Deception (21 page)

August 4, 1793

I followed one of the demons to a cavern north of Edinburgh. I had to climb through a hole and wade through grime. It was not becoming of a man of my station. Still I did it for my country.

Sneaking inside one of their cells, I thought I would certainly die. They pray to something I do not see. It is imperative we discover what they are doing in that cave and who they worship. I know this is what is best for England.

Bluntwhistle continues to oppose this action. I have enlisted Lord Whitley to my cause. He is much more amenable to using the demons for the good of the crown.

I know the power of these beasts can be harnessed.

February 28, 1794

I traveled to Wales on the word of a witch. She told me there was a monastery in the west where I might find answers. The monks are long gone and the church abandoned, but I found a text of immeasurable value. The monks learned to control the demons hundreds of years ago. The book is a manual to do the same. Four men of noble birth are needed.

To this end, I have convinced Ellsbury to join us. His father squandered their fortune, and he is keen to bring great wealth to his family for the sake of his young son. Perhaps it was wrong for me to prey on the weakness, but we need a fourth to gain control of the monsters.

I am troubled by the demise of the monks, though I can find no evidence regarding the cause. Perhaps I can avenge their deaths as well once the demons are under my power.

June 9, 1794

I have witnessed immeasurable terror. How do I begin to write what I have seen? It is too horrible, yet I must get it off my chest if I am to go on.

Frederick Bluntwhistle is dead. Maybe he was right. These demons know no reason. They are bound by no set moral code. The master they pray to is not in this world, but his arm stretches with god-like power. My friend Frederick’s throat was cut, and his blood seemed to strengthen the effects of the demons’ prayers.

I know now they work to open a gateway between two worlds. I must get to this master and control the power behind these monsters before the gate opens.

July 1, 1794

I must find a forth lord. It is important not to let Frederick’s death stop us. We have learned so much and nearly had the demons in our power. If Frederick had stood his ground, we might be using the master’s minions to defeat all of England’s enemies. I believe this with every fiber of my body.

Finding a fourth will be difficult. It will take time. Weakness will be the death of us and put the crown in danger.

December 22, 1794

All is surely lost. Ellsbury and Whitley are both dead. There was nothing I could do. My life was in peril and my escape only by the grace of God. Still the demons pursue me. They have discovered where I stay in Edinburgh, but I am loathed to return to England. My wife knows nothing of my doings in Scotland, and it must remain that way. Jacinda could never understand what I have done. I have to protect her and our new baby girl.

I remain in the shadows trying to save myself from damnation.

January 1, 1795

What I have started cannot be stopped. The master had me in his clutches. My prayers opened the gate. I see now that the word of a demon is worthless. He promised the return of my friends. It was not to be.

His minions are making ready for his ascension. I must spend my life in the pursuit of justice for all humanity.

God forgive me for what I have done.

Lillian closed the last journal. They had been reading for hours. Her neck ached, and her eyes burned as she leaned back in the chair. Pain so deep it had to be her soul tearing wrenched her gut.

The arrogance of one man had brought them to the brink of human destruction, yet she was sorry for Shafton. Foolish behavior and the arrogance of youth had destroyed any hope he might have had for a life with his wife and daughter. He could have gone back to London. Instead, he dedicated his life to correcting his mistakes.

Dorian gripped his head in his hands and leaned his elbows on the desk. “I cannot believe it. I know you were sure Shafton was hiding something, but this…”

She touched his shoulder. “I did not suspect this. I’m not sure what exactly I meant to uncover, but this is far beyond.”

“He must be brought here. We must question him. If he helped to open the gate, then what he knows could help us seal them.”

“He may not agree to come.”

“We will tell Drake what we found and let him decide how to deal with Shafton’s deception.”

“Keep in mind, he did not run from this. He has spent his lifetime trying to right this wrong.”

Dorian examined her face. “Are you defending the Earl of Shafton?”

It was madness. “Not defending. What he did is indefensible. I can see how his arrogance led him astray. And look at what he has done since. He created a company, endorsed by the crown, to combat the demons.”

He shook his head. “I cannot believe my ears.”

“His greatest crime is keeping this a secret. His actions in the beginning…he made a mistake. However, the demons would have found a way through eventually without the help of the earl. Their world is dying. They told Belinda that when she was a prisoner at Fatum. Our world was compromised regardless of Shafton’s actions and with no Company created to defend against them.”

“I suppose that is true.”

“We can use some of the details to find the gate he helped open. Perhaps he can give us enough information to learn how to close it.”

* * * *

Lillian climbed into the carriage with Dorian. They’d plotted a course through Edinburgh by using clues in Shafton’s journals.

The instruction took them to a spot half a mile outside the city. They climbed a rocky path up a small hill. The journal described everything with precision.

Lillian had left her skirts back in the carriage, opting for the more practical trousers and a long coat to store several weapons. It was dark and they were not likely to encounter anyone on the road at that hour. Perhaps a thief or highwayman, but shocking men of that ilk was no worry.

The darkness hindered their progress, but they could not risk a lantern or torch. Demons could see no better in total darkness, and she hoped to surprise them.

At the top of the first ridge, they found a caved opening, though the angle made it more of a hole in the rock. From their current position, the cave opening was well hidden by trees, boulders, and the angle.

Her heart pounded as it always did before a battle.

“Are you sure about this, Lilly? Do you really want to climb down a hole with no light and no idea what we will find?”

She stepped to the edge of the cave. “I do not see any other options.”

“We could come back with more hunters in the day light.”

“The sun will not help us down there. What will you tell Drake, we found something but we do not know what it is or if it is anything at all and we need more people?”

When he only sighed, she dropped into the cave. Her feet hit rock and she stepped forward.

