The Bone Coven Chronicles: The Complete Series Page 35

  “I’m not questioning it,” I said. “I just don’t understand it.”

  “You don’t need to understand it. It’s just how it was.” Dogaru began to stand. “Now, if that’s all you wanted to grill me about, I think it might be time for you to leave. Vampire clubs are no place for young shadow mages pretending to be bone mages. While the alliance exists between your faux coven and my Clan, there is nothing of the sort for Shadows. You have no protection here, Miss Bennett.”

  “Wait.” I stood. “I know you aren’t a fan of mages, particularly not ones like me, but we have a serious situation on our hands here. A demon has fled into the world, and Dorian can’t figure out how to make his venom work. All I’m asking is for you to explain the magic, so we can prevent this from happening again.”

  Dogaru raised his eyebrows and settled himself back into the chair again. “Oh my. Well, this is certainly far more complicated than I expected. You say a demon has escaped? From its physical confines?”

  I nodded, relieved he saw the full gravity of the situation. “In the past week, we’ve encountered several demons who are seemingly immune from our banishment spells. One of those, just tonight, escaped from the crypt where it had come through the veil. This was after Dorian tried to bite it. We’re aware that vampire venom can destroy a demon, so we were attempting to banish it that way. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.”

  “I see.” Christian Dogaru laced his hands together and leaned back in his chair. “Where did you hear this venom talk?”

  “The Magister explained it,” I said. “He told us it was how the Daywalkers fought the demons in the war.”

  He shook his head and let out a laugh. “Is your council really that unaware of what happened?. I knew most of them didn’t fight in the war themselves and weren’t even on the council then, but surely they must have more solid information than that. Zoe, we fought demons in the war, but we didn’t bite them ourselves. It was much more complicated than that.”

  “Okay.” I nodded, not at all surprised that the current council was so confused about the vampires’ true part in the war. Leaning forward, I looked deep into his eyes, to show him that I was serious with my next words. “Then, tell me. I want to understand it, even if they don’t have a clue.”

  “They would be better off to have a leader more like yourself. Someone who seeks out the truth,” Dogaru said, resting his chin on his steepled hands. “There were two fronts in the war. The front that you are most aware of is, of course, the one where your beloved bone mages fought. Those were the demons who had not yet gained the strength to break free of their typical weaknesses. The ones clustered in buildings. In railroad stations, in theatres, in stadiums. I confess, they were strong, but they were easy to track down and easy to surround. And they could be banished by your mages.”

  I nodded along. This was everything I knew about the war. It was what my parents had fought against. Even what my Grams had fought. They’d sought out the demons wherever they were confined and banished them back into their realm one by one. But then where did that leave the vampires?

  I leaned forward even more. “And you? What did your Clan do?”

  “As the veil weakened, the demons became stronger,” Dogaru continued. “Some, as you’ve experienced, were immune to the mage’s powers. After some time, these immune demons were able to break through and become corporeal. Their physical forms manifested. My Clan fought them while your mages took care of the others.”

  Chills swept through my body as the world tipped underneath my feet. Never had I heard of this particular part of our shared history. Never had I imagined it was even a possibility. Demons of flesh and bone would be far dangerous than the ones I had encountered so far. They would be able to fight in ways their shadow forms never could. They could smash someone under their monstrous feet. They could use their claws and teeth to rip people to shreds. They could fly through the skies and rain destruction upon this world.

  “And they weren’t restricted by four walls, were they?” I asked in a soft whisper.

  “Unfortunately not,” the Clan leader said. “They could move freely, and they had few restrictions. We were very nearly beat, Miss Bennett, though that I’m sure you know.”

  “I don’t understand.” Mind reeling, I stared hard at the vampire. None of this made sense, but there was a harsh truth to his words I couldn’t ignore. “If demons were flying around killing people, how are humans still unaware of the supernatural world’s existence?”

  Christian Dogaru smiled. “You would need to ask the fae about that.”

