Drop Dead Demons (18 page)

“You’re not making any sense,” Matthias said as the rest of us all followed a frantic Tristan into the secret room. Jocelyn had left quickly, promising to stay home tonight.

“Really?” Tristan’s freckles stood out against pale skin. “What part of ‘my dad’s been kidnapped’ don’t you understand?”

Me? Not much. Since this was the first I’d heard about Tristan having any parent who was alive.

“Kidnapped?” Jayden said. “I thought you just said his physician took him on an outing?”

“Yes,” Tristan’s head bobbed. “But it’s some new doctor that I’ve never heard about.”

Ayden’s brow furrowed. “But this doctor works at Novo, right? And they sanctioned the release?”

“Yes! The idiots.” Tristan’s fingers pounded the keyboard. “After I dropped my grandparents off at the airport, I called Novo to check on my dad, and they told me he was doing so fantastic with this new doctor that the two of them went on a,” his hands snapped into the air so he could use finger quotes, “‘field trip.’ Overnight! But there’s no way my dad should be out…in the world. In his condition.”

The boys shared concerned looks.

“Maybe you’re overreacting, mate,” Matthias said patiently.

Logan lifted his shoulders. “You do tend to think the worst.”

When Tristan shot the boys a furious glare, Matthias took out his phone and headed for the balcony. “But I’ll make some calls.”

“Good.” Tristan said. “I can’t contact my grandparents until this stupid mission is over so I’m going to tap into Novo’s security system and see what I can find on surveillance footage.”

“Not a good idea,” Logan said. “They’ll track the hack and you’ll be in some serious trouble. Wait to see what Matthias finds out.”

Tristan breathed deep. “Fine. I’ll see what I can find out without hacking.”

“Dude,” Blake put a meaty hand on Tristan’s shoulder, “even I know Novo is one of the most secure Mandatum facilities there is. No one could kidnap him.”

“What’s Novo?” I asked.

“A premier Mandatum hospital,” Jayden said. “It specializes in repairing those debilitated by Hallucinators. For years they have attempted to heal the brain damage Tristan caused, but unfortunately, even with their eminent level of capabilities, Mr. Grant’s case has proven too severe for successful treatment.”

The immediate silence was intense. Tristan froze from his fever pitch of activity and stared straight ahead.

Then the rest of the guys shouted in accusation, “Jayden!”

Jayden looked unperturbed. “It wasn’t a recrimination. And we’re all cognizant of the circumstances which—ah, I see my error.” He glanced at me. “Aurora.”

Great. Now I was the big mistake in the room. Better than the pink elephant. Barely. Tristan turned to me with blue eyes so haunted, my heart paused a hesitant beat.

I nodded. “I’ll leave so you guys can talk.”

Odd-man-out? Not my favorite position, but this was family and that took priority over my feelings being bent out of shape.

I was halfway to the door when Tristan started typing again. He cleared his throat. “It was after the demon attack when we were kids. The one that killed Garrett. Herman’s brother.”

I stopped and turned.

Ayden caught my eye, adding, “The one at the waterfall where our powers were activated early in order to protect us.”

Like I could forget that horror story. “Right. You guys were only around…eight years old?”

Ayden nodded. The back of my neck prickled. I remembered seeing my first demons around that age. No attacks, just the occasional glimpse out of the corner of my eye that would send me screaming into my parents arms. Not good for a little kid. Gave me—

“Nightmares.” Tristan let out a shaky breath. “I had bad ones. But even awake I freaked. Constantly imagined monsters and violence.”

“We all felt that way,” Logan said and the other boys murmured agreement.

“But I didn’t know how to control my powers.” Tristan’s voice had a raspy edge. “So everything I imagined I accidentally forced into my parents’ minds. I was literally driving them insane. We were alone, isolated in a safe house in Europe. My dad sent my mom away. Thought he could handle it, but he stayed too long trying to protect me. I caused too much damage.”

Whoa. Talk about guilt. “And your mom?”

“She’s fine.” His smile was weak. “I see her pretty often. But in short doses. After what I did, I won’t risk anything long term.”

“Which is why you live with your grandparents,” I said. “They’re good people.” Scary, but good.

“You have no idea.” Tristan rubbed the back of his neck. “They’re the only reason my Dad is alive. I could have literally turned his brain to mush if it went on long enough. But luckily they found us in time.”

“Not luck,” Ayden said. “You called them. You saved your dad.”

“From death, maybe.” Tristan’s eyes were clouded with misery. “But he lost touch with reality. He’s been at Novo ever since. Doesn’t know me, my mom. Nothing. If he speaks at all, it’s gibberish.” Tristan wiped at his eyes. “What I did was…unusual. Too dangerous, especially in someone so young. The Mandatum wanted to take me away, isolate me, but my grandparents…refused.”

“Threatened the friggin’ Mandatum,” Blake said with admiration. “Don’t know with what, but that’s what Logan’s mom said.”

“Which was supposed to be a secret,” Logan muttered.

