“Why do you think your dad and Hale just ran out of here?” Lucas asked. “They’re not chasing an ice-cream truck, Braedyn. They’re demon hunters. It’s what they do.”
“How do you know?” I spat back. “Aren’t you the one they leave behind?” Lucas released me, stung, but I was angry. I’d meant it to hurt.
“The Lilitu are real,” he said. His eyes held mine, unwavering. “Whether or not you believe in them.”
“Prove it,” I said, my voice like ice.
“All right,” Lucas said, grim determination settling into his eyes. “I will.”
Chapter 4
Twenty minutes later Lucas and I were walking through the heart of Old Town. The mayor had made a big push to redevelop the former town center of Puerto Escondido about a decade ago. The Plaza had been paved in terracotta cobblestones, and local artists had been commissioned to paint a variety of lush murals around the area. The land to the west of the square had been transformed into a park to preserve a few ancient Catalpa trees planted there by the old missionaries. Royal, Cassie, and I had spent many weekends in Old Town eating green chile chicken enchiladas from Madrigal’s and roaming the shelves at the old bookshop. It was one of a handful of stores that had thrived here even before the redevelopers rolled through the neighborhood.
Walking down the cobblestone street with Lucas, I didn’t even see the displays in the windows of my favorite shops. My head was full to bursting, and I was startled when Lucas suddenly pulled me against the side of a building behind an ornamental tree. He pointed to a woman lounging against a brightly painted wall across the Plaza.
I eyed her, uncertain. In slim dark jeans, an edgy t-shirt, and steel-tipped boots, she could have been a drummer for an indie rock band or a bartender at a biker club. Her short, spiky hair looked effortlessly cool, and her expression was calm and collected.
“Gretchen can track them,” Lucas said. And as we watched, Gretchen straightened, shoving her hands into her pockets. Lucas leaned forward, intent. “There.” He pointed at a woman gliding out of a boutique dress shop. She moved like she was made of liquid grace. Like she wasn’t constrained by the same laws of gravity as the rest of us. She paused by a table full of businessmen when she noticed them staring. Lucas sat back on his heels, grim. “There’s your proof. A soul-sucker in the flesh.”
“A pretty blonde flirting with a bunch of suits?” I asked. “How is that proof?”
Lucas lowered his voice. “Not flirting. It’s called enthralling. It’s like a spell that makes it harder to resist their advances. Not that most guys try.”
“Oh. A spell,” I said. “Well, when you put it that way...” Lucas heard the sarcasm in my voice.
“You’re not taking this seriously.”
“You think?”
“I get that she looks harmless,” he started.
“You mean the terrifying blonde who’s maybe 115 pounds soaking wet?”
“She’s a killer,” Lucas said flatly.
The beautiful woman turned toward us in the sunlight. As soon as I saw her face, I recognized her. It was the same woman who’d approached Derek at Homecoming. The one who’d pulled him away right before he and Amber were supposed to be crowned. She brushed her honey-blond hair back over one shoulder. The air seemed to shimmer around her. I suddenly noticed that almost every guy in the Plaza was watching her. She basked in the attention, smiling. One of the businessmen started to stand up before he caught himself and returned to his seat. I shook my head, unable to match what Lucas was saying with what I was seeing.
“She’s a killer,” he said again.
I waited for more, for some kind of explanation that made sense. He didn’t offer one. “Just take your word for it?” I asked, frustrated.
Lucas didn’t bat an eye. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because.” Fed up, I started to walk away. Lucas grabbed my hand. The anguish in his voice was real. “Because one of them murdered my brother.” Raw emotion ran unchecked over his face. I suddenly knew: this was the source of the pain I’d sensed in him earlier.
Empathy warred with logic in my head. There was no doubt that Lucas believed what he was saying. But I couldn’t. There had to be some other explanation. “How do you know?” I asked softly.
A cloud seemed to pass behind his eyes and Lucas shuddered. When he answered me, his voice was so quiet I almost couldn’t hear the words. “I was there.” The fight seemed to go out of him. He sagged against the wall behind us, reliving some nightmare in his mind. When he reached up to wipe away the moisture gathering in his eyes, I looked away.
