Ayil

by Brenda Trim

  “Damn,” Dante cursed. “You’re right. We’ve been so busy with one major fucking catastrophe after another and then Zander and Elsie moving to Khoth that we haven’t had time to come up for air.”

  The Cambion Lord was the easiest going of the council, but lately he’d been on edge like the rest of them. The dark circles around Dante’s blue eyes along with the fine lines bracketing his mouth told Evzen the cambion needed sex. Given how much time the two spent researching spells to block Izzy’s essence from detection he knew the male hadn’t had enough sex to refuel his energy. Dante wasn’t on the verge of losing control to his inner demon, but Evzen made a note to talk to him.

  “We’re stretched thin at the moment. I’ve got several promising new recruits at Anthru, but they aren’t even close to being ready,” Nikko added. “I can push up their training patrols and increase their weapons training to prepare them.”

  They definitely needed more capable bodies on the streets. The demons were getting bolder and attacking more openly. Their stripling were still going missing and Anthru was filling up. Evzen tugged the lapels of his robe again. “We leave the trainees in your hands, Nikko. You’re the one that knows what these recruits can handle. In the meantime, have we received any reports from areas other than San Francisco?”

  Orlando shook his head. “Not yet. We’ve put word out to the other compounds to be on the lookout. Is it possible for the magic to be altered so any remnants disappear?”

  Evzen leaned forward and grabbed a chocolate croissant from the tray. Taking a bite, he contemplated the question. “I’m not entirely certain,” he admitted.

  He hated looking weak in front of the others. It was ridiculous. There was no way he should be expected to know about that, but the doubt was there. He wasn’t supposed to be Guild Master. Jace was supposed to take over from his father. Evzen wondered to this day who was the stronger sorcerer. He believed with every cell in his body that he was exactly where the Goddess wanted him.

  “Theoretically it shouldn’t be possible to bind Angel blood to a man-made substance, but with dark magic it’s possible. I will check the Mystik Grimoire for any information,” Evzen continued, referring to the magical tome that contained spells of sorcery, prophecies of the realm, as well as, information on the spells of other creatures. It was magically connected to his family’s bloodline, but the book decided who could access it and when.

  Evzen waved his hand and used his connection to the tome to call it to him. The thick book appeared out of thin air. He ran his hand over the aged-brown leather cover. It was bigger than an atlas and ten times as thick. The outside was exquisitely decorated with numerous colored crystals and runes. He fingered the large metal locking clasp on the side but didn’t open it.

  The fact that he shared access to the grimoire was answer enough that he belonged as Guild Master. The Mystik Grimoire only allowed a sorcerer of their bloodline to utilize it. “There are spells in the grimoire to reveal Dark magic. At a minimum we can get an idea of key elements when I see the bodies.”

  “I can make arrangements with Jax for you to have access to them,” Orlando replied.

  “If the humans have had these bodies for several days, how are we going to erase those extensive memories without Zander? They had to have noticed something off about them by now,” Hayden added.

  A rock settled in Evzen’s gut with the Omega’s words. Ordinary vampires could do simple mind wipes, but any memory with more than a couple days was too much for them. Some older vampires with significant power like Nikko might be able to force their way that far back, but that would cause brain damage.

  “Shite,” Kyran blurted, joining the conversation for the first time since the meeting began. Kyran was Zander’s younger brother and second in line to the throne. He attended every meeting since Zander left for Khoth. He was quiet and rarely spoke except to add what Zander asked. “A member of the royal family can help with that. I canna go with you and help given Zander’s absence at the moment, but Bhric will accompany you and take care of the human minds. My bluidy brathair needs to get his arse back home. I’m no’ equipped for this.”

  “While I agree with you about needing Zander, you’re doing just fine,” Nikko reassured the Vampire Prince. “It’s unrealistic to think you can control the vampires without the mantle of power.”

