by DB Reynolds
He shook his head. “Demon.”
Grace gave a wordless noise of surprise and then pulled her weapon and stepped out to his side. Kato shot her a glance. It was on the tip of his tongue to order, or ask, her to stay behind him, but the fierce look she directed his way kept him silent. He wouldn’t insult her by suggesting she was a victim, rather than a fighter.
They stood together, perfectly still, barely breathing, as the door opened . . . and George Gabler stepped through.
“Doctor Gabler,” Grace said in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to be here so late.”
Gabler gave her a cool glance. “And I didn’t expect you here at all, much less in my office.” His gaze shifted to Kato. “With your boyfriend.”
Kato froze, staring, while Grace lowered her weapon and slid it out of view into the shoulder holster underneath her unzipped sweatshirt.
She started to step in front of Kato, pasting a smile on her face. “This isn’t—” But she never finished her sentence, as he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her back, stepping in front of her. Insults to her honor be damned, this thing wasn’t George Gabler.
“Kato, what—”
“That’s not Gabler,” he growled, holding out an arm to keep her back. “The spell.” He heard her indrawn breath of shock, and then the creature was speaking.
“What a nuisance you are, witch’s son,” demon Gabler hissed.
“How long has he been like this?” Grace asked, and Kato cursed silently.
“Grace, remember the rules.”
“Rules,” she repeated softly. “Ah,” she said on a breath.
“That’s sweet. He’s so protective of you. Such a knight. But do you know what he really is? Did he tell you of his dark and bloody past?”
Grace was silent behind him, having been reminded of the first rule of dealing with demons. Don’t talk to them, don’t listen to them.
“Nothing to say, little human?” demon Gabler chided. “A shame. You were so helpful to us.” His voice hardened. “Until your blundering loosed this one on the world.”
“He doesn’t sound like Gabler,” she whispered, intending it for Kato’s ears only, but the demon, of course, heard.
“Gabler’s a fool. I’m insulted at the comparison. He’s the one who suggested this, you know. He offered himself up for possession.” The creature laughed. “Gods, how he hated all of you,” it added, speaking directly to Grace despite Kato’s best efforts. “Such a tiresome man, quite the whiner. But in the end, all he wanted was money. Can you believe it? Money!” It laughed again, louder this time.
Kato hated the foul thing, but he had to agree with him on this one point. Making a deal with a demon? Permitting the creature to possess you in exchange for money? It would be money you’d never have the opportunity to spend, because you’d be dead or worse. Gabler truly had been a fool.
“Well, I’ll answer your question anyway, Grace, because you’ve been so useful,” the demon continued almost primly. “You want to know how long it’s been since the fool offered himself up to me? Time is confusing in this world, but two full moons have come and gone since the new and improved George Gabler was born.”
“But that means—”
“That I’m the one who hired you!” The demon cackled. “Yes, indeed. We had work to do, and we needed a distraction. You, with your magical pittance, were just the thing.”
Kato listened carefully to every word the demon was saying. The creatures loved to play games, putting the truth out there and daring their adversaries to put it all together. But the one word that spoke most loudly to Kato’s ear was “we.”
He pulled Grace more securely behind him. “Who’s your master?” he demanded. He knew the creature wouldn’t want to give up that information. This was no simple demonic possession, not like what poor Ryan had suffered. That demon had been just powerful enough to possess the human and wreak havoc for a short time. But it had been nowhere near strong enough for a several months’ long possession. This new demon had to be powerful indeed in order to have successfully masqueraded as Gabler for months, with no one the wiser. The creature had revealed itself tonight, but that only meant it no longer required the Gabler persona for whatever it had planned. Either that, or it intended to eliminate the two of them as witnesses.
But the thing wasn’t finished yet. “Alas, I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve other duties to perform, and you’ve both become more trouble than you’re worth.”
“Touch her and die, demon,” Kato growled. If this creature thought it could kill the two of them, that it could kill Grace that easily, it was about to discover just how big of a nuisance he could be.
