I pictured every terrified mother of a missing kid I’d ever seen making a heartfelt plea for their child’s return on TV, and wondered how in the hell they sat at home waiting for news without going nuts.
The half an omelet I’d eaten sat in my belly like a lump of lead. I forcibly switched gears, because the alternative was to have a full-scale meltdown right here in Leonides’ kitchen.
“So tell me about this guy you were talking about earlier. Edward, was that his name?” I said hoarsely. “What’s the deal with him?”
Leonides leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “Edward is human. He’s demon-bound to Nigellus. But apparently Nigellus likes him enough to keep him around as a sort of... butler, I guess you’d say.”
I frowned. “So, he sold his soul? Like you did?”
The line of tension in Leonides’ shoulders didn’t ease. “Evidently. I’ve got no clue about the backstory there, and no intention of asking. The important thing is, Edward has magic. And he’s also had a hell of a long time to study it. He’s not as powerful as a Fae or a demon, but he’s definitely the most magically adept human I know.”
“And he and Nigellus are coming here today?” I asked, just to confirm.
“They should arrive in a few hours, yes.”
“Great,” I said, without enthusiasm.
On some level, I was aware that my lukewarm reaction was hardly appropriate, given that Leonides had just removed the millstone of Ivan from around my neck. I closed my eyes, making another unsuccessful attempt to rearrange the contents of my brain into something that felt less like the aftermath of a major earthquake.
“Look... I’m sorry, boss,” I tried. “I really do appreciate everything you’re doing for me. I’m having trouble... focusing on much of anything beyond Jace, that’s all. But thank you for dealing with Ivan. Creepy vampire mind control powers or not, that’s pretty huge in my world right now.”
Leonides seemed to hesitate over his words for a moment.
“I’m not doing it to collect some kind of I.O.U., Vonnie,” he said. “Anyway... I’ll leave you to get freshened up. If you need me, I’ll be downstairs, in the back office in the club.”
I nodded to cover the awkwardness that seemed to have crept over the room, and he left without another word. The unfinished omelet sat accusingly on the counter before me, but my stomach rebelled at the idea of trying to eat the rest of it. Reluctantly, I rose and tipped it into the trash. Somehow, covering it with plastic wrap and sticking it in the fridge felt way too weird. Besides, eggs didn’t reheat worth a damn anyway.
Afterward, I went in search of a shower—because really, getting doused by an automatic sprinkler system in the middle of the night didn’t quite do the trick when it came to personal hygiene. If I was going to meet a magical demon-bound butler, the least I could do was wash the stench of burning mattress out of my hair first.
FOUR
EDWARD WAS... old. When Leonides had mentioned that the man had been studying magic for a long time, I guess he hadn’t been exaggerating. Though spry, he was easily past the age of eighty, with stooped shoulders and a kind, deeply wrinkled face accented by bushy eyebrows.
“A pleasure to meet you, my dear,” he said, grasping my hand lightly with his and shaking it. His bones felt like a bird’s—hollow and fragile beneath thin skin.
Nigellus, meanwhile, had grown no less intimidating since the last time I’d seen him. Of course, that fact hadn’t stopped me from speaking up at our first meeting. It sure as hell wasn’t going to stop me now.
Sure as ‘hell’... ha! He’s a demon... from Hell, echoed the faintly hysterical inner voice that had been drilled into me during years of childhood Sunday school classes. I pushed past it, releasing Edward’s hand.
“They took my son,” I told the demon, not flinching from the intensity of his whiskey-colored gaze.
“It pains me to learn this,” he said, politely if unhelpfully. “I am sorry, Ms. Morgan.”
“Do you know what happened to him? Where he is?” I pressed.
He lifted a dark, gracefully swept eyebrow. “I fear I know only what I relayed to your employer on the evening we first met.”
“Yeah, sure you do,” Leonides said. “You’re just an innocent bystander with no connection to any of this shit, right? Look... sit down, both of you.” He gestured to the comfortable furniture scattered around the penthouse’s living room. “I have a proposal for you. You too, Vonnie. Have a seat.”
