“A consulting gig. I was able to refinance the house.”
“Really? Without my help? Both our names are on the mortgage.”
“There are some papers you need to sign, but it's in both our best interests. You see, the bank really didn't want to foreclose, not in this market.”
“Great. Tell me about this consulting gig of yours.”
“Sure...” As they ate Brant gave a general overview of the arrangement. He failed to mention things she didn't need to know and things she wouldn't have believed anyway. Besides, he explained, there was a non-disclosure agreement.
“I see,” Evelyn said. “You land an open-ended job, one that apparently pays enough that you can refinance the house – a house you never liked to begin with.”
“I like this house. I simply never saw a need for all the space, that's all.”
“What's the plan, then, keep hold of it long enough for the market to turn around, then sell?”
“I honestly don't know, Ev. I was doing everything – everything – I could think of to keep the train from derailing.”
“That's great,” Evelyn's voice dripped sarcasm. “You get a decent job and what do I get? Takeout food and a one bedroom apartment.”
Brant set down chopsticks. “I had a good job and you had this house. We went out to dinner all the time. What did I get? Greg Abrams in my bed.”
“You stopped being attentive to me.”
“Don't put this on me. Sure, early in our marriage I worked a lot of hours. Hell, I was helping to build Silicon Solutions – you were understanding and supportive. Later, when I realized that we as a couple couldn't maintain that pace, I slowed down. Last several years, I rarely worked more than forty hours a week, and you know that, so don't put this on me.”
“Be that as it may,” Evelyn retorted, “you'd grown distant, very distant, over the past year.”
“Excuse the hell out of me. Maybe I could've handled it better but I'd found myself unemployed and living with a cheating spouse. All things considered, I think I could've handled it much worse.”
Evelyn abruptly stood. “If you want me back I suggest you start treating me better than this.”
Brant nodded knowingly.
“What?” Evelyn said. “Those wheels of yours are spinning. What's running through your head?”
“Wouldn't you like to know.”
“I'll give you a piece of my mind instead. I suggest you try to mend this marriage before it's too late, because if you don't, I'll be damned if you're living in this house while I'm living in a goddamn apartment. You don't need this much space.”
“You're right. I don't. But the space comes in handy with Katie here.”
“She's staying here? I thought she was living in Wichita Falls.”
“She just got a job. She starts tomorrow.”
Evelyn, purse in hand, started for the door but wheeled around to add: “I suggest you start kissing my ass or we sell this house at the first offer, no matter how low the bid.”
“I don't think so,” Brant said, wheels still turning.
“And one last thing. I can't believe you let your daughter dress the way she does. She looks like a ComiCon slut.”
“She's a grown woman who can dress however she pleases. Now get out.”
“I mean it – the first offer,” Evelyn repeated as she closed the front door behind her.
Brant stood staring at the door, thinking:
Careful what you wish for, you just might get it
You're jealous of Katie's youth
And her living here, not you
I can't believe I wanted to fuck you tonight
“Daddy,” a voice behind him said, “I don't like her very much.”
Brant turned. “Want an egg roll?”
“Sure.” Katie took him by the hand and they went in the other room. “You could do so much better than her, y'know.”
I know, Brant thought.
9
“Daddy? Are you awake?”
Brant groggily blinked against bright light.
“Sorry I woke you. The light was on.”
“I know, sweetie. I was reading in bed and must've fallen asleep. What's up?”
Katie came closer. Brant could see now that she wore a lavender teddy. She said, “I can't sleep. I'm nervous about starting my new job tomorrow and...”
“And what?”
“And I had a horrible nightmare.”
“Oh, baby. I'm sorry.”
“It's not your fault, Daddy. But those books you've been reading. They're kinda creepy. I flipped through one you left downstairs and it had...”
“I know, darling.”
The text he'd been reading while she watched music videos on a YouTube feed contained graphic woodcut depictions of sacrifice and blood orgies. Black mass ceremonies and covens of witches in league with the devil. There had been one particular woodcut Katie had laughed about at the time, one with three witches licking the anus of a devil to prove their allegiance.
Katie, hugging herself, said, “I feel safe around you. Would it be okay if I slept in here tonight? I'll try not to wake you in the morning.”
They'd agreed she could take the car tomorrow since Brant wouldn't be needing it. He planned to spend the day reading. There was so much to read, he wouldn't mind an early start even if she inadvertently happened to wake him. The request, while perhaps a bit unorthodox, considering her age and their relationship, didn't seem unreasonable considering the large stack of occult books and the perhaps frightening grandeur of the large, mostly vacant home.
“Sure,” Brant said, “I don't mind.”
Katie flashed a smile as she crawled beneath the covers. Brant switched off the lights and rolled away from Katie for some shuteye.
In seemingly a New York minute, a bleating, repetitive sound originating from down the hall woke Brant. For a moment he didn't understand. Then a series of items registered in memory:
Katie's alarm, probably her cell phone, down the hall in her room
5:00 AM, the time she'd mentioned having to wake for her 6:00 AM shift
Her nightmares
Her body pressed against him as she slept
Her bosom rose and fell with each sleeping breath
An erection that had everything to do with circulation while he slept, tented his pajama pants
“Katie...” Brant gently stroked his daughter's upper arm as he softly spoke.
