Of Fire and Storm

by D. G. Swank

  “I know, it’s not a typical birthday gift, but I think it will be much more useful. It’s spelled so it will kill demons. Rupert said you’re doing fairly well with the daggers, but this might keep you better protected—you can inflict more damage while keeping greater distance.”

  I glanced back down at the shiny silver hilt of the sword, admiring its sheen. “You went to Europe to get me a sword?”

  “Well…yeah.” Then, as though he worried about looking like a softie, he quickly added, “Of course, I got the ring too.”

  “Were they together?”

  “No, but they were only one country apart.”

  Only one country apart… “Did you buy them?”

  He paused. “We won’t discuss how I acquired the pieces. I flew in a private jet, so I had no trouble bringing it into the country. Go ahead and take it out.”

  I lifted it out of the box, then took several steps back as I gripped the handle and pulled it out of its leather sheath. I held it out, turning to the side as I examined the shiny blade.

  He laughed. “While I appreciate your concern, it won’t kill me, Kewasa. Only the daggers can, and only when it’s time.”

  I grinned. “So you’re saying it’s okay to stab you?” I shot him a look. “Good to know the next time you piss me off.”

  Despite the fact that I was threatening to stab him, he laughed. “It will hurt and bleed, but I’ll recover much more quickly than if I were fully human.”

  I tried not to react to the fact that he’d let slip that he was only partially human. What was he?

  “You need to be trained on how to use it. Davis and Rupert are impressed with your ability to learn quickly. They both say you’re far ahead of where they expected you to be.”

  “Will we add it to my training?”

  “I want to be the one to instruct you in the beginning. In fact, let’s have breakfast, then we’ll go to the workout room and begin.”

  “You want to train me now?”

  “After breakfast.” He faltered a step. “Why? Did you have plans?”

  “I have an appointment at eleven.”

  “A ghost appointment?” He considered it for a moment. “We can make this work.” Then he looked me over. “Do you want to change before we start?”

  “I don’t have any clothes to change into, Abel.”

  “There are clothes in your room.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “You realize that’s all kinds of creepy, right? It’s like you planned to kidnap me and keep me in a bunker.” When he didn’t laugh, I gasped. “Oh my God. You did plan to kidnap me. You invited me over to dinner to kidnap me.”

  “That’s not entirely true,” he protested half-heartedly. “I planned to reason with you first.”

  “And then hold me here against my will if I didn’t agree?”

  His gaze shifted to the side, confirming my suspicions.

  It wasn’t much of a revelation, though. I was far more surprised that something had changed his mind. “You don’t plan to hold me anymore. In fact, last night you said you’d send men to watch me if I wouldn’t stay. What changed?”

  He looked irritated. “You. After I found you at the warehouse, I knew you’d never submit to staying here. Foolishly, I’d believed I could convince you—”

  “Coerce me, you mean.”

  “Well.” He shrugged. “It obviously didn’t work. So, Plan B.”

  I shot him a glare. “Are you sorry that I’m not some meek, easily controlled woman?”

  He held my gaze for several seconds. “No. I’m not, and therein lies the problem.” He turned and headed for the kitchen. “Go change into workout clothes. I’ll get your breakfast.”

  I watched him walk out of the room, then examined the sword in my hand. The blade was thin and light, making it the ideal sword for me. Davis and I had sparred using various swords, but most of them had been too unwieldy for me.

  Heading to my room, I wondered where and how Abel had procured the weapon. Something told me he’d acquired it underhandedly. Perhaps stolen it. I knew I should be concerned about that, but if it helped me kill demons and protect myself and others, I couldn’t find it in me to resent it.

  True to his word, there were clothes in my room. The closet contained several dresses, blouses, and dress pants. I laughed when I saw four pairs of heels. What had he expected me to do with those? Especially if I’d been locked up in his house.

  After I sheathed the sword and laid it on the bed, I rummaged through the drawers. The top drawer was full of lingerie, which was surprisingly conservative—or maybe not so surprising, given that he didn’t plan to sleep with me—and the workout clothes were in the drawer below it.

