Daemon Uprising

by Mariah Ankenman

  “Give her time. She’s just a little freaked out by this. I mean, come on, man, for years she thought she hated you.”

  Kiernan shrugged, agreeing. He rose with Hyde and followed his fellow Enforcer out the door to Racine’s meeting. He would give her time, as much time as it took to get through this meeting, then Tabitha was telling him everything.

  ****

  The library once again filled with people. Celia sat in the corner talking to her lab assistant, Cory. A few people stood in the library Tabitha had never seen before. Three very large men standing by Racine’s desk spoke in low tones with the Enforcer’s leader. The largest had long dark hair in a braid down his back. He wore an amulet in the shape of a wolf around his neck. She would put money on the guy being a shape-shifter.

  The other two men were smaller than the first, but no less imposing. One with golden-brown hair cut close in a military style, the other had hair so light it looked almost silver and hung past his ears in a shaggy unkempt array. No outside signs denoted what kind of supernatural beings the three men were, but she guessed them as the Enforcers Damien sent. Still no one from their own team. Hyde had been the only one to return thus far.

  “Good. Everyone is here.” Racine looked up from his desk. “We can begin.”

  General shuffling sounded as seats were taken. Hyde and Kiernan sat on the large sofa to the side of Racine’s desk. Still unsure of the changes that afternoon had brought, Tabitha selected one of the large chairs in front of Racine’s desk. Kiernan noticed her deliberate avoidance, but other than the slight rise of an eyebrow, he did nothing to indicate it bothered him. Once everyone situated, silence descended. All eyes went to the Enforcers’ leader.

  “First, I want to introduce everyone to Cade, Barrett, and Saint. They’re from Damien’s team in region eight, and we’re damn thankful for the help.”

  The three men nodded their acknowledgement.

  “Next, on to business. As most of you may have discovered by now, we had an early encounter with Stryden and his Kako groupies, cluing them in on just how close we are to them.”

  Tabitha’s skin burned. She felt like every eye in the room rested on her, but when she gave a quick glance around she saw no one looking at her. Either Racine had kept her disobedience under wraps, or no one was angry with her. She wasn’t sure which option she preferred.

  Racine continued. “While this may seem like bad news, there is a bright side to it.”

  She leaned forward in her chair, appreciating the fact something good came out of her bad decision.

  “The Kakos have gone into hiding as expected, but being caught off guard, they left a strong scent trail in their wake. Lucky for us, we have a tracker.” Racine’s gaze shifted to the three Enforcers from Damien’s council. “Saint has already started to track the Kakos’ scent. We believe we know the location of their new hiding place.”

  Good news indeed.

  “Where?” Hyde asked when Racine did not continue.

  The Enforcer leader lifted a finger to his temple. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his head as if a headache had suddenly come upon him. Not a heartening sign.

  “That’s the less encouraging news. These Kakodaemons still have their wits about them. How, we don’t know, but they are not crazy like the Kakos before. For some reason, the human souls are not driving them to madness. Unlike in the past, where a threatened Kako remained in a populated area, too confused to hide, these Kakos are smart.” A cumulative holding of breath as everyone waited for Racine to continue. “Saint tracked their scent to Kenosha Pass. It’s a mountain pass located high in the Rocky Mountains.”

  Bad news. If the Kakos hid in the mountains, they could be anywhere. The Rocky Mountains were vast. Deep canyons, hidden caves, and this time of year plenty of snow to disguise one’s trail. Though they had managed to get the Kakos away from the human population, they now had to deal with the problem of finding the bastards. Stryden was one smart SOB. They had to find him and figure out how he and his cronies retained their intellect when every other Kakodaemon went mad.

  Something Shanna said popped into Tabitha’s mind.

  “Drone,” she exclaimed suddenly.

  All eyes turned to her. Racine shifted in his chair, facing her fully. His brows drew together in confusion.

  “Drone?”

  She licked her dry lips. Her eyes closed as she thought back to what Shanna had said in that dark room at The Basement. “Shanna mentioned something about having the power of a Drone…”

  Kiernan stared at her, his face heavy with concentration. “Yeah, something about being invincible. I remember that word specifically, Drone.”

