“Well that’s comforting,” I muttered.
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
The male demon behind us chuckled, and would be henceforth labeled Chuckles in my head since I didn’t know his name. The two women I’d already begun to think of as Legs and Mouse.
So it wasn’t terribly creative, but if people failed to introduce themselves, they couldn’t complain about the names I’d give them.
We approached the house at the end of the drive. It was an old Victorian, not well-maintained, which wasn’t surprising given the overgrowth of the yard. It was like walking through a jungle. Ominous, since whatever might be lurking in the trees was far more dangerous than lions, tigers, or bears.
Ethan reached the front door, then knocked on the peeling paint.
I stayed back with the other three demons. If someone was on the other side of the door with a gun, I’d let Ethan deal with it. Any of the demons would probably survive a gunshot better than I would.
To my surprise, someone actually answered. He was tall and thin, and careful to keep his lips sealed as he smiled. Vampire, not demon, was my guess.
Ethan stood only a few paces away from him, close enough for the vampire to rip out his throat in a flash, but he didn’t seem worried. “We’d like to speak with the master of this household. Bring us to him.”
The vamp’s eyes flicked to me, and he held my gaze for a little too long. If I had to guess, he recognized me. I was becoming too popular for my own good.
After a moment’s consideration, he stepped back and opened the door wide. Ethan led the way inside.
I looked to Legs, Mouse, and Chuckles. “After you.”
Legs and Mouse walked inside, but Chuckles just stared at me until I went first.
Once we were all inside, the vamp shut the door behind us, then led us deeper into the house, his polished loafers barely making a sound on the dirty wood floor. The first room we reached was a moonlit kitchen with an open floor plan. Windows lined two of the walls. I glanced out them as the vampire went through an adjacent door. No movement outside, nor headlights.
We all continued through the house, and I almost got bored. It was just a rundown old house, not what you’d expect for the lair of an ancient vampire. I’d at least been hoping for some spooky candelabra and spiderwebs.
The vamp reached another door and opened it, revealing dark stairs leading down. Gre-eat. We were going to the basement.
Ethan went down ahead of the vamp. If he could be brave, I guess I could too, though I didn’t like it. I especially didn’t like that Allison could be somewhere down in that basement, in who knew what condition. I could at least hope that she was still alive, for now. If the vamps just wanted to kill her, they would have done it before. No, they took her because they wanted leverage over me, or leverage over Devin.
I went down the stairs after the vampire, but before the other three demons. The old wood creaked under my weight. A dim glow became apparent as we neared the bottom, flickering, not steady. It seemed I was going to get my creepy candelabra after all.
I reached the landing, then looked to my right where the vampire and Ethan had gone. Two men and three women waited for us in the candlelit basement. One of the men, Stanos I presumed, was seated in a high backed chair, fancy enough that it looked like a throne. The other man and the three women all stood behind him. The set up would have seemed ridiculous, with the leader in his throne with his four lackeys at his back, if only the leader weren’t so utterly terrifying.
Long hair, so blonde it was almost white, reached the shoulders of his finely cut black suit. Dark eyes stared out of a gaunt face with a strong nose and jaw. He smiled, flashing fangs, but it wasn’t the fangs that were scary. I’m not great at telling supernatural creatures apart, but when there’s enough power, I can feel it. And I could really feel it.
He stood. “I am Stanos, welcome to my home. I have been waiting a long time to meet you, Alexondra.”
I moved so I was standing beside Ethan and not behind him. “Funny, I’d never even heard of you until tonight. Where is Allison?”
“Ah, the human girl.” His voice was deep and smooth as butter. It seemed strange coming out of such a gaunt face. “I must say, I’ve always had an affinity for blondes.”
I clenched my hands into fists. The worst part about any creature that lived more than a couple hundred years was that they loved to play games. Life probably got too boring otherwise. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Your human is fine, I only wanted to see you. But I must admit I’m a bit offended by your demon entourage. I’d assumed you come with wolves.”