  I slipped on a tight pair of dark gray workout pants and a black sports bra, then threw on a loose-fitting, V-necked T-shirt. There was a pair of athletic shoes in the closet, so I swapped my boots for them.

  I found deodorant and a toothbrush and toothpaste in a bathroom drawer, and after I finished cleaning up, I brushed out my hair and pulled it into a pony tail. The sword sheath had a strap, so I slung it over my shoulder and went out into the living room.

  Abel was waiting again, still wearing what he’d had on before, but this time he had a plate and a cup of coffee in his hand. “I’d serve you this at the table, but since you want to make it to your appointment…”

  “I’m used to eating on the run,” I said, reaching for the coffee first. After I took a big sip, he handed me the plate and took back the cup.

  “Since you’re eating, we can take the elevator instead of the stairs,” he said as he started toward a door at the entrance to the hallway.

  “You have an elevator?”

  He didn’t answer, just opened the six-panel wood door to reveal a cramped, two-person elevator. “It’s not much.”

  We entered the small space and I used the opportunity to scarf down the scrambled eggs, three pieces of bacon, and hash browns on the plate. I’d completely cleaned the plate before he opened the door to the basement.

  He stared at me in amazement. “That’s truly impressive.”

  I shrugged. “Time is a commodity I can’t waste these days.”

  He turned serious and nodded as he took the plate from me and returned my coffee. “True enough.”

  He stepped out of the elevator, and when I saw the space, my mouth dropped open in amazement. “This is your workout room?”

  The entire basement was one giant gymnasium, offering everything from weight machines to an elliptical machine, to free weights and a sea of floor mats. It was obvious his workout area was set up for serious business.

  “Do you work out here?” I asked, then quickly added, “Do you need to work out?”

  “I enjoy working out,” he said noncommittally. “It helps relieve frustration and aggression.”

  “Do you get frustrated, Abel?” I teased as I took another sip.

  His gaze landed on me. “More than you could possibly know.”

  He walked over to a table, and I was relieved to see my daggers as well as several other knives and swords. He set my sword on the table with them. “I want you to show me what you’ve learned.”

  I took another swig of my coffee and set the mug down on the table. “Okay. So we’re starting with the daggers?”

  He nodded. I reached for them and, clenching my fists around the hilts, turned to look at him. He had been watching my every move.

  “I didn’t realize my evaluation had begun,” I said dryly. “I take it I’m sparring with you?”

  He picked up two daggers of his own, then walked to the center of the mat. He held them tight in his fists close to his hips, the blades extended in front of him. “I noticed you had those in your boots last night. How did you keep from cutting yourself?”

  “I’m not a total amateur. I rigged something up.”

  “Davis and Rupert didn’t help you with that?”

  I walked onto the mat, several feet away from him. “No, I only came up with
it a week ago and decided to try them out last night.. I knew I needed them and I didn’t want to bring my bag into the warehouse. They probably would have searched it before letting me in. After dealing with two demons yesterday, I plan on carrying them with me all the time.”

  He took two steps to his left. “While what you have is serviceable, we’ll work on finding you something less…”

  “Tacky?” I asked, taking two steps of my own.

  “Jerry-rigged.” He took another step to his side, starting to circle the mat, and I mirrored him.

  I almost asked him if he was going to wear protective clothing. Davis and Rupert always covered their bodies with protective gear and used dulled or sheathed blades. Abel, on the other hand, was totally exposed and his blades looked deadly. But his smug expression suggested that he didn’t feel the slightest bit vulnerable.

  I lifted my brow and grinned. “Oh, have we started?”

  A wicked smile lit up his eyes and he lunged for me, but I ducked and darted under his arm and spun around to face his back.

  He turned to face me, looking genuinely happy. “Very good. Did my men teach you that?”

