A Friend In Need (Ebook), page 1
A FRIEND IN NEED
THE 72 DEMONS
BOOK TWO
JAMES E WISHER
SAND HILL PUBLISHING
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Author Note
Also by James E Wisher
About the Author
Copyright © 2024 by James Wisher
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Edited by: Janie Linn Dullard
Cover art by: Stone Tower Studio
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CHAPTER ONE
Carter Monk had made many poor decisions in his life, but coming to Milden Station had to be right at the top of the list. As the hub for all trade in this sector of the outback, it was inevitable that his search for the demon prison would bring him here. When his brother’s supply caravan arrived at his base camp two days ago bearing a note saying that the information he needed to complete his mission could be found here, Carter had to check it out.
He arrived a couple hours before sunset and started chatting with the locals. None of them had a clue, either about the note or anything resembling the demon prison. Then the sun set and everything went completely to hell.
Now Carter found himself sprinting through the dark down Milden Station’s solitary road.
He glanced over his shoulder. A shadow flitted through the moonlight, passing between a pair of tin shacks before disappearing again.
It seemed whoever’s punch bowl he’d pissed in was still after him. As a member of the Circle of Sorcery, he had considerable skill in magical combat and an individual shadow was no match for him. The problem was, Carter had already destroyed three shadows and seriously doubted the one he just saw was the only one left. The bloody things just kept coming. Whoever summoned them was either exceptionally powerful or had been building up his or her—Carter really had no idea who he was dealing with—forces for some time. Before he could make up his mind which was the least-bad prospect, a shadow appeared right in front of him.
An instinctive blast of divine energy blew it to wisps of black flame.
That had been too close. He wiped sweat from his brow. Despite the sun having set an hour ago, the cursed heat lingered.
“Gah!” He twisted away from a stabbing pain in his back and staggered a step.
A shadow had snuck up behind him and the blow had drained a chunk of his strength.
A burst of divine energy exploded out in all directions, blowing the shadow away and leaving Carter even weaker. He needed to get the hell out of the station and back to his basecamp. Easier said than done considering his dune buggy and, more importantly, the supplies he needed were on the opposite end of town.
He also seriously doubted the shadows would just let him leave in peace. The first hint of a backlash headache was building and that boded ill for his long-term prospects.
His only small comfort came from the fact that he’d convinced Justine, his research assistant, to stay behind in camp. If Carter had had to protect her as well as himself, he’d be dead already.
Limping along as quickly as his limited strength would allow, he finally reached the edge of the station. A simple bar gate attached to a shack controlled access to the town. The guard who was supposed to be on night watch lay flat and limp on the ground beside it. A quick glance through the ether confirmed that his life force was still strong. Thank heaven for small favors.
In front of the gate six shadows had gathered, all of them bigger and more solid-looking than any he’d destroyed so far.
A black disk appeared in the middle of them and a shape oozed up out of it. The shape grew and became decidedly feminine in form. Finally, the blackness slid back into the disk and vanished, leaving a stunning brunette behind. He guessed her age around midtwenties. Silky black hair hung down to the middle of her back. Bloodred lips that looked even darker given her pale skin turned up in a smile when she looked at him. Normally that expression on a woman this beautiful would fill him with joy. When it was combined with her glowing red eyes, the effect was decidedly colder.
The black dress she wore did little to hide her curves. It was slit up to her hip on both sides and down the front to her belly button. How there was enough material to restrain her massive breasts was a mystery he’d ordinarily be delighted to explore.
Unfortunately, he was fairly certain she was the architect of his current predicament. He also had serious doubts about her humanity.
He spun only to find six more of the denser shadows closing in from behind. You’ve really stepped in it this time, Carter. Assuming he survived, the boss would never let him hear the end of it.
Fighting wasn’t going to serve him now, so Carter raised his hands to the side and smiled. “Good evening. Fancy meeting a pretty lady like you in a place like this.”
Not one of his better lines, but it had sounded sincere, at least to his ears.
“Good evening?” she said. From her accent he guessed she was French. What the hell was a French shadowmancer doing here of all places? “I think not. Nothing good ever comes from strangers visiting my station uninvited and asking questions best left unasked.”
“Perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding. I received a note yesterday inviting me here. I never would’ve come otherwise.”
Her frown of displeasure didn’t reduce her beauty in the slightest. “Who sent it?”
Carter shook his head and very slowly reached into the front pocket of his cargo shorts. He pulled the note out and offered it to her.
A tentacle of ether plucked it out of his hand and pulled it to her. She unfolded the note and read it. The process didn’t take long as there were only two paragraphs and a stylized X for a signature.
She flicked the note away and it quickly crumbled to dust. “Someone, it seems, wants you dead.”
