Daemon Uprising

by Mariah Ankenman

  That explained last night.

  “We’re not cops,” Kiernan replied. “We’re just…interested parties.”

  Mara paused, considering them. They must have passed some kind of inner test, because after a few moments, she sighed. Dropping her elbows on the bar, she leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone.

  “Look, all I know is Mr. S bought this place a couple months ago and set up this club. He rarely comes in here. His stupid flunkies run the show mostly. He only shows up after closing hours, and then he goes straight into his office in the back. I’ve only seen him in passing. I’ve never even talked to the guy.”

  “Flunkies?” Tabitha whispered, her gaze darting to Kiernan. Now they were really getting somewhere. She supposed that meant she owed Kiernan an apology about Tweak. Damn, she hated it when the annoying Euadaemon was right. It seemed to happen far too often lately.

  “Yeah,” Mara continued. “The Buffoon Brothers and Queen Ice Bitch.”

  Bingo!

  “What do they do for Mr. S?”

  The woman shrugged, filling another drink order for a customer. “Anything he asks. Alec and Brone are supposed to work crowd control, but most nights they just sit at a back table drinking all our stock and hitting on anything in a skirt.” She rolled her eyes giving Tabitha a look suggesting all men were pigs. “Shanna just walks around like she owns the place. Bitching at everyone, but not really doing anything constructive that I can make out.”

  They hit pay dirt. Thank the gods Stryden—having somehow figured out how not to go mad and persuade other Kakos to follow him—had not retained enough brains to cover his ass better. Almost as if he didn’t care if the council found him. She did not like that thought. It felt too easy. Over her few years of life, Tabitha learned if something was too easy, a catch existed. In this case, the catch likely involved lives, human or supernatural. Something about this whole situation stank.

  “Are his flunkies here tonight?”

  “Ice Bitch has the night off, thank God, but the Buffoon Brothers are sitting at one of the back tables acting like the asses they are.” Mara nodded her head in the direction of the very crowded dance floor.

  No tables were visible, let alone the brothers. That only meant one thing. Mingling. A shudder went down her spine at the thought. Crowds were never her thing. Kind of a strange concept considering she lived in a large city, but nonetheless. Throngs of people made her itchy. Things were fine when she just had to plow through them to get where she was going, but when she had to become a part of the crowd, move and flow with it…well, Tabitha very much enjoyed her own personal bubble of space. Not much personal space in a crowd, especially a gyrating, thumping, sweaty, body-touching crowd. It gave her chills just thinking about it.

  Sensing her discomfort, Kiernan grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Don’t worry, Tabby Cat. I won’t let you get swallowed up by the big bad crowd.”

  She shot him a withering glare. Turning to Mara, she gave the bartender a smile. “Thanks for all your help.”

  “Anytime, hun.” Her voice was low and husky. “Anytime you feel like trading in beef cake for some sweet pie, you just give me a call.”

  Tabitha managed to nod at the overtly sexual bartender who managed being less subtle than a frat boy at a pledge party. Though she never had a thought of switching sides at any point in her life, it was flattering to know she had appeal if she ever wanted to change up her options. She had never gotten even a shiver of excitement from any of Mara’s advances, which kind of led her to believe what they said about it not really being a choice.

  “Come on, Tabby Cat. Time to work.”

  The whispered words in her ear sent shivers down her back. Dammit! She wished attraction were a choice, because if she had to choose who got her all hot and bothered it would certainly not be a too-good-looking-for-his-own-good, arrogant Enforcer Euadaemon. Trying desperately to shove the thoughts and feelings aside, she allowed Kiernan to lead her out onto the dance floor.

  The sea of people: a writhing mass of bodies gyrating to the music pumping from somewhere overhead making movement nearly impossible. Body odor ripe with sweat clung to her nostrils causing her stomach to turn. People actually liked going to these places? She didn’t understand why.

  Abruptly, Kiernan stopped, causing her to stumble into his back. She scowled as he turned, pulled her into his arms, and swayed back and forth.

