The Damned and The Pure Series: Books 1-4 (The Damned and The Pure Series Box Set)

by J. D. Stonebridge

  The demon buried his head in his hands, grasping for the truth in his mind. Is it really possible? His thoughts were clouded by the emotions that ran wild inside him. The image of Ariel being taken away by the demons back in the cemetery returned to him, and in the back of his mind, he could hear her voice calling out to him. But the name she screamed was not the one he’d given himself. Instead, it was the name of the owner of the journal that was lying on his lap.

  Cornelius!

  Chapter Six: The Reluctant Informant

  Even at high noon, her room retained the same faint orange light as it had the previous night. Mikaela blamed her introverted nature as the reason why she found comfort in the dark, with the curtains of her entire house heavy and shut tight at all times. It was also for her own protection - who knew what could be watching the witch’s house? She made sure her walls were charmed even, to hide the demonic energy that currently lived inside.

  With heavy eyes strained from her work yesterday, she climbed down the narrow steps of her home to find a strange scene in her living room. Being a person of the modern age who did a lot of research and experiments, Mikaela had equipped herself with the basic necessities, including a laptop with high-security features. She rarely used it, knowing that the majority of the so-called facts on the internet weren’t quite factual, and besides, she still preferred the old books written by wiser generations. She had not expected her temporary tenant to make use of it, much less use it without her permission.

  Caelum was huddled over her study desk, the MacBook Air open in front of him. He held the red journal she’d restored days ago in one hand, while the other rubbed against his chin.

  “What are you doing with my laptop?” she blurted.

  “Research.”

  “I can see that,” Mikaela said, hopping on the last step of the stairs. “What I’m asking is why you’re using it without my permission?”

  “You were asleep. And I know you get cranky when you’re forced to wake.”

  The implication irked her. She folded her arms over her chest and walked to his side. “Care to at least tell me what you’re looking for, before you infect my laptop?”

  “I can tell that your computer has a good anti-virus security.”

  “Against you?” Mikaela smiled. Caelum looked at her with an unamused expression, then went back to the journal in his hand.

  “I reached the end of the book you gave me,” Caelum told her, handing her the open journal. The page opened was near the end of the book, one that she hadn’t reached before she gave it to him. Mikaela rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes and read the page.

  Finland

  December, 1708

  For the nights refuse to comfort me,

  I take my bag and under the moon I flee

  Their echoes of pain and horrors I still hear

  I am forsaken for what I’ve done, I fear.

  Has God abandoned me? Have I sinned so gravely that He has allowed such fright to enter my heart?

  While I place the past on my back, I run from the horrors of the images I see in my dreams and in the light. Like a monster living inside me, the guilt I bear clawed at my insides. But how can I save others, when I myself am in need of saving? I fear that my actions will only trigger more despair, for I am not sure what has happened to me.

  But with the events of today, perhaps Heaven has given me a second chance.

  In my journey, I am thankful to have met an old couple. Marienne and Timothy Fletcher, who claimed to have travelled long for their studies. And their work was not of the ordinary. When people record the events of the war and write fantasies for those who wish to escape, the Fletcher family are looking for something in between.

  They tell me of the world beyond what we know. The world of those hiding in the shadows, and those who only live under the moon. Beasts and monsters we tell to the young to keep them from straying off the path. The couple say such things are real, and that it was their duty to study them.

  If they had told me these weeks before, I would have laughed and shrugged them off. But from what has happened to me as of late, I am more inclined to believe them.

  I tell them of what I’ve seen, and they listened with serious expressions on their faces. When they talk of demons of Hell, I could not stop myself from considering that I have been possessed or haunted by evil. But they tell me differently.

  God may have bestowed upon me a mission, they say. But I fear that I have disappointed Him.

  -C.W.

  Mikaela looked up from the journal. “And what does this have to do with you using my computer?”

  “I’m trying to find out if this couple has some descendants who may still be alive and inherited their documents,” Caelum said flatly. “I’ve heard of them before, but never considered them to be real. I considered them urban legends circling the campfires of Hell. A family of pure mortals who made a living out of documenting the events that involved the things most thought to be fantasies. Supernatural paparazzi.”

  “Why do you want to find this fantasy TMZ, then?”

  “They may know something we don’t,” Caelum answered. “If the legend is true, that this family has been around for so long, even during the times when the angels were free to walk amongst mortals, perhaps they have documented something none of our books have.” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I know it’s a long shot, but it’s better than to be stuck here.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Mikaela frowned.

  “I didn’t mean that,” Caelum quickly assured her. “I mean stuck in our situation. So far, we haven’t found anything useful about the cage and how to kill the archangel with the books you have, and I doubt I can get to those I’ve stored in my home anytime soon. Might as well try to raid someone else’s library.”

  “I guess so.” Mikaela slid the journal to the side of the laptop. “And what progress have you made so far?”

  Caelum frowned at the screen of the laptop. “I traced a few of their possible descendants mentioned in paranormal blogs over some websites. But besides little miss Alessandra Wright, who was investigating an alleged satanic ritual back in 1914, I got nothing. Unless she somehow became immortal like a vamp.”

