Candace walked around the other side of the bedroom after propping the broom and dustpan against the wall. She reached up and put her hands on my shoulders, pulling me a little lower. She leaned over when my head was at her level and gently kissed me on the forehead, exactly on the mark that couldn't be seen, the one the goddess herself had anointed me with, and breathed against my skin.
"I am glad you are safe, Child," she whispered in a voice that wasn't her own. I blinked in surprise as a faint golden glow faded from her eyes. She shook her head and smiled, pressing her face against my shoulder. "I'm so glad you are safe, Lady. You scared me. I don't think I've ever been that afraid, even when the creature had me in his grasp."
"Oh, sweetie," I said and hugged her to me. "I'm a tough, old broad," I said and my voice broke. I hugged her and cried while she began rocking me gently.
A cold, wet nose slipped under my towel and poked me in the rear. I let go of Candace with a yelp of surprise.
Could you tell your new boyfriend I want a porterhouse, rare. No potato. No veggies. Double meat?
"Sure thing, Darling."
Darling?
"Yeah. Your name is Dar… So Darling."
I'll allow it.
I rubbed his head. "If you ever stick your nose in my ass again, you'll be eating kibble for the next six months, though,"
He let out a high-pitched whine and ran out of the room. Candace was holding her belly as she laughed musically.
Candace left behind him, still chuckling. I tried very hard not to think about how she had been possessed by the goddess only moments before. I was going to keep that one to myself. The witches in my life already thought I was weird enough.
Without closing the door, I dropped the towel. I kicked it in the general vicinity of the laundry basket in the corner and slipped into some jammies. I absolutely, resolutely refused to go anywhere for the remainder of the day. Hopefully, by the time the orders were placed, and Jason got the takeout, the sun would be down, and Yuki could enjoy the steak with us. Dar's double order of meat didn't sound like a half-bad idea. I was ravenous.
I slipped out of my bedroom and sat down in the only open space on the couch, right between Chief and Jimmy. Right where I wanted to be. I leaned against Chief and put my legs over Jimmy, who looked at me with his hands over my legs to make sure it was okay to touch them. I nodded and gave him a smile for his thoughtfulness.
"Dot, what kind of steak do you want?"
"King cut, prime rib. Extra rare. No veggies or potatoes. Make it two of them."
He blinked in surprise.
"Dar wants the same thing but make his porterhouses."
Everybody else blinked in surprise.
"What? I lost a lot of blood."
"Dot, that's almost three pounds of meat."
I looked up at Chief and smiled. "Insert dick joke here."
He sputtered and turned red.
Totally worth it.
"You shouldn't use the words insert and dick in the same sentence, sweetness," Jimmy added.
He and I started laughing harder. I was crying by the time we stopped. Everyone else was just kind of staring at us. I was a little loopy from almost dying. Jimmy was just weird. We made quite the team.
Candace extricated herself from Josie's side, and slipped into the kitchen, returning with a glass of wine for me. I was almost afraid to drink it until I got some food in me.
"Gonna go call in the order and pick up the food. I'll be back shortly," Jason said and grabbed his coat, heading out the door.
"Seriously, though," I stopped and looked around the room at each and every one of the witches that I loved, in one way or another. "I can't thank you for enough for taking care of me and everything. I am blessed with you."
"Not that you needed us. What the hell was that? You were covered in blood and don't have a single scratch on you," Chief turned a little, and my head slid off his shoulder, landing on his chest.
"I can only assume it's from having a vampire familiar. While I was healing, Dar said I smelled like a vampire."
"And Dar killed the demons?"
I nodded, not looking at him. "Yeah. He's not a German Shepherd at all. Hellhound."
"I've heard of them, aren't they demons, too?"
I nodded. "Obviously."
"Are you sure he didn't eat Frank?"
"Dar… Did you eat the nice fellow by the grill?" I asked a little sarcastically.
No.
"He says no."