  “Right.” I shivered again, struggling to comprehend everything I had learned. The truth was, the situation was far worse than I had originally thought. If the demons we’d encountered had already broken free of some of their weaknesses, then the veil was getting destroyed. Fast.

  But how? And why? Most importantly, how much?

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a vampire motion frantically to Dogaru. Frowning, he stood. “I am afraid that my Clan needs me. I hope you got what you came looking for, Miss Bennett.”

  “Wait.” I stood quickly and held out a hand to stop him before realizing that touching the powerful leader of a vampire Clan probably wasn’t the greatest idea. “Just one more question before you go.”

  With a flicker of irritation in his eyes, he stopped once more. “One question, Miss Bennett. And then I must ask you to go.”

  “Your venom destroys them, right?” I asked. “Do they need to be corporeal? And if so, do you just bite them and that’s that?”

  He smiled at that. The kind of smile that sent shivers down your spine. The kind of smile that made your blood feel like ice. “Venom can work on a non-corporeal demon, but it must be dripped into its mouth as that is the only part of it that is present in this realm. If the demon is corporeal, a bite from the right kind of vampire can work, but that is not how we fought them. In most battles, we used our speed and strength to severely weaken them. At that point, they were no longer immune to your mages, though it often took many fights to get to that point. We only used the venom when absolutely necessary.”

  Relieved, I filed that information away. It might not be the best news in the world—I had no idea how we would manage getting some vampire venom into the demon’s mouth—but it was a place to start. And if things got worse and the demon’s physical form manifested, at least Dorian would be able to sink his teeth into its skin.

  But Christian Dogaru’s smile still twisted his lips, and a sudden rock of dread tumbled into my stomach.

  “There is something else you should know, my dear,” Dogaru said. “We rarely used the venom because we did not have a large supply. You see, a Daywalker’s venom will not destroy a demon. Neither will an Unbound’s for that matter. No, to destroy a demon, you need venom that comes from demons themselves. The venom of a Nosferatu vampire. Here’s a tip: find them and cut out their fangs.”

  Christian Dogaru turned away, cackling underneath his breath as if this was the greatest joke he’d ever heard. And to him, maybe it was. Sinking onto the edge of the chair, I stared at his retreating back. The entire future of the world felt stripped bare, and everything I thought I knew was wrong. Why had the council kept this information from us? Did they even know the truth about how we won the war?

  And how the hell were we going to fight demons without a stash of Nosferatu vampire venom?

  I needed more answers. I needed the Daywalkers’ help in this fight. As I turned to extend a request to the leader of the Clan, one he would most likely refuse, shouts rang up from the lower warehouse floor.

  And then the entire place went up in flames.

  Chapter 19

  Coughing, I stumbled outside. Behind me, the fire blazed, windows popping and shattering glass onto the pavement. Sirens wailed in the distance while shouts and screams added to the growing crescendo. I whirled in my boots, searching for Dorian’s familiar face. He appeared through the thick smoke, charging toward me in a blu
r of motion.

  “Thank the goddess,” he said when he reached me, pressing his mouth to my hair and breathing me in. And I couldn’t help but do the same to him. He was fire and smoke, blood and iron, and something so familiar that it made my shot nerves feel soothed. “I thought I’d never find you. Are you okay? I will give you my blood right here in the middle of the street if that’s what I have to do. Fuck anyone who sees.”

  He pulled back and slid his fingers across my face, to my throat, to my waist. His fiery eyes flicked across me, searching for wounds he wouldn’t find. The fire hadn’t touched me. As soon as Christian Dogaru had realized what was happening, he ordered one of his bodyguards to make sure I made it out alive.

  “I’m fine, Dorian.” I coughed and waved at the billowing smoke. “Though the rest of the world might not be.”

  At the question-mark in his eyes, I quickly filled him in on what I’d learned. He scowled before he kicked his boot at the curb. “Nosferatu venom? There has to be another way.”

