Daemon Persuasion

by S. K. Gregory

“Your mother was a summer fling. You were never supposed to be born,” he snarled.

  “Yeah? Well, fuck you, because I was. You are not going to get away with this. I’m working with someone and when he gets here...”

  “He’ll what? Save the day? God, you sound just like her, always living in a daydream.”

  “It’s not a daydream. I’m working with the Dukes.”

  “No, you’re working with Taryn Duke. The last I heard he was working with Cray. He’s no threat to me. I would have credited you with more sense. If you were going to align yourself with anyone, it wouldn’t be him.”

  “We’ve survived so far.”

  “You were lucky. Once I destroy the talisman I’ll wipe your memory and you can return home and forget all this.”

  There was a time when she would have let him wipe her memory, but too much had happened. She needed to figure a way out.

  “I need to use the bathroom,” she said.

  Sebastian looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow. It was worth a shot.

  She began whispering in Latin calling the Shadow. From her position, she could see outside the window. She saw the Shadow form in a swirling black mass but it couldn’t go any further than the gate.

  She was trapped. Taryn was dead and her dad was going to mind wipe her.

  “You’re right. The talisman should be destroyed. It’s what I wanted to do at the beginning.”

  Sebastian was silent; the only sound came from the pages he was turning.

  “Let me help, dad,” she said softly.

  “I don’t need your help.”

  “Then let me leave. I’m not a threat to you.”

  “Be quiet,” he yelled.

  It was definitely an order because Mackenzie couldn’t speak at all.

  All she could do was watch helplessly as Sebastian looked for his spell.

  Morning came. It was Friday, at last. The lunar eclipse would be happening in a matter of hours.

  Sebastian had been making notes in a journal for most of the night. Now he rose from his seat.

  “Stand up,” he said. She did as she was told but her legs were numb from sitting so long. They barely supported her.

  “You may use the bathroom, but you will come straight back here when you’re done.”

  Mackenzie obeyed. When she came back into the living room, Sebastian was waiting with a length of rope.

  “I need to leave for a while. You’ll stay here, it’s safer.”

  He still hadn’t given her permission to speak so she nodded.

  “Sit.”

  He tied her to the chair and left with his journal. Why would a demon that could control other demons need to tie her up? Surely, he would only have to tell her not to move.

  If he had to tie her up then maybe, he wasn’t as powerful as she thought. He couldn’t control her if he wasn’t close by. And she had a knife in her boot.

  Twenty minutes after Sebastian left, his will faded and she was able to move and talk. She tested it by screaming for help a few times. No one came, but it felt good to use her voice.

  She wriggled against the ropes testing how tight they were. There was a little give in them. Her arms were tied at her sides so she needed to maneuver her arm down to her boot.

  She could only move a little at a time so it took a while but she was eventually able to grab the handle of the knife. She managed to work it up to the ropes and began sawing through them. She kept listening for any sign that Sebastian was returning.

  Sawing through the ropes was agonizingly slow. Eventually she felt them give and she managed to get her arm out to undo the rest.

  When she was free, she checked the desk for the talisman. It wasn’t there. Mackenzie wasn’t hanging around to look.

  The ’force field’ or whatever it was crackled as she passed through it but otherwise offered no resistance. The Shadow had dispersed.

  There was no way she was walking out of here. If Sebastian came back up the road, he would catch her easily. She checked out his garage for a car, instead she found a mint condition Harley. That she could use.

  She found the keys on a hook on the wall. Sebastian had obviously spent a lot of time working on the bike, but would it work?

  Mackenzie climbed on and started the ignition. The Harley choked and sputtered but didn’t catch.

  “Come on, please,” she begged.

  It caught and she roared out of the garage. At a stop sign in town, she took a minute to think. She wasn’t sure where she was going. Why was that beginning to sound like the story of her life lately?

  She had to go after her dad and get the damn talisman.

  From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a speeding car, but couldn’t maneuver out of the way fast enough. The car clipped the Harley’s back tire, spinning it across the road. The bike, too heavy for her to hold up, tipped over on its side, pinning her leg beneath it.

  When the world stopped spinning, Lucien was standing over her.

  “There you are,” he grinned.

  Chapter 24

  “So, Mac, how you been?” Lucien asked. It might have sounded like a civil conversation, except for the fact that he was dragging her across the road by the hair, as he said it.

  A man standing in a store doorway yelled, “Hey, what are you doing?”

  “Help me,” Mackenzie screamed. He came jogging towards her.

  Lucien pulled her up and threw her into the back of his car, turned and swung a fist at the guy. The poor man flew into a parked car with such force the windows shattered. Mackenzie watched his body slide to the ground. He was probably dead and he’d only tried to help her.

  Lucien climbed in the front of the car and drove off. There was a wire grill in place to prevent Mackenzie from getting into the front and the doors only opened from the outside.

  “You didn’t have to kill him,” she said.

  “Yes I did. He might have alerted the police. It’s your fault you know. If you had given me what I wanted when you first knew you had it, then he would be alive right now.”

  “What do you want?” Mackenzie whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks.