Tristan smiled. “My grandparents found a way to deal with…my issue, and with their help and the Mandatum training, eventually I learned control, and we came back here.”

When Matthias returned, Tristan jumped to his feet. “Well?”

“It’s legit,” Matthias said. “I talked to the director of Novo himself. He’s actually really excited about your dad’s case. This new doctor came in a few weeks ago from overseas and has had a lot of success with your dad. He’s having conversations, been asking about his family. Asking about you.” Matthias almost smiled. “He’s remembering. Everything.”

Tristan dropped into his chair, arms hanging limp at his sides. “Why didn’t they tell us?”

“They’re being cautious.” Matthias’s voice was steady. “They’re not sure how permanent his recovery is and were afraid seeing his family too soon would cause him to regress. This field trip — to another secure Mandatum facility, so don’t worry — is a way to have him experience a different environment, see how he reacts, and hopefully, strengthen his ability—”

“To cope with new situations and environments,” I said. “It’s something they did when I was afraid to leave the hospital.” Then I added quickly, “Not that your dad’s afraid, but if he’s only been at Novo for so long, it makes sense that they’re trying to acclimate him to other places. Which also means they think he has a chance to get out of Novo at some point. That’s good news.”

Jayden gave me a surprised look, “Actually, I’d concur with that assessment.”

“See, dude, you overreacted,” Blake slapped Tristan’s shoulder. “It’s
all
good news.”

Tristan huffed a little breath, then smiled. “When can I see him?”

“It’s delicate, mate,” Matthias said with sympathy. “They want you to sit tight for now. Said they’d call in a few days when he gets back. Let you know his status. But either way, I made them promise you could visit soon.”

Tristan rolled his eyes. “I’m just supposed to sit around and wait?”

“Between hidden tunnels, long lost treasure, and a Mandatum tracker that could blow us out of the water, I think we can keep you busy,” Logan said.

Tristan blinked. “This is why I can’t leave you guys alone for even a few hours.”

After we got Tristan up to speed, he and Blake got busy. They sat at the computer console creating a map of the previously unknown tunnels with Tristan entering coordinates based on Blake’s verbal directions and notes scribbled on paper. The rest of the boys had disappeared for various errands. We were supposed to call them when the map was ready.

“Make me another.” Tristan handed Blake his coffee mug.

Tristan was on his third cappuccino from the new machine gleaming behind the bar. It was an elaborate affair of hammered copper and brass, the size of a child’s doll house and full of so many domed cylinders it reminded me of a fairytale castle.

“Make your own, dude.” Blake eyed Tristan’s shaky hand. “And you should probably switch to decaf.”

Tristan
banged
his mug down and kept working.

Sitting next to Blake, sipping my own yummy brew, I’d just finished sharing what I remembered about the layout of the tunnels that Logan and I had wandered through. Blake added my recollections to his many pages of sketches. 

“Impressive,” I said with sincerity, admiring not only his artistic talent but the extensive level of information. “You got all this without going
into
any of the tunnels?”

“I can read the earth, babe,” he grinned. “Almost as well I read women, and once the veils were broken—”

“Veils?” I frowned.

“A type of cloaking device.” Tristan said. “Still not sure how Flint pulled it off, but all these years it kept the tunnels invisible to even the strongest of earth Mandatum hunters.”

“But not me,” Blake said with pride.

I gave him a dubious look. “You said Fido breaking through the wall broke the veils and
that’s
why you could finally ‘see’ the tunnels.”

“I said that
could
be the reason. More likely, it was just my day to be
awesome
.” He sang the last word then pointed at the computer screen. “Dude, that’s off three degrees.” He turned back to me. “Anyway, now all I had to do was touch the walls and ground
outside
the tunnels, and I can literally read through miles of the terrain. Get a type of geological map in my head. Then I give techno-boy here the coordinates.” He thumped Tristan.

“And I do the important work,” Tristan said.

“No way, dude.” Blake said. “My skills got all this without anyone having to go in the tunnels with that crazy gal spouting off threats and trying to kill anything or anyone Mandatum.” He thought for a moment. “But she does have a sexy voice. I’ll bet she’s hot.”

“No, she’s cold,” Tristan said without taking his eyes from his task. “As in stone cold. She’s dead.”

“Ew,” Blake cringed. “Not a good visual for my fantasies.”

Tristan smirked. “None of your fantasies are good visuals.”

“Ha! If you were
in
my fantasies—”

“I’d want to kill myself.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I shook my head. “Tristan, why do you think she’s dead?”

“Killed herself ’cause she’s in Blake’s fantasies.”

I laughed, happy about his lighthearted mood.

Blake swatted the back of Tristan’s head. “Hurtful, dude.”

Tristan kicked Blake’s chair so it rolled a few feet. “I’m sure her voice is just a recording Flint made with one of his gadgets. And that would’ve been over a hundred years ago. So, yes. Dead.”

Logan entered the game room. “Is it ready?”