Ethan cleared his throat. “You’re working with rogue demons. You had to expect the Council sooner later.”
Stanos splayed his arms. “I see no demons here, other than the ones you have brought with you. Your accusations ring hollow.”
I glanced back at the other demons, only then realizing that the vamp who’d led us down was gone. Just what had he run off to do, and how many more vamps were in the house? He could be running off with Allison while we all waited stupidly in the basement.
I turned around to find Stanos and the other vamps had moved closer. I hadn’t seen any of them move, it was like I’d lost time.
I reached out for my magic, building it up inside of me. If the vamps could move without me noticing, I needed to be ready to summon fire in a heartbeat.
Stanos tilted his head. “Now Alexondra, we have offered you no violence. We would not dare attack the Demon Council.”
My palms itched with the need to physically manifest my magic. Plus I just really wanted to light this guy on fire. “If you don’t want any violence, then stop trying to move around without me noticing. I came here for Allison. Now where is she?”
“And what of the demon, Nix, is it? You search for her as well?” He didn’t take another step forward, but I felt as if he was looming over me. I’d never met a vampire who could perform actual mind tricks, but it seemed I’d finally gotten lucky.
“Do you have her?” I nearly cursed at the hitch in my voice. I looked to Ethan, who was being absolutely no help at all.
He smiled, not nervous in the slightest. “You asked us here as backup, Ms. Meyers.”
Great, I was actually in charge for once, so I’d better start acting like it. I took a step forward, closing the distance between me and Stanos, though it took all of my willpower to do so. I summoned a flame in my palm. “Look, buddy, I know you took Nix, I know you had Jason attacked, and I know you’ve been working with the demons who stole the travel spheres.” I bit my tongue. Probably shouldn’t have mentioned those in front of Ethan. Oh well. I kept my eyes on Stanos. “My point is, I’m pretty tired of your crap. Now tell me where Allison and Nix are, or I’m going to light all of you on fire.”
Stanos stepped closer. Way too close. He leaned down near my shoulder. His breath stank of fresh blood, and I couldn’t help but wonder who he’d been feeding on. “Meet with me alone, Alexondra, and I will return them both to you unharmed. There are things we must discuss that are meant for your ears alone.” He lowered his voice enough that some of the vampires in the room might not even hear. “Your father would have wanted you to hear me out.”
I stepped back like I’d been bitten. Suddenly the room was just a blur of movement. I still had the flame in my palm, but I couldn’t see anything clear enough to throw it. I might hit Ethan or one of the other demons. Something grazed my side, tugging at my coat.
As quickly as the motion began, it ended, and I was suddenly alone in a room with just Ethan and the three demons.
“Well crap. I didn’t expect that to happen.”
Ethan gave me a thoroughly annoyed look. “Let’s get out of here. We won’t find them again.”
I stuck my hands into my coat pockets. My fingers grazed a folded piece of paper on the side where I’d felt something tug at the fabric during the chaos. It seemed Stanos or one of the other vampires had slipped
me a note. I kept my hands in my pockets, but didn’t pull out the paper. “Why don’t you think we’ll find them? They have to be in this house somewhere.”
Ethan sucked his teeth. “Each of those vampires was just as old as Stanos. If ancient vampires do not want to be found, they will not be found. And if your friend was in this house previously, she is no longer.” He turned and headed toward the stairs, followed by Legs, Chuckles, and Mouse.
I hurried after them. “You don’t know for sure she isn’t hidden somewhere in the house. We have to look.”
“Look around if you please,” Ethan said as he reached the top of the stairs, “but you will not find her. You heard Stanos, he wants to speak with you.” He waited at the top of the stairs for the rest of us, then stood regarding me. “What was the final thing he said? It seemed to surprise you.”
“Just that if I cared about Allison, next time I’d meet him alone,” I lied.
Ethan stared at me for several heartbeats. It was difficult not to squirm under his gaze.