“That surprises me less than it would most people. Look, I don’t know who you are and I don’t care about your business. How about we just go our separate ways? I promise never to come back.”
“There’s a part of me that’s tempted to do just that if only to spite whoever had the audacity to think they could use me as their personal executioner.” Carter’s hopes rose just a fraction only to be dashed a moment later. “Unfortunately, I can’t imagine a light caster like yourself simply forgetting what you’ve seen. Despite your best intentions, I fear you would eventually return with a larger force. Given the time and energy I’ve invested here, I can’t risk it.”
Carter gathered divine energy around his hands. As he did, the pounding in his head grew worse.
He might get off two blasts if he was lucky.
An explosion of darkness shot up all around him.
His light magic shield held for a few seconds.
When it broke, a moment of blinding pain was followed by nothingness.
CHAPTER TWO
Daisuke Kugo lay snuggled up under the covers of his bed, smiling at the ceiling. A little bit of light leaked in around the heavy drapes covering his window. He had no idea what time it was and couldn’t have cared less if he did. Four days of rest had done wonders to restore his strength after the mission in Japan.
Not that he’d rested the whole time. He looked down at the top of Helena’s head where she slept tucked up beside him, her blond hair spread out on the pillow like a halo. She’d been a most agreeable companion these past few days. Being with her took his mind almost completely off his family.
Which was a good thing given the mood he’d been in after dealing with the Kugo clan on a fairly steady basis. Seeing his mother and brother had been nice enough. Daisuke even enjoyed fighting beside Natsumi, though when they weren’t fighting, she did get on his nerves. The rest of the clan, Yoshikazu in particular, had done nothing but make his job harder.
Well, the hell with them. They were half a world away and not his problem.
He was just about to roll over and put his arm around Helena when his phone rang. Half a second later Helena’s joined in. Four days was a pretty good rest for him. But he suspected it was time to get back to work.
He grabbed his phone on the second ring. “Yeah, boss?”
“I need you in my office, ASAP. I assume Helena’s with you. Bring her.”
She sounded as worked up as Daisuke had ever heard. “What’s up?”
“I’ll tell you in person. Get here, now.” The line went dead.
Daisuke shook his head and turned to find Helena awake and leaning on one elbow, staring at him. Talk about a beautiful sight. “That sounded bad.”
“Yup. Much as I’d like to, I fear we’d best not dillydally.”
They got out of bed and hunted for clothes that had been scattered around the bedroom the night before. Daisuke finished first, pocketing his phone and a rectangle of metal the size of a playing card that could transform into a large trunk. He’d never bothered to unpack after getting home from Japan and now he suspected that would turn out to be a good decision.
“Ruq.” His imp familiar shimmered into view a few feet away. Two feet tall with red, scaly skin and a scorpion tail, Ruq had been with Daisuke for a few years, ever since he found the imp locked in a cage and left to die by the cult of Abaddon. He usually took the form of a rat, but for some reason decided to go with his demon shape today.
“Have you completed your fornications, Master?”
“For the moment. Call in a to-go order for breakfast at the bakery. We’ll eat on our way to the shop.”
While Helena finished dressing and Ruq saw to breakfast, Daisuke slipped into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.
Fifteen minutes after the boss’s call, they were outside and on their way down the busy streets of Zurich. It was warm enough this morning that his usual black t-shirt felt just right. Helena looked stunning in a white blouse and jeans just tight enough to show off her well-toned legs. Of course, Helena would look stunning in a burlap sack, so there was that.
“What do you suppose happened to get her so worked up?” Helena asked.
“The archangels know. Maybe she got a line on another demon prison. Though she wasn’t this anxious when the last one came to light.”
They reached Stein’s Bakery ten minutes after leaving his apartment. The glass front was filled with all manner of breads and cakes. The scent wafting out the open front door was what Daisuke imagined Heaven smelled like. It was a dream for a sugar junkie like him.
“Sure you don’t want anything?” he asked.
“I usually skip breakfast and even if I didn’t, I certainly wouldn’t eat what you do.”
“You’re as bad as the boss. I’ll just be a sec.”
He ducked inside and went right up to the empty counter. Other than a pair of old ladies perusing the baguettes, he was the only customer. One good thing about getting here around midmorning; he avoided the breakfast rush. A middle-aged bald man covered in flour emerged from the kitchen with a large brown bag and hurried up to the counter.
“Morning, Daisuke. Here’s your order. I added it to your account.”
“Thanks, Mr. Stein.” Daisuke put his debit card on the counter. “We’d better settle up. Looks like I’ll be heading out of town for work again.”
“You’ll run yourself ragged, my boy.” Mr. Stein swiped the card then handed it back with a receipt that Daisuke signed. “Have a good trip.”
