The Lost Dragon (The Dragon Hunters Book 1) Page 8

  “Yes, but….” Brandon started.

  Demun held up a hand to silence him. “Just nod your head yes or no to make my life easier. He’s always been childish as hell, right?”

  Brandon nodded and glared at him.

  “Ok, we hit high school and suddenly he got better, right? I mean, you didn’t have many run-ins with him the first two years, but now he’s cool. Just asks you to copy your homework, right?”

  Again, Brandon nodded.

  “Now, he’s not the brightest guy, and he hates English class. In fact, he often falls asleep in it, right on the shoulder of the person next to him. And that person just so happens to be a guy. That guy, namely you, is gay, and noticeable to the trained eye. So, to sum this up, he used to pick on you because he still had a little boy’s mentality. Just like most boys on the playground pick on the girl they like, he picked on you, the boy he likes. Then, he chose the seat next to you in class knowing full well he’d fall asleep because he wanted to sleep on you. He could’ve sat next to any girl in the room and she’d have jumped at the chance to have him laying on her arm or breasts. Instead he chose your shoulder as the place to fall asleep. What do you get when you add all that together?”

  “You’re saying the school’s pretty boy has a crush on me,” Brandon answered irritably.

  “Exactly. Damn, you must be slow as hell not to have seen that.” Demun sat back. “Now what are you going to do about it?”

  Brandon scowled. “I think I might let him recover first, then deal with this.”

  “Oh, he’s fine. Matter of fact, he’s been waiting here for you to wake up.” Demun stood up to leave, then stopped. “He knows everything. He knows what we are, and he remembers clearly everything that happened. He’s one of Gramps’ followers, so our secret is safe with him.”

  He left the room. Brandon sat on his bed, lost in his own thoughts. A few minutes later, his door opened and Adonis walked in, closing the door behind him and standing there in awkward silence.

  “You can come sit down, I don’t bite,” Brandon told him.

  Adonis gave an uneasy smile and sat next to the bed. “I wasn’t afraid of that.”

  Again, an awkward silence filled the room.

  “So, I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Adonis told him finally.

  “Why?” Brandon asked.

  Adonis looked puzzled. “Why what?”

  “Why do you care?” Brandon asked. “We’re not friends. Hell, you don’t even like me. You just need to copy my homework.”

  “I don’t need to copy your homework. I could go back and read everything on my own, then do the work myself. I just choose to copy yours.”

  “Again, I ask why?”

  Adonis was silent for a few moments. “Because it’s the only way I can talk to you regularly. It gives me a chance to flirt.”

  Brandon raised an eyebrow. “So what you’re really telling me is that you like me, am I right?”

  Adonis scowled. “Yes, damn it. I’ve had a thing for you since I met you. But that’s not exactly something I could just be open with. I mean, I came into English class the first day of school this year and purposely chose the seat next to you. I purposely lean towards you when I start to nod off. When I wake up, it’s you I ask to tell me what we’re doing. When we have projects, it’s you I choose to work with. And all this is because I just couldn’t bring myself to admit it. No one knows, not my friends, not my family. Only my god.”

  “Who just so happens to be my grandfather.” Brandon smirked. “I’m sure he’s getting a real kick out of this.” Brandon shifted to cross his legs Indian style. “So what is it you want from me, Adonis?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I don’t expect anything. I just want to be close to you.”

  Brandon’s mouth quirked slightly. “Close to me, or with me? Close to me means you want to be a friend. With me means something a lot different.”

  Adonis looked slightly uncomfortable. “I’ve never been with a guy before.”

  Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. A virgin? Ye gods, can this get any better? Id’s voice rang in his head.

  Brandon couldn’t hold back a laugh, which made Adonis look at him like he’d lost his mind.

  “Sorry,” Brandon told him. “I’d explain, but you probably wouldn’t really understand. I’m not sure I do. But anyway, I can deal with that. We don’t have to jump into anything.”

