The Demon King and I (9 page)

I blew out a breath. “Thanks, Kyle.”

After hanging up, I stretched my arms above my head, willing the tension away. I noticed Georgia standing in the doorway. She had a strange expression.

“What is it?”

“There’s a—Mr. Arath to see you. Security in the lobby says he’s very insistent. Told them that he doesn’t need an appointment”—she cleared her throat—“and that it’s most urgent.”

Oh, my God.
I jumped up. The last thing I needed was a demon king running around the building with reporters everywhere. “Tell them to send him up in the private elevator, and hold my calls, please.” The last bit came out as a squeak and I coughed to cover my nervousness.

She nodded.

I made myself stop biting the inside of my lip.

A few minutes later Georgia escorted Arath into my office. Dressed in what looked like a Savile Row suit, he was so big, he seemed to fill every inch of the room.

“Thank you, Georgia.” I waited for her to close the door, then turned to address Arath. “You can’t just show up at my workplace whenever you want.” I gritted my teeth. “You shouldn’t be here at all. There are news reporters everywhere—if one of them had seen you—” I threw my hands up in the air. “Why can’t you understand that demons are not welcome here?”

“I do understand how your world feels about my people.” He sat down in one of the cushy chairs opposite my desk, the same one Bailey had occupied a few nights ago. “I need to speak with your mother, but I’m told she is on council business. So I came to speak to the Guardian instead.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm down. “We have strict procedures for this sort of thing. If you need me, you contact Jake. I could have been in Maunra in a matter of minutes.”

“This is true”—he nodded—“but you may have not been safe.”

I pushed a hand through my hair. “Arath, why are you here?” Was he perhaps one of the distractions Mom had warned me about? Maybe he was in with whoever it was that caused the trouble.

“I wish you no harm, only to tell you that traveling through the portals can be dangerous for all of the Guardians. There is an evil magic at work, and it has unbalanced the universe. It is a perverse magic that can do great injury should you try to pass through it.”

I sat, well, actually sort of fell, back into my chair. “Do you know who is behind the magic?”

“No, but it grows quickly in strength. When the Guardians travel to other worlds, they—you—must make certain the portals have not been tainted by the darkness.”

I leaned forward with my elbows on the desk. “I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, but couldn’t you have sent us a message?”

“It is important that you understand the magnitude of what has happened. The universe changes as we speak.”

Taking a slow breath, I rose. “Thank you. I will warn my sisters and get a message to my mother and the council. I will say that my mother mentioned to me earlier that they are aware of the magic, though they perhaps don’t know about the latest development with the portals. I’m sure they’ll be appreciative of your help.”

He stood, and I once again noticed the impeccable fit of the suit, and the white shirt beneath.

“I’ll escort you to a safe place where you can open a portal, but I have a quick question.”

“Yes?”

“Where did you get that suit? It fits as if it were tailor-made for you.” A couple nights earlier, he looked like a pirate, but today he had the air of royalty. Technically, that was exactly what he was.

“It was. I have studied your world a great deal, and knew I must try to fit in with the humans here. The suit was given to me and made to fit by one of my people who trades with other worlds.”

“Huh.” Well, okay then.

As we passed through the office, several of the employees pretended they didn’t notice Arath, but he was hard to miss. At the outside of the cubicles, I said rather loudly, “Mr. Arath, thank you so much for coming today. I’m looking forward to doing business with you.” I hoped that would help quell any gossip, but I doubted it.

I guided him down the hall to the men’s restroom. “This is the safest place for you to, um, go.” That didn’t come out quite the way I’d planned. “Just make sure that no one is in the stalls before you teleport. And please, the next time you feel it necessary”—I held up a hand—“no matter how important the message, please contact us first. It just makes life easier on everyone.”

After staring at me for a moment, he made a slight bow and said, “Be well, Guardian.” Then he stepped through the door to the men’s room.

I leaned against the wall for a minute, thinking about what he’d said. The universe had shifted. We’d all felt it the last few days. The jumpers had been no accident.

The first order of business was to call my family. I couldn’t risk someone being hurt in one of the tainted portals.