  “What do I want? Let me think about that. Oh yeah, how about the real fucking talisman,” he tossed the gold coin across the car. It struck the door and dropped under the seat.

  “I don’t have it. Someone took it from me,” she said.

  “You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you. No more games, Mac. I’m out of time and patience. You have maybe ten minutes to decide if you are going to tell me where it is. If not, well, where I’m taking you, you’ll talk soon enough.”

  “I told you I don’t have it. I don’t know where it is.”

  “Fine, we do this the hard way.”

  He drove them to an abandoned dairy factory.

  “Last chance,” he offered. She glared at him.

  He reached inside the car to grab her. She lashed out with her foot but he caught hold of it, pulling her out by the leg.

  “I can drag you in if you want, but there’s a lot of broken glass about. Your choice.”

  The ground was overgrown with weeds and definitely a hangout for local teenagers judging by the broken beer bottles.

  She reluctantly let him lead her into the building. The main building was empty of equipment, just dirty gray walls and a concrete floor. The windows were well above her head and of no use to her if she did escape. The only addition to the room was someone chained up by the wrists, suspended from the ceiling.

  “I love what you’ve done with the place,” she said, dryly.

  “You’ll make a nice addition.”

  She noticed the second set of manacles hanging from the ceiling.

  “I really don’t have the talisman,” she said.

  “We’ll see, I have trouble believing that. One of you has the talisman or knows where it is.”

  “One of us?”

  He pulled her over to the man. She barely recognized him; his face was covered in
blood, and his left eye swollen shut.

  “Taryn?”

  “I ran into my little bro here at a little secluded cabin. Very romantic place. All that was missing was the beautiful girl.”

  “How did you know where to find him?”

  “There’s nothing I don’t know.”

  “You traced the call I made to the hospital.”

  “I knew you’d check in on mommy sooner or later.”

  “You stay away from her,” she hissed.

  “I plan to. I have no interest in her. You on the other hand...”

  Pulling her hands over her head, he locked first one then the other manacle around her wrist. Her body weight pulled the muscles in her arms so tightly, she almost screamed. When he let go, she realized she could only touch the floor with the tips of her shoes.

  Lucien gave Taryn a couple of slaps to the face to wake him up. When he had their attention he said, “Here’s how it’s going to go. I ask you a question Taryn and if you don’t tell me what I want to know—she pays for it. And vice versa.”

  “You assume I care what you do to her,” Taryn said.

  “I’m counting on it. Where is the talisman?”

  “I don’t know,” Taryn said.

  Lucien hit Mackenzie so hard in the stomach, air exploded from her. Her arms felt as though they were being pulled from their sockets. She gasped for air.

  “Mac, where’s the talisman?”

  “I don’t have it,” she cried.

  Lucien produced a stun gun and pressed it to Taryn’s thigh. He convulsed as the volts passed through him.

  “Stop it,” Mackenzie screamed.

  “Same question, Taryn.”

  “Go to hell,” Taryn said.

  Mackenzie’s head whipped back as she was struck in the jaw. Her teeth rattled from the impact and her mouth filled with blood. She spat out a mouthful of the coppery tasting liquid. Lucien wasn’t going to stop. He’d kill them if had to.

  Mackenzie pulled hard on the chains, desperate to get away. They went through another round of the ‘game.’ The next time, Lucien took the stun gun to her.

  She screamed in pain and terror.

  “Enough,” Taryn yelled.

  Lucien took the stun gun away. He held inches from Taryn’s face.

  “Ready to talk?”

  Taryn closed his mouth and looked away. Lucien was smiling though.

  “Be right back,” he said.

  When he left the room, Mackenzie frantically pulled and twisted the chains but they wouldn’t budge.

  “They’re iron. We can’t break them,” Taryn said.

  “What are we going to do? My father has the talisman.”

  “Your father?”

  “It’s a long story but Ed Black is Sebastian King. He’s going to destroy it.”

  “No matter what happens don’t tell Lucien where it is.”

  Lucien returned and he had brought a friend with him. A Pariah male. This one was more muscle than the others Mackenzie had seen. He had black eyes, a dirty mane of dark hair and tribal symbols etched on his forehead. This one seemed more reserved than the others. It made no move to attack Lucien.

  “I’d like you both to meet Varken. Pay attention Taryn, if you don’t tell me where the talisman is, I’m going to let Varken loose on Mac. He likes to have fun with little girls, right before he tears them apart. He can do that while you watch.”

  Taryn stared at him with his good eye. He didn’t say anything.

  “Very well,” Lucien walked out, whistling to himself. He really was a psychopath.

  Varken advanced on her.

  “Taryn.”

  “Hey, asshole over here.”

  Varken hissed at him. He stretched an arm out towards Mackenzie. She twisted away from him.

  “I’m going to take my time with you,” he growled.

  Taryn grunted with effort as he bucked out at Varken. When Varken turned on him, he swung his legs up, catching the Pariah around the neck. Before Varken could move, Taryn pinned his head and twisted sharply. A loud crack filled the room and Varken’s body crumpled to the floor.

  “Thank you,” Mackenzie sighed.

  “Don’t thank me yet. We have about five minutes before he gets up.”

  “What? You killed him.”

