Forget You (Demon Underground Series) (2 page)

“Calm down,” Sharra said, shaking his shoulder. “Remember, Dad said it’s not good to get angry. You’re swirling faster.”

Her attempt to soothe him ticked him off more. Damn it, even without a face, his emotions were on display for everyone to see. He shrugged her off. “I can’t help it. Don’t you hate this as much as I do?”

“Of course, dummy. But what good does it do to get ticked off? It just makes everything worse.”

“How can it get worse? It won’t change how we look. It won’t bring Mom back.” Shawn glared at his father, pissed off even more because his father couldn’t see Shawn’s expression and know how much he hated him at this moment. “Why’d you have children anyway when you knew they’d be freaks like you?”

Sounding like he was trying to rein in his anger, Dad said, “Your mother wanted you.”

Shawn snorted in disbelief. “Oh yeah, she wanted us so much that she left as soon as we started changing and looking like a freak show.”

“You know she loved you,” Dad protested.

He’d heard that before, but actions spoke a whole hell of a lot louder than words. “Oh, yeah? Then why hasn’t she come back? She can’t even stand to look at us.”

His father stood, then paced as if trying to control his temper. “That’s her issue, not yours. You and your sister have to be strong to survive in this world.”

“I’m
tired
of it,” Shawn practically yelled. “Don’t you get that? I’m tired of watching the world through the television and the Internet. I want to experience it first-hand like everyone else. Why can’t we?”

“Damn it, you know why.”

“Please, stop, both of you,” Sharra begged.

Shawn ignored her. “Yeah, but we wouldn’t be monsters in the Demon Underground,” he said, trying to sound reasonable. “Why can’t we at least try it out?”

“I have my reasons.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t like how they’re run,” his father bit out.

“So you condemn us to a life of eternal boredom?”

“Stop it,” Dad said, almost yelling now. “You have no idea what the world is like, how cruel it can be.”

“How can we ever learn if you keep us trapped here?” Shawn spat back. As soon as he turned eighteen, he was
so
out of here.

“Shawn, stop it now,” Sharra said, grabbing his arm. “You shouldn’t get so angry.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

Yeah, their father insisted that anger made them lose control of the inter-dimensional energies. But Dad never said why that was bad. He mouthed vague warnings about something awful happening, then kept them constantly drilling, cycling through the dimensions to identify each one by how it felt, showing them which dimensions would allow them to pull different abilities to use. Too bad they never got to actually practice using those abilities.

“I don’t care,” Shawn said, pulling roughly away from his sister. “He’s always warning us about some mythical, horrible thing that will happen, but it never does. Maybe he’s lying to keep us quiet.”

His father took a step toward him. “You fool, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His sister grabbed his arm again. “Shawn, stop it. Can’t you see what’s happening?” She pointed to the space between him and his father where a bilious green cloud had formed.

“So what? A fluffy green cloud? Big whoop.” He turned back to his father. “You say I don’t know what I’m talking about? So tell me.”

The green cloud grew larger. “You don’t want to see me angry,” his father warned, though it sounded like he was already way past that.

“Who do you think you are? The hulk?”

“Don’t start with me, young man,” his father bellowed as lightning flashed in the depths of the cloud.

Shocked, Shawn gulped and took a step back. Maybe he’d gone too far.

Sharra flew to their father, throwing her arms around him. “Daddy, don’t. Please, calm down.”

Their father took a deep, shuddering breath and the lightning disappeared. Thank heavens. Maybe—

The door suddenly burst open and a large man stood there, his tanned bald head gleaming in the sunlight. He wore jeans and a dusty leather jacket.

Dad shoved Sharra behind him to protect her, and the man thrust an open hand at Dad, then turned his palm sharply as if he were swatting something. Dad flew through the air and slammed up against the wall.

What the
 . . .
? The guy hadn’t even touched Dad.

“Shut it down,
now,
” Baldy said. He gestured with his other hand and the door slammed shut behind him. “I saw the green glow from outside. Thanks for making it easy to find you.”

Fear and shock spiked through Shawn. No one ever came into their home, especially not uninvited. And never anyone with powers like these. He must be some kind of demon.

The anger boiling in Shawn’s stomach turned sour, wretched.

Sharra ran to their father again, whispering reassurances, calming him as only she could. As the green cloud faded and shrank, Baldy lowered his hand, and Dad was no longer pinned to the wall.

Something moved at Baldy’s feet, and for the first time, Shawn realized he’d brought a dog in with him—an ugly bulldog mix who surprisingly didn’t seem at all phased by facing three shadow demons.
WHO YOU CALLING UGLY? a gruff voice said in his head. YOU EVER TAKE A GANDER IN THE MIRROR, BUB?

What? Where had that thought come from?

The dog growled. FROM ME. AIN’T YOU EVER HEARD OF HELLHOUNDS?

The dog
talked
? Weirdly, his gravelly voice made him sound like he should have a cigar stuck in his mouth and a crumpled fedora on his head.
Uh, no,
Shawn thought at him.
I’ve never heard of hellhounds.