 
 
“You should go home and get some rest.” It was several
hours later and Georgia stood in the doorway.

“I don’t know about resting, but I think I need a change of scenery. If you need me, I’m just a phone call away. And I hate to ask you, but do your best to make it look like I’m here the next few days. You know what happens when they”—I waved a hand toward the outside office—“think the cat’s away.”

Georgia smiled. “No problem, boss.” She might be tiny at around four feet eleven, but no one ever messed with her. She could be a tyrant if necessary, and she knew how to run the corporation as well as I did. Even my mother was impressed by her. That meant something.

She handed me a handful of messages. “He’s called seventy-two times in the last twenty-four hours. I kid you not. Can I hire someone to rough him up?”

Emilio.
It seemed like so long ago, but in actuality it had only been a few days since I last saw him. Could he have had something to do with Markie’s death? “Nah. I like that he’s suffering, but you do have my permission to block his calls. That’s what I did on the cell. Okay. Again, if you need me, don’t be afraid to—”

“Be careful saving the world,” she interrupted.

I laughed. “Thanks for being the best right-hand chick a girl could ever have.”

“Ah, go on. You’ll make me cry and my mascara will be on my chin.” She waved me away.

CHAPTER 9

From the car I scheduled a meeting with my sensei.
Each of us had a multitude of trainers at our disposal at all times. If the end of the world was on the way, I needed to be centered, focused, and Master Kanashi was the one person I could count on for that.

Twenty minutes later I was dressed in black leggings and a tank. We have three mirrored studios in the house, and a full gym we shared with employees. It allowed all of us to train at the same time if necessary. Sometimes we’d spar together, depending on where we were and what we needed.

As Guardians we had to keep our mental and physical capabilities at their peak at all times. We trained an average of four days a week. Wing chun, savate, Shaolin kung fu, jujitsu, aikido, muay Thai, and eskrima are just a few of the martial arts I’ve studied. I work out with weights some, though with my strength it’s not really necessary, and I run to keep my heart clear of gunk. Never knowing what kind of enemy we might face meant we had to be proficient in many things.

From the time we could stand, we worked with our mother and with masters of all the martial arts. It has always been a part of our lives.

I’d been lax the last few days; almost dying and chasing demons will do that to a girl. But my body told me it needed this.

In the studio Master Kanashi waited. As I entered I bowed, to show her respect. She did the same.

I’d had several teachers over the years, but Master K was the best. Formally trained in twelve martial arts, she also knew how to fight dirty. That came in handy with a Guardian’s job. She was awesome with weapons, and at the same time had taught me how to meditate and find my center.

“Sensei, thank you for being here on such short notice.”

Nodding my way, she closed her eyes and put her hands in a prayer position. Her short black hair had been spiked with blue tips. She grabbed her sword from the harness on her back. At one time, she had been an Army Ranger and had more scars than me and my sisters combined, including one where her throat had been slit from ear to ear.

I opened my bag and pulled out my saber. I’m not sure how she always knew what I needed but she always did. I’d never asked because she couldn’t speak.

We sparred with the swords for half an hour, then I finally pulled back. I had to catch my breath.

She cocked her head.

“I know, no excuses, but I almost died last night. I think my stamina may be a little low.”

Her left eyebrow raised, and I knew she wanted to continue.

Half a bottle of water later, I took a deep breath. She moved into tae kwon do and then we beat the crap out of some punching bags. My muscles were loose and by the end I had worked out much of the tension and anger from the last few days. I will admit to seeing Emilio’s face on the bag—it’s a good thing he was nowhere close.

At the end of every workout we do seated meditation. Master K lit a candle and I dimmed the lights in the studio. Meditation isn’t always easy for me, and it helped me sometimes to concentrate on the flame.

After a bit of “skull cleansing”—staccato breathing that aids relaxation—my shoulders dropped about another inch. My breathing deepened as I stared at the flame. It took almost ten minutes but eventually I could see nothing but white light healing my body and renewing my energy.

