Sekhet

  “My name is Joe Savage from Seattle. Is there any chance the chief is available?”

  “Chief is actually out for the day. He took his son fishing.” Her response was genuinely apologetic.

  “Hmm, do you by chance have a number where we could reach him?”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t give that information out. He will be here early tomorrow morning, if that helps.”

  “Well, actually—”

  Joe was stopped mid-sentence by Victor, who bid the woman good day and walked out of the station without another word.

  “What was that?” Joe demanded once they were outside. “I could have gotten the number.”

  “The less people know about us, the better,” said Victor.

  “It’s a small town, Victor. By now, the two people we drove past on the way in have already told their friends they noticed a strange car, driven by two men, one in a suit, one of whom didn’t even wave. You have got to wave, by the way. I keep telling you this.”

  “For starters, Joe, I grew up here, and I know very well who those two men were, even before we drove past. I didn’t wave because, on more than one occasion, I lost a ball in that bastard’s garden.”

  “Did that old man burst your ball?” Joe replied, making Victor burst into laughter.

  “Yes, he damn well did, actually, and more than one.” Victor’s tone changed into a mild disgust as he glanced down the road. “Right in front of me, too.”

  “Well, that must have been very difficult for you,” Joe jeered.

  Victor chose to ignore his tone. “I’m hungry.”

  “Way to change the subject there, Partner.” Pulling his seatbelt tight, Joe looked in Victor’s direction. “You think her grandma makes sweet potato pie?”

  “You tell me,” Victor replied, checking the road for other cars.

  “I can’t.”

  “What? Still?” Victor’s voice said it all, forcing Joe to look away.

  “I’ve got nothing.”

  “Well then, it’s time to see what the hell is going on.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Allies or Enemies

  Spending the night roaming through the fields belonging to old Mr. Jacobs, Molly felt cold all over. Having the sense to know she was in the worst possible predicament was one thing, grasping how to get out of it was another matter.

  Rather than dwell on unwittingly promised Sekhet, Molly was concentrating on scaling the fence between the wet, dew-covered, knee-high grass and what she hoped to be her way out.

  Why Sekhet couldn’t just stay on the trail that over the years had been well established by the landowner frustrated Molly. They had made a fire, small enough not to be noticed but big enough to keep Sekhet’s appetite sated during the late hours of night. Flicking her chilled fingers at the small gathering of sticks, Molly had watched as the spark caught, displaying a bright yellow flame. Hungry, scared, she now had the utmost regret that she had caved in to Sekhet’s strange behavior.

  Molly smiled when she felt it necessary, allowing Sekhet to drift off into whatever world she was thinking of as she spoke. She told of old romances and the days of war, days Sekhet had ruled over men who feared her so much that they gave everything to her in the hopes of mercy. In most cases, they didn’t receive what had been hoped for, although some – the ones Sekhet had taken a liking to – had received extra benefits. Whether or not any of these characters shared Sekhet’s life in the Underworld was not revealed, and was not something Molly was going to inquire about. The sex life of a Hell Demon was none of her business.

  Waking to see Sekhet standing with her face to the light of the morning sun made Molly feel peculiar. Her eyes were shut, long lashes gently resting upon the young face of the nameless girl she had possessed. They hadn’t spoken, other than Sekhet declaring she was ready to leave. Even though it was the girl’s body, it was still Sekhet’s voice. And her eyes.

  ***

  Having walked in silence, Molly felt uneasy, so she decided it best to take the reins and suggest getting a bite to eat. Not hungry herself, Molly’s need to be around other people was overwhelming. Stopping at the first coffee shop they arrived at back in town, they sat at the table closest to the window, but more importantly, as close to the door as possible. Gobbling big bites of apple pie and ice cream, Sekhet looked like any young girl enjoying a treat. Only this was not just any young girl.

  The familiar smell of day-old coffee was accompanied by the stink of tobacco that wafted through the door every time someone entered, thanks to those customers who didn’t comprehend that the notice to stay twenty-five feet away from the premises was an actual requirement and not a suggestion.