  Evzen wondered how long it would take for the absence to be felt among the vampires. Question now was how they would react. The citizens at large had no idea Zander was in another realm. And, while they wouldn’t be able to put exact words to what they were feeling, the vampires would sense something was missing or wrong. Inevitably, some would act out.

  They’d encountered that to a degree with the cambions when Dante accompanied Rhys into Hell to retrieve the Triskele Amulet years ago. The difference was that trip was over before the cambions began to have problems. Zander had been gone for weeks now and Evzen suspected his brief reappearances in Scotland were not enough.

  Evzen couldn’t blame the king for leaving. He wanted to protect his daughter. Izzy was hunted relentlessly by demons because she was the embodiment of the Triskele Amulet and the Goddess’s power. The poor innocent stripling was kidnapped by a particularly evil demon and taken to the Underworld. Thank the Gods her Guardian Angel, Ramiel, ignored all rules and descended into Hell to rescue her.

  “That doesna matter right now,” Kyran replied. “I willna allow this to blow up and drive my brathair back here. Izzy needs to be safe. Have you found anything, Kill?”

  Killian looked up from his computer and met Kyran’s gaze. “There’s nothing on T-Rex so I went to the dark web. There are several boards there where supernaturals go to find black market goods. There are murmurs about a new drug, but little information. Not surprising. If I were a drug lord, I wouldn’t announce that publicly.”

  As a nightclub owner, Killian should have contacts in the drug world, but the male kept his establishment clean. Not to mention that Angel’s Kiss had everyone frightened. Evzen imagined new dealers would steer clear of Confetti Too since it was common knowledge Killian was a council member and the council set an example with Lady Angelica.

  “Agreed,” Hayden mumbled as he sat back in his chair and crossed one ankle over his knee. “Can you set up an alert if something is posted? The maker won’t be that stupid, but in my experience, those using and selling his product can very much be that stupid. We might have caught this at the beginning this time.” The look the Omega shared with Santiago spoke volumes.

  Evzen witnessed the Dark Warrior’s fall from grace as Santiago decided it was his job to take the law into his own hands and punish dealers and users of Angel’s Kiss alike. The male refused to see reason or abide by the rules governing them all in his pursuit of justice. The shifter’s heart was in the right place and the fact that Santiago was sitting at this table was evidence enough of his strength. No doubt the male was made to suffer before earning his place back among the Dark Warriors.

  “I will set an alert to keywords, including Angel’s Kiss, and check back frequently. If you hear of a name let me know and I will add that,” Killian replied.

  “Will do,” Santiago agreed.

  “I hope you’re right, Hayden. We can’t afford to have our own working against us from the inside,” Evzen interposed. It had been a blow to sorcerers when Lady Angelica’s betrayal was discovered. Evzen worked long and hard to overcome the stigma she’d stuck them with. Many now looked down upon sorcerers and sorceresses because of the damage she caused countless families.

  Evzen pushed aside the negative thoughts and refocused. “Have you heard from Zander? How are they doing?”

  “Aye. He visited last week,” Kyran shared. “I think he’s going just as crazy there as we are withoot him. Time passes faster there since Angus’s return and for Zander months have passed every week. Izzy is getting so big. My mate can’t keep up with shirts for her.” Kyran slipped his cell phone from his front pocket and clicked the home button b
efore pulling up his pictures.

  Evzen accepted the device from Kyran and scanned the screen. “I suspected time had shifted in that realm when I met Angus’s son at Breslin’s mating ceremony.”

  The young female in the pictures was an older version of the Izzy’s he’d seen weeks before. There was no mistaking those Sapphire blue eyes or dark curly hair. And, even in pictures Evzen sensed the Goddess’s magic.

  He was happy to see a genuine smile on the princess’s face. From the time she was tiny, Izzy had been happy at the same time she bore an invisible weight. The way Kyran caught her laughing as she waved her finger at Mack was a sight none of them ever thought to see again after she’d been taken to the Underworld. It made everyone’s sacrifice worthwhile. With a smile, he handed the phone over to the Omega.

