Daemon Uprising

by Mariah Ankenman

  The kitchen was nearly empty when he arrived. Bucky cooked on the stove. The smells wafting over to him made his empty stomach rumble in anticipation. He found Tabitha in a pair of faded jeans and a black tank top—either borrowed or left at headquarters for nights such as last night—sitting at the kitchen island drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. She glanced up as he walked in.

  “What did Celia say?”

  The Tabitha he knew had returned. No small talk, no good morning, straight to business. At the stove, Bucky turned her head to glance at him over her shoulder.

  “There you are. Sit down, child, breakfast is almost ready.”

  He grabbed himself a cup of coffee and sat at the island across from Tabitha. “Smells delicious, Bucky.”

  Setting a plate piled high with bacon, toast, and a generous portion of steaming scrambled eggs in front of him, Bucky smiled. He shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth and closed his eyes in bliss as the delectable flavors exploded on his tongue. Oh yeah, this was what he needed. Nothing killed a hangover like Bucky’s breakfast.

  “Delicious, Bucky.”

  The housekeeper smiled at him, then turned a sour gaze to Tabitha. “You should tell your fellow Enforcer that. Not good to start the day on an empty stomach.”

  Tabitha sighed wearily. Judging by her put-upon expression, that was not the first mention of the subject this morning.

  “I already told you, Bucky. It’s too early for breakfast.”

  “It’s well after eight in the morning.”

  “Too early for me,” Tabitha grumbled. “I’m fine with coffee.”

  “Hmph, coffee is not breakfast.”

  Kiernan ate his breakfast in silence, enjoying the banter. Two more stubborn women he had never met in his life. Neither good at backing down and both always wanted their way. Good thing he wasn’t a betting man. No telling who would win this battle of wills.

  “If I eat a bagel, will you leave it alone?”

  The older woman eyed the younger. “As long as you put some jam on it.”

  “Fine. Done.” Exasperated, Tabitha plucked a bagel from the counter and a jar of strawberry preserves.

  A compromise? Who knew either woman had it in her? Kiernan suspected this was the only way they would both win, and the women knew it. He always thought women the sneakier sex.

  “So what did Celia say?” Tabitha asked again as she sliced the bagel and proceeded to slather it with red jam.

  He finished his eggs, picking up his toast to enjoy a bite before he answered. “She had me do a recording to see if she can decipher it.”

  Tabitha took a bite of bagel and sat pensively. For a minute, only the sounds of chewing filled the kitchen.

  “You know what still bugs me?” Tabitha asked. “Where the hell did Brone go?”

  He wondered the same thing all night and into the morning. He also wondered how the hell Shanna had known he would be outside and that he was an Enforcer. Too many questions unanswered for Kiernan’s liking.

  “It just doesn’t make any sense,” Tabitha muttered.

  They fell into an uneasy silence. Dozens of theories poured through his head, none of them logical enough to voice. Bucky began to clear away the breakfast dishes. He stood to help, but the old woman waved him off.

  It would be nice to go back to The Basement, but they couldn’t risk that again. Not with so many humans present. Exposure was something neither side wanted; it risked creating an all-out war, humans against supernaturals. Even the Kakos, crazy as they were—or not being the present case—knew it.

  They had to come up with a new plan. At least they knew for a fact Stryden and his goons used The Basement as a front for their feeding ground. Now if they could only find a way to apprehend them without any humans present.

  Damn, Stryden had a smart setup. The council knew his whereabouts, but they couldn’t touch him for fear of exposure. When did Kakos get so smart?

  “Racine said Hyde is coming back from his assignment,” Bucky said as she wiped her hand on a dishtowel. “He’ll be in tonight to give you a hand.”

  “That’d be great, if we knew what we needed a hand with,” Tabitha grumbled.

  This op differed from every other one Kiernan had been on. His usual mode of operation: find the Kako, kill the Kako. Short, sweet, and to the point. This, however, was one big shit-storm.

