A Fistful of Demons

by Lily Harper Hart

  Hannah swallowed hard. She had no doubt things were about to take a turn ... for the worse.

  6

  Six

  Derek’s confused expression was enough to tug at Hannah’s heartstrings. When juxtaposed with Cooper’s stony countenance, however, she wisely bid Derek farewell — promising she would seriously consider moving to the neighborhood — and then let Cooper direct her down the street. He held it together until they reached the corner ... and then he practically exploded.

  “What are you doing out here? Are you crazy? If Lindsey Lincoln sees you she can call the police.”

  Hannah made a face. “I just wanted to take a look. I wasn’t doing anything bad.”

  “You’re spying on a grieving widow.”

  “Actually, I was spying on the kids.”

  “That doesn’t make it better.”

  “Yeah, well ... I just wanted to see.” She rolled her neck until it cracked and glanced down the street. Derek had returned to his yard work, his clippers in hand, but his attention was clearly on them. “You didn’t have to be mean to him. He was harmless.”

  “Please.” Cooper rolled his eyes. “I know exactly what that guy was thinking. Trust me. I did you a favor.”

  “I could’ve handled myself.”

  “Well, I handled it for you.”

  She scowled at his profile. “You’re not the boss of me,” she announced. “In fact, I’m technically the boss of you.”

  “Not really.”

  “I sign your paychecks.”

  “Have you signed any paychecks yet?”

  “That’s neither here nor there.” She didn’t like his tone. “I’m an adult. I’m allowed to make decisions for myself.”

  “I never said otherwise. I wasn’t trying to infringe on your dating prospects.” He said the words with obvious disdain. “I’m trying to make sure you don’t get yourself in trouble.”

  “I’m not going to date him. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “It didn’t look that way to me.”

  “Yeah, well—” She broke off, something occurring to her. “Hold up. What are you doing out here? Why aren’t you at Casper Creek?”

  Cooper was taken aback by the question. “What does that matter?”

  “I want to know.”

  “I’m just ... out for a drive.”

  “You’re just out for a drive?” Hannah was dubious. “Why would you possibly come to this neighborhood? I mean ... the odds of you stumbling across me in this neighborhood by accident must be astronomical.”

  Cooper refused to meet her gaze. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Oh, I’m going to worry about it.” She shifted from one foot to the other, her eyes going to a spot on the next block, to where his truck was parked. Then things became clearer. “You’re here to watch the kids, too. You might not believe me, but you’re curious enough to check things out for yourself.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t believe you.” Cooper’s temper was back. “Stop insinuating that I don’t believe you. I don’t like that.”

  “Oh, well, if you don’t like it.” She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “Admit you’re doing the same thing I am.”

  “I’ll do nothing of the sort.”

  Hannah wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. “Admit it.”

  “No.”

  She stared at him for a long beat and then threw her hands in the air. “Fine. Be a stubborn pain. That’s what you’re good at. I’m leaving.”

  “Good. I think that’s the best idea you’ve had all day. Wait.” He reached out to grab her arm before she could storm away. “You’re going back to Casper Creek, right? You’re not going to pretend to leave and then circle back around, are you?”

  “Of course not. If I wanted to do that, though, there’s nothing you could do to stop me.”

  “Oh, I know.” Cooper’s gaze was dark when it finally snagged with hers. There was fire in her eyes, something he was thankful to see, but there was also something else. “I really am trying to look out for you.”

  In her heart, Hannah understood his motivations. That didn’t mean she could excuse his actions. “You’re not the boss of me,” she reminded him. “I’m allowed to make decisions for myself.”

  “Fine.”

  “Good.”

  “Great.”

  They glared at each other for an extended beat and then turned away at the exact same time.

  “I’ll see you back in town,” Cooper called out.

  “Maybe you will.”

  “Don’t make me have to come back here.”

  “Just ... mind your own business.”

  “As long as there’s an active investigation at Casper Creek, you are my business.”

  “That can change.”

  “Oh, whatever.”

  HANNAH TOOK THE TIME TO stop at a fast food restaurant in town. She loaded up on a chicken sandwich, onion rings, and a malt before returning to Casper Creek. The hour of downtime was enough to have her rethinking her actions ... and she wasn’t feeling good about herself when she landed in the employee parking lot.

  It was obvious from the hustle and bustle around town that they were in the middle of a tour. She took a few moments to lean against a sign post in the shade and watch the gunfight that happened three times a day — the town’s fake sheriff facing off with the resident bank robber — and marveled at the energy the performers expended. She’d witnessed at least thirty of these shows at this point and never once did the performances dip. If the actors grew tired, or disenfranchised with doing the same thing over and over again, they never showed it.

  “Entertaining, huh?”

  Hannah shifted her eyes to her right at the sound of the new voice. She was surprised to find Boone lounging on the other side of the tree, watching the show. “Are you still here? I thought you left.”

  “Actually, I’m back.” He looked grim. “I have some news.”