The blonde turned in the plaza, smiling a greeting as someone exited the shop behind her. I recognized his swagger, but it took a moment for me to believe it was really him.
“Derek?” I didn’t intend for my voice to come out as shrilly as it did. The blonde turned toward us, her eyes sharp. Lucas whipped me back around the corner and out of sight.
“I didn’t think you two were friends,” he said.
“We’re not. It’s just...” I swallowed hard and changed the subject. “You don’t think she would hurt him?”
Lucas didn’t answer me. As one, we edged closer to peek around the corner. The blonde was scanning the Plaza. Her eyes swept over Gretchen. Stopped. Gretchen straightened, alarmed. I saw movement behind the blonde. Dad and Hale slipped into the Plaza, flanking her. She saw them and ran-- directly toward us.
Lucas shouldered in front of me protectively. But the blonde darted into alley on the other side of the building we were crouched against. We watched as Hale signaled to Dad and Gretchen. They split up and darted out of sight. Lucas waited a moment longer, then pulled me forward.
“Come on,” he said. He led me down the alley the blonde had just disappeared into.
“What are you doing?” I hissed. The alley opened into an enclosed courtyard lined with the backdoors to half a dozen different shops. Lucas and I crouched behind a set of old stone steps leading up to the closest shop. From this hiding place, we had a clear view of the courtyard.
The blonde had stopped in the center of the space, unsure which door to try. She made a decision and moved toward a dark blue door. As her hand connected with the doorknob, it opened from inside. Dad was there, blocking her escape. Something metallic gleamed in his hand. The blonde stumbled back in alarm.
An inky shadow boiled up from the ground at the blonde’s feet, despite the full sun beaming into the courtyard. It spiraled up her body, wrapping her in a cloak of darkness-- and she disappeared.
“No,” Lucas breathed. “Where’s Gretchen?!”
“What... what was that?” I stammered. “She disappeared...? How did she disappear?”
“Shh!” Lucas’ eyes were fixed on my dad, creased in worry. In the courtyard, Dad tensed, as though preparing for a fight. He gripped a wicked looking knife in one hand and sliced it through the air in front of him.
Gretchen burst through another door, breathless.
“Gretchen?!” Dad growled. “Where is she?!”
Gretchen scanned the courtyard and shook her head, frustrated. “Too late. She’s gone. I don’t get it. It’s like something tipped her off.”
Lucas hunched lower. “We should go back,” he whispered.
“Get up,” a man growled behind us. We turned. Hale towered over us, his gray eyes crackling with anger. Lucas and I jerked, startled.
“Hale,” Lucas said. “I was just--”
Hale’s expression didn’t soften. “Home. Now.”
“What is it?” Gretchen said, approaching with Dad.
Lucas and I stood. Dad frowned when he saw us. Gretchen’s eyes slid over me quickly. They were a deep chocolate brown, and seemed startlingly dark against her fair skin. Up close, I noticed her spiky hair made her angular features seem even sharper.
“I guess the definition of ‘out of trouble’ has changed since my day,” Dad said. I felt Lucas stiffen beside me, mortified. I stepped forward quickly.
“It’
s my fault,” I said. “I... I didn’t believe. I asked him for proof.”
“It’s okay, Braedyn,” Lucas murmured.
Gretchen lowered her voice dangerously. “Oh no. We’re about two state lines away from okay.”
“Gretchen. Get them out of here,” Hale said.
Another shop door opened behind us. Derek emerged. “What the hell is going on?” he asked. His eyes looked slightly wild. “What’d you do to her? How...” he swallowed, scared. “How’d you make her disappear?”
Dad traded a grim look with Hale. Gretchen turned to Derek, composing her features.
“You better come with us,” she said.
The inside of Lucas’ house was different than I’d pictured it. It wasn’t as badly damaged as the outside suggested. I’m not saying it would make any magazine covers, but it was homey and comfortable. I stole glances around the living room while Gretchen tried to explain things to Derek.
He wasn’t taking the news any better than I had. “No way. No way is she... a demon.”