I was about to blow out the flame, which signals the end of our session, when a vision flashed before my eyes. A man facedown on a rug. I reached out and caught Master Kanashi’s hand. “I need paper and pen,” I whispered. She didn’t question me but moved away, and a few seconds later she put the pen and a small notebook in my hand.

I concentrated on the vision. He had curly red hair and wore a white long-sleeved dress shirt. The slacks were gray with a black belt. He looked like he was sleeping, except there was a pool of blood, and his right arm was broken backward. His left leg was twisted and crushed, from the look of it.

Look for the details.
I tried to pull back on the vision to see what kind of room he was in. The floor, a dark wood, was highly polished. A hat stand was to the left and a side table with a mirror stood against the wall. Whoever attacked him must have done it as he entered. His soft leather briefcase had spilled its contents; papers were strewn everywhere.

There were two arched entries, one off to the right and the other straight ahead. The walls were a soft blue. I looked down at the welcome mat. It read, “Welcome to the Arnolds.”

No.
My teeth clenched. I looked back at the body.
Red hair.
My heart thumped so loudly I had to take another breath to calm myself. I knew it was Reuben Arnold. He’d been our IT manager at Caruthers Corp. for three years. There wasn’t a computer problem the man couldn’t figure out.

My family trusted him so much that he was one of the few Caruthers Corp. employees we integrated into our operation here at the estate. He’d implemented many of Bailey’s inventions to make all of our lives easier.

I made another quick survey of the room. As I did, I made a motion with my hand to indicate I needed my cell phone.

Kanashi moved to get what I needed. I continued to make notes on the paper without looking. This time there was no voice, but I had no doubt we were dealing with the same killer. It was more of a sense of the scene than anything.

I closed my eyes and the scene vanished. I pushed the speed dial.

“Yeah.” Kyle’s gruff tone answered. “I’m working on your Emilio angle. Don’t have anything yet.”

“There’s been another murder.”

“Damn. Give me the details.”

Master K sat down in front of me again, giving me support. I could tell she was shocked, and there wasn’t much that surprised her.

I gave Kyle the information and my voice cracked when I mentioned it was Reuben.

“I’m sorry, Gillian. There just aren’t words. Look, the killer’s escalating and trying to get closer to you. Do you know of anyone who wants to hurt you?”

A few hundred demon families, but I couldn’t say that. “I’m sorry but I really don’t. I do know it’s the same person as Markie’s killer, but I don’t have any way of proving it.” I checked my notes to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.

“Your instincts are almost always on target. I’ll make some calls and get back to you. If you remember anything else call me.”

He hung up.

I chewed on my lip and sniffled.

Master K’s arm moved around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze.

I patted her hand. “Thanks. I guess I should explain.”

She shrugged her shoulders, as if to say I could talk if I wanted or not. I didn’t normally share information unless I absolutely had to, but it felt right to tell her.

“I get these dreams, more nightmares really than anything. Sometimes they’re premonitions, other times it’s after the fact of a violent crime. This is the first time I’ve had one awake, which is beyond weird. I know this probably all sounds crazy.”

Master Kanashi’s eyes held understanding. She put her hands in the prayer position.

“I think you’re right; it was when I was most relaxed that it happened. I’m sorry about the gruesome details. Thank you for helping me.”

She gave me a short smile, something I’d never seen on her face, and her eyebrows went up. As an Army Ranger she’d seen her share of gore.

“I guess you’ve pretty much seen it all, but it’s tough when it’s someone you know and respect.” I sighed. “He was a really good man.”

There was a knock on the door.

I jumped up to open it. “Yes.”

Jake stood on the other side. “We’ve got...” He looked past me and saw Master K. “... A situation that needs your immediate attention.”

I bowed to my sensei. “Thanks again.”

“Tell me what we’ve got,” I said as Jake and I ran for the control room.

CHAPTER 10

So many demons, so little time. My mother and Arath
hadn’t lied about something being amiss in the universe. Our entire family was on high alert. The idea that someone might be keeping us busy and distracted hadn’t escaped any of us. It wasn’t just the murders, everything was nuts.