Cage the Beast

by Cheree Alsop

  Eileen elbowed me in the ribs. “Quiet, or they’ll send you out for target practice.”

  “Let the boy speak,” Madam Opal said, raising her voice.

  Every eye turned to me.

  Reminding myself that I was supposed to be Grayson, I cleared my throat and said, “No disrespect, ma’am, but I was hoping to be a part of this society; I just didn’t know what I was getting into.”

  Disapproval filled the room. No one at the table needed to speak to let me know that I had just offended every one of them on some deep level. I caught myself fidgeting with the hem of my shirt and willed my hands to still; perhaps I had pushed it too far.

  The woman rose from her seat at the head of the table. She wore a high-collared starched white shirt and flowing dress pants with heeled boots that clicked when she walked. Taking stately steps, she stalked with her head held high and several demons shadowing her path. She ignored Mangus who still stood there with Vicken on his shoulder, the cords of his neck standing out with the obvious strain, and stopped in front of me. I had a clear view of the gun she wore on a black holster at her belt. The strap of the holster had been cut off to give quicker access to the weapon. By the way the grip was worn smooth, I knew it was used often.

  An uncomfortable silence filled the room as she waited for something. I didn’t know what to say and had already pressed my luck too far, so I chose not to speak.

  Someone from the table cleared his throat pointedly.

  “Oh, um, yes,” Eileen said with clear embarrassment on her face. “Madam Opal, this is Grayson Newton, the boy who wants to join our Society.”

  “Lackeys,” a man from the table muttered. Quiet laughter followed the remark, only to cut off at Madam Opal’s glance.

  Madam Opal looked me up and down. I ignored the urge to shift my weight from foot to foot. She finally turned her attention to Mangus.

  “I suppose this is your offering?” she said.

  It took me a moment to realize she was speaking to me.

  “Uh, yes, yes, this is the vampire I told you about,” I replied. At another cleared throat, I concluded with, “Madam.”

  She walked around Mangus, looking at Vicken without touching him. I hoped for the vampire’s sake that he was still stunned. I didn’t want either of us to look down the barrel of her pistol.

  At one point, she grabbed Vicken’s long black hair that had come free of his usual ponytail and used it to lift his head so that she could check out his teeth. She then let his head go and it fell against Mangus’ back.

  “A nice specimen,” she concluded with a satisfactory nod. She turned to face me again. “Much better than the others you sent to us. It’ll be years before we know if that one pays off.”

  Before I had a chance to ask what she meant, she continued with, “Though I would still reward you handsomely if you could get your hands on that werewolf. A prize like that would make a fantastic display; unfortunately, the Academy is too heavily warded for us to get inside.” She gave a sigh as if this was a true shame, then gestured to Vicken and said, “But if you’re correct and this is indeed the son of Don Ruvine, you will be pleasantly rewarded. We’ve been waiting positively ages for a specimen of this quality.” She motioned to Mangus. “Have him tested. If he’s Don Ruvine the Third, put him on the main display.”

  “And if not?” Mangus asked, his voice tight and shoulders bowed under the strain of carrying the vampire.

  Madam Opal gave another wave of her hand as she walked away from him. “Hand him over to Sir Harbrand. I’ve heard our last vampire’s head was obliterated in yesterday’s session. Pity. She held up well.”

  I caught the slightest twitch of Vicken’s fingers at Madam Opal’s words. I wondered if she had just spoken her own death sentence with her flippancy at the life of a vampire. When Mangus walked out of the room without retaliation, I knew only the thought of Vicken’s mother kept him from reacting. The voice in the back of my mind asked if they were talking about his mother. A wave of nausea swept over me at the thought.

  “Approach the table, Grayson Newton.”

  I started with a jerk at the realization that she meant me. It took considerable effort to turn away from the closing doors and cross to the table. Eileen stood with her hands behind her back and her eyes on the ground as though it was against the rules to look at Madam Opal without being spoken to first. It was all I could do to keep the defiance from my face when I reached the table.

