“Well you’re half right anyway. And that would be the first thing I’ve heard you say that was even that close,” Brian said. He was a little surprised how calm and quiet his voice sounded in his own ears. Kevin whimpered when Brian lifted his arm over his head and pulled him up to his toes.
“That hurts! Let me go!” Kevin sniveled. Brian felt a sense of satisfaction at the man’s discomfort and helplessness that he didn’t want to examine too closely.
“You hurt and frightened Laura. You hurt and frightened Owen. You attacked me, and threatened to murder me in front of him, and you’re really going to complain to me now about a little discomfort?” Kevin’s eyes flickered from where Brian’s fingers wrapped around his wrist— slim, strong as steel bands, and tipped with knife-sharp talons— and back to his face.
“What are you going to do to me? Oh gods!” Kevin stammered the words out. He was staring at Brian, terror filling every word. He didn’t even struggle now. “I’ll do anything you want. Whatever you want, man. Just don’t kill me.” The idea that this man ever thought he was fit to even start Temple training made Brain faintly ill.
“Whatever I decide to do I’ll make sure that I do it very slowly,” he growled through his teeth. Kevin’s eyes rolled back into his head and the man went limp.
“Unca Brian?” Owen’s small, tear filled voice cracked behind him, and Brian’s rage collapsed in on itself. How could he let Owen see him like this? Well, it was too late now.
“I’m here Owen,” he answered without turning around, doing his best to make sure his voice sounded normal and putting as much warmth and reassurance into it as he could. He felt the impact as Owen wrapped small arms around his waist, mashing his sobs into Brian’s hip. Kevin made a dull thud as he landed on the floor and lay still.
Brian picked Owen up and sat with him on the edge of the bed. Owen didn’t even pause, just burying his face in Brian’s chest, a small child seeking comfort from a trusted grown up. Brian looked down and saw his own hands— a clear, dark red now, clawed fingers tapered and dangerous—stroking gently down the child’s back to provide that comfort. He noticed absently that the accomplice had vanished out the open door when Kevin whimpered, having regained consciousness, and tried to scrabble out. Brian swiveled his attention and growled at the man who whimpered again and cowered back into the corner.
“I don’t like that man. He’s scary,” Owen sniffled from Brian’s shirt.
“I’ll keep you safe. Don’t worry kiddo, the scary man is never going to hurt you again. You’re just fine.” Brian just kept rubbing Owen’s back as the sniffles slowed and he finally started to relax.
“I know, I—” Owen hiccuped. “I’m okay now cause you’re here.”
A few minutes later Owen fell asleep and Brian somehow pulled himself back under control just as the police rolled into the parking lot.
Chapter 16
Brian stopped dead as soon as he walked into the hospital room. Michael Gilbert lay in the bed, looking pale and exhausted, with a massive bandage covering his left shoulder and half of his chest. His face was human, but his skin was almost grey and his cheeks looked sunken. The only word Brian could come up with that seemed appropriate was ‘gaunt’ though that didn’t seem to quite cover it. Michael’s eyes were haunted, and that was perhaps the most disturbing thing.
“Good gods, what happened?” Brian gaped at the bed. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know that there was something in this world that could do that to someone as powerful as Michael.
“Hubris is the short answer,” Michael grimaced and raised a hand to the bandage. “I knew full well that I was going up against a capable and well-prepared enemy determined to extinguish all demon life, and yet took no steps at all to prevent myself from being extinguished. It was a foolish assumption of superior abilities and I am fully aware of how lucky I am to be having this conversation,” Michael sighed and gestured to the chair beside the bed. “I have been thoroughly chastised by basically everyone I know, including the entire nursing staff here.”
“Are you going to be okay?” Brian asked as he took the seat.
“Eventually. I have been informed in no uncertain terms that I am no longer on active duty for the foreseeable future, and if I should get involved in any investigations before I am cleared, the repercussions will be significant. And that was before May started threatening me with various forms of bodily harm should I even consider anything other than rest for the foreseeable future. It seems that the Temple Elders are somewhat more inclined to leniency than my own Priestess.” Humor finally touched his face briefly, before the grave exhaustion returned. “I truly didn’t even consider that I was already weakened, not fully recovered from my first battle with the poison and then this… There was no possible way for me to have prepared myself for this.”
He ran his fingers lightly over the bandage again and the haunted, horror filled expression that whispered over his face made Brian shiver. “I doubt anyone in the Temple’s history have really understood how deeply and thoroughly this Mark and its power winds through a Guardian’s soul. Those who have made the discovery likely did not live long enough to record the experience. I—” Michael lapsed into silence for a long while.
Brian wanted to ask what happened to him, how he had come to be caught as easily as he apparently had— an older woman named Paula who was standing watch in the hallway outside had given him a short briefing on what had happened when Michael had tried to sneak into the poison manufacturer’s lair. He had been overwhelmed somehow, then chained and tortured with a poisoned knife, and was barely alive when May and Anna had found and freed him. Something about the expression in Michael’s eyes stopped him from asking any questions, though.
