by John Corwin
I gripped my father's arm. "Are you serious? It's my decision to work with the Custodians. It's my decision to help Tyler track down the true names of Barboar and the others. Not his. Not yours."
Tyler smirked. "In case you hadn't noticed, Emily doesn't always listen to my suggestions."
I looked at Victoria. "Not unlike someone else in this car."
She raised an eyebrow, but offered no retort.
We reached the offices of Tri-Cross Blood Donations and parked in front of the dark and foreboding building. I waited for Tyler and Patrick to lead the way. Police tape and chains barred the door. My father retrieved a pair of bolt cutters from the trunk of the car and made short work of the padlock.
The warm emanations I'd felt during my first visit to this building were absent. Victoria tossed a glowing sphere into the air to light our way into the back warehouse. Once we reached the wide open space, Patrick turned on the lights and surveyed the charred patterns etched into the concrete floor.
"Wow." He scratched his chin. "I've heard about demonicus, but never saw one." He retrieved the glowing ball and snuffed it before putting it into his pocket. "Give us a few minutes to make sense of it." He and Victoria knelt next to one of the smaller patterns in the outer ring.
I walked in the opposite direction so I could cool off after the "conversation" with Victoria. The soulless bodies were gone, presumably taken by the Custodians. As I looked down at one of the patterns, an identical image flashed before my eyes and a name echoed in my mind. I staggered and stared at it a moment longer.
Tyler was at my side in an instant. "What's wrong, Em?"
I pointed to the pattern. "That's Barboar's pattern. I knew it the instant I saw it."
Tyler motioned my parents over. "Over here, please."
The pair looked up from the middle pattern and walked over.
"What is it," Victoria asked.
"I recognize this pattern," I replied. "It's Barboar's."
My father took out his phone and snapped a picture, then labeled it with the name. "Recognize any others?"
I walked the perimeter but didn't find any others. I looked at Tyler. "I guess Eyja was being truthful about not being here with the others."
"Well, we've got that going for us," Tyler said.
Patrick stopped at each pattern and took a picture. "I'll record the rest of these in case you happen to sense more."
Taking out my phone, I followed his example and also took pictures.
"The big one in the middle poses a problem," my father said. "I need an overhead shot to make sure I have the angles perfect."
Tyler pointed to a set of stairs leading up a catwalk and to an office on the far wall. "I could reach the metal rafters and shimmy out to the middle. That should do the trick."
Patrick handed him his phone. "Sounds like a plan."
I gave him my phone as well. "Don't break your neck."
He pecked me on the cheek. "Wouldn't dream of it."
The rest of us stepped outside the large pattern in the middle and watched Tyler climb the stairs and use the catwalk railing to reach the metal beam overhead. Biceps bulging, he easily swung himself hand-over-hand along the length of the rafter and positioned himself directly above the large diagram. Clenching his legs against the ridges, he hung upside down. His hair gel defied gravity, making him look like a suave secret agent homing in on secret documents.
A little sigh escaped my mouth as I watched his supple body work.
My father groaned. "Enjoying your eye candy?"
I chuckled. "He is rather pleasing to the eye."
Victoria raised an eyebrow, but made no other comment.
Dust sprinkled down from the rafters. Tyler sneezed, and I feared it might dislodge him. He winked at my look of alarm and retrieved the phones from his pocket. Using each one in turn, he snapped the pictures and made his way back to the catwalk.
"Here you go." He handed back our phones then dusted his pants.
Dad looked at the picture and grunted. "Excellent. I'll run these against our database and see if any match what we have in our records."
"What do you think the demonicus was for?" I asked.
"To summon a greater demon," Victoria said. "The outer patterns are for the lesser demons to occupy their hosts. Once completed, they create a circuit, which allows a greater order of demons, possibly knights, to enter their hosts. The middle would be reserved for another of much higher magnitude."
"Possibly even a demon lord," Patrick said. "Whoever it was devoured the souls of those people bound in the middle, though I'm not sure why they were tied up."
