Sitting on the bench, Denny thought she might vomit, that she might cry, that she might scream, but she did none of these. All she could think about was the possibility that Valeria was going to do the unthinkable. Denny knew the autumnal equinox was the moment the wall between the real world and the supernatural world was thin enough to let demons and evil into the world.
The witch was suggesting this might be the reason why Valeria had brought her mother here.
“That…that can’t be.” Denny held her face in her hands. “It can’t be.”
“DH, we don’t have any facts yet. We can’t jump to conclusions over comments from one witch.
“Of course we can. Don’t you see? She’s going to bring my mother back to life by re-possessing her at the seam.” Instead of sitting on the bench, she let the Hanta take over. She jumped up and sprinted as fast as she could away from Cassandra and Iris.
“DH, come back! We can handle this!”
But Denny had stopped listening. She couldn’t handle this. This was beyond fighting and demons and witches. This was…the furthest point of the supernatural world, and she needed to feed her demon if she was going to stop Valeria from doing the unthinkable...the impossible...
She could hear them calling after her for only a moment as she raced into the darkness, listening for demons she could kill and eat.
She would need every ounce of energy at her disposal to stop Valeria from re-possessing her mother with another spirit.
When Denny trudged through the lobby at six in the morning, she was covered in blood and demon guts from a night of gorging herself on every demon she ran into.
The Vatican guards checked their weapons, but Denny flashed them red eyes, and they shrank back. The clerk at the desk saw her and reached for the phone.
“Touch it and die, motherfucker.” She flashed her red eyes his way as well.
Ames jumped up from a high-backed Victorian chair nestled in the corner of the lobby “Goldy. Thank God. Where the hell have you––”
“I need a shower,” Denny said in a semi-laced Hanta voice. “Handle them, please.” She just kept walking—up the stairs, down the hall to her room, where everyone was awake, on their phones, and drinking coffee.
Iris was the first to approach her and hugged her tightly. “DH, we’ve been so worried. I’m so glad you’re back.”
Denny did not hug her back. She felt like she’d overeaten at a buffet. “I just need a shower.”
Iris pulled away and nodded. “You’re hurt.”
Denny looked down at her hip. Raising her bloody shirt, she saw a four-inch long gash. “Yeah. Guess I am. I still need a shower.”
Iris looked to Cassandra for guidance. She nodded once.
“Okay, DH. We’ll get you all patched up once you’re clean.”
Denny moved like a zombie to the bathroom, where she perfunctorily shed her filthy clothes before stepping into the shower. She didn’t even notice it was cold for several minutes—just stood with her face being pelted by the water.
She also did not notice at first, nor did she care, when someone else got in the shower with her.
Whoever it was gently ran soap over her shoulders, down her arms, across her back. There was nothing sexual about the touch. More like one might wash a child.
Cassandra gently turned her around and gazed deeply into her eyes.
Denny let tears flow, and Cassandra pulled her to her chest and held her tightly, not saying a word, as the water ran over them both.
Denny cried hard into Cassandra’s chest, her arms wrapping tightly around Cassandra’s waist.
Stroking her wet hair and caressing the back of her neck, Cassandra let Denny sob until she was cried out, then continued washing the blood and guts off Denny before pouring shampoo in her hand and washing Denny’s hair.
Denny closed her eyes and just let Cassandra care for her, rinsing her hair, her hands massaging Denny’s scalp.
When Denny opened her eyes, she saw, for the first time, the softball-sized bruise on Cassandra’s chest.
More tears came. “I—”
“Shh, hunter. I know you never meant to hurt me. I’m fine.” Cassandra tilted Denny’s chin up. All is forgiven.”
Denny nodded, tears clinging to her eyelashes and mixing with the water. “Does it…hurt?”
“We’re okay, lover. It looks far worse than it is.” Cassandra finished washing Denny’s body, legs, feet, and back. When she put the soap back, she reached over, turned off the water, then wrapped Denny in one of the hotel’s huge fluffy towels.