“Yes, Daddy?”
“Rise and shine. Time for work.”
“Work?” she asked, obviously not fully awake.
“Java Joe's,” Brant said a little more loudly. Her body had one of his arms pinned under and around her. With that hand he attempted to rock her awake; his hand landed on a buttock as he nudged her.
“Oh. Yes. Sorry. I didn't hear the alarm.”
“No worries, sweetie. You don't want to be late.”
“Nope, I don't. Thank you, Daddy. I slept like a princess.”
A hand brushed against Brant's erection as Katie rolled out of bed. A moment after leaving the bedroom the alarm stopped.
Coffee does sound good, Brant thought. He longed to return to the books and had half a mind to drive Katie to work just to get a cup of Joe's java. Except he knew he wouldn't do that. He'd agreed to let her drive the BMW and had given her the spare key a few days ago when he sent her shopping for outfits to wear to work until the package containing her wardrobe arrived. Her mother had promised to mail it.
He decided a quick, hot shower would revive him. Then he'd brew a pot of coffee downstairs before hitting the books. It was surprising how much he'd missed the all-night cram sessions of his university days and early years at Silicon Solutions.
Ten minutes later, Brant was padding down the stairs with damp hair and fresh pajama pants and t-shirt. Coffee had begun to drip into the glass pot when Katie, donning black slacks and a white blouse, appeared.
“Coffee will be ready soon, unless you prefer the good stuff at wo
rk,” Brant said.
“You buy good stuff.” Katie, obviously having jitters, said, “I'm so nervous.”
“You'll be fine, sweetie.” Brant hugged his daughter. “You should eat, though. Can't work on an empty stomach.”
“Maybe toast. Or a bagel. I should totally go shopping. The cupboards are bare.”
“That would be awesome,” Brant said. “I've been living like a bachelor since Evelyn left.”
“I'll take care of you, Daddy,” Katie said. “We'll figure it out tonight, after I get home – two bagels left. Want one?”
“Sure.”
After breakfast and trips to their respective bathrooms to brush their teeth, they met again downstairs, Brant with a book, Katie with makeup and hair fixed just right. Brant wished his daughter luck; Katie kissed her father on the cheek before she left.
Brant finished reading one book and had went to his study to start a crash course in Latin. Vibrations from the garage door opening reminded him that, surprisingly, the day had flown by. Of course it was only mid-afternoon – quarter to three to be exact – but it didn't seem like nine hours had passed and it slightly annoyed him, as he'd been deep in thought regarding the Latin. Brant stopped the audio lesson and picked up another book instead.
He was deep into its introduction when knuckles rapped softly on the doorjamb and Katie quietly said, “Sorry if I'm interrupting. I brought you a coffee.”
The robust aroma suddenly registered with his senses and Brant closed the book, keeping a finger between pages to mark his place.
“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. I made it myself, just for you. White mocha latte.”
Brant accepted the tall cup, took a sip. “Mm... Delicious.”
Katie beamed with delight. “I'm going to change clothes. When you're hungry, I'll be downstairs and we can decide what we want to do. Okay, Daddy?”
“Okay.”
Katie kissed his cheek before disappearing from the room.
Brant decided a break was in order, the first of the day. He set aside the book and headed for the great room downstairs, thoughts flitting through his mind:
Katie had mentioned going to the market
What would he like for her to pick up?
She could use his VISA debit card
He needed to process what he'd read
He needed to dig into Inferum Demergis Coniungere soon
He needed to strengthen his Latin skills first
Based on what he'd learned so far, he'd need the client's name to summon him – a daunting and terrifying proposition
But he speculated that knowing an alias would suffice for simple verbal communication
Brant somehow intuited that an anagram of an alias might be derived from a domain name registered at the facility in Kansas
He needed time to process his thoughts
Because not only would he need to begin writing the report soon
He'd need to begin brainstorming what qualifications his staff would need
He plopped on the couch, switched on the television to provide white noise, and began to peruse the most current edition of Wired magazine that he'd subscribed to before being fired. He needed a distraction. He needed time to process.
Katie watched television. Brant read. He began to think of staff qualifications. He also realized the need to create a computer lab of sorts in the unfinished basement. Evelyn signed the paperwork for the refinancing of the house. Katie avoided nightmares by sleeping in the master bedroom suite with Brant each night. Days and books went by...
Until one morning when Brant awoke of his own volition, not that of a bleating cell phone alarm. While Katie had continued to drive herself to work each day and thus save him from running the errand, most days he woke along with her, and occasionally before, to return immediately to the books. However, he felt less inclined to do so today.
He lay there, staring at the ceiling, sun filtering through the skylight, an arm around Katie, wondering if she'd wake before his morning erection subsided.
It did subside and he eased himself out of bed and excused himself to the restroom where he relieved his bladder before slipping back into bed.