If he was still willing to teach Brian about his demon power, maybe someday they could talk about it after time worked it’s softening influence on the wounds in Michael’s mind. Brian could understand the need to think about other things when something was too terrifying to process consciously, and decided to let his mentor do what he needed to do to heal. Michael took a deep breath and shook off the train of thought he’d slid into.
“Our power isn’t a bottomless well for us to dip from at our whim, Brian. It is very much a finite resource, and it is very closely entwined with our life force— even more so than with humans— which is why replenishing our power also heals us. Or the other way around, I’ve never been entirely sure which way it goes.”
“Which is why blood is medicine?” Brian asked. Michael nodded.
“Indeed, though it appears that only demons have developed the ability to absorb the power from it as well as the nutrients. I have in the past few weeks expended far too much power to heal quickly, no matter how many donations of blood are offered just now. However, that particular threat is behind us. All the current threats are behind us, I understand. You found the boy on your own?” It was Brian’s turn to nod.
“Yeah. I found a receipt for a place we hadn’t eaten at on the table with a bunch of other stuff. I guessed that either Kevin or his buddy had dropped it in the scuffle but nobody thought anything of it at first. So I rode up to check it out, see if they recognized a photo of Kevin, but when I got there and walked around a bit I… I just knew Owen was nearby, in one of the motel rooms. I could tell it was Owen specifically, not just some random kid.”
“You sensed him specifically? Very interesting.”
Michael fell silent, frowning at something Brian couldn’t see. After several minutes he sighed again and looked up. “What are your plans now? I believe you told me that you had promised Laura that you would stay until the threat to her child had passed.”
“Yeah, well. She’s still pretty shaken up about the whole thing. And Owen…” Brian trailed off, suddenly back in that motel room, cradling Owen in his lap. “Owen saw. I have never been so angry as I was when I saw those bruises on him, and the feet on his face, and I just sort of…” Brian couldn’t look at the man in the hospital bed. Michael looked sick
but entirely human, except for the understanding in his eyes which seemed to go much deeper than any human could achieve.
“He saw your other side,” Michael supplied. Brian nodded again. “And how did he react?”
“He didn’t. Not to that, anyway. He knew who I was and just latched onto my leg once he saw that his kidnappers couldn’t stop him anymore. Wouldn’t even let me set him down for the paramedics to look him over. They had to do their exam with him sitting in my lap. I’m still not completely sure how I managed to look normal again before they got there.” Brian shook his head at the whole thing. “Laura and the detective in charge of the case showed up about an hour later at the hospital up there. I had to do a little dancing around how I’d found them. Somehow I didn’t think ‘demon senses’ would fly very well. I went with ‘I heard Owen crying in the room’ which was a total lie, but nobody pushed me about it. Kevin was arrested, but then some Temple Elder— I guess he’s a friend of yours— he took Kevin off to a Temple facility while we were still at the hospital, because of how he was tangled up with your guy. That slimy jackass.”
“Yes, after I had a short discussion with the man, I agree with you. Kevin is a weak, stupid man with a large ego. A dangerous combination. He will not be missed by society at large.” Michael nodded again and let the room fall silent for a few minutes. A nurse bustled around outside, then whisked cheerfully into the room.
“And how’re you feeling this afternoon, sugar?” She asked her patient, then winked at Brian as she scooted past to do her checks. “I come back after my day off and they tell me he’s back in here again. This one’s spent so much time in our ward that I’m beginning to think he just likes our company.”
“That is certainly true enough, Anita. Your company brightens my time here immeasurably. But I fear you must think of me as more of a fighter than I really am,” Michael smiled as she zipped through her routine, then stood there with her fist resting on her hip. “Honestly, I’d rather stay home with a good book.”
“It’s clear enough to me, sugar. I’ve known men like you. You aren’t one to start a fight, but you’re the one to finish one, every time,” she grinned at him. “And you know how to sweep a nurse right off her feet: that new coffee machine you sent over is much appreciated. Most folks’ll send flowers or a thank you card if they think to send anything at all.”
“Well, now I suppose I will have to think of something else to impress you with. I suspect my stay will be longer this time.”
“Already has been. You know you don’t have to reserve a whole room just to come visit us. You ring if y’all need anything, I’ll just get out of your way, let you get back to your chat with your son,” she winked at Brian again.
“Nephew, actually, but still family. Thank you, Anita.” Michael settled back into the pillows and returned his gaze to Brian. Brian couldn’t quite think of anything to say, but he could tell that his mouth was just hanging open waiting for the words to form. Michael’s gaze was mild when he spoke again.
“Well, cousin perhaps, I can’t really be certain since there is no genetic data on demons at the moment, but I suspect that nephew is accurate. I pointed out the other day that it was likely that your father came from the clan I was born into. There are certain characteristics that narrow the possibilities further to my satisfaction. You are fairly powerful, considering your human half, which indicates certain lineages. Your energies suggest even more to me, being associated with some very specific memories from my past. And you formed a strong enough connection to Owen without even being aware you were doing so, so that you could pick him out of a building full of people without even knowing he was there. I expect you could recognize Laura the same way, and anyone else you are close to. Possibly even myself, May, and Anna already though I’m not so arrogant to think you feel quite as strong an attachment for us. That skill is not unheard of in the Demon Realm, but it is far from common. And it runs in families. So it seems clear enough to me that there is some sort of close family connection between the two of us, and though I can’t prove it I have a strong suspicion. I see no reason not to acknowledge that relationship, unless you have an objection.”
