“How does one of the nephilim even know our location?” Elder Kali asked, fixing me with a stern look.
I shrugged. “I told him it was the third star on the right. How was I to know he was smart enough to pinpoint it?” Okay, so maybe I drew him a map on the palm of his hand one evening and he memorized it.
“There are other ways to get our attention, Watcher,” Elder Asago said, the moment Rafe was within earshot.
My smile dissipated when I took note of Rafe’s solemn expression.
“I’m sorry to put everyone on alert, but it’s an urgent matter,” Rafe said.
“What is it?” Elder Sam asked.
“There’s been an incident in a town not far from here,” Rafe said. “I’d like Cassia to accompany me, with your permission.”
“Is it not a matter for the Watchers?” Elder Bahaira asked. It was obvious from her concerned tone that that was her preference.
“I have a good reason for needing her, I swear it,” Rafe said. “I never would have come here otherwise.”
“This isn’t a ploy to seek time with her?” Elder Asago asked. “There will be occasion for that once she’s graduated, you know.”
“If only my motive was a selfish one.” Rafe’s anguish seemed genuine.
Elder Sam looked to the others before grunting his approval.
I edged closer to Rafe, almost afraid to ask my next question. “What kind of incident are we talking about?”
Rafe curled his fingers into fists. “I think you need to see for yourself.”
Chapter Two
“Have you ever been to New Hope?” Rafe asked. We flew side-by-side over the rolling countryside. For its close proximity to a major city, the area was surprisingly bucolic.
“Charming town on the Delaware River, right? An artsy vibe.” My local geography lessons were finally coming in handy. Beyond Center City, my knowledge of the area wasn’t as good as it should be thanks to my years spent sequestered in the clouds.
“That’s the one,” Rafe said.
“I haven’t been there, but I’m aware that it exists.”
The muscle in his cheek pulsed. “Not anymore.”
I couldn’t bring myself to ask for more information. His grim expression said enough. The closer we flew, the more I understood. Emergency lights flashed in the distance. Barriers had been set up to prevent access to the town. Thick gray clouds billowed from the land adjacent to the river. I gasped when I realized that the bridge connecting the town to its New Jersey counterpart was now in pieces. Metal fragments clustered together as they floated downstream. We landed on a triangle of land close to the water’s edge for a better view and I immediately regretted it. I’d seen enough nightmares. I didn’t need to add New Hope to my inventory.
The buildings had been decimated and the people…Death surrounded us, but not in the way I’d expect based on the fallen structures. The victims were coated in thick ash and perfectly preserved. A man and his dog out for a walk. An elderly woman with her handwoven tote bag filled with groceries. A burly man next to his motorcycle. There wasn’t a missing limb or a severed head among them. An icy chill traveled down my spine when I realized that the scene looked achingly familiar.
“I’ve seen something like this before,” I said quietly. A village in the Nether and Yara’s chosen home.
Rafe nodded somberly. “Enir.”
I cast a sidelong glance at him. “This is why you wanted me to see it.”
“I knew you would understand.”
A hollow laugh escaped me. “Kind of impossible to understand an atrocity like this.”
He reached for my hand. “I’m sorry to make you relive it.”
“How many bounders?” I asked.
His jaw tightened. “More than I care to count.”
“And they’re all…?” I didn’t bother to finish the sentence. The answer was pretty obvious. “We saw emergency lights. Where are the police and the firefighters?” This place should have been swarming with officials.
Liesel appeared amidst the rubble, her wings and face smudged with ash and dirt. “Nobody’s coming in or out. They’re too freaked out.”
“Liesel.” Despite the horrific circumstances, I was happy to see the Watcher again. Like Rafe, she was one of the nephilim that lived in the city and watched over the mortal realm.
She inclined her head in greeting. “Good to see you, bianco diablo. Sure wish we were meeting here for lunch though.” She glanced down the main street. “There were dozens of good bars and restaurants here. I’ve been here dozens of times to listen to bands.” She offered a rueful smile. “At least the playhouse is still standing. Small miracles.”
