Son of No One

  Shit.

  As Thorn reached for the door handle, it melted and the doors locked. He was blocked from teleportation. Furious, he knew of only one demon who would dare such with him. "What do you want?" he demanded through clenched teeth.

  A dark shadow appeared in the seat beside him. "You don't call. You don't e-mail. I'm beginning to feel like you don't like me. And that really hurts me in my inner tender place."

  Thorn glared at the demon. "Didn't you get the Father's Day gift I sent you?"

  Red eyes manifested to glare at him. "Yes, the hands of my best demon in a pink, bloody box, middle fingers extended. How very thoughtful of you."

  "Knew you would like it. Soon as I saw him on my ass, I knew it would make the perfect gift for you."

  His father blasted him against the door. "Where is he?"

  "Where you can't reach him."

  "I know you have that little bastard shielded from me. It's just a matter of time before I find him again and take what I want."

  Thorn scoffed at his nebulous progenitor. "He would die before he allowed you to have it."

  "And I will kill him for it. See, we can all get what we want and be happy. Why prolong the inevitable?"

  "And miss out on all these fun father-son chats we have? Why would I ever do that, old man?"

  Paimon sighed wearily. "Do I have to kill you?"

  Thorn burst out laughing. "Try it."

  The shadow created a giant mouth with serrated teeth. Opening, it moved to swallow Thorn whole.

  "That was only scary when I was a child. I've grown up, Dad. Deal with it."

  He screamed in Thorn's face. "I weep at the seed I spilled to beget you!"

  Thorn patted his heart. "Such fatherly love and compassion. It brings tears to my eyes." Sighing, he spread his hand out and examined his manicured nails as if bored with their exchange. "Why do you want him so badly anyway? Not like you can use his powers where you are." He looked up. "Unless you have a body?"

  "Why would I tell you if I did?"

  "Good. You don't. That'll save me the trouble of having to track you down and banishing you."

  Paimon pinned him back against the seat. "You think you're so clever and smart. But there's something a lot worse than me after your son, Leucious. We will find him."

  "No. You won't. Now begone. You're stinking up the place. And it's a six-month waiting list to get another one of these."

  Paimon rushed him, then went through his body to return to the realm where Thorn had banished him centuries ago.

  Sighing in relief, he leaned forward to close Josiah's eyes and whisper a prayer for the poor man.

  And as he did so, Cadegan's rosary fell from his pocket. He'd brought it today to return it to him, but had refrained. He had so few things from his son that he hadn't been able to part with it.

  He picked it up and pressed it to his lips. Neither Cadegan nor Jo could ever learn the truth of who'd really seduced Brigid.

  Or why.

  Cadegan was so much more than Thorn had ever hoped for in a son. And thanks to Josette, they were now reunited.

  As brothers.

  That was all anyone needed to know.

  For now.

  *

  Jo groaned as she struggled with her bag and tripod. Just as she was about to curse her day like a slow-walking dog, Selena appeared to pitch in.

  "Nice ride."

  "I know, right? Apparently, my future brother-in-law has a lot of guilt and even more money."

  Selena snorted. "Glad you're here. Everyone's on edge."

  "Of course they are. It is Tuesday, after all."

  She scowled. "How do you mean?"

  "You know ... Tuesday--the new Monday. 'Cause my life has so much shite in it, that one mere single day could not possibly contain the full range of horrors and degradations seeking to rob me of my sanity...."

  "And this particular discussion is seriously challenging my desperate need to not go to jail for murder.... What were you saying again?" Selena completed the quote that had been a favorite rant of Tiyana's every Tuesday when new merch came in for her store. "God, how I miss her."

  "Yeah. Me, too. Sorry I brought it up. It's just every Tuesday, I hear her in my head and smile."

  Selena nodded. "I'm just glad we didn't lose you, too. Don't ever scare me like that again."

  "Yeah, death would have seriously mucked up my future plans."

  They dragged the equipment inside.

  Jo dropped it by the door and let out a groan. "So where do I need to set up?"

  "Let me go check. I'll be right back." Selena ran up the stairs.

  While she waited, Jo wandered into the room that had made them gasp the last time she was here.

