by Lexi Blake
We all got up and followed Neil into the den, passing my father and Lee as they headed into the kitchen for another beer. Neither my father nor Lee was big into witchcraft. It had been a necessary evil my father used on the occasional job, but Lee couldn’t stand any of it. Lee would stay close enough to get to me if he had to, but he wasn’t about to sit around listening to a bunch of chanting. Zack, on the other hand, sat in a chair beside the door, watching the scene intently.
I shivered as I walked in, though I knew the room was warm. I could feel the power pulsing through it, a cold, dark wave. Nim and Christine stood just outside the circle on the floor on opposite sides from each other. Nim was completely still, though there was something oddly active about her stance. Her shoulders were squared, her hands at her thighs, palms open. Her lips were moving but I heard no sound. She seemed larger than before. I knew her body was still small, but now she seemed to fill the room with her presence.
It was the first time I could truly believe that the funny girl who had bought me as a pleasure slave was actually a powerful, legendary witch.
The entire room was lit with candles and smelled like herbs and incense. The circle itself caught my attention. It was reddish brown and I was assaulted by the smell. Daniel tensed, reacting to that scent.
“You used blood to draw the circle?” I asked.
Nim looked up from her silent meditation. Her face was stark and the charming nymph I knew was gone, replaced with a woman of infinite competence. This was her place of power. “Yes, Zoey. What else would I use?”
“Well, I bought some very nice spray paint just for the occasion,” I offered. Nim sometimes didn’t understand the world had new technology.
She smiled slightly and I found it reassuring. “I’m sure that works well for you, but I prefer the old ways. I might be out of practice but I assure you, I can handle this. I feel my power tonight and it’s good.” She turned to Daniel and her eyes narrowed. “There will be more blood, vampire. If you can’t handle it, I would advise you to leave. I want nothing to disturb the calling.”
She had moved quickly from sweet, silly Nim to a person I was very certain had been called by many names in her long time walking the planes. This was Nimue we dealt with now, and she brooked no disobedience. She turned her violet eyes to my faery prince. “Come, Devinshea. Take your place on the circle.”
She indicated a place for him to stand at the tip of the pentagram.
“Tell me something, revered one.” Christine regarded Nimue with the greatest respect. “Why do we really need him? I feel the power and magic pouring from you now. You hide it well, but surely we can’t need any more than what you have.”
Nimue chuckled. “You are young and untried, witch. If I used my own power, I would blow the glass out of all the windows of this home. I doubt our host would be thrilled with that. I need a softer power. The sex god will do, though he seems surprisingly closed off now.”
“I don’t understand it.” Christine studied Dev with a frown. “We did this before. He had magic just pouring off of him.”
“I apologize if I am not able to help.” But Dev wasn’t sorry, not really. He looked almost relieved.
“What was different then?” Nim mused.
Christine thought about it for a minute. “I can still feel the power in him. It just seems more controlled than it was before.”
Nimue laughed and for a moment sounded like Nim. “Of course. He found his goddess. Those Fae are serious about their magicks. It flows from his goddess and whatever you would call Daniel. Zoey, I’m going to need your help. I think I can solve both your husbands’ problems if you don’t mind donating a little blood.”
I shrugged. It wasn’t anything I didn’t do every day. “You want Danny to bite me?”
She shook her head. “I want the two of you to sit on the couch where Dev can see you and then let the vampire do what comes naturally to him.”
Daniel was more than happy about that suggestion. The smell of blood was obviously getting to him. He threw his big body onto the sofa and pulled me down with him. In the past he would have fought to hide this part of himself, but now he just sat me on his lap and let himself do what his instinct insisted he needed to do. He ran his arms over my shoulders and let himself breathe in my scent. I hugged him to me and I felt him start to relax. He buried his face in my neck and I felt the tiny prick of his fangs as he dragged them lightly across my skin and then the warmth of his tongue as he licked up the blood he’d drawn. He sighed, deeply satisfied by our close contact. He would play like this for hours if I let him.
“There it goes,” Nim said quietly and I could feel it, too.
