The First Demon (Cards of Death Book 1) Read online

  I hear the ghosts whispering to each other. I don’t think they are hostile, but how can I be sure?

  My ears pick up something that sounds like “He is not his father” and my curiosity takes the upper hand. I have always told everyone I don’t care about my father anymore, but let’s face it, it’s only natural that I do. He was the best father in the world, until he started sneaking around. Before I could ask him what was going on, he left. Didn’t even say goodbye. No note. Just took some clothes and split. Everyone in town said the best explanation was an affair. It happens all the time after all. There were no signs of violence and besides, nothing ever happens in this town. So Mom decided to believe everyone. Not that she was able to do much thinking at that time. She was basically a puddle of grief and pain. Her anger came about a year later. I never truly believed Dad left us for another family.

  “Is that a knife?”

  “More like a dagger.”

  The voices from the kitchen pull me from my trance.

  Of course Dad didn’t leave us for someone else. He was hiding something else. Like a Shield and an old house.

  I know there must be more and these ghosts can tell me about it.

  I stride back into the kitchen and slam the card onto the table. “Okay, tell me everything you know.”

  They all fall silent. Vicky smiles brightly.

  D’Maeo points at the cards. “I haven’t seen anything like this before, but it doesn’t look good.”

  Jeep inhales deeply. “They smell like danger.”

  I frown. “You can smell danger?”

  “I didn’t mean literally.”

  I sit down and turn the icy card around in my hand. One thing keeps tugging at my mind. “Speaking of what we can do… you said I am a Mage. So what kind of power do I have?” I do my best not to sound sarcastic.

  Jeep raises his eyebrows at me. “How should we know, Dante?”

  I narrow my eyes. “You know, if you don’t want to be here, you can just leave. I’m sure we’ll be fine without you.”

  He leans back in his chair, almost tipping it over. “No thanks.” He catches his hat swiftly when it slides of his head.

  I turn my gaze pointedly to the others.

  “We don’t know what your power is, Dante,” D’Maeo answers. “You’ll find out when it’s time.”

  Great, that sounds like every movie I have ever seen about wizards. Not very useful.

  “What about my father? What could he do?”

  It’s as if someone turns on the air conditioning in the room. An empty feeling hits the pit of my stomach. Everyone is avoiding my gaze, except D’Maeo. He leans forward and strings his fingers together. “Your father was a Pyrokinetic. A fire starter.”

  My mouth falls open. “No way.” The burn marks on the armrest of the couch flash before my inner eye. I’m suddenly not so sure anymore that Mom caused those.

  “Yes, a great power to have,” Jeep says. “As long as you use it for a good cause.”

  “And my father didn’t?”

  He snorts.

  I want to bang my head on the table in frustration. “Please… just tell me about him. Why was he such a bad guy? What did he do? Why did he leave us?”

  I sound like a pitiful little kid now, but I can’t help myself.

  D’Maeo looks at the others. When they all nod, he turns to me again. “We can’t answer that last question, but we were his Shield for years and that wasn’t always easy.”

  “Why, was he strict?”

  Now Jeep and Taylar laugh out loud, while the two women shake their heads sadly.

  I clench my hands into fists and relax them again, barely containing my impatience. “What is so funny?”

  “There’s no need for a master to be strict,” Taylar explains. “Your Shield will do what you want, whether you ask nicely or order them. Your father didn’t ask nicely, but that wasn’t the problem. It is what he made us do.”

  The uneasy feeling is back, tenfold. My muscles tense up and there’s a big lump in my throat. I gulp it down. “What did he make you do?”

  Taylar bows his head. “I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

  I rub my temples. “Please tell me.”

  Maël looks at D’Maeo. “I think we’d better show him.”

  The old man strokes his beard, then nods, more to himself than to his fellow ghost. “Hold on to your chair,” he says to me.

  Before I get a chance to do anything, there’s a flash and the kitchen is gone. My stomach shoots up to my throat and I almost throw up. Then my vision clears. I’m standing in front of a farmhouse. It’s dark outside, but the house is bathing in light. It would give me a peaceful feeling, if it wasn’t for the screams.

