Demon Born

by Christine Pope

  Really, she just wanted to go home.

  It seemed as though some of the same thoughts had been running through Edgar’s mind, because his stern expression didn’t change. “Celeste, you need to go home and fix things with your mother and sister. This clan can’t function with such deep cracks running through it.”

  Once again, her mouth compressed. Then she nodded. “Okay, Daddy. I’ll do my best.”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear.” His gaze moved to Cat and Loc, who had come to stand next to Cat, his fingers twined with hers. “And now I don’t think there’s any reason for me to stay here. My daughter is safe, thanks to you.”

  “I am glad we could help,” Loc said.

  Edgar nodded, and he looked over at Lizzie. “I think it’s time for you to go, too.”

  At once she put her hand to her throat. “Oh, I don’t think so. I’ve been here so very long — ”

  “All the more reason for you to leave. We all have to move on at some point.” His hand extended, he said gently, “Don’t you want to see your family again?”

  Her eyes were suddenly bright with tears. “You’re sure I’ll see them?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “Just as I’m sure I’ll see my own family, when the time comes for them as well.”

  A tremulous smile, and she went to Edgar, her silk skirts swishing on the scratched linoleum floor. He took her by the hand, and a warm, pale gold glow enveloped them. Then they were gone, and the only sound in the room was Celeste’s sudden sobbing.

  “It’s all right,” Cat said, her tone a little rough because she realized she wanted to cry, too. Why, she couldn’t even exactly say, except that she’d always hoped that one day she might be able to see one of the unquiet souls she spoke to finally move on to the next world. Now Edgar and Lizzie had just proven that wasn’t a vain hope at all, but something all those restless spirits might someday achieve.

  “Come along,” Loc told Celeste. “It’s time to go home.” His eyes met Cat’s, and he added in a murmur, “For all of us.”

  19

  A pair of blue and gold ribbons hung from the tapestry that she’d known was her better work. Sangre de mi Madre: Blood of My Mother. A paean to the mountains and the sky, to the city and the landscape that had brought Genoveva Castillo to life, done in hand-dyed linens and silk floss and rough, glittery gemstone beads.

  “That is quite an accomplishment, isn’t it?” Loc asked in a low murmur.

  Cat nodded and forced herself to turn away from the tapestry. After taking what she hoped was an appropriately casual sip of champagne from the plastic flute she held, she said, “Yes. I’ve won best in my category a few times, but this is the first time I’ve gotten that and best in show, too. Usually that award goes to painting or sculpture.”

  His hand slipped into hers, squeezed it gently. “I am very proud of you.”

  Color rose to her cheeks, but she made a deprecating gesture with the hand that held her champagne flute. “Oh, I guess if you enter enough times, the odds of winning start to get better.”

  Loc raised an eyebrow, as if he’d guessed she was uncomfortable with the praise and so was doing her best to deflect it. His gaze shifting to the tapestry, he said, “Where shall we hang it?”

  “Oh, I don’t usually keep my pieces,” she replied with a chuckle. “It’ll stay here in the gallery until it’s sold — which probably won’t take very long. I’ve seen several people eyeing it.”

  “Well, then, if you don’t wish to keep it for yourself, I want to buy it from you.” He let go of her hand and reached into his pocket so he could pull out his wallet, the one with the ever-renewing supply of hundred-dollar bills. “How much is it?”

  “Loc!” After glancing around to make sure no one had heard her outburst, Cat added in slightly calmer tones, “You don’t have to buy it. I’ll ask Jacques to put an NFS sign on it until we can take it home.”

  “‘NFS’?”

  “‘Not for sale.’ Come on.”

  She dragged him away from the tapestry to hunt down Jacques. After she briefly explained the situation to him, he smiled and said he would take care of it.

  “All right, that’s handled,” Cat said, going in search of a waiter so she could get her champagne flute refilled.

  “Not completely,” Loc returned, a glint of amusement in his dark eyes. “You haven’t said where you want to hang it.”