  Memories of their first encounter wormed their way into Molly’s mind, making her feel sick to her stomach. And she had to wonder what the demon actually wanted. Surely it isn’t to eat apple pie and ice cream, Molly thought, watching Sekhet closely.

  “Actually, it is.” Looking from under her eyelashes, Sekhet watched a now-shocked Molly’s mouth drop open. “You made a deal with me, Molly, and I like to follow through with promises made. Call it my old-fashioned values.”

  “Let me get this straight. You possessed this girl…” as she waved her hand up and down, gesturing at the girl’s body, Molly couldn’t keep the doubt out of her voice “…you track me down, scare the shit out of my grandmother, and all you want is dessert? What age is she, anyway?”

  Sekhet’s eyes narrowed as the last spoonful entered her mouth. “Of course that is not all, silly girl. I need you to do something for me, and she is a girl with a bad attitude for the most part. I chose her to teach her a lesson in respect.”

  The pair glanced at each other, then Molly took her coffee and sipped. She didn’t truly want it anymore, but needed something to make her feel in control.

  “Don’t worry, I will give you something in return,” Sekhet promised. “After all, it isn’t as if my services are not required. From what I hear, I could be rather useful.”

  Molly gave the impression of hanging on every word, while considering her invitation to do business. Sekhet laughed, drawing the curious attention of two ladies in the corner, who obviously thought it extraordinary that such a young girl would have a voice so odd.

  “Let me make something clear to you, Molly.” Laying the spoon to one side, Sekhet folded her arms in front of her without breaking eye contact. “Do not forget who I am. Do not forget what I do. And do not, under any circumstances, think that I do not know you’re every inspirational idea of finding an escape route, because I will find you, no matter where you go, and I will not be as courteous as I have been so far when I do.”

  Grabbing for the menu again, Sekhet, heaved out a sigh, as if her words were sufficient for the conversation to be over. Closing her eyes as her finger ran down along the thick plastic-covered paper, she stopped on a double chocolate fudge cake, then smiled and called for the waitress. “You really should eat, Molly. You are going to be very busy, and you will need your strength.”

  Finally finding her voice, Molly dared to say, “From what I can recall of our last meeting, why should I agree to anything?”

  The heat radiating from across the table made Molly’s eyes water. Chancing a glimpse in her companion’s direction only resulted in her kicking herself for her quick tongue. Red eyes blazed, while white teeth flashed between thinned lips. “Because if you don’t,” Sekhet hissed, “I will peel the skin from your body and bathe in your blood.”

  “Well, that is probably less than what my grandmother will do if I help you, so I think I will take my chances.” Standing on shaking legs, forgetting in the heat of the moment the cardinal rule in dealing with a demon when it came to respect, Molly fought every urge to beg her forgiveness on bended knees. “Enjoy your cake. Oh, and here,” she said as a last thought, “you will need this.” Throwing money on the table, fighting to keep her resolve, Molly tried to smile. “We wouldn’t want you getting arrested for not paying, now would we?”


  At that, Molly spun, quivering from the inside out, and took one step at a time out of the diner and toward the corner, all the while gasping for much-needed air, turning only once to ensure Sekhet wasn’t following her.

  Still sitting in her chair by the window, Sekhet was following Molly, but only with those red eyes, all the while waving her fork in Molly's direction.

  “God help me,” Molly mumbled under her breath as she set off in a run toward her grandmother’s house.

  ***

  Pulling up in front of Dot’s house always left Victor anxious. He never knew what to expect, especially now, when he spotted his father’s car outside. All the lights were on downstairs and up, which was another thing that set his mind racing.

  Dot could be eccentric when she felt the need, but lighting up her home like the Fourth of July in daylight wasn’t something on the top of her list.

  Stepping out of the car, Victor moved to greet Daniel, who was standing on the front porch. Joe chose to stay in the car and wait for the all-clear.

