The Mythos Unveiled (Demona series) (19 page)

Chapter 20

Negotiations

Demona’s
phone rang, as she entered the TGHC lobby.

“Hey,
Felix,” Demona said.

“I’ve
got good news!” Felix replied.

“Really?”

“Ezekiel,
Molony, and I talked it through last night. They are willing to cooperate with
TGHC. But there are two conditions,” Felix said.

“And
those are?”

“Grier
must agree that GLC members will be unharmed afterwards. The second condition
is that you act as the future liaison between our two groups.”

“Okay,
I will head over to TGHC and talk it over with Darius,” Demona said. “Thanks,
Felix.”

Demona
made her way over the smooth marble floors towards the elevator doors. She
waited, rocking back and forth on flats of her feet. When the doors opened a
few people walked out and she stepped inside. Before the doors could close,
Claudia joined her in the elevator. Demona stiffened.

They
rode up the elevator in silence. Then, the doors opened and they both exited
the elevator. Demona stopped a moment and watched as Claudia made her way
through the rows of cubicles. She could not believe that Claudia had wasted the
chance to say something snide to her. Maybe the humiliation she had faced after
her incident during candidate selection had truly been enough to change her.
Maybe without her leader, Persephone, Claudia was lost.

Demona
waited outside the office as the secretary informed Darius that she was there
to see him. She entered the office to find Kerrick already seated in one of the
chairs.

“Ah,
Demona. Just who I was waiting to hear from,” Darius said. He followed her with
his eyes as she crossed the room and in the chair next to the one Kerrick was
sitting in. “Do you have news for us?”

“I
do. Ezekiel and Molony discussed the issue with Felix. They’ve agreed to help,
under conditions,” Demona said. She glanced at Kerrick who seemed to be
avoiding her gaze.
Something is wrong
.

“And
they are?” Darius asked.

“They
said that they’ll help if none of their members are harmed and are able to
leave peacefully. The second is that, they want me to act as liaison between
GLC and TGHC.”

“Those
conditions seem reasonable. I see no reason to decline them,” Darius said.
“Have they indicated how much time they need to prepare for the task?”

“No,
but I can check,” Demona replied. “Just give me a minute, I’ll be back.” Demona
exited the office and before she was able to close the door she thought she
heard Darius and Kerrick speaking in raised voices. She figured it was none of
her business and went to find a quiet location to call Felix.

After
finding peace and quiet in the women’s bathroom, Demona checked the stalls to
make sure she was alone. She pulled out her phone and dialed Felix’s number.

“Hey,
what’s up?” Felix asked.

“I
just talked to Darius. He’s good with the conditions. He was wondering how long
you guys think you’ll need before you are ready to deal with the priest?”
Demona asked. She listened as Felix mumbled to someone else on the other end of
the line.

“Okay,
Ezekiel says that if you can hold the priest off until the next week, that they
should be ready,” Felix said.

“Thanks,
I’ll let them know,” Demona said. She hung up and returned to Darius’ office.

As
she opened the door she found Kerrick half raised out of his chair pointing at
Darius and Darius showing his subtly stern face. Kerrick sat back down as she
made her way to the chair.
This is
awkward!

“Felix
says they should be ready by next week, if Foss and Bergfalk can keep the
priest occupied till then,” Demona said.

“The
priest seems to be maintaining his location at the abandoned motorway. As long
as we keep checking in on him we should be fine until then. It is also perfect
timing, since it will not interfere with the Masquerade Ball,” Darius said. “My
designer is expecting you, Demona.”

“What?
Oh, I’m not going,” Demona said. She waved her hands.

“Yes,
you are. My agents are my most prized TGHC employees; you are everything a dark
being should be. Particularly, my lovely female agents. I suppose that
Persephone Black will be one as well, but she will be occupied elsewhere that
night,” Darius said. “I make certain my agents are always the best dressed for
this affair. You will go to Lady Merriam’s shop in Bazaar Hall sometime this
week so that she can take your measurements.”

“If
I have to,” Demona said.

“Now,
sod off, you two. I have work that needs to be done,” Darius said.

Kerrick
and Demona made their way out of the office. They entered the elevator alone.

“What’s
going on?” Demona asked.

“Nothing,”
Kerrick said.

Demona
turned to him. “I’m not stupid, Kerrick. I know something is going on with you
and Darius.”

“It’s
nothing you need to worry about. It is confidential.”

“If
you say so,” Demona said.
Something
serious is happening.
“Are you stopping over tonight?”

“No.
I can’t,” Kerrick said.

“Why
not? I barely see you anymore.”

“I
know. I just, I have some stuff I need to do at my house.”

“Then,
I will come help you.”

“No,”
Kerrick said. When the elevator doors opened he stormed out. Demona watched him
make his way to the stairway that descended towards the agent office. Demona
had not eaten breakfast, so she joined the line in the cafeteria.

This is not like
Kerrick at all. He’s been really inconsistent with his behavior recently.

****

Demona
tried to focus her attention on meditation, as she and Felix were instructed by
Preet again. Demona thought she was starting to understand how meditation could
help her in life, but sometimes she was not so certain. Though, it did give her
a lot of time to spend with her thoughts and figure things out.

She
and Felix had had more long talks and laughs that day, on many different
topics. Demona was starting to feel more at home with Felix. Yet, something
nagged Demona about Kerrick and she was not certain what it was. Demona tried
to brush it off. She knew that Kerrick was his own man and that by smothering
him, he would only pull away more. She let him have his space.
He’ll come to me when he is ready.

