Hell Spawn: Shifter Squad, #9

Chapter One

STANDING IN THE DARK, cavernous Boardroom of the PIA’s headquarters, dread seeped into my bones at the sight that was displayed on the large monitor. I wanted to close my eyes and block out the images of death and destruction, but that would be childish as well as futile.

It was undeniable now, the long-awaited apocalypse had finally begun. My only consolation was that I wouldn’t be facing it alone. Everyone I loved was gathered around me. Reece stood on my right, my father was on my left and Zeus leaned against my legs. Mark, Kala and Flynn were standing behind us. Flynn’s new lady love, Sabine, was tucked beneath his arm.

We weren’t the only ones watching the broadcast. Eight more monitors hung on the wall to our left. Each one displayed a different member of the Board who ran the Paranormal Investigation Agency. Cromby, the head of the US division, was the only one who was actually present. In his sixties, he wore a dark suit that was similar to Mark’s. Leaning back against his desk with his arms crossed, he’d aged a decade in the few minutes that we’d been watching the screen.

Our agency had been created to deal with the coming threat, but now that they’d seen what we were up against, the Board couldn’t quite hide their doubt that we would prevail. It was a doubt that I secretly shared with them.

A dazed news crew was filming the city that was currently under attack. The hydra, Cerberus and spider golems rampaged through the streets. Made of sand colored stone, they were disturbingly lifelike. Each one was roughly the size of a large truck and weighed several tons. Animated by Kurt Jorgen’s faery magic and imbued with pieces of his soul, they weren’t easy to take down. It was possible to disable them, but they couldn’t be killed. He could simply reclaim his shards of soul and regenerate them again.

My father stared at the screen incredulously, trying to take in what he was seeing. A soldier to his core, death didn’t bother him, but he hadn’t had much exposure to magical creatures. I’m glad you gave me some warning of what to expect, he said in a disturbed tone. He was aware of the dark underworld of monsters and supernatural creatures that few humans knew existed, but this was the first time he’d seen a golem for himself. I knew how he felt. My first encounter with the hydra had been a shock as well.

Is it just me, or are they more coordinated now? Kala asked. Now that she’d pointed it out, I could see a method to their attack. The golems were driving the humans towards the north end of the city.

I think the first few towns that were targeted by the golems were just test runs, Mark said. It seems that Kurt Jorgen had a few practice runs before he unleashed them on the populace in earnest.

Now he’s ready to strike and he wants everyone to know that the end is coming, Flynn said and tightened his arm around Sabine’s shoulder. At six foot two, he towered over her.

Sabine nodded in agreement. She studied the monitor through vibrant green eyes that had pupils that were vertically slit. The half-faery intends to cause mental trauma to the humans. They will be too terrified to try to defend themselves. She was apparently over a thousand years old, but looked like she was in her mid-twenties.

Kurt has been planning his revenge for centuries, Reece said. His hatred of humans has been festering inside him since he was a child. Now that he’s gained the power to destroy them, he isn’t going to hold back.

Jorgen’s rage had been passed to his creations. We watched as the Cerberus golem batted at a man with a paw almost playfully. The victim flew through the air, hit a wall and slid to the ground lifelessly.

One of the three dog-like heads darted down and snatched up a woman who was frozen in shock. She disappeared into its maw and blood spurted when its teeth bit down.

Just as deadly as the Cerberus, the hydra spat venom that instantly killed any living thing that it touched. All five of its cobra-like heads bobbed and weaved as it searched for victims. Rapidly slithering along the road, it chased after a group of humans as they burst out from an alley. Darting forward, it wrapped its long, scaly tail around them and squeezed. Crushed together, they shrieked in terror and begged for mercy. The hydra ignored their pleas and sprayed venom at them. Shrieking in utter agony, they dissolved right before our eyes. In seconds, only fleshless skeletons remained.

Equally efficient at hunting its prey, the spider golem scuttled along on its eight long, hairy legs. Shooting webs to incapacitate its victims, they were caught in the sticky substance like flies, helpless to escape. Its venom was just as toxic as the hydra’s, but with one difference. One spray was enough to either kill, or to merely incapacitate, depending on whether it needed bait to set a trap.

At an unseen signal, all three golems paused. A chill went down my spine when the faint sound of barking came through the speakers.

They have called their minions to battle, Ava said in despair as countless dogs, spiders and snakes swarmed into town from the north. The civilians had been driven straight towards them and were now caught between the golems and their servants.

Completely beneath their masters’ control, the animals and arachnids attacked the humans. Not even the people hiding inside the buildings were safe. The golems smashed through the doors or windows of each structure that they came to, letting a flood of creatures inside each time.

