Beneath a sinister moon, p.1
Beneath A Sinister Moon, page 1
part #3 of Demon Hunter Series
Beneath A Sinister Moon
The Demon Hunter Series, Book 3
By: D.A. Roach
Beneath A Sinister Moon
Copyright © 2018 by D.A. Roach.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: November 2018
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-477-8
ISBN-10: 1-64034-477-2
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all the readers who have ever chosen one of my books to read, and then taken the time to write me and tell me they loved it and wanted to read more. YOU are the reason I’ve kept writing all these years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I also want to thank Limitless Publishing for believing in this series and helping me put it in your hands. Thanks to Deranged Doctor and Ashley at Redbird Designs for the amazing book covers.
A huge shout out to my street team for cheering me on, sharing posts, writing reviews, giving me honest feedback, being some of the greatest friends this girl could ask for…I truly love you all and am so glad you are in my life! Amber H., Madelynn W., Kimberly V., Kim M., Bridgett B., Jenn S., Jennifer Lee C., Giovanna C., Jaci C., Stephanie R., Fiona K., Chris J., Justine M., Tina D., Michelle V., Bobbie G., Corrine P., Carissa L., Bradon N., Jeremy S., Michelle S., Lauren C., Liz U., Lorilee R., Ashlee S., Lillian M., Dominique W., Andrew R., Amanda W., Lisa S., and Melissa E.
Special thanks to Amber H. and Madelynn W. for helping me with all the stuff I don’t have time for—you both have been amazing PA’s and have lightened my load, freeing me up to write!
Thanks to my family for doing the dishes and laundry when I was knee deep in demons, and to my daughter for inspiring the series.
Much love to the people of Homer Glen, IL and surrounding areas that I visited often while living there.
And I’m grateful for my talented friend, Grace Charles, who I had the pleasure of working with on the Shattered Time anthology. I was so enamored with her writing, I begged her to contribute a passage about there being both light and dark in this world…good and evil. She passed WAY before her time, and I hope I get to meet her sometime in another life.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Epiogue
Recap of Books 1 & 2 Demon Hunters
Cassidy Kavanaugh, after losing both her grandma and boyfriend, Jace, Cassidy ventures to the crash site where Jace had died to try and find the necklace she had gifted him. As she searches the roadside, she hears a voice that sounds like Jace. Two shadowy figures dart through the woods drawing her attention and curiosity. She follows, accidentally crossing through an invisible portal to the Demon Realm, a parallel world where demons and Demon Hunters live in discord.
The Demon Hunters, sworn to preserve human life and keep the balance between good and evil, struggle to understand how she was able to pass through the gate to their Realm. But as Cassidy’s life gets tangled up with this band of Hunters, she finds herself at the center of the conflict and threatened by a much more sinister force.
Rya, the Demon Queen, has made Jace her top soldier. They capture Cassidy and hold her hostage, hoping to use her as a pawn in their quest to enslave the human race and rule the world.
Tyler, her half human-half demon friend, goes in search of Cassidy and manages to free her as the Demon Hunters arrive. But Rya jams her claws into Tyler’s forearm and the symbols tattooed on his skin, tethering and subduing his half demon side, disappear, unleashing the demon within. The Hunters retreat with Cassidy as she wails and begs them to go back and save Tyler. She fears she’ll lose Tyler to Rya just as she lost Jace if they don’t act fast.
And now, our story continues…
Character List
Cassidy Kavanaugh: Human with some angel blood and demon blood inside of her.
Killian: Leader of the Demon Hunter Clan opposed to Rya’s army of demons.
Lena: Head of the Demon Hunter’s Med Unit and Killian’s sister.
Casper: Young Hunter, boyfriend of Lena, power of intuition (fast and can dodge).
Jackson: Hunter that’s like an older brother to Killian and Cass, also the Clan Playboy.
Anchor: Big, scarred, and tattooed Hunter—looks intimidating, but is a pussycat inside. He’s a weapons expert.
Serena: Hunter-turned-Juncture that rejoins the Hunters for the upcoming battles, power of being able to look at someone and know their secrets and get a hint at their future.
Jax: Hunter-turned-Juncture who’s called back up for the battle.
Rya: Demon Queen of this quadrant of the Demon Realm.
Jace: Rya’s number one in command. Jace commands the demon armies while trying to win Rya’s heart.
Tyler: Half demon with tattooed symbols to tether down the demon within. Rya frees him from those tethers and is molding him to be her mate.
Siobhan: Human that had been possessed by a demon, crossed into the Demon Realm, died and became free of the demon, and then revived and trapped in the Demon Realm. Apprentice to Farron.
