by John Corwin
Thomas Jones tripped and spilled his coffee when he saw Tyler coming. "Careful there, Jones. Don't want you burning yourself."
It took everything I had not to burst into laughter at the comical look on the man's face.
"B-but—the cops are looking for you," he sputtered.
"Are they?" Tyler winked at him and kept on going to the programming department.
We stopped by Hinkle's cubicle. Tyler popped his head over the side and said, "Good afternoon."
Hinkle fell over backwards in his chair and a sprinkle-covered donut rolled away from his grasp.
"Careful, there." Tyler scooped up the donut and put it on Hinkle's desk. "That looks too tasty to go to waste."
We left the shocked man floundering like an overturned turtle and sneaked back to the stairwell. After making our way back up to the roof, we boarded the invisible car. Tyler flew us across town to a warehousing company he owned. We stepped inside, greeted a few people, and kept a sharp eye out for anyone who looked too surprised.
Tyler gave a short speech about how he planned to invest a million dollars in the warehouse, but asked the employees not to tell anyone. After we got back into the car, he told me that was to help him pinpoint the moles.
We visited his last business in the Atlanta area, a restaurant supply company where he planted a story about a possible multi-million dollar contract with a large restaurant chain.
Once finished, we got back into the car.
Tyler ran a hand through his hair. "Hopefully the moles will contact Brandon and Jack can figure out who they are." He drove the car down a side street, looked around, and activated the camouflage before taking off and heading back to Templar headquarters.
I kept an eye on the BBC's U.S. website and wondered if Jack's videos had reached the press yet. Tyler was parking the car when the top headline changed. A picture showing Barboar entering the apartment bore the headline: New Evidence May Clear Tyler Rock.
Beneath that was another headline: Was Tyler Rock Set up? New evidence points to conspiracy.
I pumped my fist. "Yes! Look, Tyler." I showed him my phone.
"I love the smell of victory." He kissed me hard and pulled away. "Too bad we can't properly celebrate here."
I giggled. "George wouldn't appreciate the odor of sex in his car."
He barked a laugh. "We could leave the windows down."
We rode the levitator down to the housing level and dropped off our bags, then rode back up to the conference room level. There we found my parents and George poring over the map where the daemonculus was probably being blooded into the ground this very moment.
Tyler reached for his back pocket and felt around. "What did I do with my map?"
I thought back and remembered him putting it—"Tyler, it was in your jeans pocket. Did you put those in the duffel bag?"
He bit his lip and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I think so. I'll go grab it in a minute."
I rolled my eyes. "I really don't think you need it."
A tall man whose olive skin tone and almond-shaped eyes hinted at an Asian-Caucasian heritage entered the room. His dark blue cloak tapered tightly at the waist and ended with a stylish flare near the hem. Judging from the way he carried himself, his attire would prove no hindrance should he need to fight.
Even Mr. Sticks gazed at the new arrival with respect.
"It's good to see you, Master Kanaan," George said.
"A pleasure," the man replied.
The rest of the conversation faded away as I thought about the brutal fight ahead. If Karak and the others summoned Domathus to Eden, nothing else would matter. Thousands would lose their souls, and the city would literally become Hell on Earth.
I texted Isabel. You and Jack need to get out of town tonight. Don't come back unless you hear from me.
Her response was almost immediate. What's happening?
A lot of people might die. Massive demon from Hell might be coming to town.
Holy shit! Please tell me you're leaving too.
I swallowed a lump. I can't. Have to stop this. Get out of town.
Isabel didn't reply for a long moment. I know I can't talk you out of it. I love you, sis. Please don't die!
My parents are with me. We WILL win. Love you too. I put away the phone and watched George erase his latest battle plan from the map. Even he looked a bit frustrated.
"They know we're coming, don't they?" I said.
George nodded. "The only element of surprise will be Karak's true name."
"Then it is fortunate you have us." Vallaena entered the room in dramatic fashion. Behind her came a handsome man with thick black hair, a swagger in his walk, and a cocky smile.
