Daemon Persuasion

by S. K. Gregory

  “It’s a demon hideaway. Trust me it’s more secure than it looks. There are places like it all over the country,” Lucien said.

  They went inside to find a few pieces of broken furniture and an old furnace. Lucien set to work lighting it. Something with a lot of legs skittered across the dusty floor and into a dark corner. Whatever it was, it had better stay in that corner, Mackenzie thought.

  Chinks of light shone through the dirty windows. It smelled musty with an under-lying odor of rotten meat. Something had died in here, probably recently. Mackenzie suppressed a shudder.

  “What if someone sees the smoke?” Mackenzie asked.

  “This place is spelled. Most people drive right past it and don’t even see it,” Lucien said.

  Mackenzie leaned down and righted a chair in the middle of the room. Dusting it off, she gingerly tested it for strength, then sat down. It groaned under her weight.

  Taryn pulled out a map and spread it out on the table. He lit a candle and took out a knife of his own.

  “Give me your hand,” he ordered Mackenzie.

  “What? Why?”

  “What are you doing?” Lucien asked.

  “Now we know she’s related to Sebastian we can use her blood to find the talisman.”

  Mackenzie looked to Lucien but she could see he was intrigued by the idea.

  “And then what? What happens if we find it?”

  “We use it,” Taryn said.

  “We destroy it,” Lucien said, at the same time.

  “You expect me to believe you would give up all that power?” Taryn sneered.

  “That talisman has caused nothing but trouble. Think about it, at the end of the day we won’t get the talisman anyway. Father will. Do you really want him to have it? It would be chaos.”

  “I agree with Lucien. If it hasn’t been destroyed already then we need to do it.”

  Taryn looked like he wanted to argue, instead, he said, “We still have to find it first. Hand.”

  She gave him her good hand. The sharp blade made a thin line across her palm that immediately welled with a strip of blood. She hissed in pain. He closed her hand into a fist and held it over the map, watching as blood dripped onto the paper, his words of a Latin incantation in a soft whisper in the abandoned shack. As her blood dried on the page, the drops began to glow in a fluorescent yellow, changing to oranges, then red. Moving across the paper as if it had a mind of its own, it converged in one spot. Taryn leaned in to see where it was.

  “The pawn store. It’s been there all along. We leave at first light.”

  As she and Lucian curled up on the floor in front of the fire to wait, his arm went around her shoulders.

  Chapter 10

  The night was a long one. Neither brother trusted the other enough to sleep. Taryn sat near the door in a chair watching their every move. Lucien and Mackenzie sat up, but didn’t leave the warmth of the fire.

  “Do you think he’ll try to stop us from destroying it?” she asked Lucien softly.

  “Count on it,” he whispered back, “Just ignore him.”

  She turned away from him and faced Lucien.

  “So I hear you’re like an assassin. Is that true?”

  He laughed softly, “Do I look like an assassin?”

  She shook her head.

  “Don’t believe everything you hear. Yes, there are assassins, my father’s foot soldiers, but I’m not one of them. I’m sure you imagine hell fire and torture chambers when you think of demons. I live in San Francisco. I have a studio apartment; I really do work at a newspaper.”

  “So why are you here?”

  “My father sent me to check what Cray and Taryn were up to. He knew Cray was obsessed with the talisman; he was worried he had found it. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

  She gave him a small smile, “I guess you couldn’t exactly open with ‘hi, I’m a demon.’”

  “Guess not. You should try and get some sleep.”

  “I’m not tired.” Even as she said it, she felt her eyes closing. All the adrenaline from the day had worn off and she was exhausted. She leaned her head against Lucien’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

  When she opened them again, sunlight speared a gap in a board to the east. Lucien had his head on his knees, sleeping. Taryn’s head was on his chest, asleep as well.

  She stretched stiff legs and got up, stomping them to get feeling back. The wound in her arm was a dull ache and she glanced down. The bandage would need changed soon. She looked out the boarded up windows. Quiet. Nothing moved. The sun rose over the treetops across the road, a red-yellow ball of fire. A light breeze was blowing, but there was no sign of life anywhere. She shivered.

