by Missy Jane
“It’s possible he summoned this demon before,” Mike said. “Back when he needed help with the company. He could have made promises then and needs to pay up now.”
“That’s as likely as anything else,” Zerach agreed. “But what does he need to do to fulfill his side of the bargain?”
Dora gasped as the idea of human sacrifice entered his mind. He’d meant to shield her from it but had slipped.
I’m sorry, baby.
She gave him a weak smile of understanding.
“He also wanted her, right?” Asta said with a flicker of her hand toward Dora.
“Yes,” Zerach replied through gritted teeth. He didn’t like to be reminded of that.
Dora patted his hand on her thigh. “Jake kept saying he wants to marry me but I don’t know how true that is. He wanted me, yes. But maybe not for something as permanent as marriage.”
Asta snorted out a laugh and Zerach glared at her.
“Well, whatever he wanted her for he’s obviously going to use her godparents instead,” Rafe said. “Or as bait.”
“Yes. So it’s important you don’t go with us when we find them,” Mike said with a stern look in her direction.
Zerach felt a shiver run through her and knew Mike’s glare had caused it. He returned it with a warning. Back off, bro. You’re frightening her.
Mike lifted one brow before nodding an acknowledgment. Then he looked away.
“Well it’s a moot point if you can’t find them,” Asta said.
Dora turned to her. “They think they know where my godparents are. That’s what the secret meeting was about when we were still in the kitchen.”
Zerach chuckled but Mike looked annoyed.
“Oh really?” Asta asked as she turned toward Rafe.
He sighed and ran a hand over his head. “Yeah. Possibly in Conroe. It’s north of here.”
Asta frowned but said nothing else.
Suddenly all of them men stilled. Isadora heard Sel’s voice clear as a bell in her head and knew Zerach was allowing her to hear his thoughts.
The neighbors say someone arrived yesterday but they haven’t seen them leave the house since. Neither of them got a good look but think it was more than one person.
The others looked to Mike. “We’ll go tonight to see if it’s them.”
Silence filled the room until a crisp piano concerto echoed from the kitchen. All eyes turned to Isadora as she jumped off Zearch’s lap. “That’s my phone.”
She grabbed it off a counter and quickly pulled the charger loose. The caller ID simply said Unknown.
“Hello?”
She felt Zerach at her back as she tried to slow her racing heart. For a second there was only silence before Alice finally responded in a tired voice.
“Oh, Isadora, thank goodness you answered. Where are you?”
“Alice! I should ask you the same thing. Are you and Bill all right?”
“Well, we’ve been better.”
Alice gasped and breaking glass resounded in the background. Fear stabbed through Isadora as confusing sounds filled her ear, and she thought Alice had dropped the phone.
“Give me the fucking phone!” Jake’s voice came across loud and clear.
“Jake?”
“Izzy, where the fuck are you? I’ve been by your place twice in the past few hours. Where are you?”
His angry growl vibrated through the phone, setting Isadora on edge. Jake was angry and unpredictable. She didn’t think Alice and Bill together would be able to handle him, even without the presence of a demon.
“Where are you? And why in the hell do you have Alice and Bill?”
“Izzy! Who are you with?”
“That’s none of your business. Honestly, Jake, I can’t believe you would kidnap my godparents just to get me to marry you.”
He chuckled, and she immediately considered how un-sexy it was compared to Zerach’s.
“I already told you I need a new girl on my arm. A wholesome, sweet, virgin just like you. Someone pure. Very, very pure.”
Dread settled in her stomach like lead. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He chuckled again and it sounded evil and malicious. “Alice promised me you would say yes. She said there was no way you would dare refuse her. She said it was all well in hand. I get what I want, and you get what you want.”
“Put Alice on the phone.”
“No.” His instant denial only served to ignite the fire already running through her veins.
“Put her on the fucking phone!”
Her outburst only seemed to amuse Jake as he laughed again. She was ready to yell an uncharacteristic string of curses at him when Zerach placed a hand on her shoulder.
“If you hurt Alice or Bill, I’ll kill you with my bare hands,” she said.
Jake stopped laughing but amusement still rang in his voice. “Sure you will. How about you come up here, and we’ll discuss this like old friends? Remember when we were ten and I kissed you? That’s where we are. Come and get me.”
He hung up and his laughter still echoed through her head. They were definitely on the property in Conroe.
The men waited until dusk, by which time Cal, Sel, and Uri had returned. Isadora was a mass of indecision and fear. Zerach wanted her to stay put, safe within Rafe’s heavily warded house. Mike thought she should go with them in case she could lure Jake away from the demon. He also mentioned something about her aura she didn’t understand. When she pried Zerach’s thoughts for an answer she hit a brick wall.
“That’s not fair,” she said. “I don’t know how to block you from my thoughts.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her mouth. “I’m sorry. I have to be able to block some things from you for your protection, love. I’ve lived more lives than you can imagine. It’s too much.”
“I wish you’d let me be the judge of that.”
He frowned but didn’t relent. “I don’t want you anywhere near Conroe tonight.”