WELL, NOW YOU HAVE, PAL, AND YOU BETTER ACT REAL NICE ’CAUSE YOUR PAPA HERE COULD BE IN REAL TROUBLE.

What the hell was going on?

Sharra asked the question for him. “What’s going on, Dad? Who is this guy?”

“He’s a filthy Paladin,” their father spat out. “The Underground’s executioner.”

“Executioner?” Shawn repeated, his voice cracking. Fear pounded through him again, making him light-headed and sick to his stomach. Was this why Dad didn’t want to go to the Underground?

“Protector,” the man corrected their father. “The Paladin is the protector of the Demon Underground, son. They call me Diesel, and this here is Max.”

Diesel
 . . .
like Vin Diesel? And that was supposed to make him feel better?

CHILL, Max told him. HIS REAL NAME IS HADLEY AND THAT JUST DOESN’T INSPIRE THE KIND OF RESPECT A PALADIN NEEDS TO DO HIS JOB, Y’KNOW.

Like Shawn even knew what a Paladin
did
.

Diesel continued, “I know you kids haven’t had much contact with the Demon Underground, but we’re all part demon there, descendants of full demons. With each successive generation, the demon side gets weaker, the human stronger. We strive to blend in, to help others like ourselves, live normal lives.”

“Yeah, we know,” Sharra said. “Dad told us all that.”

“Did he also tell you that part of our job is also to ensure no other full demons come into this world?”

“No,” Shawn said, wishing like hell he could see his father’s expression. “So what?”

His father interrupted. “Shawn, Sharra, I’ll handle this. Go to your rooms.”

No, his father was
not
going to treat them like little kids. “I’m staying,” Shawn said belligerently.

“Me, too,” Sharra said, coming to stand by his side. She was just as nosy as he was but usually more polite about it. And way more stubborn.

THE KIDS DON’T KNOW, Max said.

Don’t know what?
Shawn asked the hellhound, but it was obvious Max was talking to Diesel.

Diesel nodded at Max, then said, “Let them stay. Isn’t it about time they learned the truth?”

Dad collapsed into a chair and put his head in his hands. “I didn’t want them to know, ever.”

His father sounded defeated. Sad, even. It scared the hell out of Shawn. Sharra, too, from the way she was clutching his hand so hard it hurt like hell. Maybe he didn’t want to know.
Can I take it all back?

SORRY, KID. IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY, Max said. He sounded regretful.

Though Shawn was pretty sure he wouldn’t like the answer, he had to know. “Why are you here?” he asked Diesel. And why was his father in trouble?

Diesel didn’t take his eyes off his father. “I’ve been searching for your dad for a long time. We want to talk to him about an incident that happened three years ago.”

“What incident?” Sharra asked. Her body was as tense as his was. “What happened?”

Diesel sighed. “When a shadow demon loses control of his emotions, a green cloud forms like the one we saw when we came in here. And when it gets too big, it opens a portal between this world and another dimension.”

“A portal?” Shawn asked in disbelief. “You mean like a door?”

“Yes, a door. Why do you think your consciousness shuttles between so many dimensions? You’re gatekeepers between them.” He gave them an apologetic look. “And one of those dimensions houses full demons like the ones we are descended from. Interbreeding with humans gives the demon’s descendants humanity and compassion, but full demons don’t have any. They want to get into this world where their powers make them almost god-like, so they can satisfy every base urge they’ve ever had.”

Shawn glanced at his father for confirmation, but he said nothing. Just sat there, a beaten man, with his head still in his hands.

Diesel continued, “Portals open when shadow demons lose control of their emotions. And the more demon blood you carry, the less control you have.”

Shawn and his sister were only one-eighth demon, but Dad was one-fourth, making it twice as difficult for him. Did that mean
 . . .
?

YES, Max confirmed. AND YOU HAD TO KEEP PUSHING HIM, DIDN’T YOU?

Horror rose within Shawn.
I didn’t know
 . . .

“Dad would never—” Sharra began.

Diesel interrupted her. “It’s usually not intentional.”

“Why do you think it was our father?” Shawn asked. “It could have been some other shadow demon.” Not that he knew any, but if Dad existed, there were probably more somewhere.

“There are no other shadow demons in the US,” Diesel said.

“Three years ago is when Mom left,” Shawn said, grasping for straws. “Whatever Dad did, it’s not his fault. It’s hers, for deserting us.”

When Diesel looked skeptical, Shawn added, “Ask Max. He can read my mind, he’ll tell you.”

Diesel shook his head, looking regretful. “Yes, Max can read any part demon’s mind, including your father’s.”

“What does that mean?” Sharra asked, sounding worried.

“Your father accidentally opened a portal three years ago. We knew it was probably him but couldn’t find him. I finally tracked him down today. Just in the nick of time, apparently.”

“No!” Sharra screamed. “Dad, tell them you didn’t.”

I’M AFRAID HE DID, Max said. THE DEMON CAUSED A LOT OF DAMAGE, HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE BEFORE WE
 . . .
STOPPED IT.