Rush caressed Denny’s cheek. “As long as you live in the Holbrook House, there will never be any goodbyes. I belong here—to this house—to the people in it.”
“I don’t understand.”
Rush kissed Denny’s forehead. “I needed to leave so that you’d make the break from me and this world,” she waved her hand in the air, “and return to where you belong in yours. You must live, baby. You must let me go and I must release you from the bond we share. I’ll never leave Holbrook House—I’ll never leave you. We just…we can’t be lovers anymore.”
Denny closed her eyes to focus on Rush’s touch. “Because it’s not healthy.”
“That, and because it’s selfish of me to hold you back from a real relationship. I can’t do it anymore, baby. I just can’t. I love you too much.”
Opening her eyes, Denny was surprised to see Rush crying. “Rush?”
Rush impatiently wiped her eyes. “You are going to need a partner who can help you do what you are going to spend your life doing. A real woman. Someone who can wrap her arms around you at night—someone who can hold your hand when you’re frightened. As God as my witness, as much as I want that woman to be me, it isn’t. Can’t. Will never be. It’s time we understood that.”
“You disappeared so I would enter that world?”
“I left because I am the most selfish person there is and I knew that if I hung around, I’d never let you go—never find the strength to do the right thing. Let me do the right thing, baby. If I do right by you, maybe we can salvage a friendship out of this. Maybe we can still hold onto something we once had.”
Denny blinked back her own tears. “I’d like that, Rush. More than you could know. I have been desperately lonely without you.”
Rush kissed Denny’s forehead. “Oh, I do know. I may not have seen all of what you’ve been up to, but I see scars that tell me it’s been hazardous to your health.”
Denny looked away and slowly nodded. “After you left, I pretty much put on my ‘fuck it’ boots and flailed about in the darkness for a few weeks.”
Rush laid her on her back and nodded. “I heard some of it, but it was too painful to see it all. I had to let you find you your own way. Got a few minutes to fill me in on what I missed?”
Denny flipped over and lay on her belly next to Rush. “I have more than a few for you, but you’d better hold onto your ghost hat, because this here is one helluva demon hunter story.”
Rush smiled. “I have missed you so, Golden Silver. Not the sex or intimacy as much as this right here. You are, above all else, my best friend.”
Denny nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“And, as your best friend, I need to give you some tough love.”
“Tough love?”
Rush nodded. “I need to tell you to pull your head out of your ass and get the big fat clue that the witch is very interested in you.”
“The witch? I don’t—”
Rush groaned. “Oh hells bells, baby; she’s practically thrown herself at you. You’ve been so busy washing off demon guts, you haven’t really paid any attention. Pay attention!”
“You mean—”
“I mean, Missy Hot Pants, that the witch wants you. She wants you, big time, and I want you to be open to it. If you find her attractive, then you need to go for it.”
“Be open to it?”
“Yes, silly. She’s a kind, loving, powerful woman who would be a good partner to you. She could be the helpmate you’ve longed for.”
“But I don’t want a partner.”
“Yes, you do. Maybe not now. Maybe not in a month or a year, but at some point in your life, you’ll want...no, you’ll need someone to share your...weird responsibility with. You need someone who has your back. She’s not so bad. I mean...I could get used to her.”
Denny smiled. “Well then, that makes all the difference in the world.”
Rush scooted closer. “Now...tell me everything.”
****
The reconnaissance of the cemeteries in Savannah yielded two possible areas the Magyar and his minions might hang out.
Overly cautious now that she had her head screwed on straight, Denny slid between the shadows as she allowed the Hanta to listen for any demonic energy nearby.
She didn’t have to wait long. Another tingling told her a pair of demons were close, but neither were the Magyar, the Liderc. She would sense his power from far away...that much she was sure about.
Crouching down in the shadows, Denny could not wipe the grin off her face.
Rush had returned and Denny couldn’t believe how settling that was. It had been so good to see her—to sit and talk to her again. It was like a missing puzzle piece had just been found. When they had caught up on everything, Rush had promised to return to chat some more. She wouldn’t always be available, and she would never resume her place as Denny’s lover, but she was home.
That one visit changed everything.
Rush was back.
Denny was going to be okay. She wasn’t alone and wouldn’t have to face the many mysteries of demon hunting by herself. Maybe then—
Suddenly, she could feel another demon—a stronger demon, nearby. The sensation was like that flash of fear you get when some jackass jumps out of the shadows to scare you.
Staying down, Denny stared through the darkness as someone meandered through the shadows. She couldn’t see if it was the Magyar, but she didn’t have to.
She could sense it.
Then she slipped further into the shadows in the event that it could sense her as well. She didn’t think it could, but she’d never dealt with an incubus before. She put that on her ever growing list of things to learn more about.
As it walked by, Denny backed away. She had the information she needed. She would know where to come when it was time to hunt. Now was not the time. It could kick her ass without even trying, for surely it knew more about her than she knew about it.
That would be her constant disadvantage until she was more experienced.