The warmth of Dev’s unique magic pulsed through the room. His eyes were filled with affection and desire as he watched us. He gave me a stare that let me know he wanted to be there with us. Nim and Christine took their places and they began the ritual.
I closed my eyes and let Daniel’s affection wash over me. I settled in because I knew this was a long ritual. Nim asked Dev for his arm and I heard him hiss. Daniel’s head came up as he smelled blood and he gave Nimue a pointed look.
“For the ritual I’m performing I need three types of blood,” she explained logically. “I’m not hurting him. I’m using my blood, the high priest’s, and I need the blood of another. It would work best if it is someone the demon knows, perhaps someone he likes. You said you knew him, Zoey.”
Neil growled as he stepped up to the plate. “I’ll do it. He has a thing for me. I know it’s so typical.”
Nim drew a dagger lightly across Neil’s forearm. She added the blood to a little pool in a ceramic bowl. Like Dev, the cut on Neil’s arm healed almost immediately. Neil’s was the result of his werewolf powers but Dev’s was all Daniel. Like me, Dev regularly took Daniel’s blood, gaining all the positive impacts. Dev and I had stopped aging, and we healed very quickly.
Nimue walked to the center of the pentagram and poured the blood in the middle of the symbol. She sighed and stepped back out of the circle. She, Christine, and Devinshea stood just outside the circle. I’ve watched this ritual performed before. Sarah had performed it and I’d watched an entire coven call a demon. It always seemed to take forever, with the witches’ voices calling and calling to the demon until he had no choice but to come forward. They chanted and intoned for hours.
Nimue said but two words. “Nemcox, come.”
There was a loud crack and suddenly the whole world smelled like brimstone. Daniel’s arms tightened around me as the smoke cleared. In the center of the circle, a demon stood, looking surprised. He was roughly five foot ten, his skin a deep red. His head appeared almost too large for his body as it was crowned with curved horns. His form was a testament to power. Every muscle was ripped and he stood naked and proud in the circle. His feet were cloven but he was graceful and his pitch-black eyes stared forward ignoring everything but Daniel and myself. He bowed deeply.
“Your Highness, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” he intoned in his very upper-crust British accent.
“Stewart.” Daniel acknowledged him with a regal nod of his head. Daniel sat back, relaxed but powerful. It was a huge change from the first time we met Stewart. Daniel looked like what he was—a king. “I thank you for joining us this evening. I hope we didn’t pull you away from anything important.”
“Nothing could be more important than reaffirming our alliances, Your Highness.” Stewart smiled, a nice show of curved fangs. “It’s been a while, but I assure you, I’m still interested in serving you. I see you finally settled things with the companion.”
“She’s my queen and will be treated as such.” Daniel’s eyes narrowed, his voice going dark.
“Of course. I honor her as such. I always knew you two crazy kids would make a go of it,” Stewart said, his fangs gleaming in the candlelight. “I knew the Fae creature was just a small bump in the road for the two of you.”
Dev cleared his throat. Stewart turned and caught sight of him. Wh
en he stared back at Daniel, his black eyes were wide with curiosity. “What on earth is he doing here? Have you brought me in for his execution? I’ve offered on several occasions to perform the duty.”
“Devinshea, you’ve done your duty.” Nimue said, with a hint of a smile on her face. “You may leave the circle. My blood will hold him.”
Dev gave Stewart a dirty look and walked around the pentagram. He sat down beside Daniel and Daniel’s hand found the back of his head. He stroked Dev’s neck in a soothing fashion, and I knew Daniel sensed Dev’s anxiety. I reached out to him as well, and his hand found mine.
Stewart stared for a moment, his mouth hanging open. “Well, now, that was unexpected. Really? All three of you? The king seemed so…vanilla. Don’t get me wrong, companion. I always sensed the delicious potential for perversity in you but I thought the king was all true love and faithfulness.”
“You aren’t here to judge our sex lives.” Stewart annoyed the holy hell out of me.
