“Who are they?” I asked, unsure why Luke was so excited to introduce me.
There were plenty of other new Nephilim researchers in the room whom I’d never met. Many who looked much less likely to squash me like a bug under her heel.
“I thought you would know,” he replied with a wink. “Isn’t it obvious?”
With a questioning look, I returned my gaze to the couple. They’d spotted Luke and turned toward us. Like a laser beam, the woman zeroed in on me with her icy blue eyes. From the way her lips twisted, she didn’t look too pleased. The gentleman beside her lost his smile and gazed at me with curious, yet intense emerald green eyes.
I gasped and threw a hand over my mouth. Suddenly, Luke’s eagerness made sense. But I wasn’t supposed to meet these people—not for a long time to come. And definitely not without Gabe here. My knees turned to jelly at the thought of him hours away, unable to come to my rescue.
“Georgia and Ben, I want you to meet my daughter,” Luke said, the tone of his voice filled with pride. I swallowed the embarrassment and managed to keep myself from hiding behind his knee like a little child. “Lizzy, meet Georgia and Ben Cael.”
My voice had left me. I stood stony faced, my eyes darkening. Georgia’s eyes narrowed as she sucked in her cheeks.
Luke looked down at me, concern clouding his face at my lack of response.
“These are Gabe’s parents,” he whispered. “Say something.”
“Hi,” I managed to eek out.
As soon as I’d spotted those emerald green eyes, I knew who I was dealing with. Those were the exact replica of Gabe’s gorgeous and intense gaze, except shadowed with a few more centuries of wisdom and experience. My throat tightened as I thought about what they must think about me.
Their son had never experienced more danger than in the last year and a half with me. He’d been nearly executed, stabbed, taken by a demon, fought in a battle of ferals, and more. And on top of it all, he’d been partnered with me in the warrior ceremony. It was like he’d run off and eloped with a stranger. Except this stranger had a demon companion inside her head and a shady past.
“Elizabeth.” Georgia nodded her head stiffly. “Gabe has told us about you. We made our trip here with the sole intent of making your acquaintanceship.”
I tried to smile in reply, but it probably looked like I was trying not to throw up.
“Where is my handsome son?” she asked, lifting her chin to gaze behind us. “I was hoping he would be here to greet me.”
“They’re hunting down one last demon lead,” I managed to croak out. It was a miracle I was still standing. My knees trembled under her intense scrutiny. “They should be back soon. Tomorrow, hopefully.”
She exchanged a curious expression with her husband and then gazed down her nose at me. “Why isn’t his partner accompanying him on this quest? I thought the two of you had been joined.”
My cheeks colored. Of course, I would’ve loved to be with him on this quest, but my episodes had been getting stronger.
Still, I didn’t want to get into the entire demon problem with his parents—especially this early in our relationship. A big part of me desperately wanted her to like me and I didn’t think reminding them of my evil half would help the issue.
“We are...” I stuttered. Looking up at Luke for help, I shrugged my shoulders. “But I’ve decided that I need to change my focus from being a warrior to learning how best to provide leadership for our people. After all, I will be joining the board someday.”
“You are?” Luke stared down at me, confused.
“Yes,” I said, my confidence building. “I’m pulling out of battle for now. It’s what I want.”
Although it seemed like I’d just vomited the words, I realized as soon as I’d said them that they were true. My demon’s constant presence in the back of my mind was only made worse during moments of extreme duress and stress. That was every moment of a warrior’s duty. I couldn’t risk having another episode and losing myself to her. If that meant I had to take a huge step back and learn a different way of life, so be it. As long as it kept Gabe and my family safe, then I would do it. No questions asked.
“Oh, yes, right,” he added without much hesitation, jumping to my aid. “We’ve been discussing this possibility for some time now. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to have a daughter to follow in my footsteps.”
I hoped Luke could see the gratefulness in my eyes. This woman had already stripped me to the bone. I wasn’t sure what another few seconds under her gaze would’ve done to me. Most likely, I would’ve melted to the floor in a pile of molten lava, marring the floor for centuries to come. Future generations would’ve walked around the spot, shaking their heads in disgust at the young woman who couldn’t handle the pressure of meeting her boyfriend’s mother.
“See, dear?” Ben nudged his wife’s shoulder. “Nothing to worry about. Many partners have completely different undertakings in the Nephilim society. It isn’t unusual. And until our boys get back, we have this lovely young lady to entertain us. Isn’t that right?”
I halfheartedly smiled, desperate to break away from this conversation.
“I guess so...” She still looked at me like a frog waiting to be dissected. “But I’d like the four of us to have dinner tomorrow night. I want to see the two of you together and get to know my son’s new partner.”
Gulping down the lump that had formed in my throat, I nodded. Epic battles and killer demons, I could handle. Armed Grannies and town mobs, I could handle. But I wasn’t so sure I could handle a dinner alone with Gabe’s mother.
Something told me my problems had just multiplied exponentially.
Chapter Six
Luke’s right eye twitched as he slammed a book shut and tossed it aside. We’d gone through every book in his office, looking for something, anything, that would help me deal with my demon problem. So far, nothing. Books had never failed my father before and he wasn’t dealing very well with it.