Right now, she needed to finish her rounds. That meant she would drive by Lauren’s, Victor’s, Sterling’s, Pat Patterson’s, Ames’s, Brianna’s, and Cassandra’s. It would take about an hour and a half total to keep an eye out on everyone, but it was the only way she could sleep at night.
She only hoped Ames understood.
As she drove by Cassandra’s, she slowed down. The home was an enormous Victorian that housed the coven. It sat slightly above the street, tucked back on the corner lot. Through the din it appeared almost like an apparition. It was dark and silent—both good signs.
A part of her wanted to go in and crawl into bed with Cassandra. To have someone hold her through the night would feel so good.
But she couldn’t. Not now. Not yet.
When she finally returned home, she went back up to the lair and cracked open her mother’s journal. “Alright, Mom, tell me more about this Magyar.”
****
Gwen’s Journal
June twelfth. How time has flown. My first incubus...and I hope, my last. Ugh. Creepy little bastard. I tracked him for a good three months, but each time he skirted around me, almost as if he were taunting me.
Maybe he was. I don’t really know. It just feels really personal...like he has an agenda that somehow involves me or the Hanta.
He prefers hanging around the periphery of the cemeteries, usually going back and forth between the two, but I know his pattern. I’ve studied his movements...I know what he’s after…what all of the incubi want. Sick sonofabitch. He won’t get anything if I can help it.
The incubus is a nasty creature—preying on young women, impregnating them, then swooping in to steal their infants so they can be raised by demon hags.
Demon hags.
Is there anything worse than those soulless disgusting bag of bones?
Oh, I know what he wants.
It’s not just the girl, either. No, he wants a killer of demons. Rasputin taught me as much. He wants to cra
ft a being capable of taking out both hunters and witches. They are planning some sort of all-out attack on those who either use demons or hunt them. Rasputin showed me the truth...and that crystal clear truth is they are planning on starting in NOLA and then here in Savannah where the supernatural reigns supreme.
I’ll be ready when that battle ensues...ready to do my part in removing demons from this planet. This incubus is just the beginning of the cleanse. That much is obvious. We will be ready. When the time is right we will take this incubus out.
This one and any one that is dumb enough to come after it.
****
Denny stared at the two words that jumped off the page at her.
We.
The two words were emblazoned on her corneas.
“We? Who in the hell were you referring to, Mom? And who the hell is Rasputin? Come on, you keep muddying up the water here. Who were you working with?”
Denny pulled out a notebook and scribbled Valeria and Rasputin down on a clean page. Then she jotted down Petra. “When this is over, I’m going to find out who these folks are.”
“Did you have a partner? What on earth happened, and what the hell is the cleanse?” She wrote this term under the two names. “Jesus Christ, the more I know, the less I know.” “Rush? Are you around? I could use some help here.”
Denny waited.
“Okay,” she said to herself after five silent minutes went by. “I need to speak with Ames. Right now, though, and I need to see what happened on June twelfth.” Leaning back over the journal, Denny continued reading.
Had she turned around, she would have seen Rush hovering above the desk, shaking her head slowly.
****
Gwen’s Journal
I failed.
I failed and almost lost my life in the process. My hand still shakes even as I write this, it was that close.
I had tracked the Magyar to a bar he frequented where he trolled for women. The bar was at the end of a dead-end street. Perfect for the confrontation. Perfect for ending his wretched life. Perfect.
Or so I thought.
When he came out, he was not alone. The woman, I realized, was not an unsuspecting female he planned on bedding.
Oh no. That would have made this too easy. No, she was not even human.
She was a succubus.
I wasn’t at all prepared for a succubus, and before I knew it, the hunter became the hunted. I’ve never seen creatures move so fast.
Suddenly, I was the one pinned in the dead end. They were neither concerned nor intimidated by the crackling of Epee and Fouet. It was the first time in all my years of hunting that my quarry appeared unafraid.
And that scared the crap out of me.
I did all I could to ensure my safety, but they were on me so quickly, I barely managed to whip Fouet around until it cracked loudly in the air. That was when the Magyar pulled out a crossbow made of light. I had never seen one, but I had read about them when I was researching my own weapon and I knew I was in trouble. Big, painful trouble.
I had but one shot at preventing the bolt from discharging and when I snapped Fouet about, it lifted the crossbow from the demon’s grasp and tossed it fifty yards away. That singular act probably saved my life but cost me my safety, as the succubus was upon me so quickly that both of my weapons were useless.
Alone, I might have defeated the succubus in hand-to-hand, but her partner joined her in pummeling me. It was all I could do to remain holding Epee and Fouet, but in such tight quarters, I was nearly helpless and they were beating me up pretty badly, hitting and kicking me with a ferocity born out of abject hatred. I knew if I went down to the ground, they would surely stomp me to death so I struggled to maintain my feet.
“Get the Balestra, you dolt!” The succubus snapped, just before my fist connected with her face. As she stumbled backwards, I brought Epee down and severed her left arm from her body.
She howled like a wild animal, her gaze at her lifeless limb registering what had just happened.
“You fucking bitch. You motherfucking bitch. I don’t care what Asmodeus said. Kill her!”
As I swung around toward the Magyar, I realized he was too far from me for Fouet to reach. That was when I felt the blow to the back of my head that sent me to my knees.
