A Fistful of Demons

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Definitely not,” Hannah agreed, although she seemed more amused at the prospect than Cooper. “I don’t want to earn a reputation for being the loosest bar wench in the Old West.”

  Tyler laughed, delighted, and then gave her an impulsive hug. “I’m glad you’re okay. I still don’t know what happened, but I’m going to leave you with Doc Wyatt here and I’m sure you’ll be feeling up to snuff tomorrow.”

  Hannah returned the embrace. “I’m sure you’re right.”

  Once it was just the two of them, she turned back to Cooper and discovered his cheeks were still burning with color. She found his reaction adorable ... and a bit ridiculous. “Are you embarrassed because you don’t want people to find out we’re together?”

  He straightened. “No. Why would you possibly think that?”

  She shrugged and held out her hands. “I don’t know. You just seem ... unhappy. Yeah, that’s the word I would use. If you want to change your mind about what happened last night, I get it. You don’t have to suffer through this if you don’t want to.”

  He took two long strides and loosely gripped her wrists, bringing them up to hold against his chest. “I haven’t changed my mind. Don’t think that.”

  She turned sheepish. “I just want to make sure.”

  “Well, you can rest assured that I’m exactly where I want to be.” He smiled because she was the one suffering from a mild case of discomfort this time. “Actually, I would prefer being over there, but I’m flexible.” He gestured toward the couch, which was enough to have Hannah grinning again.

  “I think that can be arranged.”

  They settled on the couch, Cooper snagging the blanket she’d discarded earlier and placing it on her lap. Jinx, who had fallen asleep when he realized no one was going to share their dinner with him, perked up long enough to move from the floor to the couch and then he crashed out again.

  So, there they were. The chief of security, a new witch who was magically attacked earlier in the day, and everyone’s favorite canine friend.

  “Tell me what you were feeling when you went down in the saloon,” Cooper prodded, his hand moving to Hannah’s neck so he could rub at the tension pooling there. “I’m curious exactly what that kid threw at you.”

  “I honestly don’t know that I can explain it. One second I was fine. The next ... well, the next his eyes turned red and it felt as if someone was twisting my brain. You know when you’re a kid and you do those burn things to each other’s arms? Like ... you use one hand to twist one way and the other to twist another?”

  He nodded wordlessly.

  “It felt like that was being done to my brain. It hurt. Like ... literally hurt. It wasn’t just that I was being overpowered. I was being assaulted over and over. When I finally passed out I welcomed it because it meant an end to the pain.”

  “I’m sorry.” He kissed her temple and continued rubbing. “From where I was standing, it almost looked as if you fainted. I thought maybe you got lightheaded because of the threats Lindsey was throwing around.”

  “That wasn’t a highlight of my day, but I don’t usually get lightheaded.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Besides, she was already out the door when Logan attacked. She didn’t even see what was happening.”

  “I noticed that, too. I was also grateful for it. I didn’t want to give her ammunition against you, and while I don’t think fainting is an actionable offense, it’s better that she doesn’t know ... at least right now.”

  “Yeah.” Hannah rubbed her forehead. She didn’t have a headache, but fatigue was starting to set in. Still, she didn’t want to be alone. Or, perhaps she simply wasn’t ready for him to call it a night. That was a possibility, too. “I’ve been thinking of opening the cabinet.”

  The words were out before she realized she was going to utter them.

  “Really?” Cooper cocked an eyebrow. “I figured you might wait until this was over. I thought for sure you would have it open before I left last night. Then, when you hesitated, I realized you weren’t ready. What changed your mind?”

  “A couple of things. Seeing Astra, for one.”

  He frowned. “I talked to her after you left. She said she wasn’t mean to you.”

  “I think that’s a matter of perspective. It’s not important, though. She was helpful in the fact that she said she was going to research demons. I’m assuming that means she has books she can tap, right?”

  He nodded. “She has an extensive library.”

