After a satisfied nod, Sawyer reached over to the tool rack and pulled a scouring pad from a small bag. He shoved it between the teeth of the skull and chucked the skull back to the casket.
The skeleton’s body managed to catch it, but fell back down at the force.
“Clean yourself off,” Sawyer shouted at it. “Then fall in line with the others.”
It wasted no time in following his directions. Using the pad, it started scrubbing off bits of flesh that had been left behind by Sawyer.
Walking back to the casket himself, Sawyer picked up his discarded tools and moved on to another body.
Sawyer paused before opening the lid. He glanced towards Des, shaking his head sadly.
“Carry on without me for a time, honey. I’ll be back shortly.”
The girl looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes. With her lips sealed, she couldn’t speak.
Sawyer apparently got the message anyway.
“Don’t worry,” he said as he walked towards the door leading back into the livable section of the warehouse. “Just something that I forgot to take care of. It won’t take long.”
Her stitched lips turned downwards in a frown, but she nodded anyway.
As soon as Sawyer left the room, he pulled out a small cellphone from his pocket. Not a smart phone, but an older-style flip phone. One covered in grime and dirt. With all the brain goop on his fingers, it wasn’t getting any cleaner.
The contacts list held only two numbers in it and no names. He scrolled through to the second before Eva could even try to memorize either.
Eva tensed. A moment later, she felt a vibration. One that was on her side of their link, right at her hip.
Remaining unmoving, Eva waited.
The vibration continued for far too long. Sawyer leaned against the wall and started tapping a finger against it. The taps grew more and more impatient with every unanswered ring.
Finally, the rings ceased. On Sawyer’s side of things, she heard the phone connect to a voice mail system. As soon as it finished, Sawyer began to speak.
“I am aware that your kind dislike the middle of the day, but I do not appreciate being made to wait. Do return my call before something unfortunate has to happen. Next time, leave a message. That’s what it’s there for.”
Eva rolled her eyes. He doesn’t like people making him wait? Sawyer had ignored the initial call and then forgot about it for half the day.
With a displeased shake of his head, Sawyer dropped the phone back into his pocket.
Eva watched him return to making skeletons for a moment longer. When he didn’t do anything suspicious, Eva pushed herself out of bed.
She had until nightfall to discuss with the others just what they should do. Not responding at all would be too suspicious, but they needed to keep him in the dark for one more day. At least. Two, ideally.
Eva’s ritual would run out halfway through tomorrow night. While they could try assaulting him with the remainder of the darkness, Serena and any vampires that showed up to help might have to leave early to avoid the sun. If they managed to keep his suspicions low, they would have a full night to work with.
Either way, Eva was starting to get excited about just what she wanted to do to Sawyer. Maybe she would take the little cigar cutter off the rack and put it to use.
Chapter 013
Clement walked down the streets towards Brakket Academy.
Naked.
Well, not quite naked. He had jeans and a tee-shirt.
But he felt naked.
Without his armor, anything could kill him. A random bus that had its brake line cut, a brick falling from a high building, even tripping over his own shoelaces could send him to the ground and snap his neck.
Clement glanced down at his tennis shoes. They were still tied in neat little knots.
Too many things could end his usefulness to Gertrude without him being able to do a thing.
Most of all, demons would find him easy prey without his armor. Being a mundane human, Clement had no way to defend himself from the more supernatural threats that lurked in the shadows. He couldn’t cast a fireball to save his life. No teleportation would help him, nor any other miraculous interventions.
He did keep an enchanted dagger at his side. That might help against lesser threats, but not against anything greater. His dagger had been made by Gertrude and it was a marvelous work, even if he didn’t understand the magic behind it. However, it couldn’t hold a candle to his sword. A sword that had been designed centuries ago specifically for the purpose of slaying demons.
Demons were their current targets.
Clement hated this plan.
Walking alone in the chilly morning air, Clement felt more naked than ever. The academy building was the nest of the demons. And he was walking towards it.
But armor was too conspicuous. People took note of a massive hulk wandering down the street looking like a renaissance fair reject. They took far less note of a lanky man with a depressed air about him. Even in a city as small as Brakket.
Worse than people taking notice, armor made demons wary. It really didn’t matter normally when Clement charged at a demon, swinging his sword. They could be wary all they wanted to be. A slash through their chest ended their wariness before they could do much about it.
Brakket City was different from normal. Demons were everywhere. If the demons saw him wandering around in his armor, they would definitely think that something was up. Whether they would attack as a group or flee didn’t matter, neither would end well for him.
Though, all the demons in Brakket City would be more wary after tonight.
At least, all the demons remaining.
Clement just had to believe that he would still be around to see their wariness.
And he did believe. Gertrude was watching him. She wouldn’t let him down.
Pausing with his hand on the door to Brakket Academy, Clement took a deep breath.
He pushed the door open and walked inside.
The offices for the dean and other non-teaching staff were just off to the side of the main lobby. One of the demons around Brakket City, the succubus, constantly sat at the receptionist’s desk. They had spent time watching everyone, learning patterns and plotting out possible ambushes.
That desk was where both he and Gertrude expected the succubus to be this morning.
But the desk was empty.
The only other place where the succubus could be found was a small home near the academy.
That home had been empty as well, he had checked there first.
Clement froze in indecision. Something had already gone wrong. They had watched for weeks and had the succubus’ routine down to the hour. What had changed? Why was it different now?
Did they know?
A chill ran down his spine. He spun, hand going to the dagger at his side.
“Hello, did you need something?”
Clement just about collapsed in relief. He had felt certain that the pillar was the one behind him.
The voice came from a normal teacher. A woman wearing her hair in a ribbon. The ends of the ribbon stretched upwards, giving it the appearance of bunny ears. If he remembered their notes correctly, it was the warding teacher. Chelsea Lepus.
They had already dismissed her as not being related to any of the diabolical events aside from her employment with Brakket Academy. Damning, but not so much that she was a priority target.
He glanced around once before responding. “I don’t suppose you know what happened to the secretary.”
“Actually,” she said slowly, tapping her foot against the ground as she thought. “I don’t think I’ve seen her for a few days. Strange, now that you mention it.”
“A few days?” They had focused on other targets for the last week or so. The succubus’ routine was so regular that neither he nor Gertrude could have imagined that something would have changed. “She didn’t mention taking any vacations?”
“Oh hoh, not to me,” Chelsea said with a bright smile. “Catherine doesn’t talk much. I’ll have to ask the dean when she gets in. Was there something I might be able to help you with?”