  “No, I stopped him temporarily.”

  “What do we do?”

  “I’m thinking.”

  “Think faster.”

  Varken’s body began twitching.

  “He’s getting up.”

  Taryn swore, “Whatever happens just keep your mouth shut.”

  Varken sat up, jerking his neck back into place.

  “All right!” Taryn yelled at the door.

  Lucien came back in, “I knew you’d see sense. You better be careful brother. Your humanity is showing.”

  Varken retreated to Lucien’s side. The eager dog.

  “Of course that is only to be expected. You are contaminated, after all.”

  Taryn spat at him.

  “Now, now it’s not my fault mommy wasn’t full blood.”

  “What do you know about my mother?”

  “Mommy was a half breed too. Which I guess makes you, what? Three quarters demon? Dad certainly thought it was enough to bring you into the family but he could always smell the stink of humanity on you. When you defected, it gave him an excuse to finally get rid of his bastard son.”

  Confusion and pain filled Taryn’s face. He finally knew the truth and it hurt him more than he’d ever let anyone know.

  “Do you have anything useful to offer me?” Lucien asked, his impatient beginning to show.

  “I’ll give you the talisman,” Taryn said.

  “Where is it?”

  “Hidden. And you can’t get to it without my help.”

  “Then take me to it.”

  “On one condition. Let her go.”

  “No, first you get me the talisman, then I’ll consider letting her go.”

  They had no choice but to go along with it.

  “And in case you get any ideas, an associate of mine will be watching Mac very closely. If I don’t get what I want—she’s dead.”

  Chapter 25

  “The bank? You hid a priceless talisman in a bank run by humans?” Lucien sneered.

  “Would you have thought of looking here?” Taryn replied.

  Lucien had one of his flunkies wait with Mackenzie while he went into the bank with Taryn.

  Mackenzie didn’t know what Taryn’s plan was but it had better be a good one. The flunky was a fledgling Duke. He kept a tight grip on her arm. They waited outside near the entrance to the bank.

  She considered screaming for help but the demon would most likely kill anyone who tried to intervene, followed shortly by her. There weren’t very many people around anyway. A woman passed by with her children. She couldn’t call out and risk someone’s life.

  “Keep still, you little bitch,” he hissed.

  She hated being called a bitch. She kicked him in the shin, and then slammed the palm of her hand into his nose. Her wrist cracked. The demon wiped a trickle of blood from his nose and grinned at her.

  “Is that the best you’ve got?” he asked.

  “No, that was just a distraction,” she replied.

  Too late, he tried to turn but Sebastian stabbed him in the base of the neck with an iron knife. He moved the body into an alcove and hid it behind potted plants.

  Mackenzie checked to see if anyone had witnessed it. No one was looking in their direction but it wouldn’t be long before someone spotted the body.

  “You saved me,” Mackenzie said, still unable to process what had just happened. Even though she knew what he was, it almost felt for a moment that she had a loving father that would go to any lengths to rescue his beloved daughter. The warm fuzzies didn’t last long.

  “Let’s go,” Sebastian said, ignoring her.

  “No, we have to get Taryn first.”

  “Leave him; we need to
go before someone sees.”

  “No,” she said.

  “If you try to help, Lucien Duke will kill you. Come with me now,” he ordered. Her feet moved after him. Sebastian had his red pickup truck parked nearby.

  He bundled her into the truck.

  “Where’s the talisman?” she asked, when he got in.

  “I have it,” he patted the breast pocket of his shirt. Mackenzie reached into his pocket and snatched it.

  “Hey,” he yelled. She was out of the truck and running. She pressed her hands over her ears so she wouldn’t hear any commands.

  Taryn came running out of the bank and they almost collided.

  “This way,” Taryn grabbed her arm. They ducked off the street into an alley and kept running.

  “How did you ditch Lucien?” she panted.

  “Told the guard he had a bomb strapped to him.”

  They turned a corner to find Sebastian parked at the curb.

  “Get in,” he barked.

  “Kenzie, no,” Taryn said, but she was already climbing in the truck. He had no choice but to get in too.

  “Before you ask we’re not giving you the talisman,” Taryn said, “And don’t even try that mind control crap on me. I’m immune.”

  He said it with such confidence that Mackenzie almost believed him.

  Sebastian gripped the wheel tightly, “I won’t help you do this.”

  “We don’t need you to. I know the ritual.”

  “Cray sharing family secrets?”

  “The talisman doesn’t belong to the Kings. You just found it first.”

  “My ancestors forged it. It belongs to a King.”

  “It’s going to a King. Drop us off anywhere here.”

  “No. If you’re going through with this I’m making sure it’s done properly.”

  He drove back to Black’s house.

  He wanted to go over the spell with Taryn. Mackenzie couldn’t settle so she kept watch at the window, even though no one could get through Sebastian’s spells.

  “We’re going to do the spell in the old cemetery in a few hours,” Taryn told her.

  “He’s not going to go along with this, you know that?”

  “I know.”

  The hours ticked by slowly. Sebastian and Taryn only communicated over the spell; otherwise, they kept their distance from each other. They were both on their guard waiting for the other to make a move.