Free Jeremy Chikalto and the Demon Trace (Book III of The Hazy Souls) by T.S. DeBrosse

him. He clawed harder and harder, and then gripped both hands
around the base of his tongue. He pulled it out with his nails,
severing it from its base, and held it in front of him. There was
ooze, blood, and slime and suddenly he was in a pocket of air,
beautiful air. He breathed and returned to the expansive
hellscape.
    Thunder shook the gray land and in the
distance a great drum beat. It grew louder and closer. Ahead, the
gray opened up and in the distance a bright orange flame blossomed,
brighter than the sun. Jeremy's demons swirled around him,
obscuring his view of the sun, and then the demons were gone.
    Jeremy was leaning against the perimeter
fence on the compound. He bent forward and coughed up blood onto
the dirt. His mouth tingled for a second and he slid his tongue
along the roof of his mouth. It was intact and the sensation of
death was gone.

Chapter 14
    Cheers
     
     
    Jeremy stumbled towards
the Victorian house. His body had completely healed, but his mind
was numb. Guard towers now circled the house, supporting a huge
platform above the roof. Behind the jet field were three big
greenhouses with people bustling inside, cultivating crops.
Soldiers were doing drills all over the place. How long have I been gone?
    General Forero rounded the corner,
accompanied by three soldiers. They were wide men with impeccable
postures and serious frowns.
    “Hello there, son. I don't think we've had a
good talk yet,” said General Forero.
    “Later,” Jeremy shook his hand. “I have to
find Maren.”
    General Forero exchanged a
look with his second in command. “My daughter has told me strange
things — excuses.
You've shirked all of your responsibilities to date. Too good for
slop duty, too tired for night watch, too weak of a stomach for the
slaughter house. I haven't seen you in three weeks! I call
bullshit. I put you up at my daughter's request, in my own home. I
could transfer you to the barracks in a second. My soldiers want to
know why the entitled little piss gets the nice room. Care to
talk?”
    Jeremy laughed and then slapped himself on
the cheeks a few times. “I've been gone for three weeks?”
    “My daughter's convinced you're some kind of
royalty. I think you're nothing but a leech, so maybe she's
right.”
    Jeremy rushed the General and gave him a
hug, patting him on the back. “Your sneer is the same vertical line
given to me by Tina following a bout of unrequited love.”
    General Forero leaned forward. “Do you have
a death wish, boy?”
    “I've been granted a
second chance. But listen, my father was a stern man too,
principled, he'd call it. I may not be. But what I've inherited is
better — loyalty. I
was out looking for my family and I won't be giving up on them, or
anyone else I care about. You'd be wise to get in my favor. Now if
you could please just move out of my way.”
    “Oh? I don't think I'll be doing that until
I get some answers,” said the General.
    Jeremy glanced behind the General, eager to
see Maren. “Your power is only a small fraction of mine. I could
have you calling me Cajjez Jeremy in a second, if I wanted.”
    The General and his soldiers laughed. “You
think you have power. I still consider you my daughter's kidnapper,
a thief, stealing my jet. The only reason we're playing nice is
because I love my daughter. I built a business empire and now an
army. You know how many young fools have challenged me in my life?
The world's going to shit, and I'm the only one who can clean it
up. The world needs a leader, not some sniveling, selfish boy. You
have built nothing. A kingdom was probably handed to you and you
dropped it from your butterfingers. Either follow my rules, or be
exiled for your insubordination.”
    “Tina, your daughter, bows to me. You should
also know that I have more influence over her now than you do.”
    General Forero cocked his arm back like he
was at bat, and slapped Jeremy across the face with the back of his
hand, but Jeremy didn't flinch. “Do you