“They can rebuild the businesses,” Rafe said. He shifted his attention to a middle-aged couple, forever silenced. “They can’t rebuild their lives.”
“So the bounders aren’t doing anything beyond setting up barriers around the town?” I asked. What about all these people?
“They will soon,” Liesel said. “All the more reason for us to take a good look around now. The mortal news is apparently calling it a freak act of Mother Nature. That volcanic ash from Iceland crossed the Atlantic and decided to dump on this exact spot.”
“This is not an act of nature,” I said. “This screams supernatural.”
“This screams your grandfather,” Rafe said.
Liesel averted her gaze. “I didn’t want to be the one to say it.”
I gaped at the destruction—at the lifeless bodies that would never complete the tasks they’d started. I hated to admit it, but Rafe was right. My grandfather had been responsible for what happened in Enir and this scene was devastatingly similar.
“Why would he come here?” I asked. The destruction of Enir had been a message to factions that opposed him in the Nether. A threat. My aunt was at odds with her father and had claimed Enir as her home, so it made sense that he’d chosen to destroy that particular village. How did New Hope fit in?
“If this is the king’s handiwork, then it’s a breach of the treaty between Dominion and the Nether,” Rafe said.
“The treaty is the least of my concerns,” Liesel said. “Whatever happened here was cataclysmic.”
That was true. The power that had been unleashed was overwhelming. Humans hadn’t stood a chance.
Liesel stared at a man and woman clustered together on their knees on the sidewalk. Instead of looking skyward at the cause of their doom, they were looking at each other.
“And I thought watching Jessup die was bad,” she said. Jessup was another Watcher who’d been connected to the theft of the academy’s Book of Admissions.
“How’s the investigation going?” I asked. Liesel was researching the small enchanted mark on Jessup’s neck that had been used to surveil him. He’d been killed right in front of us by an unseen hand, similar to a pey demon that Rafe and I had encountered in a museum. Jessup’s untimely death meant that we weren’t able to extract more information from him regarding the theft, which was probably the point. Whatever Jessup might have known died with him.
“His mother hasn’t been available, not that I think Ana will know anything useful,” Liesel said. “They were close, but I can’t see Jessup confiding in her if he was up to no good.” She exhaled. “So, I keep hitting roadblocks, but you know me. I don’t give up that easily.”
“If you need help, I’m sure my kenzoku would be more than willing,” I said. “They love research.” Well, some of them did.
“I think this is my priority for the foreseeable future,” Liesel said, scanning the flattened horizon. “Jessup will have to wait.”
“I think we should wait to report this to Dominion,” Rafe said. “We don’t want them to jump to any conclusions.”
“Like you did about the king?” I asked.
“It’s a viable theory,” Rafe said. “The problem is if Dominion agrees, they’ll want to act on it. They’ll consider this an act of aggression.”
“Which maybe it is, but until w
e know more, it’s best to keep the information locked down,” Liesel added.
The idea of a war between the Nether and Dominion was deeply unsettling. The mortal realm would surely get caught in the crossfire. If we thought these casualties were bad…
“Is it even possible to keep something this big from Dominion?” I asked.
“You’d be amazed how little the realm is interested in humans unless something happens that impacts Dominion directly,” Rafe said. I heard a trace of bitterness, which didn’t surprise me. Apparently, his seraph father had only shown an interest in the mortal realm when a pretty woman caught his eye, like Rafe’s mother. After his mother’s death, Rafe had been raised in the Silver City by seraphim—but had only met his father once.
“Do you know how the king destroyed Enir?” Liesel asked. “Was it his own power or certain demons?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I didn’t get to see the full range of his powers when I was at the palace.”
“Thank the gods,” Rafe added. The king had nearly killed Rafe in an effort to extract a sacrifice from me. Fortunately, I’d been able to save him.
