Roaring Blood (Demon-Hearted Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

sighting me, and those closest to the door moved further away from me as if to build distance from the filthy Demon-Heart.
    This wasn't the first time they'd given me dirty looks and treated me like crap. The Veiled Order's troops weren't exactly fond of me, and Amundsen had once told me why. He'd explained that they were used to hunting demons, rather than working with them. Taking their natural aversion to my kind into account, as well as the fact that they'd probably lost a boatload of guys in tracking down Gadreel and carving out his heart, I couldn't altogether blame them.
    I jerked forward, throwing my hands out and loosing a loud “Boo!”
    I'll be damned if half the commandos in the room didn't jump just then. These NFL-sized assholes about fell out of their chairs.
    Snickering, I slumped against the wall and looked over to Kubo and Amundsen. “Well, what's up, guys?”
    Kubo was wearing a black suit, but had taken off the jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt to reveal a pair of boulder-like forearms. His broad shoulders shifted in apparent discomfort. Something was bugging him. I'd spent enough time with him to know his usual behavior, and this wasn't it. Whatever he'd dragged us all in to discuss, it was serious.
    Amundsen was dressed as was his custom; tailored suit with a silver pendant featuring prominently over his tie. That pendant bore the Seal of Seven Waters , a magical mainstay I'd learned a bit about since joining up with the Order. The Swiss Army knife of magical seals that could be augmented to fit most any function. He combed a hand through his thin hair, which was grey at the temples, and pursed his lips. He didn't seem too keen to start the discussion, either.
    Kubo looked to Amundsen and then began. “Right, I think everyone's present. You have all been assembled here to address a new threat. The leaders of our organization have asked us to conduct a thorough investigation of the city's graveyards due to recent incidents.” Kubo's eyes narrowed.
    “Why the graveyards?” I asked, standing on tip-toes so that I might be better seen from behind the wall of would-be linebackers.
    Amundsen crossed his legs and sighed. “Because it appears that the dead are coming back to life in this city.”

FIVE

    It took a little while for those words to sink in. The dead coming back to life? I love George Romero films as much as the next guy, but come on . What, were we talking zombies here? Undead creatures in search of brains to eat? I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the thought. But the longer I sat there and the more pensive both Kubo and Amundsen grew, the less I felt inclined to write them off.
    After a bit, Kubo continued. He switched on a large projector and directed everyone's attention to a white screen, which flashed with images taken from a local newspaper. The headline read VANDALS DEFACE GRAVES IN DETROIT. “As you may have heard,” began the Chief, “reports of grave-robbing have been on the rise throughout the city. This, coupled with certain sightings, has led us to fear the worst. There is death magic of some kind at work, and the leaders of the Veiled Order want us to get to the bottom of it.” The image changed to the familiar-looking gates of a local cemetery. “One graveyard in particular has been targeted more frequently than the others. Woodlawn Cemetery. We're going to be starting our investigation there. Tonight, we'll be sending a small team out to gather clues, led by Joe and Lucian.”
    He was using my full name. This was the real deal.
    Amundsen picked up from there. “Lucian, Joe, the two of you will head to the cemetery tonight with a truckload of men. Any clues you find as to the source of this necromancy would be very useful to us. You must be careful, however. In the world of death magic, there is no such thing as an amateur. Keep your eyes peeled for seals or totems... we don't know precisely what we're looking for in this case, so anything that stands