Demigod Down Read online

  “What are your plans for today?” he asked, turning me around in his arms.

  I shrugged as Alfie appeared dressed in running clothes. I smiled. “You want company, Alfie?” I asked, smiling.

  Taken off guard, he adjusted his mp3 player before replying, “Sure.”

  Turning back to Blake, I smiled as he shook his head. “Keep her out of trouble, Alfie,” he warned, slipping out of the door.

  Listening to the sound of the garage door closing, I looked at Alfie with purpose. “I’m going to change. Then we are going to have a conversation about this family business shit.”

  Quickly, he shoved his earbuds in, “I can’t hear you over my mp3 player,” he answered me loudly.

  I was going to break that small, annoying machine.

  …

  I left Alfie alone for the first mile, it was a strange sensation to run for exercise and not because something was either chasing me or I was doing the chasing. Plus, it added to his anxiety and I was enjoying it.

  At mile two, he broke the silence first, “I’ve already told you what Blake’s instructions are.”

  “Yep, who is the family member in trouble?” I asked, looking ahead.

  Alfie stiffened and answered my question with silence. Fine. I could work with body language and emotional discharge alone.

  “Is this unknown family member a pet?” I asked.

  Alfie slowed his gait, his concern ratcheting up as he looked at me. That was a yes.

  “What clan?” I slowed, matching his pace.

  Resting his hands on his hips, I could see the debate taking place behind his intelligent pale blue eyes. “I’ll find out Alfie, one way or another,” I informed him.

  Alfie shook his head, “Not one you know of,” he answered finally.

  “Why are Angelina and Gabrielle here?” I asked, watching his closed expression closely.

  Alfie sighed, picking the pace back up. “To help meditate the current family problems

  “So it’s a foreign vampire that has the family member as a pet.”

  Alfie skidded to a stop, glaring at me. “I did not say that.”

  “You haven’t said much.” I agreed, facing him.

  He shook his head, rubbing his forehead, before starting back up, “Damn, you are good.”

  I shrugged. “Being able to read people has kept me alive this long.”

  Alfie sighed resigned. “Ask another question.”

  “Is the clan in St Anne?”

  “That would make it simpler if they were. No, they found some damn loop hole that allows them to practice the old ways about 100 miles outside the city in rural farm county.”

  “Why?”

  “Why, what?” He cast me a glance as we returned to an easy pace.

  “Why did she take Blake’s family?” I stopped, suddenly pieces coming together. “Blake and Tate are related, they did this to get Tate not Blake.”

  Alfie kept running and I sprinted to keep up with him. “She’s after both of them. I don’t pretend to understand exactly why, but I know neither of them are willing to let the bitch keep their family member and equally not willing to agree to her terms.”

  I nodded. “Do you know much about the older cast of vampires?”

  Alfie turned a corner and I kept up with him easily. “Nothing pleasant.”

  “They hold to the rules and laws of the their clans with religious fanaticism, if Blake and Tate can find a loop hole she will release their family member.” I sighed. “But if Blake and Tate haven’t found a loophole, it’s quite possible one doesn’t exist. The foreign bitch would have known her laws intimately.” I groaned. “I wish he would just let me kill her. But even that wouldn’t solve the problem, I’d have to kill the entire clan.” I sighed.

  “And then the vampires could come after you.”

  “The vampires would love to come after me.” I groaned, seeing no good options as we ended up back on Blake’s street.

  I felt the air cool before I saw actual danger approaching. I grabbed Alfie by his shirt and forced him down to crouch beside me.

  “What the hell, Olivia?” He jerked out of my hold as I scanned the deserted street. We were four doors down from Blake’s, but in this neighborhood with huge yards and equally gigantic houses, it was too far to run.

  No one was watching from any of the windows I could see, but we were out in the open. This was not a defensible position. It was an easy place for an ambush.

  I was silent, balancing on the balls of my feet, listening and waiting for whatever had caused the sudden drop in temperature.

