“Hello? Mr. Gordon?”
“It’s Chris, Detective Schulz.”
“Ah, Chris. Listen. I’ve been interviewing the patrol officers who responded to calls on the various houses,” Schulz said, voice tinny on the phone.
“Anything pop out at you?
“Well, not a lot, but something else came up during a conversation with one of the officers. Officer LeBlanc was noting that one of the houses, up in the northern part of Burlington, was actually kind of mess three months ago, but then the calls and complaints stopped coming about two weeks ago. The thing he said that concerned me was that it was good timing because he got really busy about then with a missing persons report.”
“Missing person? You see a connection?”
“Yeah, I kind of do. A Dr. Paul Cavanaugh disappeared from his home in Winooski two weeks ago and there has been no trace of him since. No credit card use, no banking access, cell phone usage, and certainly no GPS hits on his phone. Thing is, he was a professor at UVM. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He taught some of those Community Development, Applied Economics courses that your guy, Declan, takes.”
Chris went from interested to laser-focused in a split second. “Omega?”
“Father has been auditing a class that was supposed to be taught by Dr. Cavanaugh. He likes it a great deal. Teaching assistants covered for the first week and then the university hired a substitute professor, a Dr. Deva Lilt. I am currently researching her backstory but I am already finding enough discrepancies to raise concern.”
“Ah, the computer is on the call too?” Schulz asked.
“I am on all calls,” Omega replied.
“Where is your father now?” Chris asked, ignoring the side conversation.
“He is heading for the class in question. I have already alerted him and he is now joining us on this call.”
“Chris? You on?”
“Hey Declan. Detective Schulz is on with us too.”
“Thank you for finding this, Detective. I was on my way into class. I never would have suspected Professor Lilt. She’s really interesting,” the young witch said.
“If she’s the demon sent to nab you, then she’s had millennium to learn fascinating stuff. And most demons are extremely seductive in one form or another,” Chris said.
“So what do you want me to do? Abort?”
“No, let’s see if we can get eyes on her and track her back to her lair. I don’t want to start a war on a college campus. If we can isolate her in one home and evacuate the neighborhood, maybe we can attempt to minimize the damage.”
“Yeah, especially as the Waterman building also houses the president’s office and other administration,” Declan said in a wry tone.
Fifteen minutes later, two black SUVs cruised up Colchester Avenue, the first turning onto South Williams Street, the second continuing on to turn at the corner of South Prospect.
Meanwhile, the first car pulled into a restricted, faculty-only parking lot, curving around to park in a slot that looked toward the Waterman Building. Inside the car, Stacia reached for the front passenger seat door but stopped when Chris, who was driving, touched her other arm.
“Hold on. He’s right there, fully visible,” he said, pointing to a tall, familiar form walking up College Street with an even bigger form walking along side him. Just then the second SUV just turned onto College Street from the opposite direction.
“He’s got Justin right there with him, Omega has enough drones above and around him to level the city, and we’re less than two hundred yards away. We can cover that distance in a second. Nika, Holly, and Devaney just about ran him over pulling into that lot across from Waterman, so they’re even closer. Let’s just observe for a moment before we de-ass from the vehicle. He may be already under her observation and we don’t want to force her to panic.”
“Correction—what we don’t want is for her to grab my witch,” Stacia said, frowning but relaxing her hand on the door handle. Chris noticed that she didn’t remove it entirely, though. He was pretty sure she’d just tear it out of her way if anything threatened her mate.
Across the open lot of parked cars, Declan continued strolling along College Street, which ran alongside the Waterman Administration building, apparently without any worries in the world.
“You don’t need to be with me, Justin,” he said, his tone a bit tighter than one would expect from his relaxed body language.
The big kid next to him just grunted. Or maybe it was a full-on chuff. Like a bear might make.
They were now approaching the side of Waterman, which in addition to various administration offices also provided an assortment of classrooms and lecture halls, as well as the biggest computer lab on the campus.
This was the building where both Arcane students were ostensibly headed. Declan grabbed the College Street entrance door and Justin pushed past him to enter first. With a frown, Declan followed.
Stacia was out of the car as soon as the pair of students had disappeared around the corner of the big building, moving before Chris could more than blink. He hit the back tailgate control, then stepped out of the driver’s door. The huge wolf that flowed out of the rear of the SUV bounded exactly twice, putting him alongside the blonde, who never even looked around. Chris was forced to speed up in order to catch the other two.
