Band of Demons (The Sanheim Chronicles, Book Two) (20 page)

“We’ve had poor Kieran here searching day and night to find you,” he said. “It wasn’t until your article appeared in the paper that finally clinched it. Of course, we have Elyssa to thank for finding that, don’t we?”

“I can only apologize so many times, boss,” Kieran said.

“Never mind. To think—you wrote the article on the Prince. That wasn’t particularly subtle, was it? I admit that’s why Elyssa and I thought it wasn’t you. We knew your pedigree, of course, but if you wanted to hide who and what you were, why would you put it in the paper?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Kate replied.

Again, Sawyer seemed to ignore her entirely. His eyes remained focused only on Quinn.

“So we’re here,” Quinn said. “I don’t suppose I can convince you to pack up and go on your merry way.”

“Would that I could,” Sawyer said. “But that’s not how this game plays out, I’m afraid.”

“So how does it play out?”

“We make a deal,” Sawyer responded.

Quinn had to think a moment where he had heard similar language in the recent past. Then he remembered: last year, when he was about to face the Headless Horseman, the mysterious man—the one he called Sanheim—had used similar wording. Back then, the deal was simple enough: Kill his
cennad
and seize the power to destroy Lord Halloween and save Kate. Quinn had taken the bargain, but had begun to regret it.

“What’s the proposal?” he asked.

Sawyer’s eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at Quinn.

“How much do you know?” he asked. “You know I am a Prince of Sanheim, so that means you understand more than I expected. What do you know of our history?”

“The Prince of Sanheim is the cycle of life and death,” Quinn said.

Sawyer’s eyes widened in shock. For a moment, the calm, pleasant mask dropped from his face and a look of naked surprise appeared.

“How…” he started, before recovering himself. “Well, I must say I’m impressed. It took me decades to uncover Crowley’s hidden book. It never occurred to me you would track it down so quickly.”

Sawyer said it as if nothing pleased him more, but Quinn could see he was deeply disturbed. He could also understand why—if Quinn and Kate knew so much already, Sawyer had to wonder what else they might know.

“How did you come by this knowledge?”

Quinn might have imagined it, but he thought he saw Kieran tense up. A brief flicker of alarm seemed to cross his face. Quinn had found the book that helped them uncover the hidden manuscript in Zora’s office. But was it possible that someone other than Zora had left it for them? The thought was dismaying for several reasons. If Zora hadn’t left it, who had? And was it the same person who had killed her?

For now, Quinn decided to keep the focus on Zora herself.

“A local psychic loaned us a book,” Quinn said. “It helped put the necessary pieces into place.”

It was a flat-out lie, but he saw Sawyer visibly relax. But Quinn was left wondering what the real story behind the book’s appearance was.

“Ah,” Sawyer said. “Madame Zora. Yes, that would explain it.”

He paused for a moment and when he spoke next, his voice was as loud as a thunderclap.

“You may all leave us now,” he said.

As one, the
moidin
turned and departed. There were no mutterings of disappointment, no pause or hesitation. They simply complied. Quinn watched them go and tried not to let the horror show on his face. He was reminded of his dream in April, when the crowd of partiers had rushed as one to attack Kate and him. The only exception to the exodus was Kieran, who stood impassively watching the
moidin
file out.

With only the five of them left in the room, it felt even larger and more cavernous than before.

“So if you’ve read the book,” Sawyer continued, “you know what Crowley was planning.”

“He killed Roahen and was set on attacking Sanheim,” Quinn said. “I’m assuming the party we’ve heard so much about in 1873 was part of the plan. But I’ll admit I don’t know what happened next.”

“I do,” Kieran piped up. “Crowley mounted a full-scale assault on Sanheim. And died.”

Chapter 19

“Fifty men went up a hill,

None of them came down.

Fifty men went to him,

None of them were found.”

—Traditional Scottish Rhyme, circa 1880s

Kate held up her hands in a gesture for Kieran to stop.

“Hold on a minute,” she said. “I know what the secret book says. Blah, blah, blah, the ‘prince will be king.’ But it doesn’t match what we heard. Camden, his biographer, wrote he was trying to gather women to the castle so he could
become
the Prince of Sanheim. In Crowley’s book, he already was the Prince.”

Kieran started laughing.

“That would be my fault,” he said.

Kate looked confused.

“You found the website, right?” he said. “The one that spells out what happened to Crowley?”