He looked around the room and rubbed his hands together. "Sounds like we're having a demon roast tonight. Did anyone bring s'mores?"
"Is this your—our brother?" Tyler asked.
My parents flinched at the announcement, and I realized I hadn't told them.
"This is Daevadius," Vallaena replied.
"David Slade," the Daemos said, and held out his hand.
Tyler shook it. "Tyler Rock."
"Wow, a jade spirit." He shook his head slowly and looked at Vallaena. "I didn't think old Baal had it in him." David released Tyler's hand. "Good to meet you. Hopefully we don't all die tonight."
Tyler chuckled. "Last night was close enough for me."
Vallaena released a long sigh. "Enough with the banter. We must plan."
I took the chance to ask her a question. "Why didn't the other Daemos turn into the huge demon form you used last night?"
David answered for her. "There are very few Daemos who can manifest into full demon form and maintain control." He waggled his finger between him and his sister. "We're the only two in House Slade who can reliably do it. Anyone else risks going on a mindless rampage, destroying everything in their path until they die or run out of juice."
"It may come down to that." Vallaena slowly shook her head. "I would rather risk that than allow Domathus to wreak havoc on Eden."
"Well, I could've asked my lovely fiancé to join us." David smirked.
Vallaena's lips curled back. "Kassallandra would certainly take this more seriously than you."
He shrugged. "Well my wife probably wouldn't want me working too closely with my future wife anyway."
Tyler and I looked at each other in confusion.
David belted a laugh. "Kassallandra doesn't even have to manifest to be scary."
Tyler's eyes brightened. "Can I learn how to manifest, and to summon crawlers?"
David gave him a regretful look. "As Daemos, the demon part of our soul resides in Haedaemos while the human part is in Eden. We have a window in our souls, so to speak, that allows us to remain in constant contact with the other side." He patted Tyler on the shoulder. "You, on the other hand, are inside this body, completely inside Eden."
"Are you saying I'll never be able to do the things Daemos can?" His voice sounded so dejected, it made my eyes mist.
"I'm just saying your circumstances are a lot different." David shrugged. "Thousands of years ago, we figured out how to conjoin our demon souls with human souls. We think it's because we're sapphire spirits. It might be easier for a jade spirit than it was for us."
"I like the body he's in," I said. "Unfortunately, the previous owner died right when Tyler took control."
Vallaena pursed her lips. "Interesting. Is that not what Kassallandra did?"
"It's exactly what she did," David said. "Mainly because the human souls couldn't survive the process with her."
"Is she a sapphire spirit?" I asked.
David barked a laugh. "Hell no. She's a ruby spirit."
Tyler's eyes narrowed. "Like Astra?"
"Precisely," Vallaena said. "Kassallandra somehow devised a way to maintain the link to Haedaemos even though she possessed an empty body."
"She's not the nicest person in the world." David rolled his eyes. "But if you go see her, maybe she'll help you out."<
br />
"For the time being, maybe we should get back to planning." I wasn't sure how I felt about Tyler becoming a Daemos—if it were even possible.
Vallaena turned to George. "We bring thirty Daemos to battle—nearly everyone we have available in Atlanta."
"That's a very generous number," George said, "though I'm surprised House Slade doesn't have more people in the area."
"We are stretched thin, preparing for other great threats to the realm." Rather than elaborate, Vallaena inspected the map. "I hired noms who specialize in covert demolitions to destroy the earth at the cemetery last night in the hopes it might delay the demons."
"You used noms in a supernatural operation?" George said.
"They have been to the orientation," she said. "They know the dangers."
That reminded me about our orientation. Surely, preventing the destruction of Atlanta qualified as a reason to miss class tonight.
"Did they report any people on site?" George asked.
She nodded. "A dozen men were using heavy construction equipment to flatten the earth and remove stumps and other obstacles to drawing the pattern."
"Noms or possessed?"
She shrugged. "I did not ask. My people were, unfortunately, unable to do their work, as more workers arrived and began deploying nom weapons around the perimeter."
