Demon Chord - A MaxTul Supernatural Thriller

Chapter 10 - Revelation

Chapter Ten

Revelation

Max sighed loudly to show his displeasure as he repositioned the blade at his waist.

"What do you want demon?"

"Can't I drop in on an old friend from time to time?" the man from the shadows replied with a slight pout on his generous lips.

Max laughed, but it contained no humor, "We aren't friends, demon. You should divest yourself of that notion."

"Well, we aren't exactly enemies either.  And I do have some news that I would like you to share with the Cadre. And I've asked you before not to call me demon. Demons come from hell, I come from the Shadow Realm."

"Semantics" shrugged Max, "And why would they want to hear anything that you have to say?"

"Because it could mean the survival of the human race."

"Now I know you've lost your mind" snorted Max, "since when does the Shadow Realm care about humans, and what could you possibly know that would interest the Cadre?"

The Shadow frowned at the disparaging remark, but continued, "I know the Cadre has declared an unjust war against the Wamphyri nation."

"Hardly unjust. Their thralls have attacked and killed humans.  It's only a matter of time before the Wamphyri start to do the same thing."

The shadow smiled snidely, "oh, but they haven't."

Max mimicked the smile and replied, "They've confessed."

"I happen to know it's a false confession."

Max was starting to tire of the word play, so he snapped, "Either tell me what you know, Saint, or leave. I don't have the time or the patience for this."

The man smiled handsomely as he replied, "Thank you for using my name. See, it's not that hard to be polite."

"Saint...."

"You might want to sit down for this," prefaced Saint, "things are about to get complicated for you and the Cadre."

When Max didn't reply but looked towards the door as a silent suggestion that he should exit, Saint knew he was running out of time, so he sat down uninvited at the slayer's table and began his story.

"As you know the Shadow Realm has always existed alongside of humans, just in a separate dimension. Most of the time, we are invisible, but occasionally, if the circumstances are just right, a human will catch a glimpse of us out the corner of their eyes. For some reason, we are seen more often by children than adults, thus the legend of the boogeyman."

"I know all this Saint, get to your point."

What you may not know, is that we have the power to enter the sub-conscious mind of humans and alter your dreams and even memories."

"Fairy tales" replied Max, "that has never been proven."

"Because we didn't want it be."

"I don't believe you" snarked Max.

"Your belief hardly matters. It's true.  As a matter of fact, I altered your memory just today."

"You did what?" asked an incredulous Max.

Saint grinned, he loved having one over the slayer, "Yes, while you were unconscious on the floor. I laid a false memory over the real one."

Rising quickly, Max pulled his sword before remembering that it would have no effect on Saint, even though he was now corporal, Max knew that he would revert to his shadow self as soon as he realized the danger.  Sheathing the sword, he sat back down before replying, "I don't believe you."

Saint laughed, "Of course you do. That's why you wanted to stab me with that pointy object."

Blowing his frustration through his nostrils with a loud snort, Max continued, "What did you do inside my head?"

"I replaced the Wamphyri''s visit."

"A Wamphyri was here?"

"Yes, with his thrall."

"Here" Max pointed around the room, "in my home? A Wamphyri and his thrall?"

"Yes"

"And you erased that memory? Why?"

"Well, that's where it gets interesting" answered Saint.

"Start talking Saint, and don't quit until I tell you stop" snarled Max.

"My father wants to rule this dimension as well as our own and has decided the easiest way to do that is to have the two dominant species destroy each other."

"Humans and Wamphyri?" asked Max.

Saint nodded in the affirmative, and continued, "So, he laid the false memory in the thralls that they killed the humans, when in fact he contracted a reaper demon to do it."

"What the hell!" exclaimed Max.

"Thus, the false confessions and the subsequent breaking of the truce by the Cadre when they executed innocent thralls."

Max went pale at the idea that the Cadre killed innocent men.

"This can't be true."

"Have you ever known a shadow to lie?"

Max appeared to think about it before asking, "How can we fix this?"

"We need Tulkorn to come with us to talk to the Cadre."

"Who is Tulkorn?" asked Max.

Saint smiled sweetly and replied, "The Wamphyri who's going to change your life."