“You’ve seen a lot of grown women disappearing into thin air?” Gretchen asked. Derek looked extremely creeped out. He didn’t answer her. “She leave you with any souvenirs?” Gretchen asked, trying a different tactic. “On your back, maybe?”
At this, Derek looked up sharply. I glanced at Lucas. Lucas met my gaze unhappily.
“Claw marks,” Gretchen said.
Derek looked sick. “How do you know that?”
“It’s what they do,” Gretchen said. “Except they usually go after soldier-types. I don’t know what she wants with you, Derek, but you’re in trouble.” Derek sat in uncomfortable silence as this started to sink in. Gretchen turned to Lucas. “Tell him.”
Lucas looked up, startled. “Me? I’m not sure I’m the best one to--”
“You want to be involved?” Gretchen interrupted. “It’s not all hunting and fighting. This part, dealing with the victims, is just as important.” Gretchen sat back, watching Lucas. He rubbed his hands together nervously.
“Right.” Lucas turned to Derek. “It’s basically three strikes and you’re out.”
Derek gave Lucas a frosty glare. “I hate baseball.”
“It’s a metaphor, dude,” Lucas said. “Do you want to hear this or not?” Derek glared but didn’t answer. Lucas collected his thoughts for a moment. “The first night you spend with one of them weakens you, but you can recover. The second night, it’s a lot worse.”
“Define worse,” Derek said. I leaned closer, curious.
“She’ll turn you into a Thrall.” Lucas read the blank look in Derek’s face and elaborated. “Physically you’ll look the same but it won’t be you inside anymore. She could tell you to do anything, and you’d obey without question.”
“Anything,” Derek said. “Like... running down the street naked?”
“This isn’t a game of truth or dare,” Lucas said. “She could get you to rob a store.” He paused. “She could get you to murder someone and you wouldn’t even bat an eye. Everything you are, everything you value or believe... it all fades away. That’s what it means to be a Thrall.”
Derek glanced at Gretchen. She nodded slowly, seconding Lucas’ explanation. After a long moment, I spoke up.
“Why Derek?” I asked. Lucas glanced at Gretchen, but she waited for him to answer.
“I don’t know,” Lucas said. “Mostly, the Lilitu use Thrall as guards when they’re sleeping, so they tend to pick tougher guys.” He glanced at Derek. “No offense.”
There was another stretch of silence. Then Derek shifted in his seat.
“What’s strike three?” he asked. Lucas’ expression was all the answer he needed. Derek blanched, starting to lose it. “You’re saying I could die?”
Gretchen leaned forward, stepping in. She put a comforting hand on Derek’s shoulder and nodded to us. “All right. Why don’t you two give Derek and me a minute?”
Lucas and I stood and walked into the foyer. We stopped at the base of the staircase.
“I can’t believe it,” I said quietly. But enough had shifted in my world in the last few hours that I couldn’t not believe it, either. Lucas seemed to read my thoughts.
“I know,” he breathed. We stood, just staring at one another for a few heartbeats, then Lucas shrugged. “Grand tour?” he asked.
He said it so casually I couldn’t help but laugh. “Lead on.”
Lucas led the way upstairs. When we reached the landing, I studied the second floor hallway curiously. It was lined with doors, each opening into a room that was large enough for a twin bed, a dresser, and not much else.
“It’s an old barracks,” Lucas said, noticing my look. “The Guard has owned this place for ages.” Lucas pushed open the door to one of the small rooms. “This one’s mine.” I followed him inside. It was a little more than twice the size of my closet. Aside from a twin bed and a modest chest of drawers, there was a small desk and chair. A leather jacket hung on a hook by the door. “Home sweet home,” he said. “At least for a little while. This makes the fifth time Gretchen and I have moved since Eric...” Lucas didn’t finish the sentence.
I walked into the room, running my fingers over the old wood surface of the desk.
“So... you and Gretchen,” I asked neutrally. “Are you guys a thing?”
Lucas grinned, amused. “Uh, no. Big, emphatic no. Gretchen was in love with my brother. They were engaged forever before they got married. Seriously, it was like five years. Then, just a few months after they finally tied the knot, Eric died. Gretchen’s pretty much the only family I have left. She’s also the reason I’m here.” He saw my curiosity and bit his lip. “Gretchen can see them,” he explained. “When Lilitu cloak themselves, Gretchen can see through their shields. You can’t learn how to do it,” he added. “You’re either a spotter or you’re not.”