  “Why is it so cold?” he asked, rubbing his arms.

  “I don’t know,” I muttered. “But I am certain nothing good will come of it.”

  Alfie pulled out his cell phone, speaking rapidly to security as I scanned the area and pushed slightly out of my crouch to see above the perfectly groomed hedges to my left.

  “I told you he wouldn’t be happy,” said a voice from behind us. Dammit.

  Pivoting on the balls of the feet, I threw out an arm to push Alfie behind me, he annoyingly didn’t move. Slowly I pushed up into a standing position, drawing the attention of my opponent.

  “Sleazy mother fucker,” I hissed at the slumped shoulder greasy asshole Rose fired from Kitten. My anxiety decreasing significantly, I could handle this one.

  His face turned red as he spat out his next sentence, “Bi-bitch, you will re-respect me,” he ordered. Wind sucker punched me in the stomach, launching both of us off our feet and over the hedge. Landing solidly on our backs and into the grass, I turned on my side, sucking in a deep breath and coughing from the sudden lack of oxygen, watching Alfie’s worried expression.

  “What is he?” Alfie rasped next to me, pushing halfway up.

  “Witch or demigod, I’m betting on the latter given how fast he is throwing that shit,” I said as another gust of wind pitched us back another five feet, my hip slid over the manicured lawn leaving a dirt rut where I had traveled.

  “How the fuck do you kill either of those?” he wheezed, rolling onto his side.

  “When all else fails, I usually go with beheading,” I answered shrugging, looking around for a weapon on the previously pristine lawn.

  “Who is the he you are referring to?” I asked wind boy, suddenly worried there might be another psycho hiding.

  “He is the God of Chaos, the creator of the trickster coyote, and he will have you for his own succubus whore!” he screamed pointing at me.

  What the hell? Pretty certain I hadn’t pissed off a God to my knowledge, actually I had yet to meet any Gods on my journeys, just wannabes.

  “Blah, blah, blah, you greasy sleaze ball, neither you nor your boss you are an actual God, get over yourself!” I taunted him.

  Freezing cold air knocked the wind out of me again and I braced my forearms on my knees, keeping my chin elevated I watched him glide over the grass, perfect, he had skills.

  “What are you waiting for you pathetic half-breed?” I sneered at him, taking another arctic blast to my shins, bracing my hands against the grass as I slid backwards on my stomach.

  “Ouch,” I groaned, pulling my knees underneath me, while staying low to the ground.

  Alfie was watching me from wide eyes, unsure what to do, probably thinking I was insane to taunt the air-blasting lunatic. Maybe. I was running off a hunch and currently, it was the best I had.

  Besides I needed to keep him focused on me. I was hoping Alfie would take the hint and get back up or a sword. Hell at this point, I would settle for a gun. Not sure any of the above would kill him, but the good news I was prepared to try it all. I know, shocking right?

  “You will beg at his hands,” Sleaze ball hissed at me, his eyes bloodshot as he glided closer.

  I smiled, pushing myself upright, I had planned on staying closer to the ground to try and avoid a few bruises and scrapes, but my pride wasn’t having it.

  “I don’t beg, bitch. I break people,” I informed him, m
y stance widening, hands fisted at my sides.

  Sleaze ball laughed, a high-pitched, wheezing noise. It was then I made my move.

  Clearing the distance between us with quick strides, I drew back my fist smashing it against his nose, satisfied with the crunch of bones under my knuckles.

  “You bitch!” he screamed at me stumbling back.

  I snarled, advancing on him.

  Pushed with one pale, skinny hand, I was launched over the ground, into a fence and slammed into a chlorinated pool of water.

  Perfect.

  Opening my eyes I waited, for painful moments as the pool’s chemicals burned the cuts along my back and sides. Using the edge of the pool, I pushed down as far as I could, resting the toes of my shoes flat on the bottom. I waited until sleazy’s dark shadow lurked over the pool. My air almost all gone, I pushed myself up forcefully.

