Release (The Protector Book 3) (3 page)

“Legends, myths, stories…do you hear yourself?” Eric asked.

“I’m not in disagreement with Eric.” Jax stood up. “Stories passed down from generation to generation are hardly reliable.”

“Everything that’s happened so far is from those stories,” I said. “We need to consider the fact that we’ve been locked away from these dimensions for thousands of years, so although we’re not familiar with them, it’s apparent these legends hold some kind of merit.”

Chief stood up. “I think we need to take what we can get. If this is what we have to work with, it will have to do until something more concrete comes along.”

“Radek was not much for ancient texts,” Jax said. “But if you think it will help, the Shadowpack will contribute.”

“Your cooperation, as always, is appreciated,” Marcus said. “You’re all right to be wary, so let’s see what we can gather from the books and we’ll re-evaluate everything then. Does everyone agree?”

Everyone nodded and turned to Eric. Sitting with his arms crossed, he stared back at the group with an angry glare. “Whatever you say, boss man.”

The door to the room opened and slammed against the concrete wall behind it. Grams stood in a cloud of cigarette smoke with an orange filter hanging from brightly painted red lips. Her white hair was in rollers.

“Sorry I’m late,” she grunted. Smoke spilled from her lips and she coughed. She hammered her fist into her chest repeatedly until something thick splatted onto the floor. “I was getting my hair done. What’d I miss?”

Chapter 3

By the time we filled Grams in, she’d smoked four cigarettes. Rather than use an ashtray, she squished the last butt on the table with the rest.

Grams leaned back and blew a final puff of smoke from her lips. “So you want to hop from dimension to dimension in hopes of finding not one, but two soul pieces?” Grams snorted. “That sounds like a grand idea.”

“Exactly what I said,” Eric replied. “We should be going after the source. Kill the Dark Brothers, and Riley loses his right and left hands. He’s useless without them.”

Grams cackled and turned her pale eyes to Eric. “That’s even dumber than their plan.”

“They’re demons, and that means we can kill them. That’s a hell of a lot easier than what they’re suggesting.”

“No, they’re not,” I said. “They’re direct descendants of Ithreal. They’re demigods.”

“And that’s my point. We’re going off the word of other demons—the very creatures we were born to kill. Now before you all get your panties in a bunch, hear me out. I know they’re not all evil, but that doesn’t mean they’re to be trusted. Hell, I don’t trust a hunter just because he’s one of us. Trust is earned, and we can’t be taking leaps of faith based on the words of the very people we’re trying to kill.”

“I hate to admit this, but I do see his point,” Kate said.

“It doesn’t matter what they are,” Grams said. Her voice cracked and faded and she slapped her hand against her chest, clearing her airway. “The Triquertas are already nervous enough about joining with you hunters, and they aren’t alone in their fear. Most of the Underworld is up in arms over what Riley is planning. Nobody wants to bow down and lose their freedom, especially to a hunter playing god. But more than him, they fear the Dark Brothers.”

“Everything they fear is hearsay,” Eric said. “Rumors that have been spread about the Underworld for generations. It’s a game of telephone. What started as a common scare tactic has turned into a phobia among your kind. Just like the Dark Brothers are not to be trusted, neither are the stories that precede them.”

“You underestimate their power. That is foolish and it will get you killed.” Grams’s pale gaze narrowed. “I won’t stand beside a fool.”

“Your fear is based on rumors. I won’t cower to bedtime stories told to scare little demonlings. And save your threats, old woman. What’s left of your power is better suited to finding the whereabouts of these almighty demons. If you and your little coven can put your powers to use and find them, I’ll take care of the rest.”

Grams stared up at Eric and slowly rose from her chair. “Don’t take that tone with me, boy. Your methods will get you and your people killed, along with everyone else in this room.”

“I think old age is starting to take its toll on you. I’ve been running my crew the same way for twenty years and we’re still standing. So why don’t you sit down before you break a hip?”