The camera zoomed in on an animal as it lumbered across the road. Several yards long, low to the ground and with scaly, greenish-brown skin, it carried a human leg in its mouth.

Is that an alligator? Kala asked with her brows raised.

Flynn nodded and pointed at small lizards that were swarming over a human who had fallen and was desperately trying to crawl away. It looks like the hydra has gained some new minions.

I thought it could only control snakes. How can it be manipulating other creatures?

Kala’s question sparked a memory that had been pushed deep inside my mind by fae magic. It’s an alpha reptile, I said.

Mark turned to me in surprise. How do you know that?

Do you remember when Kurt Jorgen tried to help us break Flynn free from the hydra’s control?

Only Mark and Kala nodded. Flynn had been deeply beneath the hydra’s spell and had little recollection of the event. Reece had been with his pack during that particular mission and had missed out on it completely.

I remember now, Kala said. But only because you mentioned it.

Fae magic is incredibly strong, Mark said. Without Laurylayne’s intervention, we wouldn’t remember anything about Jorgen. Not unless he wanted us to, he added darkly.

A realization came to Flynn. The faery was in control of the hydra all along, wasn’t he?

I nodded. Yep. I bet he laughed himself into a fit when he said he couldn’t save you. Kurt had pretended that he couldn’t help Flynn when the golem had actually been his creation. Faeries couldn’t lie, but they could bend the truth to suit themselves. I didn’t know, or care, how he’d managed to worm his way out of assisting us. My hands clenched in anger at how close we’d come to losing Flynn. Reece put his hand on my shoulder. His touch was enough to calm the rage that wanted to spill out.

I just remembered that Jorgen said the hydra was an alpha and that it can control all types of reptiles, I told them. He couldn’t risk Flynn remembering who was in control of the hydra. He was going to let him stay beneath its spell indefinitely. Utterly unable to think for himself, our friend would have starved to death if we hadn’t broken him free.

He underestimated you, Flynn said with a nonchalant shrug. You managed to save me. Sabine leaned against him and sent me a grateful smile.

With my help, Kala said slyly. Zeus nudged her leg with his nose, reminding her that he’d played a part in rescuing our pack member from losing his mind. Yeah, yeah. You helped, too, fleabag, she said teasingly. His tongue lolled in the canine equivalent of a grin.

Kurt Jorgen has been playing us for a very long time, Cromby said grimly. He was still coming to terms with the fact that the head of the Mind Sweepers was in fact in charge of the Extraordinary Entities Research Institute.

Kurt had bamboozled everyone in the PIA into believing that he was one of us. Apparently, he’d been a member of our agency since its creation four hundred years ago. He’d had a mole watching the Board itself for the past fifty years. He’d manipulated them through the zombie that had been pretending to be a clairvoyant. He was as sly as he was evil and he was also my arch nemesis. For reasons I still wasn’t sure of, Fate had given me the mission of saving humanity from his diabolical schemes.

No pressure, Reece said into my mind with a hint of a smile. We’d only been bonded again for a short time, but I was already used to him hearing every thought that went through my mind. I smiled in return and tried to hide how inadequate I felt to deal with the task that had been set for me.

Chapter Two

WE FELL SILENT WHEN the reporter gathered his poise and spoke. As you can see, Wardel, a small city near Washington, D.C., is currently under attack from what appears to be three gigantic monsters made of stone. They now seem to be directing dogs, reptiles and spiders to attack people as well.

They were far enough away from Wardel that the slaughter was difficult for even me to hear. This does not appear to be an elaborate prank, the reporter said. His eyes strayed back over his shoulder to take in the scene again. I am afraid that this is very real. Unfortunately, we have no explanation as to where these monsters came from, or whether they can be destroyed.

As we watched, several police cars pulled up near the outskirts of the city. Cops boiled out and opened fire on the hydra. All five heads hissed in rage and it rapidly slithered towards them. With a flick of its tail, it sent a cruiser flying. The car smashed into a nearby building and burst into flames. Their bullets made little to no impact on the golem. It ignored the barrage and sprayed venom on several of the officers. Their shrieks were shrill, but they didn’t last long. In moments, their fleshless skeletons lay prone on the ground. Their surviving colleagues turned and ran.

Mark tore his eyes away from the monitor and turned to Cromby. We need to get to Wardel as soon as possible.

It will take you three hours to drive there, his superior replied. He knew the area even better than Mark did.

The attack will be over by the time we arrive, Reece said in disappointment.

Mark looked at me speculatively and I shook my head. I’ve never been there, I replied to his unspoken question about whether I could transport us there. My death magic enabled me to use the magical zombie highway, which meant I could instantaneously travel to another location. The only downside was that I could only use it to travel to somewhere I’d been before.