  “That’s what I thought. Or hoped, anyway.” I waved at where the flames had consumed the entire bottom floor. “I was about to ask Christian Dogaru to help with the fight when the fire started.”

  “Did you hear what happened? What started it?” Dorian shoved his hands into his hair and glanced up at the burning remains that was Slayerville. I could only hope that everyone had made it out alive.

  “No, I don’t think they have any idea yet,” I said. “It was total chaos in there.”

  Dorian dragged a hand down his tired face. “Well, I hope no one started it. Human, vampire, or otherwise. And if someone did, then I hope to hell Dogaru never finds out. Otherwise, we’ll have a new problem on our hands, and I don’t think we can handle anything else.”

  Shit. I hadn’t thought about that. If someone had started this fire on purpose, Christian Dogaru would see it as an act of war. And there’d be no stopping his revenge.

  Dorian flinched when his phone buzzed in his pocket. With a grim set to his lips, he flicked it open and pressed it to his ear, his face tight with tension. We both knew we were about to hear another dose of bad news. Dorian never got a call about anything but.

  “Right, I understand,” he said with a nod. “We’ll be right in.”

  I cocked my head when he hung up the phone. “Don’t tell me the fae escaped.”

  “Worse,” he said. “Another blood mage is dead.”

  “What?” Furrowing my eyebrows, I shook my head. “I don’t understand. We arrested the fae. If he’s still locked up, how has this happened?”

  “Because this means the fae isn’t the murderer. Someone else is, and he’s still out there making his kills.”

  “Belzus,” Dorian said as he eased onto a metal folding chair across the table from the fae. The coven had set up a makeshift interrogation room that reminded me of the kind of thing I’d seen on human cop shows. Empty room, metal chairs and table, and a microphone in the center to record it all. But instead of being in a police station with a two-way window and all the rest that it entailed, we were in a barren bedroom with wards keeping the fae trapped in his seat.

  “Dorian Kostas,” the fae said with a strange smile. “Zoe Bennett. How enjoyable it is to say names, is it not?”

  Dorian frowned. “Listen, I think it’s time we had a frank talk, don’t you think?”

  “A frank talk, hmm?” Belzus raised his eyebrows as he flicked his gaze up to me. I’d opted to stand with my arms crossed. I couldn’t sit right now, way too on edge about everything that had happened in the past few days. The demons, the dead mages, the vampire bar burning down. Plus, the whole Nosferatu fang situation had my blood pressure rising. “You mean, full of honesty? The revealing of secrets? Of hidden truths buried underneath an illusion?”

  Alarmed, I glanced at Dorian, who merely shook his head. I shouldn’t display a reaction. Belzus was trying to push my buttons, and responding in kind would only let him win. The only problem was, it was working. If we tried to make him talk, would he open up the floodgates and say way too much? Here where the council could hear him? He was one of the only people who knew the truth about me, and he could cause my entire world to come crashing down with only a few small words.

  “We’d like to talk to you about the blood mage.” Dorian shuffled some papers. “Sylvia Anderson. What can you tell us about her death?”

  “Perhaps you should have asked me these questions before assuming my guilt.” The fae smiled, sparking light in his impossibly gold eyes. “Years ago, your kind needlessly suffered from puritan prejudice, found guilty without a fair and balanced trial. Executed. And now you do the same. Ironic, is it not?”

  “You know what?” I said, striding closer and leaning down to see eye-to-eye with the golden-haired fae. “I agree with you. The way we operate is pretty shitty if you ask me, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. A blood mage was killed. Brutally, I might add. And you were seen carrying the body. Can you please explain to us what happened that night? Why were you there? Did you see someone? Or something?”

  Belzus tapped his finger against his sleek cheekbone and nodded. “I see. Let me guess. The blood mage serial killer has added another victim to his list. And now you’re realizing, ‘Oh, our dear Belzus cannot be the killer as he has been locked up without a fair trial.’ Yes?”