The blue of Grams’s eyes faded and a solid white took over them. A tingle of magic spiraled down my spine and as power filled the room, a white glow formed around her frail hands.

“Your little tricks won’t work on me, you old skin bag,” Eric said.

“Is that so?” Grams’s voice was low, just above a whisper. The grayish tone to her skin began to fade and it started to turn milky white. Her power rode the air, cascading through the room before it focused on Eric.

Eric’s fist slammed against the table and he hunched over gasping for air. Gray veins spread across his face, growing thicker with each passing moment. His skin began to pale and his eyes glazed over. “What is this?” he choked out.

“Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps my old age is making me appear uneducated in the power of demons. I mean, I’m just an old skin bag. What do I know?”

“Grams, what are you doing?” Marcus asked, rising cautiously from his chair.

All the creases in Grams wrinkly skin began to smooth. Her gray eyebrows darkened, and the broken, unruly white of her hair shifted. The rollers in her hair fell to the ground as the color changed to a light brown, her unhealthy strands of hair smoothing and gaining a glossy appearance. The lines around her eyes flattened and the sagging skin beneath her pale lids tightened.

The hairs on my neck rose as a swirl of white magic flashed between both Eric and Grams, a line of power connecting them.

All the dark hair of Eric’s beard faded and his greasy ponytail dried, appearing gray and frail. A thick streak of his hair lost its pigment, turning completely white.

“Or perhaps you should listen to me,” Grams said. “If an old lady can make you helpless and weak, what do you think the Brothers will do to you?”

“Grams, you’re kill—killing him,” Willy said.

Everyone stood from their chairs and backed away. The magic was pouring off her and Eric crumpled to the floor.

“Gr—Grams!” Willy shouted.

The white streak in Eric’s black hair was bright, and his dark scraggly beard was peppered with shades of gray. The pronounced veins that had spread across his face shrunk, leaving remnants of thin blue lines beneath his skin.

The bright blue of Gram’s eyes returned as the magic washed away. She shook her head and long brown locks swayed behind her. “Bedtime stories, huh?” She sighed and moved back to her seat.

Grams, who now looked a decade younger, sat calmly in her chair and crossed her smooth, unblemished legs. Eric’s scarred hands gripped the edge of the table and he struggled to pull himself up. Blue veins rippled beneath his skin and his knees creaked as he rose from the floor.

“This place is a joke,” Eric said, a wheezing breath coming between each of his words. “You take advice from demons and let a kid tell you how to run things. If you want to be sent to your deathbed instead of listening to a tried and true experienced hunter, you’re on your own.”

Eric shoved his shoulder into Tiki as he walked by. Tiki stepped back to keep his balance but didn’t react otherwise. As the steel door slammed shut behind Eric, an awkward tension fell over the room.

“Well…that didn’t quite go as planned,” Marcus said.

“Screw him,” I said. “We can’t trust him so we don’t need him.”

“Yes we do,” Marcus said. “Eric runs the biggest crew of rogue hunters on this side of the country. He may be…difficult at times, but don’t kid yourself, we need his numbers.”

 
“You’re both right,” Grams said. “We need the numbers, but numbers don’t mean crap if they’re just as likely to stick a knife in your back as they are in Riley’s.”

“Eric may be a lot of things, but a traitor is not one of them,” Marcus said.

“I think it worked out quite well. Look at me, I’m fabulous.” Grams grinned, revealing perfectly straight but stained yellow teeth.

“That isn’t right, Grams and you know it.” Willy said.

“Hogwash! That son of a bitch doesn’t appreciate his life, so someone ought to make him.”

“Edna…” Marcus said.

“Oh, fine.” She waved him away.

Grams’s magic pulsed and her skin stretched out and the creases returned. The color her hair had gained faded back to gray, and its healthy gloss returned to frizz. The bags beneath her eyes returned, and the warmer tones to her skin were gone.