  I knew I should wait to be address. Because of that, I spoke first. “This is a pretty cool place you’ve got here.”

  I watched everyone stare from me to Madam Opal. The clear outrage at my lack of manners seemed far more shocking than it should have been.

  Madam Opal was the only one who didn’t appear to take immediate offense. She sat with a grace that nearly matched the smoothness of a vampire and looked up only after her dress pants had been arranged to her liking.

  “Young man, you are in the presence of the High Members of the Monster Abolition and Eradication Society. When you are here, you will address each Member as Sir or Madam, you will not make vocal observations like, ‘This is a pretty cool place you’ve got here.’ You will also not speak unless spoken to.” Madam Opal’s flinty gaze gave no spark of humor when she concluded with, “And if you fail to uphold these standards, your tongue and your eyes will be removed and you will be taken to the training grounds as a target of no more value than your vampire, should he prove to be of less than noble blood.”

  The astonishment on my face wasn’t faked. At the silence that followed her words, I didn’t know whether to speak or wait. At the risk of losing it, I held my tongue.

  Madam Opal gave a nod of approval. “Very well, Grayson. I’m glad to see that you are a quick learner. You may be of some use to our Society yet.”

  I opened my mouth, then shut it again.

  Madam Opal motioned with one finger. “You may speak.”

  “Th-thank you,” I said in what I hoped was an imitation of how Grayson would reaction under such circumstances. “I am, um, honored, to be here and, um, grateful, for the chance to meet you fine people.”

  The corner of Madam Opal’s mouth turned up in a small smile. “Thank you, Grayson. We’re hoping that you will fit in here. Keep in mind that it won’t be easy, but if you stay loyal to the Society and work hard, you will be rewarded.”

  The same man cleared his throat. I wanted to throttle him.

  Madam Opal bowed her head in acknowledgement. “Grayson, we have things to attend to here. I’m sure Eileen would be happy to show you around. When you are settled in, you’ll report to Sir Harbrand for training.”

  I gave an awkward bow and stuttered, “Th-thank you, Madam Opal. I won’t let you down.”

  It took every ounce of strength I possessed to walk away from that table instead of phasing and letting the wolf side of me teach a lesson to those snide murderers as I so wished to do. With every step, I promised vengeance for those who had fallen at their merciless hands. But first, I had to find Dad and Julianne and ensure that they were safe. I couldn’t do anything else until they were out of harm.

  Chapter Four

  “It’s pretty simple here,” Eileen told me as I followed her. “Keep to yourself, don’t bother the displays, don’t speak to the High Members unless spoken to, and do what you’re told.”

  “Sounds simple enough,” I replied. I remembered at the last minute to add one of Grayson’s sarcastic, “And if I forget? Do I lose an eye or something?”

  The gaze Eileen turned on me was flat when she said, “A knuckle each time.” She held up her left hand. I noticed for the first time that her pinky and her ring finger were both missing from the first knuckle up.

  I wasn’t acting when my mouth fell open. “That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?”

  She didn’t let how she felt about it show when she replied, “You learn quickly.”

  With my stomach twisted in knots, I followed her back down the corri
dor. She led us to another expansive hallway where an escalator led to the first floor. I stepped on it without a word and she did the same. When we reached the ground, she walked past the displays on either side as though she didn’t see them. I looked in each cage hoping to find Dad and Julianne, but the dejected gazes of the mythics inside met me instead.

  Flashbacks of the Mythic Labs beneath the park in New York flooded my mind. I was the one behind the cage watching Stith torture Professor Briggs. I saw Vicken dying as the venom of the demon bite turned his blood against him. I was on the table again. Dr. Fagrin was ordering his men to break my arm so they could document how it healed in the moonlight. Then I was fighting the Wiccan Enforcer, the demon who took over the doctor’s body. Chanting filled the air. I wasn’t alone.

  “Are you coming?”

  My head jerked up when I found myself standing in the middle of the hall, my vision torn between the past and the present.

  “Cages,” I said, still trying to make sense of where I was.

  Eileen crossed back to me. “Grayson, what’s going on?”