Demona
sat in the office at one of the desks watching Agrippa instruct Persephone on
how to fill out the reports for field work. She was much better at this than
she had been at training. Persephone barely had a moment to spare a look at
Demona. Demona was grateful that it was the case. Less interaction with
Persephone was always a good thing.

Break
time rolled around and since there was no activity; Demona decided she would
get her dress fitting over with and get to Lady Merriam’s shop. She did not
want Darius to get angry with her for disobeying him.

Demona
descended the stairs to Terra Hollow. By the time she was half way down she heard
the thumping bass from Club Chambers. She took the tunnel to the side towards
Bazaar Hall and the commotion of the market instantaneously filled her senses.

Every
time Demona made it down into Terra Hollow she was completely amazed at all the
sights and sounds. She did not know where the shop was so she decided to wander
around the Hall and experience everything. She had seen most of the lower
markets when she had visited with Kerrick previously, so she decided to venture
higher into the stepped levels and check out the shops and stands.

Each
shop had a wooden sign hanging outside. She walked passed alchemists,
apothecaries, and various other shops each specialized in something unique. She
passed butchers, and bakeries, with smells ranging from absolutely mouth
watering to something that smelled as if it came from the sewer. She even found
a library full of old scrolls and hand bound books.

Eventually,
Demona found her way to the Lady Merriam’s Dress Shop. She entered and found
herself surrounded by beautiful dresses made of all colors and materials. A
little elf, no more than three feet tall, stood in front of Demona when she
entered.

“Demona
Brennan, it’s about time. Follow me,” Lady Merriam said.

Demona
followed the little elf to a clearing among the racks of dresses.

“Stand
here,” Lady Merriam said.

Demona
stood in the spot as instructed and let the little elf take her measurements.
When it came to reaching up higher, Lady Merriam brought out a step stool to
stand upon. She even requested that Demona bend over so that she could measure
her head. Demona complied with the elf’s wishes and soon she was finished.

“Is
there a specific dress color you would like?” Lady Merriam asked.

“Not
really. It doesn’t matter.”

“Your
dress will be delivered when it is finished.”

“Don’t
I need to pay you?”

“Mr.
Grier has taken care of it,” Lady Merriam said. “I will have it sent to you
when it is completed.”

Demona
turned and made her way out of the store. She decided to wander around Terra
Hollow awhile longer. She took in all of the sights and sounds. On one side of
her a man and woman shouted about the prophecy.

“We
need to be prepared. The end times are near! Our fate is being decided at this
very moment,” the woman said.

“The
Mythos
walks among us. It could be
you.” The man pointed directly at Demona as she passed. “It could be you.” He
pointed to another woman. A few of the onlookers glanced at Demona as she
passed by, but soon returned to watching the man and woman.

Demona
was not paying attention to where she was walking when she looked inside shops
as she passed them by. She accidentally bumped into a particularly beautiful
fairy in a long white dress.

“Watch
where you are going!” the fairy said. “I will not have a fool running into me!”
The fairy reached her arm out and sent a gust of wind at Demona. As the wind
swept over Demona it threatened to knock her down. Everyone in Bazaar Hall
froze and turned their attention to their confrontation.

The
wind blew Demona’s hair away from her face and it streamed in the air behind
her. Demona knew she needed to put a stop to this quickly before something
worse happened. Confrontations in Terra Hollow had a way of being blown out of
proportion and turning into mass brawls. Demona concentrated and stuck her hand
out. She took control of the wind gust the fairy had forced on her. Then, she
made it dissipate.

The
fairy’s eyes were like daggers pointed at Demona. “Who are you that you have
elemental magic?”

Demona
gulped. “I’m Demona.”

“How
is it that you control elements? Answer me!”

Every
creature in Bazaar Hollow tensed as they watched the confrontation escalate.

“I’m
not sure what you are asking.”

“Vampires
do not control elements!” the fairy said.

“She’s
just a vampire with rare
mageia
,”
Kerrick said. He stepped between Demona and the fairy.

Where did he
come from?

“Well,
this special vampire better watch where she is going. You never know who you
could be running into,” the fairy replied. With that the fairy turned and
huffed. She stuck her nose in the air as she walked away.

Bazaar
Hall instantly turned back into a noisy chaotic market as if nothing had
happened.

Kerrick
grabbed Demona by the arm.

“Ouch,
that hurts,” Demona said.

“Let’s
get out of here. Now!” Kerrick said.

They
made their way through the market district. Demona did not have a chance to
look at anymore of the Hall as Kerrick drug her out of the cavern.

“What
the heck, Kerrick!” Demona said.

Once
they made it outside Kerrick walked her to the car. “Get in.”

Demona
did as she was instructed.

“What
do you think you were doing?” Kerrick asked.

“What
are you talking about?” Demona asked.

“You
used your
mageia
in front of all of
Bazaar Hall!”

“So,
what’s the big deal?”

“Don’t
you realize how special you are? Darius has kept you a secret for a reason,”
Kerrick said.

“I
used my
mageia
before.”

“Yes,
but never in front of half of Terra Hollow. Vampires don’t get elemental
powers, Demona. Didn’t you ever realize that?”

“No,
I didn’t,” Demona said. “Why not?”

“Because
elemental
mageia
is something only
certain creatures possess. Vampires only possess powers of the mind. Like
premonition, telepathy, and precognition. That kind of thing,” Kerrick said.