“Who wants to challenge me to darts?” Rafe asked. He gestured toward the back wall.
“Only if you agree to stand in front of the board,” Liesel said.
She and I settled on stools at the bar, leaving as much distance between us and the other patrons as possible. Rafe stood beside me and nodded to the bartender. When one of the men gave me an appreciative look, Rafe slid a protective arm around my waist.
“Three beers,” Rafe said. “Whatever you have on tap.”
The bartender didn’t bother to ask for ID. I wasn’t sure whether it was due to our glamours or the choice of venue. I had a feeling this was the kind of place where you came to hide your identity, not flash it for the bartender.
The bartender pulled three pints and set them in front of us. “Anything else?”
“As a matter of fact, there is,” Rafe said. “We’re looking for an old friend. Goes by Mephisto.”
The bartender chuckled. “Son, you don’t look old enough to have an old friend.”
“He’s my father,” I blurted. “I’ve been searching the city for him and someone said he’s been known to hang out here.”
The bartender eyed me curiously. “Didn’t know he had a daughter.”
I sucked in a breath. “He doesn’t know. Not yet anyway.” I offered a rueful smile. “My friends are here for moral support. They know what a big deal this is for me.”
“Her mom only told her the truth about her dad a month ago,” Liesel chimed in. “She hasn’t been able to focus on anything else except finding him.”
The bartender tossed a white cloth over his shoulder. “I got a daughter. Her name’s Alexia. I can’t imagine meeting her now, missing out on all those years.” His expression grew wistful. “I haven’t seen him for a week or more, but I can point you in the direction of someone who might know more.”
“Yes, please,” I said.
The bartender pointed to the two guys playing pool. “The one in the blue shirt is Jake. He’s done some work for Mephisto. Don’t know what sort, but I’ve heard them talking a few times.”
I spun around on my stool and slid to the floor. I motioned for Rafe and Liesel to stay at the bar. If the three of us approached this guy, he’d clam up. I knew I would.
“Hi,” I said. “Are you Jake?”
The blonde in the blue shirt took his shot before looking up at me. “Who’s asking?”
“My name is Bianca,” I said. “I understand you’ve done work for Mephisto.”
Jake leaned against his stick. “Maybe. I do work for a lot of people.”
I inched closer to him and lowered my voice. “I’m supposed to be in on the next job, but I left my phone in a cab after a little too much tequila last night and I just might have forgotten the location, not that I would ever admit that.” My face turned to stone. “To Anyone. Ever.”
Jake offered a sympathetic nod. “I feel you. I’ve seen the dude get pissed and it’s not pretty.”
No surprise that he had a violent temper. Anyone who could murder someone as soft and lovable as Mariska was nothing short of a monster.
“Look, I don’t know if this is your project or not,” Jake continued, “but I know something’s going down at Mount Martha Cemetery tonight because I overheard him on the phone when he and I were in a meeting. Something about the new moon.”
I snapped my fingers. “Yes, of course! How could I forget the cemetery? He seems to have a creepy love of them. You’d almost think he was a vampire.”
Jake managed a small smile. “You wouldn’t be the first person to say that.”
“Thanks, Jake. You’re a lifesaver.” I started to walk away.
“Hey, don’t tell him I’m the one that told you, okay?”
I craned my neck to look at him. “Are you kidding? Do you think I’m going to admit I forgot? He’ll never let me work for him again and the pay is too good to screw it up.”
“Are we gonna play or are you gonna flirt all night?” I heard Jake’s companion ask.
I sauntered back to the bar, hardly able to contain my glee.
“Someone looks proud of herself,” Rafe said. I noticed his glass was only half full and Liesel’s was empty. Actually, so was mine.
“Let’s go,” I said. “We’ve got a location.”
Rafe withdrew money from his jeans pocket and left it on the counter. He waited until we left the bar to ask the obvious question. “Where is it?”
“A place called Mount Martha’s Cemetery,” I said.