"They've also warded the area with an obfuscation spells," George said, displaying a live feed of the area. "As you can see, the grassy field in the southwest quadrant of Westview Cemetery looks unaltered."
"Is it an illusion spell?" I asked.
George nodded. "Our scouts are attempting to break through the wards."
I posed another question. "How long do we have before they complete the pattern?"
"It should take them several hours," George said. "They will probably have it ready by the time night falls."
Kanaan spoke. "The enemy is prepared, motivated, and ruthless." His voice was low and rough, but confident. "I believe we have even less time."
Tiny worry lines appeared on George's forehead. "I'll have a live feed of the area in a few minutes, Master Kanaan. Then we'll have a better idea."
Those few minutes passed slowly. Finally, George's phone rang. He projected a large image above the middle of the table.
A person covered from head to foot in Templar armor appeared. "Sir, we're in position."
"Very good, Agent Beamis," George replied. "We're ready to see what's inside."
She nodded. "The ASE is in position. We're falling back before we're discovered." The image blinked to an overhead view, displaying a wide barren patch of orange-red clay. Dozens of yellow construction vehicles lined the edges of the lot heaping piles of grass, trees, and other debris into a long barrier. Hundreds of people moved about the area, with many putting what looked like the final touches on a huge circular pattern. Nearly half of the etched lines gleamed crimson with the blood of the anointed.
"I was wrong," Kanaan said. "We have no time left at all."
Chapter 29
"Smart enemies are a pain in the ass," David said. "Maybe we should just kick down their front door and beat the shit out of them."
"The direct path of the aggressor may be the shortcut to defeat." Kanaan shook his head.
David rolled his eyes. "Smart allies are also a pain in the ass."
Kanaan ignored him. "They have wards to bar direct line of sight from outside the perimeter. This protects them from a remote assault. They barricaded the north with construction vehicles and debris." He marked a red line on the north side of the area. "Open fields with only tombstones for cover would make an eastern approach dangerous." Once again, he drew a red line. "The south and west offer the concealment of the forest. I prefer the west, because the sun will be in their eyes by the time we attack."
"I agree with Master Kanaan," Vallaena said. "But we might need a diversion."
"How about dropping explosives from a flying car?" Tyler asked.
"Their obfuscation wards make an aerial assault difficult," George said. He pointed out four circles near the edge of the property. "These are nom machine gun emplacements. Anything in the air would be shot down before it even got through their wards."
"Not to mention anything on the ground," Tyler said.
People offered various ideas, but none seemed practical.
My half-hearted suggestion was using fighter jets and bombs. George didn't even entertain the idea, and instead held up a hand to draw attention back to himself. "I'm afraid we'll have to proceed without a diversion."
"What if we planted explosives on the construction vehicles as if we were trying to break through there?" I said.
He paused and looked at Vallaena. "Can your specialists get the job ready in an hour?"
"I think so." She took out an arcphone and made a call.
George turned back to me. "Excellent idea, Miss Glass."
I caught a smile from my mother. It filled me with delight and reminded me that she and I still had something to discuss.
"If the demons complete the pattern and it is sealed by the anointed, we will first try to lure one of the demon lords onto the pattern so Vallaena can banish them."
"We're gonna need the true names first," David said.
"I have Karak's." I tapped a finger on my chin. "If we could get him on the pattern, Vallaena could exorcise him."
"I won't be able to do so without complete protection," Vallaena said. "Somehow, we must hold off the other demon lords."
"We'll need to thin the herd before we exorcise Karak," David said. "Once we wipe out the lessers and the knights, that should make it a lot easier for Vallaena to do her thing."
George folded his arms over his chest and nodded. "Agreed. If we fail to break the pattern by exorcism, Mr. Sticks and I will use the counter-patterns to end it."
"Hang on." I raised a hand. "If any pattern will break the daemonculus, why don't we just exorcise a lesser on it?"
"A lesser's pattern is far too weak to override the daemonculus," Vallaena said. "Not even a knight would suffice. Only a demon lord's pattern is powerful enough to overwrite it."