  Breaking the surface, I pulled in deep a breath before wrapping my arms around Sleaze’s ankles, pulling him down into the water with me.

  He flailed and thrashed around as I held tightly to him, pushing him down to the bottom and adjusting my grip to around his waist. My long shot guess was proving to be true, in an environment lacking air, his powers were useless. I just had to hold out longer than him, while keeping him from getting another breath or drowning me.

  Shit, I still hadn’t gotten the information of who the other deranged demigod was.

  He thrashed around, trying hard to buck me off of him and to the surface, but I wouldn’t let him go, even as the oxygen burned in my chest. Keeping my arms wrapped around his middle, I used my weight to sink him. He bit into my shoulder, drawing a grunt from me, which used up my limited oxygen.

  Finally, he screamed under the water, releasing his precious air in a foolish attempt as his next breath sucked in the water. His body automatically attempted to reject the water that would kill him as he thrashed in my grasp. It didn’t work as he sucked in additional water.

  He stopped fighting and I pushed rapidly to the surface, latching onto the side of the pool heaving myself out of the water I inhaled the cool crisp air into my lungs, my legs still hanging in the pool I stared at the tan cool decking.

  The click of guns had me looking up at Blake’s security, resting my head against the pool decking. “You are late, boys,” I croaked out.

  “Is he dead, Olivia?” Alfie asked, pushing to the front.

  I sighed, heaving myself completely out. “I hope so,” I answered, watching his body float face down to the surface.

  “How did you know the water would dampen his powers?” Alfie asked me, crouching down to examine the wounds on my back.

  “Lucky guess,” I answered honestly.

  “The real question is how did he know where I was?” I pondered out loud.

  “It is common knowledge where you are staying,” Alfie said, not looking at the situation as I was.

  “Maybe, but how did he know I would be on this street unarmed?” I asked, looking at him. “I am hardly ever unarmed.”

  Alfie shifted from foot to foot, “What are you thinking?” he finally asked me.

  “This isn’t over and his partner is going to show up next.” I sighed, wringing the water from my hair as the sirens wailed in the distance. “Maybe staying with Blake is too dangerous,” I muttered.

  “No, he has waited for your return for weeks. Leaving would be an insult,” Alfie passionately informed me as I stood up.

  I huffed. This relationship shit was cramping my impulsive nature.

  The sirens were getting closer. “You should probably get your guys out of here,” I muttered.

  Alfie blinked, nodding before giving a few hand gestures and the lawn cleared out. Looking up, a terrified woman in curlers clutched her small dog to her chest from her back door.

  I waved and she passed out, releasing the small dog who instantly began barking.

  “I should probably go check on her,” Alfie said as she hit the door frame before sliding down.

  “Probably a good idea,” I agreed as the sound of squealing tires followed by doors thrown forcefully open announced the arrival of the human police. “I don’t think you will get there though.”

  “Hands in the air!” one of them shouted as I turned to them, still behind the rod iron gate.

  I rested my hands on my hips, “Where is Mercer?” He usually showed up to the supernatural parties.

  “Hands in the air!” he screeched again, the gun shaking.

  “You should probably do as he says Olie,” Alfie warned, raising his own hands.

  “Easy, Riggs,” said another uniformed officer, leveling a gun at our direction.

  I tapped an annoyed finger against my hip, adrenaline from the fight still pushing through my veins.

  An unmarked older tan car pulled up and I watched closely the stout man who got out.

  It wasn’t Mercer, but a wider man with a hefty double chin and a wrinkled brown suit. He stormed across the yard, fists clenched.

  “You won’t be getting out of anything this time, demon. Put you god damn hands in the air!” he bellowed at me.

  He was making me regret not killing humans.

  Following Alfie’s lead, I raised my hands to my shoulders, my back protesting the movement. Slowly the plainclothes officer made his way through the hole my body had made, sneering at me the entire time.

  Fuck.

  Forcefully, he wrenched a hand behind my back, slapping the cuff on before he jerked down my other hand.