  “Looking at these it feels like years have passed instead of a few weeks. That’s difficult to wrap my mind around. I don’t suppose he said when he’s coming back, did he?” Hayden asked. The shifter and Zander disagreed vocally about human’s discovering supernaturals, so it was surprising to hear Hayden sound as if he were anxious to have Zander return.

  “Nay. He didna talk aboot that, but he sensed the tension building in the vampire population and said he would move up his next visit. I expect him any day now and will fill him in on this latest development.”

  “We’d better get moving,” Evzen said as he got to his feet. “Let Bhric know we will open a portal to Basketane from here and be heading out shortly.”

  Anger blasted through Evzen, making his magic surge in his veins. The force of his emotions ruffled his long, silver locks in a warm breeze. He’d publicly punish the culprit responsible for this new drug and make an example of whatever it was. He was tired of his people causing so much death and destruction.

  * * *

  Chapter 5

  Shivers wracked Kennex’s body. Her bruises had healed to the point she was covered in yellow and green marks. Her wrist was still tender, but no longer broken. Phoenixes’ injuries healed immediately if they immolated themselves but doing so left them vulnerable for a day or so until their strength built back up.

  Their ability to be reborn from their ashes came with a price she wasn’t willing to pay now that Jared knew where she was. Kennex acquired some of the most powerful spells to hide herself, but the evil bastard discovered her anyway.

  She carefully grabbed another bag of trash with her uninjured hand and carried it out to the dumpster. Kennex almost ran back into the house, but realized she didn’t feel any safer there. Her enemy made it abundantly clear he could get to her anywhere. Asshole.

  She practically ran across the parking lot while continuously scanning the area. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest at every noise. She tossed the last of the bags into the dumpster and hurried back inside.

  Thank the Gods Lexi helped clean up the night before, which made reorganizing her home easier. Her friend also offered to stay, but Kennex didn’t want her there in case Jared came back. She had no delusions Lexi’s presence would keep her safe again.

  The angel’s sudden disappearance when Lexi barged into her living room still confused Kennex. Knowing how ruthless Angels were, and Jared in particular, she expected him to pull out his sword of light and kill her friend for interfering. It was odd behavior for the Angel for sure.

  When she met him over a decade before she was with a friend and he never shied away from the two of them. Likely because Kennex rarely went anywhere without Serena. At first, when Jared was charming and trying to win her over, Kennex wanted to sneak away with Jared. That changed when he started hitting her for needing to go home or wanting Serena with them. She no longer wanted to be around him but was young and incredibly stupid.

  The entire situation felt helpless to her. At some point Jared would sneak into her bedroom and take her to a cave he outfitted with a massive bed. The first time he teleported her to his den of lust, she threw up on his shoes and he backhanded her into a stalagmite. She got used to swallowing her vomit after that, so she didn’t give him a reason to hit her. Of course, he found other reasons to lash out at her. He’d hit her so many times she was sure she left enough of her blood on the walls and floor to fill a body ten times over.

  Walking back into her empty living room, she was grateful Lexi roped her date the previous evening into hauling her soiled sofa away. She had no desire to see the bright red of his blood ever again. Although, it was fiercely satisfying to know she’d gotten in some lucky shots and managed to injure the fucker’s wings.

  As she slammed the door and engaged the deadbolts, for the millionth time that day, Kennex considered taking a trip to Marie Leveau. If she was going to try and hide from Jared again, she needed to upgrade the Rowan Sister’s magic. The only being alive capable of spells or enchantments more powerful than the High Priestesses was the Queen of Voodoo.

  The problem was the trip to see Marie was said to be fraught with danger. Rumors varied about what was needed to find her home, but they all involved fighting wendigos, wraiths and other dangerous beings. Kennex had to ask herself if she believed the trip would be worth the effort.