  “What are you doing?”

  The smirk appeared on his face. “I know you don’t get out much, Tabby Cat, but I do believe you understand the concept of dancing.”

  “I know what dancing is,” she said through clenched teeth. “I meant, why are we dancing?”

  He shrugged, his large hands caressing her lower back as they moved, creating havoc on her already frazzled nerves. “It’s what people do in dance clubs. That’s why they’re called dance clubs.”

  She wished her dress wasn’t so tight. There had been no way to conceal her sword, so she left it home tonight. What she wouldn’t give to have it now so she could use the hilt to bash that stupid smug grin off Kiernan’s face. She wouldn’t really hurt him…much.

  “I may not be as old as you, Kiernan, but I do know why people go to clubs.” She put extra emphasis on pointing out his age, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Why are we dancing?” She lowered her voice and leaned in so he could hear her over the pumping music. “We have some Kakos to catch remember?”

  He leaned in, his mouth so close she felt his warm breath on her ear. “I haven’t forgotten. But if we go storming across the dancing floor looking for them, they’re bound to notice us and take off. We don’t want Stryden to get wind we’re on his trail. We already took a risk by talking to Mara. The brothers are here, somewhere in the club, and we’ll find them. Once we do, we’ll figure out how to lure them outside and take them down, bring them back to council headquarters, and wring every bit of information about Stryden out of them. But we can’t do that if they find us first, so just relax, pretend to have a good time, and keep your eyes open.”

  She had to admit, a good plan. Dammit, she was the one supposed to come up with the plans. Wasn’t it her idea to question the bartenders in the first place? She was the planner. Kiernan was more the fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants-type Enforcer. How had this mission become so screwed up?

  Chapter 13

  Kiernan swept the room with his gaze. Hard to see through the mass of people, but occasionally the crowd parted and he saw glimpses of the tables beyond. No sign of the Kakos yet. They could have tried to find an empty table, but he feared they would look more conspicuous sitting at a table and glancing about the room. Plus, while keeping their cover dancing as just a couple of club goers, he got to keep his hand on Tabitha. And didn’t that make the workday so much more pleasant?

  The music was so loud he felt the bass pumping through the floorboards. Throughout his life, music had changed vastly; some for the better, others…well, some were just not to his palate. Ignoring the mindless thumping of the music, he focused on finding the Kakos. They were here and luckily for the Enforcers, it seemed only the brothers attended the club tonight. If they lured the two outside, he was positive he and Tabitha could take them. Almost positive. If what Racine said was indeed true, and unfortunately all the evidence pointed toward yes, then the Kako brothers had the added strength of a few human souls in their bodies without the negative effect of madness. He’d seen firsthand the strength a human soul added to a Daemon.

  His father, after taking his first soul, doubled his strength in a mere heartbeat. An awesome and terrifying sight to behold. With each soul, his father had grown more powerful and more insane. The insanity consumed him and allowed the Enforcers, Racine specifically, to finally catch and subdue him. The madness took all rational thought from the man, and he fought like a wild animal possessed, exactly what Kakodaemons were. Their lack of rational thought caused them to make mistakes in battle, allowed the Enforcers a chance for an advantage. Brute force was not al
ways the victor. Skill and strategy won battles more often than sheer muscle alone.

  If these Kakos had learned to harness the strength while retaining their ability to think, plan, and strategize, it put every Enforcer at a huge disadvantage. He knew Tabitha’s mind ran along the same thoughts based on the tension emanating from her body.

  “Relax,” he whispered in her ear.

  ****

  The deep tenor of Kiernan’s voice combined with his warm breath did nothing to calm Tabitha. It only served to tighten her body more.

  “We’re here to catch killers, Kiernan. Not unwind with a drink and a dance.”

  “True, but if we don’t look like we’re here to have fun, we will stick out.”

  “I’m not used to having to blend in,” she replied grumpily.

