by John Corwin
"Yes, well, our new normal."
We reached the pasture where a majestic white horse grazed next to a palomino sporting a rich chocolate coat. Tyler leaned against the fence and looked at them. "They're beautiful."
"Yes, they are." I wondered if we could ride them.
Tyler climbed to the top of the tall fence and sat on it, then helped me up. The boards were wide enough to offer a comfortable roost. We enjoyed the sight for a few minutes, then I took out the tablet and pulled up a map of the city.
"Does this have something to do with the research you wanted to do?" Tyler asked.
"I'm trying to figure out where the demons will go next." I pointed out the markers I'd placed for the first two demonicus. "What do you think? They plan to do two more demonicus very soon."
"Probably tonight, considering how quickly they pulled off the second one." Tyler stared at the points on the map. "We know for a fact they'll be west and south, but there's a ton of ground to cover."
"I know." I rested my forehead on a hand. "And we have no idea how to find them."
Chapter 25
I texted my father and told him about the previous night's activities with Vallaena. I hoped he might offer a brilliant way to track down the locations of the next two demonicus, but he had nothing of use.
George invited us to the Templar compound to speak with some people there about employment, he texted.
When my parents arrived at the compound that evening, Tyler and I gathered with them and George in a conference room. Mr. Sticks showed up a moment later, a stolid look on his face. It was already growing late, and I felt the clock ticking away.
I told them what little we'd discovered from our former captives.
"The deep one?" Patrick scratched his chin. "What sort of circuit could he be completing?"
"I have an idea," Tyler said. "Can you display the map of the ley lines again?"
My father produced his arcphone and displayed a map. The magical conduits we'd noticed earlier had grown in length.
"How up to date is this map?" I asked.
"The spell sends out a pulse along the ley lines and sends back an up-to-date image." Patrick traced a finger along the two new ones, which now stretched to two new points.
"Oh, my," I breathed. "I think I see the circuit."
Everyone else saw it too, judging from their looks. The new ley lines formed a nearly complete circle encompassing the middle of Atlanta and stretching all the way to the west and south sides where they intersected other major lines.
"Notice how even the distribution is," Victoria said. "They're not just creating two new demonicus at those locations."
"They're using a ley worm to connect the ley lines and construct a massive pattern all across the city." Tyler's words brought a long silence as we all contemplated the meaning of this new information.
"The question is why?" my father asked. "The two ley lines the new ones intersect are already large enough to support more demonicus. Why go through the trouble of connecting them all?"
"Let me contact Zuba." George took out his phone and displayed the professor's image above the table.
"Greetings, all," Zuba said. "How can I be of service?"
"What do you make of this?" George said.
The professor's wide eyes foretold of something bad. "They're creating a daemonculus."
"A what?" My mind fumbled with this new term.
"Once they complete the last two demonicus, they'll be able to create a single massive pattern and summon something truly monstrous." Zuba picked up his ancient book and turned the pages. He displayed a pattern that stretched across two pages. "They'll need precisely thirty-three souls for the ritual."
"Won't be a problem with the loophole they found," Patrick said.
"It'll be a bloody disaster if they complete this." Victoria leaned on the table. "What do you propose we do?"
"Two countersigns on opposite sides of the daemonculus." Zuba's jaw tightened. "It will surely mean death for those who do it."
"Will they lose their souls?" I asked, chest tight with worry.
"I assume the same rules apply as with the demonicus." Zuba shrugged. "I really can't say for sure."
"They'll still be dead either way." Tyler said.
Zuba nodded grimly. "Undoubtedly."
"What if we break one of the demonicus?" I asked.
"It might delay their efforts, but they can repair those patterns. If the daemonculus is broken, it will create a massive feedback loop that will destroy the patterns." Zuba pointed to a passage in his tome. "There is no precedence for this, so all I have to go on is what's written here."
"In other words, we have no guarantees," my mother said. "People who make the countersign will die whether they do it on the smaller patterns or the large ones."
"We're overlooking something," I said. "We know where the smaller patterns will be, but we have no clue about the location of the final pattern."
"That should be easy enough to calculate." Zuba motioned to the pattern of ley lines. "Notice that large circuit crossing the center."
"I see it," Patrick said. He traced his finger along the outer circle, highlighting it. "Phone, calculate the center of this circle."
"Calculating," said a monotone voice.
A bright dot formed in the middle right over the ley line bisecting the circle.
Patrick zoomed the image and changed it to show a satellite view. Westview Cemetery occupied the spot.
"How appropriate," Victoria said.
"There are tombstones all over the place," Tyler said. "How will they fit a pattern there?"
Patrick zoomed in further. "That particular spot is just grass and trees." He blew out a breath. "I can't imagine how much planning it took to make this happen."
"Why Atlanta?" I looked away from the image. "Why not in the middle of the desert where there's nothing?"
"Atlanta is particularly rich in ley lines and it's much easier to kidnap people in a large city," Zuba replied. "Your city has also been the center of a great deal of activity as of late."
"Yes, it has," George agreed. "Everything that's happened has been for a reason."