He gave me a brilliant, fangy smile. “Oh, but it would be so fun. I think I would give you a ten. Could I have a little paddle with numbers on it?”
Neil, who was sitting beside Zack, made the mistake of laughing. Stewart’s pitch-black eyes sought him, and his face glazed over with longing. “Hello, puppy,” he said, his voice shy.
“Hello, Stewart,” Neil returned grudgingly.
When we first met Stewart a few years back, he’d been very taken with Neil. Oh, as Neil had pointed out to me, Stewart had also tried to kill him with a weretiger, but he never let Neil forget just how attractive he thought he was.
As he watched my best friend, the big demon managed to seem almost coy. “I thought you were never going to call. I should be very cross with you for keeping me hanging on so long.”
Zack stared up at Neil, a horrified expression on his face. “Dude, seriously?”
Neil thunked Zack in the middle of his forehead. “No, dumbass. He’s a demon. He lies.” Neil turned back to Stewart. “Let’s make this very clear. I have a boyfriend, Stewart. I’m not looking to replace him.”
Stewart thought about that for a moment. Stewart’s demonic power was empathy. He might not be able to reach into your head and grab thoughts, but he could gather emotions, and I’d discovered he was excellent at conjecture. He could pull out your deepest fears and use them against you.
“And where is this magical boyfriend?” Stewart proved just how scary he could be. He might not understand exactly why he’d used the word “magical” but Neil did. I watched Neil frown as Stewart pointed directly at Zack. “It certainly isn’t the other wolf. You have brotherly feelings for him. As for the king and the Fae creature, well, beyond their talented queen, they only have eyes for each other. So, my lovely puppy, you will have to forgive me if I push my suit. Whoever he is, he’ll never love you like I will. I mean that literally. I have detachable parts.”
“Could we get down to business?” Daniel interrupted.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. You have all just changed so much since the last time I was allowed in your glorious presence. I’m taking it all in.” Stewart bowed regally to Daniel. “How may I be of service this evening?”
Daniel nodded to Nim. “He’s all yours.”
Stewart’s mouth hung open as he turned to the witch. “Is it really…after so many years? What sort of trick is this, Your Highness?”
“It isn’t a trick, Hell Lord,” Nim said quietly. “If you do not believe, please, try the blood at your feet. It will tell you all you need to know.”
Stewart knelt down and drew a long talon through the little pool. He brought it to his lips and savored it, his eyes closing. I noticed how Daniel sat up a little and watched. Stewart let the blood sit for a moment and began to talk like a connoisseur. “Now, see that’s just delicious. Two men, one extraordinarily powerful female. There’s not a human in there. I taste werewolf. Oh, my sweet little puppy donated for the cause.” He sighed a little. “What is the amazing, savory flavor I’m getting? It tastes almost…angelic.”
Dev flushed and I reached over to take his hand. I always got amused at the things that embarrassed Dev. Public sex was fine but a stranger telling him he tasted nice got him blushing. “You knew you tasted good, baby. Hasn’t Daniel told you a million times?”
Stewart gave him a wink. “Well, no wonder the king jumped into bed with you. You really are the complete package, aren’t you? But the female…” Stewart was almost reverent as he turned to Nim. “Nimue, Queen of the Dark Arts, it is an honor to stand in your presence. Have you taken the king under your wing?”
“I have,” Nimue replied.
Stewart practically jumped up and down. “Will he need a mentor as the last one did?”
“Perhaps not a mentor,” Nim said, her eyes thoughtful. “But he has need of the old one all the same.”
Stewart put a clawed hand to his lips and seemed to take the moment in. He was a very dramatic demon. “Are you asking me to do what I think you’re asking me to do?”
“I need your help, Nemcox,” Nimue said formally. “Will you aid me in searching for Merlin Satanspawn?”
Stewart bent on one knee and bowed his head. “I would be honored, great one, to aid you in bringing such darkness into the world once more.”
Chapter Ten
“I don’t like the sound of that,” I whispered to Daniel.
“It is fine, Z,” he assured me. “Nim knows what she’s doing. From what I understand, Merlin isn’t evil per se.”
