“Baby, stop! Please stop! You can’t kill him!”
Denny blinked. She blinked again and then looked up to see Rush’s light pierce through the darkness.
The bright flash of light that had saved her had been Rush.
“Rush?” Her sudden appearance made Denny shove the Hanta aside. “What are you doing here?”
Rush hovered just above the D.A. “Stop. Think. You need him alive, remember? You can’t kill him––you’ll have nothing. Get control, baby, please. Before you kill him.”
As if waking from a deep sleep, Denny looked at her pose, at Epée, at the D.A., and slowly climbed off him, still keeping Epée at his throat. “Consider yourself lucky, asshole, or you’d be a candidate for the Headless Horseman Club.” Denny followed with Rush right behind.
He choked and sputtered. “You don’t have any idea––” he began.
“Oh, sure I do. I know precisely who your jacked up boss is. He’s sure got his hands in a lot of cookie jars, huh?” Denny motioned for him to sit on the sofa. “What did he offer you? The D.A. votes?”
“You may kill me, Silver, but he’ll tear you and your family apart. You are not nearly strong enough to defeat him.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
“Then just kill me already,”
Denny hovered over him. “Not afraid of dying?”
He glared at her. “Not afraid of you.”
Denny made a “tsk-ing” sound as she half-turned before executing a perfect spin kick, connecting her left heel to his left temple. He slumped down on the couch, out cold.
“Come on, baby, you have to get out of here. This is a bad, bad idea. This entire house is wired.”
Denny looked at Rush. If possible, she seemed older.
“Get out of here? I’ve only just started. Keep an eye on him, will you? Holler if he wakes up.”
“Where are you going?”
As Denny ran up the stairs, she replied, “To get collateral.”
Collateral was a ten-year-old blonde girl named Jilly. Minutes later, Jilly lay on the sofa, still asleep about ten feet from where her father slowly came to.
When he saw his daughter, his eyes grew wide and his energy changed drastically as he struggled to get up. “You...you fucking bitch...”
“Golden Silver, I can’t believe you would do this to a child,” Rush whispered.
“Do what? Use his pawn pieces as he’s used mine? Sorry, Rush, but this demon hunting gig is a demon-eat-demon world. Now, I appreciate your help in this, but maybe it’s time you go...”
Rush’s face fell. “This isn’t the Denny I know and love.”
“No, this is the demon hunter you don’t know and can’t love. There are no rules to this game, Rush. My brother is innocent and the only two people who can set him free are demons. So forgive me if my grabbing hostages upsets you.”
“Hostages.” The D.A. sat up, hand to his head, trying to focus. “Jilly?” He started to rise, but Epée shot out of the cylindrical sheath and right up against Jilly’s throat.
“My God, Denny––” Rush said, her hand going to her mouth.
“Beat it, Rush. I know what I’m doing.”
Rush hesitated a moment before slowing vanishing.
“So, here’s the deal. It is a one-time-only offer. You tell me where that piece of shit Tyler Jones is and I’ll spare your daughter. He’s not at his house anymore, and his car is gone. I’ve checked.”
Carol blinked with his one good eye. His face looked like bloody hamburger.
“Tick-tock, asshole. Where. Is. Tyler. Jones?”
“He took off as soon as he knew you were looking for him. You’re crazy. You know that, right? You’ve let that dem––”
“Took off? Fucking coward. Both of you, and that’s a shame, because without his whereabouts, Jilly here will be dead before her head hits the ground.”
“You son of––”
“Me?” Denny roared in a deep voice that was not hers at all. “You come after my family...you use your position to incarcerate an innocent man, and you think I’m the evil one? Fuck you.”
“Don’t hurt her. Please.”
Denny raised Epée. “Come on. We both know you don’t give two shits about this kid. And if you don’t, neither do I.”
“She’s innocent, Silver. She’s done you no harm.”
“Right. Just like Quick did you no harm, but you came after him anyway. What did you earn for your loyalty to the great Asmodeus? What is your child’s life worth?”
The D.A. wiped his bloody mouth with the back of his hand. “He’s in Garberville about three hours’ south. At the Peach Tree Motel. That’s the best I can do. Please, don’t hurt her.”
Denny moved Epée away from Jilly’s throat. “That was step one. Step two is you telling me how you’re going to pin this murder on Jones, because until my brother walks out of there a free man, there’s no place you or your family can hide from me. No place. There are no demons strong enough to keep me from taking from you what you’ve taken from me. You understand me? I’ll skin her alive and wear her flesh as a hat if you fuck me over. Understand?”
Carol nodded quickly. “I never realized––”
“That making deals with a demon meant handing your life over? Oh, counselor, counselor, you know better than that. You’re fucked. The only question remains, have you fucked your family as well?”
“I didn’t know...had no idea––”
“That we’re real? What? Did you think he was the only one? Did you think there wouldn’t be payment? You’re dumber than a bag of rocks.”
“That...that voice...”
Denny laughed a sound like pebbles in a blender. “Yeah, well, as you can see, all is not as it appears. Once I get Tyler Jones back here, you will re-open the case against my brother and build one against Jones.” Denny threw out the only bluff she had. “I know you both were there that night, but only one of you left through the front door.” She waited. Everything hinged on her being right.