  Oh, they’d found the Kakos all right, but, unfortunately, they had no way to kill them. They barely got away last time against two Kakos. What would happen if all four joined the fight? He’d most likely die, as would anyone fighting alongside him. Not a pleasant thought. They needed a new plan, approach the situation from a different angle.

  Bucky patted him on the shoulder with a wrinkled hand as she passed. “I’m sure you two will think of something.”

  The kitchen fell silent at the old woman’s departure. Kiernan finished his breakfast and took his dish over to the sink. When he sat back down, he noticed the look on Tabitha’s face, her “I’m formulating a plan” look. Finally…He sat forward eagerly.

  “You have a plan.” A smile curved his lips.

  She frowned, forehead wrinkling. “How do you know?”

  “I’ve known you for almost ten years, Tabby Cat,” he said plainly. “I understand your mind better than you think.”

  She gave him a peeved look as she took a sip of coffee and finished her breakfast. “Well, apparently, you don’t, because I don’t have a plan.”

  “But you’re coming up with one right now, aren’t you?”

  A knowing smile turned up one corner of her delicious mouth. “Maybe.”

  He let out a shout. “I knew it! So what’s the plan, Tabby Cat?”

  “First, for you to stop calling me that,” Tabitha growled, her gaze narrowing on him. “The rest is a little hazy. Give me a few hours.”

  He wanted to get started right away, but they needed time to plan. Plus, Hyde would return tonight so they had another Euadaemon on the team. The odds looked better. Until then, he would have to occupy his time with other things.

  His gaze fell on Tabitha. The jeans fit her perfectly, shaped her legs and hugged her ass in a way that made a man drool. The thin tank top revealed she had not put on a bra this morning. He wondered if what they said was true about small-breasted women having more sensitive nipples. Would they perk up with just a graze or would he have to taste them to bring them to hardened little peaks? Oh yeah, he could think of a lot of great ways to pass the time. Too bad she wouldn’t agree with him.

  ****

  Tabitha saw the heat in Kiernan’s eyes as he stared at her. Or she should say, stared at her breasts. She’d always been a small woman, including the chest department. She had a nice body, fit from training and her generally healthy diet, but rarely had she experienced a man staring at her chest. Come on, there wasn’t much there to see. Kiernan, evidently, disagreed. His gaze was glued to her chest as if she held the secret to life in her boobs.

  She should have been offended. His actions should have pissed her off. When a man stared at a woman’s chest, she should be angry. She was…turned on. Instead of shouting or smacking the man upside the head—which she would really have loved to do—she sat there. Her breathing hitched, her pulse quickened, and much to her horror, she felt her nipples harden. Why, oh why, hadn’t she put on a bra today?

  Frozen in her seat by the heat of Kiernan’s gaze, she watched his eyes widen. His brows quirked up, and a smirk curled his lips. Lips, she remembered as soft and oh so tempting. His intense blue eyes finally lifted off her chest and settled onto her own. They were much darker than usual, dark with desire.

  Her breath caught in her throat. I’m in trouble.

  Kiernan frowned, his head turning to the kitchen door. He turned back to her. “Did you just hear—”

  Shit! Did she just project that? She jumped off her stool. “I have to go…figure out…stuff to plan.”

  Racing for the kitchen door, she berated herself for
making such a stupid mistake. She had to focus, concentrate. Now was not the time to let her guard down. Dammit! This was why she never allowed herself to get into a relationship. As she reached the kitchen door, a strong hand gently gripped her arm and swung her back around.

  Kiernan’s brows knitted in concern. “Tabitha, are you okay?”

  He stroked her cheek softly, and it took all her concentration to keep her mind closed. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just want to start planning. The sooner we have a solid plan, the sooner we can get Stryden and the rest. They’re dangerous, and we need to get them off the street.”

  The worry left his face, but it remained reflected his eyes. Before she could protest, Kiernan bent his head and kissed her. A soft kiss, like the one they had shared last night, tender and sweet. She didn’t stop him; truthfully, she didn’t want him to stop. If she was truly honest with herself, she really wanted to strip them both naked and take him there on the kitchen floor. Then they could find a bed later. But they couldn’t do that, and she knew it. She’d already slipped once; she couldn’t afford to slip again.

