by Cat Devon
Zoe looked down and laughed. “Daniella got me a T-shirt that says ‘Keep Calm and Eat Cupcakes.’ Damon got me one that says ‘Keep Calm and Read a Book.’”
“Do you miss your days as a librarian?” Pru asked.
“I do at times,” Zoe admitted. “But I love my work as a soap maker. Aromatherapy is a powerful thing. Lavender is one of my favorite scents. It’s meant to have a calming influence, while citrus can be refreshing. Even though I’m not using any magic in my Bella Luna bath and body products, they are still selling faster than I can make them.”
“Because she won’t let Gram use magic to create more product,” Bella said, pausing while washing her face with her front right paw.
“Will your grandmother be upset that we ate a cupcake before the Solstice Yule dinner she’s prepared?” Pru belatedly asked.
“Not at all,” Zoe said. “Gram likes having dessert first. She’s prepared our traditional meal of pumpkin soup, roast chicken, sweet potatoes with cranberries.”
“And eggnog with rum to drink?” Pru asked.
“Yule nog? Yes, of course. But getting back to Simon, you hate him and--”
“And I meant to tell you that the table setting looks beautiful.” Pru was deliberately stalling. She was trying to come up with a way to explain what had happened between Simon and her. Instead she pointed to the small yule log and candles decorated with traditional evergreen, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, and mistletoe. “Good job. I see you’ve got the larger yule log as well.” She tilted her head toward the oak log wrapped in red and green ribbon sitting on the floor at her feet. “You and Gram already placed your wish notes on it.”
“We won’t put it in the fireplace to burn until after dinner. You’re welcome to add yours,” Zoe said, handing her a piece of lavender-scented paper.
Pru sniffed the paper before setting it back onto the coffee table in front of the couch. “It smells wonderful. I’ll write something later.”
“Simon’s arrival has distracted you,” Zoe said.
“Yes, it did.” The last time Pru had seen Simon, she’d been naked in his bed and he’d been ready to walk out on her.
“So come on, tell me. Where did you two meet?”
“Remember the trip I took to that homeopathic conference in London almost a year ago?”
Zoe nodded.
“I bumped into him outside the hotel,” Pru said. “I didn’t know he was a vampire until it was too late.”
“He took you against your will?” Zoe looked horrified.
“No. He made me want him so badly that I couldn’t think straight.”
Now Zoe looked confused. “But he couldn’t compel you. Witches can’t be compelled by vampires. Unless Simon is somehow different?”
“Oh, he’s different, all right. But he didn’t use any vampire powers on me. He was just charming and sexy and irresistible.”
“Was he your first vampire?”
“The first I had sex with, yes. I should have stayed home and never gone to London,” Pru said. “Yeah, I learned a lot at the conference. Information that proved helpful in my work at the Spirit Wellness Center.” The natural herbs, mixtures, and remedies Pru used had been passed down through her family. She always made it clear to her clients that her work didn’t replace medical treatment but instead was meant to supplement it. “But hooking up with Simon was a big mistake.”
“Was the fact that he’s a vampire the reason you two broke up?” Zoe asked.
“No, it was the fact that he was only using me for his own purposes. He told me so himself. Practically bragged about it in fact.” Which was when Pru had cursed him with a spell she was not ready to tell Zoe about yet.
“Time to eat,” Gram called from the dining room.
“Before we go to dinner, do you have any advice on dealing with a vampire Demon Hunter?” Pru asked Zoe.
Bella raised her paw. “I do. Get the hell out while you still can!”
* * *
Simon stared out the loft window. Streetlights prevented him from seeing stars. The light snow earlier had cleared. He hated standing around doing nothing, but Damon had been correct in saying that no witch would help him if he interrupted their Yule Solstice celebration. So he’d have to wait.
He hated waiting. When he’d deliberately bumped into Pru in London, she hadn’t made him wait. She’d responded right away. When things hadn’t turned out the way he’d expected, he hadn’t waited around. Instead of appreciating his honesty with her, she’d turned around and cursed him.