  Hannah’s heart skipped a beat, her earlier agitation with Cooper flying out the window. In this instance, she wanted nothing more than someone to lean on. Her mind immediately went to him as she sucked in a breath. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

  “No.” Boone was blunt, which she generally preferred, but she would’ve been more comfortable with the soft sell this time. “The autopsy results came back. The cause of death is undetermined.”

  Hannah wasn’t sure what to make of that. She’d worked in a law office for years and was familiar with criminal prosecution terms and conditions. Boone’s reaction had her baffled this time, though. “I don’t understand,” she hedged. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that the medical examiner’s office needs a second opinion.”

  “From where?”

  “The state pathologist is being called in.” Boone’s expression was sympathetic. “We’re still okay,” he reassured her. “The good news is that our guy could find no signs of foul play.”

  Hannah could read between the lines. “He couldn’t find natural causes, though, either. That means the death will be recorded as unnatural unless the state pathologist finds something.”

  “Yeah,” he sighed. “I’m sorry. Do you know what that means?”

  Hannah nodded numbly. “If the death is recorded as undetermined, it will give Lindsey Lincoln an opening to sue me.”

  “Pretty much. She probably won’t win but there’s always a chance, with the right jury, that they’ll do something stupid. I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, well ... there’s nothing I can do about it.” She wiped her hand against her forehead. It was barely one o’clock and yet she was ready to call it a day. “When will we know the pathologist’s determination?”

  “I don’t know. He’s coming up here after the final performance of the day. I managed to hold him off until then. He wants to take a look around the property.”

  “What does he think he’s going to find?”

  “I have no idea.”

&
nbsp; “Well ... I don’t see where I have a lot of say in the matter.”

  “You don’t. I just wanted to make you aware.”

  “Thank you for that.” She flashed him a wan smile. “You’re going out of your way for me on this. I’m not oblivious. I just want you to know that I’m thankful for everything you’re doing.”

  “You don’t need to be thankful. It’s part of my job description.”

  Hannah knew better than that, but she didn’t want to push the issue. “Still, thank you.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “Abigail and I were close. I loved her like everyone else here. You’re her granddaughter. That makes you family, too.”

  He didn’t have to say it, but Hannah appreciated the sentiment. “I think I’m going to take a walk. Just to clear my head, you know. It’s a nice day, but I’m not sure I should be around people.”

  “Don’t go too far. Cooper will melt down if he finds out you’re wandering around without supervision.”

  Hannah’s scowl was back firmly in place. “Cooper can mind his own business.”

  Boone cocked a curious eyebrow. “Do I even want to know what you two are fighting about?”

  “Probably not.”

  “Well ... just be careful. We don’t want anything to happen to you on top of everything else.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be perfectly fine. Trust me.”

  FOR LACK OF ANYTHING BETTER TO do, Hannah made her way down to the creek. She’d only visited a handful of times — one of those times resulted in a head injury that almost claimed her life — and she’d avoided the area for the past two weeks. For some reason she wanted to visit today, if only for a few moments of tranquility.

  The creek was quiet, the sun shining through the canopy of trees. She took off her shoes, rolled up her khaki pants, and immediately sank her feet into the cold water. She splashed around for a bit, content to walk and think, and then planted herself on the bank so she could close her eyes and work things out in her head.

  It didn’t go well. The more she thought about Logan, the more convinced she became that there was something off about the boy. She’d only seen the red-eyes phenomenon once, but that was more than enough to convince her something terrible was going on.

  Hannah was so lost in thought she didn’t realize she was no longer alone until the birds stopped singing. Slowly, she ratcheted herself up to a sitting position and frowned when she came face to face with the woman on the other side of the water. She would’ve recognized the long sheet of white hair anywhere.

  “Astra.” Her tone conveyed a great deal of dislike and weariness. “I’m really not in the mood to deal with you right now. If you could come back another time, that would be great.”

  Instead of acquiescing — or even picking a fight — the dark witch merely smiled. “What’s wrong? Did you break a fingernail or something?”

  “Or something.” Hannah closed her eyes. “I’m seriously not in the mood.”

  “Oh, don’t cry, little witch,” she teased, sinking to the ground on the other side of the slow-moving creek and resting her back against a tree. “I would’ve thought you were living the high life after what happened with Leanne. I mean ... that was impressive. I’ve never seen a new witch exert that much power in such a short amount of time. You must be proud.”

  That wasn’t the word Hannah would’ve used to explain her feelings. “I don’t want to talk about Leanne.”

  “And why is that? You ended her. You won. You should be crowing.”

  “I don’t really see things the same way.”

  “How do you see them?”

  Hannah wanted to strangle her. All she wanted was a few moments of quiet but she couldn’t even manage that. “What do you want, Astra? We really have nothing to talk about. I mean ... we’re not friends. In fact, you’ve made it very clear that we’re enemies. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, do you?”

  “Not as long as you continue to act as lord and master over what’s mine.”

  “Abigail left Casper Creek to me. It was never yours.”

