Taming Demons for Beginners (The Guild Codex Demonized #1) - Annette Marie Page 0,70
had fallen over the park. The combat team was staring at Zylas. So was the redheaded woman, who’d fallen to the ground a yard from Tahēsh’s body.
Zylas rose out of his crouch and ambled woodenly toward my hiding spot. Right. His contractor needed to make an appearance or those mythics might assume he was an unbound demon too. Which he sort of was … but we didn’t want anyone to know that.
Steeling myself, I walked out of the sheltering trees and into the glare of headlights.
Six pairs of eyes turned to me—the three mythics, the two maybe-human men, and the redhaired woman. Zylas walked to me and stopped. With his back to our witnesses, he flashed me a pointy-toothed grin full of victory and bloodlust, then turned to face the park, his expression blank.
Shivering, I turned my attention to the three mythics—a short older man, a super tall middle-aged guy, and an average-built young guy. I waited, but they did nothing but stare at me. Okay then.
I looked at the others. The redheaded woman was still sitting on the ground beside the car, her mouth hanging open. Behind her was another redhead—one of the two guys—and his pal stood beside an overturned motorcycle. Their unconscious friend must be in the car. I hoped he wasn’t hurt.
They, like the mythics, didn’t move or speak or … anything. Was no one going to react at all?
I glanced at Tahēsh’s corpse, summoned another dollop of courage, and pulled out my phone. My audience silently watched as I dialed the MPD’s emergency number.
It rang twice, then a cool female voice said, “MPD hotline, what is your emergency?”
“Um, hello,” I mumbled. “Yes, um … this is Robin Page from the Grand Grimoire. I’d like to report the unbound demon, please.”
“The unbound demon?” the woman repeated, startled. “Do you know its location?”
“Yes …” I tried to gather my thoughts, but the staring was getting under my skin. No wonder Zylas got angry whenever I gawked at him too long. “Um, it’s in Oppenheimer Park.”
“The demon is in the park?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“What’s it doing?” she barked urgently. “Are you in danger?”
“Uh, no, the demon is dead.”
A long pause. I nudged my glasses up and glanced at Zylas. He stood motionless, looking bored.
“Are you sure the demon is dead?” the operator asked.
“Yes, I’m sure. It’s definitely dead.”
The clatter of a keyboard sounded through the phone. “Robin, stay right where you are. I’m sending agents to your location immediately. Please wait for them—right where you are.”
Did she think I would wander off? “Okay, I’ll wait here. How long will MagiPol take to arrive?”
I almost missed her reply as the mythics in the park snapped to attention. The contractors’ demons lit with red magic, and as they dissolved back into their pendants, the mythics rushed toward the black van.
“Ten minutes or less,” the operator replied. “I’m also alerting all GMs and officers. Some of them may arrive first.”
The van’s engine rumbled to life, and the wheels spun as the driver gunned it. The vehicle tore away.
“Robin? Are you still there?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled, my confusion growing as the two civilian men and the redhaired woman also launched into motion. Two of them jumped into the car, and the dark-haired guy picked up the bike and started it. “I’ll wait here.”
I ended the call as the red sports car reversed off the grass and onto the road. The motorcycle followed, their engines roared, and a moment later, Zylas and I were alone in the park.
While I pondered the bizarre behavior of the witnesses to Tahēsh’s defeat, Zylas relaxed out of his wooden stance—then let out a whoop that made me jump a foot in the air.
“Vh’renith!” he shouted, pumping his fist. “I killed the Dīnen et Lūsh’vēr! I killed Tahēsh of the First House!”
Eyes glowing and a broad grin stretching his lips, he spun on the spot like he couldn’t contain his exuberant energy.
“That was lalūdris, kirritavh’ dahgan rūs hh’istaran,” he spouted, slipping into his native language. “I will be …”
He trailed off, his victorious outburst fading into a scowl, then he groaned and flopped backward, landing on the grass.
“Zylas?” I yelped. “What’s wrong?”
Flat on his back, he glared at me. “No one will ever know.”
“Huh?”
“I am the first of my House to kill a Lūsh’vēr and no one will ever know!” Heaving a sigh, he sat up and glowered at Tahēsh’s body like it was all the winged demon’s fault. “No glory for me.”