“Per se? That isn’t exactly ramping up my confidence.” I didn’t want to be the one to unleash darkness on the universe. I’d done that once too often.
Dev squeezed my hand. “What Daniel is trying to say is that Merlin is neither good nor evil. Like most, he’s a combination of both. We simply need to be cautious and never underestimate him. He will do what’s best for Merlin, and we should never forget that. Stewart is sure of himself because he’s been listening to all the demon bedtime stories about Merlin. He’s a legend on the Hell plane. They like to claim him as their own.”
Stewart looked expectantly at Daniel. “Am I supposed to aid the sorceress from this very small, very confined circle? I’m not complaining, of course. It’s a very nice circle. If this is to be my room, then I’m happy for it, though a pillow would be nice.”
Daniel rolled his eyes and I found myself being moved into Dev’s lap. Dev took immediate advantage, pulling me close and tugging my arms around his shoulders. Daniel winked down at us. “Behave yourself,” he said to Dev with a smile. He turned to the demon. “I have no intention of leaving you in the circle, Stewart, but we need to make a few things very clear. If you don’t agree to my terms then we’ll just send you back to the Hell plane.”
Stewart stood up straight and gave Daniel a jaunty salute. “Of course, Your Highness. I’m completely at your beck and call.”
Crossing his arms, Daniel stood just outside the circle. “You will remember, at all times, that you are here to do a job. There will be no side projects.”
“I promise.” The demon was very good at looking sincere. “You have my full attention. Consider my calendar cleared.”
“You’ll follow my instructions.”
“To the letter,” Stewart affirmed. “I’m going to be such a good boy.”
“In return for helping us out, I’ll consider giving you a seat on the new Council,” Daniel offered. Daniel’s plan was to get rid of the Vampire Council and begin a new government that included all the plane’s supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, that included demons as they seemed to be everywhere. Several demons knew about Daniel’s bid for the crown. Luckily they’d been told by Lucifer Morningstar to stay out of the battle or we might have been found out.
Stewart gasped a little. “That’s a position of considerable power, Your Highness. I’m greatly honored by the offer. I will do my utmost to prove your faith in me is deserved.”
Daniel nodded to Nim, who handed him a small package. He
turned back to the demon. “We have attempted to follow protocols. This is a gift for you. We know the calling can be…difficult.”
Stewart caught the small package. He played with the bow. “Yes, being ripped through time and space can be unnerving. Tell me, Your Highness, did you choose this yourself?”
“No,” Daniel replied, a little dour.
Stewart smiled brilliantly and made puppy eyes Neil’s way. “I will cherish this forever.”
Neil sent me a disgusted stare. I shrugged back at him. I couldn’t help it if he had really good taste.
Stewart got even more excited when he got the wrapping paper off and saw the Rolex in the box. “This is so thoughtful. Thank you. I won’t ever take it off.”
My vampire sighed as Nim indicated the ritual was complete. She and Christine, who was still wide-eyed, stepped back. There was only one thing left to do. Daniel used the heel of his boot to break the circle, and Stewart was gone in an instant. Faster than my eyes could track him, he was out of the circle and flying across the room. The front door opened and slammed shut.
Daniel had been pushed back by the force of the demon’s escape. He grimaced as he shook his head, glaring at the door. “Well, that went just as I expected. What the hell are we supposed to do now? Don’t tell me to find another demon.”
Shaking her sable curls, Nim stared at the path Stewart had taken. “I certainly didn’t expect that, Daniel. I thought he was quite reasonable for a demon. I didn’t think he would run. I thought he might try to hit on Neil but…”
And then an incredibly attractive young man was walking in the door. He was six foot and lanky, with a killer face and bright blue eyes. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans and had probably been carrying a skateboard before Stewart had taken over. The Rolex on his wrist looked odd since the rest of the young man’s accessories were chains.
“I’m ready to go, Your Highness.” Stewart’s accent seemed lighter, his voice younger in his borrowed body. “Sorry about the quick change. I needed a body to go with my lovely new watch.”