Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“What are you thinking?” Xavier asks.
“That demonic encyclopedia said Vaelric commands other legions of demons. From what I know, each legion usually has some sort of general or lieutenant.”
“You think they were trying to bring forth another demon?”
“I do.” I flip my head upside down and rake my hair into a messy bun. We go downstairs into the kitchen, and I desperately wish there were someone else here to make coffee in the morning so it would be ready and waiting for me.
Antonio and Devon are in the family room watching golf, which throws me off for a couple seconds. It’s not the fact that my brought-back-from-the-dead-brother is hanging out with my former baby-daddy-to-be , but since when does Antonio like golf?
“I heard most of that conversation,” Devon says. “Are we gonna be fighting demons again?”
“What’s going on?” Antonio asks.
“The 409 Reapers,” I begin. “Have you heard of them?”
“Aren’t they like a biker gang or something?” Antonio asks.
“Yes.” I know I’m going to have to get into the details of Xavier’s coalition for this to make sense. Obviously, if there’s a demonic threat, Antonio will help because that’s what he does, but he’s definitely going to question why Theo especially cares so much.
“Well, I guess some members were sacrificed in some sort of ritual last night,” I tell him. “And according to Theo, the ritual is very similar to the one that happened at Camp Dogwood. I think it has something to do with the fact that Vaelric got out last night.”
Antonio considers my words for a second, then inhales. “I thought you couldn’t tie that ritual to Vaelric.”
“We couldn’t. Not directly, at least. The ritual that was needed to release Vaelric was vastly different from the one at the campground, so I wasn’t sure if maybe the Order had just gotten it wrong the first time.” I pause, thinking. “But now I’m thinking they were trying to release one of the other demons Vaelric commands. I mean, if not the Order, then Vaelric himself.”
“Did that book say how many legions of demons he commands?” Antonio asks.
“I don’t remember.”
“Twelve,” Leo says, coming into the room. “The book said he was in charge of twelve legions of lesser demons.”
“Well, shit.”
I still need more information before I can make a call, but I’m going to guess we’re going. And there could very well be eleven more rituals like this.
“Did you also forget his specialty is necromancy?” Leo asks incredulously.
“I didn’t forget,” I say, my voice small. I know he’s a dangerous demon. And I know he’s out there now, planning who knows what.
“Obviously, whatever is happening now is probably connected to him.”
“I know that,” I add, tension rising in my voice. Devon looks apprehensively from me to Leo. He wasn’t here last night when everything blew up.
“Is there any way we can get more information on this demon?” Devon asks.
“That was pretty much everything that was in the book,” Antonio answers. “Unless Wren’s witch friends can help.”
“If anyone has information on him, it would probably be them,” I say and rub my forehead with my fingers. “I need coffee.” We regroup in the kitchen a few minutes later after I start a pot of coffee. Theo and Xavier join us, and Xavier puts an iPad on the table so we can look through the crime scene photos.
“It is almost exactly like the ritual at Camp Dogwood,” Theo says. “Which is making the public go crazy. They think there’s another serial killer on the loose, or that someone is copying the first one.”
“Is there any way you can get us there?” Antonio asks Xavier. I can tell he hates asking, but he knows how well connected the Malus vampires are.
“Right now?” Xavier asks.
“Yes. The sooner, the better,” Antonio says. “There are certain things we can look for that would give us clues the police would miss. They don’t know how to look for demonic evidence.”
I watch Xavier’s face, looking for any sort of clue about just how bad this is for the coalition. Part of the reason all these different groups follow him is because he promised to keep them safe. He promised order. Peace. And this is the exact opposite of both.
If a significant portion of the Reapers can be slaughtered like this, then what exactly is Xavier offering them anymore?
“I’ll put in a call,” Xavier tells Leo. “But I can’t make any promises that I can get all of you there.”
“Anything is better than nothing,” Antonio tells him. Xavier nods and then disappears from the room. I go through the crime scene photos slowly, taking my time to examine every piece of evidence I can see. The bodies are arranged in a circle, and there’s some sort of sigil drawn in blood across the wooden floor where they were found.
“What is this place?” Leo asks. “Was it their clubhouse or something?”