“Greetings, my stupid human foes.” Bahor spoke, and its familiar form materialized in front of them. Coll immediately moved to stand between Silver and the demon.
Silver stared at the demon’s dapper clothing, and the inhuman, fiery eyes. She said, “Be careful, Coll.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t be like last time,” Coll said. “I’m not bound by the curse any more. Now I can kill it.”
Bahor smiled. “You think so, dogboy? You might be a bit scrappier than the usual mortal, but you’re nothing compared to me. I’ll shred you and then make you watch while I make your girlfriend beg me for a bargain.”
“Never,” Silver said. “You can’t trick me because I already know what you are.”
“No tricks, Miss Salem.” Bahor turned its fiery eyes toward her. “Just a trade. Your soul for his life.”
“She doesn’t like me that much,” Coll said.
Silver said nothing, because she did like him that much, and more. And she couldn’t let anyone die if she could stop it.
Coll held out one arm in a warning gesture. “Get away from us. I don’t ever want to see you again, and I won’t follow you. Just go.”
“Go?” Bahor frowned. “Why would I do that? I had to wait for you to leave your haven—all thanks to that witch’s spell.” It nodded to Silver. “Packed a quite a punch, young lady, I don’t mind telling you.”
“I’ll cast it again,” Silver warned.
“But we’re not in the house now,” the demon purred. “We’re in open air, public grounds, a right of way free to all. Your banishment can’t work here.”
“I’ll settle for killing you,” Coll growled.
“Oh, that old threat,” Bahor said. “How many—”
The demon’s words were cut off as a massive grey wolf barreled into it. The change happened so quickly that Silver hadn’t even seen it occur. But now she saw Coll in wolf form, monstrous and somehow elegant as he bit and clawed and kicked at his opponent.
Bahor screamed in rage, flinging up its arms, and then conjuring a magical shield to protect itself from Coll.
The two creatures struggled for what seemed an eternity. They struck, feinted, circled. Silver watched, feeling helpless.
Coll pounced and seemed to almost have Bahor, but the demon whirled away unnaturally fast. Before Silver could react, the demon rushed toward her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her toward it like a human shield.
“Enough!” Bahor screeched. “I have her!”
Still in the form of a wolf, Coll stopped. His body trembled with the effort, and he clearly wanted to pounce.
“Back off,” Bahor warned him, “or this luscious morsel will die faster than you can take a breath.”
Silver whispered, “You didn’t come back here just to kill me.”
“Smart girl. No. I want my curse back. Where’s the vessel?”
Bahor meant the lead bottle. Silver began to point to one of the trunks. “In there. Let me go and I’ll get it out.”
Bahor only tightened its grip. “No. You might accidentally work some magic. Let your little dog do it.”
Coll understood everything, and he shifted slowly back to human form. “If you hurt her—” Coll began to say.
“Shut up. I will hurt her if you don’t do exactly what I say. Bring me my bottle. Do it now.”
Coll had no choice. Keeping a wary eye on the demon, he moved to the trunk where the bottle was carefully packed away.
Silver didn’t dare move, but she thought frantically. They couldn’t let the bottle reach Bahor’s hands. Once the demon had it, they’d be killed. There was no other possible outcome. Silver didn’t know that much about the murky realm that demons called home, but she knew that such beings were always jockeying for status. Letting Coll and Silver live would reflect badly on Bahor.
But did Coll know that? Did he realize that Bahor wouldn’t ever let them go?
Coll sorted through the trunk, with Bahor warning him not to grab anything other than the bottle. The demon’s sharp, claw-like hands clutched Silver so hard that she gasped in pain. That was enough to keep Coll in line.
He finally held up the little bottle, unmistakably the same one they used in the ritual.
As Coll stepped around the trunk, another sound made Bahor look away from him.
Piewicket tore through the mesh of her case, striking out toward the demon.
Bahor reacted instinctively, pivoting so Silver now faced the angry cat. “You’ll have to scratch your mistress!” it snarled, holding Silver out in front of it.
But it had forgotten Coll for a split second, and that was all Coll needed. Once again a wolf, he rushed at Bahor, prying the demon from Silver, who fell onto her hands and knees.
Coll knocked the demon to the ground. Powerful jaws clamped around Bahor’s throat, and cut short the demon’s unearthly howl. With a jerk, the werewolf snapped the neck of the demon.