Our conversation was cut short by the appearance of a middle-aged woman staggering toward us. Her curly auburn hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and she wore silver leggings with a black tunic top and boots. Her left ear was lined with tiny hoop earrings. She seemed discombobulated, glancing from left to right and then to us. I doubt this woman could handle another shock. It was a good thing we appeared human to bounders.
“Am I in heaven?” the woman asked. She squinted at me. “They have dark wings like yours in heaven? I wouldn’t have expected that.”
Or maybe not.
“A survivor?” Liesel murmured. “How is that even possible?”
“It isn’t,” Rafe said. He gave the woman a hard look. “Who are you? Where did you come from?”
“My name is Maxine,” she said.
I peered at her. “You have the Sight?”
“Yes, I’m known here as Madam Maxine. I was in my parlor earlier…” She pointed a jeweled finger but immediately dropped it. “Gone. It’s all gone.” She buried her face in her hands and started to cry.
“Wait, you were here when this happened?” Liesel asked.
Maxine seemed as shocked by that as we were. “Yes. I only just came out to inspect.” She seemed to spot the burly man next to the motorcycle for the first time. “Oh no. Raymond?”
“I wouldn’t touch him,” Liesel warned. “It’s too dangerous until we know more.”
Maxine’s hands remained pressed against her cheeks as she continued to digest the scene.
Rafe kept his gaze on her. “You hid in your parlor?”
“No, I fled there.” She gestured behind her. “There’s an underground shelter that had been used for runaway slaves back in the eighteenth century. It seemed like a good place to hide.” She winced. “What I heard was so awful.”
“The screams?” I asked gently.
“No, worse. The silence.” Maxine shuddered. “The only sounds were the groans of the buildings as they collapsed. You didn’t hear a peep from anyone.”
“What made you run and hide?” Liesel asked. I knew what she was thinking—how could Maxine have outrun whatever happened?
Maxine tugged on an earring. “I had a vision not long before it happened.”
“Is that typical for you?” I asked.
“I’m a psychic,” she said, somewhat irritated. “It’s my job to have visions.”
“Can you tell us what you saw?” Rafe asked. Maybe Maxine could identify the responsible party.
“I was in the middle of a reading for a client. Mrs. Jenkins, one of my regulars.” She gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh, my stars. Mrs. Jenkins.”
I closed my eyes and tried to block the image of poor Mrs. Jenkins trapped in Maxine’s psychic parlor.
“Did Mrs. Jenkins ask a particular question that might have prompted the vision?” Liesel pressed.
“No, no,” Maxine said. “She always asks the same questions. Will she find love again? Will her cat be taken care of after she’s gone?” The psychic shook her head. “The vision burst through like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I thought my head would split wide open.” She held her hands against her temples, as though remembering the pain.
“What did you see?” I asked.
Maxine hesitated, as though wanting to avoid the memory. “A void.”
“A void?” In her frustration, Liesel kicked a rock and sent it flying. “You saw nothing at all?”
“It wasn’t so much the visual as the feelings that accompanied it.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Overpowering fear and despair.”
“What did you do?” Liesel asked.
“I listened to my instincts, which told me to take cover,” Maxine said. “I bolted for the door and yelled for Mrs. Jenkins to follow me.”
“But she didn’t,” I said.
“No, there was no one behind me when I reached the entrance to the shelter. I was operating on adrenaline at that point. I shut myself in and waited.”
“Then you didn’t see what caused this?” Rafe asked.
“No, nor would I want to,” Maxine said. “Whatever it was, it was too horrifying to witness.” She observed the destruction with tears in her eyes. “It looks like a nuclear winter.”
“The reports are saying it was a freak incident involving volcanic ash,” Liesel said.
Maxine seemed numb as she nodded. “I can understand why they would say that. Humans aren’t ready for the truth.”