She stared at him for a moment before she remembered how she had learned much about the Prince of Sanheim last year. She had found a strange website from a group in England that was devoted to Crowley. It had detailed the legend that had made the poet famous.

“That was you?” she said.

Kieran looked smug.

“It was a joint effort,” he said. “I set up the page a few years ago initially to attract
moidin
for Sawyer and Elyssa. It worked even better than I hoped. But when we knew another Prince was due on the scene, I reworked it a bit.”

“You lied to us,” Kate said with disgust.

“Oh, come on!” Kieran said. “You’re mad at me because you believed something you found on the Internet? Besides, I didn’t lie, I just adjusted the truth. Sawyer didn’t want anyone to know…”

“That there could be more than one Prince of Sanheim at the same time,” Quinn finished. “You didn’t want us wondering what he was
really
doing that night.”

He looked at Sawyer, who stared back impassively.

“I played with some dates and added a flourish or two,” Kieran said. “I like the bit about ‘may God have mercy on your souls.’ That was me, but much of the story is still true. Crowley
did
bring men and women to him on October 31, 1873, and they
did
disappear. But it wasn’t about becoming the Prince of Sanheim. It was…”

“About killing Sanheim,” Kate finished.

Kieran merely nodded.

“Who cares?” Kate said. “I’m not sure why you bothered lying in the first place. So Crowley went on some mad quest to kill Sanheim? He failed or died or whatever. What does this have to do with us? Why are you here?”

For the first time, Sawyer truly focused on Kate. She felt a shiver run up her spine and goose bumps broke out on her skin. His stare was like being dipped into a pail of ice water.

“Why do you think his quest was mad?” he said and in that moment, Kate could have heard a pin drop in the room. The quiet fury in his voice was so clear it nearly knocked her over.

Kate looked at Sawyer in shock.

“That’s what this is about?” she said. “You want to follow in Crowley’s footsteps? You want to attack Sanheim? Why?”

Sawyer merely looked at her, but his gaze told her enough. In his eyes were pools of hate so deep she doubted she could ever swim to the bottom. But it wasn’t hate for her, she realized. It was directed at the man in the dark suit whom she had only glimpsed in Quinn’s dreams. Kate saw a faint reflection of her own enmity toward the man who had killed her mother, but Sawyer’s animus went far beyond what she was capable of. Sawyer’s hate had consumed him so totally it had driven him insane.

“What did he do to you?” she asked and her voice was barely above a whisper. Still, Sawyer flinched as if he had been slapped. He turned from her without a word.

“Since your consort wants to cut this short, I’ll answer her original question,” Sawyer said to Quinn. “I want you to join me. I’m here to recruit you to my cause.”

“What?” Quinn said, startled. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Crowley was a hero, an inspiration,” Sawyer said. “He believed the Princes should work together to bring about Sanheim’s destruction. He tried to convince Edward Roahen but was rebuffed. He knew something that he didn’t put in that book. By killing another Prince, you become more powerful. That is why the ‘cycle of life and death’ perpetuates itself. Each one of us has faced a rival and realized we had so much to gain by killing them. I have defeated two myself and am now more powerful than you can grasp. But Crowley offered a different path—Roahen was just too much of a fool to see it. Rather than killing one another, one Prince can surrender and pledge fealty to another.”

“Hold up,” Quinn said. “A Prince can surrender?”

“Yes,” Sawyer said and his words came rushing out, as if he had been waiting years to unleash them. “We can break the cycle, Quinn. I have offered this choice to two other Princes of Sanheim and I’m offering it to you. We do not have to be enemies. You don’t have to die, Quinn.”

Quinn stood there in shock. For the past year, he had believed that being the Prince of Sanheim was something he couldn’t change. He had accepted the mysterious man’s bargain—and what was done was done. But now Sawyer was potentially offering him a way out. He and Kate could be free.

“Who says it will be Quinn who dies?” Kate asked.

Sawyer cast an annoyed look in her direction.

“By all means, try to find out,” he replied. “And I’ll kill him first so you can watch.”

“You don’t know what we are capable of,” Kate replied.

“Neither do you,” Sawyer shot back.

“Why offer us this chance if you’re so sure you’ll defeat us?” Quinn asked.

“I didn’t say it would be easy,” Sawyer said, and he smiled in a way that Quinn suspected was disingenuous. “In any case, I would rather not spend my time focusing on how to destroy you. It would be easier, and more advantageous to us both, if you surrendered and joined me. There is no natural reason for us to be enemies. We can fulfill Crowley’s dream together.”

