by Roach, D. A.
Tyler approached, but I moved out of reach. “Don’t touch me!” He listened and led me down the hall to a non-distinct door, keeping his hands to himself.
“Jerk!” I was pissed that Tyler put me in this situation.
He turned toward me as we descended the stairs. “Cassidy, this will go easier if you go along with it. Your defiance may cost you your life.”
“What life? He’s going to hand me over to Rya. I’m as good as dead.” Tyler did not respond. My mind tried to comprehend what was going on. “You brought me here to turn me over to your dad, not to save me. You lied.”
“No. Not true. I had no idea he would be home. He is never home this early.”
“Then how come you were rushing us out the back door?” He sighed and said nothing. “No answer.”
“I have an answer, but you won’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
“I rushed us because I wanted to get you home and situated and be back before my dad returned from work.”
“So why leave out the back?”
“It was a shorter and more direct route to my car.” He shrugged one shoulder like it was just as simple as that.
At the bottom of the stairs, the carpeted floor continued down a long hall. Doors with small windows at eye level lined the hall. He unlocked the third door from the stairs. The room was padded with white leather walls.
“Nice, got a straightjacket for me too?”
“Listen, I know you don’t believe me, but I never intended on this happening to you. I didn’t try to trap you. I was just trying to save you.”
I wanted to believe him, but it was hard. I said nothing.
“I’m gonna try to help you out of this.”
The door closed behind me and locked. Moving out of sight from the window of my cell, I slid down the wall and let down my façade. The tears fell freely. Tyler had brought me back from the brink of death. Pulling up the sleeve of the borrowed tee, I rubbed at the faded tattoo, unsure of my future.
Chapter Nineteen
Killian
“What do you mean you tracked Cassidy to two locations? How can that be?”
Angeline hovered over the map. “Killian, it’s a spell. I can’t control the results. You gave me a strand of her hair, and this is the answer it gave.”
“Winnetka and Union Pier, Michigan?” The map had red blood dotted at the two locations. “We’ll have to split up. Lena, you take a squad to Winnetka, and I’ll head to Michigan. Check in with Angeline on what you find.” Lena nodded and turned to assemble her squad. I was indebted to Cassidy for saving Lena. She was one-hundred percent better and stronger than ever. I owed Cassidy freedom from this danger. “Be prepared. We depart in half an hour.”
Angeline nodded and busied herself prepping for the large crossover.
If Lena had to be away from me, I could at least send some muscle to guard her. Anchor’s room looked as different from the rest of the Clan as he did. Pictures of pinups and sketches of weapons he thought up lined his walls. “Anchor, we need to crossover and find Cassidy. Lena’s going and I need you to guard her.”
Anchor was always hungry for action and battle. “Who else is on the squad?”
“I’m sending Jackson and Sean.”
“Your top guys. Aren’t you coming?”
“Angeline tracked Cassidy to two locations. I’m leading the second team.”
“How is that possible?”
I wondered the same but had no answer. “We leave in twenty-five minutes.”
We met in the Center; Lena’s squad crossed first.
“Hold your positions and report to Angeline if you find her,” I reminded her before they left.
Lena nodded in acknowledgement. When their bodies were gone, we stepped into the circle. Casper, two rookies, and I crossed into the Blaylock Grove cemetery.
“Did you arrange for a car?” Casper inquired as we followed the first team down the dirt path.
“Yes.”
Angeline had made the arrangements with Vinnie, a Juncture, or Human Realm contact. Junctures connected us with herbs, medicines, and other human resources we needed, including a car with a full tank of gas. The black Saab waited on the roadside, key under the driver’s side wheel well in a magnetic box, as always. We got in and fired up the engine. “Seventy miles, boys. Sit tight.”
It only took an hour to get from the gate to the run-down cottage in Union Pier, Michigan. A beat-up red Ford pickup sat on the gravel drive in front of it. Pots with dead plants sat on the front porch.