  Mikaela moved over to see the website he’d pulled up, which was like any other blog that claimed to know more than they possibly could. The witch rolled her eyes, finding it both amusing and disappointing that the 300-year-old demon she called her father knew nothing about the sorts of things she normally did. Like search the internet for credible sites. “Move.” She ordered him. Caelum stood from his seat, eyeing her with suspicion as she did the work for him.

  “First lesson: if you’re trying to find someone, unless you’re sure they’re on Facebook, Googling their name isn’t really that reliable,” Mikaela told him. She felt him move behind her, looking over her shoulder at what she was doing. “Lucky for you, aside from witchcraft, I also learned the magic of computer networks and programming. And lucky for you, almost all data in the world is in a computer that is also connected to the World Wide Web.” Her words were accentuated by the tapping on her keyboard. “That includes social security and birth certificates of nearly every citizen of our beloved country. So, there you go.”

  She moved to the side to show the profile of Alessandra Wright’s son, Donald Gilmore. Born 1923 and died 1969, leaving one daughter behind. Impressed, Caelum patted Mikaela on the back. She raised her brow at him. “I guess that means either thank you, or continue?”

  “Both.” Caelum smiled down on her.

  She sighed. "Well, to add to your streak of luck and debt to me, I happen to have met Donald Gilmore's daughter and grandchildren a few years back."

  The revelation shocked the demon. "And you're just bringing it up, now?"

  "One, you never asked," Mikaela pointed out. "Two, you didn't ask for permission to use my laptop, therefore, I took the opportunity to show you how ancient you are. And lastly, I'm not that close to them."

  Caelum leaned bac
k on the table. "So, do you know where they are?"

  Mikaela glared at him. "I did say I'm not close to them. I just met them on a trip once. The dad wasn't too fond of witches, I tell you. Even after…" Mikaela rubbed the back of her neck, her words trailing off. "Anyway, I know the name they use now so I think that makes it easier for me to find them." She said this with finality, turning back to the laptop and clicking on the keyboard. In just under four minutes, Mikaela's research got a hit and her eyes shone at what she read.

  "Apparently, the family business ain't that stable, after all," she said. Caelum moved to peek over Mikaela's shoulder and found a student profile of David Jason Riddle, who studied Cryptology at MIT.

  "Time for me to visit a college boy, then," Caelum said with a smile. The demon studied the face in the photo on his daughter's computer, planning his visit to the young man who seemed to have escaped from his family's odd jobs to a university.

  In the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David Jason Riddle kept the volume of his iPod on maximum to ignore the rest of the world while he worked on his report. Resorting to using the library’s array of computers was like putting a target on his back. He had little choice, though, when his dingy second-hand laptop crashed on him and caused the loss of all the work he’d done over the last two weeks. His head nodded along to a few Imagine Dragons songs, mouthing a few of the lines while his fingers typed away like a machine gun. But the loud beats of Monster was no contest against the insistent tapping on his shoulder. David pulled the right ear plug out to meet the eyes of the aging librarian, Mrs. Dolores McAvoy.

  “You should be going home, now,” she told him, raising her drawn eyebrows. David glanced at the glass walls of the library, only now realizing that the sun was already setting in the horizon. He let out a sigh.

  “Okay, thanks.” He placed the ear plug back in his ear while he saved all his files to his flash drive.

  Leaving the university library, he immediately spotted the football player and head cheerleader making out against a tree. He rolled his eyes at them without realizing that the blonde cheerleader was already watching him. “What’s your problem, nerd? Jealous much?” she said, pushing off her boyfriend. David had never really cared to remember their names, but in his head he’d nicknamed them Ms. Duckface and Sir Sweats-a-Lot.

  “Oh, don’t bother with him, hon,” Sir Sweats-a-Lot said, wrapping his arm around her waist. “He’s just jealous that I’m making out with you instead of him.” Ms. Duckface laughed, placing her head against his burly chest.

  “Oh, poor little thing…” she said mockingly.

  David turned and walked away. Before he was out of earshot, he yelled back to them, “Good luck getting STD and pregnant before the semester is over!” His shot hit the targets, and he was out of sight before either of them had decided to chase after him.

  With the high cost of living in the university dormitory, not to mention being cooped up with men, most of whom made it their hobby making fun of someone like him, David had resorted to staying in a much cheaper apartment building four blocks away. The night sky was starting to spill out over his head as he made his way home, putting his earplugs back in to drown out the noise of traffic and people. A few times he caught glimpses of other students loitering around, and he reminded himself how lucky he was not to have grown up with such people. Before entering the university, he’d only had his parents and his sister for company. Oddly enough, he ended up running away from them to pursue a goal they did not approve of.

  At least what I want is more secure than what they do. He had convinced himself of this over the past year.

  He pulled out the keys from his jacket pocket, but before he can place it in, the door opened to reveal his neighbor, Todd.

  “Hey, man.” Todd raised his hand to give him a high five, which David awkwardly raised his own hand for. Todd slammed his palm against him harder than David would have wanted. “Dude, my pals and I are heading to Chelsea’s Pub for some shots. Wanna come?”

