Bane & Butterflies: The Rose Cross Academy, #3

Bane

&

Butterflies

Other Works by Rissa Renae:

The Rose Cross Academy Series

Risers & Dreamers

Grimms & Garms

Bane & Butterflies

Bane

&

Butterflies

Book 3 of The Rose Cross Academy series

Rissa Renae

Copyright © 2018 Rissa Renae Tsang

RissaRenae.com

All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are either the product of the author's imagination or are used for the purpose of building fictitious situations. Any resemblance to persons either living or deceased is coincidental.

Renae, Rissa.

Bane and Butterflies / Rissa Renae.

Paranormal—Fiction..

Demons—Fiction.

High schools—Fiction.

eBook ISBN: 978-0-9948840-5-3

Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9948840-4-6

First Edition published January 2018.

Edited by Rachel Small, http://rachelsmallediting.com/

Author photograph © Jeff McDonald, http://mcdonaldphoto.ca/

Cover Design Copyright © 2018 Rissa Renae, with photos used under license from

Shutterstock

Printed in the United States of America

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO

Once again, for Jeff and Gabriel.

Contents

The House

Judge and Jury

Could You Be My Enemy?

Indifferent Nostalgia

Tea and Maggots

Shiver

Leave the Night On

Disappearing Act

Legacy

Rob a Grave Not Yet Dug

The Beetle in the Box

Come and See

Busted

A World Without Future

Welcome to My Parlour

Uncouth Rescues

The Bastion

Deja Coffee

Paradise Ain’t Here

Fool Me Twice, You’re Dead

Within Screaming Distance

Jailhouse Rocked

When We Can’t Eat Cake

A Murder Most Distracting

Into the Never-Never

Defiant Halves and Secret Paths

The Hardest Game

Three Rustyd

Pig in a Poke

When the Mirror Turns Black

Hypnotic Regression

Things Most Heavy 284

Impress Me

Hole in the Water

Justitia Omnibus

The City Behind Door Number One

Two Butterflies

Unlikely Allies, Likely Foes

Subterfuge

Mommy, Dearest

Change of Strategy

Queen of Hearts

The Double-Tap Rule

Fashionably Late

Guilty by Association

Sundown on the Rest of Our Lives

Glossary

Appendices

The House

Robin Gilford was lost, and so terribly so. Here, the screams of other children made for horrific company.

Painted faces watched her from lopsided pictures as she fled down endless hallways. No matter how hard or how fast she ran, she couldn’t find a way out. She couldn’t escape the cries of terror.

Turn after turn greeted her with the same unknown figures. They stared at her from the same ominous paintings. Their gazes stalked her from within the frames. Some had mouths quirked into dark grins, and others were frozen in time whispering soundless warnings.

Somebody help me! she cried. As she slid around a corner, splinters from old floors stabbed into her bare feet. A young boy waited for her there, and she wheeled to a stop to keep from running them down.

Brilliant blue eyes glowed in a pale face framed by messy, sand-coloured hair. The boy was perhaps her age—twelve. Angular and almost feminine features gave his face a graceful presence, and a dark, pinstriped vest and suit jacket hugged his thin body. He jumped and staggered back a step at Robin’s sudden appearance, but the boy kept his hands in the pockets of his black trousers.

More children screamed, lost somewhere in the house and his mouth grew into a smile that never touched his face. His eyes studied her under blond eyebrows and caught a source-less light to glow like electricity. The wails grew and floated up the hall behind her. Robin gathered her courage to flee past the boy, but he threw out a hand and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her towards him.

She gave a shout and jerked this way and that but couldn’t break free. Even as Robin struggled and screamed, the boy didn’t move; he was like a statue, planted firmly in the house.

Let me go! Again and again she tugged and pulled, until her wrist ached. Her feet slipped on the old floors, picking up more splinters. A fresh bloom of pain spurred on her racing heartbeat, and she wrenched her arm with more vigour. Still, the young man’s grip held her and his arm held fast as she pulled against him.

Footfalls brought another pyjama-clad youngster sliding around the corner—a boy in flannel. He flailed his arms and stumbled into the adjoining wall. A crack echoed down the hall as his head rebounded. He wavered, gaze unfocused.

Robin tried to turn towards the boy in flannel as the boy with the electric blue eyes held her. Help me! Please help me!