  She was trying to think of a way to get the talisman before Taryn. He was strong but it was two against one. She would need some kind of distraction when they found it. Then she and Lucien could run for it.

  “You can’t trust him, you know,” Taryn said in her ear, making her jump.

  “And I’m supposed to trust you?” she retorted.

  “No, you’re not. Our families have killed each other for centuries to get that talisman, Lucien is no different.”

  “Thanks for the advice. You’ll forgive me if I don’t take any of it.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Lucien stirred, “What time is it?”

  “Dawn. We’re leaving now,” Taryn said.

  Lucien gave her a curious look; she shook her head to show it was nothing.

  They drove back to East Falls. Mackenzie sat in the back seat, leaving Lucien the front seat to keep an eye on Taryn.

  They were approaching a mile marker outside of town, when Taryn slammed on the brakes.

  “Why did you do that?” Mackenzie cried.

  “Look,” he said, pointing at the road ahead of them. She leaned forward in her seat for a better look.

  “I don’t see anything,” she said.

  “Look carefully,” Lucien, said, “Do you see the way the air seems to ripple?”

  She squinted at the road. She could see the ripples like steam rising off the road.

  “What is it?”

  “An early warning system. It lets the Pariah know we’ve entered the town,” Taryn said.

  “Can’t you wave a magic wand or something to get us through?”

  They both stared at her with the same incredulous expression. She could see the family resemblance now.

  “We can’t go through, but we might be able to go around. It stretches into the woods. Let’s find out how far,” Lucien suggested.

  Taryn pulled the car over to the side of the road and they got out.

  “Only walk where I walk,” Taryn ordered.

  “Whatever you say, fearless leader,” Lucien replied sarcastically.

  “Do you have a plan yet?” she asked him.

  “We play along for now. Let him think he’s in charge. There’s probably spells on the talisman that you can see through, otherwise he would have ditched us already.”

  “Maybe we should ditch him. If he can’t get to the talisman without me then we should go.”

  “You don’t know my brother. He’ll find a way around it. It’s better we find it first.”

  “So we can destroy it?” she said, just to be sure.

  “Of course.”

  He saw her frown, “Mac, I want rid of that thing just as much as you do. It’s the only way we’ll all be safe. No one should have that kind of power.”

  For over an hour, they searched for a gap where they could enter without warning the Pariah of their coming. Finally Taryn halted.

  “Do you see that?” he said to Lucien.

  “A weak spot. Can you get through it?”

  “Yes, but it will take time.” He pulled some supplies from his bag and knelt on the ground to work.

  Mackenzie leaned against a tree.

  “It looks like Taryn picked up a lot from Cray. The Kings are the spell casters,” Lucien noted.

  “And the
Dukes?”

  “We’re more—physical.” He grinned at her and led her around the tree, out of sight of Taryn.

  “What do you see? When you look at the force field thing?” she asked.

  “It looks like purple energy pulsing away. You can’t see it ’cause you’re a half blood.”

  “And if we’ve learned anything from Harry Potter, that’s a bad thing,” she joked.

  “No, it’s a good thing. It means you got to grow up in the regular world. Sometimes I wish I could stay in it and not be dragged back here.”

  “What would you do, if you lived in the regular world all the time?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe find a pretty girl, like you.”

  He kissed her, moving closer until his body was pressed tight against her, pinning her against the tree. She wasn’t complaining, she loved the feel of his lips against hers.

  “I’m through,” Taryn called, a short while later.