This mess had gone on long enough. Time for some action. If not with Pru, then with demons. He glanced at his watch. It was almost midnight. “We have over seven hours until daylight,” he said.
“Daylight doesn’t bother me now,” Damon said.
“I’m at my most powerful at night.” Simon, too, could tolerate sunlight, but he was drawn to the darkness, for that’s where demons gathered. “Let’s do a little demon hunting. Are you game?”
“Always,” Damon said.
Simon knew he’d trained Damon well. He also knew Damon was a fierce fighter. But he didn’t have the many centuries of experience that Simon did. Nor the scars.
Vampire wounds healed unless you were beheaded or burned to a cinder. Then it was lights-out. But Simon’s scars weren’t all visible. He was cursed in more ways than one. He’d been cursed before Pru had cut off his sex life. At least she hadn’t cut off his privates.
His scars went back to his time in Camelot. When King Arthur had asked for Simon’s help, he’d been honor bound to oblige. How could he not? As one of the Knights of the Round Table, Simon was committed to serving his liege. He’d vowed to do whatever it took to protect King Arthur.
Merlin had stepped in, showing off his fangs. Simon had heard the rumors of Merlin’s magic, but he’d had no idea of what was to come. His transition had been rough. Merlin hadn’t used this particular curse, the curse of vampirism, on many before. In practicing it on Simon, he’d left wounds that couldn’t be healed. Some were physical, like the slashes across his chest. Others went deeper, like the memory of being locked in a dungeon and craving more blood so intensely, so fiercely, that he’d ripped the iron chains from the stone walls, breaking his wrists in the process. He’d become a feral beast and gone on a killing rampage in a nearby village.
Innocent humans had been slaughtered. That’s when Merlin had almost ended Simon’s life as a vampire. But instead, he’d taught Simon how to hunt and destroy demons. Demons like Mordred, who wanted Arthur’s throne for himself.
Merlin had turned Simon in order for Simon to serve as a better protector. And he had done so for a time. Until the battlefield at Camlann. Legend had it that Arthur had killed Mordred there. But no human, not even a powerful king, can kill a demon.
Simon had been the one who had shoved the spear through Mordred. Even so, despite Simon’s best efforts, Mordred had still managed to wound Arthur, who’d later died from those injuries. Merlin had been furious with Simon and banished him for centuries.
Remembering Mordred filled Simon with fury. Moving at vamp superspeed, he stepped outside and sniffed the air. “I smell the rot of demons.”
“Here in Vamptown?”
“No. Follow me.”
Simon took to the air. He didn’t consider it flying as much as airborne transport. It was fast, so fast that humans’ eyes couldn’t register his movements. It was also efficient and stayed well under the radar.
Maneuvering around Chicago’s famous skyline was no problem. He’d successfully navigated most of the major cities in the world, although there had been one towering 163-floor skyscraper in Dubai a few months ago that had been tricky. But Chicago, like New York City, had skyscrapers close together, which required increased concentration and due diligence. Simon had plenty of both, allowing him to arrive at his destination precisely two seconds before Damon.
“Here?” Damon looked around in surprise. “This is the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. An outd
oor market. It’s closed now obviously, but we’re in the middle of downtown Chicago.”
Simon ignored the towering Christmas tree with its twinkling white lights in the center of the plaza and instead focused on the rest of the holiday setup. “Quaint, hmm? The way they make the facades look like timber houses in an old European village. Just like the ones that sent out their inhabitants with torches to burn vampires.”
“Probably not what the organizers had in mind when they designed it this way,” Damon noted dryly. “What makes you think there are demons here?”
“This.” Simon drew his specialized dagger as a gang of demons descended upon them. There were at least a dozen. Their horns were protruding and their claws were sharp enough to slice through steel.