"Yes, the process must be entirely voluntary," Victoria said. "It is perplexing."
I drew upon my limited knowledge of demon summoning. "I didn't think demons could leave their patterns when they were summoned."
"That is true of normal summonings," Victoria said. "A demonicus is not used to summon demons for temporary use, but to give them corporeal form so they can live in this realm on their own."
"It's a whole new ball game," Tyler added.
"Fools who are absolutely willing to give up their soul to a demon are, fortunately, rare." Victoria tapped a finger to her chin. "If someone changes their mind, they are no longer willing, and thus immune."
"Is it the same for possession?" I asked.
Patrick shook his head. "There's a much lower threshold for that."
I knelt and examined the crimson stains at the outer edge of the burn marks. "Why is there blood?"
"Probably to strengthen the circuity," Patrick said. "They apparently used something to etch the pattern into the concrete and then outlined it in blood. I don't know if it was a necessity, or just being overly cautious."
"Losing control of such a large summoning would be disastrous," Victoria said.
"How many soulless bodies were there?" Patrick asked.
"Thirteen," I replied. "One in each of the middle diagrams, and seven in the center."
"That's a lot of zealots," he said.
Victoria abruptly crumpled to her knees.
My father gripped her arm. "What's wrong?"
"Despair," she said in a rasping voice. "Foreboding."
He helped her to her feet and she leaned on his arm for support.
I didn't want to act concerned, but ice queen or not, she was still my mother. "Are you okay?"
"I think she just had a premonition," Patrick said.
I narrowed my eyes at them. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're able to sense supernaturals." Victoria patted Patrick's arm and stood upright, regaining her stiff posture. Sometimes I get a feeling about the future."
"You see the future?"
She shook her head. "No. Unfortunately, this ability is little more than a gauge about the tests that lay ahead. In this case, I have never felt such crippling despair." Her lower lip trembled, but she quickly stilled it.
We all turned and looked at the demonicus.
It was a harbinger of the horrors to come.
Chapter 12
I did a quick count of the circles in the pattern and calculated some troubling numbers. Thirteen lessers, six greaters, one demon lord. My mouth dropped open in horror. "Just how bad is a demon lord?"
"Bad enough." Patrick gritted his teeth. "This incursion couldn't have come at a more perfect time. With Montjoy leading the Exorcists, there's no one to counter these demons."
Tyler fingered the amulet at his neck that protected him from detection by the Exorcists. "Much as I want to avoid your organization, I'd have to agree with you." He tucked away the amulet. "The important question we need to ask is why the demons wanted to come here in the first place. They're not very good at cooperation unless someone more powerful is forcing them."
"Agreed." Victoria frowned. "There's little more to be gained by remaining here. I think Patrick and I need to research solutions."
"To this and our other problems." Patrick turned off the lights and reactivated the glowball to guide us
outside to the car. "We still don't know what to do with ourselves now that we're without the Exorcists."
"The answer will come in time, Patrick." Victoria gave him a severe look before getting into the car.
The rest of us piled in.
"Maybe you could join the Custodians," I suggested. "I'm sure someone with your skills would be valuable."
Patrick nodded. "We've given it some thought. The Templars might take us in." His eyes caught on something off to the side of the road. He slowed and stopped.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Demons affect this world simply by being here." He got out of the car and held the glowball over a patch of yellowed grass.
The rest of us got out and looked. The grass was dying in a straight line as far back as I could see.
Tyler knelt. "Look at the insects."
That was the last thing I wanted to do, but I looked closer and saw dead earthworms and other bugs twitching or lying dead. "Demons caused this?"
Victoria spat on the ground. "A demon lord caused it."
Patrick nodded.
I looked across the road to a stretch of woods. "Why don't we just follow this trail all the way to the demons?"
"That might work for a while, but once we're further into the city"—Patrick scuffed a foot on the pavement—"there won't be enough vegetation to work with."