  Her usual missions involved stalking and executing. Find the Kako, kill the Kako. None of this undercover stuff. Hiding was easy; she hid a lot of things in her life, from a lot of people. This pretending stuff did not come as easy. Sure, she pulled it off earlier when she flirted with Hal, but mostly because she was so ticked off at Kiernan she wanted to prove a point. And look what that got her. All wound up and confused. She still felt the taste of him on her lips.

  “I know, but you have to relax.” Kiernan gave her a surprisingly sincere smile. “Just try to pretend you don’t hate my guts.”

  “I don’t hate you, Kiernan.”

  “But you don’t like me,” he countered.

  True. She didn’t like Kiernan. He annoyed her, frustrated her, and turned her body and brain into complete mush with just one look. She did not like Kiernan, but she felt something for him.

  “It doesn’t matter how I feel about you.”

  “It does to me.”

  The tenor of his voice and the staid look in his gaze said he spoke the truth. He actually cared what she thought of him. What a surprise. He was a Daemon who had lived for hundreds of years. Why did he care what one little human thought of him? If it took her the rest of her life, she would never understand this man.

  She tried to think of what to say that didn’t involve I don’t hate you, in fact most days I just want to rip off every scrap of clothing you have on and have my wicked way with you until your damn irritating mouth can’t do anything, but scream my name in pleasure. Only two outcomes to that statement, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to deal with either of them. She was saved from having to say anything when his gaze darted past her and narrowed.

  “Bingo.”

  She knew better than to turn around and look, but it still took every ounce of control not to.

  “Last table on the right. By the exit door. Clever boys.”

  She agreed. Easy access to escape with a human whose soul was ripe for the picking. Kiernan danced them closer to the edge of the dance floor, turning her in a spin so she could catch a glimpse of the brothers.

  A mass of bodies gyrated in the dimness surrounding her, but she managed to get a glimpse of the brothers. They sat in chairs, so she had no idea of their height. Dark hair slicked back with a generous amount of gel on both brothers. Both had on black suits and dark collared shirts with the top few buttons left undone. One wore a diamond stud in his left ear while the other sported a gold chain around his neck. She felt like someone should tell them if they wanted to blend in with human society, they should realize the nineteen eighties were over.

  “So what’s the plan?”

  Keeping the brothers in her peripheral vision, she faced Kiernan again. “We need to get them outside.”

  “Agreed,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist once more and continuing their dance cover. “How?”

  “Bait.”

  “Hell no.” A growl accompanied his words.

  She sighed impatiently. She knew he wouldn’t like the idea. Well, too damn bad. They had a job to do and she may be human, but she wasn’t helpless. I am a freaking Enforcer, for cripes sake. “We have to get them outside somehow.”

  “You are not taking on those two alone. It’s too dangerous. They’re too strong.”

  “I’m not an idiot, Kiernan. Nor am I suicidal. I know I can’t take them by myself.” She moved closer so their bodies barely touched. She stretched onto her toes—even in heels Kiernan towered over her—and whispered in his ear, “You go out back and wait. I go over, get the boys’ attention, and lure them outside. It won’t be hard to do, since I’m sure that’s what they had planned tonight anyway.”

  Kiernan nodded. From their position by the door, it appeared the brothers were in for a quick soul suck in the alley.

  “When we get outside, you ambush them. Take one out as quick as you can, and then help me with the other.”

  Not a great plan—hell, not even a good plan—but the only one they had right now. They couldn’t wait for reinforcements because there were no more reinforcements. If they let this opportunity to catch the brothers go, they would have to deal with the blood of whomever the Kakos killed tonight on their hands. From the look on his face, Kiernan hated the thought of using her as bait. She didn’t much care for it either, but no other option presented itself.

  “I don’t like it,” he grumbled, confirming her theory.

  “Neither do I, but right now it’s all we’ve got.”

  Jaw clenched tight, he pulled her closer so their bodies were flush. She felt the hard muscle of his chest pressed against her own. Her heart started a rapid beat, from the anticipation of the upcoming attack or the nearness of Kiernan, she didn’t know. Most likely both. His gaze locked on her, dark, serious.