The flannel-clad boy shook the stars from his head and blinked. His chest rose and fell with short and frantic breaths. His head snapped to the boy with the electric blue eyes then back down the hall. Something caught his attention and his face paled. His chin wrinkled and his mouth fell open before he took a chest-heaving breath and shrieked. His feet scrambled to get his body going, and he fled past Robin and her captor.

No! Come back!

A great rush of air blew her nightgown up to her knees as a black-cloaked body with a reaping scythe flew past. It navigated the hallway with an unnatural ease and sped off after the boy in pyjamas.

As Robin struggled again, the boy turned to her with a wide smile. This time, his face brightened. Don’t worry, he said, with a smooth and chipper voice. We won’t hurt you. He pulled her closer, nose to nose. We need your help. We need you to get us into your world.

Demons! Her voice cracked, and she pulled to get away.

The boy sighed and shook his head.

A creature howled deep within the house, something dark and menacing. The sound came from the hall behind her, growing closer. Robin froze. Breath caught in her throat and her body turned to stone. Panes of glass in a window rattled as a quick and rhythmic series of thuds shook the house.

Robin twisted her body to peer over her shoulder. The sound came closer and closer in a macabre four-step rhythm. Thump-thump-thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump-thump. The glass shimmied out of the window pane and crashed to the floor.

A long, hairy limb, barbed and bent, crept into view from the adjoining hallway. Then another. And another. Finally, eight hairy limbs pulled a body into the hallway with Robin—a bulbous, hairy abdomen with a head containing dozens of beady eyes each the size of her fist. Its multitudes of eyes shifted to focus on her.

Robin squeezed her eyes shut and screamed until her voice broke.

She sat bolt upright in bed, took a great breath of air, and screamed again. Her vacant bedroom answered her. The sparse light of a distant dawn waited outside her window. She scrambled to the headboard and huddled there for safety. She thought maybe she’d been dreaming. That thought brought only momentary relief.

The bed lurched and the sheets bulged. Hairy limbs sprung from the sheets. One brushed over her abdomen. Robin shouted and kicked as she scooted across the bed and tumbled off. She crawled on hands and knees across her room as the hairy lump tried to free itself from the sheets.

Her bedroom door flew open and light burst into the room. A silhouette stood in the doorway with a baseball bat raised. Robin!

Dad!

The creature in her bed howled and thrashed under the sheets. Robin’s father gave a shout and leapt into the room, baseball bat high above his head. The makeshift weapon whooshed through the air and struck with crack. The giant spider howled.

Robin, run! Once more, the bat swung and hit its target. Call the police! Another swing splintered the bat. The barrel hurtled across the room to embed itself in the far wall. Robin’s father threw the remainder of the bat at the demon and retreated to the door. He pushed Robin into the hall. Go! Go!

Outside her bedroom, Robin ran into her mother and little brother as they stumbled down the hall. Honey, what’s going on? her mother asked. Her voice shook.

Mom, just run!

A loud thump in the bedroom provided all the encouragement her family needed. Robin’s mother gave a panicked shout, and all four fled.

Down the stairs they ran, before stampeding through the front room to smash up against the front door. Furiously, Robin’s father worked at the deadbolt and tore the door open. The house alarm broke into existence in an, ear-splitting shriek.

Out! Out! he ordered.

Without looking back, Robin took her little brother’s hand and bolted from the house. Running as fast as she could, she led him down the front walk and into the street. She slid to a stop in her aching bare feet. Her little brother ran into her from behind. The family amassed at the end of the sidewalk and took in their neighbourhood.

Once quaint and quiet lawns were now mass chaos. Car alarms and home security systems blazed in symphony. Crashing sounds and breaking glass came at them from all directions. People ran directionless in the streets. Unnatural beasts shrieked from rooftops and houses. Dark masses loomed in yards. A car sped by, driving erratically. It hit a parked car and careened into a yard. Its spinning tires dug tracks into the earth and sprayed grass and dirt before it gained traction and dove back into the road.

The upstairs window of Robin’s house shattered and rained glass on a flowerbed of blue azaleas. Then darkness leapt from that window and the large black spider landed atop the globe-like flower heads. Blue petals erupted in a glorious explosion. Multitudes of eyes reflecting the gentle blue of the petals turned to pick out Robin. It growled and rose up on its hind legs.