  “No, you’ve got that wrong.” Astra’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “It was always meant to be mine. Abigail made a mistake when leaving it to you. Eventually, you’re going to realize that and rectify the mistake. I can bide my time until then.”

  Hannah openly glared at the other woman. “I’m never going to transfer this property to you. If you believe that ... well ... you’re crazy.”

  “I’ve been called worse things.” She readjusted so she could sit more comfortably. “I’m not here to fight today, though. I’ve noticed the activity at Casper Creek. I’m curious what happened.”

  Part of Hannah thought it was a mistake to tell Astra what was going on. Knowledge was power, after all. However, Astra was a witch and Hannah needed information. Who better to supply it than a dark witch who understood about evil creatures?

  “It’s a long story,” Hannah hedged.

  “I have time.”

  Hannah needed very little prodding. She launched into the tale, leaving nothing out (except for her fight with Cooper because it seemed unnecessary to touch on that). When she was finished, Astra looked legitimately intrigued.

  “Do you think it was a demon?” she asked finally.

  Hannah held out her hands and shrugged. “That’s what I was going to ask you.”

  “I’ve never crossed paths with a demon before.”

  The admission caught Hannah off guard. “Really?” Some of the hope she’d been gathering dissipated. “I thought if anyone could confirm my theory, it would be you.”

  “Sorry.” Astra pursed her lips. “I believe in demons, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never heard of any landing in this area. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, though.”

  “My problem is that I can’t understand why a demon would take over a child,” Hannah admitted. “I mean ... I’ve seen The Exorcist. I know it’s a thing in pop culture. I guess I just thought it was a fabrication of Hollywood. I didn’t think it could possibly be real.”

  “Actually, taking over the child makes sense to me,” she countered. “Young minds are easier to suppress. Adults have a sense of self that children don’t always have. If the demon needed a host body, that means something happened to the body it was formerly residing in. It could’ve been weak from being under attack and the child was the first being it crossed paths with.”

  “I didn’t even consider that,” Hannah mused, tilting her head to the side. “I guess it makes sense.”

  “It does,” Astra agreed. “The most important thing is finding out what sort of demon you’re dealing with.”

  “And how do I do that?”

  “I would suggest asking Abigail.”

  Hannah opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. That actually made sense. “Do you think she’s ever dealt with a demon?”

  “If she has, she never told me about it. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, though.”

  “I can’t control when she shows up. It’s one of those things where she just pops into existence and then back out again.”

  “Manifesting as a ghost takes a lot of energy,” Astra explained. “She’ll get better at it as time passes. For now, you’ll just have to do your best.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll do some research, too,” she offered. “It can’t hurt to put a few people on this ... just in case.”

  Instead of being thankful, Hannah was instantly suspicious. “Why would you volunteer to help me?”

  “Because a demon could be bad news for all of us,” she replied without missing a beat. “We might not be friends — and I doubt that will ever change — but that doesn’t mean we can’t share a common enemy. A single demon can do a lot of damage to a great number of people. In fact ... .” She trailed off, her eyes going to a spot over Hannah’s left shoulder.

  When the blonde swiveled to see what had garnered the white
-haired witch’s attention, she wasn’t surprised to find Cooper stalking in their direction. “Oh, great.”

  Astra’s reaction to seeing him was much different than Hannah’s. “Hello, lover,” she purred, her eyes going heavy-lidded and demure. “I was hoping to see you today.”

  “That makes one of us,” Hannah muttered.

  Cooper ignored Astra’s ludicrous reaction and focused on Hannah. “Really? Haven’t you found enough trouble today? Why are you out here?”

  “Because I needed some air,” Hannah replied, hopping to her feet. She took the time to wipe the dirt and leaves from the seat of her pants before grabbing her shoes. “I’m allowed to get some air. I’m an adult.”

  “Yeah, Cooper, she’s an adult,” Astra teased. Now that there was another person to focus on, Astra had completely lost interest in Hannah. “She doesn’t need you to act as her babysitter.”

  Cooper extended a warning finger in his ex-girlfriend’s direction. “Don’t add to this insanity,” he warned, his temper on full display. “This has nothing to do with you.”

  “If we’re dealing with a demon, it most certainly has something to do with me,” Astra shot back. “We could all be in danger, not just your precious Hannah.”

  Cooper’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “Seriously?” He was incredulous as he fisted his hands at his sides. “Why would you tell her anything?”

  Hannah was too tired to argue. “Because I needed information and you don’t believe me. You think I’m making it up.”

  “Stop saying that!” Cooper was at the end of his rope. “I don’t think you’re making it up. I just ... I don’t believe in demons. I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but that’s all I have to offer. That doesn’t mean we’re not dealing with something else.”

  Hannah blinked several times and then shook her head. “I’m going back to the town. I’ll leave you two to do ... whatever it is you’re going to do.”

  Cooper wanted to follow her. The last thing he needed was to waste time arguing with Astra. He’d been down that road before and it never led anywhere good. Hannah’s defeated demeanor told him he shouldn’t push her at the present time, though. Instead, he wisely took a step back.