  “Give me five minutes to get into position, and then you bring them out. Wait five minutes.”

  She nodded.

  “I mean it. Don’t do anything stupid like try to take them out yourself.”

  She rolled her eyes. Kiernan’s hand left her back and came up to stroke her cheek in a caring gesture that caught her off guard.

  “They’re Daemons, Kakos, and you’re tough, but you are still human. Racine will have my head if I let anything happen to you.”

  “You’d never let anything happen to me, Kiernan.” The words left her mouth before she could stop them. A surprised look flittered across his face before he replaced it with a satisfied gleam. Oh crap! Just what the hell was wrong with her tonight? She had a job, hunting down some of the worst Kakos they had ever seen, and here she spouted off things she should keep to herself to the man who infuriated her.

  “It’s about time you start admitting this thing between us, Tabby Cat.”

  Quickly, she pulled out of his arms, crossing her own in front of her chest. “The only thing between us, Kiernan, is a job.” She glanced through the crowd to the table where the brothers sat. “One we should focus on right now.”

  His gaze narrowed as he matched her stance. “We are. In fact, if they’re watching us, and I’m fairly certain they are, this little tiff will add to the authenticity when you go over to engage them. Play it off as a little revenge flirting to get back at your man.”

  Before she could open her mouth to retort, he continued on.

  “And there most certainly is something between us, Tabitha. There has been for a long time. The alley may have been a cover, but a few more minutes of you grinding that sweet little body against me and we really would have given those guys a show. So don’t try to deny this thing goes both ways.”

  She should have been offended by his crude remark, but she wasn’t. What he said was true, all of it. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted Kiernan, and it looked like he wanted her, too. But at the moment they had a job to do. Because the Kakos might be watching, and because she had wanted to do it ever since she first saw his smug smirk, Tabitha brought her hand back and slapped Kiernan across the face.

  For one brief second, she feared she hurt him, but it didn’t even leave a mark. Honestly, she hadn’t put much force behind it. He played along and rubbed his jaw, hiding a smirk in his hand. His eyes met hers briefly, full of humor.
/>   “Bet you’ve wanted to do that for a while.”

  She coughed into her hands to hide a smile. The humor left his ice-blue eyes as they bore into her.

  “Be safe, Tabby Cat.” His hand reached out as if to touch her, then fell back to his side. “I’ll be waiting.”

  With that he was gone, disappeared into the crowd. She took a deep breath.

  Showtime.

  Smoothing her hands down her dress, she made her way across the dance floor. Weaving her way through the crowd, she approached the table. The Kakos spoke to each other in hushed tones, heads close together, a bottle of tequila on the table between them. As if they sensed her approach, their heads snapped up in unison. The slightly glazed look in their eyes told her the bottle started out the night full. Good, the less coherent they were, the easier she and Kiernan could take them down.

  One of them, the larger one with blond hair, smiled as she approached. His gaze roamed over her body. His eyes were dark blue, cold and hard. Tabitha felt like she needed a long hot shower just to get the grime off from his visual undressing.

  “Nice shoes. Wanna screw?”

  What a charmer. Tamping down the urge to introduce her fist to his groin, she plastered on her best come-hither smile. She would deserve a freaking Emmy for this performance. With a smile she hoped looked more seductive than repulsed, she slid up to the chair across the table from the Kako brothers.

  “Either one of you feel like giving a thirsty lady a drink?” Gaw, had that voice come out of her? She’d been going for sultry but ended up sounding more like a chain smoker hacking up a lung. She just hoped the Kakos were too tipsy to notice.

  Luck was on her side as the silent brother pushed out a chair with his foot and indicated with a nod for her to sit. She sat, accepting the dangerously full shot of tequila he poured and slid over. It sloshed onto the table as she picked it up. Raising it to the brothers in a toast, she closed her eyes and threw it back.

  Her throat burned. Tabitha had never been a heavy drinker, and she really hated tequila. One bad night back in high school had been enough for her to swear off the drink forever, but if she didn’t take the shot the Kakos would know something was up.