I hovered a hand over the dying grass, but my extra sense detected nothing. "Of course it couldn't be that easy."
We got back in the car and resumed travelling back into town.
My mind traveled in circles as it attempted to divine why so many demons had invaded our realm now, of all times. If the powers that be in Haedaemos were so interested in conquering Earth—Eden—why wait until now to do so? The religious part of me wanted to cling to old admonitions—Humanity will pay the price for sin and iniquity. The more informed part of me knew it had little to do with that.
With the Exorcists running off to do their own thing, all the vampire activity the Templars were fighting, and now a demon incursion, it seemed the supernatural world was undergoing some sort of upheaval. That didn't bode well at all for us mere mortals. I thought of Tyler and my parents. The possibility of losing them sent a shock of pain into my stomach. I wanted to hug my mother and father right then, but thinking of Victoria's earlier words stung those emotions back into submission.
I wanted to talk to my parents like any child would, but Victoria began to speak to Patrick about people they could contact for more information regarding the demonicus, ignoring me.
I haven't seen her in months! I'd thought my mother had softened a little after her help with Tyler, but it was apparent that change had been short lived.
"Stop trying to do it on your own, and let the Custodians help," I said in a disgusted voice.
"We are quite capable—" Victoria started to say.
"I don't care how capable you are. You don't have the resources to pull this off." I leaned forward and met her eyes. "The Custodians do."
"We'll consider it," she said.
Patrick pulled into the semi-circular drive of the Gregorian. Everyone but my mother got out of the car. My father crushed me in a bear hug and whispered, "Despite what your mother says, I still like you calling me Dad." He kissed my cheek. "See you later, kiddo." He nodded at Tyler. "Keep her safe."
Tyler didn't hesitate with his reply. "Always."
"Goodbye, dear," Victoria said from inside the car. "We'll speak soon."
I didn't respond and went inside. It had been a long day, and I was ready for bed.
Calling George Walker was first on my list of priorities when I walked into work the next day, but Jack intercepted me on the way to my office.
"I finished putting the bugged software on my workstation," he said. "The only thing is, I don't know how I'm going to do any work."
"You could use my computer."
He shook his head. "If Hinkle sees me working over here, he'll suspect I know something is wrong with my workstation."
"Good point." I went into my office and dropped into the chair. "In other words, we need to find out what's going on quickly, before it kills productivity."
Jack took a seat on the other side of my desk. "I hope you don't mind, but I called a friend of mine to give the office a thorough sweep for bugs and surveillance equipment."
A chill touched my heart. "I hadn't even considered the possibility."
"It didn't occur to me at first either."
I leaned forward. "When is he coming?"
"Tonight after everyone leaves."
My eyes flicked around the room. I hadn't decorated the office much, but cameras and audio devices were easy to hide. "Well, if they've got them in my office, then we're already bolloxed."
"In this part of the world, we say 'screwed'." Jack smiled. "When the thought hit me, I took a good look in your office last night and didn't find anything. I think we're safe in here."
"Let's hope so."
"I downloaded some other tracing software we might be able to use to find out where the information is going." Jack took a jump drive from his shirt pocket. "I just need to put it on my computer and disguise it as new software."
I pushed away from my desk. "Well, if you need to use my computer for that, go ahead." I walked to the door. "I need to make an important phone call."
Jack was already sitting down as I left. "This won't take long."
Jack's suspicions ignited my paranoia, so I took the lift down to the lobby and made my phone call from there.
George answered on the first ring. "I'm sorry it's taken me some time to get back to you, Miss Glass, but we've been swamped. There was an attack on a Templar convoy in Bogota, Colombia, and we've had to devote considerable resources to cleaning it up."
"An attack in Colombia?" It reminded me of Franco, the weapons dealing vampire.
"Vampires aided by battle mages. They nearly killed Thomas Borathen and abducted Justin Slade." He yawned. "Pardon me, I haven't had a chance to sleep."