  “Did Abigail have an extensive library?”

  He caught up to where she was going. “You think that Abigail’s books are in that cabinet and you want to see if she has any research materials on demons.”

  “Do you think that’s stupid?”

  “No. I think it’s smart. I also think you’re nervous about what else you might find in that cabinet.”

  “Maybe a little. Is that stupid?”

  He chuckled at her adorable expression. “No.” He kissed the corner of her mouth and turned his full attention to the cabinet. “I don’t want to overstep my bounds here — so just tell me if I’m out of line — but maybe you would feel more comfortable if I was with you when you opened the cabinet.”

  Hannah didn’t realize she was holding her breath until it whooshed out. “Would you?”

  “I was gung-ho to open it last night. I’m totally in.”

  “My mind was too fuzzy to open it last night.”

  “Are you saying I fuzzed your brain? I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “Once I’m feeling a hundred percent again, I’ll think of something else that’s nice to say,” she promised.

  COOPER HUNG CLOSE AS SHE RETRIEVED the key from her bedroom — she’d taken over the guest room rather than the main room because she didn’t feel right invading Abigail’s space. Since her ghost was still hanging around — although not of late — that seemed like a wise decision ... at least for the foreseeable future.

  “Here we go.” She inserted the key in the lock and let loose a breath when she heard it click. Her first attempt at lifting the top on the cabinet was a failure because it was so heavy. Cooper pitched in the second time, though, and it easily opened.

  Inside was a virtual cornucopia of items, most of which Hannah had no idea what to make of.

  “What’s this?” She pulled out a crystal pendant. It was attached to a piece of leather. “It’s not big enough to be a necklace.”

  He chuckled at her confused expression. “That is a scrying stone.”

  Her face remained blank. “What’s a scrying stone?”

  “It’s kind of like a magical GPS device.” He scratched his chin as he searched for the best way to explain things to her. “Once when one of the horses went missing, Abigail got out a map of the area and used that stone to find the horse.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know. She kind of swung it around and then it dropped to the right spot. I was doubtful, but when I headed out I found the horse. He’d been spooked by something and Tyler had to coax him home. The scrying worked like a charm, though.”

  “Huh.” Hannah stared at the stone for another minute and then set it aside. She would practice being a magical GPS later. “What’s this?” She pulled out an Ouija board and held it up under the light.

  “You can’t be serious. You don’t know what that is?”

  “It looks like an Ouija board.”

  “It is an Ouija board.”

  “Why would Abigail have a Ouija board?”

  He shrugged. “I think she talked to ghosts on it.”

  “Why wouldn’t she just talk to them like I talk to her?”

  “It’s my understanding that it’s difficult for ghosts to take corporeal shape. I mean ... when was the last time you saw Abigail? I don’t think it’s easy for her to manifest.”

  “I’ve been wondering about that.” Hannah lowered the board to the floor and carefully tucked it out of sight. “
I thought maybe she lost interest in talking to me.”

  “I very much doubt that’s true. She talked about you ... a lot. I’m guessing she’s gathering her power. Didn’t she mention that she was having trouble controlling her new reality?”

  “Yeah. It’s been almost two weeks, though.”

  “Well, have you talked to Jackie about it?”

  Hannah pressed her lips together and shook her head.

  “May I ask why not?” he prodded.

  “Well ... after I killed Leanne, I kind of wanted to put some distance between the magic and me. It’s not that I want to ignore it — I don’t think it’s going to allow me to do that regardless — but I wanted some time to think about it.”

  “And that meant keeping your distance from Jackie and the other coven members,” he deduced. “I get it. That was probably a good idea. The thing is, Jackie is going to be able to better answer your questions than me. I’m kind of an outsider when it comes to witch stuff. Jackie is an actual participant ... and she’s smart. You can trust her.”