  “Well, I kind of want to. I certainly don’t want to let some other guy have you. I think three years is long enough to wait. It’s just that I don’t really know how being with a guy works.”

  Perhaps you should give him a demonstration, came Id’s voice again.

  Brandon ignored him and spoke to Adonis. “Don’t make it more complicated than it has to be. Like I said, we can take things slow. I’ll let you adjust.”

  Oh, for Zeus’ sake, will you tag his ass now? Better yet, let me do it, Id told him.

  Adonis looked into Brandon’s eyes. Brandon was afraid that he could see Id behind his gaze, waiting to pounce him, but Adonis began to lean forward anyway.

  Then came the knock at the door and Adonis jumped back.

  “Gods damn it,” Brandon mumbled.

  “Adonis, your parents are here to take you home,” Andreas called out.

  Adonis stood up. “Guess I’ll see you later then.”

  Brandon smiled. “Yeah, you will.”

  Adonis opened the door, where Andreas stood waiting. He stepped aside to let the boy out. Brandon couldn’t hide a slight scowl as Andreas came into the room.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be the cool uncle?”

  Andreas smiled. “I’m always the cool uncle.”

  Brandon rolled his eyes. “Not with your timing.”

  Andreas sat on the bed. “There’ll be other times, I’m sure. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Brandon told him.

  Oh sure, we’re just fine, except for the raging hard-on we’re sporting under this damn blanket, Id said sarcastically.

  “This might seem a little barbaric, but I need to know the name of the wolf you killed. I have to report this to Father, and we’ll need his name.”

  Brandon shrugged. “He didn’t introduce himself, so I have no clue.”

  “You may not, but your demonic half does. You drained that wolf dry, and his memories are tied into his blood. You should have those now.”

  Brandon gave a blank look. “I never learned how to decipher memories from blood. Honestly, that’s the first time I’ve ever drank from anyone, and I wasn’t even conscious for it.”

  Andreas held his hands out, palms up. “Here, I’ll help you. Put your hands in mind and clear your mind.”

  Brandon put his hands in his uncle’s and closed his eyes.

  “Now concentrate, feel the blood rushing through your veins, from your heart to your brain,” Andreas instructed softly.

  In his mind’s eye, Brandon could actually see his heart as it beat and the blood flowed from it with each beat.

  “Follow the path of the blood to your brain,” Andreas continued.

  Concentrating, Brandon traced the flow of blood throughout the veins in his body that lead to the brain.

  “Now, examine your mind,” Andreas went on. “Find what doesn’t belong. Something that just can’t be yours. Those would be the werewolf’s knowledge, his memories. Can you see it?”

  As he searched his brain, Brandon found a dark spot.

  “Yes, that’s it,” Andreas told him, apparently able to see this the same way. “Now, just tap into it. Don’t rush, or you’ll see all his memories. We don’t need everything, just need his name.”

  Brandon moved slowly in his mind. He pictured himself as outside of his body, and just using the tip of his finger, accessed what wasn’t originally there, that spot that belonged to the werewolf. An image of the wolf came to mind, and a name came with it.

  “That’s enough,” Andreas told him. “You can come back now.”

&nbs
p; Brandon withdrew from within himself and opened his eyes. “His name is Michael, Michael Leone.”

  Andreas turned to the doorway, nodding to Vic, who quickly turned and left. Andreas looked back at Brandon.

  “Now, I want you to rest up. It’ll be a few days before you or anyone else can go back to school, at least. Maybe you can take that time to get to know Adonis a little better.”

  Brandon frowned. “You timed it that way on purpose?”

  Andreas laughed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Get some rest, kid.” He hugged his nephew quickly before leaving the room.

  Ugh, and the sad part is I really am sitting here with a hard-on under the covers and no way to release it, Brandon thought.

  In his head, all he heard was laughter.

  Thirteen

  Cassandra was sitting in the living room talking to Demun while Andreas was in the room with Brandon. The boys were something of a curiosity to her. She treated all manner of beings, including half and mixed breeds. But the boys were most unique to her. Therefore, she had questions.

