So, I grasped for a silver lining. "At least my mom is on our side."
"Off doing god knows what," Shelton said. "She's proven we can't count on her."
"Do you think my grandparents are angels like her?" I asked.
Bella offered me a wary smile. "No matter what they are, they're extremely powerful in magic and politics."
"Do the Conroys run the Arcane Council?" I asked.
"Nah," Shelton said. "Old man Conroy doesn't seem to care for politics. Then again, he might own a few council members."
"He probably owns the Primus," Bella said with a grimace. "Jarrod Sager has been in power for decades. Nobody keeps a position for so long without becoming corrupt."
I knew from conversations with Bella that the Arcanus Primus was the leader of the Arcane Council, but Shelton usually avoided talking politics.
His lip curled into a sneer at the mention of Sager's name and just as quickly smoothed back down. "We should see if we can backtrace this doll," he said.
Bella was already running her wand over the plastic figure and the gift wrap I'd torn off. She stopped over a spot and peered closer. "Oh my."
"What?" I said, leaning over and focusing my super-sharp eyesight on the spot. I made out a tiny speck of white. Magnifying my vision further, I was able to see that it appeared to be a bit of slimy dough.
Bella extracted it in a tiny, clear bubble which spun for several seconds before spitting out a bunch of holographic images of various supernatural types in a rotating slideshow, reminding me of a slot machine. The images slowed before settling on the picture of an amorphous white blob.
"Mr. Bigglesworth," I said in a low growl. "I should've known Ivy's errand boy—thing—whatever the heck he is, would've been the one to plant this package on you." I'd never met such a disgusting freak of nature—or more correctly, a freak of super-nature. Bigglesworth could assume the shape of people he'd eaten, by absorbing them in his blob-like body. The few times I'd seen him in human shape, his skin had looked unnaturally doughy and slick, although Bella informed me he could look far more convincing if he chose. I had a sneaking suspicion Bigglesworth let his disguises falter so I would figure out it was him. He seemed to enjoy toying with me whenever he had a chance.
One day, I planned to roast Doughboy in the oven, feed him to hungry seagulls, and hope they pooped all over the Conroys' car.
"Get rid of that thing," Shelton said. "For all we know he can track pieces of his body."
Bella uttered a word and burned the speck to charred ash. "It's clean of other traces. There are no fingerprints."
My phone rang, startling us from our reverie. I glanced at the caller ID and groaned when I saw the name. I'd been ignoring her calls, but her persistence annoyed the crap out of me. I decided to answer if only to tell her once and for all to bug off.
"Hello, Auntie."
"I am glad you saw fit to finally answer my call, Justinius." Her voice, as usual, sounded low and seductive.
"I want you to stop calling me." I slashed the air with a hand. "You're worse than a telemarketer."
"Please hear me out, nephew. It's very important."
"Important for you or me? Look, I'm not gonna be your pawn."
Vallaena sighed. "I have no illusions about bringing your stubbornness under control. Surely, you realize the wedding between your father and Kassallandra is not far off?"
"Yes." I said in a flat voice.
"I hope you understand the sacrifice your father is making to secure this alliance."
"Oh, gee, you mean like sacrificing his marriage to my mom so he could marry that red-headed slut?"
I heard Elyssa gasp and cast a look her way as she regarded me, arms akimbo, with a stern look.
Vallaena tutted. "That is no way to speak of an Anae of House Assad. Especially not for someone of your newly acquired stature."
I wrinkled my forehead. "Stature? What are you talking about?"
"Your father somehow convinced the Paetros to raise your standing from Castratae to Cenae." She made a wondering sound. "I have no idea what he did. Rising from outcast to Denae is unheard of, but all the way to Cenae should have been impossible for anyone short of a prince like your father."
"A prince?" I asked.
"Justinius, this is the sort of thing you would know if only you would accept me as your teacher in all things Daemos." She sighed. "You know next to nothing of your own people, or of the powers you possess. Please, let me teach you."
"So you can use me? I don't think so."
"Nephew, you try my patience," Vallaena said, her voice terse. "Do you wish to gain powerful allies when a war of unimaginable destruction approaches?"
I sulked for a moment before answering between clenched teeth. "Yes, of course."