"Oh, well in that case… Dot! He's a demon. How do you know he's not lying?"
"You're not very trusting. Anybody ever tell you that?"
"Comes with being a cop. We suspect everybody." He didn't sound angry, just stating a fact.
Tell him we are not demons. We are the guardians of hellmouths, portals, and rifts. We're the ones who keep the humans safe from the denizens of Gehenna.
I repeated it word for word to Chief and everyone else in the room.
"Bang up job," Chief snarked.
This rift is different. It appears and disappears in a random pattern I cannot predict. If I were to hazard a guess, I would presume it is not a natural phenomenon.
"You mean someone made it?"
Or caused it.
"Who would do such a thing?"
Again, I do not know.
"What did he say?" Jimmy asked while rubbing my leg gently.
"He can't tell where the rift is going to show up because its random and therefore man-made, either intentionally or unintentionally. He doesn't know who did it, either. I asked."
"So, someone opened a portal to hell and just left the door open?" Chief said testily.
"Yep. And the door likes to move around a lot."
"Well, none of us could have done it. We don't even know how to make potions."
Every eye in the room turned and stared at me, accusingly.
"Don't fucking look at me… I didn't do it."
"Are you sure, sweetie?" Jimmy winced when he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Shit has a tendency to go a little fucking abnormal when you're around. Don't get me wrong, I love you, but you're an 'oh shit' magnet."
I couldn't even deny it.
"Yeah, but it wasn't me. This time."
"Well, if nobody here knows how to do it. And you didn't do it… What about one of our visitors?"
I opened my mouth to give him a scathing retort, when reality set in. That was Chief, throwing around his fucking logic like confetti. I hated it when there was a minute chance his assumptions were correct. "Maybe? But doubtful? I mean, creating rifts and portals is extraordinarily complex… I don't think any of them could have done it," I said dismissively. "I know I couldn't do it… Maybe with a spell book I'd get luck–"
"Like with one of the stolen Blackwell spell books?"
"Yeah. One of those."
"Hey, Dot?"
"Yes, Chief?"
"Is that a new door?" He pointed at the ancient oak door my grandmother had created as a portal to her house in Ashville…
"Fuck me six ways to Sunday…"
"Let me guess, your grandmother?"
"Chief. Shut up. Goddess damn it, Nana… What were you thinking," I shouted and stood up, walking over to the door and flinging it open, staring at a blank wall. I shut it slowly and opened it again to the same effect. It was literally just a door opening to my wall.
"It wasn't like this before. It led to her workshop in her house in Ashville. Now it's just a door."
"Maybe a spell to activate it?" Jimmy had gotten off the couch to check it out.
"I don't know, but it's safer not to muck with it until Nana comes back. Let me call her."
I swiped my phone off the counter in the kitchen angrily, dialing Nana and slapping the phone to my ear. Of course, it went straight to voicemail. I dialed my mother.
"Greetings, Daughter."
"Hello, Mother."
"What can I do for you today?"
Instead
of acting indignant that she assumed I wanted something, I got straight to the point. "Have you seen Nana?"
"You lost your grandmother, dear?"
"Mother… Not a good time. Have you seen her?"
"What did she do?"
"Opened a portal into my house and accidentally opened a wandering rift into Gehenna that seems to be floating around town releasing demons… You know. Usual Nana stuff."
She sighed heavily on the other end of the line. "Damn that woman."
"She's your mother, Mother."
"She is a consistent pain in my arse, Daughter."
"Starting to think it runs in the family."
"As I am sure it does. Obviously, it was her who removed the grimoires from the museum… How she got in, I can't even begin to fathom, but even she could not have opened these portals without a ritual. I'm quite positive she did not memorize it, either. When did it start?"
"A few days ago."
"You do not have much time, then."
"Uh… Until what?"
"I swear you slept through the majority of your lessons, Child."
"Mother, what is going to happen?"