  “What is a Drone?” Barrett asked, speaking for the first time since the meeting started.

  Racine shook his head. “I don’t know, but whatever it is we need to find out. Celia and I will research to see if we can turn up anything. The rest of you go with Saint. Form groups and search those mountains. I want every inch of those hills inspected until we find those bastards.”

  With a wave of his hand, Racine dismissed them. Celia stepped toward his desk, taking her small laptop out of her bag. Cory, her ever-present shadow, followed. They were in for a long research night. Of that, Tabitha was sure. The rest filed out into the hallway. They ended up in the front room, a large comfortable room with a plethora of couches and chairs, the usual gathering place for Enforcers after a mission. After a trip to the kitchen for some of Bucky’s food, of course.

  As comforting as the room was, no one sat. Tension filled the air as the warriors sized each other up. They may be on the same side, but put enough alpha males in the same room and a testosterone war was likely. Pissing matches were lost on Tabitha. A waste of time. Especially in a situation like the one they were in now.

  “Are we all going to stand around trying to intimidate each other with who has the most badass stare, or are we actually going to get to work and ferret out some Kako ass?” She stared at the men, arms crossed over her middle.

  To their credit, each man glanced away, a sheepish look on their faces. The tallest of the newcomers, the one with high cheekbones and long dark-as-night hair stepped forward. His hand extended out.

  “I’m Saint.” He tilted his head to the left then right. “This is Cade, and that’s Barrett.”

  “Tabitha,” she said, extending her hand. As Saint grasped her hand, a menacing growl filled the room. Looking behind her, Tabitha saw Kiernan. His eyes were dark and threatening, jaw clenched as he stared at Saint with pure malice. It looked as though he wanted to rip the Enforcer’s head right off his very broad, well-toned shoulders.

  Saint snarled at the Daemon, but then seemed to notice Kiernan’s eyes. His gaze shifted back to her, her eyes specifically. Immediately, he dropped his hand and took a giant step back.

  “Apologies, brother. I did not realize she was your Tira.”

  Everyone in the supernatural world knew you did not touch someone’s Tira without permission. The action was a sign of disrespect to both parties.

  Tabitha growled low in her throat. “I’m not his anything. Don’t we have a job to do?”

  “Yes, you are, and yes, we do,” Kiernan replied.

  She opened her mouth to argue with him, but then closed it. No point and time continued to clip along. They had to catch Stryden, Alec, and Brone soon. She could argue with Kiernan later. The fates might have made them Tiras, but she was her own person. She did not belong to anyone. No one told her who her mate was, not even fate. And no matter how strangely appealing the idea of being Kiernan’s Tira was she knew it could only end badly.

  If anyone ever found out she was a Tele, they would use Kiernan to get to her. She couldn’t risk his life by allowing herself to get close with him. Tricky since truthfully she had to admit she was much closer to him than she had been to anyone in…ever.

  Somehow in the time they spent working this assignment, he had gotten inside her, and not just literally. He’d broken down her defenses and saw
the sides of Tabitha she never let anyone see—her home, her sister, her body. The bane of her existence had wormed his way into her life and, if she were brutally honest, her heart. Oh yes, they had much to talk about. Later.

  Kiernan ignored her glare and addressed Saint. “Do you have any idea where they are hiding in the pass?”

  Saint scowled, his brows coming together to make his already fierce face ever harsher. “I’ve narrowed it down to a section of forest, but it’s still about five hundred acres.”

  A lot of land to cover, even for supernaturals.

  “We’ll split up into teams of two,” Saint continued, taking charge. He pulled out a topography map of Kenosha pass. The others huddled around it, content to let Saint take the lead. For now.

  “Cade and Barrett, you take this quadrant.” Saint pointed to a section on the map. “Tabitha and…”

  “Kiernan.” Kiernan supplied his name, a small warning tone still in his voice.

  Saint nodded. “Kiernan, you two take this section here. I’ll cover the rest with…”

  “Hyde.”