  “Part of it. Part of it I improvised.” I held the daggers in the combination defensive and offensive stance Davis had taught me. “You’re using real blades. Aren’t you worried you’ll hurt me?”

  His eyes danced with amusement. “Shouldn’t you be the one who’s worried?”

  “Maybe I should be worried about shallow cuts,” I admitted. Which would hurt like hell and likely need stitches. “But you won’t kill me or even severely injure me.”

  “You’re wrong, you know,” he said, circling again, looking for his move.

  I took slow, smooth steps like Rupert had taught me. “How am I wrong?”

  He ignored my question. “You’re not going to strike first?”

  “I’ve been taught to wait.”

  “How did you do against the demons yesterday?” he asked, still circling.

  “I killed one and maimed the other.”

  “Maimed? How?”

  “I cut off the hand that made fire.”

  His smile fell. “You fought a fire demon?”

  “It was waiting for me. I told you they are seeking out powerful ghosts to find me for the Great One.”

  He frowned. “You killed the other?”

  “Its wombmate, a frost demon.”

  He stopped moving. “You killed a frost demon on your own?”

  “Why do you sound so surprised?”

  “Didn’t it try to freeze you?”

  “It tried…”

  He started moving again, but he looked deep in thought. I took advantage of his distraction and lunged with my raised blade, aiming for his neck.

  He snapped to attention and lifted his blade to block me, then countered the follow-up jab I made with my lower blade. I jumped back as he tried to shove his blade into my gut.

  “Very good, Kewasa,” he said, his voice thick with approval. “You should have followed through with the second blow a half-second sooner. You would have given me less reaction time.”

  I nodded.

  We sparred for twenty more minutes, with me growing bolder with my offensive moves and Abel offering suggestions and corrections, but neither of us made a wound serious enough to cause even pretend damage. While I wanted to believe I was that good, I knew it wasn’t true.

  “You’re holding back,” I said.

  He looked surprised. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “But you’re making it too easy for me.”

  His eyebrows rose, and I understood his confusion. I was a panting, sweaty mess. From all appearances, it didn’t look like he’d been easy on me.

  “The demons won’t hold back. You said I wasn’t ready to face the Great One. Make me ready.”

  “That could take months, Kewasa.”

  “I don’t have months. I have days at the most. Make me ready.”

  He lowered his daggers, pointing them toward the mats. “The Great One is not your fight. It belongs to the curse keepers.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “The Great One took over Elinor’s stepmother’s body. It needs to be her kill.”

  “Her stepmother was possessed?” My mind jumped to Lars and Gwen, both of whom had changed after attending the party in Fairview. Had they fallen victim to whatever had possessed Elinor’s stepmother?

  He walked over to a small refrigerator and pulled out two water bottles.

  I put my daggers on the table and grabbed the bottle he offered to me. After I took a long drink, I said, “You seriously aren’t going to tell me more?”

  He picked up a towel on the table and wiped his face and neck.

  “Abel.”

  He looked annoyed. “The curse keeper’s stepmother wasn’t possessed. Not in the true sense.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He set the towel down. “You’re thinking of possession in terms of a demon entering a human body and taking control. That is not what the Great One does.”

  “Then what does it do?”

  “It kills a human host and then its body changes to become that person.”

  “So it’s a shape-shifter.”

  He shrugged and made a face. “If you must…”

  “So the Great One killed Myra Lancaster and looked like her?”

  Pushing out a breath, he rested his butt against the table. “Here’s what I know: The Great One killed the curse keeper’s stepmother in Manteo, then went to Durham to take her job. It killed multiple students for food.”

  “So the Great One was responsible for the deaths of the missing students in Durham. It consumed their souls?”

  He hesitated. “Yes. Then it went to Roanoke Island to try to sacrifice the daughter of the sea.”

  “Elinor Lancaster is the daughter of the sea? Why?”

  “She and the Manteo keeper are the yin and yang of the curse, if you will. He is the son of the land; she is the daughter of the sea. The curse is based on duality.”

