Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

Faith caught her breath. This was the man who’d somehow become king of all lions, though it was said he really didn’t want the role. Samson Kinkaid was also known to be a ruthless businessman with a killer instinct and an acumen for making money. She hadn’t thought she’d ever get near such a powerful man, but it appeared he’d wanted to meet her.

Or, more likely, he’d wanted to meet Colt. Yeah, that was probably it. Colt was a member of his extended family, yet they were strangers. An Alpha like him would want to meet the long-lost cousin, or whatever the relationship was.

Sensing her opportunity to help might have come along when she’d least expected it, Faith stepped closer to the desk. There were two guest chairs located in front of the desk, but she waited to see if she would be invited to sit.

“I’m honored to meet you, Alpha. I’m Faith Peabody.” She didn’t offer her hand. She wasn’t sure what the protocol was in a situation like this. She merely smiled and hoped he wouldn’t take offense should she accidentally mess up somehow.

“Yes, ma’am. I had an enlightening call with your aunt just an hour or so ago,” the Alpha replied, turning a wide smile on her that was utterly charming and also a little scary. The power fairly rolled off his massive shoulders.

“You spoke to Aunt Gloria?” she blurted, surprised that he would take such an interest.

Then again, she was here because this area was likely going to be infested with demons in the not-too-distant future. Yeah, come to think of it, that was something an Alpha would probably want to investigate for himself. Maybe he was here to meet her, after all.

“I did,” he confirmed, still being charming. That seemed to be his default setting. “She wants you to call her tonight, once we’re done here.”

“Oh, I will. Thank you, Alpha,” she said, glad he seemed to be a reasonable fellow for all his power.

“As for you, cousin,” Sam leveled his laser gaze on Colt, “I wanted to welcome you personally to the territory and see for myself what kind of Kinkaid you are.” If lions had hackles, Faith knew Colt’s were rising at the Alpha’s words. She wanted to reach out to him, but he’d remained close to the door, out of her reach. “Gavin speaks very highly of your brother, Billy. And Lester and Liam have both told me about all three of you. They said that you all worked very well together, and that the three of you were big lions, even among Kinkaids.”

Colt didn’t speak, but he readjusted his stance a bit. Faith could feel his unease from where she stood. The Alpha didn’t seem to mind, though. He just went on speaking.

“I don’t know exactly what happened with your parents and the last Alpha. I attained my position after a tragedy in the Clan, and I was pretty young when my fur sprouted white. If not for that, I’d be just another lion.” Faith could have sworn she heard a bit of wistfulness in the man’s tone, as if he really wanted to be just another member of the Clan, not running it.

Colt hadn’t quite been able to catch his breath when he’d seen who awaited them in that office. It was the Alpha. He’d had no doubt about it. There was something about Samson Kinkaid that was larger than life. Colt’s inner lion immediately recognized its Alpha and jumped inside his skin. He wasn’t quite sure if the lion half of him was happy or angry. His human emotions were chaotic enough.

All Colt knew was that he was in a position he’d never imagined. Face to face with the Kinkaid Alpha, the lion of all lions. Shit.

But the man didn’t challenge him immediately. He didn’t play any dominance games. Colt had been silly to think, in his wildest imaginings, that an Alpha of Sam’s stature would need to assert his authority in any way. It just oozed off him, like it was his right.

And it was. Colt knew that, in theory. And he was experiencing it now, firsthand. There was just something about Sam Kinkaid that spoke to the inner heart of his lion. This was a man who had been born to rule. Colt, if he’d been poetic at all, might even believe Sam had been Goddess-touched.

“Look,” the Alpha sighed and shook his head, “why don’t you have a seat so we can all talk? I’d like to hear what you think is going to happen here and what you plan to do, so I can make preparations to best protect the Clan and the innocents in the area. The other shifters in town and some of the magical community look to us for protection, and I don’t want to be caught flat-footed if something big is about to happen here.”