“Almost,” Blake said. “Where’s Jayden?”

“In the kitchen.” Ayden said, following close behind Logan. His clothes and hair were soaked, dripping a trail of water behind him as he hauled in a large metal footlocker.

He carried it by thick leather straps attached on either end, and I could tell it was heavy because it was like a wet T-shirt contest in here. The drenched fabric clung to every sculptured line of Ayden’s torso and revealed in detail how his muscles flexed to hold the weight. It was glorious. If you were into that sort of thing. And based how my breath caught at the sight, I was.

Ayden regripped the handles and like ripples on a pond, sinew flowed under his skin. “And my dear brother is apparently way too busy to help get the Flint files which were in the boathouse in the cache he designed which is, of course, underwater and which
he
can get to without getting wet. But the rest of us? Not so much.”

Logan paused at the balcony doorway. “I told you I could help with that.”

“Don’t think so.” Ayden dumped the trunk on the floor and shook himself like a dog.   

“It will just take a second,” Logan persisted.

“Let it go, Logan.” Ayden said. “I’m good.”

He started to lift the hem of his shirt to wipe beads of water off his face. As the fabric peeled up off his stomach, ready to expose some serious skin, a turbulent blast of air came out of nowhere. It tornadoed around him, whipping over his body and flapping his clothes.

I jumped and almost bit my tongue because… I
might
have been licking my lips when the gust hit. Go figure. The whirlwind lasted only seconds.

Unfazed, Ayden let go of his shirt and glared at Logan. “Seriously?”

But the white-haired wonder ignored him, already working the balcony railing like a world class gymnast on the balance beam.

Ayden raised his voice. “I don’t like this new little trick of yours.” His hair stuck out all over his head. He used both hands to slick it back which made him look older. And kind of…sexy dangerous.

He caught my stare. Something registered in his eyes, and he gave me a slow, wicked smile. Heat licked up my spine and lashed a deep blush across my cheeks. I jerked my gaze away, a hand to my throat because it seemed like something threatened to strangle me.

“Aren’t we, ah,” I coughed to remove the squeak from my tone and reboot my vocal cords, “worried about the tracker in the files?”

Good girl, Aurora, focus on the threats to your life, not your heart.

“Get that out of here!” Tristan gawked into the game room, tipped so far back in his chair he would have fallen if Blake hadn’t caught him. “Cacciatori could be tracing it!” 

“Not right now.” Ayden sat on the trunk and tapped his knuckle on the edge. “Jayden says this particular metal alloy will weaken the tracker. Or something. It’ll slow Cacciatori down. Buy us that extra day or even more because—”

“He’s so supreme?” Tristan butted in with a high-strung hint of sarcasm. “He’d better be right. I’m not about to get my dad back and have him visit me in a Mandatum dungeon.”

I started to laugh at the dungeon comment, but studying the rest of the guys’ faces, I realized he wasn’t joking. Fantastic. If we didn’t hurry, we’d all be in dungeons. At least I’d have company.

I stood and paced, picking up a beaker, pinging it nervously with my fingernail. I paused when I realized it was the broken one Mr. Ishida had put back together.

“He’s a Revertor,” came Ayden’s voice immediately behind me.

Startled, I dropped the glass, but he reached around and caught it easily, his chest touching my back. At the contact, heat skittered across my shoulders. My eyes swept sideways, traveling up the length of his bare arm, watching rivulets of water upon his skin meander down through the contours of his muscles.

His warm breath skated over the back of my neck. The damp aroma of the lake clung to his clothes, but the scent of sandalwood still lingered beneath. He lifted the beaker and twirled it in the light.

“See, not a crack.” His voice rumbled next to my ear.

And under my skin, ready to infiltrate my heart and crumble any resolve to keep my distance.

I snatched the glass and moved away. “What are you doing?”

“Telling you something you didn’t know. It’s called
sharing
.” He followed my retreat, smiling. Like a cat. A Cheshire cat. Too knowing. It made me twitchy. “My dad can kind of …rewind the damage on inanimate objects. I told you the hunter thing is genetic. We have lots of powers in our family line.”

Despite my irritation, I was interested. “You don’t get the same powers as your parents?”

“Sometimes none at all,” he shrugged. “Like Jocelyn.”

“Don’t forget your dad’s a smuggler too,” Blake said. “Way more cool.”

Ayden laughed. “Sometimes, yes. But retired. Semi.” 

“What did he smuggle?” I had to ask.

“My mom for one. Smuggled her out of one heck of a jam.” Ayden leaned in close and lowered his voice. “And according to her, hijacked her heart at the very same time.”

His eyes, dark and playful, wouldn’t let go of mine. I felt the intensity building. He moved to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, but I batted his hand and whirled away. 

“Tristan, aren’t you done yet?” I said.

“Because the nagging is so helpful.” Tristan spun his chair and faced the middle of the room. “But, yeah. It’s showtime.”

There was a hum. Lights flickered. Then the magic happened.