“Mike has said otherwise, and I want to see Bill and Alice for myself. They wouldn’t be in this situation if not for me.”
“How do you figure that? Jake’s the idiot who summoned a demon and started this mess.”
She sighed and leaned against his chest, allowing his heartbeat to relax her for a moment. “But if I had just said yes to him and gone along with what he wanted, he would’ve left them alone.”
A low growl resonated against her ear and he tightened his hold. “He most likely still would’ve hurt you, and I would’ve torn him apart. Don’t even think like that, Dora.”
She knew he was right, but the guilt remained. Her godparents were in their sixties. They would be lucky to survive a kidnapping, let alone whatever else Jake subjected them to.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll find them and if they’re hurt, I’ll heal them too. I swear to do everything in my power to bring them back to you safely.”
If any other man had made such a bold promise she would’ve had a hard time believing it. But Zerach exuded such strength, as did his brothers. Now that she knew the truth about them it was a lot easier to have faith in their abilities. Seeing the evidence of his powers on her smooth skin had left her in awe. Now she just had to believe in him for a little longer.
“I swear it,” he repeated.
“I believe you. I believe in you.”
He kissed her as if starving for her taste. Her body heated, and she forgot everything but him.
Then he pulled away to glare at something over her shoulder, and she heard Sel laugh. “Sorry, bro’, Mike sent me in here. Besides, you left the door open.”
He turned and strolled back out of the guest bedroom with another laugh.
“Bastard,” Zerach mumbled.
Isadora gasped. “Zerach. That’s not nice.”
He placed a swift kiss on her lips. “Neither is interrupting something so important.”
“I guess it’s time, then?”
“Yeah.” He looked aro
und the room. “I wish you would stay here.”
“I’m probably safest with you anyway. What if there’s more than one demon?”
He frowned, and she realized he hadn’t considered that possibility. “There might be minions, but the possibility of more than one demon of Armoros’s caliber in this realm at the same time is slim to none. They don’t like to share.”
“Are the minions very dangerous?”
“Yes. Very. You’re right. Being with us is probably the best bet.”
They left the bedroom and found everyone waiting by the front door. Asta was with them and Rafe looked as angry as Zerach.
“She’s going too?” Isadora asked.
“Yup,” Asta replied before anyone else did. “They seemed to have forgotten that whole free will and American Constitution thing. Keeping me here against my will is illegal.” She glared at Rafe. “Isn’t that right?”
He just growled and yanked the front door open. “Let’s go.”
Cam drove Asta and Isadora in his Hummer while the others chose to fly. The sun had recently set and the streets were still packed with traffic. The others would get there well ahead of them.
“Are they going to wait for us?” she asked.
Cam shrugged. “Probably not if they can help it. But I hope they do. Armoros is one powerful son of a bitch. They might need me.”
That didn’t make her feel any better so she turned to watch the passing scenery. She thought she heard light snoring from the backseat where Asta lounged. They spent the rest of the drive in silence without even the radio on. Cam seemed content to keep his thoughts to himself.
By the time they exited the freeway, Isadora was a huge bundle of nerves. She knew without a doubt she’d feel it if anything happened to Zerach. But what if he was in danger? What if he was injured but not mortally wounded? She had so many questions about their bond she didn’t even know where to begin.
“So, where’s this property? Cam finally asked.
She spent the next half hour telling him how to get to the driveway leading to Bill and Alice’s old lake house. They had been so proud of that property it was a shock when they sold it. Of course now that she knew their financial situation, she realized they hadn’t had a choice. A lifetime of memories flooded her as they slowly traversed the long dirt driveway. The property was set back half a mile from the road. The neighbors on either side were likewise secluded until you reached the houses. Then you could wave to them from the porch.
Cam stopped about halfway to the house and killed the engine.
Asta sat up with a grunt. “We here?”
“Yeah. Or as close as I’m willing to drive you two,” Cam said. He turned in the seat so he faced both of them. “Look, Zerach and Rafe don’t want you there but Mike does. To be honest I think he considers both of you good bait. Personally, I don’t think we need bait for this. It would probably be best if you two just stayed here.”
“I don’t fucking think so,” Asta said.
“Oh no. I’m not staying,” Isadora added.
He nodded and didn’t seem the least surprised. “All right. But if Rafe or Zerach ask, I tried.”
The three of them walked the rest of the way to the house. There were no lights on the tree-lined road but Asta and Cam could see well in the darkness. Isadora couldn’t. After tripping for the third time, the other two finally flanked her and reached out to grab an arm whenever they saw anything in their path. It was an old dirt road full of ruts and weeds.
They reached the end of the driveway at a clearing that finally brought them to gravel. This hadn’t been here before but the neatly manicured lawn was familiar.
“He said he was at the place where he kissed me when we were ten,” Isadora said quietly. “That would be an old metal shed over there.”
She pointed to the opposite side of the house away from the gravel driveway. The structure blocked their view and no light shined from that direction.
“All right,” Cam said. “Here’s what we’re going to do. It’s a full moon and I can’t mask my presence from the demon. So we’re going to do it the old fashioned way and creep onto the porch.”