Lights and sirens burst into the neighbourhood to announce the arrival of a police cruiser and a SWAT truck. Tires locked and rubber squealed on pavement. No sooner had the vehicles shuffled to a halt than half a dozen men in riot gear spilled out. One by one, they formed a human wall and trained their weapons on a house down the street.

Robin’s family fled down the street as an officer emerged from the police car with a long-barrelled shotgun. Using the door as a prop, he levelled the weapon and squinted through the sight, but sopped.

Crickets the size of small dogs hopped around a few lawns, nibbling at the grass and flowerbeds. One raised its large flat head and stared him down. The officer swallowed hard and shied back into his cruiser.

Open fire! someone yelled. The streets came alive with gunfire.

A cow-sized beetle descended from the heavens and landed atop the SWAT truck. Its chassis groaned and a tire blew. The vehicle collapsed as its axels broke and the huge beetle tumbled to the pavement and landed on its back. The ground shook and cars jostled.

The insect grasped at the air with six barbed legs in a vain attempt to turn itself over. One leg caught hold of the SWAT truck and used it as leverage. The vehicle flipped onto its side and the beetle rolled to its feet. Great wings that shimmered like oil slicked on water spread and beat wildly. Gale winds assaulted the officers, and the beetle lifted and took off into the city.

The police officer’s attention drifted from the giant bug’s flight path to the enormous spider in the azalea bush. He jumped when it skittered on its eight hairy legs and focused a countless number of globular black eyes on him.

Something moved behind it—a person. A boy in a three-piece, pinstriped suit stood up from the bush. His eyes glowed as blue as the azaleas in the dim light of dawn. He dusted himself off and rolled a shoulder, but startled when he caught sight of the police officer. One hand patted the large spider and the other pointed a finger accusingly at the man. In a heartbeat, the spider pounced.

The officer shrieked and ducked down in his car as the huge spider rammed into it. The doors gave and bent. Metal whined and tires whined as the car spun in the middle of the road.

Yowling tires heralded the arrival of a sleek luxury sedan, its windows tinted black. The vehicle veered around the police car and slid to a stop. Moments later, its doors flew open. Several bodies dressed in blue-trimmed black suits leapt out and began their assault on the dog-sized spider.

1

Judge and Jury

Steel flashed in the dim light of early morning with the arrival of June Bae. He didn’t bother to size up his prey. He already knew it was a demon—not due to its sheer size or the horrible howl it let loose, but because the Rose Cross Compass acting as the buckle on his belt became a heavy and demanding presence.

The Alchemy that had forged the Compass reacted in the presence of demons, much like a metal detector in the presence of gold. When his Compass reacted, it triggered a type of sixth sense. For June, this made him feel as if he’d eaten a rock for breakfast.

He shook out his arms and legs and set himself up for a fight. Gazing up and down the streets, his dark brown eyes took a quick inventory of the neighbourhood and its occupants before he stood up straight and frowned. Whoa. What in the world happened here?

You took the words right out of my mouth, buddy. Noel Sebastian sunk to a knee and took up arms. A gun of silver and ivory opened fire on a hairy black monstrosity assaulting a police cruiser. Several of its limbs fell smoking to the asphalt and thrashed in the final throes of death.

Holy cow! I’ve never seen a spider that big before! Stella Everhart leapt from the black sedan and joined them. A blonde pigtail swung in front of her face to be disposed of with a toss of her head. A bow appeared in her hand in a spray of multicoloured lights. She nocked an arrow and snapped it loose, enacting a howl from its target.

The street was a complete and total war zone. Car alarms whined up and down the block. Home security systems blared at deafening levels. Citizens ran through the streets and down the sidewalks, most in their nightclothes and barefooted.

Another giant spider leapt from a house to cut off a fleeing family. It landed with a ground-shaking crash and hunkered down low. The beast didn’t attack, but its deep growl jostled the cars in the vicinity. More vehicle alarms lent their voices to the anarchy of the night.

Gunshots cracked the morning as Noel worked to take apart a beetle the size of a station wagon. June! he yelled. Get these people out of here!