Brian felt like he’d been sucker punched. He was related to Michael? Like, actually related, by blood, to the Demon Guardian of Riverton. And the man just acknowledged it, voluntarily, in public. He tried to speak but only managed to stutter a few words. Michael’s eyes lit with amusement, though he kept his neutral expression.
Brian blinked. He had never had family beyond his own mother, her family having rejected them both before he was even born. Now, after just a couple of weeks he was living with Laura and Owen and he had to admit that what he felt about them wasn’t simple friendship. And now he had a relative, a connection to the heritage he hadn’t even known about for most of his life.
“Does…” he started. “What does that mean, then?” Brian asked. Michael regarded him for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face.
“Well, for one thing, do you plan to stay here in Riverton?” Michael waited for Brian’s nod. “Then to begin with I can offer you a job. And if you need one, a place to live.”
“A job? Doing what?” Brian frowned.
“I find that I can no longer do everything I need to do on my own. I have lived a long time relying only on myself to accomplish the tasks necessary to running my business and doing my research and so on, but now I have other responsibilities that often take me away from those things. I need an assistant, and I think you would suit quite well. You seem to have a quick mind when you’re not entirely blindsided, and you aren’t afraid of taking immediate action when you see the need. Also, I feel I could trust you to protect May should that need arise, not that I expect it to. I plan to be significantly more circumspect in the future.” Michael ran his fingers lightly over his bandage again and winced. “I have promises to keep on that score.”
“You want me to be your errand boy?”
“I don’t believe I said that. I would rather say apprentice. Or perhaps more accurately I am inviting you into the family business. I would offer not simply a paycheck in return— though that is a part of the offer— but I would teach you what you should know about your demon blood, what to do with the power you’ve inherited and hopefully help you become comfortable with that.” Michael seemed almost anxious for a moment before continuing. “I think, perhaps, we both need some help at the moment and I will be honest with you, Brian. I was, once, part of a fairly large clan; a member of a large and powerful family within that clan. Demons think of family differently than you do here— it is coldly political for the most part, to be frank— but the feeling of belonging to a larger whole is, I suspect, very similar. I spent a century alone for all intents and purposes, and now in the past few years I find that I belong somewhere again. To a larger group. It is a feeling I realized that I have missed very much. I would very much like to expand on that if I can. You have not only proven to be a good man, there is an actual blood connection between us. I told Anna recently that I consider my true family to have begun two years ago with my becoming a Guardian, and due to my near death and…” Michael’s whole face softened and Brian could only think of the expression he wore as one of pleasant shock. “Some news I have just learned about, I have decided to start a new clan here. The Riverton Clan. At the moment it consists of myself, May, and Anna, with a number of close allies and honorary aunts and uncles. I would be pleased to be able to include you, officially, and would also welcome any family you start as well.”
Brian stared at the man. Michael was… lonely. His eyes were actually nervous now, almost shy, and Brian could tell that this sort of admission was something he didn’t make often. Brian suddenly remembered how completely alone he had felt at his mother’s funeral. Surrounded by his friends and hers as well, some he’d known his whole life, all making small talk of the kind you do when people know you’ve heard too much sympathy and all he could think at that funerary moment was how he was completely a
lone in the world. Brian held out his hand.
“Perhaps you wish to discuss it with Laura? It is reasonable to take some time to decide,” Michael said, reaching slowly up to take it. Brian blinked at the man in the bed. Michael was a demon, but he was also a Guardian and he worked to keep the whole Human Realm safe. He was the furthest thing from a monster that Brian could imagine, and he already knew what Laura would say.
“Nah. I don’t need to ask. When do I start?” Brian grinned. Michael shook the hand offered and a smile flicked across his face as well. Just for a second, but the joy shone through.
“Right now. Do you think you could ask Anita to bring some coffee in here? And perhaps you could sneak in some sushi? Anna and the nurses have forbidden me to eat any while I am here but it’s really all I want. They had some for themselves at the impromptu potluck earlier and refused to share it with me.” He looked so hopeful that Brian actually laughed.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
*****
Laura sat on the bench and watched the people flow past. It was another beautiful sunny day and it seemed like once again half of Riverton was out enjoying the River Trail. It was the same bench she’d sat on the day they’d met Brian, and Laura had the odd buzzing sensation of having spiraled back around to this place.
It wasn’t a full circle because there were a few very noticeable differences. She was untroubled by Kevin today, and free to enjoy the weather without worrying about where he was and what he might want. Detective Macnamara had assured her that there were plenty of charges waiting for him once the Temple was finished with its questions, and then when the Temple Elders that had taken him into their custody came to see her— one of whom turned out to be the man who had chased the Park Slasher down this very path two weeks earlier— they assured her that they were working with the police and would make sure that she would never be bothered by him again.
Personal Demons: A Riverton Demons Novel Page 12