  He was right. And I hated that he was right, particularly because he wore a smug smile that reminded me of the time my childhood cat caught a canary.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t divulge much information about the case at this time,” Dorian cut in, ever the Federal Agent in disguise. I had a feeling that in his very long and varied life, he really had been on the force at one time or another.

  “Then, perhaps I cannot divulge information either.” Belzus crossed his arms and leaned back into the metal chair.

  “Oh come on, Belzus. Give us a fucking break.” On the other hand, I sounded nothing like a professional agent. Polished, I was not. “Three blood mages are dead, and you obviously know something about it. What were you doing with the body?”

  “Moving it,” he said with a shrug. “I meant it as a warning to you and your Laura friend. I assumed if you saw that someone was after the blood mages, then you would do your best to protect her.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “You expect me to believe you actually care if Laura is targeted or not.”

  “Belzus does not lie.” He swept his golden locks behind his pointed ears and smiled. “Next question.”

  “Where did you find the body?” I asked.

  “Behind Descent. The club where I met you the night you banished the demon,” Belzus said without a moment’s hesitation. “Do you remember that place, witch?”

  “Do I remember?” I rolled my eyes. “You showed up with a fucking shovel.”

  Dorian shot me a look before turning his attention back to the fae. “Why didn’t you just contact us instead of dropping a body in the middle of an alley? Or the human authorities? And why lead us to a crypt with a demon?”

  “The fae have their reasons for doing things that witches and warlocks would not understand.” Belzus lifted his shoulders and twirled a strand of hair around his finger. “Besides, you needed to find out about the demon, no? What kind of guardian would I be if I did not alert you about the arrival of a powerful demon? I assume it’s safe to say you returned to the crypt with the proper tools? And now it’s banished. No harm, no foul.”

  “Not exactly,” I said with a frown. “We went back, but the demon got loose.”

  Belzus’s face clouded over. For the first time since I’d met him, I felt as if I were in possession of more information than the all-knowing fae. Clearly, he hadn’t expected the demon to break free. And clearly, he wasn’t happy about it.

  “What do you mean?” He pounded his fist on the table and began to stand from his chair, but the wards around his body held him firmly in place. “How could you let something like that happen? Leave here. Now. Find the demon and
banish it. If you don’t send it back into its realm as quickly as possible, then the veil—”

  “Trust me, Belzus,” I said. “We know all about the fucking veil.”

  “You must find it.” His voice came out a hiss, and the tips of his ears turned a harsh shade of red. “You must banish it. Otherwise, this entire world is doomed.”

  “On that note,” Dorian said, standing from his chair, “I need to go check something. Zoe? Wait here with the fae.”

  Dorian disappeared through the door, leaving me alone with Belzus. Even though I’d been in this situation before—and in a graveyard, no less—I didn’t feel particularly at ease in the fae’s presence. He was older than the country, wiser than all of us combined, and trickier than I could comprehend. Despite my refusal to let him see it, he scared the shit out of me. Especially with his barely-concealed rage that was simmering under the surface of his flawless skin.

  Swallowing hard, I turned my back to him, hoping he hadn’t seen just how uneasy I was. “Do you know the theory about the Nosferatu fangs being able to destroy demons?”

  “Theory?” He let out a harsh laugh. “It’s no theory, witch. Is that not how you attempted to destroy the demon the second time?”

  Turning back to face him, I shook my head. “I didn’t know about it. No one has ever told me. Dorian tried biting the demon, but he wasn’t able to get a grip on its shadowy form.”

  “I see.” Belzus crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. “I assumed you knew the technique because your blood mage friends have a stash of Nosferatu fangs for this very purpose. If I had known you were unaware, I would have approached them instead.”

  “Why do an elaborate set-up? Why not grab some fangs yourself? Apparently, you can cut them out of their mouths.”