Demonicus (Overworld Underground Book 2)

by John Corwin

  He glanced at the gun as if it were a mere inconvenience. "Oh, you enjoy playing rough, do you, Emily?"

  The revelation that he knew my name shook me. I gripped the gun with both hands to steady my grip. "I'll shoot your balls into oblivion if you come a step closer."

  He laughed. "I'll live."

  It suddenly occurred to me this man might not be normal. He could be a vampire. I opened my senses and almost immediately tasted foul burning air and a nauseating aura. It reminded me of the blood bank.

  "You're a demon."

  He jolted to a stop, eyebrows rising. "How could you possibly know that?" He flashed his teeth. "You're just as smart as a whip, aren't you?" Without further warning, he blurred toward me. I fired the gun. The man howled in pain and flopped to the floor, holding his knee.

  I was about to fire more shots into him when the front door flew open and Tyler flashed through. He looked from me to the man on the floor. "Are you okay, babe?"

  Relief flooded into me. I ran to him and hugged him tight. "He's possessed, Tyler."

  Alarm flickered through his eyes. He kissed my forehead and walked to the screaming man. Without a word, he gripped the front of his shirt and jerked him off the floor. "Who the hell are you?"

  Gritting his teeth and smiling, the man said, "It's good to see you again, Grimsvokull."

  Tyler dropped the man with a thud, eliciting a grunt of pain. Eyes fierce, Tyler looked down at him. "Xasha?"

  A laugh burst from the man. "Barboar. You must have lost your demonic senses, Grim."

  Tyler shook his head and backed away. "Why are you here? How did you find me?"

  "Oh, you were easy enough to find. Vatna just happened to be locked in a nearby cage before the Exorcists tried to send you back to Haedaemos." Grimacing, he sat up. "He saw the little trick with the soulstone and knew you weren't done."

  "How did Vatna know it was me?"

  "Who else has such a green glow as you, Grim?" He spat on the floor. "You and your lovely appearance and petite odor? Vatna found us the moment he was sent back to Haedaemos and told us what he'd seen."

  Tyler knelt over the downed man. "He didn't know my mortal name."

  "Oh, but you're a famous mortal, aren't you, precious?" He pulled a scrap of newspaper from his pocket and held up a picture. "Tyler Rock, boy millionaire."

  "Fine, you found me, Barboar. I want to know why."

  As they spoke, I walked behind the possessed man, ready to use the gun if he tried anything else. Unlike the pleasant heat in Tyler's aura, this demon smelled like burnt eggs. His mere presence nearly made me gag. As I closed to within a couple of feet, something flashed before my inner eye.

  "Why not?" Barboar said. "You used to be a lot of fun until you turned against us."

  "I didn't turn against you; I decided I was done destroying the lives of mortals."

  "Bah! Mortals are nothing but cattle." His lips curled into a snarl. "Little Grimmy. The demon who cared."

  I concentrated on the demon, trying to focus on the hazy image in my mind, but couldn't quite see it. Against my better judgment, I reached out a tentative finger while the possessed man was looking at Tyler and touched him.

  The vision sharpened into a pattern. A word echoed through my head. Barboarklistlsvang. The pronunciation was bizarre, with an accent on the first and last syllables and a slight pause in the middle, almost like a chant.

  "So you do want to play," Barboar said, looking at me.

  I jerked my finger back and wiped it on the floor with disgust. "I'd rather eat a roach."

  Already, the pattern was fading from my mind's eye. The name, however, was burned into memory. I looked at Tyler and wondered why I'd never sensed a pattern or a name from him.

  "Maybe I'll drop you off at the Exorcists' church," Tyler said.

  "I'm sure you'd like that," Barboar said. "But you know you wouldn't dare go near one yourself."

  I abruptly thought of something and sent a quick text.

  Tyler stood and paced. "I'd kill your body, but that would be murdering an innocent human."

  "This man is hardly innocent." Barboar laughed with glee. "He's already raped two women and was thinking of killing the next one." He rubbed his hands together. "I might just sit back and let him do that while I watch."

  It took all my willpower not to shoot him in the head.

  "Who else is back?"