  “Don’t worry so much. We’ll get them, Tabby Cat. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  His deep voice held strong conviction. So sure of everything, this Daemon. She just wondered if he would maintain that promise if he ever found out her true identity.

  Chapter 17

  Kiernan spent most of his day in the training rooms in the basement. He walked by Celia’s lab a few times, but the Witch just scowled and waved him away. Apparently, he annoyed her. He couldn’t help himself. He needed answers and he needed them yesterday. Every day Stryden and his gang were left alone, another day an innocent could die. People were not completely innocent, but no one deserved to have their soul sucked from them.

  The brilliant pink and orange hues of the setting sun streamed through the windows when he finally went upstairs, after Celia threatened to have him forcibly removed. As he climbed the stairs to the main floor, he heard the sounds of conversation coming from the kitchen. Quickly moving across the hallway, he went to investigate.

  The kitchen door swung open to reveal a small gathering of people. Bucky, Tabitha, and Hyde crowded around the far end of the large table in the corner. At his arrival, the group looked up. Hyde stood, striding forward, hand extended in the typical greeting. Kiernan grasped his fellow Enforcer’s arm and pulled him into a brief embrace. Standard greeting for Daemons, grabbing the forearm to ensure no weapons hidden in a sleeve and showing affection through touch.

  “Hello, brother, good to see you,” Hyde said as he clasped Kiernan close.

  They weren’t really brothers, but brothers in arms. The two Euadaemons had been paired together many times over the centuries. They were also distant cousins, but a lot of Daemons were distantly related, much like humans.

  “How’s the situation in the Northwest?”

  Hyde glanced at Tabitha as he replied. “Much the same as it is here, I’ve discovered.”

  Not good news.

  “They’re grouping in Portland as well?”

  Hyde nodded grimly. “We found three different factions. Luckily, they were small groups, only two or three Kakos each. We took two of them out.” He rubbed a weary hand over his face. “The third one got away from us. There were five in that group. The others are tracking them now.”

  “So what are you doing back? Not that we’re not glad to have you. The more hands the better.”

  Hyde nodded, the exhaustion clearly showing on the man’s face. “That’s what Racine thought, too. We made some headway out there deciphering that strange language they use so much. I have a transcript from a recording a fellow Enforcer in region eight managed to get during an attack last week.”

  That piqued Kiernan’s interest. So their Kako group wasn’t unique and speaking the same strange language. It gave credence to his hearing the language as a child. Hopefully, Hyde could tell them how to translate the language.

  Hyde gave a sad smile. “Don’t get too hopeful. They can’t translate it, yet.”

  “But they have an idea how to?” Tabitha asked impatiently.

  Hyde nodded. “They think most of it is based in the ancient Greek language. Racine contacted me last night. He said you guys might have a recording of it as well.”

  Racine, always a step ahead. A good leader.

  “Yeah.” Kiernan indicated the basement door with his head. “I just gave a recording to Celia. She’s been analyzing it all morning.”

  “Guess I better go compare notes.”

  Hyde left them and headed toward the basement. Tabitha started past Kiernan, grabbing her jacket and throwing it over her shoulder on the way.

  “I gotta go. I’ll be back in a few hours. With any luck between the two of them, we’ll have something by then.”

  He followed her out of the kitchen and into the hallway. “Where are you going?”

  She turned to face him, giving him a somber look. “It’s Monday.”

  Monday. Everyone at council headquarters knew where Tabitha went on Monday, Lakeview Hospital. She’d been visiting her sister every week for ten years. No one was sure if it helped. Tabitha never talked about it, and no one asked. He was sure Racine knew a little more than everyone else, but the Euadaemon leader never shared, out of respect for Tabitha. Perhaps if she let someone else in, like him, it would erase that haunted look she got every time she went to visit out of her eyes. He wished there was something he could do, he felt helpless and he did not do helpless.