Truth rang out in his words, and Colt decided to let the family issues slide for the moment. The Alpha was right. They were about to have a big problem in the area if Faith was right, and they all needed to prepare. Colt walked closer to the desk and waited for Faith to be seated before he took the other visitor chair. Sam sat at the same time as Colt, and Gavin pulled over an extra chair from the other side of the room, brought it to the side of the big desk, and sat.

“Now, if you please, ma’am, can you tell me a little more about what’s drawing you to my territory?” Sam asked Faith, all seriousness now.

“I can’t really put it into words that well, but I have a sort of knowing . It’s not really foresight, as my mentor has explained such things to me. It’s more like I have this innate sense of where dark energies are gathering. It’s part of my gift, though some might call it more of a curse than anything.” She made a little face but went on. “I’m being pulled in this direction by the gathering of energies that touch on the demon realms. They have a different sort of flavor than other varieties of dark magic, such as the blood path or even the dark fey. The demon realms have a feeling of sulfur and brimstone. That’s the nearest analogy I can make to earthly sensations. And each demon realm has a slightly different feel and scent to it. Some are a lot worse than others.” She rolled her eyes, and Colt was again enchanted by the way she talked so lightly about such weighty matters. She had a quirky sense of humor that appealed to him. “The gathering of energies is a precursor to demon summoning. I believe there are multiple dark mages working actively to summon demons, and for some reason, they are gathering near here.”

“And don’t forget the ones that were thrown across your path,” Colt reminded her. “I believe they were actively trying to stop you from getting here.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “I think so too.” She turned her attention to the Alpha once more. “I don’t know exactly what they’re planning, but it’s something big. And it’s going to happen here, or near here. I’m expecting multiple arrivals of demons from multiple demonic realms. Things that haven’t been seen in the mortal realm since the Dark Ages, being let loose upon this city and, if they’re not stopped, the world. I am called to stop them here, before they can disperse to the rest of the continent and then the world.”

Everyone was silent for a moment as her words impacted them. Finally, Gavin shifted in his chair and spoke.

“This sounds like something a little bigger than just the two of you can handle, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

Faith smiled. “I’m a Demon Slayer, Mr. Kinkaid. I was literally born for this. Or so my mentor keeps telling me. So far, I’ve dealt relatively easily with the demons that have tried to stop me getting here.”

“Forgive me, but I thought Colt killed the last one,” Gavin said.

Faith just nodded. “He did, but he really didn’t need to intervene. I had everything under control, though he didn’t realize that when he walked in on the scene. I’m not belittling his contribution. He did a great job neutralizing the demon, but the point is, he didn’t need to. I could’ve done it, and was in the process of doing so, when he arrived.”

Colt liked her confident tone, but he was still concerned that, if multiple threats arose, she might be overwhelmed. She’d need his help then, he was sure. Hell, they might even need Gavin and a few other Clan members to help if they were going to get inundated with demons at one time. Colt didn’t like the sound of that at all.

“Do you expect they’ll summon the demons at one time, or will it be spaced out?” Colt asked quietly.

“I can’t know for certain, but it would be smart of them to do it all at once. Still, it’s not always easy to time these things. From what I’ve learned, the summoning isn’t always answered immediately. The mages here can summon, but it’s up to the demons to answer, and they also decide when, to some extent. If they all answer at once, I grant you, that could be a bit much,” Faith replied. “But it’s more likely that the arrivals will be somewhat staggered. If that’s the case, it’ll be easier for me to deal with.”

“Us,” Colt reminded her. “For us to deal with.”

Faith looked a little surprised for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. For us to deal with.”

She might think she was humoring him, but Colt feared when the shit started hitting the fan, she’d remember her words and realize he’d been right. Or not. He really hoped not. He hoped it would stay manageable for her and that they didn’t run the risk of being overrun by demons. That had nightmare scenario written all over it.

“Plus, the different demonic realms have different travel times, so to speak, to reach our realm,” she added, turning back to the Alpha. “Getting them all to appear at the exact same moment is almost impossible. I won’t say completely impossible, but very close to it. So, we’ll likely be dealing with waves of arrivals at the worst case, and more likely, individual arrivals or groups from specific places that arrive together.”