“Subtle,” he said.
“Like she doesn’t already know he’s usually surrounded,” Stacia growled. “You don’t want her to panic. I want her to run away.”
“An individual matching the body type and general appearance of Professor Lilt is leaving a newer model Subaru Impreza approximately one hundred thirty-two yards ahead of you, parked directly behind the administration building. Veer left behind those trees now,” Omega instructed.
Instantly, all three turned right, moving behind a strategically placed set of maple trees occupying green space between car lots. They slowed and peered through gaps in the crimson and orange foliage. Ahead of them, a gray head moved slowly toward the rear of Waterman, a thick leather portfolio clutched under the woman’s left arm.
A few moments later, she stiffly entered the building, the heavy door closing behind her.
“That was an incarnate demon?” Stacia asked, eyes wide.
“It’s a deadly disguise. Add in a first-hand knowledge of human nature and you have an interesting way to get close to an intelligent young student.”
“I was expecting some super babe. That’s somehow worse than I thought,” she said, stepping out from behind the trees and moving purposefully toward the building.
Inside the Waterman Building, Declan said goodbye to Justin, who didn’t seem ready to go into his own classroom quite yet. The young witch, however, felt a need to get into the room and confront his own demon—literally.
The room was two-thirds full and still filling up, but there was no professor yet as he circled along the side wall and then across the back, pausing periodically, setting down his bag as if to take a seat. Then, perhaps changing his mind, he moved on, doing this three times before he ended up in the back, where he had been last class.
“Hey Declan,” Alli greeted him. He froze, studying her so intently that she drew back and asked, “What? What’s the matter?”
“You need to get out of here,” he whispered, leaning down close so the people around them couldn’t hear.
“What? Why?”
He shook his head. “Just get your stuff and leave—now.”
“I can’t just leave… I need this…” she trailed off as something like a lightbulb went off in her awareness, as if she was remembering what he was. “Oh,” she said, freezing in place. Then she started to gather her things, an anxious sort of look in her eyes. A sudden commotion down front turned Declan’s head in time to see Professor Lilt walk in, her eyes roving the room until they found him, a smile forming on her face.
“Too late,” he said. He pulled his messenger bag off the desk, opened the top, and pulled out a silvery orb, which he set on the seat between them. “Stay back here, no matter what happens. Stay behind this orb. It will protect you,” he whispered, pulling out his own chair and sitting down to take stock of the room.
The same two girls from the first class were in front of him, and Kid No-game was on his right again. Down front, Dr. Lilt had closed the door and turned slowly to look over the class, again settling her gaze on him.
“Today’s class will be different—historic, even,” she said, smiling a tight, unpleasant little smile.
She turned and picked up a piece of white chalk from the wooden tray attached to the front of the vintage chalkboard that was as old as classrooms themselves.
She wrote two words on the board with a plus sign between them: Demons + Witches.
Down front, a hand went up. “Professor Lilt? Is this a joke?”
“No young man, not at all. This is me, the professor, teaching you all, the class, historical perspective,” she said, giving the unfortunate kid a really cold stare. “You are aware, are you not, that demons and witches are real? Or are you a complete moron?”
The kid’s face went bright red. “Ah, I’ve, I’ve seen the videos,” he stammered, looking at his classmates. A few looked as confused as he was, but most just stared straight ahead without reacting. Declan started to get a real bad feeling.
“Well, good for you,” Lilt said, tone
biting. “Although I’ve stopped being surprised by any level of
human idiocy. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Demons and witches.
Historical partners in crime, so to speak.”
“Ah, Doc Lilt, I gotta disagree,” Declan said loudly.
“Oh, do you now? Ladies and gentlemen, our resident witch is speaking up, giving us the vast wisdom of his long, long years,” Lilt said, tone sarcastic. Most of the class still stared straight ahead, but a few were watching him and her with wide eyes, heads swiveling back and forth.
“Well, I don’t disagree that some witches formed alliances with demons, just that it wasn’t all of them,” Declan said, his tone reasonable and light.
“Oh—the so-called good witches,” Lilt said. “Losers. Weak losers.”
“Weak? Some of the most powerful witches ever to live kept their distance from demons,” he replied. “Or in some cases, kept control of a demon or two.”
“Oh? That what your mommy taught you?” she said snidely. The confused kids now looked almost sick, but again, most of the class stayed frozen.
“Sure, among other sources,” he said easily, not rising to her taunt.