"And it all comes down to this." Tyler hissed a breath between his teeth. "Guess I'll mention the elephant in the room." He gave us a dramatic look. "Who will be the sacrificial lambs?"
Silence gathered. George finally spoke. "I will be the first volunteer. I believe Mr. Sticks will be the second."
The other man's expression never wavered as he nodded in assent.
"No, George!" I slapped my hand on the table. "There has to be another way."
"It is my duty and obligation," he said. "We are sworn to protect Eden, and if this is all we can do, then we have no choice."
"I don't like this at all." Tyler frowned. "Look, I'm a demon. I can do it and if it frees my soul, I'll simply return to Haedaemos. Just keep my body alive, and I can eventually return."
"Absolutely not." I frantically gripped his arm, terrified at the thought of losing him, and immensely proud he was willing to make such a noble sacrifice. "We don't know if your soul will survive or not. Zuba only guessed it might."
"Well, it's better than letting two people who definitely can't come back sacrifice their lives." He displayed a confident grin. "I know it'll work."
Mr. Stick's eyes focused on him with something bordering on respect, but as usual, he said nothing.
"A very noble offer," George said. "But this is our duty."
"It's still my fight," Tyler declared.
"Wait!" I said. "Let's ask Vallaena. She knows a lot." I knew I was grasping at straws, but I liked George, and would die before letting Tyler throw himself on the demon sword. "Perhaps she can suggest alternatives."
George pursed his lips. "I'm willing to entertain other options."
"Can we contact her now?" I asked.
"Yes." George looked at Zuba. "If you come up with any other information, please let me know."
"Of co
urse." Zuba nodded. "Good luck."
George ended the call and picked up his phone. He contacted Vallaena and projected her image over the table, then told her everything we knew.
"This is extremely troubling." Her eyes flashed. "Unfortunately, I know little more than Zuba when it comes this daemonculus." Vallaena's eyes grew distant for a moment. Finally, she spoke. "We have no choice but to stop them tonight."
"We have no reinforcements," George said. "The Templars are still tracking down rogue vampire elements and have no one to spare."
"I will bring my people. The possessed will have no chance against us." She looked at something not in view of the camera and nodded. "All we must do is stop them from creating one of the two demonicus. I believe we can reach the one to the west—a soccer field at Baskin Elementary School—more swiftly."
"Agreed." George checked his watch. "If the demons are keeping to the same tight schedule they used when summoning Abaddon, we don't have much time to stop them. How soon can you be there?"
"Thirty minutes." Vallaena looked down as if consulting something. We should meet in the vacant cul-de-sac to the north."
George scrolled the map and highlighted an unfinished part of a subdivision. "Here?"
"Yes." Vallaena gave us a tense look. "We'll see you there." She ended the call.
"Let's get everyone outfitted, shall we?" George motioned for us to follow him and took us down a level to a room with a window in a large wall. A man in a tight black uniform sat behind it.
"Yes, Agent Walker?"
"I need six sets of Nightingale armor complete with lancers," George said. He looked at my parents. "Any preference on weapons?"
"We brought our own," my mother said.
I really wanted a sword, or perhaps a shotgun, but felt certain I would receive neither. Tyler procured a set of nun chucks.
"Are you really planning to fight with those?" I asked. He nodded. "These are the best non-lethal weapons. After all, we don't want to kill the possessed hosts."
I really hadn't thought of that. "I suppose you're right, but can we afford to spare them?"
"If at all possible, Miss Glass." George slid a sword into a sheath on his back. "But we will do what is necessary."
Mr. Sticks banged the butt of his staff on the floor as if to underscore the point.
The man behind the window returned shortly with strips of black cloth and the other equipment.
I took a strip of the cloth and stared at it for a moment. "What are we supposed to do with these?"
"Place the belt around your bare waist," George instructed.
I lifted my shirt a fraction and wrapped the cloth around it. The ends seamlessly joined.
Tyler ran a hand along it. "Cool."
"Now, pinch the upper hem and give it a slight pull up," George said.
The second I did, the cloth literally grew up my torso. I squeaked and jumped back, as if that would remove the strange sensation crawling up my skin.
George smiled. "Do the same for the sleeves, gloves, legs and boots."
"Good lord, that's a lot of tugging." I bit back a multitude of questions and did as instructed until my entire body except for my head was covered in the material.
George took off his business suit to reveal a black uniform patterned with thin honeycombed ridges. "Remove your street clothes and leave them here."
Tyler removed his clothes. The tight armor highlighted every nuance of his muscular physique. He gave me a curious look when I hesitated to remove my clothes. "Something wrong?"
"Of course." I pinched my belly. "Every little bulge of fat is going to look horrid in this thing."
Tyler pressed his lips together, but couldn't repress a snort. "Em, you are too much." He pressed his hand to my stomach. "Your body is perfect, and it'll look just as perfect in the uniform."
"This material protects against many forms of physical and magical harm," George said. "It will also help us approach undetected, whereas your regular clothes are a bit bright for the job."
I sighed and removed my clothes. Patrick looked positively monstrous while my mother presented a shapely and lithe figure. Mr. Sticks looked odd without his suit and bowler, but no less menacing than usual.