“But you don’t think it’s an act of nature?” I queried.
She fidgeted with her hoops again. “I know it wasn’t. The vision wasn’t the result of anything natural. It would have presented differently.”
“You’ve had visions of natural disasters before?” Rafe asked.
“Many times. Hurricanes. Earthquakes. Of course, this area isn’t often as affected as others. We’re more likely to suffer the effects of Old Man Winter.”
“How did this vision differ?” Rafe asked.
“The others were clearer. I knew what to expect,” Maxine said. “This time…The sense of emptiness was like being trapped in a nightmare of my own creation.” She whimpered softly. “I’m still wondering when I’ll wake up.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know this must be incredibly difficult for you.” An entire community laid to waste and for what? We had to get to the bottom of this. If it happened in New Hope, it could happen again.
Maxine cocked her head at me. “I recognize that they’re nephilim, but what, my dear, are you?”
“A cambion,” I said.
“That’s half demon and half human, yes?”
I nodded. No need to tell her the demon side of me was royal. That fact was best kept secret.
Maxine turned to assess the damage. “I’ve seen supernaturals here fairly often. They seem to appreciate the vibe.”
“Notice any here recently?” Liesel asked. “Maybe one that stood out?”
Maxine shook her head and her hair fell loose from its ponytail. “No one unusual. I always pay attention. There was a vampire attack once, before my time. My grandmother told me about it, but I never forgot. Keeps you alert.”
“That’s what Watchers are for,” Rafe said. “We try to prevent those incidents, or at least handle the aftermath.”
Maxine grunted. “And how do you plan to handle this one? I’d say ‘incident’ is underselling it slightly.”
“This is definitely a new one for us,” Rafe said. “But we’re going to figure this out, Maxine. I promise. We owe it to these people and their families.”
Her expression crumpled. “I don’t know what to do next. This is my home.”
“I wouldn’t stay here,” Liesel said. “If the authorities find you, there’ll be a lot of questions you can’t answer. They might even quarantine you.”
“It won’t be safe here anyway,” Rafe said.
“Some of the buildings are still unsettled.”
It wasn’t emotionally safe to linger either. If her experience was anything like mine, the image of the preserved people would be burned into her memory.
“I have a nephew not far from here,” Maxine said. “I’ll go there, though it might take some time to walk there in these uncomfortable boots.”
“I can fly you,” Liesel offered. “If you’re not too scared.”
Maxine surveyed the ash-covered bodies surrounding us. “Take me,” she said. “I don’t think anything can scare me now.”
Chapter Three
“Why would the King of the Nether attack a random mortal town in isolation?” Elder Asago asked. “I don’t see the rationale.”
I sat in the kitchen in the main spire of the academy, describing the catastrophic scene in New Hope to the Elders. It had been tougher than I expected to get the words out. Now that I was back in the safety of the spires, somehow the devastation seemed even worse than when I was standing in the middle of it.
“There’s been talk of the king’s expansion plans for a long time,” Elder Sam said. “Maybe this is his way of throwing down the gauntlet.”
“I don’t know.” I stared out the window into the void of the night sky. The stars were too dim to see tonight, even from this vantage point.
“What don’t you know?” Elder Kali asked.
I turned to face the room. “The more I think about it, it seems like a strange way to send a message. I mean, who’s meant to be the recipient of this message?” It made sense in Enir—as horrible as it had been—but bounders in New Hope, Pennsylvania didn’t know anything about supernaturals, let alone the king or the Nether. People like Madam Maxine with the Sight were rare.
“Maybe the message wasn’t intended for humans,” Elder Alastor said.
Elder Sam arched an eyebrow. “You think the message was for Dominion?”
Elder Alastor shrugged and bought the broken teacup to his lips.
“An act of aggression,” Elder Kali said. “The king is waving the red flag and telling Dominion that the mortal world is now fair game.”
Demonspawn Academy: Trial Three Page 2
