Forget You (Demon Underground Series) Read Free

“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.
    Killed it, they meant.
    When Dad remained silent and didn’t say a word, Shawn knew it was true. Fear raised its ugly head again. “So what are you going to do? Murder him, too?”
    To Shawn’s horror, Diesel didn’t deny it. “That’s not for me to decide,” he said gravely. “We’re taking him to face a judgment ritual in Albuquerque. The will of the Underground decides his fate. They might even find him innocent.”
    But Diesel didn’t believe that—Shawn could see it in his face. So far, the dog was the only one they could count on to give them the full unvarnished truth. Shawn stared at the hellhound. “Max, you tell us. What will happen to my father?”
    Max sighed. AS DIESEL SAID, THE RITUAL DECIDES.
    “Don’t give me that crap. Tell it to me straight.”
    Max glanced up at Diesel and the Paladin nodded, as if giving Max permission. “They deserve to know the truth.”
    THE UNDERGROUND CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE A ROGUE SHADOW DEMON JEOPARDIZING THE WORLD. THE JUDGMENT RITUAL WILL PROBABLY SEND HIM TO THE MEMORY EATER.
    “What’s a Memory Eater?” Sharra asked, sounding horrified.
    “The proper term is Lethe,” Diesel said. “The Lethe  . . . removes harmful memories. Or, in cases where the demon is a potential threat to good order, the Lethe might block his knowledge of how to use his demonic abilities.”
    “How would that help?” Sharra asked. “I mean, if the portal only forms when he gets mad, wouldn’t blocking his memory of how to use his abilities make it harder for him to stop it?”
    Diesel’s gaze shifted away from them and was silent for a moment before he spoke again, reluctantly. “Since anger triggers the problem, the Lethe would remove his ability to get angry.”
    “What? Like an emotional