“It has to be here somewhere,” he moaned, scrubbing his face with his hands.
We’d spent the entire afternoon and late into the evening studying. Still, nothing.
“It’s okay,” I said quietly. I hadn’t really expected a miracle. Still, it was a letdown.
“No, it’s not okay.” He slammed his fist on the desk. “I’m your father. What else does a father do except for solve his daughter’s problems? Thus far, I haven’t exactly been a stellar example of a parental figure in your life.”
I sighed and reached across to grab his hand. He was being too hard on himself. It wasn’t his fault my problems went above and beyond the normal range of daughter problems. I’d give anything to pretend that we were normal and that none of this mattered. But the truth be told, my life might depend on it.
“We’ll keep trying,” I said with a small smile. “And you’ve been a wonderful father. The best father I’ve ever had.”
He huffed and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. But a little hint of a smile tugged at his lips.
I looked around at the room. It was as if Esther had never been there. Papers and books were strewn everywhere and the wastebasket full. Luke had stashed the wooden box in his special safe to investigate until later. I couldn’t help feel a pang of disappointment at its absence. I would’ve loved to see him open it and discover the secrets within.
“What do we know about the Six Princes?” I asked suddenly.
Luke looked up at me. “Why do you ask?”
“The demon we killed today was talking about a prince,” I said, rubbing the tension from my temples. “It made me realize you’ve never taught me about them. I guess if I’m going to be board material, I’d better learn about them.”
He watched me with a heavy expression, his lips pressing into a thin line. For a moment, I thought he was going to refuse. But, he did a sharp turn in his chair and plucked a worn book from his bookcase, plopping it in front of me.
“There are six Princes of Hell,�
�� he began, flipping through the pages. “They lord over the underworld and their separate factions. Over the centuries, we’ve gathered very little information about them, but what we have has been documented very carefully.”
He opened the book to a page with a pencil sketching. It was a vague drawing of a tall, broad man wearing a cape. In thick cursive writing below, it said Arawn.
“This is Prince Arawn. He is said to be the eldest of the six. Stubborn as an ox and as powerful as ten.”
I stared at the image. It wasn’t what I’d expected. In my nightmares, the Princes of Hell had resembled humongous scaly creatures, not men.
Luke flipped the page to a new drawing. “This is Prince Iku.”
His picture was less detailed, but still clear enough to show a tall man with skin the color of coal. A scrap of cloth hung from his waist, but other than that, he was naked.
“They don’t look evil,” I said, glancing up at Luke.
He made a face. “Evil takes many forms. But have no doubt, the Princes of Hell are every bit as nasty as those demons you fight every day. Except, the Princes have intelligence behind their actions. That makes them even more dangerous.”
I nodded, looking back down at the book. In a lot of ways, it made sense that they appeared as humans. Humankind could be as heartless and evil as the demons from Hell. I’d seen it with my own eyes.
Luke took me through the remainder of the Princes, each as intimidating as the last. There was Prince Nergal, a dark imposing figure in the drawing, hidden beneath a cloak. And Prince Aita, an emaciated looking man, and Prince Han, who looked like he’d just walked out of an eighteenth-century hospital with bandages wrapped around his appendages. Finally, there was the youngest of the brothers: Prince Seth. There was no picture for him and his description was sparse. Apparently, little was known about the last Prince of Hell.
“Who do you think Elizabeth was talking about when she mentioned her Prince?” I asked Luke, rubbing my tired eyes. My body wasn’t used to sitting in a chair for hours at a time. It ached to move or find a place to sleep. I couldn’t decide which.
“There’s really no telling.” Luke flipped the book toward him and looked through the pages. “Any one of these Princes could be vying for dominion on Earth. Maybe all of them.”
I gulped, thinking about the war party I’d witnessed during my brief visit to Hell last year. The forces I’d seen gathered there were impressive. Enough to wipe out the entire Nephilim race. The wrath of six Princes of Hell would be unimaginable.
“Tell me,” Luke said, putting the book away, “are you really serious about taking up the mantel of joining the board? Or is that just something you said to pacify Gabe’s parents?”
I smiled sheepishly. “That might have been why I blurted it, but I really do mean it. If and when I ever learn how to destroy my demon, then I’ll reconsider my options.”
Luke nodded his head, a pleased expression on his face.
The mention of Gabe’s parents had made my stomach clench. I rubbed a hand over my belly and groaned at the thought of facing them tomorrow night. “They really hate me, don’t they?”
Luke looked confused. “Who?”
“Georgia and Ben Cael.” I flicked my wrist. “They hate that I’m with Gabe.”
He chuckled and stretched his arms behind his head. “They don’t hate you. They just don’t know you, yet.”
I moaned and threw my head back. “I’m not sure getting to know me is going to help my case.”
Pushing himself from his chair, he came over to my side of the desk and took my hand. Intensity shown in his blue eye as he lowered to his knee and gave me a stern look.
“Do not allow your worth to be dictated by what others think of you,” he said, the muscles in his jaw twitching. “You are a strong, intelligent woman, an impressive warrior, and my daughter. I couldn’t be more proud of you.”