She raised her eyebrows. “Sources, O’Carroll? You’ve got sources?”
“Yeah, the Book of Darkest Sorrow had whole chapters devoted to the stuff, Professor Lilt… or is it Lilith?” he asked.
“Oh, class, look how smart he is. He’s read a book, maybe two. Learned some kid stories from his mommy. And good guess, O’Carroll. Spot on, although I only gave you the biggest hint possible.”
One of the confused kids, the one who had spoken up first, shoved his computer in his bag and started to stand up, obviously ready to get the hell out.
“Sit down!” she said, voice firm but not overly loud.
The kid kept packing, his hands shaking, until the student next to him and the one behind him grabbed his arms and shoulders and shoved him forcefully back into his chair. Declan noticed that both of them had copper bracelets on their left wrists.
“Move again, kid, and I’ll rip your arms out and write on the walls with them,” Lilith said. “But at least now, I can drop this ugly form.” She shook her hair and it blackened to a glossy wave, even as her body straightened and grew several inches taller. Her face became younger, beautiful and exotic, as her figure changed and filled out, the baggy dress getting shorter as her legs grew and her bust filled out the front.
“Ah, that’s better. The old crone look is tedious. Useful but so, so boring. Better to take my rightful form,” she said, smiling, eyes still locked on Declan.
“Fake form. Maybe your first mimic of a human, way back when Mesopotamia was young, but still fake,” Declan said.
Her smile disappeared. “My true form is accounted beautiful too. More than your tiny brain could handle, baby witch.”
“Whatever,” he said, waving away her words. “Listen, I can see you’ve been busy handing out your little mind control bracelets and all, but you can’t think that’s going to make much of a difference, can you?”
“Depends. How much damage are you willing to do to your classmates?” Lilith said. As if on cue, most of the class turned in their seats and stared at him with cold, hard eyes.
“Creepy,” he said with a theatrical shudder. “Perhaps they should catch up on their sleep?” He waved a hand at the girls in front of him, both sporting bracelets and killer stares. Nothing happened. He frowned.
“Give a kid a little power and he thinks he’s invincible. You don’t think I could build my creations with enough demonic magic to counter witch magic? Let me clue you in, kid. In this form, on this plane, my innate ability is more dominant than yours. Your magic won’t work on them directly. Of course, you could fling a desk or drop a ceiling on them. Not very good witch of you though.”
Declan was frowning now, reaching into his shirt to pull out a set of necklaces.
“Oh is that one your little anti-demon one? The little bear? How cute,” she said, moving from the front of the room toward him.
He had three necklaces on; one a soapstone carving of a bear, another a small glass orb filled with smoke and wrapped in odd-colored leather, and the last, which was the one he was now holding. That one was a chunk of stone, dark granite maybe, with equally dark quartz crystals embedded in it. The stone was wrapped in what looked like rusted wire with what looked like a few dull barbs on it, like it was pulled from an old farm fence.
He waved his right hand again and this time, every kid with a bracelet suddenly slumped down in their chairs, still staring, but almost as if the weight of the world was on them.
“Get up,” Lilith commanded the girls right in front of Declan. They struggled but couldn’t move. Arms twitched but legs and asses stayed glued to the floor and chair seats.
The demoness frowned. The witch smiled.
“You should leave,” he said simply.
She raised an eyebrow, still puzzled by whatever he had done to her mind-controlled minions, but not really too worried.
Still holding the lump of granite in his right hand, he now clutched the glass orb in his left. “It’s like rock, paper, scissors. Incarnate demon beats witch, but elemental magic beats demon.” He shoved his left hand forward, just a few inches and still holding the glass.
A burst of air picked up Lilith and threw her backward into the chalkboard and partially through it. She stared at him, shocked and angry, still stuck in the wall, then anger won out and she burst free from the remains of the blackboard, landing on two feet.
He moved his granite-filled right hand an inch to the right and the floor became liquid under her feet, dropping her a foot and a half into the concrete before it hardened back up. At the same time, silver orbs rose up, six of them, along the side and back walls of the room, including the one in front of his old high school friend Alli, who was watching, wide-eyed and pale.
“Didn’t anyone tell you I have a way with elementals?”
“Your elementals on Fairie have no power here,” she spat back at him, yanking her legs.
“Of course not. But my Earth native elementals are more than happy to lend me their powers.
“Enough!” she yelled. Then her unearthly beauty dropped away as her body transformed a second time. And she was right—it was almost more than his mind could handle.