Dead of Night (Hunters of the Dark #4)

by Dave Ferraro

Chapter Nine

  Shanna let her fingers run over the spines of the books in the demonology section of the bookstore. She was a demon hunter, after all, so many of the books here called to her. Funny that she happened upon this section before anything about vampires or reincarnation. She squinted at the titles on the book spines as she scanned the shelf. Conjuring Minor Demons. An analysis of Demons from Dante’s Inferno. The Tongue of the Fire Demons of Asqabar. Not light reading, that was for sure. Her finger paused and she frowned at the next title she saw. Demons and Blood Rites. She had certainly studied up on rituals in the past, especially when she’d first begun hunting them, as a way to read their signs, and be able to analyze their patterns and assess their next likely moves. But she hadn’t really done much research as of late, instead diving head-first into other aspects of the supernatural that she wasn’t as familiar with: werewolves, vampires, witches. Along with learning new fighting techniques and procedures, she had little time for her own work, it seemed. Perhaps it was time to brush up on her demons.

  She picked up the book and frowned at the cover, an old woodcut of a woman’s blood flowing into the cup of a demon, who looked on eagerly. Gruesome imagery, but she couldn’t help but admire it. Many old drawings of demons and monsters fascinated her. They were often beautiful, and if not completely accurate depictions, the symbolism was often right on the money.

  She turned to a page toward the beginning of the book, to a list of major demons that minor demons made sacrifices to, attempting to strengthen them enough to bring them into our world. She flipped a few pages further and stared down at a picture of a succubus cutting runes into the flesh of a man’s back. “Ugh.” She thumbed through more pages, then paused, a shiver running down her spine. She’d seen a symbol that tickled the back of her mind. Frowning, she paged back through the book until she found the picture again, recalling something that Rangda had said to her. Rangda was a demon who had appeared to her in her sleep and in visions, and while demons as a rule of thumb were dangerous to listen to, this particular demon had led the hunters into solving a life-threatening encounter with another demon. Shanna couldn’t totally blow her off, given that show of good will.

  Shanna closed her eyes as she tried to recall her exact words. She could see Rangda now, bathed in the shadows of a train, her voice fluid and honey-sweet, yet somehow primal and dangerous at the same time, slithering into Shanna’s ear like a snake, tempting her with knowledge and half-truths.

  “You know, you really should read up on that ritual those demons performed on your parents. Ritual sacrifice always makes for a fascinating read.”

  That was what she’d said. Shanna opened her eyes and stared down at the page open before her. There was a picture of an orange demon covered in a dark blue robe, looking back over its shoulder, as if sensing the reader gazing at it. A light blue crescent moon adorned the back of the robes with a pitchfork of dark blue in the center.

  She swallowed hard as she let the image sink in, reminding her of a scared little girl who’d watched the flash of knives as they’d been buried deep into the bellies of her parents.

  You must realize that you’re somewhat responsible for what occurred. If those demons hadn’t felt your power, they would have passed over such an ordinary household.”

  Shanna brushed her fingers over the image. And here she was with a book in her hand that could perhaps explain to her why her parents had been taken from her. That could perhaps give some meaning to their violent deaths, if there was any reason good enough for what had happened.

  Thank you, Rangda, Shanna thought, tucking the book under her arm. She would be taking one demon’s advice and study up on another.

  Feeling that she’d gotten what she’d come for, she searched for her friends, pondering her current place with the hunters. Before she’d met up with the others, she’d been doing things solo just fine. She’d even avenged her parents, killed the very demons who had taken them from her, ones just like the demons with the blue robes in the book she carried. But perhaps she’d been short-sighted. Perhaps what had occurred there had only been the beginning of something larger. The idea that she had a purpose excited her, sent adrenaline racing through her veins. Adjusting to life among the other hunters had been tough, but she’d made some great connections and loved her place among them. Cameron’s act of betrayal had shattered her more than she could have predicted, and perhaps the way for her to crawl out of her funk was to find something else to fight for. The same thing she had originally fought for. Her parents. She’d vowed that she would never let what happened to her happen to anyone ever again. If these demons had done this for a purpose, she would find it. And she would see this through to the end.

  Feeling much lighter than she had in weeks, Shanna found her friends at the fountain near the elevator.

  Amelia frowned when she saw her chipper attitude, and stood up with Jade. “What’s gotten into you?”

  Shanna laughed. “Nothing. I found a book I want, though.” She held it up for Amelia to see.

  Glancing at it briefly, Amelia returned her eyes to Shanna. “Must be some book.”

  Jade crossed her arms. “I didn’t find anything.”

  “Sometimes the answers you seek aren’t the ones that find you,” Shanna mumbled.

  Amelia watched her for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. I got what I came for.” She held up a bag, heavy with books. “You should check out so we can go.”

  “You found the spell you’ve been searching for?”

  “Not exactly,” Amelia frowned. “Some promising texts that might point me in the right direction, though.”

  “Just what kind of a spell are you looking for?” Jade asked.

  Amelia glanced at her. “A witch turned my father into a toad. I intend to turn him back.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. And I’m…looking for someone too.” She shrugged. “Anyways, I found some good material, I think. And I’m trying to figure out what the power source is that we found in Greece too, the one that the sirens wanted so desperately. I still haven’t been able to figure it out, after all this time.”

  “The blue liquid in the vial?”

  “Yes. The liquid itself is nothing special. A combination of water and some common minerals. But I’ve noticed that when I take some of the liquid out for analysis, the vial refills itself.”

  “Well, that’s odd,” Jade said with a frown. “You should let me take a crack at it.”

  “I will. Felicia was…well, just remind me when we get back to Lime Bay.”

  Shanna approached the counter as they continued to talk, eyeing Eric warily as she approached him. She set her book down without looking up at him.

  He quickly scanned it and put it in a bag for her. “Twenty dollars even.”

  She paid him and grabbed the bag.

  “I really am sorry,” he said softly as she turned to leave. “I never meant to upset you or invade your privacy. I just want you to know that.”

  She didn’t reply, but approached the elevators with her friends, who were talking about different tests they could try on the liquid from the vial. Shanna tuned them out and touched her book through the paper bag long after they’d left the store behind them.