Liesel and Rafe exchanged glances. “You’re not serious,” Liesel said.
“Why?” I asked. “It’s another cemetery. Doesn’t seem strange to me.”
“It’s not strange,” Rafe said. “It’s just that cemetery has a reputation.”
I barked a short laugh. “You’re afraid of what—ghosts?”
“No, but the place is legitimately creepy,” Liesel said. “Well, we don’t have to convince you. You can see for yourself.”
“We need more weapons,” Rafe said. “It sounds like the kind of place where lesser demons might be coming out of the woodwork and the headstones.”
We exited the side street and headed to the corner when a familiar face filled my vision.
“Cassia!” Sage bounded over to us like a strangely sexy Labrador with Barris hot on her heels.
“By the devil! What are you doing here?”
“Barris used a locator spell,” Sage said. “Took him way too long, but he finally did it.”
“I needed something of yours,” Barris said apologetically.
“Barris, most of my personal effects are still in my room,” I said.
His face burned bright red. “I know, and I tried a few, but nothing worked until I found your brush.”
“It had fallen behind the dresser,” Sage said. “But a strand of your hair did the trick. Well, not right away. It took days.”
“That’s because we were in Faerie,” I said. “You probably couldn’t track me there.”
Sage shoved me. “You went to Faerie? You’re so lucky!”
Liesel cleared her throat. “Care to introduce us?”
“Rafe’s met them already. Barris and Sage, meet Liesel,” I said. “She’s a Watcher like Rafe.”
“Where are you headed?” Sage asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. I had a feeling she’d dipped into a coffeehouse again.
“You haven’t come to talk me into coming back?” I asked.
“Hell no,” Sage said. “We don’t want to miss out on whatever cool adventure you’re having. We decided it was worth whatever punishment they could dole out.”
“We left a note so no one would be worried though,” Barris said.
Sage beamed. “I signed it in blood.”
Liesel laughed. “I like this one. Who’d you have to leave a note for?”
We shared an uncomfortable silence. “Overprotective guardians,” Sage said quickly. “You know the type. Might as well stick propellers on their heads and call it a day.”
Liesel laughed again. “I don’t miss those days.”
“It’s good timing, actually,” I said. “We’re headed to one of your favorite places.”
“A nightclub?” Sage asked hopefully.
“No, even better. A cemetery.”
Sage clapped her hands. “This is amazing. What are we going to do there? Can I play marionette with corpses? Pretty please?”
I looked at Barris. “How much caffeine did you let her have?”
“She tried an iced coffee,” Barris said. “And then another. I couldn’t stop her.”
“I’m not sure that bringing along two more civilians is such a good idea,” Liesel said.
“We could use another set of fighters,” Rafe countered. “I have no doubt Mephisto will have minions at his disposal.”
Sage folded her arms and glared at Liesel. “Who are you calling a civilian?”
“It’s not an insult, Sage,” I said. “She just means that you’re not trained to d
efend the mortal realm like they are.”
Sage pulled out a dagger. “No, but I’m trained to defend myself. That ought to be enough.”
Liesel gave her a nod of approval before turning to Barris. “What about you? She can make corpses dance. What’s your skill?”
“I’m half djinni,” he said. “I can use magic.” He fumbled to retrieve his own dagger. “And weapons.”
Liesel lightly punched his arm. “Stick to spells, friend, and you’ll be fine.”
“So why are we going to this cemetery?” Sage asked.
I motioned her forward. “It’s a fair distance. We’ll give you a lift and tell you on the way.”
Chapter Eighteen
Mount Martha Cemetery was over three hundred acres of overgrown brush and headstones. We passed over the dilapidated brownstone gatehouse and landed just inside the entrance.
“This cemetery is huge,” Liesel said.
“And woefully neglected,” Sage added. “I thought bounders had gardeners.”
Rafe contemplated the expansive cemetery. There were mausoleums and headstones covered in weeds in every direction. “He could be anywhere.”
