by Dara Kent
Lily’s lower lip jutted out. “You could at least ask him before saying no. Because if you say no for him, then you’re still making a decision on his behalf. Just the one you want is all.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “No. It’s not like that at—”
Monica stuck her head out of the last door on the right. “You two can’t help it, can you?”
We both blinked at her. “Help what?” Lily and I asked in unison.
Monica chuckled. “I swear, you two are a trip. Like night and day.”
Deciding it was time for a subject change, I bustled down the hallway. “Any news?”
As if only just remembering, Monica’s face turned to stone. “What you did back there was not okay. What got into you?”
“I told you she was sick,” Lily chimed in, eager to defend me.
That’s right. Only she can criticize me. “I feel better now, though, I swear.”
“You went halfway feral.” Monica pulled the door closed behind her, leaning against it protectively.
Lily snorted. “Halfway? She nearly ripped his throat out with her bare hands.”
Whose side was she on anyways? “I perceived him as a threat. He came running at us with a knife.”
“Yes, how scary for you, a twice marked, for a human to attack you with a tiny kitchen knife,” Monica deadpanned.
I raised my hands in defeat. “I don’t have an excuse. I was sick and I should have stayed home, but I’m stubborn. I guess I’m like an injured animal when I’m sick and I lash out.” Yeah, and hear voices, too. Nope. Don’t go there.
“Let me go!” followed by a thump, came from inside the room.
“He’s awake.” Lily backed up a few steps.
“Thanks, Ms. Captain Obvious.”
She stuck her tongue out at me, and I smirked.
Monica gripped the doorknob, meeting my gaze again. “You two can come in while I question him, but stay back.”
I pursed my lips. “What if I have questions of my own?”
Monica sighed. “Let me ask mine first.”
I nodded once. “Seems fair.” She was the one with the crazy S.O.B. in her guest room.
The three of us entered the room, fanning out around the bed. In the center of a queen-sized mattress was the man from the mansion, who, now that I got a better look at him, was most likely a boy. Probably no more than sixteen or seventeen years old.
It was in that moment I wondered how Monica and Regan had managed to remove the kid from Belle Meade when the house was filled with dead bodies. Regan mentioned calling it in as a homicide, but then I’d blacked out and missed the rest. Funny how I didn’t bother to consider the oddity of how we were getting away with this at the moment. For instance, how did they get him into Monica’s house without any of the neighbors getting nosy? Did the ease at which they moved through all of the red tape that would bind me, point at more hidden powers of the Heaven marked? Could they glamour? Influence minds? Teleport? And if so, why the hell didn’t the twice marked get any cool powers? We were also claimed by Heaven, just not completely.
“Let me go!” The boy thrashed against his bindings, arching off the bed. “You have no right to keep me here!”
“You’re lucky you aren’t behind bars becoming someone’s bitch,” I muttered. Monica side-eyed me, and I snapped my mouth shut. Yeah, yeah, yeah, she gets to ask the questions first. No snarky comments from me either, apparently.
Monica turned her attention back to our captive, crouching down closer to his level. “We’re not going to hurt you. Calm down.”
“I don’t give a shit what you do!” he screeched. “None of it matters anymore!”
I winced. Doesn’t he have another volume level besides eleven? Damn.
“Tell me why none of it matters anymore.” Monica’s tone was low and soothing, a complete contrast to our prisoner.
“I’m not telling you shit!” He writhed, face contorting into a mask of rage.
“What about your family?”
His lips curled back from his teeth. “I told them exactly how I felt, with my knife.” He laughed maniacally, sending chills up my spine. It was like sitting front and center inside a horror movie. Dealing with demons was one thing. Dealing with a deranged human who was completely off his rocker was another. I’d never come across anyone so completely twisted before.
“Do you think he used to be normal?” Lily whispered, earning her a chastising glance from Monica.
Grunting, the kid continued to fight his bonds, only managing to cause his body damage, not that he seemed to notice. Welts appeared on his wrists and ankles, despite the cloth wrapping the interior of the leather cuffs. Blood dripped from his mouth, his teeth tearing into his flesh. “Hell will be unleashed! You’ll all see soon enough! And then it won’t matter! None of this will matter!”
And there he goes, back up to eleven.
“What did your family do that made you angry?” Monica tried again, her tone remaining patient and calm.
“They existed,” he replied, finishing up with a cackle.
Monica sighed. “What about the demons?”
The kid stilled, staring up at the ceiling, a small smile curving his bloodied lips. “They freed me. The demons freed me so I could do what I always wanted to do.”
“And what did you do for them in return.”
“Ask her.” He jerked his head in my direction. “She was there, too.”
His words triggered the images from my nightmares of Tomas and Devon, and I recoiled. “What are you talking about?”
His lips stretched wide, his crazed eyes meeting mine. “You watched your friends die and you did nothing about it because you’re weak.”
“What are you talking about?” I repeated.
“You saw everything, and you just watched.” He erupted into more laughter. “Poor, weak hunter. You’ll be next.”
Without conscious thought, I leapt across the room, my hands going around his throat.
“Coming to finish what you started?” he spat. “I’m ready to die. Are you?”