  “If they are the Dare and Manteo curse keepers, then I take it that Ananias Dare and Manteo of the Lost Colony created the curse together. They were close friends after Manteo made two trips to London.”

  “Correct,” he said, then took a drink of his water. “The colonists were alone in a new world with native tribes who were rightfully angry over the way explorers had treated them. The Roanoke believed they got battle strength from their gods, especially Okeus, and Manteo convinced Dare to perform a ceremony to bind the tribe’s gods in Popogusso, the Judeo-Christian hell. Dare was resistant because it conflicted with his Christianity, but ultimately he agreed to keep his wife and daughter from being slaughtered. But Manteo betrayed him. He knew the price Dare would pay.” He paused. “They locked up all the gods and demons, but they also sent the colonists’ village to Popogusso. Dare was left with nothing.

  “Then Ahone—the creator god—manipulated both men into creating the curse to bind his twin, Okeus. But knowing Okeus would find a way out, Ahone told the two men that their firstborn children and their firstborn children, and so on, would be the keepers of the curse. As long as the two lines stayed away from one another, the gate to hell would be safely locked up.”

  “How did you escape being sent to Popogusso?” I asked, watching him closely.

  His gazed lifted to mine. “I hadn’t been born yet.”

  I pondered his words. He’d been born, yet so had the fire and frost demons. What was he? But I knew better than to ask. “So, fast-forward hundreds of years, and Elinor and the Manteo keeper broke the curse?”

  “So I’m told.”

  “Wait. You’ve been told? You don’t know for yourself?”

  He took another sip of water, then lowered the bottle. “I’m not omnipotent with everyone, Waboose.” He grinned. “Only with you.”

  “Except for when you wear that ring,” I said, pointing to his hand. “And even then you don’t know what I’m thinking, d
o you?” When he didn’t answer, I pressed, “Do you?”

  He released a chuckle. “No, Waboose. Only what you feel, and where you are.” He lifted his shoulder into a shrug. “An unexpected consequence.”

  We were silent for a moment. Then I asked, “Is there a chance they accidently broke the curse?” The vibe I’d gotten from Ellie and her friends was decidedly anti-demon.

  “It was no accident, but I’ve been told the Manteo keeper tricked the Dare keeper this time as well. He purposely found her to break the curse. Then he tricked her into keeping the gate open.”

  “What was he doing with her last night?” I asked, putting my bottle on the table.

  “She swayed him to her side.”

  “She forgave him?”

  He shrugged.

  “How do you know all of this?” I asked, giving him a piercing gaze.

  He watched me for a moment. “I have my sources.”

  “Which translates to none of your business.”

  A lopsided grin twisted his mouth. “As I’ve said before, you are a very smart woman.”

  I’d take that compliment. I still wanted to know his source, but I’d let it go for now. Choose your battles…

  “The Great One is here to draw out the curse keepers,” Abel said. “The question is why.”

  “You don’t know?” I asked.

  “The Great One was in league with the Guardians. I presume it still is.”

  “So the Great One gets the curse keepers, and the Guardians get me?” I said with a sick feeling in my stomach.

  “The Guardians will not get you,” he said in a growl.

  He sounded so threatening I almost believed he had the power to stop them.

  “I think the Great One is currently a twenty-year-old college student. Lars went to that party two weeks ago, got invited to the VIP section, then his personality completely changed, and not for the better. Now he’s missing. And he’s the second one. The first was a girl who also changed after going to the VIP section of the party. Her body was found yesterday.”

  “With a mark at the base of her neck?” he asked.

  “Yeah, an oval with a straight line and semicircle inside.”

  “The mark of its stone,” Abel said with a grim look. “Once the Great One finds its victim, it has to place a stone around the victim’s neck. It’s what allows the demon to take the person’s likeness. The problem is that as the body starts to decompose, the Great One’s image also begins to deteriorate, and it must move on.” He paused. “The only reason it kept the likeness of the Lancaster woman so long is because it put her in a freezer to preserve her.”