“Very well,” he decided. “Call me if you find out anything useful, but do not call again for backup if you’re just going to waste my time. This was obviously a meeting intended for you, and you alone.”
“I didn’t—”
He held up a hand to cut me off, then pulled something out of his coat pocket. He extended it to me.
Realizing what it was, I took the cell phone from his hand, then observed it. “Um, no offense, but no one uses flip phones anymore.”
“Get rid of your personal phone. Use that the call me, and only that. Ancient vampires have many tricks.”
I furrowed my brow. “What, you think he’s going to use his mind powers to hack into my cell phone and find you?”
Ethan frowned. “No, I think he might threaten someone to hack into your GPS to follow you, and I don’t relish the thought of an ambush waiting for me upon my next visit. Leave your personal phone underground, and just use that.” He gestured to the phone in my hand. “I’ll give you a new one next week.”
I wanted to argue, but he snapped his fingers. He and the three other demons disappeared as if they’d never been, leaving me alone in the creepy vampire house. I almost thought about waiting around to see if Stanos would come back and talk to me now that I was alone, but thought better of it. He obviously didn’t want to talk in front of the Demon Council, so if the meeting were to happen, it wouldn’t be somewhere they knew about.
I looked around my dark surroundings. Ethan was right. Allison wasn’t here, and I’d have to see Stanos again, alone, if I wanted to get her back.
I found my way back to the front door and went outside, wondering why things always had to get more complicated. You’d think it would be easy. Get in, fight the bad guys, then get out. Yet the bad guys were always throwing me for a loop, and sometimes I wasn’t even sure who the bad guys were. Maybe they were all bad guys. Maybe putting two sets of bad guys in the same room had just canceled everything out.
I walked down the driveway toward the gate. I guessed the only thing to do was gather the good guys instead, and just hope I didn’t get any of them killed in the process.
Chapter Nineteen
Once I was safe back in Devin’s car, I tossed Ethan’s cell phone into the console, then pulled the note out of my coat pocket. On it was just an address I didn’t recognize, time—midnight of course— and a date, tomorrow. I stared at it for a moment, wondering what on earth Stanos could want with me, then put it back in my pocket. I reached for my cell phone, which I had no intention of leaving in the underground. It buzzed just as I grabbed it.
I looked at the screen, revealing Jason’s number, then answered. “Where are you? Did you manage to follow us?”
“Yes,” Jason’s voice answered, “and you’re not going to believe this, but Chase sensed something as soon as we arrived.”
“Go on.”
A knock on my window nearly startled me out of my skin. I whipped around, but it was only Jason, still holding his cell phone to his ear.
I hung up my phone and rolled down the window. “You’ll make a girl die of fright sneaking up like that.”
He slid his phone into the front pocket of his flannel. “Chase sensed ghosts, but they started moving as soon as we arrived. I let him take the car to track them so I could stay behind to make sure you were safe.”
“He’s tracking them on his own?” I started the ignition. “Get in.”
Jason was in the passenger seat in a flash and I started backing down the driveway, looking for a point to turn around. Jason held his phone between us as it rang Chase’s number.
Chase didn’t answer.
I found a place to turn around, then sped down the driveway. “That idiot. He shouldn’t have gone alone, it could be a trap.”
“Or it could be his brother.”
I clenched the steering wheel. “His brother is dead, and Allison and Nix might soon be too if I don’t meet with Stanos.”
“He wasn’t there?”
I debated showing him the note in my pocket, but he’d never let me meet Stanos alone if he knew where the meeting was. “He was there all right, and he didn’t tell us a damn useful thing. He claims Allison is alive, but he’s not letting her go until I meet with him alone.”
We reached the end of the drive, and I didn’t know which way to turn. “Call Chase again.”
“Why would an ancient vampire want to meet with you alone?”
I clenched my jaw. It was only okay when I risked my life recklessly, I didn’t want Chase doing it. “I won’t know until I meet with him, now call Chase again.”