George handed me a small dagger and a sheath. "I don't want to leave you completely without, Miss Glass, but use this only if necessary."
I tightened the belt of the sheath around my waist. "You can wager I'll avoid a sword fight at all costs."
We went to the garage, climbed into George's flying car, and flew off into the night sky. Though we were on the opposite side of town from the elementary school, it didn't take long to traverse the distance.
Torches flickered from the ground below, offering barely enough light to make out a pattern etched into the dirt below.
I couldn't tell how much was done. "Just to be clear, once the pattern is anointed, even digging up the ground won't get rid of it?"
"Correct," George said. "The pattern is then invisibly held together by the soul." He steered the car north to the empty cul-de-sac mentioned by Vallaena.
A dozen black-clad figures melted out of the forest around the street. One of them lowered a hood and a blonde ponytail spilled out, quickly identifying her as Vallaena.
"How shall we proceed?" she asked.
"Stealth," George replied. "Incapacitate the patrols first and then move inward." He knelt and drew an oval in the dirt. "They have six sentries in these locations." He put a dot at the locations. "I suggest your people approach from the south and west. We'll infiltrate from the north and east. Try to remain undetected as long as possible."
She nodded. "By incapacitate, I assume you do not want anyone killed?"
"The hosts are innocent. Any demon lord present is a different manner." He frowned. "How do you suggest we handle him?"
Vallaena remained silent for a moment. "I had hoped you might know. Perhaps I can banish him." She turned to me. "For that, I'll need his true name."
"I hope we're strong enough to hurt him," Tyler said.
She pulled the hood back over her head. "As do I." She turned to her followers. "We go." With that, the Daemos blurred into the night.
"Man, they're fast." Tyler stared intently after them, as if he might see them in the dark.
"Move out," George commanded and jogged toward the woods separating us from the soccer field.
Patrick incapacitated the first sentry on the north side of the field. George put the man in sleeper cuffs and hid him beneath a bush. We went to the edge of the trees and surveyed the area. Torches around the pattern flickered fitfully in the breeze, making it difficult to see how many people were in the middle of the field. Trees offered cover on all sides of the track, which would make it easier to sneak round the perimeter.
George turned to me. "Miss Glass, how many demons do you detect?"
I'd opened my senses already and had a number for him. "Thirty-seven regular possessed." The encounter with Astra had taught me what the demon knights felt like. I was barely close enough to make them out. "Five demon knights, and one demon lord." Karak was the easiest to discern, like an inferno bound in a bottle.
"Very precise, Miss Glass." George looked impressed. "You improve every day."
I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. "I try."
Victoria touched my arm. "Remarkable, dear. Could you place each of them?" I blinked a couple of times, unsure if my mother had actually complimented me. My heart dared flutter with excitement, but I tried not to let it show.
I knelt and drew an oval in the dirt then pinpointed their approximate locations. The sentries were the easiest to place. I sensed the presence of two Arcanes as well.
My forehead wrinkled with confusion. "For some reason, I think Kassus and Drang are both here." I looked up. "Shouldn't one of them be drawing the other demonicus?"
"Perhaps they already completed the other one," Patrick suggested.
A bush rustled and I nearly jumped out of my skin as Mr. Sticks ap
peared with a bundle over either shoulder. He dumped two possessed onto the ground and George secured them with sleeper cuffs.
He pointed to my diagram. "Let's see how many we can capture before someone notices."
Sticks nodded and vanished into the dark.
Patrick put a hand on my shoulder as I stood. "Honey, you should wait here."
"I agree," Tyler said before I could protest. "Just be ready to come glimpse Karak's true name."
I glanced at my parents. "You don't have supernatural strength."
My mother turned her gaze on me. "Yes, but we have lancers and weapons, and we're trained to use them."
I decided not to mention how I'd taken out the three possessed at the construction site and simply shrugged. "I'll be here."
The words were hardly out of my mouth before the others had vanished into the trees. George and Sticks returned first, followed shortly by Tyler. We soon had a respectable number of unconscious people lying in a row on the forest floor as each member of our party returned with new guests. Many of them weren't possessed, I realized.
Some of these must be potential hosts.
I was just about to congratulate myself on how well things were going when I heard shouts followed by brilliant flashes of light. I ran to the edge of the trees and saw bolts of lightning crackling into the trees on the eastern side of the soccer field. Two figures with staffs stood at the center of the field, hurling magical destruction.
Two large glowballs shot high into the air, illuminating everything like daylight and revealing at least fifty people remaining on the soccer field. The demons had brought along plenty of humans, I realized.
Karak walked up behind Kassus. "I know someone is there," he boomed in a deep voice. "Give yourselves up and you won't be harmed."
George stepped out from behind a tree to the west of the field, hands in the air.
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" I said to myself. They clearly outnumber us.
"I represent the Templars," George said. "We're here to stop you from completing this demonicus."
"I understand," Karak said. "Unfortunately, I cannot comply."
Kassus raised a fist and shouted, "The Children of Armageddon will not submit!"