  Daniel’s eyes never settled on any particular thing, scanning the road and surrounding houses, as he came down the porch steps and quick-marched along the entrance walkway from the front porch toward his son. Still not on speaking terms, except to be civil in the vicinity of others, their relationship had been strained for so long now that Victor was used to it consisting of nothing but small talk. They kept it to simple how-was-your-day kind of conversation, which was enough to satisfy Victor’s mother, while both of them, father and son, yearned to go off in opposite directions.

  Running footsteps sounded to the left, startling both Victor and Daniel as Molly came running into the yard, not halting even when Daniel’s hand went out to grab her as she passed. That was all it took for Joe to explode from his seat in the car, taking off into the house after Molly before Victor and Daniel made it to the first step.

  Joe chasing Molly up the stairs, yelling for her to stop, drew the attention of every soul, past and present, and they all jumped to shut all the blinds and pull all the drapes closed. The whole Council took their places in numerous positions all through the house, and then complete silence fell, with the exception of Joe’s voice.

  Victor went in search of Dot. Having so many witches in the same space was overwhelming. Especially witches who were seasoned and had something to hide. Hearing a serious screaming match on the back patio, Victor located Dot and Lucy.

  At his approach, they were forced to bite their tongues, their pinched expressions drawing attention to the fact that they were obviously in something far over their heads. Their bodies were stiff with tension at the effort to keep themselves in check. Victor imagined he would be able to smell the bullshit they would spin if either of them dared to open their mouths.

  “Hello, Ladies,” Victor said in all his masculine glory, which earned him a scowl from Dot and a growl from Lucy, who, true to Victor’s long-lasting opinion of her, maintained such a wonderful way with words.

  “When did you get here?” Lucy asked bitingly.

  “Around the same time as your daughter,” replied Victor.

  “Molly is back?” Yelping in delight, Lucy darted into the house, yelling her daughter’s name.

  “She is upstairs with Joe,” Daniel said, deciding it best to put a stop to her squawking. As Lucy leapt for the staircase, Daniel moved quickly to cut her off. “Let him speak to her, Lucy.”

  “She is my daughter, Daniel. I want to know what the hell is going on!”

  “Yes, we all do, but you racing up there, demanding answers, is not going to help. Daniel’s voice held that supremacy Victor remembered from his childhood, when he had done something completely ridiculous. Only it didn’t seem to have the effect in present day as it had then. Lucy, unlike the teenage version of himself, simply squared her shoulders, readying herself. She was gearing up to cast! Her fingers fluttered, her words boomed, and the lights over all their heads blew in one beautiful flash and crack, followed by a hum of whispered spells as balls of light shone in all the corners, exposing weary but understanding faces.

  Taking Lucy by the shoulders, Daniel heaved a heavy sigh before he spoke. “Let Joe coax her down. From what you have said, she has had quite a lot to deal with. A chance to breathe always helps. Besides, it gives us all a chance to concentrate on securing this place.” Turning with a smile to all the women watching and listening, Daniel told them, “Take it upon yourselves to do whatever it takes to keep everyone inside, sheltered, and out of harm’s way for the duration of what is coming. ”

  Sarah had found Victor sitting on the couch, hands clenched on his knees. “So, Victor…” she began, gazing at him in the dim light, “…your father is here to help. Are you?”

  “Well, since I have absolutely no clue as to what is going on, that is a more difficult question to answer than you may assume, Miz. Sinclair.”

  “Have you charged that horrible man with my daughter’s murder?”

  Now Victor understood – Lily’s mother was Sarah Sinclair! Ex-wife of Mason! “No,” he said, “as it happens, I have not, but now, I don’t have to go looking for you. We need to talk.” Without waiting for a response, Victor got to his feet and walked out into the backyard, assuming Sarah would follow.

  Molly remained locked behind her bedroom door, with only Joe for company.

