Howler's Night by RS Black Read Free Book Online Page A

but I’d never talked about it in such blasé terms either. “You sent her there knowing she’d die?”
    “Yeah.” He sighed. “It was either her or her brother. I will never understand the vagaries of love. She could have opted out, but instead she chose to take his place. Whatever.” Dean shook his head slowly, and finally I could see the cold-hearted killer beneath the mask. Death meant nothing to him. “The plan was the same. Give her the journal, so that she could remember.”
    “Remember what?”
    “The truth. Your demon’s been brainwashed to within an inch of her life. The Triad wants you dead, boy, and they figured the easiest way to ensure it happened was to make your little spitfire the one to pull the trigger.”
    I didn’t look at anything in particular as I tapped my fingers absentmindedly on the countertop. The only person in the world I would ever let my guard down with is Pandora. “Why do they want me dead?”
    The list of reasons was long, I was sure. My soul was still not my own, I was a rogue Priest, I was in bed with the enemy... far too many reasons. But if he could help me narrow it down, it would help.
    “Cause you picked your side, King, and it wasn’t theirs.”
    “So the Triad is part of the Order, an enterprise built to defend humankind, and yet they’re actively trying to bring about the end of the world. Why?”
    I knew the answer to that question, what I wanted to know was if he knew the answer to that question. Just how much could I trust him?
    His smile was secretive. “Not gonna make it that easy on you, bub. Trust me, or don’t. But I’m only here to take a couple pawns off the board, nothing more.”
    “Then tell me something you can say.”
    His grin grew wide. “Ask me about her book.”
    “Where’s her book?”
    Dean punched me on the shoulder; I glanced down at the spot and shook my head. This guy had been among humans too long. He was completely off his rocker, but there was something about him I liked even though I knew he was about as docile and tame as a high caste demon lord.
    “Where she needs it most.”
    “And that is?”
    “Her cage, of course. You see, I just reset the game board, Priest. Checkmate.”
    ***
    Pandora
    I slowly came to myself, feeling as though I’d just had another black out. But this time, instead of the haze of half-remembered memories, I saw a picture in my mind of the man with brown eyes.
    My heart rate ratcheted up as I thought of him, and I grabbed my chest. The memory of it broke me out in a wash of need even while I felt a smothering sense of murderous rage.
    I bit down on my lip and covered my ears with my hands, trying to shake the strange images loose. Then I noticed a book. I stared at it, feeling as though I’d seen it before.
    It was a buff suede color, and some stenciling adorned the front. When I reached out to grab it, a miniature spark of lightning jumped from the stenciled words into the palm of my hand.
    Hissing, I yanked my hand back and hugged it tight to my chest. I turned my face aside, but after a minute I caught myself looking back at it.
    There was a compulsion burning inside me to open it.
    I rocked on my butt and stared at it, growing more and more mesmerized with each second that ticked by.
    Finally the curiosity was too much to bear, and I snatched it up, fully expecting to be shocked once again, but I wasn’t. With fingers that couldn’t seem to stop shaking, I cracked it open to the first page and started reading.
    All accounts in this story are true. I didn’t have much time to get it all down. They’re coming for me. Tonight it’s going to be electroshock therapy, and I’m not sure I can handle another session. I’m breaking, Luc, they’re breaking me...
    I know this is a long shot, the hope that maybe someone might actually find this journal, but the witch across from my cell said this journal will go to the one who needs it most, so I have to assume it’s you. Because the truth of