  “Out of curiosity, Demun, what manner of demon are you boys descended from?” she asked.

  Demun raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m not sure. We’ve never asked. Never really mattered much to us before. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, you two are different from other mixed breeds I’ve come across. Your brother is similar in some ways, especially in that he separated his demonic traits from himself. The amount of power he possesses is unusual. As for you, you’re the only one I’ve come across that is completely merged with your demonic side. I think perhaps the demon you’re descended from has some special type of power, something different from the average demon.”

  “Well, you’d have to ask Gramps. After all, it was our father’s mother that was a demon, and he’d know all about her.” Demun looked at his hands. “I’ve been in tune with my demonic side all my life. That’s why my father gave me my nickname. Most people have forgotten or never even knew my real name.”

  Cassandra smiled. “I merely assumed Demun was your real name myself.”

  Demun returned her smile. “My name is Brent. If I didn’t go to a human school with teachers that refuse to call me by my nickname, I’d have forgotten it. Honestly, it’s hard to answer to it. It doesn’t sound right to me.”

  “Well, I’ll keep calling you the name you prefer. But maybe I will have to talk to your grandfather about some things.”

  “Oh yes, things must be discussed.” Jarel appeared in the chair in front of the window. “Your questions will be answered, but I’ll also need some of mine answered.”

  Cassandra refrained from jumping, although quite frankly he’d scared the crap out of her.

  “You could give her some warning before you just pop in like that,” Demun told his grandfather. “Not everyone is used to having gods around all the time.”

  Jarel shrugged. “She’ll get used to it. But while we’re waiting in here, you may ask your questions, Odele.”

  Cassandra raised an eyebrow, confused at his insistence on using only her last name but choosing to ignore it for now. “Well, your grandsons are so different, I was wondering what type of demon they’re descended from.”

  Jarel sighed. “Technically, their grandmother isn’t a demon. She’s the demon goddess, Desdemona. She is the mother of all demons and those directly descended from her have far more unique abilities and sometimes greater power, though my grandsons here have the potential to greatly surpass any of her other descendants. I have not seen her since before their father was born.”

  Cassandra took a few seconds to think. “If she is the demon goddess, then that would make her more ancient than the Olympians, right?”

  Jarel shook his head. “She far outdates the younger ones, but Zeus and his brothers and sisters are certainly older.”

  “But she is very powerful if she can bring forth descendants like your grandsons.”

  Jarel nodded. “Yes, Desdemona is not a goddess to piss off and expect a mild punishment.”

  “Well, then I have to ask this. If you can’t find her, and she’s that powerful, could she be the one hiding Kalos?” Cassandra asked.

  Jarel actually smiled. “It doesn’t offend me, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s quite a reasonable question. And quite frankly, it wouldn’t surprise me too much. Desdemona has more than enough power to conceal Kalos from me, and she has her own domain. I would like to believe she’s not so stupid as to risk my wrath, but she is a goddess. Goddesses tend to be petty. This is something she’d do just to stir up excitement.”

  “Wow, Gramps, you sure can pick them,” Demun said sarcastically.

  “Life was certainly never dull with Desdemona around,” Jarel replied.

  “Would she really harbor someone that killed her son?” Cassandra asked.

  Jarel shrugged. “She’s not the normal type of goddess. Hera and the other well-known goddesses at the very least have maternal instincts. If Desdemona has any, I never saw them.”

  Vic appeared at his side. “I always wondered what you saw in her.”

  “She was different. So unlike Aphrodite, Demeter, and Hecate. There was no need to pamper and spoil her, cater to her every whim. Plus, she stood up to me. Apparently the demon whose blood made the vampire species was her son. She wasn’t particularly pleased with the brutal method in which he died.”

  “Wait a minute, vampires were made from the blood of a demon?” Cassandra asked.