Nigellus sat with a flourish, while Edward silently took a place at the end of the couch, his rheumy eyes darting between Leonides and me with clear interest. I chose a chair across from the pair, and tried not to fidget. Meanwhile, Leonides remained standing.
“A proposal, is it?” Nigellus asked. “How intriguing. I must say, Mr. Leonides, I’m surprised to find you, of all people, voluntarily pursuing negotiations with a denizen of Hell.”
Leonides ignored the dig. “I need to borrow Edward,” he said without preamble. “In return, I’ll look into the missing children like you asked.”
Nigellus leaned back against the cushions, regarding him intently. “Indeed? And why would I need to barter Edward like chattel, when it’s clear you are already motivated to pursue this course in hopes it will lead to Ms. Morgan’s son?”
Leonides didn’t even hesitate. “Because, as you correctly pointed out the last time we met, she has magic. And since drinking vampire blood to heal a serious injury a few days ago, that magic has become both powerful and uncontrollable.”
Heat rose to my cheeks, but I ignored it to ask, “Will this lead to my son, though? If we find these other children, will we find Jace, too?”
“Not even a demon of fate can foretell the future, Ms. Morgan,” Nigellus replied, unruffled in the face of my agitation.
“Yeah... don’t bother grilling him,” Leonides said. “You won’t get anything else out of Mr. ‘I Can’t Interfere on Earth.’”
“Indeed,” Nigellus agreed. “I fear demons are forbidden from such things on pain of treaty violation.”
The odd emphasis on the word demons was subtle, but unmistakable. I frowned in confusion. Then, Edward cleared his throat softly.
“Quite so,” said the old man. “Demons definitely are.”
The connection clicked into place, and I drew in a sharp breath. “Will you help me?” I asked breathlessly.
Edward’s small, crooked smile deepened the creases in his careworn face. “We magical human freaks must stick together, my dear. And let’s just say, I have a particular interest in achieving a positive outcome in this matter.”
“Well, then, Nigellus?” Leonides asked.
The demon straightened the cuff of his shirt with a brisk tug. “Far be it from me to stand in the way of my servant’s personal wishes. We’ve already established that I hold no sway in the human realm.”
Leonides scoffed. “Right. Of course you don’t.”
The corners of Edward’s eyes crinkled. “If I may say so, sir, we’ve just agreed to everything you requested. Perhaps a bit more circumspection regarding your distaste for us?”
“My distaste is aimed squarely at your boss, Edward. Not you,” Leonides retorted. “And he’s already well aware of it, so there’s not much point in hiding it. Now, tell me what all you’ll need in preparation for dealing with an uncontrolled human witch who’s currently jacked up on vampire juice.”
I gave a little jolt at the word witch. For an instant, I bristled... only to remember dear old Aunt Mabel, who’d worn that particular mantle with pride.
‘“Witch’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘evil,’ Vonnie. No matter what your parents and their ilk like to say.”
Was I... a witch?
What else would you call someone who could affect the physical world with the power of her mind?
Delusional, said my unhelpful inner voice. Or maybe possessed.
No doubt my parents would lean toward the latter optio
n... but the only demon in the room was seated in front of me—not inside my head. When it came to the inside of my head, it was the vampires and Fae I apparently had to watch out for.
Edward made a considering noise. “Goodness. I fear I’m somewhat out of practice with all of this. It really has been a while,” he said. “A remote location, I should think. Somewhere surrounded by nature, since I don’t know yet what sort of elemental affinities we’re dealing with. Do you have access to such a place, sir?”
“There’s a hunting cabin on a hundred acres. It backs up to Mark Twain National Forest, if that’s remote enough,” Leonides said. “The place is a bit less than an hour from here by car.”
“Oh, I don’t think a car will be necessary, sir,” Edward replied immediately. “And that sounds ideal.”
My head felt like it was whirling at the efficient way I was being managed. “Don’t forests tend to catch on fire kind of easily?” I asked.