  Slowly I walk closer to the sound. The screaming gets louder and then a voice stops me in my tracks. “Give it to me!”

  I recognize it immediately, although it is harsher than I remember. Violent even. Threatening.

  I gulp and force my feet to move.

  “Give it to me or I’ll kill them all!” Dad yells.

  I reach the nearest window and peek inside.

  There he is. My father. Or someone who looks exactly like him, because I can’t imagine it is really him. The expression on his face is murderous. I have seen him angry, but this is completely different. Far, far worse. The lines on his face are deep and his mouth is contorted into something that resembles a sneer, but could also be disgust. I’m not sure which I’d prefer. He is holding a man up by his throat. Five ghosts form half a circle around him. His Shield. My Shield now, if what they told me is true. They look pale somehow, although it’s hard to tell because of the transparency. D’Maeo tries to catch my father’s gaze, while Maël is softly whispering to herself. Vicky is trying hard not to cry, Taylar is studying the ground and Jeep clenches his jaw.

  Dad doesn’t pay any attention to their discomfort. He raises his free hand. “Give it… to me.”

  “I can’t,” the poor man splutters. “I have sworn to protect it.”

  “Then you and your family will die in vain, because I am going to find it anyway.”

  A flame comes to life in his hand and he brings it closer to the man’s face. The guy tries to turn his head away. Blisters appear on his skin, and his cheek turn red and then black within seconds. He howls like a wounded wolf and struggles to break free. But there’s no escaping. The fire slowly spreads towards his neck.

  A young voice shouts from somewhere in the house. “Daddy!”

  “Melissa!” Tears fall from the man’s eyes, evaporating instantly. “Please…” His voice shakes. “Please, let them go.”

  Dad extinguishes the flame and smiles brightly. “Their lives are in your hands. Just give me the book, and you will all live happily ever after.”

  Despair radiates from the man’s body. His cheek smolders, but he doesn’t give in.

  Dad raises his hand again, holding it close to the man’s eyes. “Last chance. They will not die pleasantly.”

  The man squeezes his eyes shut and takes a shaky breath. Then he looks straight into my father’s eyes. “No.”

  Dad growls and lights his hand again. The man yells in pain as the fire hits his eyes. The flames light him up from the inside. Dad releases his grip and the man stumbles around the room, shrieking and setting everything he touches on fire.

  “Stop!” I cry out, but nobody can hear me. This has already happened. This man is already dead. There is nothing I can do.

  He collapses in a smoldering heap and lets out his last breath.

  Dad wipes his hands on his pants. With an irritated gesture, he takes out a cigarette and lights it with his finger. “Well, that didn’t get us any closer.”

  My mouth falls open. I can’t believe he isn’t in the least bothered by what he has just done. Nor does he mind the fire that is spreading through the house, or the frightened shouts coming from the dead man’s family.

  The whole S
hield looks utterly defeated. D’Maeo clears his throat. “Master, may I suggest a different approach?”

  “You may not!”

  With big strides, Dad walks out of the room. I’m afraid to follow him. I’m not even sure I can. My legs tremble and tears blur my vision.

  But a second later he comes back, pushing a woman and three small children into the living room. The woman moans when she spots her husband. “What have you done?” She uses her tied up hands to smack my father in the stomach. He doesn’t even budge.

  “Jeep,” he says, “use your power please.”

  Jeep shakes his head. “There’s no use for this, master. It won’t help you find the book.”

  The woman is trying to shield her children from the horrible sight of their dead father, meanwhile frantically looking around for a way to escape. The fire is spreading rapidly and the heat is extreme. The children cough, tears streaming down their faces from fear and sorrow, as well as smoke.

  “Do not argue with me, Jeep.” My father’s voice is deep and threatening, and although my Shield is already dead, there is no doubt in my mind that Dad can still hurt them.

  Maël pulls her cape tighter around her body. “Please master, don’t make us kill.”