“That’s...” I shivered. “Creepy.”
Lucas looked away from me for a moment. “Yeah. She didn’t know she was a spotter until Eric was attacked. She... she saw him die.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say. After a moment, Lucas looked up at me again.
“At least we know the truth,” he said. “That’s more than a lot of people ever get. It was just a matter of time before we found the Guard. So no, we’re not a thing. I mean, I love Gretchen.” He smiled again, fainter this time. “But I love her like a really tough, really bossy big sister.”
I don’t know why it made me feel so much better to hear it, but it did. “What exactly is the Guard?” I asked.
Lucas sat on the edge of his bed. “We’re humanity’s only real defense against the Lilitu.”
I turned to look at him, skeptical. “What about the police? What about the army? Why don’t you just tell people what’s going on so we can prepare?”
Lucas smiled humorlessly. “The Guard has tried for centuries to get the word out,” he said. “Come on. You didn’t believe until you saw one cloak herself in front of your own eyes. What makes you think anyone else will?”
“Cloak... you mean when she turned invisible?”
“Yeah.”
“How do people not know about this?” I asked incredulously. “I mean, we can’t be the only people to ever see a lady disappear and think, ‘Hmm, that’s extremely unusual.’”
Lucas sighed. “The Lilitu don’t want the world to know about them. It would screw up the hunt if people got wise. Lilitu spend a lot of time covering their tracks. Thane says a really powerful Lilitu can make an unguarded mind believe whatever she wants him to believe.”
“They can mess with our heads?” I asked. Lucas nodded. “So that’s why I’ve never heard of them before?”
“You’ve heard of them,” Lucas said. “Most people call them succubae, and take them about as seriously as vampires and werewolves. But the truth is, they’re all over history. You know Helen of Troy, right? Started the Trojan War back in ancient Greece? The face that launched a thousand ships?”
“Sure. We studied
Greek mythology last year.”
“Lilitu.”
“You’re serious?” I studied his face for any sign of amusement. Found none.
“That was the last big battle between us and them. It ended with the Truce, which was supposed to separate humanity and Lilitu forever. But the Lilitu keep slipping back into our world, and the Guard keep chasing them down. Every century or so the fighting gets bad and a lot of people die, but the Lilitu always make sure the general population walks away believing it was war or plague or some natural disaster.”
“Natural disaster?”
“Like an iceberg sinking the Titanic,” Lucas said. “No one wants to believe Lilitu had the run of the ship, or that when they were done playing they caused the crash. And they got first shot at the lifeboats, by the way. Women and children, right? You want another example? The Salem Witch Trials started over a Lilitu.”
I shook my head, trying to keep up. “The Titanic, the Salem Witch Trials, the Trojan War... How long has this battle been going on?” I asked.
Lucas shrugged. “Since the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?”
“The beginning. The garden of Eden."
“Eden?” I was surprised to find I had any skepticism left.
“Believe me, I know.” Lucas said wearily. “This story is old. Older than history. Take it with a grain of salt. It goes like this: God created Adam and Lilith out of clay. Lilith was supposed to be Adam’s wife, but she wasn’t interested, so she runs away from the garden. Three angels are sent to bring her back. Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof...”
“Seriously?” I asked. “Angels?”
“I’m just telling you what they told me,” Lucas said. “Anyhow, these angels chase her down but Lilith refuses to go back, even though the future of humanity is at stake. So God creates Eve out of Adam’s rib, which turns out pretty good for Adam. Things are great for a while, until they get curious about this special tree...”
“And eat the apple.”
Lucas smiled. “And get themselves expelled from the garden forever. That’s when they become mortal. And by ‘they,’ I mean ‘we’ as in all of humanity. Lilith was never technically expelled from Eden - she left of her own free will. So she and her children are still immortal.” I made a face. “Look, I’m not saying I believe the whole thing. But there are two creation stories in Genesis, and the Lilitu... I know they’re real.”
Thrall (Daughters Of Lilith) Page 5
