Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Nothing does.
“I helped Wren with the last demon,” Devon tells Antonio. “They’re related somehow, right? That demon to this new one?”
“Yeah,” I answer. “It seems like Vaelric has been trying for some time to break out of the Order’s grasp. She was probably trying to figure out a way to have a demon from her legion bust her out before the Order could.”
“I have a possible stupid question,” Devon interjects. “Are demons male or female?”
“Not a stupid question,” Antonio answers. “And not really. They’re spiritual beings of noncorporeal form that take on the shape of something familiar. In this case, it appeared as a woman. It’s just easier referring to them as they appear.”
“Vaelric could appear differently to you,” I elaborate. “A demon that powerful can sense things about you and will try to appear to you in a form that you wouldn’t consider threatening.”
“Creepy.”
“Very.” I let out a sigh and push my food around my plate. It’s good and I’m hungry, but I don’t have much of an appetite. “Wait a second,” I say as something does click into place. “Vaelric said the Order has had control of her for the last fifty or so years. For nearly half a century.”
“Okay?” Antonio says, waiting for me to go on.
I close my eyes, thinking back. It’s all so vivid but then again I was so drugged up everything from that hour is like a fever dream. Only I am positive I was with it and not succumbing to the effects of the medication while I was in the demon realm. “But then she said something else. About being caged or leashed for centuries but she said the sigil has been cloaked from her for centuries.”
“Holy shit,” Antonio breathes, leaning back.
“I’m not following,” Devon says, looking back and forth between us. “That obviously means something to you hunters.”
“Yeah, it does,” I say. “It means the Order wasn’t the one who bound the demon.”
Chapter
Six
Xavier’s fist comes down heavy on the desk. “I disagree,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Calm yourself, brother,” Theo says in a level tone, purposely not getting bothered just to further annoy Xavier. “You’re the one who said it’s important to keep up appearances.”
“It’s not the only thing that’s important right now.”
“It should be,” Theo says, losing his cool. “This is a fucking mess!” He extends his hand, pointing to the computer screen. I’m sitting in Xavier’s home office, wishing I could slink backwards out of here yet here I stand, glued to the drama that very much involves me.
And all of us, really.
Xavier’s phone rings, and he reaches down and silences the call. It’s been ringing off the hook for the last hour, ever since the news aired the story about the warehouse burning down. But it wasn’t the story Xavier wanted the news to cover.
Somehow, the Order got to them first and the story being aired all over the fucking place is that a group of vampires attacked human workers at the warehouse in the middle of the night. After they drained all their blood, they set the building on fire to try and cover up the slaughter. And while the Malus vampires aren’t being blamed—even the Order knows it wouldn’t be believed by the public that Xavier, the current savior of the city, would lose control like this—they are being blamed for allowing this to happen.
According to social media and intelligence the Vampire Council has received, there are already protests going on to make vampires illegal again and have every registered vampire either de-fanged or arrested. Fear makes people do regrettable things.
Xavier’s phone rings again, and I see Larkin’s name flash across the screen. I know there’s an unspoken fear among the wolves, too. If the Order is going to blame vampires and rally the public to go on a proverbial witch hunt, what’s stopping them from exposing the rest of us supernaturals? History has shown time and time again that men fear what they don’t understand. Witches were nothing but healers back in the day, and the ones famously burned at the stake weren’t really witches at all.
The world would lose its damn mind if they found out about us.
“You were too busy worrying about her,” Theo goes on. “And they made the first move.”
“They did,” Xavier says calmly. He goes over to the window, which is still closed off from the outside by the lightproof metal blinds. “And I’ll make the next one. Publicly.” He unbuttons his cuffs and rolls up his sleeves. “One of the bodies recovered from the ashes was identified as Marcus Henry. He was well known in certain circles for being a supernatural hating extremist. I wouldn’t be surprised if we find out he was the leader who orchestrated the attack on Camp Dogwood.” He looks at Theo, shoulders straightening. “If the public wants someone to fear, I’ll give them someone to fear. It just won’t be us.” Xavier’s lips curve into a smirk. “We didn’t start this, Theo. But we will decide how it ends.”