“Listen to yourself,” Kate said. “You sound crazy, you know that? Didn’t you read the last part of the book, Lilith’s entry? ‘Lord Sanheim rules forever.’ What part of that is unclear? Why will you succeed where Crowley failed?”

It was Kieran who answered her.

“Crowley made his move too soon,” Kieran said. “For all of his intelligence and ambition, he was also arrogant.”

“Gee, who does that sound like?” Kate said.

Kieran smiled and shrugged.

“I have been planning this for more than a century,” Sawyer said defensively. “I have been amassing my
moidin
for generations. They were all carefully selected for their unique gifts. If you join us, you two will be the most powerful and you will retain some of the benefits of the Prince of Sanheim. You will be my trusted lieutenants in the coming battle against Sanheim. We will work together to overthrow him.”

“And if we don’t join you?”

“Then you will die,” Sawyer answered. “I will not hesitate to kill you if it gets me what I want. Right now you’re an obstacle. I can slay you and take your power—or you can surrender freely and I gain it anyway. The latter choice is preferable. Your abilities, added to my own, will give me an advantage against Sanheim.”

The room felt silent again and the five of them looked at each other. Kate briefly wondered how the other two Princes had responded to his offer. Did they laugh in his face? Or had they considered his proposal?

Kate could hear the wheels turning in Quinn’s head and knew he was tempted. She fought to contain her disgust at the idea.

 “I’ll give you a week to think about it,” Sawyer said, interrupting her reverie. “Consider it carefully. If you challenge me, I promise you I’ll win. You don’t stand a chance. But if you join me, you will reap rewards you couldn’t possibly imagine.”

Sawyer stood up from his throne and walked closer to them. What he said next came out in a low, pleasant voice, as if he were discussing the weather. Somehow it made it worse.

“I know your weakness,” Sawyer said and his eyes locked on Quinn. “You think you’re the good guy. You care for people, most of whom you’ve never met. This place is home to you. I would prefer you join me. But if you don’t, you should know the consequences. If you fight me, it won’t just be your lives on the line. I promise you I will burn your town to the ground.”

Chapter 20

They spent most of the ride back in silence. As before, Kieran sat casually across from them sipping a Coke, while Elyssa watched the two of them in icy silence.

Elyssa had studied them for the past few hours, watched every glance between the two. Their body language itself was fascinating, the way they always drew close to one another when they sensed a threat. They touched each other constantly. Not in the same way teenagers do, but in little gestures. A pat on the arm here, a squeeze of the hand there. He watched as she brushed back his bangs from his ear and kissed his cheek.

They were well and truly in love.

Elyssa thought she had never hated any two people more in her life. 

It wasn’t until they came back to Waterford, where Quinn and Kate had left their car, that Kieran ventured to say anything.

“He means it, you know,” Kieran said.

“I know he does,” Quinn responded. He didn’t have to ask what Kieran was talking about.

“He will burn everything here to the ground,” Kieran said.

 “Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much, Kieran?” Elyssa broke in.

“All the time, sweetheart,” Kieran said and appeared unphased by her evident hostility. “But these fine people want to know who they’re up against. They want to know what he’s capable of. It will help them make the right decision.”

Quinn looked intently at the man across from him. He couldn’t be certain, but he detected a faint note of disapproval in his voice. Ostensibly, he was encouraging Kate and Quinn to surrender. But the tone Kieran used when he said it sounded like the exact opposite message was being conveyed.

It was a subtlety that Elyssa apparently missed. Instead, she smiled at Quinn.

“He’s right about that, at least,” she said, her tone now sounding overly sweet. “There are advantages to giving in—beyond you keeping your lives, of course. You can enjoy yourselves, each other and… other interests.”

As she said the last words, she gave Quinn a leer. Quinn knew the show wasn’t for his benefit. She was clearly trying to get a rise out of Kate, who didn’t appear perturbed in the least.

 “Sawyer talks a lot about himself, doesn’t he?” Kate said.

Elyssa looked briefly confused and turned in Kate’s direction.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“It’s just funny to me,” Kate said. “When Quinn talks about being the Prince of Sanheim, he always says ‘we,’ meaning me and him. When Sawyer discussed it, it was clear he only meant himself.”

“I’m his consort,” Elyssa said.

“But that’s all?” Kate asked. “Isn’t this a shared ability? Quinn is my other half, my soul mate. What is Sawyer to you?”