"Your father has given you the chance to earn those allies in accordance with Foreseeance Forty-Three Eleven. If you earn the respect and trust of House Slade, the other Daemos will fall in line. Our nation will be united and ready to face the Seraphim threat."
"Seraphim?" I asked, wondering if I had a new homicidal super-race to worry about.
"The angels," she said. "I have spent a great amount of time studying these adversaries. Our history with them is rather more extensive than I thought."
Her mention of history piqued my interest. Had she discovered information we didn't have? Despite my dislike of my demonic aunt and her political maneuvering, I had to admit her points about earning stature with the Daemos would help if the angels started a war. This history she mentioned might sweeten the pot.
"Tell me more," I said.
She laughed. "I think not. First, prove you are willing to commit to your studies. Promise to learn from me, and I will tell you what I know."
"What sorts of things do I need to learn?"
"Political protocol, of course. I'm sure you will find it boring, but necessary." She paused as if waiting for a snarky comment before continuing. "Then, of course, you must learn better control over your powers such as manifesting and summoning."
"Summoning?" I asked.
Shelton and Bella gave me sharp looks when I said it.
"Yes. Summoning creatures from the demon plane is very important, especially hellhounds."
I wrinkled my nose at the thought of massive black dogs with sickly yellow eyes and breath like brimstone. One of them had nearly killed my felycan friend, Stacey. Then again, Kassallandra's hounds had rescued me. As with normal dogs, they acted according to what their masters taught them. "Why in the hell would I want to summon those?"
"It's very simple, child." I could almost hear Vallaena smile on the other end. "Either you learn, or you die."
I couldn't argue her logic. Just like learning magic, I had to be in full control of my demonic abilities. I'd nearly killed Elyssa after manifesting into my full demon form, a huge beast without conscience or remorse—only the desire to consume and destroy.
A groan escaped my throat. "I'm going to Arcane University to study magic," I said. "It'll be hard to make time for you."
"On the contrary," my dear aunt said. "The university will provide the perfect setting for learning. Let me know what your schedule is, and I will gladly tutor you after classes."
After I ended the call, Vallaena's words echoed in my mind.
Learn or die.
This was going to be one hell of a semester.
Chapter 4
Shelton came into the kitchen the next morning, a pensive look on his face. "Check your email. I sent you directions to Miles's office for the assessment."
I paused with a spoonful of cereal halfway to my mouth. "You're not coming with me?"
He shook his head. "Nah, no need. You're all growed up, kid."
I'd faced giant leyworms in a cavern filled with life-leeching angel husks and shadow people. I'd fought hordes of vamplings. I'd even fought an army of vampires and nearly been killed by a raging demon spawn. But something about going to my first day of Arcane school made me feel like a shy, nervous kindergartener. "You can't abandon me, Shelton." A pleading tone came into my voice. "Come with me."
He made a harrumphing noise. "I'm sure you'll be fine with your girlfriend there to protect you."
As if on cue, Elyssa came into the kitchen, her face lit with excitement. "Guess what?" she said, practically dancing with excitement.
"What?" I said, feeling somewhat mollified that she'd be there to watch me make an idiot of myself at the assessment.
"Dad called. He said I'm ready to take the Cho'kai! Can you believe it?"
It took a moment for me to remember what the heck that was. "You mean the trial to become a full Templar?"
She gripped me in a tight hug, let go, and clapped her hands like a little girl. "Yes! I've been studying battle strategy, perfecting my killing strikes, and I even achieved proficiency merits for three different forms of sword mastery. I thought, with all that's happened in the past few months, my father would make me go back to basics and start over."
"Welcome to the Girl Scouts," Shelton said with a shake of his head.
I ignored the comment. "He changed his mind?"
She nodded. "Now I have the chance to pass it in time to be the youngest person granted full Templar status."
"What are they doing about the whole, um, Divinity issue?" I asked. We'd recently discovered Daelissa was, in fact, the Templar Divinity—the one who blessed new Templars and gave them their supernatural strength and healing, among other things. Since she was a crazy angel with a taste for world domination, having her in control of the Templars seemed like a bad idea. Thomas Borathen and other Templar legions had broken from the Synod. I hated to think what that might mean in the future—a Templar civil war, maybe.