Farron: The Medicine Man/Healer of the outskirts of the Demon Realm. He took Siobhan in and was trying to help her return to the Human Realm.
Tehya: Angel that helps the Demon Hunters.
Tegan: Tyler’s dad, a communications tycoon, makes deals/sacrifices with Rya in exchange for demonic symbols to help Tyler.
Lorcan: The Clan Necromancer—killed by Rya before book one.
Angeline: Clan Caster (as powerful as a necromancer but without the ability to interact with the dead.) Jace killed her and absorbed her powers, allowing him to control other people.
May the Light know to pay homage to the Darkness.
For before Light, there was Dark.
That blackened abyss embracing the nothing, from it was born the radiance of Light.
And may the Dark blossom forgiveness in its heart of hearts, holding not Light's intrusion.
The glorious illumination spanning the whole, it is the spawn of the Dark.
Alas, may Light and Dark remain inverse, a constant utterance recreating the other,
for without one there cannot be the other.
-Grace Charles, author, poet, and friend
Chapter One
Casper
Killian announced we’d head off in search of Tyler in two days, so I took the opportunity to visit with my Mom. It had been a few months since I last saw her, and I knew once we rescued Tyler, I’d be back on guard duty till we found a way to exorcise his inner demon.
The house looked exactly as when I had lived here—neat and well maintained. Mom was meticulous about how she kept the house. Even when she’d had a cold, if a bush had a rogue branch growing taller than the others, she’d pull herself out of bed to trim it.
I walked up the front steps of the two-flat to the large front porch and lifted the blue ceramic flowerpot where I found the spare key. Inside, the house was dark and quiet. Everything was in its place, exactly as I had remembered it.
“Mom?” I continued into the kitchen and found her sitting at the table. A small cast iron pan with a smudge stick smoldered before her. Her eyes were closed; her palms lay face-up on the table. She was so still…
“Ghuahh!!” Her eyes opened in horror as she sucked in a sharp breath.
“Oh, shit!” My heart raced in my chest, and I jumped backward. “I think you took a couple of lives off me. Are you okay?”
Her hands shook as she braced her head with them. “I-I saw him, that beast you seek.” She looked straight ahead, as though she were still entranced. “He is strong and loyal to her.” Mom shook her h ead. “So much anger within him. The darkness consumes him, pulling him deeper each day, like an intoxicating drug. It rules him, motivates him. It makes him lust for her.” She turned toward me; her eyes were sharp—clear of the trance that had held her a moment ago. “The beast must kill Cassidy in order to transform. Casper, he will kill her. And if she dies…he will inherit her powers and all hope will be lost. The path must be changed.”
“Mom?” My mom had worked hard to distance me from the Demon Hunter life, hiding her gift from me, hoping to give me a “normal” life. But even after I’d found the Hunters and become one, she chose not to return. Why did she tap into her powers again? What had changed?
“Go! There is no time to lose!” she urged.
I kissed her cheek and ran out of the house, back to the Blaylock Grove gate.
The calling to the Clan was strong. Despite my mom hiding our heritage, I’d found myself visiting Blaylock Grove cemetery regularly, unaware of what called me there. Sometime later, in a training session with Jackson, he had found out she was my mom. He’d told me how her gift of premonition had prevented several wars and saved lives. My mom was a badass.
If she’d chosen to use her gift now, I needed to get to the compound as quick as I could and alert the others. War was coming. We needed to save Tyler and fight the demonic force that threatened to consume humanity.
Chapter Two
Killian
“Lena, did Casper say when he’d be back?” I walked along side my sister as we headed toward Lena’s room.
Casper had asked for time off his patrols to visit his mom. I’d granted his request since the tension between both sides had ramped up. Seeing her safe would give him peace of mind.
“He thought he’d be gone just a night. You headed to check on Cassidy?” Lena kept pace with me down the corridor.
“Yeah, she changed so quickly, both emotionally and physically—I’m not sure what kind of toll that’s taking on her. Figure it best to keep a closer eye on her the first few days.”
“That’s not a bad—”
Cassidy’s door flew open. She burst into the hall with a plume of black smoke. She turned toward me, her face covered in soot, her hands stretched out, a thin white flame covered them. Lena and I peered into her room; her wood furniture was a smoldering a pile of ashes and embers.
“Cass! What happened?” I stepped toward her, my arms held out in a cautious manner. “Cass! Look at me.” She looked everywhere but at me. “Cass. You’re safe.” I reached for her, but Lena pulled my arm back.
“Don’t. You’ll get burned. Let me try.” Lena took a step toward Cass. “Come on, Cass. Calm down; focus on your breaths. Breathe in and out.” Cassidy’s wild gaze landed on Lena, who modeled calm breathing. Cass imitated Lena, becoming more conscious of her surroundings. The flames on her hands slowly dissipated and finally extinguished.