He called. Seconds ticked by as the phone rang on speaker. My shoulders sagged when Chase finally answered. “You guys need to get down here,” he whispered, then rattled off an address.
I looked to Jason to make sure he’d remember it, because I forgot it a second after Chase said it.
He nodded, handed me his phone, then grabbed mine to type it in.
I turned my attention back to Jason’s phone. “We’re on our way, now care to tell us why were going to this mystery place?” Following the commands of the GPS Jason had opened on my phone, I turned right onto the adjacent street in the direction of the nearest highway exit.
“I can’t be sure,” Chase’s voice answered. “It doesn’t make any sense, but I’d know the feel of ghosts like this anywhere. The only demon I know who can control them is Sam.”
I drove faster than was smart down the quiet street. “Sam is dead. His body was found. It can’t be him.”
“Well then the vampires are working with another demon just like him. Either way, you need to get down here, and bring your demon backup.”
I thought of Ethan’s annoyed expression as I turned onto the highway. “No, no demon backup until I know what we’re going into. We’ll just come and observe for a while, see if we recognize anyone.”
“I’ll see you here. Park where you see Jason’s car, I’ll look for you.”
I nodded, though he couldn’t see it. “We’ll be there soon, and don’t you dare go into that house. If we think Allison is there, we’ll call the demons and let them risk their necks.”
He hung up without saying goodbye. Devin really was a bad influence on everyone.
I forced myself to go just over the speed limit down the highway. Wouldn’t do to get a ticket and get delayed further just to save a few minutes.
Jason was silent for the start of the drive, then finally spoke. “Do you really think it could be Sam?”
I shook my head as the GPS told us to take the next exit. “No, I think Sam is dead. If anything, this is a trap.”
“I just wish I knew what Stanos wanted with you, but I guess it’s better that he wants you alive and not dead.”
I exited the highway, then took the next left. “I wish I could say he felt the same way about you, and about Allison.”
His hand landed on my knee, an old gesture. “We’ll find her, Xoe.”
“I
’ve been too late before.” I’d been too late to save my dad, and I held no illusions that Stanos would be careful with Allison. He’d find a way to meet with me whether she was alive or dead, she was just an easy opportunity to get me to cooperate.
I took another turn, following the dim lights of the peaceful neighborhood. We drove past houses filled with families living their peaceful lives. Too bad that type of life would never happen for me.
Eventually we left the neighborhood behind and entered a remote forested area. “Of course it’s in the woods,” I muttered. “It can never be in a nice, well-lit place.”
Jason laughed. “That’s simply what you get when you deal with creatures of the night.”
It was something I knew all too well. Jason’s phone buzzed, its dim light illuminating the interior of the car.
He checked it. “It’s Devin. I was supposed to check in.”
I eased my foot off the gas, then turned off the headlights as I spotted Jason’s parked car. “Don’t answer it, I don’t want them all rushing down here.”
“They should at least know where we are in case we go missing.”
I sighed. “Okay, maybe you have a point, but let him know we’re just observing. If there’s going to be a fight, I’m calling the demons, not the wolves.”
Jason answered and relayed my message to Devin as I parked the car. I leaned forward toward the windshield, scanning the woods for Chase. I could see the outline of a small home in the moonlight, but no lights were on inside.
I opened the door and stepped out of the car, still searching for Chase. The street and the surrounding woods were utterly still.
Jason got out of the SUV and came around to my side. “You wait here. I’ll find him and bring him back to you.”
I nodded, though I didn’t like it. Jason ran off before I could think of an argument.
I had every intention of being nice and patient, but whispering off to my right caught my attention. It was opposite the direction Jason had gone.
I ducked down, hiding behind the tire of Devin’s SUV. The whispers continued. I was pretty sure they hadn’t noticed me, though maybe they’d seen Jason running off.
Minor Magics: The Demon Code Page 13