  “It’s only 6 o’clock.”

  “So? Come on, it will be fun!” Todd insisted, but David never fell prey to such invitations. Alcohol and smoke weren’t on his list of interests.

  “No, thanks. I’m tired,” David claimed, squeezing himself inside the building. Todd gave a shrug and left him alone.

  The first thing David did upon entering his room was throw his bag on the bed. His room was a quaint studio with only a bed, a study/dining table and a small fridge for furniture. But it was enough for him, even in comparison to the grand house his parents had. As long as he had his smartphone in hand, his charger was the only other thing he really needed.

  David fished the phone out of his pocket, only to see a missed call and voice mail from his sister. He let out a sigh, growing tired of his sister’s many attempts to lure him back to the family. He lifted the phone to his ears.

  Hey, David. How’s campus life? Mom and Dad aren’t around, and it’s really getting boring in here. They actually left me all alone in this gigantic house!

  I’m not cleaning this place by myself!

  Anyway, that’s not really the reason why I called. Have you been checking out the news lately? Heard anything about Kansas? Yep, I’m talking about that. I got a green light from dad to check it out, but only if you come with me. So please, please! Do me this tiny little favor, big bro! I’ll owe you so much. Love you and call me back!

  Kansas? David wondered, then the memory hit him. He’d heard about the strange events surrounding a cemetery in Kansas from his classmates, and he was certain Jenny was talking about the same thing.

  David slumped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling while he considered his options. He knew Jenny would be insisting on this trip, with or without him, despite their father’s conditions. But it was as though she was using his care for her as bait to get him back home. As much as David loved his family, he wasn’t interested in that sort of thing anymore. He was now chasing something that was more logical, more certain. Get a degree, get a job, build a career and maybe even have a normal family, something he may never have if he stayed with his current family.

  Alas, the thought of his baby sister doing things on her own nagged at his mind. He knew Jenny could handle herself, and very well, but the line of work she was aiming for had never been safe. Letting out a heavy sigh, David called his sister.

  “David!” Her voice was already triumphant.

  “Jen, no.” He quickly tried to tame her.

  “Oh, come on! It’ll be like old times!”

  “Exactly why I’m saying no,” David told her. “Look, you know how dangerous those things could be. Remember what happened to dad when you were eight?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I know.” Jenny brushed off the reminder. “But some serious stuff is happening down there. Aren’t you even a tiny bit curious?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  He heard Jenny groan on the other end of the line, but he was certain she wasn’t backing down that easily. That was something he and Jenny had in common, their persistence, though their interests clashed most of the time, causing friction in their relationship.

  “Look. I have gathered a few clues about what is happening out there,” Jenny explained. “The incident a few days ago with the stupid boys trespassing in the place and losing consciousness? I bet it’s a ghoul or a wraith. I’m putting my bet on the latter because, well, I think you’ve already read about that cemetery in the library, haven’t you?”

  “Sure,” David admitted. “High chances of a hidden gateway to Hell. Which, again, is another reason why I don’t want to go.”

  “Oh, come on….” Jenny begged him. “This could be our addition to the family archives!”

  “And what makes you think I want to contribute to that?” David snapped at her. “You remember the reason why I left, don’t you?”

  There was a long silence. David kicked his legs to sit up on his bed, the phone tucked between his cheek and shoulder. He could almost he
ar the gears in Jenny’s head working its way to come up with something to get her way. As much as he loved his sister, he’d made his choice long ago, and he didn’t want to fall into another of their family’s traps. Jenny's traps were often more effective on him than others, though.

  "When was the last time we saw each other?" Jenny asked him suddenly.

  "Jen, don't start that now," David replied, but his words fell on deaf ears.

  "It was your birthday, right? Five months ago."

  "Jen..."

  "I drove to your dormitory to surprise you and you shooed me away because you were studying for an exam," Jenny reminisced mournfully.

  "Jen, I already apologized for that. What are you trying to say?" David wanted her to move on to her point.

  "Can you just..." Jenny groaned. "Can you just spend time with your baby sister instead of your books and computer?"

  "I can't, I have a report due on..." David paused, hearing Jenny's sigh. "Look, if you were just asking me to dinner or something that would be fine."

  "Great, let's have dinner in Kansas!"

  David sighed heavily. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

  "Just take the trip with me," Jenny wheedled.

  “You’re asking me to drive for a full day and a half across the country to study something that could potentially kill us, while I have a report due in three days.”

  “Okay, what about we meet back up at the house?” Jenny offered. “Let’s just talk about it. I’ll cook something and you can crash in your old bedroom. What do you say?”

  David rubbed his eyes in frustration. For someone who was homeschooled her entire life, Jenny sure knew how to manipulate people. Or at least, she knew how to do it to her big brother. Much to his dismay, in under fifteen minutes, he was packed and ready to return to the home he’d left a year ago. In some hidden part of his mind, he hated how easily Jenny could convince him to do almost anything, but David figured it was just how brothers looked after their little sisters.