We’ll need to borrow a vehicle, Mark said.

Cromby’s brows rose. Is there something wrong with yours?

We left it some distance away and came on foot, Mark replied. We don’t have time to retrieve it. I admired his skill at implying that we’d snuck onto the property without quite lying. He didn’t want the Board to know the extent of my skills. The eight foreign based Board members were all somewhere over fifty and had risen through the ranks of the PIA to reach their lofty positions. They were safe in their distant lands, but that wouldn’t last long if we didn’t take Kurt Jorgen down. He wouldn’t stop at decimating the US. He would continue his attack until every last human was dead.

Cromby turned to Ava. She’d been his assistant ever since she’d used Mark to infiltrate the agency a decade ago. Her boss still didn’t know that she wasn’t human. Make sure Agent Steel and his team have everything they need.

Of course, Ava said and gestured for us to follow her. We stepped out of the Boardroom and she preceded us down the long, opulent hallway. Opening the exit that had probably once been a servant’s entrance, she led the way across the manicured lawn to the garage.

Normally, an SUV would have been our vehicle of choice. Now that my father and Sabine had joined our group, we needed something large enough to accommodate us all. Reece headed to the closest black van that was identical to the ones that were parked at each of our compounds. The keys had been left in the ignition, presumably in the event that a quick getaway was necessary.

Ava touched Mark on the arm before he could climb into the van. I would like to join your team during the trials ahead, she said deferentially.

Kala spoke before Mark could form a reply. No offense, but what use will you be? she asked baldly. We’re going to have a lot of enemies to deal with. We don’t have the resources to babysit a nagi when we’re in the middle of a war.

Ava drew herself up stiffly. I assure you that it is not necessary for you to babysit me. I am quite able to take care of myself. I promise you that it would be beneficial to take me with you.

We looked at Mark for his opinion. He struggled against an automatic denial, but practicality won out. You can come along if you wish. At this point, we need all the help we can get. He didn’t trust her now that he knew she’d lied to him. She wasn’t the ordinary, if beautiful, human he’d always thought she was. Instead, she was a supernatural creature who possessed as yet unknown abilities.

As far as I knew, nagas and nagi were serpent deities who protected the lands and waters. Ava claimed her species didn’t want to see humankind wiped out, but I wasn’t completely convinced about that. Humans had a tendency to pollute and harm their planet. For all we knew, Ava might be working with Kurt Jorgen, although I was pretty sure she was one of the good guys. Right now, no one could be trusted until they’d proven otherwise.

I climbed into the first row of seats in the van and sat next to the window. Zeus chose to sit at my feet rather than in the cargo area at the back. He was eerily silent and no longer had to breathe, but his solid weight on my feet was comforting.

Sensing my thoughts, he looked up at me. He rested his head on my knees and stared at me soulfully as I stroked his ears. I’d come very close to losing him after a demon had punched a hole through his chest. Thankfully, my necromancer was able to bring him back and to bind his soul into his body again. He wasn’t quite the same as he had been, but he was still my friend and I loved him dearly.

My dad hadn’t quite adjusted to the change in Zeus yet. Taking a seat next to me, he glanced down at the Rottweiler warily. He’d seen a lot of crazy things since my mother had been turned into a vampire eighteen years ago. Somehow, I was pretty sure seeing my dog die then come back and change into an avenging, horse-sized wraith hound was one of the strangest.

Kala and Ava climbed in next, taking the seats behind us. Flynn and Sabine entered last and sat closely together in the back row. Holding hands, they were content just to be near each other.

My father slid the door shut and I rested my head against the window. I felt weary from the trials that we’d been through during the past couple of days. My dad put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him. He planted a kiss on the top of my head and I allowed him to comfort me for a few moments.

Are you okay? Reece asked me silently rather than speaking out loud. He’d managed to take over the driving duties instead of my dad, for once. Maybe my father needed my comfort as much as I needed his. He’d been through a lot as well.

Yeah. I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed, I guess.

We’ll get through this, he told me, but he couldn’t hide his unease. This wasn’t just a normal mission where we hunted down the bad guy and put him out of commission. This time, our foe was far more dangerous. The homicidal half-faery had talents that we’d never encountered before.

Kurt didn’t just despise humans, he also hated the fae. Once he was done with our world, he would move on to theirs next. He’d spent the past four hundred years plotting revenge and hoarding power. We still didn’t know the true extent of what he was capable of.

Sensing my thoughts through our link, Kala leaned forward. She put her arms around both me and my dad. Don’t worry, we’ll find that bald little weirdo and tear his head off before he can annihilate everyone in the world.