  The name she called me tore me back to the present-day. I searched my mind quickly for something to say that would alleviate the confusion I read on her face. How would I explain post-traumatic stress hallucinations about torture and demons to a woman who clearly didn’t see the demons following her own path?

  “I, uh, was admiring the cages. It’s a great design,” I said belatedly.

  Eileen nodded as though she didn’t think I was as crazy as I felt. “I told you you’d understand why Madam Opal commandeered the mall. Some of us thought she was crazy, but after her vision was carried out, it made perfect sense.” She winked at me. “It’s not so bad here.” She set a hand on my arm. “Come on, I’ll show you the ropes.”

  Outwardly I kept my expression calm but inside my stomach writhed at the realization that she was flirting with me. Hopefully, it would be enough to cover up any slipups I made. I knew I was lucky to get away with drifting off once like that, but I couldn’t count on such luck holding out.

  I tried to sound nonchalant when I asked, “What did Madam Opal mean when she said it’ll be years before they know if my last contribution to her display will pay off?”

  Eileen gave a bored shrug. “Testing and all that. Apparently, the male was a carrier of the werewolf gene, but it’s dormancy was confirmed.”

  I asked the question I dreaded. “How did they confirm that?”

  “The usual way,” Eileen replied. “He was beaten until he would have changed form to defend himself. He didn’t change into a wolf, so no go.” She glanced at me and misread my expression. “Don’t feel bad you judged that one wrong; there’s still hope. The little one might still prove to be a monster instead of just a carrier.”

  I stopped walking entirely. “What little one?”

  Her eyebrows lifted as she studied me, and then a light came to her eyes. “Oh, you wouldn’t have any way to know, would you? The baby was born. Now it’s just a matter of waiting until the creature reaches puberty to see if it’ll turn into a wolf like its older brother. It’s too bad it won’t be an Alpha. Sir Harbrand already confirmed that the woman wasn’t a carrier of the werewolf gene. More’s the pity.”

  She kept talking, but I didn’t hear what she said. Her words, ‘The baby was born,’ kept repeating over and over in my mind. Julianne and Dad’s baby, my half-brother or sister, was somewhere in this facility locked away so they could wait and see whether or not the werewolf gene would dominate. The thought made me sick.

  It was only with utmost concentration that I kept my emotions from my voice when I asked, “Where are they?”

  “The training grounds,” Eileen replied.

  I strained against the wolf that fought to tear her from limb to limb at her casual tone. “And where is that?”

  My tight voice must have caught her attention because she gave me a closer look. “The parking area beneath the mall was turned into Sir Harbrand’s training grounds when they remodeled the place. I usually don’t show newbies the training facilities until tomorrow when you report for your first day, but I guess I could make an exception seeing how you brought the others here.”

  I nodded and was grateful when she took that as my answer because I no longer trusted my voice.

  “From what I heard, the woman hasn’t been doing very well since the baby was born,” she said conversationally as I followed her along the first floor. “One of the newbies said both the man and woman didn’t fight much when shot at during training last night. Sir Harbrand doesn’t give them long, especially if the man keeps sacrificing himself to protect the woman. The trainees’ bullets are weaker, but the heart can only handle so much electricity, you know?”

  She looked back at me as if expecting a reply. I was so close to phasing I could only snarl, “I’ll bet.”

  “Are you alright?” she asked as we reached a second set of escalators. “You don’t look so good.” She nodded at the armed guards standing at each end and they waved us on.

  I cleared my throat and gave her a weak smile. “I’m fine. Long day.”

  She nodded and gave a flick of her hand to indicate the exhibits we left behind. “This place is pretty overwhelming, and it was a long trip. Maybe we should wait for tomorrow before we go to the training grounds.”

  “No,” I said too quickly. At her surprised expression, I took a calming breath and continued with, “I’d like to see where they ended up. They were hard to catch, you know?”

  She nodded as if that made perfect sense. I breathed a sigh of relief and watched the main floor disappear above our heads.