“Or he could be in the very center of the cemetery,” Sage said.
“Does the center have special significance?” Barris asked.
“I don’t know, but I caught sight of a cloaked dude near an obelisk in the middle when we were airborne,” Sage said. “I’m no detective, but it might be our guy.”
“Good eye.” Liesel held up a fist. “Knuckles.”
Sage copied her fist and they bumped knuckles. “Look at us, working with the nephilim.” The rakshasa demon grinned.
“We need to stay alert,” Rafe said. “Mephisto might not be anticipating us, but he seems like the kind of wizard that prepares for the unexpected.”
Sage rolled up her sleeves. “Plenty of corpses to puppet here, although I guess they’ll all be skeletons by now from the looks of this dump. Whatever. I’ve been looking forward to some real-world experience.”
Liesel arched an eyebrow. “You’ve never actually piloted one before?”
Sage cleared her throat. “Yes, of course I have. Just not in a cemetery as old and forgotten as this one. I don’t know that they’ll be the same quality I’m used to.” She shrugged helplessly behind Liesel’s back. Knowing the Elders, they never would’ve allowed her to practice on a real corpse.
“We need to get to the middle quickly,” I said, “so let’s fly low to stay out of sight.”
“Barris and I will come on foot,” Sage said. “The second wave.”
“Be careful,” I said. I took off after Rafe and Liesel. We stayed as low as we could without knocking into a random mausoleum or pillar. As we neared the obelisk, we returned to the ground and closed our wings.
Mephisto was in the midst of arranging a circle of rune rocks and candles in front of the obelisk. At his feet was a familiar object.
“He has the book,” I said. That had to be why he was here under a new moon. He was trying to break the ward himself using a point of power. Mount Martha Cemetery was full of dark magical energy—that was one of the reasons it had likely been abandoned. Even the dead didn’t like to be here.
I drew my sword and stepped out of the shadows before the others could stop me. “Hand over the book, Mephisto.”
The wizard scowled at the sight of me. “Who are you?”
“The one who’s going to return the book to its rightful owners,” I said.
“Arrogant fool.” The candles around him flared with light.
“Stop the spell,” I said.
“Or we’ll stop it for you.” Liesel fell in step beside me, her sword ablaze with white light.
“Your choice,” Rafe added.
Mephisto stared at us, his expression inscrutable.
“That beard could have its own social media account,” Liesel whispered.
“I don’t think you have to whisper your insults,” Rafe said. “We’ve established he’s the bad guy.”
The wizard’s brow lifted. “Is that so? What—no fair trial by a jury of my peers?” He clucked his tongue. “For shame, Watchers.”
“We know it was you, Mephisto,” I said. “I’m looking at the evidence right now.” I pointed the tip of my sword in the direction of the book.
The wizard met my accusatory gaze with a steely expression. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, my dear. You’ll have to be clearer.”
“You create portals,” I said. “You used your ability to create a portal that led straight into the archives room where that book was kept. That’s why you were able to get in and out without getting caught.”
Mephisto didn’t answer. He simply raised his hands and the flames of the candles shot up around him creating a protective wall of fire.
Unseen hands grabbed me and I tried to wrench free of their viselike grip. Someone twisted my arm, causing my sword to fall to the ground.
“Oh, did I forget to mention my companions?” Mephisto said. “I make a point never to perform an outdoor ritual alone, to prevent just these types of interruptions.”
“Well, somebody’s angling for a Boy Scout badge,” Liesel said. She sailed toward him before anyone could grab her, her wings and hair streaming behind her. Her sword sliced through the flames and she landed in the circle across from Mephisto.
He opened his palm and blew. Liesel shot backward as though he’d struck her. Her body crashed right through the flames and kept going, into the arms of another invisible henchman.
Rafe managed to free himself and charged the wizard. Mephisto blocked the blow of his sword with magic. Then he flicked his bony fingers and a headstone shot into Rafe’s side like a cannonball. He fell to the ground, managing to keep hold of the hilt.