  Now she understood why. It was like something out of a museum. There were all kinds of ancient artifacts strewn about. It looked like Karma's house on steroids.

  "Josette?"

  She turned at the same whisper she'd heard the last time she was here. Dang, it sounded so much like Tiyana, it was scary.

  Something flashed on her right.

  Gasping, she turned toward it. There was nothing there. At least not until she saw the image of a woman in an old mirror.

  "Tia?"

  No, she was losing her mind. Yet it looked so much like Tiyana that it was frightening.

  "Run, Josie, run!"

  In that moment, she knew it was Tia. No one else called her Josie. She ran for the door without hesitation.

  It slammed shut as soon as she reached it.

  Terrified, Jo turned. The shutters on all the windows swung closed and locked with a resounding clatter and snap. "Who's here?"

  "She is not the waremerlin."

  The owner, Cal moved from the shadows to approach her. As he drew near, he changed into a beautiful man with pale skin and formless eyes. "She drew the waremerlin out of his prison. He protects her. You wanted your shield, Kessar. I have given you the means to procure it."

  Jo heard even more whispering in her head. It was like hearing the entire world on an open channel. Never had she imagined anything like this.

  Kessar was a Sumerian gallu demon. She had no idea how she knew that, but the voices in her head told her. Too bad none of them had ever coughed up winning lottery numbers.

  Bastards!

  She turned toward Cal, and knew he was possessed by an extremely deadly and powerful demon. One who was desperate to lay hands on Cadegan and gift him to Paimon. "Valac."

  He drew up short. "How do you know my name?"

  "Wild guess? You know ... Bob, Michael ... Valac." Jo continued to listen as something inside her snapped.

  Kessar moved to subdue her.

  She flung her hand out and with some power she had no comprehension of, she stopped him dead in his tracks. It felt as if something or someone had control of her. As if she was in a trance and some ancient force resided deep inside her. "Why do you seek the Shield? To what purpose would you use it?"

  Baring his serrated demon fangs, Kessar tried to break free. He gurgled in his throat before his red eyes turned glassy and he spoke as if in the same trance that held her immobile. "The Shield would allow me to descend into Kalosis and protect me from my enemies so that I could kill them all, and reclaim the honor of my race from the ones who now hunt us like rabid animals for our blood."

  "You hold the Shield!" Valac gasped. "The Dagda has returned..." He summoned a hole in the floor and out poured twisted, winged creatures who flew for her like rejects from the Wizard of Oz, Zombie Edition.

  Instinctively, Jo grabbed the necklace Cadegan had given her and whispered the words he'd taught her. "Ysym arglwydd gwrdd gorddifwng ei far, gorddwy neb nyw ystwng."

  The moment those words were spoken, golden armor wrapped itself around her, and the necklace expanded into a giant shield.

  Jo gasped as she realized that the Shield of Dagda wasn't the one in Cadegan's room, after all ... that was the shield the knight had given him when he'd died.

&nbsp
; This was the relic of King Arthur that everyone sought. This was what Cadegan had been tortured for and had never once revealed. Meanwhile, it'd been under his attacker's noses the entire time. Innocuous in appearance, it was one of the strongest of the sacred objects Emrys Penmerlin had given to King Arthur to help him rule his kingdom.

  And Cadegan had entrusted it to her. To keep her safe in his absence. The one object he'd sworn would never leave him.

  Now she understood why Cadegan had never used it in battle.

  The toll it took on her was exhausting. She felt as if she was going to fall from the sheer weight of it. But then, it hadn't been fashioned for her. She lacked the blood needed to wield ...

  Suddenly, the Shield lightened as the demons attacked her en masse. A sword manifested in her hand.

  In that moment, she felt the strength of the ancient Celts inside her. It roiled through her body, until she was stronger than she'd ever been before. With the skill of Cadegan, she began to drive the demons back and fight them off.

  Kessar grabbed something from Cal's collection before he ran out of her sight and vanished.

  Jo knew she should go after him, but she had to deal with Valac's soldiers first since it was obvious, they had no intention of letting her out of here.