  “Yeah.” Hannah reached into the cabinet and pulled out an aged book. It looked to be made of leather and was so well worn that the corners were no longer smooth. “Here we go. Do you think there’s anything about demons in here?”

  Cooper gave her a sidelong look. “I don’t know. I think that’s Abigail’s grimoire.”

  Hannah felt as if she was in the middle of a college examination and yet she’d missed every class before the mid-term. “What’s a grimoire?”

  “It’s a magic book. Like a magic diary. It’s where Abigail kept track of her spells, jotted down ingredients for potions, that sort of thing.”

  Hannah worked her jaw. “So ... this is like her most personal belonging.”

  “Yeah. I guess that’s fair to say.”

  Hannah was reverent as she flipped the book over, her fingers grazing the snap that kept the book locked tight. “Do you think I should open this?”

  “Do you want to open it?”

  That was a difficult question for Hannah to answer. “Yeah. It feels somehow rude, though.”

  “Abigail left everything to you. That includes this book. If she didn’t want you to open it, she would’ve said something.

  “The thing is, Abigail was the sort of person who loved having a student,” he continued. “Before Astra turned on her, she thrived at being a teacher. I think she wants to be your teacher ... just as soon as she gets a handle on being a ghost, that is.”

  “So ... I should open it. That’s what you’re saying, right?”

  “Do you want my permission?”

  “I just don’t want to do the wrong thing.”

  “You’re not going to do the wrong thing.” Here was where Hannah’s low self-esteem — which he had no doubt came from what happened with her ex-boyfriend — became frustrating. “If you want to be a good witch, you need to get over the fear.”

  Wordlessly, Hannah nodded. Her finger shook a bit as she opened the hasp on the journal. She only hesitated for a second before flipping open the book. Then, like some magical fairy show, a pile of sparkly magic dust floated from the pages and began twirling over her head. She gasped as it danced, her eyes lighting up.

  Cooper watched, flabbergasted, as the dust kept a beat and rhythm. It moved faster as it circled higher. He realized what was going to happen a second before the dust slammed into Hannah’s chest, knocking her sideways.

  “Hannah!” He reached for the book, every intention of grabbing it from her hands, but instead of going down thanks to the magical assault, Hannah laughed. That’s when he realized her voice was back to normal. She was no longer hoarse. Her color was back, too. It was as if the grimoire understood she was weak and struggling and decided to give her an extra boost.

  That didn’t mean he was ready to give up worrying. “Are you okay?” He drew her into his arms and stared into her sea-blue eyes. He was ready to throw her over his shoulder and drive her to the doctor himself if he saw the slightest hint that she was struggling.

  “I feel ... good,” she said after a moment, bewildered. “What just happened?”

  “I have no idea. It was pretty cool, though.”

  “It definitely was.” Hannah let loose a laugh that was gay enough to cause his heart to skip a beat. “Do you think magic is always like that? Fun, I mean.”

  “Probably not. You’ve witnessed some magic that was the exact opposite of fun.”

  “True. I’m still glad I saw this. I feel better.”

  He returned her smile. “That’s good. I always want you to feel better.”

  “Should we keep looking?”

  “I don’t have any other plans tonight.”

  IT WAS ALMOST MIDNIGHT BEFORE Cooper left. Hannah considered inviting him to stay in the apartment — on the couch, of course — but ultimately she lost her nerve. It was too soon for them to be entertaining that thought. That didn’t mean they didn’t engage in a heckuva make-out session before separating.

  Once he left, however, Hannah made sure to return the grimoire to the cabinet — she didn’t want to risk losing it so soon after she found it — and then coaxed a reticent Jinx into the bedroom. She was out two minutes after her head hit the pillow, and thanks to the dose of magic from the grimoire, her dreams were nothing but pleasant.

  That’s why she was confused when she bolted to a sitting position three hours later. She’d been mired in a ridiculously fun dream, one where Cooper took her on a picnic by the creek and absolutely no one interrupted them. She wanted to return to that dream, but her anxiety kicked up a notch, to the point where she was convinced there was something wrong.