It was from that position I waited to die as I watched the Magyar raise the crossbow and aim it at me.
“Do it!” the succubus yelled, also falling to her knees as she bled out. “Just fucking do it!”
He raised the crossbow, aimed, and...nothing. I heard him swear and as my gaze followed his, the last thing I saw before I blacked out was Valeria.
Valeria...my guardian angel. She saved my life.
Again.
But the real question is…who in the hell is Asmodeus?
****
Denny started to read on when the Black Book fluttered open. Gently placing the red ribbon in the journal to bookmark her place, she pulled the huge leather tome to her.
The blood ink slowly appeared as the writer inked the latest kill.
It was Peyton again.
“Damn, dude, don’t you ever sleep?” Denny asked aloud as she waited for the whole story to materialize.
It appeared Peyton had just extinguished a Magyar demon in New Orleans.
Sitting up now, Denny read the whole tale.
He knew I was hunting him and actually egged me on. I wasn’t surprised. Incubi and succubi both are incredibly arrogant. They often overestimate their position while underestimating their opponent’s. Their arrogance is one of the best weapons to use against them, and I had every intention of using it.
So I did to a great degree of success.
I managed to do an end run on the Magyar and decapitate him using Garret. It was a clean cut, but I burned the head anyway, for safe measure. One never knows with the incubi.
I could not find the succubus. They tend to travel in pairs when on the offensive. I am certain they are probably also attacking Savannah, Galveston, Gettysburg, Charleston, Key West, Salem, and Chicago. I’ve been in contact with the best hunter in Nashville, and she’s dealt with an incubus and succubus as well. There appears to be some sort of offensive push that started some years ago, but was stymied. Not sure why, but it looks like they are back at it.
Just an FYI to the rest of you. They are on the move for some reason. They have an agenda. Read up on then. Know everything you can and stay frosty, folks...we’re in for a bumpy ride.
Denny read the last six words and decided she liked Peyton and hoped to meet him some day. He was a very adept and skilled hunter. At least thirty percent of the kills in the Black Book were his.
Impressive.
Denny closed what she liked to call The Kill Book and pushed away from the desk. So, the Magyar demons were on the move?
Was this a continuation of whatever had happened to Gwen?
Denny made a mental note to discuss the entries with Ames. Maybe he’d heard something about an offensive push. Surely, he would know about Gwen’s brush with the succubus.
As she rose to leave, she looked on the top of the roll-top desk hoping Rush was there.
That was when she realized Rush’s appearance had only been momentary. She was still letting Denny move on with her life without interference. It was as sweet as it was annoying.
“Fine. I get it. You’re still giving me my space. While I understand, that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Crawling into bed, Denny looked at her phone and saw a missed phone call from Reese. When she listened to it, she discovered that Reese wanted to see her in the morning. Closing her eyes, a number of faces swam across her mind’s eye. Rush, her mother, Brianna, Cassandra, Lauren, Iris, and Quick.
There was so much to do and she had no idea where to start.
No idea at all.
But she knew someone who was much smarter than she was who had the means to find out.
Rolling over, she picked up her phone and called Lauren. “
Hey. It’s me. I need your big brain.”
“Wow. With such sweet talking ways, how is it you’re still single?”
Denny couldn’t help but chuckle. “The names are Liderc, Valeria, Rasputin, and Asmodeus.”
“And a partridge in a pear tree?”
“Good night, Lauren.”
“Good night, sweet talker.”
****
“I’ve collected enough evidence to convince me that DA Carol and the defense attorney Jones, may have been in cahoots, but it’s not enough to convince the state to re-open Quick’s case.” Reese slid a folder over across the desk from where she sat.
“What do you need?” Denny paced across the small office in mid-town and flipped the folder open before sitting down.
“Geez, what don’t I need? I need more time. More evidence. Hell, a taped confession. Denny, if you go up against the DA and lose—”
“It’s not about me or my risks. It’s about getting Quick the hell out of there. It’s about not allowing my brother to serve time for a crime he did not commit.”
“DA Carol is a nasty piece of work, Denny. I’ve pulled his files, his cases, everything. Did you know when he first became DA he sent an eighty-two-year-old grandmother to jail on Christmas Eve because some puffed up rent-a-cop caught her stealing a pair of nylons?”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish I were. Now, here’s the interesting part. His opponents cut deals with him sixty percent more than the national average. Sixty percent.”
“He plays hardball.”
“No, Denny, he plays dirty. That’s why he’s so dangerous. The rules never apply to him.”
“He never offered Quick a plea bargain.”
“Because it appeared to be a slam dunk case.” Reese, in a brown leather bomber jacket and tight jeans, walked around her battered desk and handed Denny another file. “We have two witnesses who saw some guy coming out of the house wearing exactly what Quick described. Unfortunately, none of them could remember the face, nor were their statements offered into evidence.” She held up one hand. “No, it is not enough.” Sitting next to Denny, she laid her hand on Denny’s thigh. “I’m going to be brutally honest, Denny. Unless we can come up with the actual killer, we simply do not have enough to go on.”
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