Demon Hunt

by A. Blythe

  “He’s a telepath, remember?” I said. “He can read the recovered bit of Henshaw’s mind and see the image. He also happens to be an incredible artist. Don’t you hate people like that? That Naphil can outshine the sun. He has talent up the yin-yang.”

  Farah smiled. “I’d like his yin-yang to be up my…”

  I cleared my throat before she could finish. “Boundaries, Farah.”

  She winked at me and returned her attention to Sudoku. “Sorry. Old habits.”

  Although Katrien continued to stretch, I noticed the tension in her jaw. “When will he meet with the witness?”

  “Tonight,” I said, casually flipping through the channels on the television. I settled on an HGTV show about people finding their dream home. One of the houses looked like Reed’s and it made me smile.

  “Will you be local?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said and mentioned the address. “The witness says he’ll be home around ten, so I’m heading over at ten thirty.”

  “Is it necessary for you to join them?” Katrien asked, the picture of innocence.

  “I like to watch Reed work,” I said with a shrug. “It restores my faith in humanity.”

  “So do I,” Farah interjected. “But damn, I’ve got a date with Luciano. I have to be honest—that’s way more fun.”

  I gave Katrien a concerned look. “Will you be okay here on your own? The place is heavily warded. I think you’ll be fine.”

  She waved me off. “Yes, of course. I was thinking I might retire early, if you do not mind. Shut myself away in the bedroom for the night.”

  “Doesn’t bother me,” I said. “I’ll try not to wake you when I come home.”

  “And I just won’t come home,” Farah said, smiling broadly. “You can sleep in my bed, Alyse.”

  I pretended to be absorbed in the television show while I kept a close eye on Katrien. She finished her stretches and rose to her feet.

  “A nice, long bath is in order, I think,” she said. “I am starting to feel more like myself.”

  “That’s good,” I said, keeping my eyes glued to the screen. “Maybe we can get you to practice more magic with us this week. It would be nice to have another djinni there besides Flynn, especially a Marid. Pinky hasn’t seen that many of us in action.”

  “You seem very fond of Pinky,” Katrien said. “Is she a worthy mentee?”

  “She must be,” Farah said, “because never in a million years would I have expected Alyse to mentor anyone.”

  “Her father was a Marid,” I said, trying not to be offended. “Maybe I feel a kinship with her.”

  Katrien absorbed this information. “A human mother and a Marid father. It is not a common occurrence.”

  “No, but if you ever met Serena,” I said, “you’d understand. She’s a real powerhouse.”

  “And insanely beautiful,” Farah added. “If I were male, she’d totally be my type.”

  “I am gender blind in my own romances,” Katrien said. “My last relationship was with a Jann called Lily. She had the fairest skin you have ever seen. Practically translucent.” She paused, looking lost in thought.

  “At least you’re willing to have relationships outside of our caste,” I said. Not all Marida did. We were snobs in every way. “Prince Simdan doesn’t even like me fraternizing with other djinn. Hates it, in fact.”

  “Then why does he allow you to do it?” she asked. “He is your ruler in this colony. You are his subject.”

  “I told you before,” I said. “We have an understanding.”

  “And no one understands it,” Farah piped in. My own personal peanut gallery.

  “What happened to Lily?” I asked. “Why aren’t you together anymore?”

  Katrien’s mouth formed a thin line. “She died, her essential fire snuffed out too soon.”

  “Can I ask how?” I had to push. If Lily’s death was connected to her criminal activities here, it would be helpful to know what had happened.

  “I would rather not speak of it,” Katrien said. “The memory is too painful.”

  “Was she a slave of Aladdin’s too?” I asked. The timing made it possible. If they were together day in and day out in closed quarters, it was no surprise a romance had blossomed. Or that Lily had died.

  “No, she was not,” Katrien said simply and retreated to the bathroom. The sound of running water told me the conversation was over.

  “Good try,” Farah whispered.

  “I wonder how long ago Lily died,” I said. “Katrien’s been in captivity for years.”