Before Elyssa could respond, or even wipe the shocked expression from her face, Kate opened the car door and prepared to leave. Before she did, Kate added, “That’s not actually the right question, though, is it? The right question is: what are you to Sawyer?”

With that, Kate was out of the car. Quinn quickly followed but not before he saw the deeply satisfied look on Kieran’s face, as if Kate’s remarks had pleased him immensely.

Kieran shut the door and signaled the driver to head back.

“Not yet,” Elyssa said.

Kieran knew how close that remark had hit her. Elyssa’s eyes watched Kate as she walked away with Quinn, hand in hand.

“We have to make another stop first,” she said. “There’s another reporter we have to see.”

*****

Quinn could feel the rage building inside Kate and, unfortunately for him, he knew where it was directed. The storm didn’t hit until they were home in the apartment, riding back in stony silence the entire way.

Kate walked in, barely looking at Quinn as she did so. She left the door open and proceeded directly to the bathroom. Quinn shut the door behind him and waited while she showered. He could feel her own battle to control her anger and knew better than to approach her.

Instead he made them both tea—something Kate had encouraged him to start drinking instead of his usual soda—added too much sugar and waited.

When she came out, he briefly saw her walk naked into the bedroom and felt that familiar pull of lust that seemed to dog him—both of them—this time of year. But if there was ever a time for sex, this wasn’t it, and the mere suggestion—even if verbally unasked—was likely to make Kate even angrier. And he had no desire to add to the trouble that was coming his way.

Still, when she emerged from the bedroom, it was tough to keep from thinking such thoughts. Even when dressed casually—in jeans and a light blue t-shirt—Kate was striking. Her long blonde hair, still wet from the shower, added to a look Quinn had come to think of as “comfortably elegant,” when Kate clearly had no interest in looking good, but appeared all the more lovely as a result.

He thought he saw a hint of a smile as she heard the compliment in his mind, but it was gone when she stepped in the room and faced him. She picked up the tea and watched him.

“I’m struggling,” she began haltingly, and Quinn noticed her hands were shaking, “to understand how you could even consider it.”

It was the comment he expected, but he had no idea where to begin. They were two halves of the same whole, but not since they melded last year did the gulf between them seem so wide. And unlike other lovers’ tiffs, a lot depended on the outcome of this particular argument—likely even their lives.

“We have to at least consider the offer,” Quinn said. He couldn’t look at her when he said it. It wasn’t that he was ashamed—at least he didn’t think so—it was that he knew exactly what she thought of this sentiment.

“Don’t be such a coward,” Kate said.

Even though he expected it—even though he knew exactly what she thought—the barb still stung. Worse, it made him angry, something he was hoping to avoid. He looked up at her and met her gaze.

“Do you really think this is about fear?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Of course it is.”

“Do you think I’m afraid of him? Of him and Elyssa? If you do, you don’t know me very well.”

“Oh please,” she replied. “I know you better than anyone. I never said you were afraid of those two. That’s not what I think at all. You’re afraid of yourself.”

She practically spat the comment at him and for once, Quinn was off balance. He thought he had understood why she was angry, but this was unexpected.

“You want to explain that one to me?” he asked.

“You really don’t know, do you?” she said. “You think this is about the fear of facing them in battle. It’s not, Quinn. The only person you fear is you. And it’s holding you back, clouding your vision, making you see options that aren’t there.”

Quinn stood up and walked over to her. He was well and truly angry now. He couldn’t remember the last time they fought, though he thought it was when she suspected he was Lord Halloween—something that seemed both like yesterday and a million years ago.

“I don’t know what the hell that even means,” he said.

“You’re considering his offer to surrender,” she said.

“Yes,” Quinn replied. “We would be idiots not to consider it.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because it’s a way out,” Quinn said. “It’s a way to be free. To go back to just being Kate Tassel and Quinn O’Brion.”

“You have to be kidding me,” she replied and turned from him and walked across the room.

He followed after her, speaking to her back.

“No,” he said. “I’m not. I’m not saying we should take the deal, but this is an escape route. ‘The Prince of Sanheim is the cycle of life and death.’ Is that what you want, Kate? Let’s say we beat these two, then what? We find the next Prince to show up and kill them too? We challenge Sanheim himself? If we go down this road, the fighting will never end. Not for us. Not until we fail.”

Kate continued facing away from him.