Simon used his powers to cut the electricity, shutting off the lights all around him and throwing the plaza into total darkness. He loved fighting in the dark. He could see the glowing reflection of the demons’ eyes and smell their putrid scent. Their snarls told him they were eager for battle.
Simon sliced the throat of the first demon to attack him and then the next. But each time he slayed one, the demon disintegrated and another took his place. These were not normal demons. These were mercenaries who didn’t disappear but left a pile of remainder that would regurgitate into an even stronger demon unless precautions were taken.
“Demon dust,” Simon told Damon, who was fending off a trio of demons. “Now I’m royally pissed.” Reaching into his right boot, Simon pulled another demon dagger out of its sheath just in time to stab it into the malevolent glowing eye of the demon who was millimeters away from ripping him apart.
Moments later it was over as fast as it had begun. Simon looked at the piles of demon dust surrounding him before turning to Damon and saying, “Call your witch. And tell her to bring a broom.”
CHAPTER THREE
“You rang?” Pru drawled sarcastically before looking around the darkened plaza with a grimace. The stench was nearly overwhelming. So was her anger at the way Simon thought he could order witches around. She’d made her appearance before Damon could phone Zoe. “I’m not here to clean up your mess.”
“Then why are you here?” Simon demanded.
“Because Zoe couldn’t come. This is the first time she has celebrated Solstice since her mom died. No way am I letting you mess it up for her.” After dinner they’d burned the yule log, which had included Pru’s hastily scrawled wish note. Then Pru had told Zoe and her grandmother that she needed some fresh air and gone out for a walk.
The truth was that she’d gone to look for Simon. She’d seen him fly off into the night sky and decided to follow him. At first it had been a stupid whim. Then she’d been almost compelled by a sense of urgency. She’d arrived in time to hear Simon’s comment about telling Zoe to bring her broom.
As if a vampire had the right to make such a demand. As if a witch still used a broom. Well, some did in special circumstances.
Clearly a battle had taken place here in the plaza, one that Simon and Damon had won. She saw the strange piles surrounding them but wasn’t sure what they were. So she asked, “What seems to be the problem?”
“The problem is that this is demon dust,” Simon said.
“Why didn’t you say so sooner?” She held out her hands, palms down, and recited the spell.
“Demons in dust
Do what you must
To disappear
As if you were never here.”
The piles of demon dust disappeared. She was rather pleased with herself at that accomplishment. She’d never actually seen demon dust in the flesh, so to speak, and therefore had obviously never had to use magic to eradicate it before.
Instead of looking pleased, Simon appeared suspicious. “How do you know to do that?”
“I’m a witch,” Pru replied. “We do spells from time to time.”
“That was a specific demon demolition spell.”
“It was a specific demon dust demolition spell,” she corrected him. “I leave the destruction of demons to you Demon Hunters.”
“Where did you learn that spell?” he demanded.
“From reading Demon Demolition Spells for Dummies,” she said sarcastically.
He glared at her. Even though it was pitch-dark, she could see the anger in his face. She had really good night vision that way.
“I’m serious,” he growled.
She sighed. It probably wasn’t in her best interests to taunt him further. “It’s from my family’s Book of Spells.”
“It’s not in Zoe’s Book of Spells,” Damon said, joining them for the first time.
Pru laughed. “You’ll never know what’s in her book. Only Adams witches know and even then there are new discoveries even of old spells.”
“True,” Damon had to admit. “I had firsthand knowledge of that from our battles with Silas.”
Pru pointed to the now clean space on the ground where she’d made the demon dust disappear. “Were these Silas’s demon minions?”
“No, these seem to have been just run-of-the-mill demons,” Simon said.
Pru didn’t believe him. “Run-of-the-mill demons don’t generate demon dust. Their disintegration is complete. There is no trace left of them.”
“Since when are you an expert on demons?” Simon challenged her.
“Since I hooked up with you,” she retorted.
“A big mistake,” he said.
“Don’t I know it,” she agreed.
“You’re not the one cursed,” he growled. “I am.”