I whispered the plan to my team. “Go around back, but don’t enter unless you hear a commotion.” Once my squad dispersed, I approached the front door. Inside, the muffled sounds of a sporting event on a TV and a man’s voice grumbling passed through the door. Let’s try this the nice way. I knocked.
“Go away,” the voice inside yelled. I knocked again. “Damn salesmen…” A stocky, middle aged man who reeked of beer opened the door and stood before me. “What do ya want?”
Though he looked to be in need of a proper shave and haircut and a few thousand sit-ups, he sized me up. His expression changed when his eyes met my tattoo. Did he recognize it or was he scared of gents with tats?
“Well?” he asked, putting his mask of indifference back on.
“Sorry to trouble you. I’m looking for a young lady and was told she might be here. Have you had any female visitors lately?”
“Buddy, the only girls that have been by here are Mrs. Butterworth and Aunt Jemima, know what I’m sayin’?” I recognized Mrs. Butterworth and presumed the other name was a household good as well.
I found my mouth twist up in a half smile before muttering to myself, “If she’s not here, why would it lead us to this location?”
“Us?” He looked past me. “There’s more of you?”
My whistle signaled my squad to join me. The man’s face looked a bit worried, and he said, “Best come inside.” He was acting strange and seemed to recognize something about us.
He shut the door and sat in the worn recliner. “Why you lookin’ for that girl?”
“We think she may be in trouble, but she fell off our radar.” I sat on the couch and leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees. My men remained standing, on guard and always ready. “My name is Killian.” The guy didn’t respond or offer his name in return. “Your energy changed when you saw my tattoo, have you seen one like this before?” I rolled my sleeve higher. After a quick glance, his eyes shifted from mine to my squad members. Then he undid his cuff button and rolled up his left sleeve. His inked snake was adorned with thicker edges and had less detail, but it was the same image we all bore on our forearms. “It’s the same. How is that possible?”
“I used to be one of you.” He let that statement sit for a while, letting it soak in before he continued. “I lost all my squad in a battle years ago but managed to steal the prized possession of the demon Rya. Then I crossed over and went into hiding.”
“Unbelievable. I heard the stories of the Great Battle, but I was told no soldier survived it.”
“Like I said, when I got the treasure I took it and hid. I haven’t seen a Clansman in about thirty years.” He stood and started toward his kitchen. “Let me get you fellas a cold soda.”
Casper came closer and spoke quietly, “Killian, this is unreal. What do you think he took from Rya that was so important?”
“I don’t know, and I’m curious how he is connected to Cassidy.”
The old man returned and passed out cold cans to everyone.
“I go by Hank these days, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you. This is Casper, Liam, and Tomas. I have to ask, can we see what you took from Rya? Is it here?”
Hank sat back and chuckled. “No it’s not here. That wouldn’t be good hiding.”
“So where is it? And what is it?”
“Not sure, is the answer to the first question. The second answer has a bit of a story with it. As the Great Battle appr
oached, we were losing ground against the demons—outnumbered and powerless compared to them. Apparently, others noticed the imbalance, and they sent an angel to assist us. His name was Eae, known for his ability to thwart demons. He drained some of his blood and our Caster and Medic used it to make potions of mana, healing, strength, and speed. Besides his blood helping us be better fighters, he took up arms and fought by our side till his death. He told us that if he should fall, we should drain his blood and use it when needed for its magical properties. I used my dagger, soaked it in his blood, and opened the gate to crossover to the Human Realm…taking Eae with.”
“But how did you survive? I mean, even the angel fell to Rya’s forces.”
“I truly believe it was the ring that saved me.”
“What ring?”
“The ring was the treasure I stole from Rya. It must have healed my injuries because I was breaths away from death, yet it never came.”
“What did you do then…with the ring, with Eae?” Casper asked.
“Well, as far as the angel goes, I drained him and asked a trusted Juncture to get the blood to the Clan. I hoped it would help prolong their lives till they could raise new warriors. Guess it worked or we wouldn’t be having this conversation. How many are left in the Clan?”