  Dot had devised her own plan when it came to the Council, sending all the women away, enabling them the chance to ensure their own families’ safety, pending further notice. Victor took the hint to stay in his place, and not interfere with the decisions made by the Council Elders. He had on previous occasions tried pushing his weight around, using his job and position as leverage. It had ended badly for all involved, leaving an ever more bitter taste in Lucy’s mouth when it came to the detective.

  Victor may have been a life-long friend of her daughter’s, one who helped her on more than one occasion, but Lucy had seen something in Victor that scared her. His ability to cause havoc alarmed her enough that, from the day he had brought his police antics into her home, she had lost all desire to be courteous toward him, even in public. Today would be no different, which, of course, would frustrate Dot, piss off Molly, and more than likely earn her more than a look of pure displeasure from all directions, but she didn’t care.

  Day waned into evening. Light bulbs had been replaced, with the exception of the ones at the front and back of the house, Victor having determined it best to leave those areas to the will of the moon overhead, except for the light over the side door entrance.

  ***

  It was the wee hours of the morning. The waiting had brought nothing.

  Alone in the kitchen, brewing hot tea while discussing the intricate details of what had surfaced the day before, and the long night, Lucy was talking to herself in hushed whispers. Of course, from where the kitchen was located in comparison to Molly’s room, there was no chance they could have been overheard, but she knew there was no such thing as being too careful.

  “That smells great,” a ruffled-haired Joe said from behind her, which startled Lucy just enough to draw a curse from her lips. As short as his crew cut was, it still looked to be standing up all along the right side of his head, which either meant he had slept in the purple chair in Molly’s room, face in hand, or he hadn’t moved an inch while lying on the floor, afraid of waking her. Or in her bed. Not being able to withstand a smile like Joe’s, Lucy handed him her own cup, starting the brewing process all over again to replace it.

  Lucy had always liked Joe, so she had chosen not to interfere in whatever it was that was going on between him and her daughter. She could see why Molly liked him. He was handsome, with broad shoulders, soft features, a well-shaped mouth, and a six-pack that showed through his now very wrinkled, washed-out T-shirt. Not her type but pleasant on the eyes. “I’m sure he can handle anything Molly can throw at him,” Lucy thought to herself, looking him over once more. “If not…” she gave a slight shrug of her shoulder as she asked,“ How
is she?”

  “Restless but sleeping.”

  “Did you find out anything, Joe? What does the demon want?” Lucy’s voice shook slightly when the word demon rolled off her tongue, but Joe said nothing. He knew of the battles between them over the years, mother and daughter, and although he would agree with Molly ninety percent of the time that her mother was probably crazy, he had to admit to himself when someone was being genuine. Lucy was nervous, and for the first time since he met the woman, she wasn’t hiding behind a spell.

  “Let’s just say she didn’t handle it as well as she should have.” He had to smile, recalling the story Molly had recited about the discussion over pie in the restaurant. “Regardless of whether you want to deal with a Hell Demon or not, they demand respect.”

  “And just what does that mean?”

  Squinting his eyes slightly while scrunching up his nose, Joe sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and continued hesitantly. “Well…Molly basically told Sekhet to jump off the nearest bridge, and that the demon was the one who needed Molly in this realm, not the other way around.”

  “She what!” Lucy shouted, her voice taking on an extra octave.

  “Joe, is there any more tea?” Victor asked as he readied himself to get caught up in yet another conversation he knew he shouldn’t be hearing. He stopped directly in front of the stove and a cup that sat there, already poured and ready for consumption.

  “No, there isn’t!” Lucy sniped, but caught herself just as fast. This man could very well be her daughter’s way out of the mess she had found herself in – again. Cringing, she picked up the cup and handed it to Victor with a mumbled apology, which he accepted, albeit with a suspicious frown as he sniffed at it.

  “Aren’t you the suspicious one this morning?” she responded with a wicked grin, making Joe chuckle and Victor even more skeptical of the tea in his hand.

  “Here, you have it,” he said. “I’m in the mood for coffee anyway. I mean, it’s not even light out yet.”