“Daddy, I thought you'd left.”
“I'm right here, sweetie.”
“No work today. For me, I mean.”
“I'm proud of you, princess.”
She snuggled closer. “You getting up?”
“Not now. Not yet.”
A contented sigh slipped Katie's lips. One of her legs moved to drape Brant's as she snuggled yet closer. He felt the circulation of blood intensify below the waist.
“I'll make your coffee,” Katie muttered. Her head turned and Brant saw a flash of big brown eyes as she flirted with morning.
“In a minute. No hurry.”
“Mm... I like this.”
“I do too.”
It became apparent when Katie reached a new plateau of consciousness. Her hands began to roam and a pleasant tingle traveled the length of a thigh. Brant assumed she was positioning herself to hug him more tightly, as oftentimes he woke to find her. The hand, however, faltered in its course. It hesitated at the hip and detoured to his crotch, that had since become swollen with blood.
“Daddy, you're hard.”
“That happens to every man in the morning.”
She ran the length of the erection with fingertips before gripping it around the cotton fabric separating them.
“Daddies have needs,” she explained. “I can take care of yours.”
“It's okay, sweetie...” Brant moved to intercept the hand. To remove it from its delightful purchase.
“Don't you want me to? I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetie, but it's not your responsibility.”
“I want it to be my responsibility,” Katie further explained. “I've wanted this for a long time. You're my real daddy.”
A very odd and disturbing, yet not entirely repelling feeling overcame Brant, who replied: “I don't know what to say.”
Katie said with an erotic squeeze, “Say yes, Daddy. Say you want me to please you.”
She's a grown woman
It's not like I'm molesting her
She won't get pregnant
I've never met a woman like her
She truly wants this
I...
“Please, Daddy. Don't you want me?”
“Lord, do I want you. Are you sure about this, sweetie?”
“I'm positive.”
Her squeeze became a rub.
“Katie...”
“May I take it out and play? I'll be a good girl. A very good girl, Daddy. I promise.”
“Oh, god. Please do, sweetie.”
It felt wonderful when it sprang loose in the morning light.
“It's so big,” she said. But soon she couldn't speak.
And neither could Brant. He could merely moan. He lifted his hips to allow her to lower his clothing, and then she resumed the forbidden. He'd never been so hard, nor had he ever wanted someone so badly. But he knew he wouldn't press further. He'd enjoy what she offered. He watched lovingly as she enjoyed pleasing him, and she did so without reservation with her expert technique. Any other woman and he'd have been stripping off her clothes in anticipation of sexual intercourse but he didn't with Katie.
“I want to taste you,” she said as she rubbed herself within the confines of her pajama shorts. “Give it to me. Please?”
Brant only needed to be asked once before he unloaded his pent-up desire.
“Mm... You taste wonderful.” Katie licked her lips before bringing fingertips to her mouth. “Me too. I'm so wet.” She giggled.
“Katie...” Brant wished to embrace her. He longed to taste her. So he took her clothing at the hips and peeled it down.
“Daddy!”
“My turn to taste.”
“Ohh...”
Forbidden fruit couldn't taste more sweet. Her peach simply burst with juice. Afterwar
d, they fell back to sleep, entwined together for hours.
10
Later that morning Brant came downstairs to find Katie dressed for the day and the final drops of coffee filling the pot.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Brant said.
“Very good,” Katie agreed. She pressed against him with a pout, “But the cupboards are bare. Don't worry, though, Daddy, I have a list prepared and everything.”
Brant wrapped arms around her and gazed into her heavily made-up eyes. Her lips beckoned with juvenile glittery-pink lipstick while the studs in both her cheeks created the most adorable dimples. “About this morning...”
Eyelashes batted as Katie announced, “I want you, Daddy. I want you so much. If you want me, you must claim me as yours.”
“Claim you?”
Those luscious sparkling lips planted on his own for a passionate kiss that Brant greedily accepted. When their lips separated Katie elaborated, “You must claim me as your little girl slut, if you truly want me. Now I've delayed you plenty already. I know you're busy and I have much to do.”
“True.”
“Enjoy your day,” Katie said, and with a final kiss disappeared into the garage.
Meanwhile Brant drank coffee and prepared himself to use Inferum Demergis Coniungere for the first time.
It had taken some time cross referencing text and playing word games with demons and devils mentioned or specifically referenced in various books but Brant Wilson was convinced he'd deduced an alias for the client. An alias was all he could hope to possess, as he'd determined learning an original and complete name which could be used to summon an actual demon or devil would be highly guarded and not likely referenced in any material so easily obtained as the books he'd bought.
He'd found references to a demon named Kasas in one manual. Kasas liked dealing with mortals. One reference alluded to his influence of Adolph Hitler during World War II. An entry in another book mentioned a demon who went by the name of Koomacas. Koomacas, the article stated, had collected the most extensive collection of forbidden tomes and occult knowledge of the netherworld. And yet two other entries in entirely other books suggested that Kasas and Koomacas were one in the same, or perhaps demonic twins. At the very least the two worked in conjunction with one another.
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