Right! June clapped his swords together over his head. A clang of steel rang into the night. Everyone! This way! Move-move-move! As June positioned himself as a barricade between the people and the demons, the neighbourhood became overrun with creepy-crawlies of the not-so-small variety.

Silhouettes of scorpions and giant bugs darkened the lamp-lit streets. A fruit fly the size of a house cat paused to attack a parked car, whose lights and sirens blared in its defence. A spider gnawed on a light standard with pincher-like jaws until electricity sparked and sprayed. The sudden pops and clicks spooked the demon. It took off at a mad dash into the street and ploughed through a family. A young boy cartwheeled through the air to land in a bush.

What in the world . . . June whispered again. He brought himself up tall and took moment to stand in awe at the spectacle. He’d seen several demonic invasions in his lifetime, but this one . . .

It’s got to be a mass nightmare! Noel shouted.

June mentally chewed on that information. A nightmare this big had to have brought something over other than the handful of demons skittering around. This had to be the work of . . . Mr. Grimm. June was willing to bet more of the hat-and-cape demon’s brothers were now loose in his city. Two figures standing down the block confirmed that suspicion. People raced past them, but the two only watched the pandemonium as if the panic was completely normal. Or expected.

Dark suits like those worn by Mr. Grimm’s other brothers, Morghen and Ehrin, hugged their bodies. One figure was unusually thin—Ehrin Faust by the looks of him. The other was muscled and had a strong but calm presence. He rubbed the side of his head and bit his bottom lip as he witnessed the chaos. Both had the telltale sandy-coloured hair and moonlit blue eyes of the Faust brothers.

Son of a bitch!

June broke from his task of crowd control and ducked into a shrub. He travelled along a few front lawns, through bushes and flowerbeds, until he popped out before the brothers. You! He pointed a sword at Ehrin but stopped.

This wasn’t Ehrin. This close up, he resembled Ehrin to the letter, from the feminine features and thin frame to the ratty hair. But in place of Ehrin’s spaced out, unfocused expression laid an unsettling half-smile and a glower that could have burned holes through June’s face.

His companion jumped at June’s sudden appearance and shuffled back a step. He stood as tall as June with a head of blond hair cropped short on top and shaved at his temples. Arms large enough to stretch the sleeves of his jacket hinted at pure muscle.

The glare on the Ehrin look-alike’s face melted to fear. Jhordan! Jhordan! he yelled. Thin fingers latched on to his brother’s sleeve and pulled him around as a human shield.

June! The large one laughed the name as if the two of them were long-lost friends reunited. When he and June locked eye, his smile faltered. June. It’s me. He put a hand to his chest.

A memory flashed in June’s mind, uninvited and out of place. He caught a glimpse of his large backyard in Ohio. He was playing tag with his brother, Jason, and several other children. Bright summer sun shone off blond hair and set blue eyes glowing with mischief. Jason ran after an older boy but couldn’t keep up. June ran after a boy his age and tackled him. They laughed as they rolled through the grass. The boy was big for his age and unusually strong. So strong that when they got back to their feet to continue the game, the bigger boy wrapped his arms around June’s waist and lifted him easily into the air. June was in a headlock before he knew it.

Now, standing in the musty streets of Vancouver staring at the newcomer, June tripped over his own mind. He struggled with words, trying to piece together his memories and how they related to the chaos around him.

It’s me, he repeated.

"Me who?" Even as he asked, June thought he should already know the answer. His heart thumped in his body and his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.

The larger boy shifted back and forth and licked his lips. More than once, he glanced behind him to the Ehrin look-alike before settling his gaze back on June. A demon fly buzzed by and ruffled his hair, but he didn’t flinch.

The young boy gave his brother a shove. The other cleared his throat. Um, hey, June . . .

June angled a frown at him. Why do you think I should I know you?

Eyebrows knitted on the boy’s forehead but a shout over June’s shoulder drew his attention.

June! What’s the hold-up! Noel shouted.

June shook his mind clear and pushed the larger boy aside. The boy moved without protest but tensed when June grabbed the thin one by the collar of his dress shirt. June managed one good tug before a knee caught him in the side and sent him sprawling to the pavement.

Rolling back to his feet, June crouched on pointe to retaliate. His side ached, and it hurt to breathe. June brought both swords up and let one slide along the other to create a warning cry of steel. The large boy stumbled, but herded his brother behind him.