  “Good to meet you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Maybe next time you all should try introducing yourselves before seeing who has the biggest dick.”

  The men’s eyes widened at her coarse statement. Well, no one had ever accused her of being a lady.

  Saint’s features softened as a smile cracked his face. A burst of laughter doubled him over. He composed himself, rubbing a hand over his silky black braid. “I like your woman, Kiernan. She’s got spunk.”

  “I’m not his woman. Call me that again, and I’ll show you spunk,” she challenged, reaching to pull her sword from its hiding spot at her back.

  Kiernan put a gentle hand on her arm to stop her. “Come on, honey, we’ve got a job to do.”

  She glared at him as he gently pulled her toward the door, the other men following behind. “Ugh, I think I prefer Tabby Cat.”

  The corners of his lips turned up into that little smirk she was—for crazy reasons she would not delve into at the moment—beginning to love. He said nothing as he led them out the front door.

  Chapter 26

  The day turned into dusk, light fading from the sky. Blue gave way to pink, orange, and purple in the sky. Minimal cloud cover, but with the fading daylight, no one would see them clearly. Anyone out in the forest would mistake them for birds. Tabitha figured since the area they were headed for still had deep snow, someone backpacking was highly unlikely. Too cold to camp at night.

  “We meet back here in three hours to report,” Saint said.

  The group nodded. Cade and Barrett let their wings out. Beautiful soft feathers appeared from the slits in their jackets reaching out until their full six feet emerged. They took to the sky, flying high into the clouds until Tabitha could no longer see them. She shuddered, bringing her gaze back down to the earth where she was comfortable. Hyde and Kiernan did the same. Their wings, just as large and beautiful appeared from their backs. She dreaded what came next.

  As she suspected, Kiernan’s arms opened. His eyes lit with humor and anticipation. Honestly, she really did not mind being held by him. The flying part, however, she dreaded.

  “Oh come on, Tabby Cat,” he teased. “Afraid of a little flying?”

  Eyes narrowed, she sneered. “No, afraid a lot of falling!”

  The teasing left his face. “Have I dropped you yet?”

  “No,” she answered truthfully. Not that she let him fly with her much, only a time or two.

  “Then trust me. I won’t let you be hurt, Tabitha. I swear.”

  If only he knew, he could hurt her worse than anyone. A broken bone from falling to the ground healed. A broken heart from falling for Kiernan was something she didn’t think she could ever recover from. And he would break her heart. If he knew what she really was, he would leave her.

  Too dangerous to be close to her. Everyone left her—her father, her mother, even her sister had left her, retreating into her own mind. Kiernan would leave her too, and Tabitha couldn’t take another person she loved leaving. Not that she loved Kiernan. She didn’t. She didn’t. And she’d keep repeating it to herself until it felt true.

  Hesitantly, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. His eyes closed as he leaned into her and inhaled deeply.

  “You smell amazing,” his deep voice whispered in her ear, sending chills through her entire body.

  “Be careful out there,” Saint said pulling their attention to him. “If you find them, don’t engage. Report their location back to Racine, and we’ll go after them together. It will take all of us to take these Kako bastards down.”

  With that, Saint lifted his hand to the fading sky. He muttered a few words under his breath. The others watched as his body shimmered and hummed. One minute Saint stood there, a tall muscular man. The next, he shrank, feathers poking from his skin, body shifting, face contorting. Beautiful and horrifying at the same time. It only took the breadth of a moment and he changed. The once six-foot-four, dark-skinned man was now a one-foot brown barn owl.

  His wings stretched out. A hoot came from his beak, and he took to the sky with Hyde right on his heels. Make that claws.

  “Shape-shifter. I knew it,” Kiernan muttered. His deep blue eyes left the sky and turned to her. “Ready?”

  “No.”

  He chuckled before tightening his grip on her and taking off into the night sky. She let out a small squeak. From surprise, not fear—if anyone believed that, she also had a nice bridge to sell them. She shut her eyes tight and buried her face in the crook of Kiernan’s neck. He smelled like the forest—trees, musk, man. Breathing in deeply, she let the smell calm her.