  "All of us, Grimmy." Barboar licked blood from his fingers and groaned with pleasure. "I'd like to possess a vampire again. They're so carnal." He groaned and shivered. "Xasha, Vatna, and Eyja will be so happy and surprised to know I've found you."

  A gust of wind blew past as the sliding glass door opened. George Walker stepped inside. "I got your message, Miss Glass." He looked at the wounded man. "Is this the demon?"

  "An Exorcist?" Barboar climbed to his feet rather nimbly for a man with a gunshot wound to his lower thigh.

  "I'm a Custodian." George aimed a wrist-mounted lancer at the demon. "But I'll be happy to get you to the proper authorities."

  "Sorry, not interested." Barboar burst into insane laughter and reached into his pants. Grinning lewdly, he fondled his privates then withdrew his hand.

  I saw something green and round in his hand. In an instant, I knew what it was. A grenade! His finger reached for the pin. Without thinking I pulled the trigger on the gun. A shot rang out and blood splashed from the other side of his head. Barboar's host thudded to the ground. The grenade rolled from his limp grasp and bumped against George's shoe. Sullen yellow mist filtered from the dead man's eyes and vanished into the floor.

  Tyler stared at the unarmed grenade, fury burning in his eyes. "He came here just to kill me for the fun of it."

  George turned his gaze to me. "Quick thinking, Miss Glass, though I'd already hit him with a lancer dart."

  I looked at a silver dart protruding from the dead man's chest. With trembling hands, I placed the gun on the counter. "It was a reflex. I couldn't let him kill us."

  Tyler wrapped me in his warm embrace. "It's okay, baby. I'm proud of you."

  I felt no shame pressing my face to his chest and wishing the dreadful scene to go away.

  George intruded on my fantasy. "Unfortunately, without a proper exorcism, the demon will be able to return in a matter of weeks, perhaps days."

  "Getting rid of him wouldn't solve my problem," Tyler said. "All four of my former acquaintances are back." He looked at the corpse. "Well, three of them are still here."

  "Judging from what he said earlier, I don't think they know he located you." I sucked in a breath and pulled away from him. "We need to track down each and every one of them."

  "I can deliver them to the Exorcists," George said. "That should remove them from Eden for quite some time."

  "But not permanently." Tyler slammed a fist on the counter. "There's only one way to get rid of them for good."

  "Devouring their souls?" I said.

  He waggled his hand in a so-so motion. "I don't know for sure if that works." Tyler made a face. "The other way is just as impossible. I'd have to find someone who knows a ritual of Abyssal banishment."

  "I'm certain one of our Arcanes could do that," George said. "But wouldn't you need the demon's true name?"

  Tyler ran a hand through his hair. "Banishment is one thing, but I want them sent into the Abyss. That's the only way to guarantee they'll never escape."

  "Unfortunately, demons are not my specialty." George picked up the grenade and examined it. "I certainly hope your other acquaintances don't attack you with explosives."

  "Something happened when I touched Barboar."

  Tyler and George flicked their eyes my way.

  "I saw a pattern and heard a name." Though I couldn't remember the pattern, I did remember the name and the precise pronunciation. "Barboarklistlsvang."

  Tyler's mouth dropped open. "You sensed his true name?"

  "I believe so." I tilted my head slightly. "If you ask me how, I won't be able to answer. I'v
e never sensed any such thing from you."

  George's eyebrows rose. "Impressive, Miss Glass. Your talent goes deeper than I could have imagined." He held up a finger. "We must use utmost caution, however. If people were to discover your unique abilities, you could become a target."

  "I assumed that's why you didn't call me by name with Franco."

  "Franco?" Tyler looked back and forth. "What are you talking about?"

  I told him about my interrogation of the vampire.

  "Well, sounds like you're becoming a supernatural detective." He looked at George. "I don't like knowing she was exposed to a dangerous vampire."

  "Do you really think I could be in danger surrounded by Templars?" I gave him an exasperated look.

  Tyler deflated. "I'm sorry. I love you, Em, and I don't want to lose you."

  I suddenly felt awful.

  George piled on. "It is a valid consideration, Miss Glass."

  I threw up my hands. "Well, I'm sorry for pretending I'm a grown up."

  Tyler chuckled.