  “We live a long time,” Farah said. “Who knows? It could still feel like yesterday to her.”

  “Are you really going to Luciano’s tonight?” I asked quietly.

  She tossed her magazine onto the coffee table. “Of course I am. You don’t need me for the shakedown, do you?”

  Reed and Greer would be there. “I’ll be fine.”

  Farah smiled at me. “At least you’ll get your bed back tonight.”

  “We’ll see.” I wasn’t placing any bets. If life had taught me anything, it was to expect the unexpected, especially when it came to whatever plans I made. The gods always seemed to be laughing at me and I wasn’t finding it the least bit funny.

  13

  At quarter to ten, I made my way to Mix’s apartment. That was the address I’d given to Katrien. Mix was out with the guys from his office, but had given his blessing for whatever plan I’d concocted. Before I even managed to unlock the door, I heard Annie grunting in distress. A sure sign Katrien was waiting inside.

  I retrieved one of my yantoks and said softly, “Stun.”

  I opened the door and switched on the light. Katrien stepped out of the shadows, ready to pounce. Confusion clouded her expression when she realized it was me.

  “Alyse, you are early.”

  “And you’re not supposed to be here,” I said. “So why are you?”

  “Where is the witness? I thought I might be of help.” Annie emerged from the living room and scuttled to my side. “I do not understand this. The man keeps a pig as a pet.“

  I kept a firm grip on my yantok. “What are you really doing here, Katrien? I know it was you performing spells on humans. Tell me why.”

  The shocked look on her face told me she was not expecting to hear that. Then her entire demeanor shifted. Her shoulders rolled and her timid, thoughtful expression turned haughty.

  “Katrien?” I asked hesitantly. Was she being possessed?

  “I want the ring,” she said, accentuating each word.

  “What ring?” The only ring I could think of was Mr. Herman’s sapphire ring.

  “You know very well the ring I mean,” Katrien said. “The most powerful ring in the world.”

  Mr. Herman’s ring was powerful? That was news to me. It was pretty and valuable, but Pinky and I would’ve sensed anything more and we didn’t.

  A golden light flashed in her dark eyes.

  “One last chance, Winters. Where is the ring?” she demanded. She extended a hand toward me.

  “Are you trying to use a spell on me?” I asked, indignant. “You think because I’m wearing cuffs I’m going to succumb to your amateur charms?”

  The golden light dissipated, but her hand remained outstretched. “Join us, Alyse. We can use the ring together. We will remove your cuffs. You will be the most powerful djinni in the world.”

  As much as I liked the idea of ditching these cuffs, I had no idea what she was talking about. Who was us?

  “Katrien, talk to me. Tell me more about the ring.”

  Anger blazed in her eyes. “Everyone knows about the ring of Solomon.”

  Great gods of fire. She thought I was in possession of the ring of Solomon? The ring that allowed its wearer to control all the djinn in the world? To control the weather and talk to animals?

  “Katrien, what on the Plasma Plane makes you think that I have Solomon’s ring?”

  She summoned a flaming katana. “Stop the games, foolish
girl. Why do you think I have come here?”

  Double shit on a sundae. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say it wasn’t for my help in defeating Aladdin.”

  She slashed at me and I jumped backward. The edge of the flames licked the fabric of my coat.

  “Hey, this is a new coat!”

  “The ring. Now.”

  I stared at the flaming katana in her hand, completely baffled. “I don’t know what you think I have, but whatever it is, I don’t have it.”

  “Lies,” she hissed. “We used a locator spell. The ring is here.”

  “Where is here?”

  “Anywhere within a fifty mile radius,” she said. “Our spell showed it to be here not long after you disappeared from Monaco. It cannot be a coincidence.”

  But it was. The only things I brought back from Monaco were these cuffs and a lazy person’s idea of clothes.

  “You know my story, Katrien. I was knocked unconscious, cuffed, and shipped back to Philadelphia by an unknown party. There’s no ring.”

  She lunged at me again and I stumbled backward. She was only trying to intimidate me. If she believed I knew the location of the ring, she couldn’t kill me. She could, however, torture me. Slowly.