“Tell me what you mean by I was there!”
He thrashed against me, even as Monica and Lily pulled on my arms. “Riss, no. We won’t be able to heal him again so soon.”
My grip tightening, my thumbs pressed into his windpipe. “Why am I next? Tell me, damnit!”
“Hell is coming,” he gasped out, defiant even as his eyes glazed over.
Falling backward, Monica, Lily, and I landed in a heap on the floor. “I wasn’t going to kill him. I just wanted him to think I was.”
Jumping to her feet, Monica glared down at me. “How’d that work out for you?”
I rolled my neck, before hopping up. “I got more out of him than you did.”
Lily stood, her hands trembling. “Yeah, you got more out of him, but none of it made any sense.” She punched my arm.
“Ow,” I muttered. “Was that really necessary?”
She glared as she pushed her mop of curls out of her face. “I told you not to cause trouble. And what do you do? Cause trouble.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared right back. “I didn’t cause trouble. I merely asked him a few questions. Which I was allowed to do after Monica was done.” I shrugged. “She seemed done to me.”
“Out, out, out.” Monica shooed us into the hallway, closing the door behind us. Inside the kid could be heard muttering about Hell coming, over and over.
I threw my hands in the air. “I’m sorry. I guess I freaked out when he said I was there, and I was next. I wanted answers.”
“We all want answers,” Monica hissed. “We all need them.” She scrubbed a hand down her face. “Look, Riss, I’ve always liked you. And I know you don’t mean anything by what you do, but lately, you’re like a loose cannon ready to explode everything around you. This is important. Quite possibly the most important thing we’ve ever dealt with.”
Lily tugged on my arm. “He said you’re next.”
&nbs
p; “Yeah, I’m well aware.”
“No.” Her lower lip wobbled. “He said you’re next. As in … like with Tomas then Devon. You’re next.”
“Come on,” Monica slung her arm around Lily’s small shoulders, “let’s go get you something to eat and drink. Calm you down a bit before we talk about this.”
I shuffled along behind them, Lily turning back to glance at me several times on the way to the kitchen.
Regan approached us, a scowl on his face. “Problem?” His eyes landed on me.
Monica somehow mustered an assuring smile. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“I’m going up to stand guard until you’re done down here.”
“Thanks.”
Without another word, he marched off.
Lily floundered, letting Monica place her at the kitchen table. I joined my sister, taking her hand within mine. “Everything is going to be fine. We’ll figure this mess out just like we always have with everything else.”
“But what if we don’t this time? What if this time it’s different?”
“Psst … we got this.”
Hopefully, I’m not lying right to my baby sister’s face.
22
“Here.” Monica set a steaming mug in front of Lily, and then me. “It’s hot chocolate.”
Lily scrunched her nose. “No coffee?”
“Thought we could all use something less stimulating.” Monica brought her own mug to her lips, sipping gingerly.
Unfortunately, she was probably right. Lily was clearly shaken, her small frame still trembling, and I was beyond wired. I wanted to fix everything, especially my sister. I hated when she was upset and I couldn’t do anything about it.
But you can. You can do something about this situation. You can find the weapon and kick some demon ass.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. “Mom,” I blurted. “She always calls at the worst times.”
As soon as my phone stilled, Lily’s began ringing. “Tell me about it,” Lily grumbled. “Hello? … No, nothing’s wrong. We’re fine.” She nodded even though Mom couldn’t see. “Yeah, I know. But we can’t answer all the time. … She’s right here. Because you know she keeps her phone on vibrate. … No. I know. We’re at Monica’s. … Hmm hmm … in Spring Hill. … Yes, business. … Okay. Okay. Yep. I’ll tell her. … Okay. Love you, too.” Ending the call, she glared at me.
“What? It’s not my fault you answered.”
“You never answer.” She scrunched her nose up. “Mom wants you to call her later.”
“Mom always wants me to call her later.” I knew it was unfair. Mom worried about us. How could she not when she knew we were demon hunters? But that wasn’t what her latest round of calls was about. She wanted to talk about Jensen and how things were going since we got back together. I wasn’t sure what exactly I was supposed to say. I loved my mom, but sometimes it felt like she wanted me to be someone I wasn’t—someone more like Lily.
“We wanted to invite you to stay in Jensen’s guest room,” Lily blurted.
I kicked her under the table. She kicked me back harder. “We haven’t had a chance to ask Jensen about it yet.” I narrowed my eyes at my sister. I should have known she’d do this. It was her move.
Monica’s shoulders slumped. “Is it that obvious?”
“No,” Lily said, “please don’t think that. It’s just,” she paused to clear her throat, “it would be hard for me if I was in your shoes.”
Monica cradled her mug, gaze averted. “I want to cherish the memories I have with him. To remember all the good times.” She choked back a sob. “But it’s so hard. I don’t think I’m ready. His stuff, it’s … it’s still exactly where he left it. Even his dirty socks.”