  It had been a long day of constantly looking over her shoulder and it was fucking exhausting. At least she’d managed to make the trip to a local electronics store and purchase a new television and gaming system.

  She wanted to sink into the sofa she no longer had and play her video games until she passed out while eating greasy Chinese food. That wasn’t an option when she could scarcely sit still. As much as she didn’t want to take a trip to New Orleans, she was ultimately left with little choice.

  Rather than grabbing her laptop to buy a plane ticket to NOLA, Kennex snatched the controller from the kitchen table, and sank into the large bean bag she picked up at the home goods store after getting her television. Seems she was entirely resolved as to how to handle the situation after all. She was so tired of running all the time. She wanted to put an end to it once and for all. Pieces of various plans flitted through her mind at that moment.

  Images of her getting a new spell from Marie and relocating to another clan and Jared finding her a decade later surfaced followed by her taking action against him and making him pay. It was all fuzzy. Her mind couldn’t pinpoint one track as it raced through the options.

  “This isn’t helping,” she muttered to no one. Shaking her head, Kennex inserted a disc into the black console and clicked the buttons to load her game. Avoidance was her specialty, and she once again fell into that same pattern. Her trek to NOLA could wait until morning.

  You are no longer a helpless stripling, she chastised. She wasn’t giving up and waiting for the Angel to find her again, she reminded herself unsure if it was a lie or not.

  As the circle rotated on the screen, she squirmed on the bean bag, trying to get comfortable. The bag was indeed as soft as the sales associate told her. Kennex punched the lumps under her hips, trying to force them into a more supportive position. Images of Jared’s furious gaze flashed through her mind followed by the sound of her wrist snapping in half. The bones hadn’t entirely healed and throbbed with every blow she replayed in her mind. The walls were beginning to close around her again, making it difficult to breathe. Of course, that could have been the fractured ribs.

  “Dammit,” she cursed and jumped to her feet. Her pain flared with the sudden movement, making her wince. This wasn’t working. She needed to get out of her house and away from the memories. She was out her front door and knocking on Lexi’s before she could stop herself.

  Lexi opened her door and Kennex noted she was dressed for a night on the town, wearing a short skirt and tight top. Kennex conversely was not, but the sight of her friend gave her an idea.

  “Hey Kennex. Is everything ok?”

  Kennex fought the urge to turn around and scan the street again. “I want to go to Bog’s Place. Come with.”

  Lexi’s smile widened at the mention of the local, supernatural-owned bar. Kennex went wit
h her when they first moved to San Diego but hadn’t been back since. Lexi, on the other hand, went weekly. It was where she met males.

  “Definitely. I’m so glad you asked. This is just what you need after what happened last night,” Lexi replied as she grabbed her purse from a nearby table.

  Kennex nodded her head as she followed Lexi to her car. She didn’t know if she agreed, but she couldn’t stay in her house anymore. The walls were beginning to close in on her.

  “Why are we here again?” Araton asked as he scowled at the supernaturals surrounding them.

  Abraxos whispered into a female shifter’s ear but lifted his head at Araton’s question. His finger ran down the long column of the female’s neck. “We’re here to have some fun. There’s no sign of anything amiss so go find a female and get laid. You’ll be more pleasant to be around.”

  Ayil shook his head at his amorous brother. It was rare that Abraxos thought of anything else. Normally it amused Ayil, but right now they needed to find some Phoenixes and see if the infernal energy signature was a figment of his imagination or not. The small dagger was out of his belt and in his hand before he realized holding a weapon would be viewed as a challenge in this setting, and he quickly put it away.

  Never in his extremely long life had Ayil wanted to be crazy. He wasn’t sure if it was because of Kennex or not. She might have a perfect body and be sin personified, but he didn’t like her at all.

  “No, we are here to look for someone,” Ayil corrected.

  “Yeah,” Abraxos agreed. “Several someones if I’m lucky. And, it’s a rare Saturday that I’m not.” Abaraxos wrapped his hand around the female’s neck and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss.