by D. G. Swank
“Announce yourself,” I called out.
“Are you a demon slayer?” a male voice asked.
“Is it a demon?” Jack whispered. “I can’t see them.”
“They’re keeping out of sight, but I don’t think so,” I whispered back. These beings emitted the same vibe as the creature at the warehouse—not evil, but not friendly either. Neutral.
“Are you a demon slayer?” the creature repeated.
“So I’ve been told,” I said. “Are you here to take me to the Great One too? Let me warn you that if you try to feed from my friend, I will kill you.”
“What do you know of the Great One?” a female voice asked, ignoring my threat.
“Enough to know it has a different objective than I do,” I said. “But not enough to find it and destroy it.”
“Then we have a common enemy,” the female voice said. Before she could elucidate further on that, or on anything, the tingling in my hand stopped, all trace of them gone. Both beings vanished.
I took a step back, my blades at the ready.
“Are they coming down the hill?” Jack asked.
I wiped the bloodied blade of St. Michael on my workout pants. “No. They vanished. Let’s go.” I started back down the hill, pulling out of Jack’s hold. He followed close behind. Just as we reached the road, Helen appeared directly in front of me. I fought to squelch my startled yelp. “You scared the crap out of me, Helen.”
“You killed the demon.”
“What were the other two beings? Demons?”
“The Nunnehi aren’t demons,” she said with a frown. “You have caught the attention of other spirits. Abel was right about you.”
I shook my head. “Why would other spirits be interested in me?”
“The blood that flows through your veins.”
“You mean because I’m a witness to creation?” This was something else Abel had told me. He said that most life forces were recycled. But sometimes a rare, pure soul was born. He said they are called witnesses to creation because they are as pure as the beginning of time.
“Primarily because of the curse you inherited, but yes, your blood as a witness to creation makes you desirable to all spirits. Especially the hungry ones.”
Like Abel, but I still had no intention of telling Jack about our blood bond. “It’s not safe for you to stay here, Helen, not until we figure out how to close this gate.”
“I won’t leave my daughter,” she said, then vanished.
Jack and I walked back to my car. I started to put the daggers away, but Jack took both of them from me. He poured holy water on the blades, cleaning off the rest of the demon blood, before handing them back to me to put into my bag.
“I’m not sure you should keep working with me, Jack,” I said once we were both in the car. “You can’t see them unless you touch me. We both know we got lucky with killing that demon tonight. I doubt it’ll be as easy next time, and you’ll have to let go, which means you won’t be able to see it. The demon could attack you and you wouldn’t know until it was too late.”
He didn’t say a word.
“No argument?” I asked in surprise.
“Not tonight,” he said wearily.
“Helen said those two spirits were Nunnehi. Do you know what that is?” Was the being I’d encountered outside the warehouse also a Nunnehi?
“It sounds familiar, but I can’t place it off the top of my head. I’ll look it up and let you know tomorrow.”
He sounded so dejected that I reached toward him and took his hand in mine. “I still need you, Jack.”
“You need my knowledge,” he said, looking out the window. “You don’t need me to face the demons with you. I’m a liability. One more distraction.”
I really should have thought things through before telling him he couldn’t come demon hunting with me in the future. “You’re not giving yourself enough credit,” I said. “What happened to you believing you’re supposed to help me?”
He shrugged. “Maybe the voice’s suggestion that I partner with you is part of a long-term plan too complicated for us to fathom.”
“Jack—”
“No, Piper,” he said, shaking his head. “Let’s not have this conversation tonight.”
“Okay,” I said, casting him a worried glance. “We can talk about it tomorrow.”
Neither of us said anything for the rest of the ride, and as I dropped him off at his car, I had to wonder if this would work out after all.
Ever since I’d started the six-hour-a-day workout regimen, I’d fallen asleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow, but as I dreamt I kept seeing Jack’s browbeaten expression. He’d relinquished his entire life to chase the demons—he’d given up his job…no, his vocation for it—why hadn’t he put up a protest?
I tossed and turned until I finally picked up my phone and sent Jack a text.
I need you, Jack. Please don’t shut me out again.
He called me within seconds. “Piper, ignore my brooding and get some sleep. You have to get up early and kick Rupert’s ass.”
“Davis,” I said, still feeling forlorn.
He chuckled. “Then Davis’s ass.” He paused for a moment, and when he continued, he sounded more serious. “I’m fine. You haven’t lost me, I swear. I promised to help you, and I’m researching those Nunnehi things right now. We’ll figure this out. Together.”
Tears stung my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Go to sleep. How about we meet for lunch tomorrow and discuss all my findings?”
“Thank you for not giving up on me, Jack.”
“Never.”
I was bleary-eyed and groggy when I walked into the kitchen the next morning. Hudson was waiting for me with an ear-to-ear grin, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers in one hand and a glazed donut.
“Happy birthday, Pippy.”
“I told you no cake,” I protested, but I couldn’t help smiling.
“It’s a donut. Definitely not cake. A person only turns twenty-five once.”