  Mackenzie and Lucien pulled apart. She fixed her clothes and moved over to the hole Taryn had created. He saw their red faces, disheveled appearance, and gave them a disgusted look.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 11

  Staying under cover as much as possible, it was a slow trip through town. They spotted a Pariah lurking in an alleyway on Cooper Street and they ducked behind a dumpster. The Pariah sniffed the air, its nostrils flared as it caught their scent. It opened its mouth, but before it could utter a sound, Taryn and Lucien rushed it, Taryn clamping a hand over its mouth. Lucien, without hesitation, ran the knife blade into the heart. They pulled it off with military precision, barely making a noise. They hid the body in the dumpster. This was one Mackenzie hadn’t seen before. How many were lurking about waiting on them to make an appearance?

  “Did someone send out an all demons beacon? Where are they coming from?” Mackenzie said.

  “Somebody obviously tipped them off; they’re not smart enough to figure it out on their own. We should keep moving,” Lucien replied. He took her hand, leading them out of the alley.

  To get to the Pawn store from Cooper Street, they would be exposed as they crossed a hundred feet of open space. Ducking behind a car, they discussed their options.

  “Do you see any Pariah?” Mackenzie asked.

  “No, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there,” Taryn said.

  “I say we run for it,” Lucien said.

  “Yeah right, and the second we break cover we’ll end up surrounded.”

  “Fine, let’s sit here all day while you come up with a plan, mastermind,” Lucien said.

  Mackenzie jumped up and ran towards the store, leaving them no choice but to follow. She made it to the window in the back, without encountering any Pariah.

  They caught up with her.

  “That was stupid,” Taryn spat.

  “Let’s just get this over with,” she climbed in the window.

  As she stepped into the gloom, something rushed out of the darkness towards her. Before she could react, two taloned hands grabbed her.

  “Lucien,” she screamed. She caught sight of two more outside before she hit the ground. Sharp nails dug into her calf and she cried out in pain. Digging nails into the floorboards she flipped on her back and lashed out with her other leg. Grunting, it let go, the long-fingered claws swiped at her face. Frantically, she dug for the knife Lucian had given her, slashing right and left, hoping to make contact. She felt it slice deep and the Pariah growled low in his chest.

  Enough of this crap, I face lowlifes and scumbags every day, this is nothing new. Although, she found herself missing scum like Johnny.

  She swung her legs up overhead, flipping over, and leapt to her feet. She got a better grip on the knife—waiting.

  “Come on asshole,” she said.

  It took a step towards her, still growling deep in its throat. It swung at her again. She blocked it and drove the knife into its chest, completely missing the heart.

  “Shit.”

  The thing was not happy. Looking down, it raised a taloned hand and ripped the knife out of its chest, flinging it aside.

  Lucien tackled it to the ground, “Knife?” he yelled. Mackenzie skidded across the floor searching for it.

  “Quick,” he said.

  Her fingers closed around the shaft and she tossed it to Lucien. He dispatched the Pariah just as Taryn climbed in the window breathing hard.

  He stepped over Lucien’s supine body, scanning the floor with his eyes.

  “We’re fine by the way,” Lucien said.

  Taryn was busy staring at the floor near the counter. “Here,” he said.

  Lucien rushed forward, but Taryn put up a hand as if to halt him and Lucien rebounded off what seemed to be an invisible wall.

  “Don’t do this Taryn,” he barked.

  Mackenzie reached out and touched the ‘wall.’ It sparked beneath her fingers. She jerked her hand back.

  Taryn ripped up a false floorboard to reveal a safe.

  “You need a key for that,” Mackenzie said and she knew where it was.

  Taryn glanced up at her then he tore the door clean off and tossed it aside.

  “Or not,” she muttered.

  “Is it there?” Lucien asked.

  He kneeled down for a closer look, shifting through the contents. “It’s here,” he said.

  “Is it spelled?” Lucien asked.

  He lifted out a small silk pouch.

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Good,” Lucien grinned. Before Mackenzie could react, Lucien grabbed her and put the knife to her throat.

  “What are you doing?” she cried.

  “Shut up. Give me the talisman brother or she dies.”

  Taryn rose slowly from the floor, “What makes you think I care?”

  Lucien pressed the knife into her throat. She could feel it biting her flesh. She whimpered before she could stop herself.