Edward tilted his head at me. “You have my word that I won’t allow you to burn down a national monument, my dear. I may be an old codger, but I assure you, I’m an old codger who’s learned a few tricks over the years.” His tone was wry.
“Very well, then,” Nigellus said. “It’s settled. Ms. Morgan—I assume that time, given the circumstances, is of the essence. Perhaps you’d care to gather any belongings you might need, while Mr. Leonides shows me the exact location of this property. I feel the sudden urge for a brief visit to the wilderness.”
I blinked. “You want me to leave now? Like... now now?”
Leonides gave me a look. “The cabin’s not that rustic, Vonnie. Take your phone and charger. We’ll keep you apprised of any news.”
Nigellus’ attention landed on him heavily. “We,” he echoed. “So, you involved Ransley and Ms. Bright after all, then.”
“Only reluctantly.” Leonides’ voice was a growl that discouraged further pursuit of the subject. “And no, I’m not going to play mediator for you. If you need to talk to them, it’s not like you don’t know how to find them.”
But the demon waved the words away. “As long as they continue to send along regular shipments of vampire blood to Hell, I have no reason to pursue them. As a demon, one learns not to expect gratitude from those with whom one makes deals.”
Leonides gave a sharp snort.
“Um? Is this... anything that I want or need to know about?” I asked, gesturing between them with a finger.
I remembered Leonides implying at one point that Rans had made a deal with Nigellus, and it hadn’t gone well for him. But, not to put too fine a point on it, I was still operating near capacity when it came to supernatural power games.
“No, my dear,” Edward told me. “It’s a separate issue, only tangentially related to the matters at hand. Can I help you with your luggage? Current drama aside, that sort of thing is rather my stock in trade these days, so to speak. Butler, you see.”
I yanked my thoughts free of all the distractions and shook my head. “No... thank you. I’ve got it. I was basically packed already anyway.”
Because it appeared that things were moving forward whether I was on board or not, I rose and went to retrieve my bags. Every step felt like I was moving in the wrong direction, away from Jace, even though I knew on an intellectual level that Leonides was right—I couldn’t tackle the Fae and god knew what else while I was a ticking time bomb of uncontrolled magic.
Until I got this under control, I couldn’t help my son directly.
When I returned, lugging my bags, it was to find Edward holding a small overnight case as Nigellus and Leonides spoke in low, intense tones near the door. The demon gave Leonides another searching look, before shaking his head once and turning to join us.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I... guess so?” I replied. “But, if we’re not going by car, then how—”
Nigellus closed one hand around my upper arm, and the other around Edward’s. Before I could protest or jerk away from the unexpected contact, he released me. I stumbled on uneven ground, an undignified squeak of shock escaping as I took in the leaf litter beneath my feet and the sunlight filtering through tree branches above.
FIVE
EDWARD TURNED A slow three-sixty on the spot. “Oh, yes. This should do nicely.”
“What... just happened?” I managed, gawping at the sights and sounds of early spring in the forest.
The other two turned to me, as though just now realizing that I might be about to lose my shit.
“Teleportation, dear,” Edward said, as though it should be self-evident. “Good heavens—did no one think to warn you ahead of time?”
And the worst part was... they had. Heck, I’d made a joke about it myself, when I’d learned that the pair were coming in from Atlantic City by plane. Flying? I’d asked. Not teleporting? Seems like a waste of his talents.
“Unexpectedly experiencing it firsthand is a bit different from knowing about it in theory,” I managed, locking weak knees as I steadied myself and looked around. “We’re really an hour away from St. Louis, just like that?”
“Just like that, yes,” Edward agreed, before returning his attention to his demon employer. “It goes without saying that I may need to draw power from you over the next few days, sir.”
“Yes, I had gathered, Edward,” Nigellus drawled. He handed Edward a piece of paper and stepped back. “Here are the entry codes to the property. Summon me when you’re finished. Good day, Ms. Morgan.”
And with that, he was gone, only a faint whoosh of displaced air marking his abrupt disappearance.
“Okay,” I said faintly.
