Read In the House of the Wicked for Free Online

I’m guessing they already did that some time ago.”
    She took a long pull from her drink.
    “The members of the cabal are extremely powerful individually, but together, I doubt there’s anything they couldn’t do,” Deacon stated. All had come from vast family fortunes that they had used to become masters of industry, as well as masters of the dark arts.
    And joined together, they had the power to shape the world.
    “But they hate each other,” Veronica retorted. “None of them trust each other. You’ve told me as much.”
    And therein lay the rub. The mistrust the members had for one another was monumental, hindering any greatness their powerful gathering could muster.
    “It is the nature of powerful men and magick users,” Deacon excused with a shrug.
    “And you still hunger for their acceptance.”
    “Only for our benefit. If I can get them to come together, to join our powers…”
    Veronica only laughed and shook her head. “The great Konrad Deacon will change them,” she scoffed.
    “If I can convince Algernon Stearns, the others will follow suit,” he told her. “If he believes in what I have to show them…”
    “They’ll give you a special place in their club,” she finished scornfully.
    Deacon couldn’t stand it anymore. He charged across the room, slapping the drink from her hand, and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. “Listen to me,” he roared, trying to hold back the violence he wished to unleash upon her. “I’m doing this for you and the boy!”
    “You’re doing it for power,” she spat, squirming to escape his grasp, but he held her arms tightly in spite of the agony he felt in his hands.
    “Yes, I’m doing it for the power…the power to keep you safe…the power I need to fight. Germany? Japan? They’re just the tip of the iceberg waiting on the horizon.”
    Veronica closed her eyes, refusing to look at him…refusing to see what he was trying to do.
    “There are dark times approaching,” Deacon hissed, squeezing his wife’s arms all the tighter, hurting her so that she might listen. “And the world will need men like me…like Stearns and the other members of the cabal…those who can lead the world from the shadows that will threaten to overtake it.”
    The door to the bedroom swung open, and Deacon immediately released his grip on his wife. Both of them looked to the doorway as their son entered, holding the hand of one of Deacon’s magickal creations.
    “Hello, Daddy…. Hello, Mommy,” Teddy greeted them, a hint of a British accent in his speech, an accent that Deacon was sure would fade now that the boy was in his proper home.
    “Hello there, Teddy,” Deacon said, shaking off the terrible mood his drunken wife had put him in. He opened his arms, inviting the boy to run to him.
    Teddy released the hand of the large and powerful golem and jumped into his father’s arms.
    “What are you still doing awake? You were supposed to be tucked in and fast asleep hours ago.”
    Deacon looked to the golem for answers, admiring his handiwork. What he had done with the information from the rabbi at Dachau was quite impressive, and he had perfected the magick with magick of his own.
    “The child summoned me to his room,” the pale-skinned being explained. His stark faux flesh was adorned with black tattoos, making the name that the artificial life-form had given himself—Scrimshaw—fabulously appropriate.
    “Is that so?” Deacon asked the boy.
    “I couldn’t sleep,” Teddy said. “I heard cars coming up the drive. I didn’t know we were having company.”
    “In fact, we are,” Deacon said, holding his son close as he turned to his wife. Veronica rubbed the reddened places on her arms where bruises would surely form. “Some very important friends of your daddy will be here this evening.”
    “Can I meet them?” Teddy asked.
    “Not right now,” Deacon said, bringing Teddy over to Veronica. “Perhaps another time.” He placed his son in the arms of his