Route 666, page 8
part #5 of Imp World: California Demon Series
“I’m solo as well,” Mosi chimed in. “Black Bear and Polar Bear shifters tend to stay in family units. Grizzlies are solo.”
“Unless they have mates,” Kellan added.
Mosi gave me a sheepish smile. “Actually most are solo even if they have mates. Usually they only hook up a couple of times a year, but a few of them do form bonds and have a more conventional relationship.”
I glanced from one to the other, feeling as if I were missing something here. It wasn’t my business, though, and I needed to be careful not to ask Kellan any question he might feel pressured to answer because of our bond. So instead I gulped my tea, and pushed my curiosity away.
“I just texted you my schedule,” Kellan said. “Is there anything this week you need me to do?”
“I’m still trying to figure out what my priorities are going to be going forward,” I replied. “For now, any assistance will probably be last minute with little notice. I want you to let me know of any conflicts or difficulties you might have in assisting me. That way I can modify or rescind my request. Okay?”
He nodded.
“One more thing,” I added. “When you came in to Suerte, you were in human form except for your face and your hands. I’ve never seen a shifter do that before.”
“Half-form,” Kellan told me. “Shifters generally take ten to twenty minutes to change form, and during an attack, that’s not usually optimal. About half of us can instantly assume this half-form, which gives us claws and fangs and a sturdier body. It helps in a fight. Personally, I like to assume half-form when I’m on patrol since it means I’ve got natural weapons, increased speed and endurance, and still have opposable thumbs. I can do things like climb and grasp tools, and even shoot a gun, although that’s kind of awkward.”
“The downside to half-form is that you look like a monster from a B horror movie,” Mosi said. “You’d think it wouldn’t be so much of a problem now that the humans know about shifters, but plenty of them get freaked out. It sucks to heal half a dozen bullet holes because some Karen is afraid you’re going to eat her.”
I could absolutely sympathize. Even though I didn’t have a “demon form” that I was aware of, I’d encountered my share of fear and distrust once people realized I wasn’t human.
“Ten to twenty minutes to shift,” I mused. “But HB instantly turned into a cougar today. Why doesn’t she need a longer time to change form?”
I saw Kellan shudder. His mouth opened, and I quickly spoke before he could.
“Do not answer that if it’s a private matter that you don’t feel comfortable sharing.”
Kellan sighed, slumping in his seat. “Thanks. I do know why, but that’s something you’ll need to ask HB. Other people’s secrets aren’t mine to share.
Chapter 10
Leaving Kellan’s, I headed to Bea’s, wanting to make sure that she and the girls were all right, and to let them know about the situation in the Valley.
I’d nearly lost my family to bounty hunters this year. I wasn’t about to lose them to a disease-spreading demon. But how could I protect them? Even if I stayed at Bea’s house full time, I still had no idea how to defend against disease. Would the plague demon’s magic ooze in late at night, sliding under the door and through the walls to take my family while they slept? Would we have no warning at all of the attack? No way to even try to defend ourselves from illness and a horrible death?
I felt the sting of Genevieve Planteaux’s wards as I drove down the block. It was a nice, cool fall day, and several of the neighbors were outside working on house repairs or in the small gardens everyone was struggling to grow in their front yards. I saw Nevarra and Javier sitting on the tailgate of Javier’s truck. Their shoulders touched, and their clasped hands were in Nevarra’s lap. The girl waved at me, kissed Javier’s cheek, then hopped down from the truck. She was jogging up as I’d parked my bike in Bea’s driveway next to her faded, tomato-red car.
We hugged, both of us letting the embrace go on longer than we would have a year ago.
“How are things?” I asked when we finally stepped apart.
The girl glanced a few houses down. “Tense. Marissa’s cousin moved in after her neighborhood was destroyed. She said most of the others on her street fled for the border. She didn’t want to leave because they’re so short-staffed at the hospital, but the last few days she and Marissa are both talking about going. They’ve got some family in Florida that might help get them across the border.”
