The Blood Bracelets #2: Demon Born

Chapter Eleven

Kael shrugged away from them and went to Ace and Eljae.

'Hey, Kay,' Ace grinned, looking worse than Kael had ever seen him. 'You look like shit.'

Kael helped Ace to his feet. 'I could say the same about you. Prison didn't treat you well?'

'Something like that.'

Kael reached down to help Eljae, but she flinched away from him. He paused, regarding Eljae for a moment before he decided to pull his hand back. 'Are you all right?'

'I'm fine,' she said sharply, but he caught the look that passed between her and Ace. Kael let Eljae stand up on her own.

'So what did we miss?' Ace asked. 'Pretty sure Taryn didn't look like that when we left her.'

'The reason everyone has been after Taryn is because she had a demon sealed inside her – a demon related directly to Lucifer. Asina orchestrated Taryn's kidnapping while we were dealing with the Infernum in order to extract the demon – Fury – from Taryn, but I guess it backfired. Now Fury has control of Taryn's body,' Kael explained, his fists clenching at the thought of Taryn – her consciousness or her soul – being caged beneath Fury's control.

'Well, shit,' said Ace, unsure what else to say.

'Kael.'

They turned around, finding Julius approaching them. 'What?' said Kael, none-too-politely.

Julius gave him a reprimanding look, like a father to his insolent child. 'The others would like to talk to you.'

'Would like to or have no choice but to?' Kael replied, because the look Rafe was giving him said that he'd rather punch Kael in the face than have a civil conversation.

The feeling was mutual.

Kael followed Julius anyway, leaving Eljae and Ace to recover themselves. Michael's sword had also vanished, leaving them all looking remarkably human if it wasn't for their eyes. Seth was the only one who greeted him, but Kael didn't return it.

'First things first,' began Rafe just as Seth opened his mouth, 'do not get in our way. This entire situation has just gone way above your paygrade, got that? You're not in charge anymore.'

'Well that was a good way to begin, Rafael,' said Michael, frowning. 'Any other threats you wish to impart?'

'Several, actually.'

'It was a rhetorical question,' Michael told him, turning back to Kael. 'Threats aside, Julius said you encountered Asmodeus earlier tonight?'

'It can't be Asmodeus,' Rafe protested. 'I already killed him centuries ago.'

'You didn't kill him,' said Seth, sounding puzzled.

Rafe pointed a sharp finger at him. 'Watch your mouth, Setheus.'

'You didn't kill him,' agreed Michael, 'you sealed him, Rafael.'

Rafe shrugged. 'Close enough.'

'He's very much unsealed now,' Kael said. 'He didn't seem all that annoyed that Asina got to Taryn first, in fact it sounded as if he had anticipated it. Is he the cause of the earthquakes?'

'There are several factors that could have contributed to the earthquakes, all of which I believe are connected,' answered Michael. He looked up, checking that the Immortals were no longer in the vicinity. 'Asmodeus is one of the Seven Princes of Hell and he's exceptionally possessive, driven only by the one thing he wants the most.'

'Taryn,' said Seth in understanding. 'Has Asina possessed her?'

The looks that passed between Kael, Julius, Rafe and Michael were not subtle, so Seth's expression darkened when he realised something had been hidden from him. 'What don't I know?'