartender snarled. “Jethro doesn’t allow your ki
nd in here.”
Gavyn smiled. “My kind? I thought this,” he waved, “was a sanctuary for all Nephilim, good or bad.”
“Except bottom-dwellers like you,” the bartender retorted.
Gavyn’s eyes flashed. He studied the bartender, his lips curling up. “You know what I miss? The old days, when we tied traitors to rocks and set vultures on them for eternity.”
“And soul-suckers were sent to rot in Tartarus for eternity,” the bartender retorted.
In a fraction of a second, Gavyn’s hand moved and a sizzling, red energy ball materialized above his palm.
“Enough. You,” I nodded at the bartender, “go back to the bar.”
He scurried out of the room.
“He was being insolent,” Gavyn said, the energy ball fizzling out.
“What’s wrong with you? You know the rules. You can’t touch Neutrals under our protection, or all bets are off.”
He smiled though his gray eyes remained cold. “You’d test my brother’s loyalty by attacking me to protect that nobody?”
“He’s not a nobody, and Bran would understand.”
“Would he?” Gavyn’s eyes glistened. “I don’t have time for this. I have things to do, places to go.” He glanced over his shoulder at Esras. “Do you mind?” The he flicked his finger and the door slammed shut on Esras’ face.
I frowned. His energy powers seemed to have grown stronger. First an omni energy ball, now a show of telekinetic ability. “What do you want, Gavyn?”
Gavyn’s eyes narrowed as he studied me, his head cocked to the side. “There’s something different about you.”
What? I wanted to ask, but I hated discussing anything personal with him. Besides, there was enough weirdness that came with my new powers I really didn’t want to know. “Where have you been? Bran’s been looking for you for two days.”
“And he almost got killed, thanks to you. I’m getting strange vibes from you that are very intriguing. What have you been up to? I know we haven’t seen each other in a while, but the changes in you…” his eyes narrowed and he added slowly, “I can now see what my little brother sees in you.”
Ew. The thought that Gavyn found anything remotely attractive about me made me want to throw up. “Why is it my fault Bran almost got killed?”
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