The demon began laughing. “You’re all so fucking proud, so smug. But not for long. My master—” The creature shrieked as Kato’s black blade pierced its torso, sliding from front to back, cutting close enough to the heart that the demon must have felt its passage, before emerging next to its spine.
Kato didn’t want the thing dead yet. He wanted the name of its master. Wanted to know if the truth matched his supposition.
“The name of your master, foul creature. And perhaps I’ll leave you alive to return to your hellish dimension.”
Demon Gabler writhed on his sword, the ensorcelled blade drinking in the thing’s blood, the energy that it contained, draining its very life force with every beat of the demon’s heart.
“Speak quickly, demon. My blade is hungry tonight.”
“He knew it was you,” the demon taunted, twisting on the blade, its human eyes now burning with red flames, lips drawn back over human teeth. “He so wanted to touch you, to stroke the gritty stone of your prison and stare into your eyes. But we couldn’t risk it. Not yet. We needed the woman to activate the spells first, and she was so eager to help. Such a wanton creature, so steeped in raw sexuality. I had plans for her when this was over. Alas, that you got there first. Maybe he’ll make you watch while he rapes her, while you reap the fruit of your dark birth. Is there anything you touch that you don’t destroy?”
Moving faster than the eye could see, it wrenched itself off Kato’s blade, its breath wheezing in and out through the hole in its torso as it backed away.
Kato ignored the demon’s slur regarding the price of his birth, reminding himself of the rules he’d made Grace memorize. Don’t listen to demons. They lie. He cleaned his blade instead, giving a negligent flick of his wrist that splattered gore and black demon blood all over the human Gabler’s tidy desk,
He shrugged. “So far, this so-called master of yours is nowhere to be found. It would seem he’s abandoned you, or he’s just too busy to save your life. Rather cowardly of him. What’s his name?” Kato persisted. He bared his teeth at the creature. “As you pointed out, I do love to kill things.”
Demon Gabler scoffed, but its gaze followed the path of Kato’s blade, the black blade of the Dark Witch. It had the power to kill even as powerful a demon as this one was.
Kato lifted his gaze. “Last chance,” he warned softly.
The demon snarled, its eyes darting all around, seeking escape. But finally it stood its ground, raising itself to Gabler’s full height and straightening the man’s vest with a sharp tug that had to be a carryover gesture from the human. “You already know his name,” it snapped, glaring its hatred. “Ask your whore; she knows it, too.”
“I don’t—” Grace started to protest, but Kato stopped her with a raised hand.
“Watch how you speak of her, demon. My tolerance of your kind is limited.”
The demon literally spat its opinion of that, and Kato fought back a wince as the spittle burned through his pants leg and sizzled against his skin. It hadn’t had that effect earlier, and the change bespoke bad things for Gabler. Not that it mattered all that much. After two months, even if the human were alive after the demon departed, chances were there would be nothing to save. Gabler would be at best a drooling idiot, and at worse, a vacant body.
Kato flicked his blade in the demon’s direction a
nd the creature shrieked, twisting to avoid the blade. “You fear pain,” Kato said softly. “A side effect of your possession, perhaps? The Dark Witch never did like demons. She would have enjoyed seeing you feel the human’s pain.”
“The Dark Witch,” the demon hissed. “You think that bitch created me?”
Kato shrugged, pretending disregard. “What she created was the spell that brought you forth—something your so-called master was clearly unable to accomplish on his own. So, yeah, I’d say she created you.”
“I am not ruled by that festering dead witch. My master is everlasting and powerful. He will destroy you and everyone you care for. He is—”
“Yes, yes. Almighty and so on. But what’s his name? Or is he so weak that you’re afraid to tell me?”
“Sotiris,” the demon hissed, and then grinned in triumph. “He doesn’t fear you and your whore. Your deaths are foreseen. They will be painful and long, and I’ll be by his—” Its eyes widened in shock as it stared down at the sword piercing its chest, the black blade humming loudly as it feasted on its blood.