“There’s about a hundred and twenty of us,” I answered.
Hank whistled. “Decent, but we were at least four hundred strong before the Great Battle. We lost over three hundred during the fight. We got all but a handful of demons bound in that chamber. It was a loss, but for a great cause.” Hank shook his head at the memory. “Say, you guys still have any of that angel blood left?”
“Is it blue?”
“It is,” Hank answered me.
“Yes, but there is not much left. We conserve it, and when we tattoo the new recruits, we use blood from other tattooed Clansmen.”
“Ah, diluted but still effective. Good idea.”
“We mostly use the pure angel blood for bindings, healings, and crossovers since they require the most energy. But the supply has vastly diminished,” I explained.
“As is expected. It’s been years since I harvested his blood.” Hank took a big swig of his drink. “I gave Eae a Viking’s funeral on Lake Michigan. Got a wooden boat, wrapped him in gauze, prayed over him, and then set the flaming boat to sail.”
“Cool!” Casper was excited listening to this old tale. It probably reminded him of a book he’d read.
Hank set his drink down and continued, “As for the ring, well, I met a pretty little dame here in the Human Realm named Clara Kavanaugh.” My arm hairs stood on end. Same last name as Cassidy’s. “We had a lovely short romance. I have a thing for brunettes.” Hank waggled his eyebrows and then took a more serious tone. “But as we grew closer, I worried I was pulling her into a world that was unsafe.” This was exactly how I felt about Cassidy. “Anyway, I gifted her the ring. Figured by burying it within the human population, Rya might not think to look there and if she did…it’d be a lot of lookin’ before she found it.”
Hank had a good point. Most humans were not drawn to magic, and by giving it to a love interest, it would just seem like an endearing gesture instead of calling attention to it. So, if Clara was Cassidy’s mother, it had been passed to Cassidy who had managed to stumble into our Demon Realm. Which meant Cassidy had the ring.
“That’s how she survived the crossover. The ring healed her,” I mumbled to myself.
“Who?” Hank looked at me, perplexed.
“Hank, I think the girl I’m looking for is your daughter, and I think she has Rya’s ring. Which means…she’s in trouble.” I stood. “We need to find her fast because bad things are coming her way.”
“I have a daughter?”
“Can’t say for sure till we match your blood, but many things are pointing that way. Are you coming with us to save her or putting back on your electronic box and finishing your beer?”
“Hold up.” He ran in the backroom and changed his clothes. “Where are we headed?”
We piled in the car; I checked the rearview mirror and saw three large men, shoulder to shoulder, uncomfortably filling the backseat of the small sedan. Casper, the skinniest of the bunch smiled at me from the spacious passenger seat.
“How’d you get the front?”
“I’m fast, remember?”
Yes, the kid was unbelievably fast. Lucky him.
“So you got a plan when we get there?” Hank filled the air with his boozy breath as he spoke.
“We’ll rendezvous with the other squad, send Liam and Tomas to the gate to let Angeline know what’s going on with reports from both squads, and reassess at that point.”
“So no, no plan.”
Smart mouth. I didn’t even know what the situation was. I had no idea if she was in a jail, a tree house, a hospital…God knows where she was. Without the connection to her, I was lost. All I had was this damn map.
We entered the small town of Winnetka after driving an hour and twenty minutes. The trip seemed longer being in the presence of Hank’s odorous breath. I’m sure the backseat passengers were even less pleased with the drive, but neither Liam nor Tomas protested. Taking the map out, I felt four faces huddle close to see the blood drop pulsing three streets north and one street east of our location. I turned down the next street to park the car away from the location, careful to keep it out of sight. As we crossed through the large yards, I looked at the lot of us, all wearing leathers, bandoliers, tattoos. This was the longest we had remained in the Human Realm, and we hadn’t bothered getting different garments to blend in. Hopefully we wouldn’t be noticed and have the cops to deal with.
The house we were led to was a stone fortress. I motioned for the team to fan out, look for the others, and regroup on the west side of the house.