“Thanks. Say hi to Mrs. Stein for me.” He waved and strode out the front door.
Helena fell in beside him and they headed for headquarters. Daisuke held out a doughnut that vanished into thin air then got one for himself. By the time they reached Arcane Books and Trinkets, the Circle of Sorcery’s front business, he and Ruq had polished off a dozen doughnuts.
Recharged and ready to go, Daisuke unlocked the back door and made the short walk to the boss’s office. He knocked and she immediately said, “Come in.”
As soon as he opened the door smoke came billowing out. Through the haze he spotted the boss pacing and sucking on a half-burned-up cigarette. Her faintly glowing yellow eyes looked a bit brighter than usual today. Ten still-smoldering butts littered the ash tray on her desk. The boss wore a gray suit that blended perfectly with the smoke and made it look like she was fading in and out of view.
A wave of his hand summoned a gust of wind to blow the rest of the smoke out. As soon as Helena closed the door behind them the boss skewered him with her glowing yellow eyes. “Where have you been? I said to get here immediately.”
“Immediately would’ve meant naked and hungry,” Daisuke said. “I made an executive decision to get dressed and order takeout. What’s got you so riled up, boss?”
She stabbed out her cigarette, pointed at the empty chairs in front of her desk, and sat in her own. When Daisuke and Helena had settled in she said, “Two days ago Carter Monk contacted me. He was on a mission in Australia. An unknown party sent him a message and asked to meet at one of the outback stations. The note he received said that whoever sent it had information that was vital to Carter’s mission. Carter smelled a rat, but didn’t dare ignore whoever sent the note. He missed his last contact window and the next one is coming up in an hour. If he misses that one…”
Daisuke had been listening to the boss, but his gaze was locked on Helena. The usually unflappable blond beauty was trembling and her eyebrows had drawn down, narrowing her eyes. It seemed both the ladies in his life were reacting stronger than usual to this mission.
“I got it, boss. If he misses this one, he’ll be officially deemed missing and you’ll need to decide if you want to send a rescue party. Since Helena and I are here, I’m guessing the answer to that question will be yes.”
“You’re absolutely correct,” the boss said. “And not just because Carter is one of our most experienced field agents. I believe the person that contacted him is an old friend of mine that I thought vanished a decade ago.”
Daisuke ran a hand through his hair, glanced at Helena, who seemed to have herself back under control, and said, “We’ve got an hour before we know for sure. Why don’t you tell us everything from the beginning?”
“Good idea.” The boss reached for a cigarette, put it in her mouth, took it out, and shook her head. “It started a month ago when I spotted a symbol in some Aboriginal art that was a perfect match for one of the demon symbols. It could’ve been a coincidence, but I don’t believe in them. I sent Carter to get to the bottom of it. He’s an Australian citizen, which meant he was free to enter the country openly. He found a scholar at Sydney University that was studying Aboriginal symbology and convinced her to team up with him.”
Helena smiled. “Carter always had a way with the ladies.”
That statement raised even more questions in Daisuke’s mind, not that any of them were pertinent to the current discussion.
“Carter and the student, Justine, headed into the outback to examine the paintings that featured the demon mark. His reports were regular, short, and boring. He found the site but there was nothing magical, much less demonic, present. There were some other sites of interest not too far off and he hoped to speak with a local shaman. Two days ago he contacted me about the note.” She picked up a paper and handed it to Daisuke. “I printed that from a picture he took of the original.”
Helena scooted closer to read over his shoulder. Not that there was much to read. It said, “I have some information that’s vital to your mission. Meet me at Milden Station tomorrow. I will only discuss the details in person.” It was signed with a fancy capital X.
“Not much to go on, boss. I assume he went because whoever sent the note knew enough about his business to find him out in the middle of nowhere.”
“Correct. That X is how my friend Xerxes always signed his name. I haven’t seen or talked to him in ten years. The last time we spoke he said he was on the trail of a book that wasn’t supposed to exist. It’s the companion text to the Book of Wisdom. Supposedly started by Solomon the Wise and finished by his eldest son.”
“Okay, I’ll bite,” Daisuke said. “What’s so amazing about this book besides the authors?”
“It’s supposed to contain a spell that, when used in conjunction with the Book of Wisdom, will allow the caster to locate any of the prisons or seals no matter where in the world they are.”
Daisuke whistled. “Wow. Yeah, I can see how that would be useful. Did Xerxes know you had the Book of Wisdom?”
“Yes. He helped me find it. That was before I founded the Circle of Sorcery. I wanted him to help me recruit members, but he said finding the second book was more important. If he’s finally found it, that could be the advantage we need to beat the Blood of Solomon to all the prisons.”