  “Well….” There was still a blank wall in the living room, mostly because she’d been holding out for a very special piece to hang there. She’d told herself she would scour the galleries for the right art once the house was really, truly finished, but she’d never gotten around to it. Then again, what could be more special than the tapestry she’d dedicated to her mother, the one that had obviously captured the judges’ imaginations as well?

  Besides, she’d been working on that piece when Loc came into her life, and she knew she’d think of him as well every time she looked at it.

  “The living room?” she suggested, and he nodded, clearly pleased with her solution.

  “That would be perfect. Everyone will see it as soon as they come in the house.”

  He was so proud of her, so eager to face their life together. After they’d gotten back from New Orleans, they’d fallen into bed and made fierce, desperate love, as if trying to reconfirm their bond, to prove that everything they’d gone through to get to this point was worth it.

  And of course after that, Cat had phoned Miranda to let her know Nicholas Toulouse wasn’t going to be a danger to anyone ever again, and that the de la Paz books were safe. What she hadn’t said was anything about her relationship with Loc, although she wondered if Miranda had been able to read between the lines.

  At any rate, since Cat had Loc with her now, as her date at a very public reception, she figured the cat — no pun intended — was out of the bag anyway. She hadn’t yet seen Rafe and Miranda, but several of her cousins were here, including Tony, who was never one to say no to free food and booze.

  “I was rooting for you kids,” he told Cat with a grin, before wandering off, champagne flute in hand, to chat up a very pretty blonde who was standing in front of an impressive oil of a summer monsoon storm.

  Cat could only hope that her brother would handle the situation with the same insouciance, but she had her doubts. Rafe had never really been the easygoing type.

  There they were now, coming through the crowds, Rafe dressed up in a real shirt and some dress slacks, Miranda in a knee-length dress in a summery floral pattern. Almost at once, Miranda’s gaze went to the emerald necklace Cat wore around her throat, and her eyes were suddenly full of questions.

  Not as many questions as Rafe, though. He glanced at Loc and then back at Cat, and his brows drew together. However, his voice was casual enough as he said, “It looks like you two make quite a team.”

  “I think we do,” Loc responded, his hand stealing into Cat’s once again.

  Rafe didn’t miss the gesture. “So, is this a formal arrangement?”

  “Well, we didn’t sign any paperwork, but yeah, Loc’s living with me now.” And our mother is probably turning over in her grave, although I honestly don’t know what would upset her more — me being romantically involved with a demon, or the fact that I’m “living in sin.”

  “Is this going to be a problem?” Loc asked in low tones.

  Miranda broke in, saying firmly, “No, it’s not a problem at all. I’m happy for you — we’re happy for you. And also very grateful for that business in New Orleans.”

  “I was glad to help,” Loc said.

  Rafe still didn’t appeared overly thrilled with the situation, but at least he was gracious enough to say, “And congratulations on that best-in-show win, Cat. Jacques told me as we came in. That’s quite the accomplishment.”

  “Well, I guess I was inspired,” Cat said, hoping they would all leave it at that. “But let me snag a waiter for you. The hors d’oeuvres are really good tonight — I think Jacques is ste
pping up his game.”

  “But no champagne for me,” Miranda replied, looking regretful. “I hope they have sparkling apple cider.”

  “I’m sure they do,” Loc put in. “Let me go find the waiter, Cat, so you can speak with your family.”

  He went off before she could protest, weaving skillfully through the crowd. It was hard for Cat to look away from him, he was so damn handsome — and she noticed how quite a few heads turned as he went.

  She supposed she would have to get used to that.

  Miranda watched him go, too, but apparently not for the same reason. Smiling a little, she said, “I think you’ve found a keeper.”

  Cat halfway expected Rafe to make a sarcastic comment, but instead, his expression was thoughtful. “I kept expecting him to cause all sorts of chaos — I mean, it’s kind of built into his name — but it seems like he’s the one who keeps chaos in check. Maybe that’s what his name really means.”