“But you all have been safe? Right?” I asked, feeling a little guilty that I hadn’t called or been by for the last three days.
Nevarra blew out a breath. “We’re good.”
I narrowed my eyes, because she didn’t sound as if they were good.
“Eden!”
I turned at Sadie’s voice just in time to brace for impact. The girl slammed into me and we hugged.
“Bea’s down at Dave Rickard’s,” she announced. “She’s helping him with the fence.”
I assumed she meant the electric fence that extended across the backyards with solar powered motion alarms on the posts. It was very useful in deterring human intruders, but I knew it wouldn’t do much to prevent any demons from getting into anyone’s yard.
“Later tonight, we’re all getting together to make bombs,” Sadie continued. “You should come, Eden. There will be popcorn and sodas.”
“Bombs?” I choked out.
Nevarra jabbed an elbow into her sister’s side. “They’re not really bombs. Just stuff that falls and breaks and…kinda explodes if someone trips a wire.”
That sounded like a bomb to me.
“Why are you all making bombs?” I glared at the two girls. “What happened?”
Nevarra sighed. “We’ve been getting attacked. Used to be just those demons breaking into cars, peeing acid on the lawn, and busting out windows, but two nights ago a group of three demons set fire to the Hannicks’ house and grabbed Mrs. Hannick when they all ran out. They blew right past Genevieve Planteaux’s wards.”
“The watch shot them, but it didn’t slow them down,” Sadie said. “Then Javier’s whole family came running out of their house, all of them these giant wolves with glowing eyes.”
“They fought the demons and rescued Mrs. Hannick,” Nevarra said proudly.
“Genevieve came out and did some spell that made all the demons scream and clutch their heads,” Sadie added. “They ran off, but since then we’ve been adding physical barriers and defenses as well as making bombs.”
“Genevieve remade the wards,” Nevarra said. “And Javier’s brothers and sisters moved back home. Because when family gets attacked, defending them is a priority.”
I flinched, even though I knew Nevarra wasn’t directing that comment at me. Nevarra had initially been concerned about her boyfriend being a shifter, as well as the fact that a werewolf family had lived in our neighborhood for over a decade, posing as humans. But as she and Javier had grown close, Nevarra had clearly changed her viewpoint. Now she seemed proud of her boyfriend’s heritage, and his shifter family’s priorities and values.
It didn’t change the fact that I felt guilty, though. My foster mother and sisters’ neighborhood had been attacked and I hadn’t known. I knew Bea hadn’t called me because she didn’t want me to worry, that she wanted me to live my own life as a grown woman. But just like Javier’s siblings, I felt a tie, a responsibility toward my family. They’d needed me and I hadn’t been there.
They should’ve been my priority. Not a bunch of humans and shifters I didn’t even know. Not the residents of a sprawling city. Not even my team should take precedence over Bea and the girls.
“Eden!” I looked over and saw Bea hurrying toward us. “How are you, honey?”
She folded me in her arms, and I suddenly felt safe, loved, and very much at home.
“I’m fine,” I told her, not planning on letting her know the details of last night or the fight at Suerte. Bea worried about me just as much as I worried about her and the girls.
“Let’s all go inside and sit,” Bea announced after giving me one more squeeze. “I’ll put on some coffee and we’ll catch up. I do need to tell you about what’s going on here in the neighborhood.”
“Sadie and Nevarra already spilled the tea,” I told her as we walked into the house. “How is Mrs. Hannick? It must have been terrifying for her to be snatched like that.”
Bea sighed. “They’re packing their van today. Rick’s been saving and thinks they have enough to bribe their way through the border. I can’t say I blame them. Helen is really shaken.”
I didn’t blame them either. Poor Mrs. Hannick. If those demons had managed to get away with her, the woman’s fate would have truly been horrific.
Waving for us to sit, Bea went to make coffee, talking about the new wards and the improvements on the electric fence. A few minutes later she’d placed mugs in front of each of us, pouring a healthy splash of shelf-stable milk into Sadie’s and Nevarra’s, and a scoop of sugar into hers before sitting down.