  “The ring was with Aladdin. We tracked it there six months ago. And then, suddenly, it was here.” Her voice rose in anger and frustration. I knew the feeling. “We want the ring.”

  There were several references to our and we. “Who are you?” I asked.

  “Katrien Martinique. She’s Nightshade.” The sound of Greer’s voice startled me. He appeared behind me in the kitchen, holding a handgun. His gaze was immediately drawn to Annie beside me. “What’s with the pig?”

  Katrien glanced sharply over my shoulder. “Another suitor, Winters? I know you have been alone for a long time, but you really need to scale back a bit. You will get a reputation.”

  “Who’s Nightshade?” I asked, keeping one eye trained on Katrien and her fiery katana.

  “Not who, what,” he replied. “They’re a group of former djinn agents who’ve been unhappy with the way PAN has handled certain matters. We’ve been gathering intel on them for about a year.”

  “Unhappy?” Katrien spat. “That’s putting it mildly. PAN is weak. It puts human needs above those of its own members. It is time for a regime change and we are ready to make it happen. The revolution is upon us.”

  A second katana appeared in her free hand. I could see a dark liquid dripping from the blade. Probably poison.

  “I’ve never used two katanas at once,” I told her. “Don’t you find that overkill?” I hoped Annie didn’t try to lick any drops off the floor. Mix would never forgive me if I killed his pet pig.

  “It is no small wonder your agency dumped you,” Katrien said. “You are insufferable.”

  “You don’t have to get all worked up,” I said. “Greer’s only an analyst. He can’t hurt you.”

  “But I can.”

  I whipped around to see both Reed brothers behind me now. I turned and smiled at Katrien. “Three against one. How do you like those odds, Nightingale?”

  Her maniacal expression faded. “I do not,” she said simply. In the blink of an eye, she and her katanas were gone.

  “Damn,” I said, staring at the spot where she’d just been standing. “Reminds me how much I miss shifting.”

  Greer tapped me on the shoulder. “The group is actually Nightshade,” he said. “You called it Nightingale.”

  “See what I had to put up with growing up?” Reed asked. He glanced at the empty spot on the floor. “What does she want?”

  “She thinks I have Solomon’s ring.”

  “Do you?” Reed asked.

  I laughed. “Do you think if I had the most powerful ring in the world that I’d be sitting around Philadelphia, whining about my cuffs?”

  Greer gave me a curious look. “What would you be doing instead?”

  “Amassing a freakin’ army and marching on the Shadow Elite to demand the removal of my cuffs.”

  Greer nodded. “Good to know.”

  “She wouldn’t actually order the army to attack,” Reed said with a quick look at me. “Would you?”

  I shrugged. “Depends on whether they removed the cuffs.”

  “Well, right now she doesn’t have the ring,” Greer said, “so let’s not worry about it.”

  “Katrien insists the ring is somewhere in the colony,” I said.

  “Did you know Aladdin had possession of the ring?” Greer asked.

  “Retrieving the ring wasn’t mentioned as part of my mission. I was bringing him down, plain and simple.” And I was focused on his djinn collection. A wave of nausea slammed into me when I realized the truth. That Katrien had never been part of his collection. She’d never been enslaved. I fell for every single lie she told. My bullshit detector was definitely on the fritz.

  “We didn’t know the ring had changed hands,” Greer said. “I don’t know how Nightshade would have that kind of intel.”

  “Because it was their sole focus,” I said. “They had all eyes on Aladdin. That’s how she knew so much about him.”

  “What do they intend to do with the ring?” Reed asked.

  “Amass a freakin’ army and march on PAN to demand the removal of its leaders,” I said.

  “So you two have something in common,” Reed asked with a trace of amusement.

  “I guess we have a new priority,” I said. “As long as she thinks I have the ring, she won’t be looking elsewhere for it.”

  Reed and his brother exchanged a knowing look. “We’ll get on it.”

  “I thought you were going back to D.C.,” I said.