That should have ended it. But Bahor wasn’t human, and wasn’t subject to the same frailty of the body. Though its head dangled oddly, it still struggled to escape from the werewolf. Coll attacked again, going for the legs. A bone snapped. Bahor couldn’t scream, and it wouldn’t be walking away. Yet the demon’s eyes still blazed with anger. Coll’s attacks had been devastating, but even so, the demon wasn’t defeated permanently.
Silver stood up just as Coll shifted back to his human form, the aura of the massive wolf hovering about him for just a second longer.
“You all right, precious?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “But it’s not over.”
He looked down at the wounded demon in disgust. “Ordinary weapons can’t actually destroy it. I need something magic, something connected to great power. I don’t suppose you have an enchanted knife or gun in your luggage?”
Silver shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t—”
You have me.
Piewicket took a huge bound, and pounced on the prone demon’s chest. She gave Bahor a Cheshire grin.
Hello, prey.
Coll scrambled back toward Silver, ready to shield her in case the demon attacked again. But Bahor was in no position to attack her, or anyone. Piewicket had somehow immobilized the demon, through a power Silver couldn’t understand and didn’t want to understand.
Her adorable, affectionate calico cat was powerful enough to stun a demon, and also powerful enough to destroy it, as it clearly intended to do.
Then Piewicket paused. Don’t look, please, she said in Silver’s mind. I prefer a bit of privacy for this, and you’ll find the viewing most unpleasant.
Silver closed her eyes and turned toward Coll, flinging her arms around him. “Better close your eyes,” she begged.
He held her tight. “Don’t worry about me, Silver.”
She concentrated on the feel of Coll’s arms around her, his warmth, his strength. She did everything she could to avoid listening to the disturbing sounds behind her.
But after a few moments, she whispered, “What’s happening?”
“What usually happens between predator and prey.” Coll spoke as evenly as he could, but she could sense how stunned he was. “Does she do this often?”
“I’ve never seen it before. I knew she wasn’t an ordinary cat, but…”
“Don’t worry, precious,” he said. “I’ll tell you when it’s over.”
She buried her face even closer into his chest, nodding. She tried to think about how Coll called her precious, how he looked at her, even after she’d broken the curse and he didn’t need her anymore. But he still held her tight, and protected her. It was as if…he loved her.
Silver finally started to believe it.
Then Coll said, “It’s done.” He loosened his hold so she could step away.
She looked over her shoulder. Piewicket sat on her haunches, licking her chops contentedly.
Demons always taste so delicious.
“Did I just hear that?” Coll asked worriedly.
Silver turned to him. “Did you
? Pie only communicates with our family, as far as I know.”
“Well, then it makes perfect sense,” Coll said, relaxing, “since I intend to be with you as long as you’ll have me.”
Silver squeezed Coll’s hand, loving every word. But she also had another small matter on her hands.
“Pie, are you going to explain yourself?”
The cat blinked innocently at her. I am a cat. So no.
“Typical cat,” Coll said.
Pie yawned, then returned to her carrier. The important thing is that I’m your cat. Goodness, I’m quite full. Can we go on now?
“Yes,” Silver said, as she picked up the carrier. “Now I think we can.”
Coll took Silver’s hand in his own. “I can see that we’ve both got a lot to learn.”
She nodded, then suddenly laughed out loud. “Yes,” she said, overjoyed. “Can you imagine how interesting our life together will be, love?”
“We won’t have to imagine.”
Silver smiled at him. “No, I suppose we’ll just live it, one day and one night at a time.”
* * * *
Elizabeth Cole can be found hanging around museums, coffeeshops, and graveyards…but not after dark. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she worked in bookshops, libraries, archives, or anywhere there were books to be read and cared for.
When not writing, she watches extremely bad movies—the kind with more explosions than acting. Just a bit of a nerd, she also loves board games and RPGs. She will not divulge how many dice might be in her house at this moment.
Elizabeth loves hearing from readers, because otherwise she starts taking the cat’s advice a little too seriously. Connect with her and sign up to get early alerts for new titles at elizabethcole.co/salem-newsletter.
Series by Elizabeth Cole
SECRETS OF THE ZODIAC: steamy, suspenseful spy thrillers set during the Napoleonic Wars.
SWORDCROSS KNIGHTS: deeply romantic adventures that bring medieval England to life.
and coming soon
THE BROTHERS SALEM: fast-paced, fun and sexy paranormal romances that prove demon-slaying doesn’t have to ruin your dating life.
Get your free books: elizabethcole.co/newsletter
One Touch of Silver Page 9