They all looked at the wraparound porch that sat in the shadows. Large windows faced out from the front of the house, but all of the curtains were drawn. The problem was the lawn. They were currently standing behind a large oak tree that marked the end of the dirt road. There was nothing else to give them cover from there to the house.
“Can you cover us with like an invisibility shield or something?” Asta asked.
Isadora held back her laugh as she looked to Cam for his answer.
One side of his mouth went up in a grin. “Sorry, Hermione, I left my invisibility cloak at Hogwarts.”
Isadora had to cover her mouth and still a quiet chuckling escaped. Asta slapped his shoulder. “A simple ‘no’ would’ve sufficed, smart ass.”
“Maybe we could just belly crawl across the lawn, and I’ll hum the tune from Mission Impossible,” he offered.
Isadora had to step away from them to stop her nervous giggles. By the time she had herself under control they had worked out a plan.
He was going to risk detection by flying to the roof. His reasoning was if the others had already been seen then they would be expecting him anyway. As soon as he hit the roof they would run across the lawn to the porch. That way if anyone came out to grab them he would be in a position to help. Isadora didn’t think it was the best plan, but really couldn’t think of anything else.
“All right. The moon’s bright enough you can see anything in your way, right?” Asta asked.
Isadora nodded. “Yeah. Don’t wait on me. Just get to that porch, and we’ll go from there.”
For a second it looked like Asta might argue, but then she simply nodded. “All right.”
“The others are still up,” Cam said with a finger pointed toward the sky. “There’s enough cloud coverage for them to hide their presence a little longer. They’re okay with our plan since they’ve seen no movement from the house.”
“Good,” Isadora said.
She was annoyed with Zerach for blocking her, but his thoughts and feeling would be a distraction. Most likely that went both ways.
“All right, ladies. Start your engines.”
Asta flipped her middle finger at Cam as he yanked off his shirt. He shot into the sky with a laugh and was instantly on the roof. “Damn, he’s fast.”
They shared a look, Asta offering a small smile. Then they took off almost simultaneously. Blood pumping, heart pounding, Isadora ran for all she was worth across the quarter acre with Asta right in front of her. She’d never felt so on display, as if a million sets of eyes watched every step and waited for the right moment to attack. Asta leapt up the three steps and spun around, her back to the wall beside the front door. Isadora was maybe four feet away when the front door opened.
She screamed a warning and Asta spun on her heels. Isadora had already committed her body to the forward motion and couldn’t stop herself on time. She ran right into Jake’s arms.
He howled in triumph and lifted her off her feet. Asta grabbed his arms and tried to pry them open. “Let go of her, motherfucker.”
Isadora would have struggled. She would have kicked and screamed and fought to be free. However, she’d looked past Jake’s shoulders and seen what waited for them in the house. She froze in pure terror.
Dora! Dora!
Not even Zerach’s frantic yelling in her head could fully penetrate the fog of horror at the sight that met her eyes. Vaguely she realized Asta had also stopped fighting. Jake dragged them both away from the front door and into the living room where the guest of honor awaited in the darkness.
There were no lights on in the house, but he didn’t need them. Armoros glowed with an unearthly red-tinted illumination. Its leathery skin shimmered in the darkness that seemed to caress his every movement. It was in its demon form, over eight feet tall, complete with horns and cloven hooves. Isadora fo
ught the urge to gag.
“Release them, Jake.”
Cam’s voice behind them was a welcome distraction from the monster before her. He had followed them into the house and now shone with his own light. It was a vast contrast to Armoros, light to its dark. Isadora’s head began to pound at the opposing forces.
“I don’t think so, wing boy,” Jake said. He approached the demon. “We were only counting on Izzy coming here but this one’s kinda cute, too.”
“Fuck off, dipshit,” Asta spat.
Jake scowled. “We can always duct tape her mouth shut.”
The demon chuckled and it was like nails on chalkboard. Isadora gasped and covered her ears with her hands.
“That cute one is my issue,” Armoros said.
Jake looked honestly confused.
“I’m his daughter, moron,” Asta said. “How about showing some fucking respect?”
Jake dropped her as if she’d grown hot and stepped away with Isadora still under one arm.
Asta straightened and faced the demon. “So, you’re the asshole who knocked my mom up, huh? You owe me eighteen years of child support.”
If Isadora hadn’t gotten to know the girl-demon over the past few hours she might have thought her very brave or very stupid. But Asta’s trembling hands told the tale of her fear. She was probably trying to distract the demon until the others could arrive.
“Child support?” Armoros asked. “What a novel idea. Perhaps I’ll take you home with me to show you how my other children live when I’m done wreaking havoc on the humans.”
Asta took a step back but didn’t lower her gaze. “And why in the hell do you want to wreak havoc anyway? Isn’t there enough fun to be had in hell?”
Armoros bent at the waist until it was eye level with her and their noses only inches apart. Isadora silently commended her bravery for not even flinching.
“My little demonling, you have no idea how much fun a little chaos among humans can be. I feed on their fear and their violence. I drink the blood they so carelessly pour into the streets. It’s like the finest buffet, and I’m the only demon here to take advantage.”