I wrapped her in my arms and felt her slump against me.
“Don’t touch her yet; her skin could still be hot!” Lena’s cautionary words fell on deaf ears.
“You’re okay. Everything’s okay.” I patted Cassidy gently on the back.
“No, everything is not okay. I just burned everything in my room.” She mumbled into my chest. Then she turned to look at her ruined room and let out a frustrated breath.
“Yeah, I see that.” I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. I could care less about the furniture. I studied Cassidy for any injuries “What happened in there?”
“I had a bad dream.” She stared past me into the smoky room and let out a heavy sigh. “My house was on fire. Tyler was there and he…” Her eyes met mine and began to water. The slightest shift in emotion told me that I made an appearance in her dream. The angel blood we’re tattooed with during initiation heightened our senses and ability to read changes in energy. Cassidy’s usual bright energy was muted as though a black veil had been cast upon it. She shook her head. “I begged him to stop but he wouldn’t listen.” The tear that escaped cleaned a path down her sooty face; she didn’t wipe it away. “He wouldn’t listen.” She muttered softly.
“It’s just a dream. After all that you’ve been through and losing everything in that fire, your brain is trying to process the trauma you went through.” I tilted her chin up to look me in the eye. She looked so lost in that moment and it pulled at my heart strings. “But listen, you’re here and you’re okay, safe in the Clan compound surrounded by a band of warriors. And Tyler is far from here.”
She tugged free of my embrace. “We need to go find him. We need to hurry before it’s too late to save him.”
I reached for her, but she didn’t take my hand. “Cass, listen. We need time to figure out a plan.”
“Like you did with Jace?”
I let out a huff and raked my fingers through my hair in frustration. “That’s not fair. I know the part of you that fell in love with him wanted to believe he was good, but the truth was Jace had his damnation written on his soul since birth.”
“What are you talking about?” She shot me an incredulous look.
“Humans that offer themselves to Rya are lucky to join her ranks as the toilet cleaner. They’d never go straight from human form to commander of her army.”
She narrowed her eyes, looking angry that I was trying to sell this to her.
“It’s never happened before, and it leads me to believe a large price was paid to secure that position.” I’d hoped she could see my reasoning and let it calm her.
“And what the Hell does that mean for Tyler who was born a half demon? That we shouldn’t go after him because he was damned from the start? Because if that’s what you think, then you’re wrong. Tyler is good, and we need to save him before it’s too late.”
I took a step toward her and thankfully she didn’t step away. I wanted to reach out and touch her, pull her in for a hug. Her emotions were all over the place, and she had been through a lot, but I knew she was still too mad. “I know you care for Tyler and wanna help him, but we can’t just charge out there without a plan.”
She looked at me and let out a long huff but said nothing.
“Come on Cass, let’s get you to the clinic so Lena can check you out and we can get you cleaned up.” Lena and I escorted Cass to the Med Unit.
“Killian, grab stuff to wash her up while I examine her,” Lena commanded.
I collected some towels and a basin with water and soap then returned to Cass. “Let me see this arm.” I pointed to her left hand and held my hand out. “You’ll need some new clothes till the Harvesters can launder the ones you have on.” I dipped the cloth in the soapy water and washed the soot off carefully in case there were any burns beneath the blackness. Her eyes were on me the entire time as Lena asked her a million questions.
“Cass, do you remember what happened in your dream before the fire started?” Lena pulled up a stool and wrote something on her pad of paper.
“We were back in Homer Glen at my house. Jace was—” She looked to Lena, who gave her an encouraging look, and back to me. When our eyes met, my heart sank at the lost and vulnerable expression she wore.
“Cass?” Lena tried to get Cass to finish. But when she didn’t answer, and tears welled up in her eyes, Lena shifted gears. “Were you angry, sad, frustrated…”
“I was…all those things, but…” She looked at me with wet eyes.
“Lena, not now. She’s been through a lot.” I wanted to assure Cass that it wouldn’t happen again, but I couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t. Cass had unlocked some powerful holy fire power while battling the demons at her house, but she had no control over that power. I tipped her chin up with my thumb. “Hey, we’ll figure this out.”
She nodded slightly in reply.
Lena continued checking vitals as I finished cleaning up the wash basin and dirty towels.
“Everything checks out Cass.” Lena looked at her notes. “Your blood pressure was a little high, but when I took it again, it returned to normal. Sit tight and let me get you some clothes.” Lena walked over and rummaged through a cabinet near me. She whispered, “What’s the plan?”