  Greer smiled. “And miss all the fun?” He patted his brother’s shoulder. “You can tolerate me for a few nights, can’t you?”

  Reed cleared his throat, clearly not thrilled by the prospect. “I suppose.”

  “If it’s too much trouble,” I said, giving him my most innocent look, “he can always stay with me.”

  Reed’s jaw tensed. “He’s my brother. It’s no trouble.”

  Greer slapped him on the back. “Me and you working side by side? It’ll be just like old times.”

  Reed sighed softly. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  I arrived home after an exhausting car ride with the Brothers Reed, surprised to find Luciano in the living room. He’d just cracked open a beer and his feet rested on top of the coffee table. Now I was nobody’s idea of clean and tidy, but feet were not permitted where I ate my food.

  “Ally’s home,” Luciano hollered, presumably to Farah who was nowhere in sight.

  “Alyse,” I corrected him and promptly swept his feet off the table.

  “Do we have to be so formal?” he asked. “We’re buds now, aren’t we?” He gestured to the kitchen. “There’s plenty of beer if you’re thirsty.”

  “If I’m thirsty, I’ll have water,” I replied. “Looks like you two are spending a cozy night indoors.”

  “Nah, we’re just pregaming. We’re hitting the clubs tonight. I want to show off my woman.”

  I groaned inwardly. “Luciano, it’s none of my business, but are you sure going out in public together is a good idea? You’re only drawing attention to yourselves.”

  Luciano flashed me that crooked grin of his. “Farah and I like to socialize. We’re not about to hang up our dancing shoes because of that old codger.”

  I gulped. I sincerely hoped Luciano was not going around town calling Rocco an old codger. The last thing this colony needed was a mob war on top of everything else.

  “Have you reached out to Rocco at all?” I asked. “He’s still really hung up on Farah.” Even though I was hardly the epitome of manners, it seemed like the decent thing to do.

  Luciano chugged his beer and belched. “Been too busy, Ally. We’re coming up on the holidays. Business is booming, you know?”

  Because nothing screams the holidays like an uptick in the drug trade.

  “Is Fara
h in her room?” I asked.

  He nodded. “She didn’t want me to watch her make herself beautiful. Said she felt too embarrassed.”

  Well, that was unusual. Farah didn’t generally feel embarrassed about anything.

  “I need her attention for a few minutes,” I said, and headed for her room. I needed to tell her about Katrien out of Luciano’s earshot. I did not want the crime syndicate to know about Solomon’s ring. The mere thought of another player in the mix gave me stomach pains.

  I knocked on the door, loud enough to be heard over the club music bursting from Farah’s bedroom. Someone was prepping for a night out.

  “Come in,” Farah called.

  I pushed open the door to see Farah watching herself dance in front of the mirror.

  “What are you doing?” I asked. “The dancing takes place later at the club.”

  “I’m practicing,” she said. “Luciano and I have never been out dancing together. I want to make sure I look as good as I think I do.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Farah, you’re a fantastic dancer and you know it. Since when do you worry about impressing a guy?”

  She flipped her red hair back over her shoulder. “You’re right. I don’t need to worry.”

  I sat down on the edge of her bed. “So I have news.”

  Farah watched me in the mirror. “Holy Plasma Plane. You didn’t sleep with Flynn, did you?”

  “What? No!” I shook my head. “Why would you say such a thing?”

  “I didn’t want it to be true, but you sounded so grim.”

  I told her about Nightshade and the hunt for Solomon’s ring. “So it seems the whole ‘bound by Aladdin’ shtick was a ruse.”

  Farah stared at me in abject horror. “That lying bitch stayed under our roof, ate our food, laughed at our jokes?”

  “To be fair, I don’t think she found us very funny.”

  Farah stuck a hand on her hip. “Good thing we never told her about the armory.”

  As far as Katrien was concerned, it was the only smart move I’d made. So much for my penchant not to accept things at face value. The old me would have looked for holes in Katrien’s story. Human Alyse was only too willing to believe her lies.

  “So what happens now?” Farah asked. “How do we find the ring before she does?”