“So what do we do now?” Rayna asked.

“Let’s give Eric a few days to cool off and then I’ll talk to him. We’ll see where we stand after that,” Marcus said. “Until then, if everyone will bring whatever they can find here, we’ll start the research.”

Everyone was in agreement and began to gather their things. Kate stopped in front of me on her way to the door and squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t take what Eric said seriously, Chase. You’re a good hunter and your heart is in the right place. Your mother would be proud of what you’re doing.”

I forced a half-smile. “Thanks.”

“I mean that. You’re doing good work here. Keep it up.”

I nodded and she offered me a smile. Kate was around my mother’s age but she looked much older. Years of running an underground hunter outpost hadn’t exactly been a glorified lifestyle.

People chatted amongst themselves and slowly began to break away from the meeting one by one. Any of the residual anger that lingered inside me drifted away as Rayna approached.

“Well, that was…intense,” I said.

“You’re telling me.”

“Can you do stuff like Grams just did?”

Rayna laughed. “Short of magically picking a lock and a few other minor spells, I can’t do much. I sure as hell can’t do that.”

“That’s because you’ve never been trained,” Grams’s raspy voice said. “But that’s about to change. You got that little kitty of yours in check?”

“Excuse me?” Rayna arched a brow.

“The kitty. You know, that little fuzzy beast inside your—”

“Yes,” Marcus said. “She’s shifted multiple times now and gained control over her beast.”

“Good. Then she can come with me.”

“I’m not sure if now’s a good time.”

“Now is as good a time as any. She’s got her beast in check and we’re trying to stop an apocalypse. We need to see what she can do.”

“What are you two talking about?” Rayna asked.

“We’re talking about you and the fact that this coven runs in your blood,” Grams said.

“Edna,” Marcus said.

“What? Was it a big secret?”

“Well no, but…”

“Then don’t
Edna
me.”

“Wait, what?” Rayna asked. “My mother was a Triquerta like Grams?”

“I should’ve told you sooner,” Marcus said. “I just didn’t know how to bring it up.”

Rayna stayed silent a moment, her eyes open wide.

“Rayna?” Marcus asked.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine,” she said. “I knew my mother was a witch. Knowing what coven she belonged to doesn’t change anything.”

“Good,” Grams said and turned to Marcus, slapping him on the shoulder. “I told you it wasn’t a big deal. You men and your tiptoeing around everything is such a waste. Look at her: she’s a big girl. She can handle herself.

Rayna’s shoulders tensed and she put her hands in her pocket. I knew her well enough to know it wasn’t as fine as she was letting on.

“Now that we got that out of the way, it’s time we see what you can do,” Grams said.

“I told you, I can’t do much other than few basic spells,” Rayna said.

“An experienced witch in the Triquerta can change that. More specifically, you’ll be training with me. We’re going to see what you’re made of…besides hairballs.” Grams snorted and laughed.

“Right…” Rayna said.

Grams reached into her suitcase-like purse and pulled out a pen and paper. “I want you to go to The Ouija Board and pick all this up. I’ll meet you at your place when you’re finished.”

“Let’s slow down here a minute,” Marcus said. “I’m not saying Rayna can’t handle herself, but the last few months have been hard on everyone. We’ve all had to make certain…adjustments. I’m not sure now is the time to be testing her limits. With Jonathan back in the picture—”

“He’s not,” Rayna said.

“But I thought you two were going to start spending time together.”

Rayna shook her head. “At least not now. Not until all of this is over. Outside of shifting, I’m just not ready for that.”

“Oh…” Marcus said. “Are you sure ?”

“I need to be focused right now. I can’t do that with him in the picture.”

“Okay,” Marcus said. “Let me get my things and I’ll come to The Ouija Board with you. With Riley and the Brothers on the loose, we’re not taking any chances.”

“Nonsense. You and I have our own business to tend to,” Grams said. “Willy, Chase, and whatever his name is can go.”