In five minutes, both squads were assembled on the side.
“Who’s he, and why does he have one of our tattoos?” Lena asked, pointing to Hank.
“No time for the long version. He was a Clan member from years back. He’s here to help.” I didn’t want to explain that Hank might be Cassidy’s dad; there was no proof yet and we didn’t have time for that story. “Have you seen her?”
“No. There is a man, mid-forties, a cook, and a few house servants,” Casper reported.
And then a sudden feeling of devastation came over me, a disconnect from the Clan. I looked to the others; many were novice and young, but everyone sensed it. It was in their eyes.
Lena looked panicked. “I don’t feel them anymore,” she whispered. “It feels like when we lost Lorcan.” She turned to face me. “Killian, Angeline.”
I feared the same. “This was a set up to lure us away from the Clan. Casper, stay here and monitor what’s going on. Where they go, you go. And if you can get Cassidy out safely, take that chance.” I turned to Hank, not sure where he needed to be. “You are free to do as you please. If you stay with Casper, you follow his command.” I pointed to Casper. “But you are welcome to return home.” I faced the others. “Everyone else, get in the cars. Now.”
I hated leaving only Casper to help Cassidy, but he cared deeply for her and that would fuel his desire to keep her safe. Hank stayed with him as we left. Would I see either of them again? Was Cassidy hurt? Was she alive?
But my people needed me now. They were my first responsibility, not Cassidy.
We broke multiple human laws to get to the gate. After we illegally parked, Jackson ran ahead and prepped the gate. One by one, we crossed.
We crossed into devastation.
Chapter Twenty
We emerged in the Center. All the candles were knocked down with pools of wax beneath them. Through a haze of dust, I saw a figure leaning over a body along the side wall. I ran closer, dagger drawn.
“Show yourself!” I shouted at the looming figure.
It ignored me.
I advanced quickly ready to strike.
The figure turned toward me. Jace’s demonic face shrieke
d an animalistic sound. A lifeless Angeline lay at his feet. He had consumed her soul and all her powers. I could feel them radiating off of Jace as I’d always felt with Angeline. He stood, and although we were matched in height, his new powers amplified his presence.
“I got what I came for.” He shoved past, slamming Liam against the wall. He crossed over without any assistance, like an apparition disappearing into thin air.
We scattered. Lena ran to Angeline, I ran to Liam, and Jackson and the rest ran to inspect the colony.
“Killian,” Lena called to me. “She’s gone. He’s got her powers.”
I didn’t look in their direction. I couldn’t. My eyes remained focused on Liam. “Liam, are you hurt?”
“I’m okay. Just some cuts and bruises.”
“Lena, Liam will need care. Take him to the med unit.”
The two left the Center, leaving me with Angeline’s body.
Angeline was gone. One of the most vital members of our Clan—my friend—was no more. Worse, they’d taken her soul. Knowing this physically hurt. “I’m sorry we weren’t here to defend you, good friend.” I touched my fingertips to her forehead and closed my eyes, saying a silent prayer over her soul. I knew Jace had consumed it, and no matter how innocent or how wonderful Angeline had been, I knew it now would belong to the demons. But praying for her and holding on to hope felt better than giving up on her.
I stalked out of the Center, only to be frozen with the sight of the ruins before me. Tunnels were partially collapsed, various rooms were caved in, and countless Clan members walked toward the med unit, blood-soaked and weary. I don’t know how many demons had helped Jace and Rya attack, but they maimed us, taking out our Caster. The injuries, the destruction…this could be the single act that won the battle for them.
Stepping over rocks, debris, and dead bodies, I felt the anger surge inside of me. They had captured Cassidy and lured us away so they could attack the Clan. Rya was guiding Jace, and Jace was after power, Angeline’s power, and we were in the most dire situation the Clan had ever faced since the Great Battle. I raked my hands through my hair, not knowing what else I could do. Another attack from the demons would destroy the Clan and unleash Hell on Earth.