Leading Denny into the suite, Cassandra jerked her head to the door. Annalee hustled out, but Iris remained.
“I have this under control,” Cassandra said softly.
“Maybe so, but she’s my hunter, Cassandra. I’m staying.”
“And I am your priestess, Iris. Do not disobey me.”
Iris didn’t move.
“It’s...okay, Iris,” Denny said, barely above a whisper.
Iris leaned in toward Cassandra. “My hunter. My responsibility. Take care of her or deal with me.”
“Absolutely.”
When everyone was gone, Cassandra lay on the bed and pulled Denny to her, holding her with Denny’s head on her shoulder.
“Breathe, hunter. Breathe with the rise and fall of my chest. I’ve got you, love. You’re safe. We’re going to make your mother safe, but for now, I need you to breathe with me.”
Denny closed her eyes and focused on breathing in unison with Cassandra.
“That’s my hunter,” Cassandra said, placing a soft kiss on Denny’s temple. “You are not alone. Your mother is not alone. And we are going to figure out what we need to do to get you to her.”
They lay like that for quite some time before Denny whispered, “Why? Why would Valeria offer my mother up for another demon?”
Stroking Denny’s hair, Cassandra kissed her forehead. “Valeria must believe a Hanta can pull your mother from the catatonic state she put her in. The timing of all of this is not a coincidence. Ames was researching all night long, and he’s laid out a very good plan.”
“A plan? Ames is great at plans.”
“Yes, he is. He believes Valeria wants us to kill the Kramers so that we are free from that threat. Once the Kramers are dead and we get our hands on the treatise, we will cull the herd of demons. Without the Kramers and the demons, the witchers will crawl back under whatever rock they came from. With all of that in place, the equinox will occur and the thin veil between worlds will give Valeria access to demons the likes of which we’ve never seen. She is probably looking for a new Legacy for your mother.”
Denny opened her eyes. “Yes! Why can’t she bring my mom out of it? She put her in it.”
Cassandra kissed Denny’s forehead. “There are things the human body can and can’t do on its own. It’s like hibernation. Do you know how difficult it is for animals to actually come out of it? It’s a miracle, really. Imagine your body is shut down for years. Suddenly, it’s time to start it up. Quite often, it doesn’t know how. This is what Ames thinks happened. Valeria, in her desperation, thinks a Legacy will be strong enough to bring Gwen back from her catatonia.”
Closing her eyes, Denny felt her body relax into Cassandra. “Then she’s not…not a villain? She’s not…”
“Valeria loves your mother more than life itself. She is doing what any good witch would do for her hunter. She is trying to save her life.”
For several minutes, neither say a word.
Denny was almost asleep when she mumbled, “Cassandra?”
“Yes, love?”
“Did you...did you say miracle?”
Cassandra wrapped her arms tighter around Denny. “I did, and if you tell another soul, I’ll kill you.”
Denny felt her body twitch. “Cassandra?”
“Yes, love. One more question, then let yourself sleep.”
Denny nodded. “You really do love me, don’t you?”
Kissing Denny’s forehead, Cassan
dra whispered, “Oh yes, hunter. I really, truly do.”
“This changes nothing,” Ames said when they met in a conference room at the hotel.
Denny had slept for six hours before Cassandra had gently wakened her.
“Of course it does. We need to find Valeria first. We can’t—”
“Hunter, I must agree with Ames. If we can get to the treatise first, we may very well not have to worry about the veil. Perhaps that will weaken it, perhaps it won’t, but there’s a reason you have been jumping through all of these hoops. We cannot turn away on the word of one witch. Maybe she’s right, maybe she isn’t.”
“I won’t be okay with maybes, Cassandra.”
She nodded. “I understand that, hunter, I do, but—”
Iris interrupted, “But face it, dude, we don’t stand a chance unless we can deal with the cleansing first. Regardless of what Valeria may or may not try to do, we have to aggressively end that before it begins. We knock off those fucking Kramers first, then get the book. Without demons, the witchers will run away like little girls.”