A Templar entered the room. "Agent Walker, I'm Lieutenant Reed. Commander Borathen sent me with a hundred soldiers to help you."
"Excellent, Lieutenant. We're almost ready to move out." George drew a final battle plan on the map and gave us our assignments. Kanaan, my parents, and Tyler were in my group.
"What are you a master of?" Tyler asked Kanaan as we put on our Templar armor and weapons.
Kanaan had no bladed weapons I could see. Instead, two sheathed wands clung about thigh-high to the sides of his robe, and two compact staffs dangled from holsters at his waist. "I do not profess mastery of anything, only proficiency," he said. "I am here by the order of Captain Takei of the Blue Cloaks along with ten of our best battle mages."
"Blue Cloaks?" That was another faction I hadn't heard of.
"The militarized arm of the Arcanes." Kanaan regarded me. "It is my duty to get you close to the demon lords so you can learn their true names. Even if Vallaena can banish Karak on the pattern and break it, we will still need to banish the other demon lords."
"Is that why George put you with us?" Tyler stepped in front of me and shook his head at Kanaan. "There's no way I'm letting her near those monsters."
"Your reluctance is understandable, but our duty is unavoidable." Kanaan stepped closer to Tyler. "You will be her bearer. It is your responsibility to stay close to me and bring Emily close to the demon lords so she can touch them."
At this, Tyler's forehead furrowed. "How am I supposed to do that? Give her a piggyback ride?"
"A flying carpet would be preferable, but impractical in this case." Kanaan put a fist to his chin as if thinking it over. Finally, he nodded. "Yes, a piggyback ride might work best."
"You must be bloody kidding," I said.
"Perhaps you should practice before we deploy." Kanaan looked quite serious.
"Well, if you say so
." Tyler still looked uncertain, but if I had to rely on his supernatural speed and strength to get me around, riding on his back sounded easier than him cradling me or balancing me on his shoulders.
"Maybe pulling me in a little red wagon would be better," I suggested.
He didn't laugh.
"Our transports are ready," George said. "Everyone assemble in the garage."
As the room emptied, I went to my parents and stopped them from leaving. "We need to finish our conversation."
My father nodded. "Your mother told me. Unfortunately, we don't know much more."
I gave them an imploring look. "You don't know who my real grandparents are?"
"We can find them together after this is over." Mum took my hands. "I know we haven't been a real family in a long time, Emily. Perhaps this will give me a chance to know the woman my little girl has grown into."
I felt tears well in my eyes.
"Can I speak to you for a moment?" Tyler said to Patrick.
"Sure." The pair walked away.
I squeezed Mum in a tight hug. "I can't wait. We can take a vacation and do some genealogy research."
"Sounds delightful." She kissed my forehead. "I'm certain that together we can find answers."
"Do you think Lydia will help?" I asked.
Mother's eyes grew troubled. "It's hard to say. Your aunt seems content to let the past remain firmly in the past. I tried piquing her interest, but she always refused—calmly and meekly, of course."
I chuckled. "I'll bet you wanted to punch her."
Mum laughed. "More times than you can imagine, dear. She can be very trying."
Tyler and my father returned, both smiling.
"You two must have kissed and become friends," I said dryly.
"It took some time, but after learning a bit more about jade spirits and seeing Tyler in action, I have to admit he's a good guy." Dad shrugged. "I figured it was time to let go of past prejudices and get over my issues."
Tyler's grin was so wide, he almost looked giddy. He kissed my cheek. "I was going to wait for a better time, but considering the odds we're facing, I didn't want to wait another minute."
I laughed. "To become friends with my father?"
He dropped to a knee and opened a box with a brilliant diamond ring inside. "Emily Glass, you are the most precious person in this world to me. You're my best friend, my lover, and my trusted companion. Being with you has taught me things about myself I never would have discovered on my own. I can't envision a future without you in it." A nervous smile lingered on his lips. "Em, will you marry me?"