“That was him. The idiot thought Asmodeus would protect us or some shit like that.”
“But you can you pin this on him, can’t you?”
Carol nodded vigorously. “Yes. Yes I can.”
“Excellent. Then I need him alive and back here where he can go to trial.” Denny brought Epée back toward Jilly. “I don’t have to tell you what will happen if you let me down, but I will anyway. I’ll destroy everyone you’ve ever loved. Your wife, your daughter, your brothers, your parents, even your mistress. Oh yes, I know about her as well. I will tear through your life like a tornado until you’re the only one standing. Then, I’ll take your arms and your legs and leave you to live like a human stump for the rest of your life. Get the picture?
“Say it. I want to hear that you understand what is at stake here.”
“I understand.”
Denny flicked her wrist and Epée disappeared once more. “Anything happens to my brother while he’s incarcerated and the same results apply to your loved ones. My family stays safe or your family dies.”
He nodded again. “Clear. But––” He shook his head.
Denny tilted her head to one side. “But what?”
“He’ll kill me anyway once he knows I’ve betrayed him.”
Denny nodded. “True, but if I can get to him before he gets to you, then it’s a win-win. Otherwise, you’re just a dick dragging a body around.”
“You can kill him though, right?”
“You sure as shit better hope I can, because your house is the first place he’ll come when he realizes what’s going down.”
“Then he’ll kill me.”
“He will when he no longer needs you, so you would do well to keep this under wraps until it’s too late for him to kill you. Your death needs to make zero difference to him––maybe then he’ll leave you alone––but truthfully, I couldn’t care less. Every day you live beyond today is a gift I gave you.” Denny started for the back door and took o
ne step before turning back around. “And if one cop shows up at my door, you’ll all be dead by sundown. My reach in this city is far and wide. You best remember that.” Denny continued for the door.
“Silver?”
She stopped. “What?”
“Jones is he’s a...”
“A demon? Yeah. I know. You leave him to me. You just build your case as quickly as you can, as if your life depends on it.”
“Because it does.”
“Yes, it does.”
***
“You did what?” Ames’s voice rose slightly. “Have you lost your mind? You’re beating up and blackmailing a district attorney?”
“Well, that’s one way of looking at it.”
Ames shook his head. “You’ve started something you’d better be ready to finish.”
“I’ll finish this, Ames. I’m not afraid.”
Ames slammed his fist on the table. “You should be, God damn it! Jesus, Goldy. You’re just like your mother!”
When the last word flew from his mouth, both of them watched it hover between them for a moment before it clunked to the floor.
“Since you brought her up...”
Ames shook his head. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair. Your mother––”
“Is dying. She’s dying for a reason. Why don’t we start there, Ames. What does Asmodeus have against my family?”
Ames paced across the floor. “I was hoping you’d have read the accounts in your mother’s journals by now.”
“I haven’t gotten there yet, and I don’t have time for games or guesses. Why is this prick after my family? I know you know.”
Ames ran his hands through his hair. “It’s not your family he has issues with.”
“No? Coulda fooled me.”
“He is after your Hanta.”
Denny’s mouth hung open. “My...”
“Yeah. The Cliff Note version is that centuries ago, your Hanta and the Magyar had issues.”
“Wait. Start from the beginning.”
Ames paced across the room. “Asmodeus is the Demon of Sin. His machinations are long in the making, often taking centuries, if not millennia, to construct. He loves masterminding insidious intrigues, moving his forces of evil like chess pieces on a board that encompasses both the spiritual and the corporeal planes. He employs spies and plants in every court. It’s a game to him. A game of cat and mouse, and he is a very patient cat. Your D.A. is just one of those pawns, your Hanta just another game.”
“So he’s more fucked up than I realized.”
“Not just fucked up. Powerful. Very, very powerful. He has more cultists than any other demon. Mortals who worship demons actually draw power from him. His impact can be felt in all levels of society, with his followers being men and women with influence and personal magnetism that makes them natural leaders.” Ames sighed. “That’s his background in a nutshell. What you want to know is why he has issues with your Hanta.”
Denny folded her hands on the table. “I can’t even believe I’m discussing some ancient demonic grudge match.”
“Oh, this is more than a grudge. This was a betrayal of the worst kind, at least in Asmodeus’s twisted mind.”
“My Hanta betrayed him?”
Ames poured a tall glass of cranberry juice. “Your mother spent a great deal of time digging into your ancestral past because she believed that by having a better understanding of the Hanta, she could control it more.”
“She was wrong. There is no such thing as controlling it, is there?”
Ames shook his head slowly. “At best, you can hold them at bay, but you’ll never fully bring it under control. Not now. You’ve given it too much free rein and now, you’re paying the price.”
“Did she give up trying to control it as well?”
“Yes, but that woman––” Ames shook his head, “was the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met. Until you.”
“So you tried to talk her out of it?”
He chuckled. “We had many an argument about it, but she was convinced there was a reason your family was saddled with the Hanta.”