Ames nodded. “Agreed. Goldy, I know your greatest concern is for your mother, and I get that, but we have a greater job to do.”
“Let the European hunters do it. I mean, where the fuck have they been in all of this?”
“Hiding. They deal with this shit every year at this time. A cleansing comes once every hundred years. They are soft. Hiding is preferable to fighting.”
Denny was dubious. “Fine. Kramers first, then the treatise.” She rose and opened her phone. “Lauren took the three pieces to a group of art historians at the college. None of them believed, based on those three pieces, that it is a major art piece. Nothing came up on any software sites, but that girl is a dog on a bone. If anyone can solve it, she can. Trust me. She won’t need all five pieces.”
“Then it’s settled. We go to Speyer and take out the Kramers?”
Cassandra shook her head. “They aren’t there. My sources tell me they are making a move to England.”
“Of course,” Iris said. “More covens per capita, because of the earlier tolerance of witches under the new English religion.”
Everyone looked at Iris.
“What? Cassandra’s coven is filled with taskmasters who make me study our history. I know things.”
Cassandra tried not to grin. “The little seven is correct. If the Kramers are going to start a blood bath, it will be back in England where the witches are.”
Denny and Ames studied a map of England. As if of one mind, they both pointed to Stonehenge. “Valeria,” they both said at once.
“Of course!” Cassandra said, clapping her hands together. “That is where they will be when the equinox is in full rise. It is the perfect place for them to find the Hanta she could be seeking.”
“And the gathering of witches for the equinox will be at their highest concentration.”
“Jesus Christ,” Denny said. “They’re going for a fucking hat trick.”
“A what?” Annalee asked.
“Three goals at once: go after witches, kill my mother and Valeria, and get their hands on the treatise.” Denny sighed. “It’s my mother they’re after.”
“And my High Priestess,” Cassandra said.
“Then we need to change our direction and course correct,” Annalee said softly. “Let’s spread out. Split their forces up. Give them a couple different targets.”
“I don’t like it,” Ames said. “Splitting up is never a good idea.”
“What do you suggest?” Annalee asked Denny.
“Cassandra and Ames need to get to England and spread the word to the covens not to go out on the equinox. Cancel all celebrations, be safe, stay far away from Stonehenge.”
Cassandra nodded. “I do have a couple numbers I can call, and Beatrice and Felicity can help get the word out in and around London.”
“Good. Establish a phone tree and let’s shut down any planned equinox celebrations.” Denny turned to Ames. “I know you’re not crazy about this, but you’ve trained me for this moment, my friend and mentor. Trust that I have learned well. I can do this. What I need you to do is to establish a base of operations for us. Dig deep in your contacts to find Valeria and my mother in London or the surrounding areas. If they are, as we suspect, in England, we might just find them.”
Ames nodded. “I can do that.”
Denny turned to Annalee and Iris. “I need you to locate the Kramers.”
“I’ll find them, DH.”
“Good. Make no move. Just locate them.” Denny tapped the three pieces sitting on the table. “They know we haven’t been to Speyer. They know we’ve hit two major European cathedrals. You can bet they have eyes and ears on the ground near every major cathedral. You find them. Don’t make contact. There are probably too many. Just keep tabs on them, because once I get the piece in Speyer, they might start making their way toward Stonehenge or come after me for the pieces.”
Annalee nodded.
Iris crossed her arms over her chest. “I sure as hell did not come all this way to protect you only to––”
“It is protecting me, Iris. This plan is to protect all of us. They aren’t expecting us to split up. This is really the perfect strategy. That young witch came right up on me. She could have killed me, or any of us, at any time. No more fun, no more games. We’re bringing this to a close as soon as we possibly can.”
Annalee stood up taller. “Roger that. I got you, Iris. I’m a way better fighter than DH. Let’s go kick some ass.”
Iris hesitated before joining Annalee.
“What of you, hunter?” Cassandra asked softly. “What will you be doing?”