  His reply is like thunder. “You will do as I say!”

  With a heavy sigh, Jeep turns to the burnt body. Its face is now completely gone, leaving only black tissue. Flames are eagerly licking the bones of its arms and legs.

  The tattooed ghost closes his eyes and the rest of the Shield watches with reluctance. The whole room goes quiet, except for the fire, which is raging on. Even the children seem to sense something worse is coming. Their sobs are barely audible.

  The mother is slowly backing up, pushing her children towards the back door.

  “Don’t go,” Dad says softly. “I have a surprise for you.”

  He flexes his fingers and the fire dies down a little. Most of the smoke disappears. A second later the blackened body on the ground starts moving. The woman shrieks and pulls her children closer. With her teeth, she tugs on the rope around her hands, but to no use.

  The man is on his feet in no time. He stumbles aimlessly around the room, tripping over burnt furniture and waving his arms. Guttural sounds escape from his throat.

  A satisfied smile plays around Dad’s mouth. “Point him in the right direction.”

  “Yes, master,” Jeep answers in a whisper.

  When he closes his eyes again, the zombie turns its attention to the mother and the three kids.

  Bile rises in my throat when I realize what is about to happen. I’m horrified. This can’t be real. My father would never do such things. He was a good man.

  “I think that’s enough,” Maël’s voice says from somewhere in the distance.

  CHAPTER 6

  I collapse as soon as I'm back in the kitchen. I must look like the most pitiful master ever. My head feels heavy and my hands are wet. I have never felt this sick before. "That can't be real."

  I expect a taunting remark from Jeep, but he is pointedly studying the surface of the table. I don't want to think about what that means.

  "We cannot create illusions, Dante," Maël says, regret in her voice. "We can only show you the past."

  Vicky’s eyes are filled with tears. "I'm so sorry," she says.

  I sit up and shake my head. "No, I am the one who should be sorry. I can't believe he made you go through that. And I promise you I am different."

  "Yeah," Jeep mumbles. "Your father used to be different, too."

  "So what happened?"

  "I wish I knew."

  My gaze falls on Maël, whose shoulders are hunched. She looks like she’s been beaten.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that again,” I say to her softly. “It must hurt.”

  She nods. “Thank you for your sympathy.”

  “What happened to you when you were alive?” I have a feeling this has something to do with how defeated she looks.

  A small shiver makes her cape move.

  “The short version,” I add.

  She takes a deep breath. “I was once a queen. I did what I thought was best for my tribe, but led them to their deaths.”

  I swallow.

  Maël’s words are no more than a whisper when she continues. “I couldn’t save them, even with my power. They died because of me. That’s why I’m grateful your grandfather summoned me. He gave me a chance to set things right. To save people, instead of killing them.”

  “And we will continue to do that,” I assure her. I want to tell her what happened with her tribe wasn’t her fault, but that would sound wrong. I wasn’t there, I don’t know what went wrong. My words would be hollow.

  “It’s hardly continuing, when you consider the things your father did before he died,” Jeep interrupts my thoughts.

  I grit my teeth. ”You know what I mean.”

  Vicky leans forward. “Maybe with a new master, we can find out what happened to John. Why he changed so much.”

  I smile at her. “I’d like that.”

  “Me, too,” Taylar mumbles.

  I remember Dad’s words in the flashback. “What kind of book was he searching for?”

  Jeep plays with the brim of his hat. “Who cares? It was evil.”

  D'Maeo slams his hand on the table, making me realize how solid they are considering they are ghosts. Thank goodness they are on my side. "We can always talk about this later," he says. "Let's focus on the matter at hand." He points at the cards. "This one has earthly symbols on the front. A knife and some silver coins. Does anyone know what that means?"

  The others waste no time focusing on something else. I’m guessing that book is a touchy subject.

  Taylar leans forward. "Paying someone to kill?"

  D'Maeo turns the card around. "Maybe." He holds it up so we can all see it. "These symbols on the back are demonic." His gaze rests on me. "So why would someone send you demon cards?"

