Daemon Deception

By Mariah Ankenman

As a witch, and one of the smartest scientists around, Celia’s job is to help the Enforcers defeat evil. Her latest task is to decipher the new language of the Kakodaemons. It should be easy, but she finds it nearly impossible with the demanding, frustratingly attractive council head breathing down her neck. Euadaemon Damien has been called tough, but he’s tasked with protecting the innocent and war is brewing. He recruits Celia Dahl. Though he needs her brain, he finds much more about the sexy woman appealing. As they work together, they find themselves engaged in more than just a working relationship. But even those closest can hide dark deceptions. Celia and Damien discover sacrifices must be made if there is hope for humanity and love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Mar 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781509217175

Mariah Ankenman

Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. To learn more about Mariah and her books visit her website www.mariahankenman.com

Book preview

myself.

Chapter 1

That man is driving me insane. Celia Dahl tightened her grip on the phone.

The soft voice on the other end chuckled. Strictly speaking, he’s not a man.

Leave it to Bucky to point out that technicality. True, the man in question was not a human, but a Euadaemon. Didn’t change the fact he was a pain in Celia’s neck.

I don’t care about his species. He still grates my last nerve and if he doesn’t back off and give me some room to work, I’m going to kill him.

Bucky’s laughter rang in her ear. On the phone, the old woman sounded softer than a bag of cotton candy, and just as sweet. In person, she appeared the same, but cross her and watch out. No one knew Bucky’s age or species, not even Celia who spent copious amounts of time with the woman. What everyone did know was the housekeeper/cook/go-to-woman for the region seven supernatural council was a woman who commanded respect, deserved love and in no way should ever be crossed.

I don’t think that’s why Racine sent you there.

It wasn’t. Racine sent her to the region eight council because they had recordings of the strange Kakodaemon language. Celia managed to decipher the complex language and the only one who could translate it. The new Kakos were a scary breed.

Daemons used to be the protectors of humanity. Guarding them from other supernaturals more powerful than themselves. As time went on and humans fought among themselves, more and more of the supernatural world drifted into the background. Most supernaturals were happy with living a secret life, hiding their existence from the humans. Some still preyed on the weak, the reason for the supernatural council’s formation, to protect the humans. Though, now, they did so in secrecy.

Worldwide, the council had ten factions with three in the United States. Region six covered the eastern states. Region seven, where Celia lived and worked, covered the west and headed by Racine. Region eight covered the northwestern states and with Damien at the helm, the infuriating Euadaemon in question.

I’m trying to decode as fast as I can, but this is a very difficult language. Never had she seen any so complicated; it made her head hurt.

A few months ago, they had reports of groups of Kakos taking souls and retaining their sanity. They discovered the Kakos learned if they took a human soul, but not all of it; they received all the power of the soul with none of the madness. The poor human whose soul they took remained in a coma. Sadly, the human was aware of what was going on the whole time. They called these humans Drones.

One of their Enforcers, Tabitha, had her sister, Krista, attacked by Kakos. Poor girl had been in a coma for ten years, and when her attacker died, she awoke. Krista recounted how for all those years, she saw through the eyes of the Kako who took her soul, a terrifying reality they all wished to eliminate.

So Celia came to region eight to decode the language the Kakos learned from their unknown leader. Some of Damien’s team managed to record a great deal of their strange language during a battle they had with a group of Kakos just a few weeks ago. She was still unsure why she had to travel all the way to Washington State. Why couldn’t Damien just send the recordings to her? Oh yes, because the man was a stuffy-shirted, anal, control freak.

It didn’t help that he was also drop-dead gorgeous, sinfully good looking. As with most Daemons, he stood well over six feet. His face soft, without appearing feminine. His almost platinum white hair was short, but long enough to run fingers through, and boy did she want to touch those strands and see if they were as silky as they looked. Though she’d never seen his body, from the fit of his dark slacks and tailored button up shirts, the man was well built. But the thing that made Celia’s blood boil the most were Damien’s smoky gray eyes, eyes that beckoned a woman to bed and promised her satisfaction when she left.

Just do your best, dear. I’m sure you’ll translate it all soon enough.

Bucky’s soft voice brought Celia out of her very dangerous, delicious thoughts.

Not soon enough for Mr. Pushy Pants.

The door to the library creaked open. Speak of the devil. Strong firm hands gripped the edge of the door, pushing it open to reveal the man himself. Damien. He wore his trademark black slacks and a blue button up shirt. The blue made his eyes seem almost silver. He also had on his standard impatient expression. A scowl he aimed directly at her.

She sighed and turned her attention back to the phone. I have to go, Bucky.

Don’t worry so much, child. You’re doing your best and that is all anyone can ask of you.

Try telling Damien that. The unhappy thought swirled around in her brain.

And go easy on Damien. We’re all under a bit of stress with the new Kako development. Boy that was true. Besides, Bucky said with a smile in her voice. He looks very handsome in that blue shirt today, wouldn’t you agree?

The old woman had some scary abilities. Celia had no idea how Bucky—several states away—could see what Damien wore over the phone. One of these days, she would find out Bucky’s exact species of supernatural.

