- Prey
- Sphere
- Black Rose
- The Great Train Robbery
- Blue Dahlia
- Carnal Innocence
- Dance Upon the Air
- High Noon
- Lawless
- Sacred Sins
- Tribute
- Face the Fire
- Holding the Dream
- A Man for Amanda
- All the Possibilities
- Next
- Prey
- Sphere
- Black Rose
- The Great Train Robbery
- Blue Dahlia
- Carnal Innocence
- Dance Upon the Air
- High Noon
- Lawless
- Sacred Sins
- Tribute
- Face the Fire
- Holding the Dream
- A Man for Amanda
The Demigod DiariesPage 20
He slipped on his tweed jacket and started to gather his belongings. Laptop: check. Wallet: check. Keys: check. Then he hesitated. There was one more thing he needed. It was a completely unnecessary precaution, but it would give him peace of mind. He opened his desk drawer, picked his smallest handgun—a nine-millimeter—and slipped it into his jacket pocket. Last night the boy Alabaster had shaken him to his foundation. So much so that Claymore had gone to bed without doing any writing, which was not something he could afford right now, with his next deadline right around the corner. He could not allow any crazed fans to affect his mood and output. If that meant he had to carry a security blanket, then so be it. Black’s Coffee. The name was a pun of the worst kind, but still Claymore returned day after day. After all, it was the best coffee place in Keeseville. Then again, it was the only coffee place in Keeseville.… He’d gotten to know the owner quite well. As soon as he stepped inside, Burly Black was the first one to greet him with “Howard! How you doing? The usual?” Burly was…well, burly. His beefy face, massive tattooed arms, and permanent scowl would have gained him entry into any biker gang. His Kiss the Cook apron was the only thing that made him look like he was supposed to be behind the counter. “Morning,” Claymore replied, taking a seat at the counter and pulling out his laptop. “Yes, the usual is good.” He was on chapter forty-six at this point, which made his work easier. No more hand-holding the readers. If they hadn’t gotten the point by now, they never would. Coffee and a blueberry pastry appeared in front of him, but Claymore hardly noticed them. He was in his own world, fingers sprawling out on the keyboard, words and thoughts coming together in a seemingly incomprehensible pattern, but Claymore knew it was genius. The coffee was slowly drained. The pastry was reduced to a few crumbs. Other customers came and went, but none of them fazed Claymore. Nothing mattered except his work. This was what he lived for. But then his private world shattered when a woman sat down next to him. “Claymore, what a surprise! I didn’t expect to see you here!” White-hot hatred welled up inside him. He hit control-S and closed his laptop. “Ms. Lamia, if I were not a more civilized man, I’d pull that seat out from under you.” She pouted, giving him puppy eyes, which wasn’t convincing in a woman her age. “That’s not very nice, Mr. Claymore. I’m just saying hello.” He glared at her. “It’s Doctor Claymore.” “I’m sorry,” she said halfheartedly. “I always forget…I’m not very good with names, you see.” “The only thing I want from you is for you to leave my sight,” he said. “I refuse to be converted to whatever cult you belong to.” “I just want to talk,” she insisted. “It’s not about gods. It’s about the boy, Alabaster.” He eyed her suspiciously. How did she know the boy’s name? Claymore hadn’t mentioned it in their phone conversation last night. Ms. Lamia smiled. “I’ve been looking for Alabaster for some time now. I’m his sister.” Claymore laughed. “Can’t you make up a better lie than that? You’re older than the boy’s father!” “Well, looks can be deceiving.” Her eyes seemed unnaturally bright, luminous green, like the light in Claymore’s dream. “The boy has concealed himself well,” she continued. “I must admit he’s gotten better at his magia occultandi. I hoped your speech would draw him into the open, and it did. But before I could grab him, he managed to escape. Give me his address, and I’ll leave you in peace.” Claymore tried to stay calm. She was just a crazy old woman, rambling nonsense. Although magia occultandi…Claymore knew his Latin. That meant enchantment of hiding. Who in the world was this woman, and why did she want the boy? It was clear that she meant Alabaster harm. As Claymore stared at her, he realized something else…Ms. Lamia wasn’t blinking. Had he ever seen her blink? “You know what? I’m sick and tired of this.” Claymore’s voice trembled in spite of him. “Black, have you been listening?” He looked across the counter at Burly. For some reason, Burly didn’t respond. He just kept polishing coffee mugs. “Oh, he can’t hear you.” Lamia’s voice dropped to that same raspy whisper he’d heard last night on the phone. “We can control the Mist at will. He has no idea that I’m even here.” “Mist?” Claymore asked. “What on earth are you talking about? You must truly be insane!” He stood, instinctively backing away, putting his hand on his coat pocket. “Burly, please kick this woman out before she completely spoils my morning!” Burly still didn’t respond. The big man stared right through Claymore as if he wasn’t there. Lamia gave him a cocky smile. “You know, Mr. Claymore, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a mortal this arrogant before. Perhaps you need a demonstration.” “Don’t you understand, Ms. Lamia? I don’t have time for this! I will take my leave now, and as for…” He didn’t have time to finish. Lamia stood and her form began to shimmer. Her eyes were the first to change. Her irises expanded, glowing dark green. Her pupils narrowed into serpentine slits. She extended a hand and immediately her fingers shriveled and hardened, her nails turning into lizardlike claws. “I can kill you right now, Mr. Claymore,” she whispered. |
- The Loners
- The Saints
- Switched
- Fangtastic!
- Re-Vamped!
- Vampalicious!
- Tome of the Undergates
- Black Halo
- The Skybound Sea
- If You Stay
- If You Leave
- Until We Burn
- Before We Fall
- Every Last Kiss
- Fated
- Suspiciously Obedient
- Random Acts of Crazy
- Random Acts of Trust
- Her First Billionaire
- Her Second Billionaire
- Her Two Billionaires
- Her Two Billionaires and a Baby
- His Majesty's Dragon
- Throne of Jade
- Black Powder War
- Victory of Eagles
- Tongues of Serpents
- Empire of Ivory
- Crucible of Gold
- Delirium