The thump of Dorian hitting the ground alerted her to his presence. She reached out and found his arm. She could see nothing. Taking his hand, she placed it on the back of her shoulder as someone might do to lead the blind.

Without the use of her eyes, she felt along the rough rock walls. The stone scratched the pads of her fingers. Water trickled downward, and they followed the sound.

Low chanting made its way through the tunnel toward them. The flicker of firelight and acrid smoke followed at the end of the cave.

Dorian gripped her arm, though he needn’t have stopped her advance. Jumping into the scene below was suicide.

The tunnel opened at the top of the wall of a rough cavern dug out of the stone. Lillian pressed into the shadow. She did not leave the shelter of the cave.

More than twenty humans knelt around a hole in the center of the floor. The chanting was in the demon language, but it was human voices raised in prayer.

Her stomach turned. Some of the people looked beaten and afraid. Some had half-lidded eyes and swayed ready to drop. Yet others were healthy and boisterously praying into the swirling blackness within the hole.

Twelve demons stood in a circle around the supplicants. Eleven of them were trebox, and the twelfth was a durgot priest. He was the only armed demon, and he held his broad sword with the blade point in front of his face. Both hands clasped the hilt, and he and all the demons remained still.

Symbols burned into the walls glowed red. She didn’t know what they meant, but she had seen the same ones in Fatum Manor before its destruction. The only symbol she knew was the fleur-de-lis wrapped by a serpent. It was just above the durgot’s bullhead. It was the unmistakable and haunting symbol of the master.

Lillian’s heart beat wildly. She wanted to dive down into the midst of the demons and slay every last one. If she used her crossbow to take out the durgot, she and Dorian could manage the rest. The problem was the humans. Too many might die if they attacked without a proper plan and enough hunters to carry it off.

A man toppled from his knees to the ground. She couldn’t see his chest rising and his eyes stared blindly. His cheeks were sallow as if he’d not eaten in a long time. Could starvation or the promise of food have driven these people into worshiping demons?

Two trebox rushed forward and dragged his body away. They disappeared down another tunnel. The supplicants did not react to their fallen comrade, only kept chanting. Some rocked while others barely moved. The trebox returned with another man who they ordered to kneel in the fallen man’s place.

This one was not as thin, but his skin was pasty and his eyes had dark rings beneath them. He followed orders and chanted in time with the rest.

The pit, which they all faced, was a swirl of gray and black smoke. Again, Lillian was reminded of the pit where the master ascended at Fatum. This was the gate to the demon realm.

It tore at her gut, but she backed away from the cavern. She whispered, “We need help.”

Dorian followed. They hurried back through the cave and climbed to the surface.

Dorian called up to the driver. “Best time to the castle.”

Once the door closed, the carriage barreled toward town.

“I am very pleased you did not jump in and begin a battle we might not have won.”

“If the humans had not been there, I would have. The risk to them was far too high.” She had to yell to be heard above the pounding hooves and bouncing wheels of the carriage.

“What do you make of them? They did not all look forced into supplication. Some wore expressions of joy.”

“I do not know. I have never seen anything like it. They all looked weak and thin. Perhaps they are captured and kept near starvation, and nourishment is an incentive to follow orders.” It had made her gut twist to see humans willingly praying to the master or whatever was linked to that gate.

“Why would the master want humans to pray to him? He has thousands of demons at his command.”

“I do not know, but he is very keen on using the power of humanity as a means to an end. He needed a powerful hunter to ease his rise from the demon realm. Perhaps prayer will speed his recovery from that failure.” She rubbed her eyes and brushed hair off her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“There was something about prayer.”

“In Shafton’s journals?”

She shook her head. “I think it was in the monk’s book. I will find it when we return to your house.”

The carriage pulled up at the side door, and they knocked until Tybee opened up for them.

They woke Drake at his quarters within Edinburgh Castle.

Drake asked the doorkeeper, “How many hunters are here in Edinburgh?”

“Besides those in this room, there are only the four you have watching Holyrood.”

“Send for them to meet us on the east road out of town.”

Tybee turned and rushed down the hall away from them.

“Can we get in without being cut down immediately?” Drake asked.

Lillian said, “I can kill the priest with my crossbow. If half our numbers can surround and protect the humans, the rest of us should be able defeat the trebox.”

“But you said the humans were not forced into prayer the way the women were the other night.”

Dorian said, “No. They did not all appear to be forced, and some of them looked quite rapturous in their prayer.”

“Then they may take up arms against us during the attack.”

“It is possible, but they are undernourished and exhausted. I do not imagine they will do much harm.”

Drake nodded. “Seven demon hunters, four to protect and three to destroy.”

Lillian couldn’t believe her ears. “Will you be joining us, Mr. Cullum?”

He laughed. “You may find this hard to believe, as I’m sure you see me as a diplomat, but I am a demon hunter and have been much longer than you, Miss Dellacourt.”

“I meant no offense. It is only, I have never known you to take up arms in battle.”

“Times are changing and so must The Company.”

Dorian said, “We should arrange for large carts to bring the humans back here. They will need to be cared for, and maybe they have some answers. We are going to need a doctor in Edinburgh.”

“I will have food prepared as well. If their condition is as you say, it might be best to feed them right away. I have a doctor in mind to ask to join The Company. Dr. Barns cannot continue to see to all The Company’s injured.”

“I agree.”

Drake strode away from them and disappeared around a corner.

Lillian and Dorian exited the castle, and two stable boys brought horses into the street.

Dorian gave her a leg up into the saddle of a roan mare, then swung onto the gray’s back.

Tom ran into the yard in front of the horses. His eyes were wide as saucers and he was still in his bedclothes. “What’s happening?”

She pulled the rains. The mare tossed her head and stomped her hooves.

“Go and find Tybee. He will give you your orders.”

They left Tom standing in the street.

* * * *