  “You have no jurisdiction here,” I informed him, my patience being tested.

  Putting his foul smelling mouth next to my ear, he laughed softly, “The game has changed, bitch. You can’t go around drowning humans.”

  I scoffed, my body growing cold as I decided he was worth the risk of killing a human. “That isn’t a human - you vile, worthless, piece of trash,” I hissed.

  He shoved me forward and I landed hard on my bare knees against the pool decking, more of my blood spilling out as Alfie was treated to the same unfair treatment.

  Without a word or medical attention to my back, they hauled us into the dusty unmarked car, not bothering to check on the woman at the open door or her noisy dog.

  “Who are you?” I asked the wide asshole as he slid in the drivers seat in front of me.

  He cast a disapproving look in the rearview mirror. “I’m Franks, the new department liaison.”

  “Where is Mercer?” Alfie asked.

  Franks smile widened, “He was fired for conduct unbecoming a police officer. Sticking your dick into the leader of the demons isn’t a choice well received. ”He grinned maliciously turning his attention to the road in front of him as he started the car.

  Pushing back against the seat, I pulled my legs up ignoring the pain the fabric caused rubbing against my back as I slammed both my feet into his seat, repeatedly.

  “Keep it up, you are adding assault to a police officer,” Franks threatened in a growl.

  I only hit his seat harder, hard enough to bounce his tubby frame around. I could feel Alfie’s eyes on me, and I knew it was childish, but I didn’t give a shit. If this asshole lived another day, he would be lucky.

  Chapter 8

  They separated us upon arrival to the police precinct and the stares I received as Franks slammed my shoulder against the hallway were both mortified and impressed. He shoved me gleefully into a holding cell with other human miscreants.

  “Have fun, demon freak,” he taunted, whistling jauntily as he left.

  I sighed, resting my head against the filthy bars. I needed to clean my wounds.

  A hand slapped down painfully on my open back wounds and without thinking, I turned around, wrapping my own arm around the arm of the woman who had touched me, pinning it painfully behind her back and forcing her to her knees.

  Leaning down, I hissed into her ear, “Touch me again, bitch and you will lose the arm.” Shoving her away from me and sprawling onto the concrete floor and into the other inmates. />
  Someone was going to pay dearly for this.

  No one else dared approached me.

  Hours passed by as I waited either to be interrogated or released. I was going to find Franks family and I was going to teach him a lesson. That was the only thought that consoled me.

  I was not expecting Hash who arrived outside the bars grinning like the smug fool I knew him to be.

  “Olivia,” he said, staring at me as the officer unlocked the cell door.

  I moved, ready to get out of here. “Hash,” I stated, certain nothing good would come of this.

  I followed him as he exited the holding area and into another hallway before turning into an interrogation room. So this was how they were going to play it.

  He sat in the thin metal chairs turning off the microphone in front of us before he began a single file in front of him.

  “Quite an exciting afternoon you’ve had yourself,” he began.

  I grunted.

  “The blood work came back and it wasn’t a human you killed,” he continued.

  “I know,” I stated flatly. He wanted something and unfortunately I could guess what it was.

  He pushed the file toward me, thumbing through it quickly I found pictures of Mercer and Grams together, me and Kass, and me at Blake’s house. It was unnerving that I hadn’t seen the picture taker.

  “Why are you digging into us?” I asked him as I sat back in the uncomfortable chair.

  He smiled and slime dripped down my back in revulsion, “You.” He said still smiling even with my facial features pinched in disgust. “I am only looking into you.” He said, leaning back in his chair.

  I should have killed him that night he propositioned me in the alley. Why didn’t I? Why did I let Franks arrest me? Why hadn’t I just killed them fucking all?

  “Why?” I asked again, wanting to smack that smug look off his face.

  “We have unfinished business,” he said.

  “You cannot be fucking serious?” I answered as the realization of what he meant finally dawned upon me. “You think if you drag up something so terrible, so haunting, so damaging in my past I will sleep with you?”

  He just kept smiling.