The creature lifted its head, black blood staining its teeth and dripping down its chin, as it grinned at Kato. “This isn’t the end, witch’s son. My master has plans for you.” Jagged magic abruptly filled the room as the demon ripped open a portal into its hellish dimension, and disappeared. The rift snapped shut with a loud boom, leaving Kato’s blade hanging in midair and steaming with sizzling ichor.
“Well, shit,” Damian said, appearing in the open doorway. “You get to have all the fun.”
Kato glanced up as he sank slowly into Gabler’s office chair, his leg burning like all seven levels of hell where the demon’s spit had struck him, while his gut took up its familiar ache. Despite all of that, he grinned at his brother, fiercely glad in that moment to have him back by his side. “I have a feeling there’ll be fun enough for both of us before this is over. You heard what he said.”
“Sotiris,” Damian agreed grimly.
Grace pushed past Kato and ran over to the office refrigerator, coming back with several bottles of cold water and a small towel. “Is Gabler dead?” she asked as she knelt at his side and ripped open the tattered remnants of his pant leg.
“Gabler, almost certainly, but the demon . . . no. It simply returned to his own realm.”
“I’m no expert,” Damian commented, “but it takes more than a little power to rip open a portal like that, especially as wounded as it was.”
“The question is, was it his own power, or someone else’s?” Kato winced as Grace poured cold water over his burned skin.
“We should bandage this,” she murmured and started to rise.
But he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Leave it, amata. It will heal.”
Damian spoke up. “He’s right. And we need to get out of here. Cassandra sent me to tell you we’re blown up top. Security’s back on line, and she’s waiting for us at the car.” He pulled Kato out of the chair and slung an arm around him, despite Grace’s protest. “Sorry, sweetheart. No more time. I’m guessing you have an employee exit?” he asked.
She gave him a look that was none too friendly, but nodded. “The system will record my employee key card, but not the number of people leaving.”
“Thank you, amata,” Kato whispered, at least partly to compensate for his brother’s practical but less sensitive words.
Grace’s expression softened and she took up his other side, pulling his arm over her shoulder, her arm around his waist, “I’ve got him,” she snapped at Damian. “You go ahead in case anyone’s waiting for us. You’re a big enough target.”
Damian only laughed and exchanged a private look with Kato. “Bossy,” he repeated, winking. “I like her.”
Chapter Eleven
“WHAT THE HELL?” Grace muttered, as the gate rolled back on her parents’ beach house. “Whose car is that?”
Kato eyed the sleek sports car, its bright red paint reduced to a dull maroon in the glow of the yellow-tinted security lights, and wondered the same thing. It made him uneasy that Grace didn’t recognize the car. There had already been too many surprises tonight. The last thing they needed . . .
A soul-deep contentment settled slowly inside him, and he started laughing.
“Kato?” Grace was looking at him in alarm, but he could only grin. He jumped out as their car rolled to a stop, forgetting his sore leg and his aching gut, waiting only long enough to drag her from her seat and pull her with him through the open gate of the curtain wall outside the house. The front door stood open, which had her swearing in alarm, but Kato wasn’t worried. He knew exactly who waited inside the house, and how he’d gotten through all of Grace’s security measures.
“Kato, what . . . ?”
She didn’t have a chance to say anything more, because Nico was suddenly there, reaching out to pull Kato into an embrace, the two of them holding each other like the long-lost brothers they were.
“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Nico was muttering, but Kato could only shake his head. He didn’t blame Nico; he never had. But words were more than he could handle right now. He was aware of Grace standing a few feet away, knew the moment Damian entered the house to stand next to her.
“He was always Nico’s favorite, you know,” the big warrior informed her. “He was younger than the rest of us, and so fucked up by his bitch of a mother. It took him a while to trust anyone. Only Nico could have pulled that off.”
“He needs to heal,” she said worriedly. “Every time he uses his magic—”
“I know. So does Nico, and with him here, our boy Kato won’t have to go through hell to get better.”