  I throw my hands in the air. "How should I know? I’m new to this."

  He stares at me for a while. All my muscles tense up in anticipation. Is he using some kind of power on me?

  But then he averts his eyes and points at the second card, still lying in front of me. “What about that one? What’s on it?”

  I hold it up. “It has the same demonic symbols on the back, but on the front there’s only ice.”

  Vicky holds out her hand. “Can I see?”

  I slide it to her and she puts both hands on it.

  “You can also detect feelings through objects?” I ask, hopeful and amazed at the same time.

  “Sometimes.” She closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. Her eyebrows creep up slowly. “This is very strange. I sense danger, but it also radiates something pure, something good.”

  We ponder on that for a while. A thought crawls into my mind. “Maybe the solution to the danger is under the ice?”

  D’Maeo smiles at me. “That’s not a bad suggestion.”

  Jeep raises his eyebrows. “So we have to find a way to remove the ice?”

  I stand up and start rummaging through the drawers. Everything here is old and dusty and I cough. In the last drawer I find what I’m looking for. Matches. I take one out and hold it up. “Shall we?”

  “If you burn it, the message will be lost,” D’Maeo warns me.

  “I’ll be careful. Oh, and I’ll take a picture of it first.” I take my phone from my pocket and push the photo icon. After photographing the front and back of both cards, I check the result. It’s all blurry. So I try again, bringing the camera a bit closer. It looks even worse.

  Impatiently, I rub the lens with my shirt and hold the phone over the cards again.

  Jeep slams his hand on them. “You can try a million times, but it won’t work. You can’t photograph magical cards.”

  I scowl at him and then shove my phone back into my pocket. “Well, why didn’t you tell me that sooner?�
��

  He gives me a crooked grin. “Would you have believed me?”

  Sighing, I pick up the matchbox again. “Probably not.”

  I light the match and very carefully bring the card closer to the flame. At the bottom, the frost flowers slowly disappear. “It’s working!”

  As soon as the words leave my mouth the card catches fire. I drop it and slam my hand on it. The corner is frayed.

  Taylar chuckles. “So much for that idea.”

  We all stare at the cards for a while. Rain is tapping on the roof again. My mind keeps wandering back to Dad burning that man and making him eat his own family. I keep seeing his eyes, full of hate, of evil. That was not the father I knew. What happened to him? I grind my teeth. I have to get out of here. Get away from this creepy house and these… ghosts.

  I rise to my feet. “I’ll take them home and think about it later. Maybe I can find something on the internet. I’ll come back tomorrow.” Before any of them can answer, I’m in the hallway and out of the front door.

  I drive blindly to the Silver Family Market, our local supermarket, barely missing a mother with a baby carriage. Somehow the town doesn’t feel real. Nothing feels real anymore, except for the headache that’s splitting my head in two. Mom always told me ghosts don’t exist. You are born, you live your life and you die. That’s it, nothing more. No heaven, no hell, no in-between. I believed her. Why wouldn’t I? I’ve never seen any signs of magic or life after death. This life is all you get and you have to make the best of it. But now my whole existence has fallen apart. I can’t believe there’s ghosts and people with powers and no one has ever noticed. My mother lived with a Mage for years and never knew. Or… I gasp at the thought that goes through my head. What if Dad put a spell on her? Maybe she saw something, he tried to make her forget and the spell backfired.

  I look at the people spilling out of the supermarket, struggling with crying kids or yelling into their phones. I seem to have parked Phoenix safely. How long have I been sitting here?

  The rain has been replaced by fog. It suits my current state of mind.

  When I get out, sounds of everyday life start trickling towards me. The damp air cools my face and I take a deep breath. Then I open the trunk and search for a clean bag. Darkwood Manor and the Shield are already like a distant memory, or more like a dream even. Maybe I just watched too many movies about wizards when I was a child. What was I thinking? This is not a movie, this is the real world. A world in which Mom is finally getting better and I am throwing a pre-vacation party for my friends.