“It’s just that this birthday…”
He set the flowers on the counter, and then took up my hand and gently squeezed it between his palms, then put his hand on my upper arm. “This birthday is the one your father bartered his life for.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak past the lump in my throat.
“I think your dad would want you to be happy, but that’s hard to wish for when you’re fighting demons.” Hudson placed a soft kiss on my forehead. “Have you changed your mind about a birthday dinner?”
“No,” I said, making a face. “And I’ve made other plans that are totally unbirthday related.” I still hadn’t decided if I was going to accept Abel’s dinner invitation, but part of me was irritated because I knew I would.
“If you change your mind, let me know.”
“Thanks, Huddy.” I snatched the donut from him, took a huge bite, and groaned with satisfaction.
Hudson laughed. “I think you need a date more than a donut.”
I laughed and took another bite.
“I made you a breakfast sandwich too,” he said, pointing to a brown bag on the counter. Next to it was a travel mug. “And I already made your coffee. We don’t want you to be late.”
I wrapped my arm around his back and pulled him close. “I miss you. Maybe we can hang out together tomorrow. Just the two of us.”
“Don’t you have a bunch of ghost appointments?”
“I’m free for lunch,” I said with a huge grin as I leaned back to look up at him.
“I’d like that,” he said. “Maybe I can come to a couple of your appointments with you. Give Rhys a break.”
I beamed even brighter. “Sure.”
His grin softened. “Happy birthday, Piper,” he said again.
I gave him another squeeze before dropping my hold. “Have a great day, Huddy.”
“You too.”
I was a few minutes early, but Davis was alr
eady waiting for me—looking more somber than usual.
“I’m not late,” I said as I strode toward him and dropped my bag on the floor, several feet from the mats.
He didn’t respond. He wasn’t holding any weapons, so I didn’t pull out my fake daggers as I approached the mats. Not saying a word, he slowly advanced toward me. “Are those glazed donut flakes on your shirt?”
Well, crap. When had he become Sherlock Holmes?
I took in his ready stance, his posture, the tension in his legs, the slight lean toward me. He wasn’t even looking at my shirt, but at my eyes. And I stared right back. I’d learned enough in our sessions together to keep my eyes on him.
A grin spread across his face. While it wasn’t friendly, there was a hint of respect in his eyes. “I asked you a question, Piper. Answer it.”
I held my chin high. “Yes.”
I could have offered an explanation—it was my birthday—but I’d learned Davis accepted no excuses. Besides, I didn’t want anyone else to know.
He swung at my head without warning, but I ducked and lunged into a forward roll to get out of his way.
“So you have learned a thing or two,” he said as I instantly jumped to my feet. He looked satisfied for a brief moment before his usual stern expression took over. “Let’s make sure you do us both proud when you show Mr. Abel what you’ve learned.”
Was that what tonight was about? Me demonstrating the lessons his teachers had taught me? If so, why had he requested that I dress for dinner? But I didn’t have time to think about it because Davis charged with an attack that left me flat on the floor less than five minutes later.
Obviously, as he’d so skillfully pointed out, I had much to learn.
Chapter 8
When our session was over, I collapsed onto my hands and knees.
“That’s a terrible cat pose if you’re trying to do yoga,” Davis said as he grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face.
I glanced up at him in surprise. Not once, in all the hours we’d worked together, had he attempted any type of small talk.
“You do yoga, Davis?” I asked.
He grinned, a genuine one. “Isn’t doing yoga a requirement for living in Asheville?”
I rose up and sat back on my heels. “You’re from Asheville?”
Abel didn’t seem the trusting sort, so I’d assumed he would rely on long-term employees rather than acquiring help wherever he went. Besides, it seemed unlikely that such fierce fighters could be found on a whim.
“No, girlie,” Davis said, with an affection that caught me off guard. “I’m from the Northeast. I only came here with Abel. But we’ve been here off and on for over a year.”
That was the first time he’d dropped the “Mr.” What was going on? “Why?”
He straightened, his short-lived nonchalance fading. “For you.”
I got to my feet. How much was Davis willing to tell me? “Do you know why he’s having you train me?”
He hesitated. “We know you’ll be required to fight evil.”
“Do you know what that evil is?”
“I only know what I need to know, Piper—that we are to push you as hard as we can.” He dropped the towel and took a single step toward me. “I’m proud of you. You’ve learned more in two weeks than I ever would have imagined. I think Abel will be pleased.”
My mouth hung open in shock. Never once had he given me praise. “I…”
He grinned. “But don’t think I’m going to go easy on you tomorrow. I’ll be pushing even harder after Abel’s evaluation.” Then he picked up his bag and headed for the door.
I stared at him as if I’d just had a hallucination. Who’d swapped my hard-edged trainer with this chatty, genial version of himself?
“Lock up when you leave,” he called over his shoulder. “I know Rupert gave you a key.”
He walked out, leaving me alone. I headed for the bathroom in the corner to shower and change. My eleven o’clock appointment had canceled on me, which meant I had more time than usual to wash my hair and shave. While the bathroom wasn’t fancy, Abel hadn’t skimped on the shower heads—a whole wall of them massaged my sore muscles, something I greatly appreciated after today’s workout.
