Page 45 of Shadow Running
Orik grabbed up the charm and immediately dropped it, his fingers blistering.“Crap—is it supposed to do that?”
“No,” Penn said, staring at the cloud.“We have to get out of here.He knows I’m coming for him and he’s only begun to fight back.I can’t handle this.”
“All right, out!”I herded them toward the door, Penn grabbing her bag and Orik juggling his equipment.As we raced over the threshold there was another crash and I slammed the door behind us just as something big hit against it.
We raced down into the yard and turned around.Lights flashed in the windows upstairs, and then—the house quieted.But it was only a façade.I knew that if we went back in, everything would start up again and we might not make it out.
“What the hell was that?”I said as we leaned against the van, staring back at the house.“And what are we going to do about it?”
“It wasn’t my magic that triggered it, but our presence.I didn’t even have a chance to start the ritual,” Penn said.“I think it’s Longworld, but…also something more.”
“Whatever it is, it’s sentient.”Orik shook his head.“We need someone who really knows magic—not that you don’t, Penelope, but someone who’s…”
“Somone old school,” she said.“I’m not offended.You’re right.We can’t fight this without guidance.”She let out an impatient sigh.“I don’t know anybody.I’d ask the Court but I’ve been expelled from there.Maybe Duran knows somebody.I can call him and ask.”
“It’s worth a try,” I said.“Maybe Seton can help us—he knows a lot of people.”I paused, then turned to Penn.“Ask Hecate?”
“Oh,” she said, looking surprised.“I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before.”She paused as my phone beeped.
I checked my texts.Seton had sent me a message.
there’s a problem, kyann.i need to talk to you immediately.can you come to my office, straight away?it’s an emergency, of sorts.
Frowning, I texted back that we were on the way.“All right, come on—Orik, here’s the address.Get us there as soon as possible.”
“Can do,” he said, shoving the equipment in the back.“All aboard!”
Penn and I jumped in and shut the doors, and we were off, leaving the horror show that was my uncle’s house behind.
* * *
It was nearingfive when we arrived at Seton’s office.He was waiting for us.I knew something was up when we entered the room and he motioned for us to sit without saying hello.I couldn’t read what was wrong, but he looked concerned and I could feel the worry.
“You know Penn and Orik—” I started to say.
“Yes, hello.Kyann, we have a serious issue and I’ve called Devon to bring him in, as well.Unfortunately, he can’t make it for an hour, but I’ll have him contact you later.I’m going to call an emergency meeting for tonight.I’m calling in all the demons and half-demons I know in the city.”
I stared at him.“Why?”
“Because, I just talked to the mayor of the Underground?—”
“Wait, there’s amayorof Underground Seattle?I didn’t know that,” I said.
“Few people do.The government knows but they keep it quiet because they don’t want anybody thinking they can just usurp their power.Anyway, more about that later.The mayor of the Underground is a vampire named Saturn.He’s old—very old.He contacted me an hour ago with the news that a contingent of demons—Arosiens—have entered the Underground.They’ve apparently been buying up office space there, on the sly, and they now own seventy-five percent of the second level and half of the third level.Their leader has issued an ultimatum to Saturn that they will be taking over, and if there’s any resistance, they will go to war against the vamps and destroy them.”
I stared at Seton, stunned.“Does theactualmayor of Seattle know about this?”
He shook his head.“No, Saturn told me all of this in confidence.He said that the Arosien leader threatened a bloodbath—of anybody and everybody who lives down there—if he told the mayor.I guess he assumed Saturn wouldn’t talk to anyone else.”
“Why did he tell you?”Penn asked.
“Yes, that’s a good question,” I said.“Whyyou?”
Seton cleared his throat.“I didn’t want to tell you yet, but I have no choice now.You need to understand the severity of what’s going on.There’s a reason why Saturn came to me.”He paused, then said, “You asked me why Hecate referred to me as “Old One”…that’s because I’m the son of Niamh, a faerie queen.She’s part of the Summer Court.And I understand demons so well because my father was Hexin, one of the Black Dogs.”
Seton was part Fae, part Black Dog?“But the Black Dogs—aren’t they part of the UnderRealms?”
“Yes,” Seton said.“Hexin courted my mother under the guise of being one of the Summer Court princes, and she fell in love with him.Only after she gave birth to me did she realize what Hexin was.She gave me to a family of Elves who serve as librarians for Solimentary.Once I grew up, I left to live among mortals and guide those with partial demonic backgrounds like mine.”