I have no idea what you are talking about. She felt Damien’s gaze on her, impatiently waiting. It annoyed her and made her hot at the same time, ridiculous since the man had never showed one iota of interest in her. Well, except for her talent at decoding this new Kako language.

I’m sure you don’t. Bucky’s sarcasm could cut through steel. Racine expects a report at the end of the week.

Celia acknowledged her boss’s request and then hung up the phone. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Damien. He remained standing. The infuriating man stood six feet from her desk, stiff and impatient. Trying very hard not to roll her eyes in exasperation, she went for calm and composed.

What can I help you with, Damien?

The council leader took a step forward. I just wanted to see what you have so far.

As opposed to the last five times he came in asking that very question in the last three hours?

Like I told you an hour ago, she stated between calmly clenched teeth. I’ll let you know as soon as I finish.

He pushed a large hand through his platinum hair, making the short ends stick up even more. Funny how he was so polished and put together, yet his hair always had a slight messy appearance. The style probably caused from running his hands through it. She noticed, in the weeks she had been at region eight, he did that a lot.

Agitation clearly etched on his face, he took another step toward her desk. I thought you understood this language. Isn’t that why Racine sent you?

Temper rising, she stood. "I can translate it, which takes time. I don’t fully have a grasp of the language yet so I am not able to understand everything I hear and see right away. And Racine did not send me here. You requested I come all the way out here to do the translation."

Damien’s brow creased, agitation appearing closer and closer to anger.

Yeah, well join the club, buddy.

He took another step forward, leaving only the desk between them. The problem is here.

The problem is everywhere. Racine has been getting calls from other council leaders all over the world. We’re not the only ones dealing with this new breed of Kako.

I know, his usual calm voice rose to almost shouting. I received the same information. I am, after all, leader of a council myself. But region eight is the only one that has an actual recording of the Kakos’ language.

She couldn’t deny the man’s statement. During one of their battles with the new sane Kakos, a Lycanthrope Enforcer managed to record the ravings of a Kako as he tortured the Enforcer. Gilman, the Lycanthrope Enforcer, recorded the Kako’s speech on his phone and sent the message to Damien. Unfortunately, Gilman did not survive and the Kako escaped, but his death would not be in vain. The recording he managed to send before he died could contain the information they needed to discover who was behind all of this. Maybe they could find out who taught the Kakos how to make Drones.

They needed to translate the message. The problem was the length of the message, ten minutes. Ten minutes consisted of many words. Celia had already concluded the Kako language was a mix of Germanic, Latin and early Demon languages, a difficult mix to translate. She had done a few translations already, but each of those was well under five minutes. And now, it seemed the language had changed somehow.

Languages could morph and grow with the introduction of slang and colloquialism, but this seemed more than that. As if the Kako language literally changed while she translated it. The words altered while she worked, making translation next to impossible. It was the same language she worked on in Colorado, but also not the same. Every time she tried to decode it, she got a migraine. And Damien was not helping.

I’m working as fast as I can. Her voice rose, despite trying to keep an even temper.

The impatience on his face lessened slightly. He sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair once more. She had to clench her hands into fists to keep from reaching out and smoothing down those silky locks. What is wrong with me?

Damien’s body went lax as he sat in the chair facing her desk. His hands resting on his knees, he gave her an apologetic smile.

I know you have. I’m sorry. I just really want to find the answers to this one. It’s terrifying to think of all those people being kept alive as Drones. The horrors they must see every day…I just want to stop them.

She appreciated the sentiment. Celia wanted to stop the Kakos as much as the next person, but wanting something did not make it any easier. Stepping around her desk, she came to his side.

I do too and we will get them, but coming in here every hour asking if I have anything isn’t making things go faster. If anything, it’s slowing me down. I promise when I have something, you will be the first to know.

Nodding, Damien rose. Celia instinctively took a step back. Hard not to, the Euadaemon was huge. His six-foot-four frame dwarfed her five foot ten. She usually never had to look up at men. Her tall stature one of the many reasons she never wore high heels. Daemons, however, tended to run tall and Damien was no exception.

He smiled and her silly heart nearly stopped beating. Gods, the man had a beautiful smile.

I’ve been bothering you.

A statement, not a question, but she nodded anyway.

I’m sorry. I tend to be a little…

Controlling? she offered helpfully.

The smile faltered. I was going to say involved, but yeah controlling works, too.

He took a small step forward; this time she stood her ground. A hard thing to do. The man intimidated her without even trying. His presence alone seemed to suck all the oxygen out of a room. Her glasses slipped down her nose and she pushed them up with a finger.

It’s all right. She tried to sound calm and composed. We’re all worried about what’s going on. I realize you’re just trying to help in any way you can, but the best thing you can do to help me is give me a few hours of uninterrupted time.

Damien took a step back. Thank the gods. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep it together with him so close. His presence, his scent, everything about him called to her in a way she had never felt before. Disturbing to say the least.

I promise not to bother you again. He turned and headed for the door. Stopping just before he reached it, he looked over his shoulder. Would it be possible to get a report on whatever you have thus far after dinner?

She nodded. There might not be much to report, but she’d give him what she had.

