“You know why,” she said pointedly. “He doesn’t do anything.”
“Doesn’t do anything? He’s the chief of police in Chipping Cheddar. A very young chief, I might add.”
She blew out a dismissive breath. “That’s nothing. Anybody can do that.”
“Mick O’Neill wasn’t just anybody,” I said. “He was our friend.
“Don’t put words in my mouth. You know that’s not what I mean. Chief Fox is pure, unadulterated human. Getting involved with someone like him is a recipe for disaster and you know it.”
“I’m not involved with him,” I said.
“Good, then let’s keep it that way.” She gave me a hard look. “You’d compromise your whole family in a relationship like that.”
“And I don’t compromise the family in a job like this one?”
“That’s to be determined.” My mother wiggled the mayonnaise jar. “Thanks for your help.” She turned around and waltzed out the door.
Neville waited until the door was closed to approach me. “A formidable woman, your mother.”
“An inherited trait.”
“I can see that.” He handed me his phone.
I squinted at the screen. “What am I looking at?”
“The missing alerts from the fifth,” he replied. “I was able to download them.”
I swiped through the faces. It was like Tinder for ugly people. Unsurprisingly, Gustav’s face was not among them.
“Recognize anyone?” I asked.
Neville studied the images over my shoulder. “No, O bright and fiery one.”
“I’m going to bright and fire you in about two seconds,” I threatened.
Neville ducked his head. “I will endeavor to be worthy of you.”
“You don’t have to be worthy of me. We work together. You’re my trusted assistant, as in I trust you to stop the worshipping. It’s weird.”
“As you wish.”
“I do wish.” I examined the alerts more closely. “A warlock with a racketeering conviction. A vampire with a bloody trail.” I shuddered, thankful that my own vampiric family member preferred her blood out of a bottle. “Great balls of fury!”
“What is it, my beatific…What is it, Agent Fury?”
“This guy.” I tapped the screen. He was as ugly as they come, with bumps and scales and two holes that passed for a nose. If Voldemort and a dragon had a baby, it would be this guy.
“He’d be impossible to miss in Chipping Cheddar,” Neville said. “If he were responsible for the murders, we most certainly would have seen him.”
“No, Neville, we wouldn’t have,” I said. “Read the fine print.”
Neville concentrated on the tiny paragraph at the bottom of the screen. “He was eviscerated. His shade escaped a maximum security holding cell.” He gasped. “He could be right here and we wouldn’t even know it.”
“He is here, Neville, and we do know it.” My jaw tightened. “And I think I know where to find him.”
“We’ve already been down this road, Eden,” my father said sharply. “Gustav had nothing to do with those murders.”
I stood in my father’s living room with a printed image of the suspect.
“I’m not here for Gustav,” I said. “I’m here for this guy.” I shook the paper. “His passenger.”
Gustav scrutinized me. “My what?”
“Your passenger. Also known as a hitchhiker. When you came through the Otherworld portal in New York, you didn’t come alone.”
Gustav shook his head. “Of course I did. I think I would know if I brought someone through with me.”
“Not if the hitchhiker wasn’t corporeal,” I said.
My father sucked in a breath. “A demon shade. How did you figure it out?”
I explained about the missing alert. “Once I saw that he was invisible, I realized what likely happened. Last night Olivia asked to go flying with me. She said she’d stay hidden on my back because she was so small. And the other day Grandma wanted to hitch a ride to collect Aunt Thora from her gardening meeting. She promised to stay quiet.”
My father’s laughter interrupted me. “I can imagine how that went.”
“That’s what made everything click into place,” I said. “She couldn’t be quiet if her life depended on it.” She even upstaged me at my own dance recital when I was nine. You would think she’d use her magic to help her granddaughter nail the moves, but no. My grandmother used her magic to help Grandma nail the moves—right in front of the stage for all to see. She stole the show. Clara and I spent the next week hiding in the bathroom at school so kids didn’t make fun of me. She was a good best friend, that Clara. I was an idiot for distancing myself from her all these years.
My father shrugged helplessly. “You know your grandma. She needs to be seen.”
“Why haven’t you seen him?” Sally asked.
“I don’t see shades or ghosts that don’t want to be seen,” I explained. “If Alice wants alone time, she disappears from my sight.” I sucked in a breath. “Anyway, he’s a fear demon. He used the victims’ fears against them.”
“That’s why there was no physical evidence,” my father said. “He didn’t lay a finger on them. He didn’t have to.” He looked a little in awe of the fear demon.
“But the scanners at the portal…” Gustav scratched his head. “They should have detected another demon.” His expression shifted, a spark of memory.
“What do you remember, Gustav?” I asked.
He hesitated. “There was a glitch,” Gustav said. “When I went through the scanner, it froze. They had to send me through again. I thought it was because of the ceramic dragon.”
“The demon probably attached himself to someone else on the other side of the scanner and then reattached to you when you walked through,” I said.
Gustav’s brow knitted together. “He can do that?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “His whole plan was likely to enter this world and feed off the fears of his victims until he gained strength.”
“So I set him loose in Chipping Cheddar?” Gustav asked.