  “Oh yes. There were three made from the blood of that demon. Vacker, Deidre, and the most famous vampire of all time, commonly known as Dracula in the human world. His real name, of course, is Vladimir. They were three humans, unfortunately caught in the crossfire. I had allowed a demon to visit Solaris at the time, a demon by the name of Kelsar. Long story short, he pissed me off, so I slew him, brutally. The downside is that in my rage, I didn’t just fry him. I essentially blew him up. His blood drenched three of my human followers. The plus side, it gave them immortality of a sort. The downside, they took on the demon’s need for blood. Apparently his blood was far more potent than that of a regular demon. It soaked into their skin, melded with their DNA, and changed them into what you see now. Their bodies technically don’t require food, only blood. That wasn’t so unusual to me, as my children on occasion require blood. Being that it was my error, I brought them under my service, and made them and all their descendants subject to my laws.”

  A door opened and closed, then Andreas walked in.

  “I see you’ve arrived, Father,” he commented.

  “Of course,” Jarel replied. “With the news that werewolves are now involved, things have changed. Now I understand my other grandson ingested the blood of the leader of this pack of wolves.”

  Andreas sat next to Cassandra. “Yes, he did. His demonic half thought it was a fitting end for the attack on Adonis.”

  “Ah yes, Adonis. His family have been in my service for generations.” Jarel looked to Cassandra. “I must thank you for saving him. I happen to be very fond of that boy.”

  Andreas smirked. “He happens to be fond of your grandson.”

  Jarel waved that off. “I’m certainly not that type of fond for him, and he’s had a thing for Brandon since the day he saw him. Some things are meant to be, but take time to come into being.”

  “You’re not saying that Adonis is Brandon’s...” Vic started.

  “Now you know full well I won’t answer that question,” Jarel cut him off. “Only Brandon and Adonis can truly answer that question without consequence. If I answer it, it causes problems, chain reactions, blah, blah, blah.”

  Vic frowned. “The Fates are beginning to piss me off with all these cryptic messages.”

  Jarel laughed. “How do you think I feel? I go see them personally to find out information, but I can’t do anything with what they give me. The rest of you go to their temples and get even more cryptic shit that you have no idea how to interpret.”
r />   Hmm, maybe I should pay a visit to that temple, Cassandra thought.

  Jarel turned and looked her dead in the eye. Cassandra had the distinct impression that he’d heard that, but at least he didn’t comment on it. Instead he turned to Andreas.

  “Anyway, now that I know werewolves are in league with Kalos as well, this means you’ll need to hunt down both. I’ll be putting your brothers on alert, too. Frankly, you’ll probably be seeing Fenrir a lot more. At least I know he’ll follow my laws.”

  “Has there been any sign of Vacker yet?” Andreas asked.

  “None at all,” Vic answered for his master. “It’s pretty safe to assume he’s dead.”

  “Deidre has reached the same conclusion,” Jarel added. “I hate to say this, but this will probably be a bit better for their race. Deidre was always the stricter parent, but was held back by Vacker. Vacker’s softness towards his children clouded his judgment. Deidre now has extra motivation to reign in her wayward children.” Jarel stood up, towering over all the others. “I’ve got no new information for you. You know my laws, and you know what to do. I’ve got another issue I’m here to solve.”

  The others watched as Jarel went back to the bedroom Brandon was resting in.

  “I get the feeling Father is meddling,” Andreas muttered.

  “He’s a god, that’s what he always does,” Vic replied.

  Jarel sat down beside the bed of his grandson, who was laying down again. He opened his eyes to the smiling face of his grandfather.

  “I have the distinct feeling, my child, that you have questions.” Jarel affectionately brushed the boy’s hair back from his face. “You can ask. This time, I can answer you.”

  “How long has Adonis been your follower?” Brandon asked him.

  “He’s always been my follower. He’s a special boy, so conflicted. Since the day he met you, that boy has been in a perpetual state of confusion. Something deep down inside changed, and he fought so hard not to be attracted to you. But it was undeniable. He’s been praying to me for guidance for years. And yes, I’ve always known how he really felt.”