Splitting Up

“Sup?” I said into the speaker of my phone.

“Hey, Daniel,” Isaac's voice sounded. “Shot in the dark, but do you know anything about Daemons?”

So he was dealing with them too. I thought about Tony and his little Daemon tome.

“Not a lot,” I said truthfully. “I think you'd have better luck with Tony. Want me to put him on?”

“Yeas, please,” Isaac said.

I approached Tony with my phone in hand.

“Hey, man,” I said. “Isaac needs intel. You got your creepy book on you?”

“Give me a sec,” Tony said, putting down his sandwich and drawing the demonic tome from his backpack.

“Here ya go,” I said, handing him the phone.

“Thanks,” he replied, taking it from me.

I left the room as he struck up conversation with Isaac. Lana was waiting for me in the living room.

“So, how much time are we gonna waste here?” she asked.

“Dunno,” I said. “Jack wants me to deal with Monroe, and that's what I'm gonna do.”

“Monroe's human,” she said. “I'm sure Kay and Tony can handle him. WE need to get to the Bleeding Crest before the High Blood does.”

“First of all, I don't fully trust Kay yet,” I said. “I'm not leaving Tony alone with him.”

Lana gave me a pouty face, but I ignored it and continued.

“Second of all, I don't trust you either,” I said. “What happens when we find the Bleeding Crest? What's to stop you from backstabbing me and taking it for yourself?”

“Why would I want that damn book?” she asked.

“I don't know,” I said. “I don't even know what's in it. Obviously, the High Blood wants it, so it much have some value.”

“Oh, Danny,” she said, slowly and somewhat seductively. “I would neeeeeever do anything to hurt you. You know that, don't you?”

“Hey, remember that time you cornered me in an alleyway and infected me with an evil sex god?” I asked.

“Oh, come on,” she said, pouting again. “She's saved your life plenty of times, hasn't she?”

“Look, I don't care what you say, I'm not abandoning my friend.”

“I think you should,” Tony said from the doorway.

I spun around to see him standing there, holding my cellphone in his hand.

“Cath,” he said, tossing it over to me. I scrambled for it and then looked up at him.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I'll hold down the fort,” Tony said. “Go check out the location in the book, then come back when you're finished.”

“But what if Monroe gets back before I do?” I asked. “What you have to deal with him alone?”

“You don't think I can handle myself?” Tony asked.

“He's in league with Daemons,” I reminded him.

“I'm not afraid,” Tony said. “Lana's right. We need to get to the Bleeding Crest. And fast.”

Tony was right. I didn't wanna split up, but it seemed like our best option right now. But there was one thing I was certain of. I couldn't leave Tony defenseless.

I spread my fingers and summoned my sword to me. I gripped it tightly and waited for the image of Burner to materialize before me.

“Burner,” I said. “I want you to do something for me.”

Burner cocked his head to the side.

“I want you to take orders from Tony for a while,” I said. “Listen to him.”

“Can you do that?” Tony asked.

“We're about to find out,” I said, reaching forward with the sword. “Try calling him.”

Tony hesitantly reached his left hand forward. Burner nodded to me, and faded away as the sword vanished from my grasp. It reappeared in Tony's hand an instant later, and a second after that, Burner materialized above him.

“Whoa,” Tony said, awestruck. He then became aware of Burner hovering there and gasped loudly. “Holy Shit!”

I laughed.

“Go on,” I said. “Try it out.”

Tony shrugged off the surprise of seeing Burner there and drew the sword. He gripped it tightly with one hand, and it began glowing red hot.

“Is that all?” Lana asked.

“This is new for both of them,” I said. “Burner works better for me because we're used to each other.. They just need more time together.”

“You sure about that?” she asked. I shrugged.

Tony returned the sword to its sheath and nodded to me.

“Thanks, man,” he said. “I don't know what to-”

“Don't say anything,” I cut him off. “Just borrow him for now.”

“Thanks,” Tony said.

“We should get going,” Lana said.

I nodded.

“I'll catch you later, bro,” I said.

“Take care, man,” Tony replied.

And then Lana and I left.