When I finished, I dressed in a pair of jeans and a cute top, braided my hair, and actually put on more makeup than just mascara. When I was ready to go, I grabbed my phone to check in with Jack about lunch, but all other thoughts were banished when I saw a text from Rhys.
I can’t get a hold of Abby and I’m worried.
I stared at the message, my heart racing. I reminded myself that Abby could be anywhere, perfectly fine. There were a number of perfectly innocent reasons for why a college student might disappear without a word to her girlfriend…surely.
The ghost in the campus lot yesterday had said her name was Abigale, but there had to be more than one Abby at the university.
I took a deep breath and called her.
“When was the last time you talked to her?” I asked when she answered.
“Wednesday night. She wasn’t at class yesterday, and she won’t respond to my texts or calls.”
Dread burrowed in my gut, but I forced myself to keep an even tone. “Have you talked to her roommates?”
Her voice broke. “She lives alone.”
I took a deep breath, my mind racing.
“Jack and I are going out to lunch,” I said, trying to sound breezy. “Would you like to come with us? We’re planning to eat at Othello’s. We can stop by Abby’s house to check on her. Maybe her phone died or something.”
“Yeah,” she said, not sounding so certain. “Good idea.”
“Sit tight. We’ll be there soon.”
“Okay.”
I dialed Jack as soon as we hung up, and he answered on the first ring.
“Jack.” I was trying to stifle my fear, but it came through in my voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“The girl who killed herself…Abigale.”
“Yes,” he said, “I checked the police records and couldn’t find any deaths or overdoses for anyone, let alone an Abigale.”
I took a breath. “I think she might have been Rhys’s new girlfriend.”
“Oh, shit.”
I struggled not to cry. “She hasn’t talked to her since Wednesday night, and now she can’t get a hold of her. Abby lives alone, Jack.” I took another breath and tried to pull myself together. Freaking out wouldn’t do any good. “If she killed herself yesterday afternoon, no one would know.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I invited Rhys to lunch with us. I said we’d pick her up and stop by Abby’s apartment to check on her. She lives by the school. I’m sorry to drag you into this, but I don’t think I can do this alone. If you would—”
“Piper,” he said, his voice kind but firm. “Stop. Should I meet you at Abby’s apartment? I’m on the other side of town.”
“I’ll get the address and text it to you.”
We said goodbye and I called Rhys back while I locked up the warehouse.
“This is stupid, right?” she asked, trying to sound lighthearted. “I’m sure I’m overreacting.”
“If I couldn’t get a hold of you since Wednesday night, I’d be worried too. You’ll feel better if you check on her. I can be at your place in ten minutes.”
“Okay. See you then.”
I spent the drive trying not to freak out. There was probably some logical explanation for Abby’s disappearing act. Maybe she was ghosting Rhys—no pun intended.
When I pulled up in front of Rhys’s apartment complex, she was already waiting at the curb. She looked pale and her hand shook as she opened the car door and got inside.
“Do you have her address?” I asked.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Rhys said, staring out the windshield. “I’m acting nuts.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “A lot of people had active imaginations before all this ghost and demon nonsense,
and now they’re in overdrive. It doesn’t hurt to check.”
She glanced into the backseat. “Where’s Jack?”
“He said he’d meet us there.”
“That’s silly,” she said with forced cheeriness. “Why don’t we just meet him for lunch when we’re done? We’ll have two cars anyway.”
The thought of showing up at Abby’s apartment without Jack…no, I couldn’t do it. There was no telling what we’d find.
“I still need the address,” I said. “For my GPS.” And to give to Jack, but I kept that from Rhys, not wanting to alarm her.
“I can tell you where to go.”
“You give terrible directions,” I said with a chuckle, hoping it didn’t sound as fake as it felt. “Let Liam tell me where to go.”
“Liam?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
“I changed the voice on my phone to a guy with an Australian accent.” I cocked my head. “He’s the only action I’ve had since Gill. Let a girl daydream a little.”
Gill, who had been killed by a demon. Not exactly a reference that was getting my thoughts in the right place.
She rattled off an address, and I texted it to Jack before quickly copying it and pasting it into my map app. The directions popped up, and I shot a glance at Rhys. She was so worried, she hadn’t noticed anything was amiss.
I backed out of the spot and headed north, toward the college campus. I tried to distract Rhys as we drove, but she responded to all of my questions with one-word answers. We fell into a tense silence for the rest of the five-minute drive.
“That’s her car,” Rhys said when I turned down Abby’s street, a cul-de-sac filled with nondescript two-story apartment buildings. Rhys pointed to an older, rusty blue compact car parked in front of the building at the far end of the cul-de-sac. “What if she’s just trying to avoid me and doesn’t answer the door?”
I parked on the other side of the street and turned off the car. “How about you wait in the car and I’ll go up to the door and knock?”
“That seems like the chickenshit way out,” Rhys said, starting to bite her fingernails.