“I’m afraid so,” I said. “He only needed to attach himself to you to get through the portal undetected.”
“And then decided to travel a bit further with you,” my father said. “Can’t say I blame him, Gustav. You’re good company.”
“My guess is he’s staying here until he can gain enough power to return to a corporeal state,” I said.
“So you need to stop him before he returns fully to his physical form,” Gustav said, understanding.
“Yes, based on what he’s done so far with no body at all, he’s a powerful demon,” I said. “There’s no telling what he’ll be capable of once he’s completely restored.”
My father’s gaze swept the room. “So the question is—where is he now?”
Chapter Sixteen
The attic was too dark for reading, so I squirreled myself away in the sunroom at the back of the house and hoped no one noticed me.
No such luck.
“What are you doing in here, Eden?” My mother stood in the entryway. She wore a shimmering black, knee-length dress with kitten heels. I had to admit, her legs still looked as good as ever. Probably a spell. The woman would only run if chased and, let’s face it, no one was foolish or brave enough to chase her.
“Research,” I said. “Why are you dressed for one of Gatsby’s parties?”
She pressed her palm flat against her chest. “If only. This is a date with a mere mortal. Bryant Pullman.”
My eyes popped. “A date? You’re dating?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Because you’re old didn’t seem like the best answer. “I didn’t realize that was something you did.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve been dating since before you left town. You just were too wrapped up in your own world to notice.”
Or maybe I didn’t want to picture my mother giggling over tiramisu at the Chophouse.
“Wait. Wh
y are you allowed to date humans, but I’m not?”
Her tinkling laughter filled the room. “Eden, I’ve had my children. I’m not looking for anything serious, just a bit of fun.”
I did not want to picture my mother having fun of any kind, certainly not naked fun. “So who’s Bryant Pullman?”
“You remember him, Eden. He taught at the high school.”
“Mr. Pullman?” My whole body broke out in a sweat. “But he was my history teacher in eleventh grade.” I remembered his pronounced Adam’s apple and his enthusiasm for Teddy Roosevelt.
“And tonight maybe he’ll manage to teach me a few things.” She winked and I wanted to crawl under the wicker chair and die.
“Well, have a good time. Don’t talk about me.” I returned my focus to the text in my lap, but my mother wasn’t finished torturing me yet.
“Sweet Hecate. Is that a book?” She practically recoiled.
“Yes, it’s a book. That thing with pages and words that provides entertainment or information.”
“You don’t have to get smart with me, young lady. Have you forgotten the punishment for a sharp tongue around here?”
How could I? It used to involve a swollen tongue, so that no matter how I moved my mouth, my teeth ended up nipping the edges. Good times.
“Sorry, it’s not a grimoire,” I mumbled.
“Pfft. Who uses a grimoire anymore? If I want to learn a new spell, I go online.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you do.”
Not put off by the sight of a physical book, she came over to inspect it. “Your father will be pleased.” She tapped the page I had open, where the face of a fear demon stared back at me. “Finally getting in touch with your demonic side?”
“It’s for the case I’m working on,” I said. “I need to learn as much about fear demons as I can.”
“Or what will happen?” My mother suppressed a laugh. “You were always such a dramatic child. Everything was life or death with you.”
I gaped at her. “This is life or death,” I said heatedly. “It’s the whole nature of my job.”
She patted my shoulder. “Of course it is, dear.”
“It’s the nature of a lot of demons’ jobs,” Grandma interjected.
I jolted. I hadn’t even noticed her snoozing in the chaise lounge on the other side of the sunroom.
“See?” my mother said. “You’re not so different from the rest of us.”
I wasn’t in the mood to engage. “Fear demons grow stronger by feeding on the fears of their victims. A shade would need to absorb a lot of energy in order to return to his physical form.”
“You think that’s why Mick died?” my mother asked.
“Yes, I think the demon has been trying to suck as much fearful energy as he can in order to return to his natural state. It wasn’t enough to scare Chief O’Neill with a fear of drowning, he had to take it as far as possible.” Too far.
“Which resulted in Mick’s death,” my mother said. I was grateful to hear the note of sadness in her voice. It reminded me that my family wasn’t all bad, even though it seemed that way to me most of the time.
“That would explain the elevator guy.” Grandma snapped her fingers. “What’s his name?”
“Elliott,” I replied. “Yes, he had a fear of enclosed spaces. The demon likely sensed his fear and compelled Elliott into the elevator, then sucked the fear from him until he died of a heart attack.”
My mother perched on the edge of the chaise lounge. “And Paul Pidcock, too. The bee sting allergy.”
I nodded. “And the demon leaves no evidence because he has no physical form. Not yet.” But he had to be close to regaining his solid form. “According to the book, once he’s amassed the requisite level of energy, he needs to complete one final act.”
“A ritual,” my mother said.
“Yes. How’d you know?”
She patted her perfectly coiffed hair. “My brains are almost as big as my boobs.”
I cringed. “Thanks for that mental image.” I consulted the book. “I’m trying to find out what’s involved so that I can get one step ahead of him.”