  The scent of the next floor hit me hard. I blinked at the sharpness of the fear and pain that wafted up the escalator. It set my teeth on edge as reminders of the Mythic Labs pressed against me. Adrenaline raced through my veins and it was all I could do to walk sedately beside Eileen when we reached the parking garage. Fortunately, the guards waved us on when Eileen showed them her security pass. I didn’t know how I would react if they tried to stop us.

  “I’m sure Mangus and Sir Harbrand are busy with that new vampire. The testing process takes some time,” Eileen said.

  “What do they do?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  This floor of the parking garage appeared normal. Gray walls, cement pillars, and even the faded stripes where the parking places had been still remained. Even so, my instincts warned that it wasn’t a safe place. Guards were spaced throughout the garage and I could feel their eyes on me when we passed by. I refused to let my guard down as I followed Eileen around to the next escalator. She swiped her card on the reader and the escalator started down. The voice in the back of my mind noted ironically that without her card, the escalator was still a set of stairs we could just descend.

  “Blood tests to begin with,” she replied. “Sir Harbrand knows how to identify the specific genes he’s looking for. I don’t know. Something about DNA strands and genetic markers.” She toyed with her hair. “They keep me around because I’m good with a gun, not blood.”

  I forced out the reply, “They’re lucky to have you.”

  She threw me a bright smile. “Thanks, Grayson. They’re lucky to have you here now, too! I think we’ll make a good team.”

  “Me, too,” I replied.

  She gave a little giggle and blushed. I had no idea if she was pretty. She may have been a tree nymph crossed with a slimy-skinned taniwha entomophage, in other words, not a pretty sight, but I wouldn’t have known the difference for all the attention I paid her. She didn’t seem to notice because she continued to giggle and flirt and twirl her hair as we rode down the next escalator.

  My attention was taken by the difference in levels. The next one was twice as deep and for a brief moment, the escalator gave us a view of the entire area. Where the last one had been normal and gray, this one had been turned into a myriad of manmade landscapes. In front of me, I could see the browns and greens of a painted forest; to the right
were wooden panels painted to look like a cityscape; to the left was the inside of a shopping center, complete with aisles and shopping carts; and behind us, just before the view disappeared as we rode down, I saw a neighborhood laid out with houses and streets.

  The need for Eileen’s security card became apparent when we reached the glass enclosure at the bottom of the escalator. There was no way out except through the set of doors in front of us. She waved her card at the reader and the doors opened.

  “Welcome to the training grounds,” she announced as proudly as if she had built it with her own two hands. Her smug look vanished at my expression. “Grayson, are you sure you’re alright?”

  I wasn’t. I felt like I was about to vomit. The scents of agony that hit me were so strong my stomach roiled. Everywhere I looked, demon shadows wandered. It was no wonder they were attracted to the area. If I was a demon, I would have been perfectly happy there. Thoughts of Chutka the Shambler and the demons we had faced to try to stop him swarmed my mind. I could see the flame-filled eyes of the demon hordes we had left in Lark’s basement. One bite had been enough to nearly kill Vicken. What would happen if we couldn’t stop Chutka from reaching our world with the rest of his horde?

  Eileen set a hand on my shoulder, jarring me back to the present. “I’m, uh, fine. I think I just ate something bad.” I remembered at the last minute that I was supposed to be Grayson and added, “Who knew a box of donuts on an empty stomach was a bad idea?”

  She laughed as though I had said the funniest thing in the world. “You’re cute, you know that?” she asked. She winked at me. “Let’s go find those creatures you brought in.”

  I followed her numbly through the training grounds. Men and women in black uniforms with padded armor and automatic weapons nodded when we walked by. I soon saw the reason for their diligence.

  Monsters were chained at every junction. Most slumped against the walls or slept on the floors as though exhausted from the last training bout. On each one, I could see the angry welts where they had been hit by electric bullets like the spider one Mangus had used on Vicken. The freshest bullet marks were easy to tell by the way they blistered and oozed. It looked incredibly painful and I felt bad for those monsters who didn’t have the ability to heal quickly.