  She hadn’t thought of it that way, but Cat found herself agreeing with Rafe. Loc might have turned her life upside down, or at least made her reexamine what she really wanted out of her life, but otherwise, he’d brought stability to the Dubois family, had made sure that old wrongs were righted and the unjust found their just reward. She couldn’t think of anything less chaotic than that.

  “I think you might be right,” she said. “And I know he’s given up a lot to be with me, which is why I have to make sure this world — this life — are everything he hoped for and more.”

  Miranda offered her a reassuring smile. “I know you will. He looks at you the same way Rafe looks at me. You can’t really ask for much more than that.”

  And there Loc was, maneuvering skillfully through the crowd, two flutes of golden liquid clutched in one hand, a plate full of hors d’oeuvres balanced carefully on the other. Cat imagined that was pretty much how he would navigate the rest of his life in this world, walking a thin line with natural grace…and the confidence that he would always, no matter what, be the Lord of Chaos.

  The Witches of Canyon Road series continues with Tony’s story in An Ill Wind.

  * * *

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  Also by Christine Pope

  PROJECT DEMON HUNTERS

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Unquiet Souls

  Unbound Spirits

  Unholy Ground

  THE WITCHES OF CANYON ROAD

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Hidden Gifts

  Darker Paths

  Mysterious Ways

  A Canyon Road Christmas

  Demon Born

  An Ill Wind

  Higher Ground

  THE WITCHES OF CLEOPATRA HILL*

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Darkangel

  Darknight

  Darkmoon

  Sympathetic Magic

  Protector

  Spellbound

  A Cleopatra Hill Christmas

  Impractical Magic

  Strange Magic

  The Arrangement

  Defender

  Bad Blood

  Deep Magic

  Darktide

  Books 1-3 and Books 4-6 of this series are also available in two separate omnibus editions at special boxed set prices. Chronicles of Cleopatra Hill includes the series’ two “back in time” novellas, Bad Blood and The Arrangement.

  Or get the entire series in one enormous, specially priced boxed set! (Not available on Amazon.)

  THE DJINN WARS

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Chosen

  Taken

  Fallen

  Broken

  Forsaken

  Forbidden

  Awoken

  Illuminated

  Stolen

  Forgotten

  Driven

  Unspoken (June 2019)

  Books 1-3 and Books 4-6 of this series are also available in two separate omnibus editions at special boxed set prices!

  THE WATCHERS TRILOGY*

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Falling Dark

  Dead of Night

  Rising Dawn

  The Watchers Trilogy is also available in a specially priced boxed set!

  THE SEDONA FILES*

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Bad Vibrations

  Desert Hearts

  Angel Fire

  Star Crossed

  Falling Angels

  Enemy Mine

  Get the first three books of this series in an omnibus edition, or read the complete six-book series in one super-low-priced boxed set!

  TALES OF THE LATTER KINGDOMS

  (Fantasy Romance)

  All Fall Down

  Dragon Rose

  Binding Spell

  Ashes of Roses

  One Thousand Nights

  Threads of Gold

  The Wolf of Harrow Hall

  Moon Dance

  The Song of the Thrush

  Books 1-3 and Books 4-6 of this series are also available in two separate omnibus editions at special boxed set prices.

  THE GAIAN CONSORTIUM SERIES*

  (Science Fiction Romance)

  Beast (free prequel novella)

  Blood Will Tell

  Breath of Life

  The Gaia Gambit

  The Mandala Maneuver

  The Titan Trap

  The Zhore Deception

  The Refugee Ruse

  Books 1-3 of this series are also available in an omnibus edition at a special boxed set price!

  STANDALONE TITLES

  Hearts on Fire

  Sympathy for the Devil

  Taking Dictation

  Night Music

  Golden Heart

  * Indicates a completed series

  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in grade school. Her work includes paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and science fiction/space opera romance. She makes her home in Arizona.

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  Christine Pope on the Web:

  www.christinepope.com