Denny scooped up the pictures. “I am going to find Hildegard’s treatise.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?”
Denny smiled “Well now, that’s where this gets interesting.”
After seeing an excited Annalee and a still disgruntled Iris off, Denny hugged Ames. “One more thing.”
“Way ahead of you. I’ve already called a dozen or so trainers in Europe and warned them to get their Legacies out of England and France. Trust me. They were way ahead of me. That’s the reason no one’s been around. They want nothing to do with all of this. As far as they are concerned, this is personal. They’d much rather mop up afterwards than dip a toe in your bloody water. Their words, not mine.”
“Understood. Can’t say I blame them.”
“They’re hoping you all can keep the inpouring to a minimum, but just keep in mind, they’re old hats at this. They’ve been sidelined before, but given the threat to the Legacies, they have no problem sitting this one out. You have an open field, Goldy.”
“Good. If this treatise of Hildegard’s truly works, we do not want to accidentally exorcise any Legacy demons from the hunters. They could lose their demon at best, or the shock could kill them at worst.” Denny looked into Ames’s light blue eyes. There was something hiding behind them she couldn’t put a name to. “You okay?”
“I’m not used to country hopping, Goldy. Give an old man a break. I’m keeping up the best I can.”
Denny hugged him again, and he got in the cab.
“And Goldy? I’m proud as hell of you. You’re right. This is what I trained you for. Trust yourself. Trust your gut. You have good people. You have good instincts. Trust them as well.”
“Will do. See you on the other side.”
Then came Cassandra.
She took both of Denny’s hands as they hung at her side.
“Cassandra…”
“I would ask that you not be reckless. That you not take risks. That you promise me you will come back to me...but we both know I would be wasting my breath. We both know you will do whatever you have to in order to protect those you love. It is one of the things I love most about you.”
Denny leaned in and kissed her softly. They kissed for a very long time, until Cassandra finally pulled Denny to her. “You are an amazing hunter, my sweet love.
When in doubt...” Cassandra took Denny’s face in her hands. “Kill first, ask questions later.”
Denny nodded and held the door open for Cassandra. When Cassandra got in, Denny leaned in and kissed her one final time. “One last thing.”
“Yes?” Cassandra asked as tears welled up in her eyes.
“I love you, too.” Denny closed the door on a stunned and speechless Cassandra, before heading for the cab behind hers and got in. “Aeropuerto, por favor.”
Now on her own, Denny pulled her phone out and made a call. When no one answered, she left a message. “Hey. It’s me. I have what you want. Come to Speyer, Germany, to help me out and I can give it to you. I don’t want to, but I will. I’ll be at...” Denny paused to read the address from a slip of paper. “Shit’s happening here. See you soon.”
Hanging up, Denny looked out at the beautifully verdant Italian countryside on the way to a smaller airport where Ames had reserved a private jet.
The Silver money came in handy sometimes.
As she rode, she checked in with Sterling, who said she’d heard back favorably from the Catholic Church.
Denny grinned and switched hands with the phone. “You’re not some little schoolmarm, are you?”
Pause.
Pause.
Pause.
“No, Golden, I am not. As you have discovered, we all have our roles. We can talk about that when you get home.”
“You’re hiding in plain sight. At least admit that much to me.”
Sterling chuckled. “Yes. That is precisely how I have spent my life since the accident. There’s so much more to this, Golden. Are you all right? You sound so tired.”
“I’m fine. I know where Mom probably is, but that’s a three-margarita story. Maybe four.”
“Golden?”
“Yes?”
“I know this is going to sound...harsh, but please do not exchange your life for Mom’s. She’s been dead for almost seven years. You have your whole life ahead of you. Pure could handle Mom’s death, but she would never get over losing you. Neither would I. You remember that if you’re ever in doubt of whose life is more important.”
The words stung Denny in a way she hadn’t expected. “It’s my goal to save us both, Sterling.”
Coven Betrayed (The Silver Legacy Book 4) Page 15