Tears sprung to the corners of my eyes. He pulled me into a tight hug and we sat there for a moment, enjoying the closeness. With a sigh, he finally released me and took a glance at the watch on his wrist.
“It’s getting late. We should wrap this up. But if you’re serious about this new direction for training, let’s start tomorrow afternoon. You’ve got a lot to learn.”
I nodded my head, trying to remain enthusiastic. In school, I hadn’t exactly been a star pupil. Studying wasn’t something I’d excelled at. Sure, I’d made good grades, but I’d never had to push myself. From the look of Luke’s determined expression, he was going to put me through the ringer with this new course.
“Get some sleep.” He kissed me on the top of my head and pulled me out of the chair. “You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
I moaned, once again reminded of the events to come. How was a girl supposed to get some sleep when her partner was out there fighting dangerous demons and his parents were here, scrutinizing her every move? It didn’t seem fair.
And I thought having a demon inside my head would be the most of my worries this summer.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, I found myself torn in two completely different directions. Laying in my empty bed, I wanted nothing more than to feel Gabe’s warm body next to mine. To lay my head upon his chest and feel his heart beat in time with mine. To trace his lips gently with my fingertips and taste his mouth against mine. But Gabe being home meant one thing: dinner with his parents. And I wanted to avoid that with all my being.
Luke had called me silly last night, telling me that I had nothing to fear from the Caels. They were a respected Nephilim family. Generations old. Built with pure Nephilim blood as far back as their ancient texts could pinpoint.
Despite Luke’s reassuring words, I couldn’t get this giant rock of terror to leave my stomach. The Caels were Nephilim royalty. I was about as far from angelic royalty as you could get. To them, I was a blot on their family’s reputation. A stain. A blight on Gabe’s promising future. Even if Luke thought I hung the moon, Gabe’s parents would never accept me.
Until this demon problem went away, I was doomed.
Rolling over in bed, I suppressed a sigh. I wished Manuel was still here. He’d been the only one to truly understand my inner demon and how to suppress it. Thanks to his training, I’d overcome my anger issues and learned how to listen to the music and rhythm of my own powers. I’d overpowered the demon and shut the Hell Gate completely, effectively ending a war.
But things were changing. The meditation sessions didn’t seem to be enough. The demon was growing stronger and I had stalled. It was like threading water as a great white shark circled, waiting for it to strike. I had to do something. I had to fight back.
But how?
My first session with Luke wasn’t for a few more hours, so I headed toward the training facility. Being out of commission warrior-wise didn’t mean I had to fall out of shape. Besides, my heart was still aching about my recent revelation. As nice as it would be to spend more time with my father and follow in his footsteps, I longed to be out there with Gabe, fighting the bad guys. There was something about being face-to-face with the enemy. Utilizing your strengths to defeat him. Here, the enemy was faceless and abstract. A distant problem that didn’t seem so urgent.
“Hey, Redding!”
I heard my last name called across the lawn of the manor. Looking up from my feet, I spotted a small group of Nephilim gathered in the middle of the field. A pile of mats and a tangle of steel bleachers stood next to them.
“Redding!” someone called again. I spotted Noah Brown in the bunch, waving his lanky arm at me. Gone was the white lab coat and instead today he wore a tight-fitting athletic shirt and baggy shorts. Correcting my course, I headed in their direction and was surprised to find Esther among them. Her denim overalls, a paisley handkerchief tied in her hair, and the wet grass stains on her knees told me she must’ve spent this morning in her little garden outside her home.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
The next warrior initiat
ion wasn’t for a couple more months. As far as I knew, we didn’t have any major events planned for this week.
“Noah’s had an idea,” Esther explained. She scratched the side of her face, leaving a dirty smear on her cheek. “How about a little competition tomorrow?”
I frowned at her. “What kind of competition?”
Noah bounced on the balls of his feet. His smile was so infectious, I couldn’t help but return it. “Wrestling, archery, knife throwing. Anything we want.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Esther added. She patted my arm. “Raquel and the rest of the gang will be back by then. You kids have been working nonstop this summer. A little distraction and fun could be great for you.”
She was right, we’d been so focused with work there had hardly been a spare moment for any of the usual kind of Nephilim fun. They’d canceled the annual gala and basically put off planning any special events. It would be nice to get an entire day just devoted to simple competition. No demons, no wars, just fun. I liked it, and I knew Gabe would have a field day.
“Let’s do it,” I replied with a nod.
“Oh, thank you.” Noah draped a heavy arm over my shoulders. “I needed a reason to get out of that stuffy old basement. There’s only so much a man can take. At least back home, we have the beach for a distraction. I didn’t realize I’d miss it so much.”
With the help of a few more friends, we got busy setting up a makeshift arena for the competition. I found myself laughing and enjoying the process much more than I would’ve thought. It’d been so long since I’d felt so carefree. It was as if my demon had disappeared. She was a distant thought, no longer threatening. I knew I’d made the right decision coming back home. This was what I’d needed. Relaxation and redirection.
Death of a Demon_An Urban Fantasy Romance Page 4