“Mrs. Vandergriff is staying with Carlotta and Luis,” Sadie said as she sipped. “Do you remember her from school?”
I thought for a second, then nodded. “She was my biology teacher, I think.”
“Yes, she was,” Bea said. “She’d moved in with her son and his family about ten blocks north of here when the demons came. Yesterday morning she went out to get groceries. She walked, because she didn’t want to take the car in case her son or daughter-in-law needed it so she was gone a few hours. When she came back, the whole street was silent. She went into the house and found them all dead—son, daughter-in-law, two little kids.”
I sucked in a breath. Violent death of children was not unusual in New Hell, but it still affected me every time it happened.
“She dropped the groceries and ran screaming to the neighbors, but she found the same thing in every house. They were all dead. For two square blocks, everyone was dead.”
“Do you know what happened?” I asked Bea, knowing it was probably the plague demon. The gangs still killed people, but they wouldn’t have taken out two blocks of families, and the victims wouldn’t all have died in their homes. There would have been signs of fighting, as well as a few fallen gang members and at least one or two injured survivors. Not this weird mass death.
Bea’s brow creased with worry. “Mrs. Vandergriff said they were covered in sores—red, infected sores. Some had blackened vein-like marks on their bodies. Her family was fine when she’d left to do the shopping. Her son was making breakfast, his wife was changing the baby. The older child was playing in the kitchen. There was no sign of a struggle. It was like they were suddenly stricken with a disease and died within minutes—or at most an hour.”
The plague demon. But as horrifying as Mrs. Vandergriff’s experience was, I had another worry.
“She’s staying with Carlotta and Luis? What if she’s contagious?” I had my own family to worry about, and Carlotta and Luis’s son, Javier, was Nevarra’s boyfriend.
Bea got up for more coffee, talking as she poured. “She’s in quarantine in their garage and Carlotta is the only one who has even minimal contact with her for now. Carlotta assured me that werewolves aren’t susceptible to most human diseases. They do have their own illnesses, but whatever killed Mrs. Vandergriff’s family won’t transmit to them.”
“But this isn’t a regular human disease,” I protested. “These people went from healthy to dead in less than two hours. They were covered in sores, infection, and necrosis. Who’s to say that a demon-fueled plague won’t cross over to shifters?”
Bea sat down. “I know. I’m worried too. But we couldn’t just abandon Mrs. Vandergriff as upset as she was. She’s just lost her whole family and needs help. If we start turning our backs on people out of fear, then the demons have already won.”
I understood that, but fear for my own family overshadowed concern for Mrs. Vandergriff.
This plague demon was a serious threat—more so than the warmonger or even Desiree. He’d killed two blocks of people in one morning. No survivors. No one had time to get medical attention or even attempt to fight back. Had they known what had happened? Was there a demon walking down the street, spreading germs and viruses as he went, like sowing seeds? Could they have killed him, and if they had, would it have made any difference at all? Or had the damage already been done, the whole neighborhood doomed the moment he’d appeared?
“Enough about our problems,” Bea said with a wave of her hand. “Tell us what’s going on in the rest of the city?”
I told her about New Hell being divided into threes, but I couldn’t offer them even a glimmer of hope that anything might change soon. Or ever. Maybe the Hannicks had the right idea. Maybe the humans and shifters should give up and flee, leaving the whole mess to the demons.
It was a depressing idea—one I wasn’t quite ready to embrace.
“Where’s Bishop?” Sadie asked.
“He’s off trying to get us some help.” I was purposely vague, not wanting them to think that Satan was going to save us, even if she decided to show up.
“I heard from Javier that the demons set fire to downtown,” Nevarra commented.
I winced. “They did. The police were able to evacuate the humans to safety. And at least one of those demons was eaten by a dragon, so there’s that.”
“A dragon!” Sadie squealed. “I love dragons! What color is it? Can we see it? Does he look like the ones in the picture books?”