"The longer a portal is open, the more stable it becomes and without framework to contain it…the more it wanders. You should start noticing an increase in the frequency in attacks until it settles in a final location and grows."
"How big?"
"How big is Cedar Falls?"
"You're kidding me."
"I do not jest, Daughter. Only rarely, and usually at your expense."
"Gee, thanks."
"How long ago was the last attack?"
"Maybe two hours? In my bathroom."
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah. My hellhound familiar tore them to shreds."
"Hellhound? Familiar?"
"Long story."
"One I would love to hear. Later. We need to work on our communication skills."
"We tried therapy. You slept with the counselor."
"Mmmm. Mr. Mackey. He was quite excellent at pillow talk."
"Ew! Mother!"
She chuckled through the phone. "If half a day passes until the next occurrence, you will have more than a day before it finalizes. If it happens sooner, you will have less time. Contain the demons, Daughter. I shall find your grandmother and ship her to you as soon as possible. Carry a knife with you to cut the bindings I'm going to wrap her in," she finished icily and hung up the phone.
"We're in so much shit."
Chief's phone rang.
"Yeah, Marcus? On my way. Keep everybody out of there."
"Please don't say it's a demon," I said, giving a silent prayer to the lady.
"Okay. I won't say it. But you might want to put on some pants and shoes."
I thought longingly of the prime ribs I was going to have to ruin in the microwave later. Sighing, I ran into my room and changed into something a little more combat friendly.
Chief, Dar, and I were on the road in less than two minutes. I'd made everybody else stay at my house, much to their dismay. Especially Jimmy. He wasn't happy about being left behind, but I didn't want to see him hurt again.
"Where is it?"
"The hospital…"
"You're kidding me," I said in disbelief. "What about all the people?"
"Luckily, it's a smaller demon and the security guard has it pinned down in the boiler room."
"Nobody got hurt?"
"Janitor and one of the doctors got scratched up pretty bad, but they're alive."
"Hopefully it wasn't Shapiro."
"Don't know. Marcus was pretty scared. He saw it."
"How you gonna explain it?"
"I'll send him for a random drug test…"
"That's horrible."
"I'm kidding. He's a good guy. I'll think of something."
We pulled into the hospital parking lot with the lights on, but the sirens quiet. I'd only ever seen them flash behind me. It was weird being in the car and seeing the strobing effect all around you.
"Hey, Chief?"
"Yeah?"
"How are we supposed to get Dar into the hospital?"
"You mean Officer Dar? Our new K-9?"
"Oh. That was easy."
"Helps to be a cop."
I turned to the back seat. "Listen to Chief while we're in the hospital."
If he tells me to roll over or play dead, I'm biting his junk.
I snorted and got out of the car.
Chief wasn't running but I practically had to in order to keep up with his much longer stride. He yanked open the door and ushered the two of us in before him. As soon as the security guard at the desk saw Chief, he snapped to attention and dropped his sandwich.
"Downstairs," he said to Chief and motioned for the stairs on the opposite wall from the elevator.
"She's with us," Chief called over his shoulder and barged through the heavy stairwell door.
I let Dar go ahead of me and brought up the rear. Watching him sniffing the air around him as he padded down the stairs set my nerves on edge.
Smell it? I struggled not to lose sight of him.
Yes.
Imp?
Yes. And something else.
"Of course, there is," I said with a little sigh. Nothing was ever easy. I wanted to punch something. If another rift had opened already, we were literally going to be in hell very soon. "There's more than one, Chief," I called down the stairs. He was just reaching the bottom.
He pulled his gun and the light flickered above his head. He ducked instinctively. The entire floor went dark with an audible clack. It didn't sound like a breaker popping, it sounded like a microwave blew up. Surprisingly enough, I knew what that sounded like.
"Got a flashlight?" I said drolly, knowing full well he didn't. Most cops had a superhero utility belt full of useful shit. Chief had a gun and a holster for his cell phone. I didn't have the heart to tell him he looked like a dork and that nobody used them anymore. It was amazing I found him as attractive as I did, sometimes.