  “Do you need a ride?” he asked quietly.

  Tabitha narrowed her eyes. Holding up his hand in defense, he smiled.

  “I mean in a car, of course, not the sky.”

  ****

  Tabitha’s fingers fiddled with the edge of her black t-shirt. Her car sat back at her apartment. She could take one of the cars left here specifically for Enforcer missions. True, this wasn’t a mission, but no one would really care. Especially since most of the Enforcers were out of town. Kiernan dug a key out of the front pocket of his snug black jeans.

  “Here,” he said, holding it out to her. “Take my car.”

  She studied the key in his hand. His big, strong hand. A hand which had given her so many conflicting emotions over the years—annoyance, comfort, assistance, friendship, passion. Kiernan tried so hard to be a part of her life, and she kept pushing him away. She told herself it was for his own good, but was it? Who was she really protecting, Kiernan or herself? Her gaze left his hand, traveling up to his face. No mocking smile on his lips, just the warm concerned look of a friend trying to lend a helping hand.

  “Will you come with me?”

  Kiernan’s eyes widened in surprise but then warmed. He reached out to brush his hand gently against her cheek. “Of course.”

  She placed her hand over his where it rested on her cheek and closed her eyes, letting his strength fill her. She never brought anyone with her to see her sister. Her time with Krista was a personal and private thing. She wasn’t entirely sure why she invited him now. Today, she needed some extra strength and perhaps even some comfort. Kiernan provided both.

  She opened her eyes and smiled, then reached out with her other hand and grabbed the key from his palm. “I’m still driving.”

  She turned and headed out the door, hearing his soft chuckle as he followed.

  They drove in silence to the hospital. She parked in the building’s parking garage and silently walked toward the entrance. Kiernan followed behind, not saying a word. For which she was grateful. No teasing, no joking. He knew this was important to her and showed respect. Who knew Kiernan could be mature?

  She walked through a doorway with a sign above reading “Visitors.” After checking in at the front and receiving visitor badges, they walked to the elevators at the far end of a hallway.

  “She hasn’t woken since the attack.”

  He looked up in surprise as her voice filled the silent space of the large elevator.

  “I talk t
o her every week, but she never wakes up.”

  She tried but could not keep the pain out of her voice. Ten years had passed, yet every time she came to see her sister, the terror and fear of that night resurfaced. So did the guilt for failing her. Kiernan reached out to grasp her hand, gently stroking the back of it with his thumb. She really shouldn’t confide in him or take comfort, but she was just so tired of carrying all this on her own.

  “The doctors say she’s in a coma. They don’t know when or if she will ever wake up. I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything. I even had Sel work some spells for me, but nothing works. It’s like she’s lost in her mind and she can’t find her way out.”

  Tears welled in the corner of her eyes. She brushed them away. She never cried, especially not in front of people. Emotions meant weakness. An Enforcer couldn’t afford to be weak. She sucked in a deep breath, stemming the tears as best she could.

  Kiernan pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair, holding her tightly. “You can’t fix everything, Tabitha.”

  “I know. But I should at least be able to fix my sister,” she mumbled into his broad chest, inner battle raging.

  Be strong. Lean on him. I don’t need him. Yes, I do.

  “She doesn’t even respond when I—” She cut herself off.

  “When you what?” he asked, pulling her away slightly so he could look down at her.

  “Nothing. Never mind.”

  Oh shit, shit, shit! She almost revealed her secret. The one she kept her whole life. The one that would get her killed if anyone found out. Stupid Tabitha! The reason she never confided in people. Get too comfortable and things slipped out. She could not allow things to slip.

  The bell chimed, indicating they had reached their floor. Once the heavy metal doors opened, she hurried off the elevator with Kiernan close on her heels. She moved with familiarity down the hallway, taking a turn here and there until she finally stopped at room 601. She turned to face him, mouth open, but no words came out. How could she politely tell him she wanted to go in alone? He’d come all this way with her, for her, but she needed private time with her sister.