Nico’s chuckle sounded in Kato’s ear, and he said, “They’re talking about us.”
Kato grinned. “I know.”
Nico pulled back to study him. “How bad is it, brother? How bad has it been?”
“Not bad—” He broke off at Grace’s loud scoffing noise. He gave her a guilty glance, and turned back to find Nico regarding him with a mixture of humor and concern.
“You found a woman already? Why am I not surprised?”
Kato reached out to pull Grace closer. “Grace, this is Nicodemus, the leader we all follow.”
“Nick Katsaros in this century,” Nico amended for her benefit, and then smiled and said, “You’re the one who broke the curse.”
She nodded. “Dumb luck on my part, but, yeah. Thank God.”
It was Nico’s turn to scoff. “I’ve found little evidence that the gods give a fuck about any of us.”
She shrugged. “It’s a saying, like thanking the universe. But you know that. You live here.”
“True, but when it comes to gods, I tend to think literally. What?” he added, turning as Damian joined them.
“I heard the word ‘god’ and figured you must be talking about me.”
Kato groaned. “Is he still pushing that fantasy? After all this time?” he asked Nico.
“For what it’s worth,” the sorcerer responded. “There aren’t too many gods around in this day and age. But maybe he can start a revival.”
“No, thank you,” Damian’s woman, Cassandra, chimed in. “His head is quite big enough.”
They all laughed, and Kato glanced around their circle, looking from one person to the next. He was so filled with happiness in that moment, that he thought he’d burst with it, literally blow apart. He was a child of dark magic, he wasn’t designed to contain so much joy. But then Grace’s slender hand slipped into his, and the world righted itself. She reminded him that he was more than the son of the Dark Witch. He was Grace’s lover, Nico’s brother, Damian’s friend. His mother may have birthed him only to serve her nefarious ends, but he’d gone beyond her schemes and created someone she’d never foreseen.
“You need to rest,” Grace said softly, and then more loudly to everyone. “Why don’t we all move inside and sit down. Maybe go totally crazy and close the front door?” she added with a bite of humor.
“I op
ened wine while I waited,” Nico announced, leading the way. “An excellent Napa cabernet, Diamond Creek, one of my favorites.”
Kato gave him a bemused look, as Grace whispered, “I’m fairly certain that wine is from my dad’s collection.”
He hooked an arm around her neck and tugged her closer. “That’s Nico for you. He takes over.”
“Good. He can take over dinner, while you and I hit the shower.”
Kato twitched his eyebrows suggestively. She elbowed his side and then sucked in a breath, shocked at her own stupidity. “God, I’m sorry. Did that hurt?”
“Breathe easy, amata. Nico has already healed most of it.” He tugged her toward the stairs and called over his shoulder, “You all can organize dinner. We need to change. I stink of demon blood.”
“That’s a new one,” Damian called, as Cassandra slapped his arm.
“Take your time,” she said. “We’ll handle things down here.”
“It’s like I don’t even live here,” Grace muttered as she closed the door to her bedroom.
“They mean well, but they’re accustomed to being in charge. Especially Nico. Hell, he ruled the largest territory of our time.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what he does in this reality, but I’d wager he has control of some kind. It’s simply in his nature.”
“Well, I don’t know about his nature, but that car down there costs as much as some people earn in a lifetime. And money is power in this world.”
“Wealth has always equaled power,” he agreed, then pulled her close, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. “Do you regret becoming involved in all of this? Your friend Ryan is injured, your neighbors killed, not to mention Gabler who—”
She put her fingers over his mouth. “First, I don’t regret anything. Let’s not forget that my being involved included freeing you from a nightmare existence. How could I regret that? As for the other . . . I did all of that, Kato. I’m the one who copied the scrolls, the one who involved Ryan, and freed the demon who killed my neighbors. If anything, more people would have died if you hadn’t been around. But even more . . .” She drew closer, her breasts pressed against his chest as she brushed her lips over his and spoke against his mouth. “How can I regret anything that brought me to you?”