  They flew in silence through the chilly night air. Kiernan’s arms were warm and strong as they held her secure against his chest. High in the sky where no one would see, she let herself enjoy his embrace. It might be the last time she could. Everyone wondered how a human could be a Daemon’s Tira. Tabitha knew how. She wasn’t human, not fully anyway.

  Her Tele abilities gave her just enough supernatural juice to be considered nonhuman. Though she still had all the qualities of a human, human speed, strength, and life span. Now her life span matched a Daemon’s. How could a human be a Daemon’s mate? They couldn’t. She was not human, but no one could know that. It would put her and everyone she cared about in danger.

  Brone knew she was a Tele, which meant Stryden knew as well. The thought slammed into her consciousness. The Kakos knew she was a Tele. How had she forgotten? She shouldn’t go after them; she should run, as fast and as far as possible. They knew she worked with the Enforcers. She’d put everyone in danger. A shudder racked her body as the implications settled in.

  “Hey, you okay? You cold, Tabby Cat?” Kiernan’s voice shouted in her ear, dulled by the wind whipping by them.

  “I’m fine,” she shouted back to him.

  “We’re almost there. Just a little bit farther.”

  True to his word, Kiernan descended to the ground a few minutes later. They came down in a heavily wooded area. Aspens, branches still bare from winter, and pine trees with green needles covered in a thin layer of frost surrounded them as they came back to earth. A few inches of snow coated the ground. It crunched loudly in the silent woods as Kiernan landed. His arms relaxed, and she slid from his grasp, her steps creating the same loud noise.

  They stood perfectly still for a moment, their eyes quickly scanning their surroundings, taking everything in. The moon shone three quarters full, and the clouds had scattered. Even without the aid of a Daemon’s night vision, Tabitha saw their surroundings clearly. Her ears, however, picked up nothing. No sound, not a whisper of a breeze, no nocturnal animal calls, nothing. The snow created a blanket of utter silence.

  A soft touch on her arm caused her to turn her head. Kiernan motioned with his hands for her to follow him. She nodded, willing to let him take the lead. She wanted to find these Kako bastards, and Kiernan had the super
Daemon senses, so she let him guide the way.

  They walked in relative quiet. Their soft footsteps sounded overly loud in the stillness of the night. The lack of forest noises eerie and yet encouraging. It meant they were close.

  Suddenly, Kiernan stopped, causing her to slam into his back. He turned back and steadied her with a hand on her upper arm. Leaning in until his lips were right by her ear, he spoke. His voice so low she barely made out his words.

  “They’re here.”

  Chills, having nothing to do with the cold night air, raced up her spine. Her eyes scanned the forest, but saw no sign of them. They’re here? Where? She didn’t see anyone. Her gaze darted back to his. He tilted his head slightly up. Careful not to give anything away, she tilted her head ever so slightly and scanned the treetops. Sure enough, she saw a large dark form crouching in the trees.

  “Stay here,” Kiernan whispered in her ear.

  She grabbed his arm. “We’re not supposed to engage, remember? Track and report.”

  “He already knows we are here. Besides, there is one of him and two of us. Pretty good odds we can knock the bastard out, drag him back to headquarters, and get their new hiding place out of him.”

  Not a bad idea.

  “When he falls, be ready to take him down. Down not out.”

  Tabitha’s hand already rested on her sword, bringing it out, but not extending it. If she brought out the blade, it would be too noisy, plus she might be tempted to slice the Kako’s head off, and Kiernan was right. If that form was Alec or Brone, they could torture him until he gave away Stryden’s position. She just had to use the hilt to knock him out.

  “I’ll flush him out,” Kiernan whispered in her ear, his warm breath causing a whole different set of chills to race through her. “Be careful, Tabby Cat.”

  With that, he pulled away. His wings already expanded from the flight over. In a heartbeat, he nodded to her, then took to the sky. He flew so fast she barely saw him as he swept into the treetops straight toward the waiting Kako.