My dad sent her an amused look, unsure how to respond to her enthusiasm.

Thanks, Kala, I said dryly. You’ve really cheered me up.

I do what I can, she said with false modesty, then slouched back again.

Sitting beside her, Ava was wrapped up in her own thoughts. She was still an enigma, but I’d rather have her with us where we could keep our eye on her. Plus, she was in love with our boss. Anyone who cared so deeply for Mark couldn’t be entirely evil.

Chapter Three

WITH THE KNOWLEDGE of the devastation that was happening in Wardel weighing on our minds, our conversation was sparse during the drive. We were halfway to our destination when Zeus’ head came up and he began to growl. It sounded hollow and strange, almost as if it was coming from somewhere far away. His hackles rose and he climbed to his feet and stood in front of me protectively. Something was coming and whatever it was, it wasn’t friendly.

Can anyone else feel that? Kala asked. I looked over my shoulder to see her frowning. Her golden eyes were slightly pained. Her hand rose to her temple as if she was getting a headache, which was troubling. Shifters rarely suffered from the aches and pains that were so common to humans.

Feel what? Mark asked.

Something is trying to get inside my head.

Using our link, I took a peek inside her mind. Just as she’d described, a presence was attempting to insinuate itself into her thoughts. Linked to her just like I was, Reece felt it as well. His hands tightened on the wheel at the sensation of the invading presence. He’d been on the receiving end of having his mind taken over and he knew exactly what she was going through.

I brought Flynn in as well so he could sense what Kala was experiencing. It’s a golem, he said bleakly. It feels like the hydra that took over my mind, but different. I think this is something new. It’s a feline of some type. It would have to be if it was trying to control a werecougar.

We had just enough time to exchange worried looks before something hit us. The van spun around in uncontrollable circles and I caught glimpses of an enormous stone creature through the windows. Flynn was right, it was a new type of golem, but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was yet.

When it finally came to a stop, the van rocked from side to side before settling on its burst tires. A moment later, the golem pranced into view. It was the same size as the Cerberus, but it had the head and body of a lion. Strangely, it also had a horned goat head growing out of its back. Its tail whipped around to reveal the hissing head of a snake. It paused to allow us to have a sidelong view of it. It seemed like it wanted to be admired before it tried to kill us. Mostly feline, it was just as vain as an ordinary housecat.

What the hell is it? Kala asked more in fascination than fear. Her link to us was the only thing keeping it out of her head. Reece and I were her alphas and no one was ever going to steal her, or Flynn, away from us again.

It’s a chimera, Mark said in an awed tone. His hand twitched towards his cell phone. Even in the middle of danger, he was tempted to take photos of it.

Our new foe went on the move before we could ask him any further questions. Shifting around to the side of the van, it lashed out with its claws. I shielded my father as the side of the vehicle was torn open. Kala leaped out of her seat and pulled the side door open. She was reaching for her gun even before her feet hit the road. Moving with the uncanny speed that being part-vampire gave me, I grabbed hold of my dad and carried him to safety.

Shaken, but unharmed, he pulled his weapon when I put him down on the side of the road. Everyone had exited from the van, but the chimera wasn’t done with it yet. Just like a real cat playing with its prey, it batted the van to pieces. Then the lion head opened its mouth and breathed fire on the vehicle. It stood back to watch as a small explosion sent metal and debris flying. When the flames died down, the van had been reduced to a melted lump of twisted metal and rubber.

Turning its head, the stone feline saw us and roared a challenge. I had the feeling it had been distracted by the blaze and had forgotten all about us. It was easily distracted, just like Kala tended to be.

Reece appeared beside me with Mark and Ava tucked beneath his arms. He dumped them next to my father and the trio stood huddled together, ready to defend themselves. Mark might be immortal now, but he didn’t have our strength or speed. Standing a few yards away from us, Kala and Flynn were protecting Sabine, not that she seemed particularly frightened. Nothing seemed to rattle the lamia.

Zeus stalked towards the chimera, barking at it savagely. A gigantic paw swiped at him and he went flying through the air. He hit a tree and was on his feet again in an instant. The tears made by the feline’s claws healed instantly. My death magic permeated his entire body, ensuring he could heal any wound, no matter how catastrophic. Bound to me, he would live as long as I would, which was apparently forever.

Enraged by the attack, Zeus began to transform. Dark shadows enveloped him and his eyes glowed scarlet. He didn’t stop growing when he was the size of a horse this time. Morphing into a wraith hound, he continued to grow until he was about half the size of the chimera and stood over ten feet tall. Maybe he grew in proportion to the size of the threat that he faced. His new form was still largely a mystery to us.