“And did she find that reason?”
Ames turned to the window and looked out onto the dark night. “She did. She gave me bits and pieces over the years, but the real story is in the lair somewhere.”
“In her journals?”
He turned back to her and shook his head. “In The Histories.”
Denny frowned. She’d not seen anything like that in the lair. “The Histories? I know I don’t know every title in my library, but––”she stopped.
“What is it?”
“I know who does. Could these histories be hidden in another book?”
“Absolutely. The key to figuring out which book it could be is to think like your mother. Where would she have hidden such important familial information?”
Denny rose. “I don’t know.”
Ames reached out with lightning quick reflexes and grabbed her wrist. “Goldy, maybe you’re not ready.”
“No? And when do I get ready, Ames? The Twelfth of Never? He got to my mother, my brother, and Pure. What would you have me do? Wait around for him to get me?”
Ames shrugged. “No. I’m not suggesting that at all, but you need to understand that Asmodeus seldom fights his own battles. Surely you’ve seen that. Even if you do succeed in getting Quick out, it doesn’t mean Asmodeus will take the bait and come for you. At best, you can hope he backs off and gives you room to live your life before trying to get you through the back door.”
“You mean this life? He might allow me and my Hanta respite from his attacks or he might just lie in wait?”
“Precisely. One day, you will be strong enough, wise enough, potent enough to go after him, but not today. Not tomorrow, not in five thousand tomorrows. You have to trust me on this, kid. You go after him and he will not only crush you, but everyone you love. Think about that.”
Denny slowly rose from her stool and started for the door. “If knowledge is power, then I suppose the first thing I have to do is know.”
A lopsided smile played on his lips. “Too much like her. Find The Histories and see what all transpired back in the day. The more you know, the less you’ll hurt. Piece as much of the whole story together as you can.”
Denny started out the front door, but stopped. “Why didn’t she tell you the whole story?”
“Because she couldn’t...you can’t. In order to protect you from being tortured or telling people who shouldn’t know, The Histories are imbued with a protective spell that prohibits its words from leaving your lips.”
“You have got to be kidding me. Jesus, Ames, is there no end to the voodoo shit that goes on in the dark side?”
He smiled patronizingly. “Welcome to the supernatural world, my friend.”
***
The night owl, Lauren, was still up when Denny called and explained what she’d learned from Ames and the D.A.
“The Histories, huh? No, I never saw anything like that.”
“Damn.”
“In English, that is, but much of what’s in the library is Latin or French, with a little German thrown in for good measure. Give me a second.”
Denny drove on through the moonless night, marveling at the thick darkness. She had really gotten used to seeing through the shadows. “Thank you.”
“You know, if you’re going to be playing in the devil’s sandbox, you ought to get yourself back to school to learn Latin.”
“I’ll do that once this danger is over.”
Lauren laughed good-naturally. “Right. Because your life is really going to stabilize someday. You’re possessed, Den. Your life will never truly be your own until you figure out a way to be the mistress of your domain.”
Denny could hear Lauren’s fingers tapping the keyboard.
“Wait. Italian, French and Latin are all too obvious. Let me che––Bingo! There’s a big fat multivolume tome called Die Geschichten––which is German for The Histories.”
“I need to put you on the payroll.”
“Right? I so rock.”
“How many volumes?”
“Ten. You know, I tried to open the first three, but they wouldn’t open. I figured they’d glued shut over the years. I didn’t want to risk ruining it, so I ordered a special book repair kit so I can keep your library finely tuned.”
“Do you know how weird that sounds?”
“We’re way past weird, Sweet Pea. I guess I ought to brush up on my paranormal interpretation, huh?”
“Or something, yeah. So this Geschichten book could be the histories I’m looking for.”
“That’s my best guess. Oh, one other thing. Mind if I swing by tomorrow and install a better door mechanism? That pocket door security is for shit.”
“Sure, I’ll leave the door to the lair unlocked.”
“Not wise. I’ll open it, and when you get back, I’ll show you how to use it.”
“The door?”
“The whole security system needs updating. We’ve been working on it in my Comp Sci lab since I first knew you had one. I think you’ll be impressed.”
“As always. Thank you.”
“Be careful out there, demon hunter, and remember to take some time to visit with those of us who are not possessed.”
“Will do.” Denny hung up and quickly returned home to her lair, where she scanned the shelves until she came to the first volume of Die Geschichten. She extracted the six-inch leather-bound book and gently set it on the desk. She’d just cracked it open when Rush appeared. Denny could tell immediately from the expression on the ghost’s face that she hadn’t forgotten their disagreement at D.A. Carol’s house.
“What the fuck is the matter with you, Denny? A little girl? Seriously? Have you lost your mind? What is wrong with you?”
“I did what I had to do to––”
“Bullshit. You keep letting that demon do things and say things to fulfill your agenda. The Denny I know would never, ever have pulled a knife on a child. A child, Denny!” Rush fully appeared now, sitting on the hutch of the roll-top desk. “You’re losing yourself, baby. The woman I know and love would never do the things you’ve done. Ever.”
Demon Within (The Silver Legacy Book 2) Page 20