I’ll be waiting in my office then. And Celia?

Yes?

Thank you. He smiled; a charming grin that stole her breath, then walked out the door and shut it behind him.

Chapter 2

Damien sat at his desk trying not to look at the clock. Six hours had passed since he told Celia he would leave her to her work. He hated sitting on the sidelines not being able to help. Even if he had plenty of work to keep him busy. As the head of the supernatural council for region eight, Damien had many responsibilities. He oversaw every mission his Enforcers were on and frequently conversed with the other council leaders.

Most of a council leader’s work was delegation and supervision, but Damien liked to be in the thick of it, always had. His Enforcers knew he might join them on their missions at any moment. They put up with it because Damien was as good in the field as he was out, another one of the reasons he was council leader, but he knew many had used the term controlling, among other less polite phrases, to describe him.

He was very grateful for Celia’s presence. No one on his team had even come close to cracking the new Kako language, something they had to do if they wanted to beat these stronger, smarter Kakos. He still could not believe what Racine told him about how the Kakos retained their sanity.

Drones.

What a horrific thing to do to a person. Damien could not imagine lying in a bed completely conscious of the evil things happening with the power of his soul and having no way to stop it. An awful fate he vowed to eliminate. They would find the one responsible for teaching the Kakos how to make a Drone and kill him or her. Then he would make it his mission to exterminate every Kako and free all those poor souls.

His gaze started drifting to the clock. Damien checked himself, returning his attention to his desk and the current mission files open before him. Celia promised she would check in with him after dinner and show him what she had.

He paused as the unintended double meaning of that thought sank in. She was a beautiful woman. It hadn’t skipped his notice. He wouldn’t mind seeing more of what she had. The Witch, however, seemed closed off. She was nice and polite to everyone, just…distant. She dressed like a librarian, black pencil skirts ending at the knee, dark button up blouses always buttoned to her throat, sensible black flats. Her black-rimmed glasses covered a pair of forest-green eyes, and constantly slipped down her nose. She never wore lipstick or gloss on her full lush lips. Damien doubted the woman had ever worn makeup in her life. Truthfully, the woman didn’t have to. She possessed natural beauty that needed no embellishments. But the thing that really got to him was her hair, her long, fiery red hair.

She always had it twisted into a bun or plaited into an intricate braid. From the moment he met her, Damien wanted to take down that mass of glossy curls and run his hands through them to see if they felt as delicate as they looked. It shocked him. He’d never been the kind of man to let a woman distract him. He always focused on his work, another reason he was council head. Never had he faced such a distraction, but something about the brilliant scientist fascinated him.

From Racine, he learned Celia was twenty-six and already had three master’s degrees and two PHDs. She had been with region seven for five years and the head of the lab for two. The woman was a certified genius. If anyone could crack the Kako language, it was Celia. She had already translated a handful of brief phrases a few weeks ago back in Colorado. Now she was here, helping him and driving his libido crazy.

She arrived and went straight to work. No talk of herself. Normally, Damien, the workaholic as some of his Enforcers called him, would have been pleased, but with Celia, for some reason, it disappointed him. He wanted to know more about the quiet, sexy, scientist Witch. Ridiculous. He was almost four hundred years old. He did not pine over quiet, introverted academia types. A quick glance at the clock showed very little time had passed. His body tensed with anticipation, anxious to get a glimpse of the woman and he berated himself silently for the thought.

Apparently, he did pine.

A faint knock on his door pulled Damien out of his thoughts.

Come in.

The door slowly creaked open. Damien?

The lilting voice came through the air like a gentle breeze. The object of his distraction popped her head in the door. She scanned the room, green eyes searching through the lenses of her glasses, before settling on him. Entering, she closed the door behind her and made a beeline for him. He rose from his desk, coming around to meet her. He was eager to see her, for more than one reason.

Did you translate it?

She arched an eyebrow at him. Hello. I’m fine thanks, how are you?

A sigh eased out of his chest. He was used to his Enforcers knowing he was all business. Societal pleasantries were not the norm. Still, Celia had come all this way to help. He could try to be a bit more pleasant. I’m sorry, Celia. I tend to be a bit direct.

She let out a breath. Possible frustration? Her eyes closed and she pushed her glasses up her nose, pinching the bridge with her thumb and forefinger. No, I’m sorry. It’s just I’ve been at this for weeks and I’ve only managed to translate a few words of the message. It’s making my brain hurt.

Her mouth turned down into the cutest frown Damien had ever seen. What was wrong with him? He should be worried about the Kakos not a Witch’s endearing facial expressions. Bringing himself back to the problem at hand, he indicated for her to sit. She quickly complied, flopping down on the soft dark brown suede couch.

Damien walked over to the wet bar and poured himself two fingers of scotch. He held the bottle up, offering one to her. She nodded acceptance. Tipping the crystal decanter, he poured her one and handed the glass over, taking a seat in the matching chair across from her.

So what do we know so far?

Celia took a healthy swig of scotch then set the glass on the table beside her. She pulled a yellow folder out of the briefcase at her side. Over the past week, he noticed the Witch carried the thing everywhere. It seemed to hold