  Valac called out commands for his demons. "I want that Shield! Freedom to the one who can claim it!"

  Karma pounded on the door, screaming for entry.

  Grinding her teeth against the onslaught, Jo ducked one demon and sidestepped another as she fought against them. "Love for you to join the party, coz. But I'm a little too busy to unlock the door." She dodged the demon that lunged for her. Then turned and swung the sword.

  Its head went flying.

  Ew! Nasty!

  Valac tried to reach her, only to recoil from her when he ran too close to the Shield. It arced out an electrical charge, that drove him back. Hissing in fury, he transformed into his demon's body "I want that Shield! I will have it!"

  "And I want world peace and toasted M&Ms. Guess we're all disappointed, eh?"

  The entire house shook as if it was in the throes of an earthquake. Suddenly, demons rolled out of the hole with a speed and intensity that she couldn't even count them all.

  I'm in a bad nightmare ...

  Holding the Shield up, Jo could no longer fight their growing number. While she might have his armor and Shield, she lacked Cadegan's skill and experience with battling the damned. All she could do was kneel on the floor and keep the Shield between her and them.

  Over and over, they slammed into her and ran at her back. Her limbs were numb from the pain.

  I'm going to die here. As wretched demon kibble.

  Just when she was sure she'd drop the Shield, the doors behind her crashed open.

  Dressed in his mail and robe, Cadegan was there, shouting in a language that was neither Welsh nor Latin nor anything she'd ever heard before.

  He and Thorn, with the help of Illarion and Max, and the Adar Llwch Gwin, made their way through the demons until Cadegan was by her side. His skill awed her even more, now that she fully understood the toll this kind of fighting took on a body.

  With his sword in one hand, he drove the demons back while he helped her regain her feet. "Stand to me back, me love. Together, we will banish them."

  Something easier said than done as the demons picked up speed. They spun around the room, howling and attacking, faster than she could even follow. Thorn and Valac were tearing into each other as if they had a grudge match of some kind.

  Bleeding, but undaunted, Cadegan turned toward Thorn. "We have to banish them."

  Thorn kicked Valac back. "Agreed."

  Cadegan held his sword up, with a fierce battlecry. Thorn did the same. They looked at her. Following suit, she held hers and touched the blade of it to theirs.

  The men began to chant. "Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Non draco sit mihi dux! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! Pax nobiscum!"

  She wasn't able to join them until the third round. And as she spoke the words, she began to understand them. Holy cross be my light. The dragon shall not rule me. What you offer me is evil. Drink your poison. Peace be with us.

  As they spoke, a dark, whirling vortex opened, similar to the one the demons had emerged from. Fighting against it, the demons began to shriek and run. With skeletal fingers of lightning, the vortex reached out and scooped them in, one by one.

  Except for Valac. When the hands reached for him, he blasted them back and laughed.

  He, alone, withstood the words of banishment as he hovered over the floor, wings flapping. His eyes a vibrant, scary orange, he glared at Thorn. "We are not done, Forneus! I know you and you will bow before me!"

  Thorn laughed at him as he broke from their ranks and charged at the demon. "When hell freezes!" He sent a blast of color at him.

  Dodging the blast, Valac attempted to vanish. But Cadegan knew that if he did, he'd be back for the Shield he'd been sent for.

  Most of all, he'd be back for Josette.

  And that he'd never allow.

  As Valac dove for the portal, Cadegan did what he'd never done before. What Thorn had banned him from doing.

  He summoned the addanc inside and rushed for Valac. Thorn cried out, but he ignored him as he wrapped his body around the older demon and held him.

  Valac fought for his freedom. His claws shredded Cadegan's flesh.

  It mattered naught.

  His fangs elongated, he looked at Josette and felt his powers surge even more. "You will not leave this place," he growled in their native demonspeak. "You will not threaten what I love. Never again."

  Valac hissed and screamed as Cadegan felt his powers mingle for the first time in his life. Demon crossed the Tuath De. And as it did so, he used them to rip Valac asunder.

  With one last screaming cry, the demon disintegrated.

  Cadegan threw his head back and roared as his powers absorbed Valac's and he grew even more powerful.

