Welsh Road (The Depravity Chronicles) by Joshua Grove Page B

correctness.
    “By the Demon
Master,” Anish said.
    “Oh,” Jena
murmured, wishing she hadn’t asked the question. A chill crawled up Jena’s
spine.
    “Demon Master?”
Trevor repeated. “Whoa.”
    Jena stood up
from the sofa, pacing around the litter of paper and books on the floor. “Why
don’t we call the police?” she asked. She looked at Trevor. “You know, like,
your mom?”
    “Really?” Trevor
asked. “Think about that for a second.”
    “True,” Jena
responded, realizing they couldn’t ask the cops to kidnap Nicholas. “Shouldn’t
we take him to his parents? How are they going to react?”
    “He will still be
in great danger,” Anish said. “His parents cannot protect him.”
    “There’s
something you’re not telling us,” Simon said. “We need to know everything if
we’re going to do this.”
    “If I am not
mistaken, there are bodies being discovered as we speak. Tonight is when the
Hunter’s Moon is at its strongest. I believe the Demon Master is preparing for
something quite significant. And whatever it is he has planned, the central
components of the ritual will occur tonight.”
    “And you think
he needs Nicholas for this ritual?” Jena asked, her hands trembling.
    “Yes. We must
not waste time,” Anish said. “Get your things together. We’re going to the
hospital.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    Missing
     
    1
     
    Simon hadn’t
expected Anish to have such a lead foot. He also wondered if the distinguished
professor understood what the color red meant as they breezed through several
stoplights.
    “Relax,” Anish
said. “I’ve traveled to the other side on more than one occasion. I think I can
get us across town.”
    “Yeah, but there
aren’t any traffic signals on the other side,” Simon countered.
    “The other
side?” Trevor asked. “Did you have to die to go there?”
    Anish shook his
head. “Not exactly.”
    “Uh, not to
interrupt this terribly fascinating story, but shouldn’t we talk about the
imminent kidnapping attempt we’re about to undertake?” Jena asked, flustered.
    “Here, here,” Trevor
agreed.
    “I mean, it’s
not like we can just roll his bed down the hall without raising a few eyebrows,”
Simon added.
    “Who said
anything about bringing his bed?” Anish asked calmly.
    “Well, no one,” Jena
said. “But, like, that’s my point. No one has said anything! ”
    “Indeed,” Anish
said. “So then, let’s discuss our strategy.”
    No one said a
word.
    “This would be a
good time for you to tell us the strategy,” Trevor said to Anish.
    “I will do no
such thing.”
    Simon groaned.
“That’s helpful.”
    “You can lose
the attitude, son,” Anish said. “Throughout the last year the two of you have
been begging me to take you into the field. I can tell you with some level of
certainty that your moment has arrived.”
    “We kind of
figured that,” Trevor retorted.
    “Rule number one
in fieldwork,” Anish said, ignoring Trevor’s sarcasm. “Mentors do not hand you
the answers on a silver platter. I expect you to think . For yourselves.”
    “Ouch,” Trevor
said, glancing at Simon and squinting his eyes.
    “Got it,” Simon
said. “Sorry for being rude.”
    “Don’t mention
it,” Anish said, nodding in approval. “Now, gentlemen. How should we go about
this?”
    “Ahem,” Jena
feigned a cough. “Gentlemen? How about the woman in the car? While you’ve been
arguing, I’ve been plotting.”
    Simon thought
Jena describing herself as a woman was pretty damn hot. And plotting? God, that
was even hotter. He smiled nervously at her, but she didn’t seem to notice.
    “Forgive me,”
Anish said, respecting Jena’s fervor. “By all means, share with us.”
    “Well you’re
right about the bed,” Jena said. “We need to get him into a laundry cart.”
    “A what ?”
Trevor asked, somewhat condescendingly.
    “Are you deaf?”
Jena shot back. “A freaking laundry cart. We steal some scrubs, find a cart,
throw Nicholas in, toss