  George went to the balcony and returned with a slick shiny body bag. "If you'd be so kind, Mr. Rock."

  The two of them lifted the corpse while I placed the body bag beneath it.

  I heard a ding and looked toward the front door. It still hung ajar from Tyler's abrupt entrance. "Good lord, someone's coming up the lift!"

  George quickly grabbed the body bag and took it outside. Tyler grabbed a nearby rug and dropped it over the puddle of blood on the floor. I rushed toward the entrance just as the lift doors slid open to reveal a police officer.

  "May I help you?" I asked him.

  He nodded in greeting. "Ma'am, we received reports of gunshots from several people downstairs. I just wanted to come up here and make sure everything was okay."

  "Gunshots?" I pressed a hand to my heart. "I thought that noise was fireworks or something from outside."

  He took out a notepad. "Describe what you heard."

  "Well, I heard a loud popping noise. You don't know where it came from?"

  "There are thirty tenants in the units on the floor below and I have a lot of people to interview." He shrugged. "If you hear anything else, let me know."

  Tyler came out of the kitchen with a drink in his hand. "I'm sorry, did someone say something about gunshots?"

  The officer's radio hissed and someone spoke. "One eighty-two officer on the scene?"

  He turned away and spoke into the mic. "One eighty-five Rogers."

  "Ten twelve."

  "That's a negative."

  The other voice spoke again. "Ten twelve."

  The officer sighed and turned around. "One of our detectives is on the way and wants to ask a few questions."

  My stomach went cold as ice. "A detective?"

  He nodded. "Standard procedure for a gunshot report. I'm sure he wants to speak to you now instead of disturbing you again."

  Less than five minutes later, the lift dinged and a short thin man with a balding head stepped into the foyer. "I've got this, Rogers."

  The police officer nodded. "Want me to continue asking around on the other floors?"

  "Yeah, you do that." The man turned to Tyler. "I'm Detective Long." He took out a notepad. "Mind if I have a look around?"

  "A look around for what?" Tyler asked.

  "For any evidence of a fired weapon."

  Tyler's forehead wrinkled. "Do you plan to search every condo in this building?"

  "I intend to do what's necessary to make sure nobody was injured by a bullet." The detective tried to enter the door, but Tyler stood in his way. "I'm sorry, but we're just about to sit down for dinner, and I really don't want to deal with this right now. We already gave your officer a statement."

  "I'm afraid you'll have to let me in," Long said.

  "Oh, you have a warrant?" Tyler took a sip of his drink and grinned at the other man's silence. "No, you don't. Now, if you'll kindly stop harassing us, we're going to eat." He nodded. "Good evening, Detective."

  The other man glared at him, but didn't try to force the issue again.

  Tyler closed the door in his face and listened until the lift dinged. He blew out a breath. "What in the hell was that about?"

  "It was like he knew we were guilty of something," I said. "I mean, technically, we were, but still…"

  "Yeah. I hope he's not really an undercover Exorcist."

  I touched the amulet hanging over his chest. "My parents said they couldn't track you with this on."

  He rubbed it, and tucked it under his shirt. "I just hope they're right."

  We went into the den just as George reappeared from the balcony. He put the rug covering the blood into a bag then narrowed his eyes and peered around the room before walking to a small hole in the drywall. He poked a rod into the hole and withdrew a flattened slug.

  "What kind of magical device did you use to get that out?" I asked.

  He held up the rod. "We call this a magnet, Miss Glass."

  I pursed my lips and glared at him. "Very funny."

  George switched subjects. "I'll see if I can find a qualified Arcane who knows how to banish demons to the Abyss. Failing that, I believe Daemos can do it as well."

  Tyler shook George's hand. "Thanks for helping us with our little emergency."

  "Not a problem, Mr. Rock."

  "You can call me Tyler."

  "Oh no, George likes to keep things formal and professional," I said. "I'm sorry, I meant to say, Agent Walker."

  "Your quick wit is always appreciated, Miss Glass." He put a bottle of blue liquid on the counter. "Use this potion to clean the blood from the floors." With that, George picked up the bag with the bloody rug and bade us farewell before getting into his invisible car and flying away.

  It was a very strange day indeed when someone flying away in an invisible car was the most normal thing about it.