  Jo stumbled back as Cadegan's form changed into something truly terrifying. His form merged with the mangled mess that had been Valac.

  Thorn pulled her behind him. His features pale, he angled his sword at Cadegan.

  "No!" She put her hand on his arm and angled the blade to the ground.

  Swallowing her terror, she forced herself to step around Thorn and approach the demon god. "Cadegan ... I know you hear me. And you don't want to hurt me, do you?" She used the same tone in him that she did her puppies. "No, you're a good demon boy, aren't you? You don't want to barbecue us ... I can't keep my promise to you if you do."

  He cocked his head and frowned. For a full minute, she thought she was toasted Jo On The floor.

  She reached out and touched his leg as he hovered in the air.

  At first, he recoiled, then he paused to meet her gaze. "Josette?"

  "That's right. You want to come down from the Halloween party now? I give you first prize for the costume, baby."

  He slowly began to transform.

  Thorn stepped toward him and he immediately went back.

  "Quit!" she snapped at him. "Everybody, step to the rear or out of the room."

  Cadegan lowered himself to the floor. Then he flew to her and wrapped his arms and wings around her body. He laid his head to her shoulder and immediately returned to his human form. Her entire body shaking, Jo handed the Shield, and as she did so, it returned to being a necklace, back to Cadegan.

  He brushed his thumb over the three-headed dragon before he placed it around her neck. "You need this, lass."

  She smiled up at him. "Is it over?"

  He met his brother's bitterly amused gaze. "Nay, love. The war never ends for those of us who fight it. But we won this day. They won't be back until they regain strength and number."

  Jo scowled at him and then glanced down to the Shield she wore. "I don't understand. How can I use this? I thought you had to be of Dagda's blood for it to work."

  "You do."

  She
screwed her face up in distaste. "Please don't tell me we're related. Honey, I ain't that Southern."

  Cadegan laughed at her. "Nay, me love. We are not related. But a part of us that is, currently resides inside you."

  "Wombat spotting. What?"

  He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. "The son you carry unifies your blood with mine. So long as you carry him, you can wield me shield. 'Tis why I gave it to you. So that no one could cause either of you harm."

  Gasping, she placed her hand on her stomach. "I'm pregnant?"

  He nodded. "The first time I touched you."

  Joy consumed her. She threw herself against his chest and held him tight. "Dang it. I'll never get my June wedding."

  "I will wed you any time you want. Anywhere you want."

  She shook her head. "No. If I'm pregnant now, he'll be born sometime in June. I don't want him to have to compete with our anniversary. June will always be his special month. Alone."

  Karma cleared her throat to get their attention from where she squatted on the floor beside Cal's body. He must have passed out when Valac jumped out to assume his demonic form in order to fight them. "Hey, Jo? Question? Did any of this shit that just happened make it to film?"

  Jo sucked her breath in sharply. "No. Sorry. I didn't have time to set up."

  Karma sighed wearily as she rose to her feet. "Fine. That's it, Jo. You're fired. Love you, but you suck at this."

  Thorn scoffed at her. "Actually, she's better at it than you are. I'd take it easy on her. She held quite the swarm back without help. Damn impressive for a woman who has untapped powers and no ability to wield or control them." He clapped his hand on Karma's shoulder. "Now I'm off to warn Acheron and Stryker that Kessar is back and gunning for them. We might have stopped him today, but he'll return."

  Karma nodded. "I'll let Xedrix know to guard his wife, too. Kessar might try for them. Last thing any of us needs is for the gallu demons to reunite with the Dimme and Charonte. That has demon holocaust written all over it."

  Thorn met Cadegan's gaze. "The war continues and worsens. Oh goodie. We still have jobs."

  Jo laughed at his dry sarcasm.

  "Speaking of," Ioan said as he sat back on his haunches. "You're not going to banish us back to Glastonbury, are you?"

  Thorn hesitated. "You've both been a great help. But we do have a problem. You don't exactly blend here."

  "Wait!" Talfryn immediately changed from his gryphon form to that of an extremely handsome man. "If we look like this, can we stay?"

  Thorn arched a brow.

  Ioan also transformed.