“I think we should continue this conversation somewhere more private,” Damon quickly interceded. “We do not want to draw any additional attention to ourselves. I’ve already had to disable the surveillance cameras and compel two security guards.”
“Race you back to the loft,” Simon said.
“You’re on,” Pru replied.
“I didn’t mean you!” Simon said, but it was already too late. She was gone. Damn, she got a head start.
“Hold on,” Damon told him. “Turn the power back on first.”
“Right.” With a flick of his hand, Simon did so. Then he took off after the damn witch who had turned his off his power—his sexual power.
* * *
Pru looked around the loft. So this was what a vampire lair looked like. Simon had never shown her his. Their sexual encounters had mostly taken place in a hotel room, although there had been that time in the back of a London taxicab in Covent Garden after a ballet. Yes, a witch and a vampire had gone to the ballet. Swan Lake. That was just one of the many ways Simon had made her fall in love with him.
She’d been stupid to fall so hard. The first time Simon had kissed her she knew she was in trouble. She’d sensed he was a vampire and knew things rarely went well between a vampire and a witch. But he could do things with his tongue that were incredible. She was no novice, but he was so much more experienced than she was. He’d bestowed kisses on every inch of her body.
At first she’d told herself she was in it just for the sex. Simon had gladly shared his knowledge of the erotic arts with her. He’d instigated her orgasms in ways she’d never imagined, introducing her to positions she’d only read about in books.
But in the end, she’d ended up sharing much more than her body with him. They’d shared the fact that they were both outcasts in human society with a secret they had to keep from outsiders. She’d shared her thoughts, her heart, her love. Big mistake.
Enough with the deeply intimate memories of Simon. She refocused her attention on her surroundings. Actually, the loft looked like those she’d seen on HGTV. Brick walls, open floor plan, and lots of leather–as in couch and chairs, not whips and dominatrix costumes.
After Pru had cursed him, she’d figured he’d show up on her doorstep at some point. She hadn’t expected him to show up on Zoe’s doorstep. But then Simon had proved that he was master of the unexpected.
He burst into the room, demanding answers. No niceties. His h
air was slightly ruffled from his journey, giving him a just-out-of-bed look she still found incredibly sexy. He got right to the point. “Tell me how to cure this bloody curse you placed on me.”
“It’s simple,” she said. “You just need to believe. That’s how the curse can be broken.”
“Believe? Like believe in Santa Claus?” he scoffed.
“Like Arthur believed he could pull Excalibur from that stone. And don’t mock Santa. I happen to like him.”
Simon yanked her close. “How do you know about Excalibur?”
“I’m a descendant of Morgan Le Fay. Of course I know about it. But then anyone who has seen the movie or the play Camelot would know about Excalibur. Any kid who has seen Disney’s The Sword and the Stone would know about it.”
“What do you know about it now? For real, not some movie.”
She looked into his angry face and realized what this was all about. “So that’s why you’re here. It has nothing to do with Damon. You’re here for the sword.”
“So are you,” he said.
“That’s not true. I’m here to see Zoe and for the sword.”
“It’s of no use to you,” he said.
“I wasn’t even sure if the rumors were true,” she murmured.
“What rumors?”
“You know what rumors. That Excalibur is here in Chicago. Embedded in ice, not stone.”
He tightened his hold on her. “Tell me where it is.”
“I don’t know. There’s a lot of ice in a city this size. Not to mention all of Lake Michigan. They’ve had a cold early winter and the lake is frozen along the shoreline in places.”
“The waves should keep it from freezing,” Simon said.
“There are places where the crashing waves have frozen on top of objects. I saw that on the local news earlier tonight.”
“Fine. So all I have to do to get rid of the curse is believe. Great. I believe. The curse should be over now, right?” He looked down at his privates.
“Wrong. You can’t just say the words. You have to mean them.”
“Listen, witch, I’m a vampire from King Arthur’s court. I kill demons. I don’t need you messing with my head. Not that I’d ever allow that to happen.”