My mother chewed her lip. “This might be more exciting than my date.”
“You’re going out with a high school history teacher,” Grandma said. “A nap is more exciting than your date.”
My mother twisted to glare at her. “I’ll have you know Bryant is an absolute animal where it counts. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn he’s got some shifter in his bloodline.”
I groaned. “Can we stop this conversation so I can get back to work?” If I could manage to focus after the image of Mr. Pullman as an amorous tiger assaulted my headspace.
My mother stood and smoothed the front of her dress. “You’re such a child, Eden.”
“Yes, your child,” I said. “Which is why this discussion never needs to happen.”
“You’re just jealous because you’re not getting any,” Grandma piped up.
“Hey! Whose team are you on?” I demanded.
“The winning team.” Grandma rested her head against the pillow and closed her eyes. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m rejoining David Hasselhoff in my dream. Word to the wise: a talking car is not the best place to get frisky unless you want a running commentary.”
I smacked my head with the book. “I really need my own place.” Like tomorrow.
“Your father and I were discussing that very topic,” my mother said.
My brow lifted. “You were? And it was at normal volume?”
My mother smiled. “There was no yelling. It’s nice when he and I can agree on a topic. Anyway, we’ve decided that, if you’re interested, we can convert the old barn into separate living quarters for you. It’s right on the property line so he and I needed to agree on it.”
The old barn. “That’s a decent size.”
“We thought so,” my mother said, clearly pleased with herself. “It would help you get back on your feet following your unfortunate…dismissal.”
“I wasn’t fired,” I ground out.
“Why can’t I have the barn?” Grandma asked.
A worthwhile question.
“Because I need to keep an eye on you,” my mother told her. “Leaving you to your own devices hundreds of feet away is not a good idea for anybody.”
Grandma waved a hand at me. “She’s the one to worry about. I’m an old witch with barely passable skills. She’s a fury.”
“Whatever, Grandma,” I muttered. “Why don’t you put your passable skills to use and help me figure out how to stop this fear demon?”
“That’s your job,” Grandma replied. “I don’t get paid for that.”
I returned my attention to the book and tried to focus. “It says here that in order to become corporeal, the demon will basically need to perform a ritual akin to summoning himself.” I scanned the text. “He’ll need the bay and the river.”
“What about a pool?” Grandma said. “Josephine Levy has one. I wouldn’t mind if he took shape there and then decided on a snack.”
“Grandma!”
“What? She cheats at cards. I’m tired of losing.”
“He needs the bay and river because he needs a vortex and that’s the closest one,” I said. A vortex is a place where multiple ley lines converge and powerful energy can be harnessed. I knew for a fact there was one in Chipping Cheddar. It would be impossible to house a portal to Otherworld, dormant or not, and not have a vortex.
“A vortex makes sense,” my mother agreed.
I snapped the book closed. “I’d better call Neville. I’m going to need his help.”
“You’re Eden Fury,” Grandma said. “You don’t need help from anybody, certainly not somebody called Neville.”
“You need to embrace who you are, Eden,” my mother chimed in.
“So what am I supposed to do if I run into the demon without a plan? Smite him?”
“You’re not the hand of God, sweetheart,” my mother said, patting
my leg. “You don’t smite.”
That’s where she was wrong. I was a fury. Smiting was in my DNA.
“Kill him and grind him into a fine powder,” Grandma said. “I’ll brew him in my tea.”
I grimaced. “That’s disgusting.”
“You didn’t complain when I made that nice lemon ginger concoction.” She shuffled around on the chaise lounge until she seemed comfortable and closed her eyes again.
Okay, I was officially never drinking Grandma’s tea again.
I jumped to my feet. “Thanks for the illuminating conversation, but I need to go.” Now that I had the location of the ritual, I couldn’t waste any more time.
My mother gave me an encouraging wave. “Good luck, dear. Have fun storming the summoning circle.”
“Can you make me invisible?” I asked. Neville and I were in our office and I’d just finished updating him on my discovery.
Neville tilted his head. “You don’t have the power of invisibility?”
“Not yet.” And hopefully I never would. Invisibility would mean that I was on the path to full fury.
“Fascinating,” he said. “I didn’t realize that you acquire your abilities over time.”
“It’s because of my mixed bloodline,” I said. “I have to demonstrate my aptitude for bad deeds and poof! I’m gifted a new skill.” Like black wings for flying.
Neville shook his head. “Bad deeds. You’ve a warped sense of humor.”
“What do you mean?” I swiveled my chair to face him.
“Furies aren’t inherently evil,” he said. “They simply mete out justice to evildoers.”
“And revenge,” I said. “They drive people insane. What if the person’s crime was that he stole beef jerky from the convenience store? I don’t think my type of justice is warranted in that case, do you?”
“You’re afraid,” Neville said quietly. “Be very careful, most malevolent mistress. You wouldn’t want the fear demon using your energy to complete his transformation.”
He had a point. I inhaled deeply. “I’m ready to take him down, Neville. I’ve got a hemlock stick and I’m not afraid to use it, and an invisibility spell would help me out.”
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