The thin boy gasped when June pointed the swords at them. He cowered behind his brother and shouted. Judge!

June had just enough time to wonder what the boy was getting at before a tall dark shape dropped out of the sky and stood to its full height before June. Large black and glassy orbs scowled down on him from a bone-pale face. It stood at least half a foot taller than him. The black-cloaked figure’s face was unnatural, unmarred, and smooth as if it were a mask. Its mouth contorted into a sneer, suggesting it would rather tear June open to sift through his internal organs than face him in battle. The blade of a reaping scythe curved over the demon’s head and caught the light of a street lamp.

A Grimm, June was certain of it. The last Grimm he’d met defeated four Crosses and wounded several professors before a team effort got June close enough to take it down with a sword to the throat. The Grimm girl who’d come after the three Faust brothers had been a ruthless adversary and horribly strong. He had every reason to believe this Grimm was no different.

June allowed a holy crap moment to wash over him. Was this what the judge was?

A glint of light signalled movement. June ducked and rolled to one side, bringing around his sword to his defence. The demon spun with its scythe, using its momentum to change course back towards June. Blades met in a clash of metal loud enough to make June’s ears ring.

Bahrun Faust scrutinized the older boy with the sword, half-intrigued and half-afraid for his life. Are you sure that was June? He peeked around Jhordan as a clash of steel on steel began the prelude to battle.

Jhordan ran a hand through his short-cropped blond hair and let out a long breath. Yeah, that was June. He took another deep breath. I’m certain that’s him.

Intrigue turned to disappointment. Bahrun sighed. Another clang of weapons caused him to hunch down. He had to admit that the teenager with the swords was certainly giving Judge a run for his money. The two fought like blood rivals. Cries of steel pierced the early morning and made Bahrun’s head vibrate. But he couldn’t tear his focus off the battle. This June person puzzled him.

Whenever it appeared Judge had gained the upper hand, June was ready with a counter attack, but he couldn’t quite take control of the fight. June could anticipate Judge’s attacks but couldn’t get enough leverage to land a solid blow. The teen was impressive but dull at the same time. If Bahrun so wished, he could have Judge chop this June into a million useless pieces. A quick glance at Jhordan told him that wouldn’t be a good idea.

His older brother stood like a boulder, arms crossed over his chest and attention fixed on the conflict. Jhordan’s eyes narrowed and squinted as he analyzed every movement. When June made a particularly clever play, a corner of his brother’s mouth would quirk, but the grin would fade when Judge countered.

Bahrun blew air through his lips until they puttered. This is boring. June is boring.

Dehmion says to give him time. Jhordan’s focus didn’t falter.

Whatever. Bahrun’s attention wander around the neighbourhood. It’s cold here. And humid.

You know, why don’t you let me deal with this? Jhordan said. You could go find your brother. I’m sure you miss him.

Of course I miss him! Bahrun sniffed, and shrugged off the suggestion. To occupy his thoughts, he focused his attention on Judge as his Grimm push his prey back into the middle of the street to continue his attacks. I thought you said you and June used to be friends.

Jhordan’s mouth flopped open a few times and his posture stiffened. Yeah . . .

A devious smile spread across Bahrun’s face. It wasn’t often that Jhordan let the cracks in his persona show. If you’re not friends now, it wouldn’t be a problem if Judge killed him, right? Bahrun gestured with his nose to the battle and smiled at the thought of watching Judge reap another victim. Haven’s death had been particularly enter-taining. He wondered how many pieces Judge could make of this June person.

Don’t let Judge kill anyone. Jhordan’s voice grew stern and cold. Especially June. It was an order, not a request.

Though letting Judge bring havoc to the world would have been fun, Bahrun didn’t have the patience for arguing, especially with Jhordan. His brother wasn’t one to take being disobeyed lightly. No matter. Tormenting June was still more fun than finding Ehrin. That part of his soul was almost quiet now.

An emotion festered in Bahrun’s mind from his Grimm—a frustrated urge to cleave June in several different pieces, mirroring Bahrun’s own desire. After debating the idea of disobeying Jhordan, Bahrun decided it was best to comply. If Jhordan didn’t want June killed, he probably wouldn’t take kindly to him being torn apart either. That would make Jhordan mad. Jhordan was mean when he got mad.