  Tyler dropped into a chair, a melancholy look on his face.

  "What's wrong?" I asked.

  He shook his head. "Barboar just reminded me of what I am."

  "How in the hell would that creature remind you of anything? You're nothing like him."

  Tyler threw up his hands. "I'm a demon, Em. Somewhere deep down inside, I'm every bit as depraved and evil as that son of a bitch."

  "No, you're not." I squeezed his hands. "You're special."

  "Special?" He blew out a breath. "Sometimes I wonder what I really am. I'm not a Daemos, and I'm not sharing space with a human's soul. I'm in a dead man's body all by myself, pretending to be what I'm not."

  "Tyler Rock, you have nothing in common with Barboar." I pressed my hands to his cheeks and made him look at me. "You are a good man, a good demon, and I happen to think you're special. Otherwise, I wouldn't be madly in love with you."

  His shoulders straightened, and he gazed into my eyes. "I absolutely adore you, Em. Even if I am evil at heart, I want to be good just for you."

  "Then do it." I couldn't bear the insecure look in his eyes, so I embraced him tightly and wished I never had to let go.

  Barboar and Tyler's previous demon associates had left deep scars. I would do whatever it took to help him heal.

  Chapter 6

  I almost hugged Sandra when I saw her at work the next day, despite the arch of her imperious eyebrows. She was just so bloody normal, I wanted to kiss her. As usual, she wore a professional blouse and skirt that made her look more like an executive than a receptionist. I'd opted for jeans, a T-shirt, and flats. I'd done too much running around in high heels for this company already.

  "Good morning, Sandra." I smiled and opened the box of doughnuts I'd brought with me.

  Her right eyebrow climbed to the same altitude as her left. "I'm on a diet."

  I was envious of her hourglass shape. "Oh, one or two won't hurt. Try the cream puffs. They're delightful."

  She hesitantly took one and placed it on a napkin. "Thank you, Miss Glass."

  "Emily. Remember, we're all on a first-name basis here." That had been one
of Tyler's first rules, but Sandra seemed uncomfortable with such familiarity.

  I walked into the programming department and left the doughnut box there. A man with a horseshoe pillow around his neck crawled from beneath a desk, nostrils flaring. Stan saw the doughnuts and grabbed two before vanishing beneath his desk again. According to Sandra, Stan's wife had kicked him out of the house so he'd lived here ever since. Unless someone complained, I wasn't going to make him sleep elsewhere.

  The lift doors dinged as I walked down the hall back toward the main reception area. Jack Somers and several other programmers entered the glass doors.

  "Emily!" Jack gave me a hug and pulled back. "How was vacation?" He smirked. "Or should I call it a sabbatical?"

  "It was lovely." Despite the nagging worry that the Exorcists or some other Overworld agency would swoop in and take Tyler from me, the stay had been blissful. A beach, amazing sex, and wonderful food went a long way toward assuaging anxiety.

  "Does Isabel know you're back yet?"

  "Of course." I'd used a secure phone to stay in touch with her the entire time. "We're planning to have drinks tonight." I smirked. "We might even invite you."

  "That would be so sweet."

  Isabel and Jack were virtually inseparable. Then again, Tyler and I were much the same.

  "The four of us should do something fun soon." I hooked my arm through his and walked with him down the hall toward the programming department. "Being in love is grand, but it certainly makes keeping up with friends difficult."

  Jack stopped just outside the door to his department and regarded me seriously. He was slouching, something he rarely did. "Look, I know best friends don't spill secrets, but I really need to talk to you about something."

  Worry spiked in my heart. "Are things okay between you two?"

  "Things are great, but…she's been acting weird lately." He shrugged. "I dunno, secretive. She used to talk to you on the phone with me around, but while you were away, she'd go into her room." He squeezed my hand. "Emily, please tell me—is there something I should know? Am I doing something to upset Isabel?"

  The worry turned to a blanket of leaden guilt. Jack didn't know about my supernatural job, or vampires, or Tyler's true nature, and Isabel was trying to keep him out of the loop. "Absolutely not, Jack. I just have some personal issues I wanted to talk to her about and felt uncomfortable with you knowing."