The earth trembled and, all at once, it seemed to rip apart at the seams. Bones pushed their way through the dirt and my heart hammered, remembering the grave demons.
“Let me go,” I said, struggling to break free. One of the skeletons crawled to an upright position and raced toward us. I ducked my head in the nick of time. The skeleton swung an arm and must’ve caught the invisible minion because he let go of my arms. I plucked my sword from the ground and bolted but soon came face-to-face with more skeletons. I held my sword, preparing to fight, but the skeletons went straight past me to where the original skeleton was beating a silhouette on the ground. My gaze swept the cemetery and I realized the minions were all under attack and all visible. Rafe was helping Liesel to her feet and I noticed a fresh gash on the side of his head.
“What is this?” Mephisto boomed. His face was twisted with rage.
Sage skipped out of the shadows with a cheerful smile. “Ever met a rakshasa demon?” She winked. “Congratulations. You have now.” She began to dance around the graveyard, humming a tune as the skeletons continued to pummel our assailants.
I turned to see that Barris had managed to command some of the overgrown vines to wrap around one of the henchmen.
“Enough! I cannot waste any more time,” Mephisto said.
He needed the new moon for his spell. Even if we could delay him rather than defeat him, we had a chance to stop him from opening the book. Although the flames continued to burn around him, I caught a glimpse of the book still at his feet.
“Sage, to the circle!” I said.
Her skeleton army joined forces and marched toward the wizard. Mephisto was quick to react. With a snap of his fingers, he brought down a large tree branch on Sage’s head and she slumped to the ground. The moment she dropped, so did her hold on the skeletons. Bones clattered all around us and Mephisto smiled.
“Don’t look so smug,” Rafe said. He barreled toward the wizard again, only this time he kept his sword sheathed. He broke through the circle and lunged, knocking the wizard against the obelisk. Mephisto cracked the back of his head and Rafe unsheathed his sword.
Barris was tending to an unconscious Sage, so I took a flying leap to stand
beside Rafe. Before we could take action, Mephisto made a fist and brought the obelisk crashing down. The wizard rolled to the side, leaving Rafe and me in its path. I wasn’t fast enough. The obelisk clipped my shoulder and bent my wing.
“Cassia, the book!” Barris yelled.
The obelisk had destroyed the circle, but the book was still underneath. Mephisto must have realized it at the same time because he sprinted toward the circle, muttering an incantation as he ran. He held out his hand, probably trying to summon the book to him the way he’s manipulated other objects in the cemetery. I slid on my knees to reach the book first but to no avail. As my fingers grazed the spine, the book shimmered and disappeared.
“Where is it?” I demanded. I touched the place where the book had been and my hand hit the ground. It wasn’t simply invisible. It was gone.
Mephisto only laughed. Liesel appeared behind the wizard, but he sensed her presence. He spun around and—disappeared.
“Sweet Dominion, I hate invisibility spells,” Liesel grumbled.
“Either that or he’s transported himself to wherever the book is,” I said.
“I don’t think so,” Rafe said. “If he could transport himself, he wouldn’t need to create portals with the help of a faerie. He might only be able to manage small objects.”
The glint of a dagger confirmed Rafe’s theory. The wizard was still here. He attacked Liesel by driving the dagger into the left shoulder blade. She fell to her knees and tried to reach for the blade.
I held a dagger in one hand and a sword in the other and closed my eyes. Elder Sam regularly blindfolded me as part of my training to help me focus on my other senses. I’d always considered it a silly exercise—until now.
I breathed in the night air. Mixed in with the leafy scent of the trees was unfamiliar body odor. I stabbed at the empty air and a voice cried out.
Mephisto turned visible again, clutching his side where blood dripped down his fingers. His nostrils flared as he looked at me. “You’re lucky it’s only a flesh wound, you miscreant.”
Demonspawn Academy: Trial One Page 18