Edward straightened briskly. “Come along, then. We should take our bags inside. Forgive me, I ought to have asked earlier—but do you prefer ‘Miss’ or ‘Ma’am’?”
“I prefer Vonnie,” I told him, distracted by the sight of the elegant cabin nestled among the trees to our left.
“As you wish, Vonnie. Let’s get settled, and we can start right away. Unless... have you eaten?”
“Not since breakfast,” I said absently, as I followed him up the flagstone path leading to the porch.
“Hmm.” Edward paused to enter a code into a keypad next to the front door. The lock clicked, and the door swung open at his touch. “Well, I suspect the choices will be somewhat limited, but in that case, let me see what I can arrange for a meal first.”
* * *
While Edward bustled around, opening drawers and cupboards, I explored the small structure. The cabin had two bedrooms and two baths, a kitchen, a living area, and a spectacular wraparound porch overlooking a wooded valley in back. Inside, exposed beams in the ceiling contrasted appealingly with white plaster, and the place felt perfectly suited to its surroundings.
Rather than appearing abandoned, it had the feel of being in stasis, waiting patiently for the arrival of its next set of guests. There was no dust, no stale or musty odor, and the bathrooms were stocked hotel-style with bars of wrapped soap and unopened shampoo. I could only assume that Leonides paid someone to come in and clean regularly even when it wasn’t in use—another manifestation of the kind of wealth I still found mind-boggling.
When I reappeared in the kitchen, it was to find a skillet of hash bubbling and squeaking away on the stovetop, sending a savory aroma wafting through the modest space.
“Not quite up to my usual standards, I fear,” Edward said, “but there’s only so much one can do with frozen potatoes, canned vegetables, and corned beef. There’s bottled water in the refrigerator, along with a selection of local craft beer, if you’d prefer.”
“Are you sure you want me drunk for this?” I asked tartly, opening the fridge door so I could survey the options.
He let out a huff of laughter. “Perhaps not drunk, no. However, a certain level of tipsiness might be helpful, to be honest.”
I grabbed a bottle of some kind of IPA I’d never heard of, and popped the top with the magnetic bottle opener stuck to the door. After a deep draught, I deci
ded it wasn’t really to my taste, but resolved to drink it anyway on the assumption that booze couldn’t hurt right now.
Edward emptied his skillet onto a couple of plates and set them on the small table in the dining nook. He politely waited for me to sit first before taking the chair across from me, and shaking out his napkin.
“Tell me more about your magic,” he said.
“Tell me more about the Fae and what’s going on,” I shot back.
“We’ll get to that part shortly,” he told me, unruffled as he speared a chunk of potato on his fork. “The explanation will be more use within the context you’re about to give me.”
I let out a frustrated breath and took a bite of hash, chewing and swallowing as I tried to organize my thoughts.
“Okay. My great aunt believed in magic, and was into all the new age woo-woo. She willed me the pendant I’m wearing, but I never believed in any of this stuff until just recently. Apparently the necklace gives me some pretty decent resistance to Fae and vampire mind control, but without it I’m helpless.”
Edward nodded. “And since imbibing vampire blood?”
My ears burned. “I, uh, seem to have gotten more powerful, but I don’t know how to use that power or control it. I blew a locked door open from fifteen feet away... and, um, kind of accidentally set fire to something.”
I stuffed another forkful of food into my mouth to cover my embarrassment, and chased it with a swig of the beer. The stuff was better when paired with food, I couldn’t help noticing.
“What else was happening around you when these two things occurred?” Edward asked. “Do you recall what you were feeling at the time?”
Hoo, boy.
I cleared my throat. “Well, with the door... Jace was inside the house and I was worried about his safety. I really needed to get to him to make sure he was all right.”
“That makes perfect sense,” Edward replied. “And the fire?”
Now my cheeks were burning, along with my ears. I took a deep breath and lied through my teeth. “It was... a nightmare, I guess. I was sleeping, and the sprinklers going off woke me up.”
Vampire Bound: Book Two Page 3