Bahrun, you should worry about Judge. Remember, June was the one who nearly killed Haven before you . . . Jhordan averted his attention from the battle and cleared his throat.

Haven. He ground his teeth until his jaw hurt. I’m going to kill them both. Elan and his stupid sister. Haven was a worm compared to Judge.

Still. Keep track of Judge.

I know what I’m doing! Stop treating me like a child!

Jhordan’s mountainous presence grew quiet again as June and Judge exchanged a few more blows. From what Bahrun could tell, this new boy and his Grimm were on equal footing. It would be a long fight, longer than any in which he’d ever seen Judge partake.

June’s pretty good. I wonder how much more time we have to give him if he can already keep Judge at bay. Jhordan half hid a laugh when June circled the Grimm and wacked the demon on the rear end with the flat side of his sword. Judge gave a roar and turned in a great circle, his cape flaring out around him like a ball gown.

What do you mean? Bahrun asked.

Dehmion says to give him time. But if June can keep Judge at bay, I think the time has come.

Bahrun’s lips curled into a sneer. The time has come, you say? He waited for Jhordan to nod. Then we can see blood. The blood of Elan Zeal.

2

Could You Be My Enemy?

June crouched to catch his breath. This Grimm proved to be more powerful and nimble than the Grimm girl, Haven. However, he could still predict its movements with some degree of accuracy. With every slice and every swing, he had just enough warning to duck out of the way or deflect the scythe from removing a limb. Perhaps the demon was only toying with him, as none of its strikes would prove lethal if they connected. Unfortunately, after each parry and attack, this demon recovered far quicker than Haven had. On occasion, holes in its defences opened enough for June to get in a few angering jabs—a slap on the ankles, a kick in the bum.

On and on the battle continued, until both June and the demon were panting. The angrier he made the Grimm, the sloppier its form became, so June antagonized it every chance he got. He just had to work the demon into a tantrum so its weaknesses would stay open long enough for him to land a sizable strike.

When one of those openings presented itself, June tried his luck and swung for its neck. The scythe parried in time to deflect his blades, but June managed to sink one into the Grimm’s shoulder. Neck or shoulder, it didn’t matter. Using his body weight, June dug into the demon, leveraging one blade against the other like a saw. As one sword came free, it sliced through flesh and bone. The black-cloaked demon reeled back and howled an unnatural and entirely inhuman sound. It grasped the wound with a free hand while smoke poured from the gaping wound.

Seconds later, the demon recovered. The injury had served to make it irate. The Grimm got to its feet and swung. This time when June parried, he noticed the demon’s speed had dropped a notch. Still, the demon came at him again and knocked June off his feet.

June tumbled but landed on all fours and readied for another round. Tough little bastard, aren’t you?

An evil grin split the Grimm’s face, turning its face into a mask of nightmares. Maggots poured from the gash June had made in the demon’s neck. It lowered its head and scowled through its eyebrows to pin June in place. The grin crawled through June’s body like dozens of scratching fingers and burrowed into his soul.

June rolled his shoulders to chase away the chill. The creepy-crawlies infesting his body barely made way in time for him to fend off another blow. Steel slid against steel, screaming through the rain-slicked streets. As the scythe worked its way closer to him, June flipped his blades and threw his body into the parry. Swords and scythe wheeled through the air until they struck pavement. Sparks flew and died leaving June’s blades and the sickle-shaped scythe imbedded deep in the asphalt.

The Grimm locked eyes with June, its jaw slack. It tried several times to free its weapon but the asphalt held on.

June released his swords stuck firm in the pavement and they exploded into a whimsical sprinkle of multi-coloured glimmer. Each little wink tumbled down the Grimm’s face as another spray of lights brought two replacement swords from the Compass.

An ornery grin played across June’s face and he planted a boot on the demon’s scythe. Knock, knock, he whispered.

The Grimm frowned at him. Its scythe whined when the demon jerked in an effort to free it. The weapon still wouldn’t budge.

His other boot landed firmly in the demon’s gut, finding a solid body beneath the black cloak. The Grimm lurched and coughed. Maggots sputtered from its mouth, and it wheezed for air.

June cringed at the bugs but kicked the demon again. "You’re supposed to say ‘Who’s there?’" His