Demon Chord - A MaxTul Supernatural Thriller

Chapter 33 - Rules of Engagement

Chapter Thirty-Three

Rules of Engagement

"I thought that the Shadow Lord was recently working with the Cadre," said Max, "has he switched sides again?".

"It's not about sides, the agreement that Laird has with the Shadow Lord takes affect only if he or his home is physically attacked by members of the council.  Otherwise, the powerplay between the realms continue as normal" answered Lark.

Tul interjected, "The Shadow Lord doesn't do anything without a gain to himself.  What did you give up for his help?"

Lark frowned and Tul could see that she was mulling the question over in her mind, she sighed and finally replied, "I don't know.  Laird has never told me."

"You can bet it was something precious, as the Shadow Lord wouldn't try to destroy the Cadre without a hefty payment" offered Tul.

"Who said anything about destroying the Cadre?" questioned Lark.

"That's not Laird's plan?"

"Never!" emphasized Lark, "he loves the Cadre, they are his family, and he would never do anything to harm them. Laird has been working these past years to save the Cadre – not destroy it – and to that end, we must remove Rafe and all that follow him."

"So - you're saying that the conflict is not between Laird and the Cadre, but instead between Laird and the council?" clarified Max.

"Yes" confirmed Lark, "But only those on the council who are aware of and support Rafe's plan to end the truce with the Wamphyri because they are afraid of what a reconciliation between us would mean for their powerbase."

Max nodded his understanding, but the relief was evident on his face and in his overall demeanor. It was as if a weight had literally been lifted from his shoulders, he had been struggling with the idea that his life as a slayer for the Cadre would be over if the conflict escalated to a full out war - he knew that if push came to shove, the slayers would not be able to defeat an army of Wamphyri warriors – even with the help of angel magic.  It had taken some time and quite a bit of blood, but Lark's wound was beginning to heal, and the transfusion tube had been removed by Kazu as she was talking.  He watched in amazement as the puncture wound in Kazu's arm closed up immediately and the gaping hole in Lark's shoulder began to shrink as it was healed from the inside out – as this rate, she would be completely healed in a matter of hours.  The angel magic was a temporary deterrent at best as long as they had a supply of blood and enough time to heal, and if the Wamphyri dusted off their old battle armor which would deflect blades and bullets, it wouldn't even be that.  They would suffer losses – for sure, but not enough to turn the tide in favor of the slayers. As Max mulled over the outcome of the war between them, he saw Tul look sharply over his shoulder out the large front window and then back at his mother straightening her clothing as she stood.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

"I do" she smiled sadly, "they are right on time."

"Who?" questioned Max as he struggled in vain to hear anything but the ambient cabin noises.

"Night-Mares" answered Kazu.

"Dream Demons?" clarified Tul as his mother slowly nodded her answer with a look of apprehension that caused his stomach to clench with worry as there were very few things in this realm – or the next – that would cause his mother to be anxious.

"What are dream demons?" questioned Max, "I have never heard of them."

"Nothing you would ever want to encounter" replied Kazu as she visibly shuddered.

₹ ₺ ₻ ₼ ₽ ₾

After getting Laird squared away with a medical team, Vlad returned to the hallway to find that Ronan had ditched his wheelchair and along with Kate had found a dark supply closet for Saint; the shadow was already looking stronger; evidently traveling through the Void with a comatose person was less strenuous than traveling with a fully cognizant one. Both Ronan and Kate appeared agitated; and Vlad knew they were concerned for their respective partners, he was worried as well, but he was never one to act rashly, so he had Saint explain to them – twice – exactly what was happening in the desert and the basics of Laird's plan.

After Saint had finished the second time, Kate looked at Vlad and asked, "we're going there, right?"

"Yes" he answered, "but I have to see Knox first."

"I still object" said Kate, but not with as much conviction as before.

"Noted" nodded Vlad without further explanation, "Saint, would you please find Kendra and tell her to get us a helicopter."

"Who's going to fly it?" questioned Kate, knowing that it is a one-way trip as the copter wouldn't survive the desert dust.

"I hope Knox" he answered as he and Saint walked out of the closet and parted ways.

"Knox?" questioned Ronan after Vlad had walked away, "the man just had surgery."

"Vlad bought Maeve" scowled Kate.

When he looked at her with a blank face, she continued, "Maeve is a rogue Wamphyri. She has been selling her ka to the highest human bidder for centuries. Vlad is going to buy her ka for Knox."

"I still don't understand" replied Ronan, "what does that mean?"

"It means for a large amount of money and whatever else she asks for - she will make Knox her thrall."

"Why would Knox agree to that?"

"Because he walks out of here better than he was before. Totally healed. Faster. Stronger. Able to heal new injuries and live for centuries."

"So, he will be like you" offered Ronan.

Kate looked at him with offense written all over her face, but answered, "Yes, like me. But unlike Tul and myself, Knox and Maeve will not be true soulmates.  She wants nothing to do her thralls, for decades or even centuries, Knox will be like a ship without a helm – until the day she decides she wants her ka back – and then Knox will be set free - but by then everyone he knows, and loves will be gone, and he will be alone in the world."

"Except for Vlad" Ronan offered, "and that might be enough for him to say yes.  They seem to be close."

"They are" agreed Kate sadly, "but a Wamphyri friend is not the same as a human one."

Ronan looked deeply into Kate's eyes and asked, "are you looking for a human friend?"

She smiled crookedly and answered, "I might be."

₹ ₺ ₻ ₼ ₽ ₾

"What's going on out there?" questioned Rafe.  He was still over a hundred miles away from his brother's position and knew that he would never make it in time if Owen was in real trouble.

"There's dark clouds approaching much faster than a normal storm, and I can see....people...I think it's people walking in there.  It feels evil" answered Owen, "I've never seen anything like it."

"Are you sure it's not the Reapers?"

"It's not Reapers."

Rafe cursed under his breath, a plan a year in the making was about to go bust, but Owen wasn't one to cry wolf. If the storm worried Owen, Rafe should be worried as well.

"Okay, get the others and pull out" he advised, "I will meet you at the fallback rendezvous point."

"10-4" replied Owen, Rafe could hear the relief in his brother's voice as he signed off the radio. Rafe reset the GPS coordinates in his sand cat, and as he turned around on the hard packed sand, he saw the dark clouds in the distance – it was just as Owen had described it and the first thing that came to his mind was something wicked this way comes....he agreed with Owen...whatever it was....it was evil.

He had gone no more than a mile, when static burst through the radio and all he heard was one of his men screaming in pain before the radio went silent again.