"No," he said exasperatedly.
Pulling out my cell, I whispered, "Solas," and forced a bit of power into the case. It lit up like a beacon and I held it above my head, just in time to see the shadow scream and pull back away from Chief. It had snuck up on him without a sound. Even Dar hadn't heard it.
Shadow demon. Not good.
Not good?
Ever try to bite a shadow?
Not good.
That's what I said, he said with a shake of his head.
Ten billion hellhounds in hell and I had to get the smart ass.
How do you kill a shadow?
He lowered his head, not wanting to answer. You let it attack you. It has to become real to hurt you.
He just volunteered to get hurt to kill the damn thing. There had to be another way. Don't you get hurt on me, Dar. That's an order.
I shall try.
I sighed, assuming that was the best I was going to get. I nodded at Chief and moved a little closer with the light.
"Stay behind me with that so I can see what I'm shooting at."
"Don't think a gun is going to hurt it. Might have to use magic for this one."
"Shit."
"Yeah."
"What about the imp?"
"Fire away."
"After you fry it."
"I'll try not to hit you this time."
"Please. Most of my eyelashes fell out the last time."
"It could have been worse," I said and lowered my eyes below his belt, holding the light in front of my face.
"Yeah. Let's be careful out there."
I chuckled evilly.
Done flirting?
Never.
Chief kept walking down the corridor. I sent a bit more power into my phone case and it got even brighter, keeping the monster at bay. The only problem was, we couldn't leave it running rampant in the hospital.
"Marcus," Chief called out.
"Down here," the reply echoed from the right.
>
Chief turned down the adjoining hallway, pausing until I caught up with the light. Marcus and a very frightened security guard were leaning against a set of metal double doors.
"I'm assuming it's in there," Chief said and pointed.
"No. Just tired and leaning on the door," Marcus answered with an eyeroll. Chief seemed to have that effect on people.
Can you handle it, Dar?
Easily. And I'm hungry.
"You should let the dog in, Chief," I said, hoping he caught my meaning.
"That's a darn good idea. Marcus, let the dog in."
"Chief, I saw that thing. It's some sort of mutated ape. It will tear that dog apart."
"He's a…uh…special military K-9 as it…uh…turns out. Dot was lucky to find him at Frank Dunbar's."
Either Marcus knew Chief was full of shit and didn't care, or he was just used to weird shit happening and bullshit explanations. "Military K-9. Sure. Go ahead, doggy." He pulled away from the door and opened it enough for Dar to slip between it.
"What now?" The security guard asked, nervously.
"We wait," Chief said with a smile and rocked on his heels while I kept an eye out for the other thing.
"That's a hell of a flashlight you got on that phone," Marcus said. He almost sounded suspicious.
"Yeah. Got it off the internet. It's the case so it doesn't drain your phone's battery. Have to keep them both charged, though." I chuckled nervously. Chief wasn't the only one who sucked at subterfuge. At least my stories weren't as hokey as his, though. My delivery just needed a bit of work.
Marcus just shook his head.
Snarls of rage and growls erupted in the room behind the door. Something was thrown against it hard enough to dent the thick metal right by the guard's head. He squawked and fell to the ground, Chief immediately leaned over him and held the door tight.
"Hopefully that wasn't your Military K-9," Marcus said in a voice that screamed, 'I told you so.'
You okay?
Yes. No talk. Feisty bastard.
I shut up and let him do his job.
I'm coming, Yuki's voice sounded in my head. Apparently, the sun was down.
Hospital, basement. Don't be seen.
I know. And I always know where you are, I can feel you.
I remembered when we were in Ashville and I felt her barreling at me like a rocket. Closing my eyes, I could feel her again, crossing town like a flash of lightning. Vampiric speed was a scary thing.
Third Charm: A Reverse Harem Tale (Lovin' the Coven Book 3) Page 15