  “She’s a King and you’re a King bitch. I know you. You won’t let her die, not if she meant anything to Cray.”

  Taryn’s face was expressionless.

  “Fuck you, he’s not going to help me,” Mackenzie said bitterly.

  “Wait for it,” he whispered in her ear.

  “How much of this, is your doing?” Taryn asked.

  “Quite a bit, I may have tipped the Pariah off to get Cray out of the way. This one here was just a bonus. When I first saw you in LA, I thought you were just some dumb demon playing with spells but you have some real power.”

  “You knocked me off my bike. You killed Johnny?”

  “He saw too much. First rule—when it comes to demons never let humans find out the truth. I had no idea you were a King though, until you showed up here. And such a hot one,” he snaked a hand across her stomach.

  She tried to pull away but it only made the knife dig in deeper.

  “Last chance Taryn. I’d hate to have to slice her up.” His voice was calm and rational. He was crazy. Nuts. Psychotic. Whatever way you wanted to put it, it all meant the same thing. He was going to kill her.

  “Fine, you can have it but just so you know, I’ll be coming to take it back,” said Taryn.

  “I don’t doubt it. Toss it over here,” he ordered.

  Taryn did as he was told. Lucien caught the bag awkwardly in his knife hand. He opened it to check that it was indeed the talisman.

  “Finally. Oh, and just in case you get any ideas, you have two choices—stop me or save her.”

  “What?” Mackenzie said.

  Lucien took the knife away from her throat and plunged it into her back. The pain was white hot, and she screamed as the knife went in. She fell forward and Taryn dropped the barrier, catching her before she hit the ground.

  Black spots swan before her eyes, and then everything went black.

  Chapter 12

  Mackenzie opened her eyes, wondering if she was dead. If she was, she doubted the afterlife resembled an old log cabin with a roaring fire and a bed. She was lying on her stomach, co
vered to her waist with an animal skin throw.

  She tried to sit up but was pushed back down, “Don’t move. You’re not healed yet,” a woman said. From her accent, Mackenzie guessed she was from somewhere in the Pacific. She tried to crane her neck to get a look at the woman. About eighty; she walked hunched over and had a cane to support her. Her dark skin was like leather and she was dressed in a flowered dress that looked out of place on her, in this dreary cabin.

  Speaking of clothes, Mackenzie noticed that her top was missing and she was naked from the waist up. She did her best to cover herself with her arms.

  “Who are you?” she asked.

  “Madame Tula. She’s a healer,” Taryn said. Lifting her head, she found him sitting in a chair in the shadows a few feet from the bed. She suddenly felt very exposed.

  “Lucien?” she asked.

  “He’s long gone. Just rest and let Madame Tula do her work.”

  The old woman rubbed something cold on her back as she hummed to herself. Mackenzie inhaled sharply, as she felt the skin across her back stretch and pull. It felt like a million tiny needles stabbing into her skin. She pressed her face into the bed trying not to cry out. The bed smelt musty.

  “Give it some time and it will heal. You were very lucky,” Madame Tula said.

  She laughed bitterly. Yeah, I’m real lucky.

  She took slow deep breaths as the pain gradually eased. After a while she couldn’t take it anymore, she had to sit up.

  “Can you turn away, please?” she asked Taryn. He stood and turned to face the fire. She struggled into a sitting position and pulled one of the throws around her. Madame Tula had a lot of animal’s skins around the place. Clearly, not a vegetarian. There were weird hanging mobiles made from small animal bones, all around the ceiling. A table sat near the bed, laden with glass bottles and fresh herbs.

  Mackenzie felt the stretching sensation move to her arm. She ripped the bandage off and watched as the skin on her arm renewed itself, the wound from the Pariah closing over until there wasn’t a mark on her. She ran her fingers down her arm to check she wasn’t imagining it, that it wasn’t some optical illusion, but it was real. Lucien’s knife had most likely pierced her kidney but she didn’t feel any pain, so she hoped it worked on the inside as well as the out.