Oh, good Lord. “He’s orange. He looks like a dragon. And no, you can’t see him because he shoots fire out of his mouth that can burn you to a crisp. And if he doesn’t incinerate you, he’ll eat you.”
“Maybe he’ll eat all the demons,” Nevarra said.
“The demons know now to avoid that area of downtown, and humans should do the same,” I told her, thinking that the dragon was just as much of a threat to us as the demons—maybe even more.
But talking about last night and downtown reminded me of something.
“There’s a favor I need to ask you both,” I said, looking at Nevarra and Sadie.
“What?” They said at the same time.
“There’s a girl living in the shed behind Suerte. Her name is Jayla and I think she’s about fourteen years old. She’s homeless and was living downtown before last night, so she doesn’t have a lot. I think she would really appreciate a care package, if you both could put together one for her.”
“I’ll bet she needs things like toothpaste and stuff. Oh, and clothes! What size is she?” Nevarra asked. “I’ve got some clothes that are too small for me and too big for Sadie that she might like.”
“She’s shorter than you and thinner, although I’m hoping now that HB is getting her regular meals she fills out a bit,” I told Nevarra.
“We can ask around the neighborhood,” Nevarra told Sadie. “I’ll bet a lot of people have stuff in their attic from when their kids were younger. I know Javier’s parents probably have a ton of things.”
“Does she like stuffed animals? Is there anything she collects?” Sadie asked. “How about jigsaw puzzles or books? Maybe a pretty notebook for her to write in?”
I held up my hands. “They all sound like good ideas. I’m not exactly sure what she likes, but she has a bunch of polished rocks on a box beside her sleeping bag, so maybe pretty trinkets like bracelets and stuff. Oh—I think she’s into Pokémon. She had a couple of the figures on a crate next to her bed.”
Sadie clapped her hands, hopping up and down. “I have some extra Pokémon decks. Maybe we can play? Do you think she’d like it if we stayed and played some games, or just talked? She must be lonely in that shed by herself.”
“Some people like being alone,” I cautioned her. “Why don’t I take the care package to her and ask how she feels about company. If she’s open to it, I’ll borrow Bea’s car and take you for a visit one day. How about that?”
“Okay.” Sadie turned to Nevarra. “Let’s put together two or three care packages. Eden can give them to her every couple of days. It’ll be like Christmas for her.”
My heart ached at how wonderful my sisters were. They were so excited to help a girl they didn’t even know, ready to befriend her and give her a fun set of gifts. I loved them, and I was doubly committed to making sure they had a future here.
“There are some extra blankets and throw rugs in the attic,” Bea said. “You girls can look through those and see if there’s anything suitable to give Jayla. We’ll text Eden when you’ve got a box ready and she can come by to pick it up.”
They stood, racing upstairs while I sat and drank coffee with Bea.
“Think you’ll be able to carry all that on your bike?” Bea asked. “You can borrow my car if you like.”
“We’ll see what they put together.” I was used to stuffing Vulture salvage into the saddle bags on my bike and my backpack, and had rigged up a way to tie stuff across the back fender. Hopefully I could make it all fit. If not, then I’d take Bea up on her offer.
“Why don’t you stay here today and have dinner with us?” Bea offered.
I was tempted, but I had at least one other errand I wanted to run before nightfall.
“Rain check?” I said as I stood. “Let me know when the girls have their gift box ready. I’ll try to make time for dinner later this week.”
Shouting a “good-bye” up to the girls, I gave Bea a hug and left, driving to a strip-mall bookstore that was far from ordinary.
Chapter 11
Bishop
It took me most of the morning to find Ahia. Alaska was a huge state, and the last time I’d seen her, she’d been transitioning from living with a community of natives to a pack of werewolves.
Nephilim and their descendants, the shifters, had been under my questionable protection for the last ten thousand years. Initially I’d made my home in what was now Syria, teleporting around the globe to check on the children of angels. Gabriel usually alerted me to a Nephilim birth, but the archangel wasn’t all-knowing, so I had to rely on gossip and folktales as well as sensing energy signatures to find those who might be targeted for extermination.