I revisited my thoughts from last night. Major upheaval in the supernatural world. "George, have there been many other attacks like this recently?"
"There have been other unrelated incidents, yes."
"Are incidents like this common?"
He paused. "No, not at all. Most of the time we have to cover up accidental supernatural exposure, but nothing as intentional as this."
"I think these events might be related." I wasn't sure why I felt so certain. "The Exorcists have started following a new leader named Albert Montjoy, causing a large split in their faction."
"I wasn't aware of this. Then again, the Exorcists broke from the Templars a long time ago." He paused. "Was there something else?"
"Yes, the huge demon summoning." I wished he were in front of me instead of on the phone. "Surely it's no coincidence that happened right after the Exorcists decided to follow Montjoy and Daelissa."
George's voice grew very serious. "Did you just say Daelissa?"
"Yes. I think I pronounced it correctly."
"I will be back in Atlanta tomorrow evening. Let's not discuss this further over the phone."
"Okay, but wait." I said the words quickly so he wouldn't hang up. "Tyler and I want to do the orientation class. What do we need to do?"
"I will text you directions." I heard muffled conversation as he spoke to someone else. "Until tomorrow, Miss Glass." He ended the call.
I knew I should go back up to the office, but I felt agitated and restless. I could almost see a pattern to all this madness, but it eluded me like an itch between my shoulder blades. I walked down the street to a coffee shop, ordered a coffee and bagel sans the cream cheese. George's text blinked on my phone a moment later with a very strange address.
Phipps Plaza, lower parking deck, rear entrance, red parking zone, five PM today. Code word: cold gravy
A ritzy shopping mall seemed a bizarre place to hold a secret orientation about a supernatural society, but there were
things about this strange Overworld I'd probably never understand. I hoped Tyler would be back in Atlanta in time to go. I sent him a text to which he quickly replied.
I'll be back by then. Will they be serving snacks? ;)
I snorted and responded. I'm sure they'll have blood candy for vampires and cupcakes topped with soul frosting for demons, dear. :P
I'm afraid cupcakes will ruin my figure.
I wanted to call him and hear his reassuring voice and almost sent him a text saying as much, but put down the phone and chewed on my bagel instead. Thoughts cluttered my mind, but I couldn't put them in any order that made sense. There was something afoot in the Overworld, but I simply lacked the knowledge to piece it together. I hoped George might make more sense of it all.
So lost in my thoughts was I, that I nearly bumped into Detective Long on his way out of the office tower.
"I've been looking for you," he said.
Fear made my heart jump. Was he here to arrest me? Of course he isn't, you ninny! I hadn't done anything wrong.
"I need to ask you some questions." He held a folder and briefcase in one and motioned to a nearby bench. We sat down.
Steeling myself, I nodded. "Go ahead."
"How was your relationship with your neighbors?"
"Non-existent." I'd occasionally seen my neighbors in the hallway, but hadn't said much other than a quick greeting on my way in or out.
"Can you elaborate?" he said.
"On what?" I looked at him for a moment. "I almost never spoke with them."
"Are you aware your neighbors filed noise complaints against you?"
"Why would they do that?" Isabel and I were always very quiet. "We never threw any parties or had guests."
He returned a dubious look. "According to the concierge at your apartment building, your neighbors reported you for excess noise on several occasions. The concierge also remembers you entering the building late one night, dripping wet and, to quote him, 'Obviously high on drugs, judging from her appearance.'" The detective paused as if to let his words sink in before he spoke again.
I didn't let him continue. "Firstly, we were never warned or told of any noise complaints, so the concierge must be confusing us with someone else. Secondly, I had an accident with a bottled water on the night I returned wet." It was a lie, of course. I'd doused myself with holy water after discovering Tyler's true nature. "How the concierge on duty that night could equate being wet to being high is simply beyond my comprehension." I resisted the urge to jab him in the chest with a finger as one might do with a saber during a fencing match. "Are you somehow implying that I murdered my neighbors because of a noise complaint?"