Lily slid to the chair closer to Monica, patting her on the back. “You’re not alone. And you shouldn’t stay out here if it’s making you uncomfortable.” She shot me another glare.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’m not a monster. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to help her. I had empathy for her, too. But offering up Jensen’s spare room stepped over a line with him that would cause repercussions in our relationship I didn’t want to deal with. But, of course, Lily couldn’t keep her damn mouth shut. One can’t simply uninvite someone in this type of situation without coming off as a major asshole.
I gripped my mug. “But, you know, I’m sure he’ll be okay with it. He can just stay over at our condo more often.”
Lily’s mouth popped open, realization setting in. Jensen’s condo had a similar layout to ours, with the bedrooms being right across the hall from each other. It offered a bit of privacy, but not enough to keep Lily from complaining about our sex noises every time Jensen stayed the night. With Monica at Jensen’s that would force us back over to my bedroom, because if someone was going to hear my nocturnal delights, I’d rather it be my sister than Monica.
“Can Jensen cast some kind of spell to soundproof your room?” Lily sat up straighter, hope dancing within her eyes.
I gave her a tight-lipped smile. “If he could, don’t you think he would have by now?”
“I don’t think I can, though,” Monica interjected. “I appreciate the offer, but maybe I can convince Regan or one of the other Heaven marked to stay here.”
That surprised me. “Why?”
“The demons. A group of them attacked us at Regan’s.”
I blinked. “And this is the first you thought to mention it?”
She turned her mug slowly on the table before picking it up again. “I had other things on my mind.”
Don’t we all. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
Her brown eyes met mine. “I’m the target. They’re after me.”
“Yep.” It made sense. She was the only one who had been at all three attacks. “But what do they want? Do you think it’s linked to Tomas?”
She played with an intricate key-shaped charm on the end of a long chain. “It’s the only explanation.”
Lily leaned over to tap at the necklace. “That’s pretty. I never noticed it before.”
Monica traced her fingers along the edge idly. “Tomas gave it to me a few days before he died.” Her eyes filled with tears.
Slapping my palm against the wooden table, I caused them to jump. “We need to get down to business before we lose anyone else.” I pursed my lips. “How long are you planning to hold the kid captive, and what are you going to do with him when you’re done?”
“Regan is going to take him into custody for the murders.”
“Did they just let you check him out like a library book?” I couldn’t help but wonder, the entire situation bizarre even for me. I never brought my work home with me for a reason. I wasn’t willing to pay the price.
“There are other Heaven marked on the force,” she murmured into her mug. “They’ll take care of it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How many work for Nashville PD?”
“Not nearly enough to counteract the Hell marked.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “Are they battling it out like good versus evil? Why did we not know anything about this?”
Monica shrugged. “There’s a lot the two of you don’t know. You stick to yourselves mostly.” She took a sip from her mug. After swallowing, she said, “To be fair, twice marked tend to do that. Tomas was the same way. Completely and utterly focused on taking out demons.”
I ground my teeth together. How could she be in love with a twice marked and still not understand? How many times were we going to breach this subject before she finally got it? Unless she didn’t want to on some level. “Because we have to be.”
My mouth opened to form another retort when Lily’s foot connected with my shin. My gaze flew to hers as I bit back a growl. She shook her head once.
“Fine,” I muttered. She didn’t want us to fall back into that argument again. And it wasn’t that I was pushing for a fight, especially about something that was clearly beyond Monica’s grasp. It was just that I was frustrated—frustrated about ever
ything lately.
“These things that we don’t know, any of them necessary for us to know?”
Monica stood, shuffling over to the sink to deposit her mug. “No, there’s nothing that could be linked to Tomas’ death.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
She arched one dark eyebrow. “Isn’t it?”
Lily kicked me under the table a third time. “Say you’re sorry.”
“Look, that didn’t come out right. I’m not trying to put blame on you for Tomas’ death.”
Monica slumped over the sink, head hanging. “I’m sorry, too. I’ve been touchy about everything lately. I’m not handling Tomas’ death as well as I should.” She exhaled a heavy sigh. “I have a lot of guilt over not being able to save him.”
What could I say to that? I didn’t blame her, but if I was in her shoes, I would definitely blame myself. If something ever happened to Lily or Jensen on my watch, I would never be able to forgive myself. “Yeah, I get it.”
Pain lanced my skull, spiking from temple to temple.
“Hello?” I rasped.
“Riss.”
I glanced at the red clock lights on the old alarm clock in the hotel. It was three a.m. “Tomas, what is it?”
“I’ve got a lead on Pestilence.”
I dropped to my knees, duel images taking up my vision—one of Tomas waiting for me in a booth at a diner, and the other of Monica’s kitchen.
White spots sparked, bleeding everything away, sending me hurtling into nothingness.
23
My eyelids fluttered open, cotton candy filling my head. Groaning, I sat up, my heart bouncing around my chest like a trapped bird. I was in the middle of a completely white room, no windows, and no doors.
Staggering to my feet, I pulled my tangled hair out of my face, a few pieces sticking to my sweaty cheeks. “Hello?” I rasped.
“Riss.” I whirled in the direction of Tomas’ voice.
Appearing in front of me out of nowhere, he went to his knees as he reached for me. His hair and face were covered in blood, pieces of skin hanging off his battered frame. “Please.”