Chasing the Daemon - Book 2

Chapter 11 - Michael

I don’t hold anything back. I tell him everything that has happened to him and some of what happened to Kadis and Jane. He doesn’t interrupt very often, just to ask a few questions here and there. Though the part about Kadis killing humans and demons alike got a rise out of him.

“Impossible!”

He had started pacing the room when I got to the part about Kadis and Jane being hunted by Fae. But when I told him of how Kadis killed his guards and the demon council. He couldn’t hold his outburst in.

“Jane did something when she healed him. She told me she was trying to fix whatever was wrong with him. My theory is that she removed the sanctions placed on him after the Divine Wars.”

Jaed finally stops pacing, his back to me. I can tell by his posture he is trying to get a hold of himself. His shoulders shake and sag. 

“Jon…?”

The name is just above a whisper, but I hear it clear as day in the silence of the room. I give my answer without hesitation.

“Most likely killed by Kadis.”

He sinks to the floor slowly. I stay where I sit, waiting.

“Mikkas? Did he kill him too?”

The name almost breaks my composure as I wasn’t expecting it.

Oh well, it was inevitable. 

“No, he didn’t.”

My answer makes him look up and swivel towards me. I’m forced to hold my gaze steady as his green eyes meet mine.

“I did.”

My admission seemed to confirm something in Jaed, as he simply nodded at me and sat quietly as I finished my recount of the events. Somehow his lack of emotion bugged me more than if he had gotten upset.

Now we are just waiting for my people to contact me with any information. Jaed is sitting quietly looking at the wall and I’m meditating.

Damn it. I hate that he’s just sitting there.

Hence the need to meditate. My wall is showing cracks and I need to get them filled before they widen. I cannot jeopardize my mission again with personal feelings. Sacrifices must and have been made. And Jaed is that sacrifice.

No. My feelings for Jaed are the sacrifice.

I bounce my thoughts back and forth, refining my intention and course. I realize that I may have to do this many more times. Back in my youth, it was easy. Things were so much simpler back then. We were the good guys, they were the bad guys. Now…. now the lines have been blurred too much.

I’ve learned too much.

But that is why it must be done. Jane is the key. Jane can save the realms. She just doesn’t know it yet.

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The buzz of my phone makes me jump. I stand up and stretch before checking my messages. I look over my shoulder and see that Jaed has not moved. I walk over to the chair and sit down, letting the feeling of pins and needles fade from my legs. I wasn’t meditating very long, but my legs still managed to go a little numb. I’m more tense than I realized.

‘I have eyes on her’

‘Where?’

‘Cambodia. Being held. Not sure by who’

My phone pings as he drops me a pin.

‘Watch and stay hidden’

My phone stays silent, but I am confident my scout has complied. He will contact me when it’s important. The location points to a remote jungle within the Virachey National Park. I could have my scout open a portal right now, but I want him to stay hidden. No use risking his position when I have things to prepare before going in. But first things first.

“Jaed.”

I see no movement and I reach out to touch his shoulder.

“Don’t touch me.”

His voice is robotic and I pull away.

“We found Jane. I need to get some things. Are you coming or staying?”

A sarcastic snort, almost bark-like, escapes him. Shuffling to his feet, he stares at me with flat eyes.

“Whatever you want me to do, remember? I bound myself to your rules if you agreed to tell me what happened. You told me, so now you get to decide.”

He dismisses me and turns to stare at the wall again, though this time he remains standing. I open a portal to my apartment.

“Come on then.”

He turns and shuffles through without looking up. I step through a few seconds behind, and run smack dab into him. My weight carries us forward and my legs seem to entangle in his. Luckily, we fall onto the couch. I manage to get myself to my feet, but Jaed just straightens his legs and stays seated.

“Make yourself comfortable. I’m pretty sure there’s no fresh food, but there might be a few cans in the cupboard.”

No response other than a slight nod.

“Or there’s coffee if you're not hungry.”

Another nod. I give up and head to my room. I have some of my old stuff stored there, namely my demon hunter armour and sword. I have a feeling that it’ll come in handy in my rescue attempt. The sword can harm any being, even those that have heightened healing and shielding abilities. It was made to kill. And in the past it had done plenty of it.

You did plenty of it.

I pull the sword out of its hiding place and run my fingernail on its edge. Still sharp after all these years. It’s the exact same sword that was in the artwork that unlocked Jane’s mind. The daemon pictured holding it was of my caste. Her name was Arias. And it was her and I that escalated the Wars.

I let my mind fall back into that time. Back to the time when I found her locked in passion with him. I was so righteous back then. I thought I knew what was right and wrong, what was good and evil. She swore they loved each other, but I was convinced that a demon was incapable of love. I was the one that brought the matter to the council. Sure they were already thinking of placing sanctions on the Demon realm, but a mutual daemon and demon relationship, that is what tipped the balance.

That is the hidden secret behind the Divine Wars. Not to save humans in reality. But to keep Daemons, Fae, and Demons in their place. I am the last known survivor of that meeting. The council died in the wars, but not before they tried Arias with treason and had her executed with her own sword. Even as she stood before them awaiting her death, she proclaimed her love. He was similarly executed under the guise of a war criminal. 

They tricked her into repealing her true feelings. The council had caught a shapeshifter. They proposed he act as her lover and attack her during battle in return for his freedom. She pleaded and begged him to not attack. To run away with her. She ended up killing the demon, thinking she just killed her love. Too late she realized what happened and she was found out. And too late I found out what the council did. I didn’t want her to die, she was my friend. I betrayed her and they gave me her sword as a reward.

I put the sword back in its sheath, but the memories stay. The irony of my current situation is not lost on me.

I can almost hear her bitter laughter.

I push the memories away with a shake of my head and get the rest of my gear. I hope that I don’t have to use violence, but whoever is holding Jane must be powerful.

Or stupid.

Walking back into the living room, I see that Jaed has still not moved from the couch.

I can’t take him with me if he is going to be like this.

“Jaed?”

No response. I move to stand in front of him.

“Jaed, I’m going to go get Jane. I’m going to ask you to stay here. I will fill you in on everything when I return.”

Still no response, so I leave it and text my scout to open a portal. I step through without looking back, my mind on the mission ahead. Jaed is already fading to the back of my thoughts. In the split second it takes me to exit on the other side, I am in what humans term ‘work mode’. The mantle of Demon Hunter falls on my shoulders comfortably, like an old friend. It feels good. Maybe too good.

Janis materializes from the shadows to my right. His hands flash in a flurry of signs.

'We have a problem.'

Holding his phone up, I see he has managed to get a video feed of what looks like a hunting shack. It has a perfect view inside one of the windows. I see Jane eating at the table. Nothing is happening, but Janis gives me the wait sign and I stare at the image. Minutes later a shadow moves across the wall and someone walks up to her and grabs her plates. Their back is to us, but they look to be male. Jane doesn’t move from her seat. She keeps her head down until the figure turns away. Then she boldly looks out the window, directly at the camera.

I look at Janis sharply, but he is still looking at the screen. I turn my attention back. Jane has resumed her previous position, head down and shoulders slumped. The figure has returned. I still cannot make out who it is, that is until Jane says something to him. He turns in anger and I get a good look at his face. Janis pauses the video, but he doesn't need to. I immediately know who it is.

Zean?