  Her first thought was Jinx, but he was sound asleep in the bed beside her. He didn’t have a care in the world. In fact, he didn’t stir when she climbed out of bed and made her way into the living room.

  She wasn’t sure what drew her there. Something inside pointed her in that direction, though, and she stood in the hallway staring at the empty room for what felt like forever. Nothing moved. Nothing was out of place. There was simply ... nothing.

  She’d just about made up her mind to turn on her heel and go to bed when she saw the curtains by the window flutter. It took her a moment to remember the window wasn’t open, so there should be no reason for the curtains to move. It wasn’t as if there was a cross-breeze.

  “Who’s there?” Hannah’s voice came out squeaky, the fear overtaking her.

  Then, as if straight from a dream, two eyes flashed in the darkness. They were red ... and unattached to a corporeal body. The moon was full enough that it cast a pall over the room. She could see hints of movement, and whatever shape went with the eyes wasn’t solid but rather a shadow.

  It was a ghost ... or something akin to a ghost.

  “Abigail?” Hannah’s hand shook as it flew to her mouth. She wanted to flee, run anywhere else, but she was rooted to her spot.

  The eyes held hers for a long beat ... and then they melted into the curtains as the specter fell through the wall and disappeared from the apartment.

  Hannah should’ve felt better. She should’ve been relieved. Her heart wouldn’t stop pounding, though. The fear wouldn’t recede.

  So she stood there, frozen so long her legs practically gave out. That’s when she finally returned to her bedroom.

  Sleep was elusive, though. She couldn’t push the sight out of her head and her mind was busy with possibilities.

  What was the thing in the living room? Did it come from the grimoire? Did the demon inside Logan send it? Was it the demon detached from his body? Or, was it something else entirely? Perhaps Astra sent whatever it was to try to get the grimoire. Anything was possible.

  Finally, when the sun started to lift above the horizon, Hannah managed to close her eyes again. She wouldn’t be able to get much sleep but a little was better than nothing.

  At least that’s what she told herself.

  11

  Eleven

  Hannah was hollow
-eyed and slow-moving when she hit the main floor of the saloon. Tyler and Cooper already had breakfast spread out when she appeared, and were talking about some golf outing they participated in every year.

  Cooper was instantly alert. “What happened?” He strode toward her and pressed his hand to her forehead without invitation. “Are you sick? I think it’s time we take you to the hospital.”

  Hannah arched an eyebrow. “And good morning to you, too.”

  Cooper ignored the sarcasm. “I wanted to take you to the hospital yesterday, but Tyler and Boone said it was a bad idea because people might ask questions and then there would be a medical record that Lindsey could use against us. I no longer care what they say. You’re going to the hospital.”

  Hannah merely waved off his concern. “I’m not sick. I just didn’t sleep well.”

  “You’re so pale I can practically see through you,” he shot back. “You looked good when I left.”

  “At midnight,” Tyler offered, smirking when Cooper pinned him with a dark look. “What? I wasn’t spying or anything. I just happened to hear your truck in the parking lot when you took off. That’s not on me. You should drive quieter if you want to be stealthy.”

  “Oh, shut it.” Cooper stroked his hand down the back of Hannah’s head. On a normal day, she pulled her hair back in a cute bun so she could show off her shoulders in her saloon uniform. Today, her hair was loose and free. The shadows under her eyes bothered him more than anything.

  “I think you should sit down.” He led her toward a chair and made sure she was comfortable before rummaging in the takeout bag he’d brought with him. “Here. I got some juice.”

  Hannah stared at the bottle he shook. “I don’t need juice.”

  “Don’t you like orange juice?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “Then I think you should drink it.”

  “Yes, juice is magical,” Tyler intoned, ignoring the glare Cooper lobbed in his direction. “Juice will make everything okay. It’s a magical elixir.”