“How many different realms are there?” Sam asked quietly.

“I’ve been studying the ancient texts under the tutelage of my mentor, and I know the main ones. There are nine of those and a handful of lesser realms that can produce what we would think of as demons.” She turned to look at Colt. “The thing Gavin and your brother fought was something we call a Tauror from the Second Demonic Realm. I think it was named for what it looks like. I’ve seen drawings in the old books, and it looked a little like a bull but standing upright, right?” She looked to Gavin for confirmation.

“Sort of,” Gavin said. “It had the same kind of horns and a big, beefy sort of shape to its shoulders. The feet were hooves, but the hands were massive claws, and the face was only a little bit like a terrestrial bull. It looked more like a nightmare to me, to be honest.”

Faith was nodding. “I think the ancients called it a Tauror because of the bull qualities. You know, like Taurus, the Bull? A lot of the named creatures are like that, but others have less obvious names, and some of the nomenclature is just downright odd.”

“Are these books you’re talking about some kind of ancient books of magic? If so, who has them?” Sam asked. “I think we’re going to need to know more about what we might encounter and what to do about it.”

“They’re not magic books, per se. They’re more like ancient historical notes written the last time Elspeth came to our realm,” Faith clarified.

“So, they’re from the Dark Ages?” Gavin asked. “Must be rare and probably worth a fortune.”

“I guess so,” Faith answered, shrugging. “They are definitely hand-drawn and illuminated. One of a kind, and very, very old.”

“How did you get them?” Gavin asked. “Were they something your teacher had?”

“No,” Faith replied. “They came to me when I came into my power and chose to serve the Light. The moment I committed my life to the Goddess, the books appeared from the Between place in which the last Demon Slayer of my line had secured them. They’re my heritage, I guess you could say. An inheritance from a previous generation just waiting for the right combination of power and commitment to the Light.”

“That’s fascinating,” Sam said. Colt could hear the truth ring out in his words again. This man wasn’t one who employed subterfuge on a regular basis. Colt’s inner lion recognized the integrity of the Alpha and liked the way he spoke the truth. “Would you be willing to share some of the information those books contain that could help us get ready for whatever might be coming?”

“Yes, I think I can do that,” Faith replied. “I’ll check with my mentor to make sure. Generally, knowledge of the demon realms is kept hidden so as not to draw those who might be tempted to mess around with such things, but in this case, I think being forewarned and forearmed is a good thing. I’ll just check to be sure my instincts are on target.”

“I can live with that,” Sam said, nodding. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a card case. Taking a business card from it, he scribbled something on the back and handed it across the desk to Faith. “That’s my private number. I’d like you to call—day or night—if you sense an imminent threat, or if you need anything that I can help you with. Otherwise…” Sam sat back and looked at Gavin, sitting at his side. “Gav will be here in the building. He’ll be in the apartment across from yours and will be your point of contact with the Clan, for now.” Sam looked at Colt. “Any objections?”

Colt shook his head. “None at all. Gavin saved my brother’s life, and I’ve been given orders to trust the guy.”

Colt saw no reason not to let the Kinkaids know that little tidbit and even let a bit of his humor show through. These Kinkaids were tricky. They were a lot more likable than Colt had expected. He counseled himself to be more cautious. This could all be a trap of some kind, just waiting to be sprung. Get the sucker to relax his guard and then kill him.

Not that Colt expected they would actually try to kill him. It was a figurative metaphor, not a literal one. He just had to expect treachery from a Clan that had turned away from their own before. Hell, cousin Lester hadn’t even known Colt’s parents were long dead! If they’d truly cared about their extended family, the Clan would have kept track of the couple who had gone off on their own and known they’d had three young boys who were left orphaned by their untimely deaths.

The Clan should have been there for them. Colt couldn’t get that thought out of his mind. They professed to be family and to care about each other, but they hadn’t been there for Colt and his brothers. They hadn’t cared enough to even know that the shunned Richard and his magic user mate had reproduced. Three boys had been left to fend for themselves. Where had the Clan been then?