“Sometimes you’re so naïve,” she said. “You really think they’d let us go. You heard him. He didn’t say surrender and walk away, Quinn. He said join him and his quest to destroy Sanheim. We don’t get to leave.”

“He didn’t offer it, but he might take us up on it,” Quinn said. “We could negotiate it. Besides, we aren’t just talking about ourselves here anymore. You heard him. If we lose, he’s going to destroy Leesburg. I don’t doubt that. Do you?”

“No,” Kate said quietly, turning around. “I don’t.”

“So it’s all well and good to talk tough and pretend like it’s just our lives on the line,” he said. “But if we go down this road, there are thousands of lives at stake, maybe more.”

“And if we join him?” she asked. “You’ve already seen what kind of man he is. Let’s say he defeats Sanheim, if that’s even possible. You think that will be better for the citizens of Leesburg? For anyone?”

“We don’t know…”

“Oh, but we do, Quinn,” she said. “He was perfectly willing to kill Maggie. Did you see how he looked at his own followers? Those people love him, worship him, and all I sensed from him was flat indifference. No, that’s not right. I sensed disdain, disgust. This isn’t a man to trust. This isn’t a man who should wield power.”

“And that’s it, isn’t it, Kate?” Quinn asked. “That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? Power.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about.”

“If you are trying to imply that I like being the Prince…”

“I’m not implying anything,” he said. “I’m saying it. Whatever ability you’ve tapped into, you don’t want to give it up, I can feel it. Whatever ‘You’re the last’ means doesn’t matter. You aren’t out there in graveyards looking to find yourself. You’re looking for a weapon.”

 “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kate said, but she looked like she wanted to slap him. Hard.

“That’s why you won’t even consider it,” he said. “It’s not about what kind of person Sawyer is or what kind of deal we can cut. You can’t face a life as Kate Tassel.”

“I was never Kate Tassel,” she said. “That was just a made up name, remember?”

“Then what about a life as Kate O’Brion?” Quinn asked.

“What?” Kate asked, and for a moment the anger vanished from her voice.

Quinn dropped to one knee in front of her.

“I know this is terrible timing,” he said. “But in a way, it’s the best time. Kate, I’ve never wanted anything more in my life than just to be with you. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. And this isn’t about being the Prince of Sanheim. This isn’t about that I know what’s in your heart and vice versa. I’m telling you this now so you understand. I could throw all of that away. I could just go back to being Quinn and leave the Horseman behind forever, leave the Prince of Sanheim behind. All I want is you, Kate.”

She stood there with tears in her eyes.

“Marry me, Kate Blakely,” Quinn said softly. “Forget about the Prince of Sanheim. Forget about Lord Halloween. Forget about all of this madness.”

Kate stood there in a daze. One minute ago, she had been so angry at him. And now she wasn’t sure what she felt. But she knew that what she said next would be the hardest thing she ever had to say in her life.

She got down on her knees and faced him. Her eyes shone with tears.

“I love you, Quinn,” she said. “Nothing would make me happier than to be married to you. Nothing.”

“But…” Quinn said. Even without reading her mind, he could tell there was a ‘but’ coming.

She placed her hands on his face.

“But,” she said. “You can’t make me this offer. You keep acting like being the Prince of Sanheim is a burden, that it’s corrupting you, corrupting us. It’s not. You were right about me. I want to understand more about what I can do. I know it’s important somehow. I can’t go back to being just Kate anymore. And you, my love, can’t be just Quinn. The Horseman is a part of you. He is you. The only reason you are considering this offer is because Sawyer is showing you the dream you’ve been fooling yourself with. That we can go back. But we can’t. We could no more go back than we could wipe out a memory.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Quinn asked.

“I’m not, Quinn,” she said, and she wasn’t angry anymore, just sad. “We are the Prince of Sanheim. For better or worse. For richer or poorer. For good or ill. This is who we are.”

What she said next, she whispered in his ear.

“I know you’re afraid,” she said. “But even if Sawyer could give you what you want, it would be a mistake. There’s only one way forward now. You have to accept what you are—what we are.”

He drew back and looked into her eyes.

“You never answered my question,” he said.

“Ask me again later,” Kate replied. “Ask me at the end of all this. I promise that you’ll like the answer then.”

He smiled a little.

“Are we okay?” he asked, but he knew the answer.

“Yes,” she said and smiled back.

They stayed like that for a long time, holding each other, kneeling on the living room floor. Later, she led him to the bedroom and for a time, they could forget again.