That was our cover for anyone who needed to meet them. Killian was also a brother, but I wasn’t sure my dad would let him in the house. Probably it was a good thing he wasn’t with us today. Everyone liked Dec though, angelic-mood-altering powers notwithstanding, he was just a nice guy.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas music played in the background as the time-honored tradition of passing out gifts began. Dad reigned as our Santa Claus and doled them out one at a time. Each person got a gift and we all watched as they were opened. The twins had taken one look at Dec and flanked him immediately. He treated them with a courtly deference and helped them with their wrapping paper. Completely unable to help themselves, they giggled at everything he said. I rolled my eyes at him when I noticed his Irish accent had mysteriously deepened as he told funny stories of Christmas in Ireland. I wondered how many were true…
Sean whispered behind his hand, “He was a bard in a former life.”
“Really?”
Huh, a bard? I considered Dec with thoughtful eyes. That would certainly explain a lot.
Digging into my bag, I drew out two tiny wrapped boxes. One box was decorated with tiny golden halos on blue paper and the other was covered with tiny sail boats. I commandeered Dec from my sisters and handed him one of the boxes. He whooped with exaggerated excitement that made the girls giggle.
Aside to them he said, “Your sister gives the best presents.” To me, he said, “Can I open it or do I have to wait for Sean.”
Sean was running a fingertip across the paper. “Tell me you didn’t paint this?” he asked with a little bit of awe in his voice.
I blushed and nodded. “Guilty. I also made what’s inside. Go on, open them. I can’t stand it.”
They opened the paper and pulled out the identical braided wristbands I’d made them. The single strand of gold wire gleamed between three strips of soft leather. In the center was a blue glass teardrop wrapped with strands of beaten gold. The three strands of gold curled under and around the glass to hold and protect it. The symbolism was obvious to them. Dec crossed over to me and knelt beside me.
“It’s perfect. I love it. Can you put it on me now?” He held out his wrist, and I slipped it over his tanned skin and slid the clasp to tighten it. The blue glass winked in the lights from the Christmas tree.
“Merry Christmas, partner.” There was just the slightest little catch in my voice.
I think he forgot we had an audience then. With his usual sensitivity, he wrapped one of his big hands around the back of my head and kissed me on the forehead. “Merry Christmas, darlin’.”
His eyes held mine as he acknowledged our history that made up those bonds of leather and gold. A tear threatened to slip down my cheek and he wiped it with the pad of his thumb.
My dad cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. “I’m confused. Which one are you dating, Mica?” Pale blue eyes twinkled as he bit down on a grin.
“Geez, Dad. We’ve been through a lot together. Dec’s a little sentimental.” Dec displayed his best angelic smile, and my dad stopped grumbling about weirdness.
Sean held out his own wrist and said, “My turn.”
After slipping the clasp closed, I dawdled a bit with my fingers on the stone. I wanted to say something more, but we had an avid audience that wasn’t privy to our magical leanings. Instead, I winked at him.
“I think you’ve outdone yourself this year. It’s perfect.”
Happy with my success, I leaned back against his side and watched the kids open the rest of their gifts. As the gifts dwindled to the remaining few, Sean draped his arm around my waist, and I snuggled into his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head and Abby squealed with delight. Winking at her, Sean kissed me again and then held out his hand. Barely controlling waves of giggles, Abby ceremoniously presented a small golden box to Sean. Conversation faded out and everyone stared at us.
Turning to face me, Sean held out the box in one hand. With the other, he lifted my chin so I was looking into his eyes. He said formally, “Four years ago I looked into your eyes and found my heart. You’ve been wearing it around your neck for two years.” He stroked the locket and it picked up his heartbeat.
Dec sucked in his breath. I stopped breathing completely.
“Today, I offer you the rest of me.” Without breaking eye contact, he opened the tiny box to reveal a twisted gold band with a pair of glittering blue stones at the center. “Will you take me?”
I could barely see through the tears as I looked from the beautiful ring to the serious, beautiful face of the one who offered it to me. His eyes were grave as they searched mine. He wasn’t just offering marriage; he was offering his love, his life, and his soul. With shaking fingers, I took the ring out of the box and held it to my lips as if I could feel the two tiny souls that I knew made up those stones.
Breathless, I whispered, “Yes, I will take all that you offer.”
With perfectly steady hands, he slid the ring onto my finger and pressed my hand against his lips. With closed eyes, he sighed with relief and then lifted my face for a kiss. It was a chaste kiss to seal our commitment.
“I love you,” he whispered against my ear, bringing a rush of color to my pale face.
“I love you, too,” I said with a sappy smile.
The silence was absolute for about a minute as the whole family sat spellbound. It was Dec who finally broke it. In a bit of a daze, he pulled me up into his arms and held me tightly against him. The gesture was oddly intense. In tune to him already, I recognized the energy thrumming through his muscles as his arms held me against him. He was shaking with the effort to control his power. I had the feeling he was clinging to me to keep from snapping. His face was deadly serious when he looked down into mine.
Alarmed, I whispered, “You’re crushing me! What’s wrong?”
He whispered harshly, “All hell is about to break loose. We have to go. Make excuses.” Then he smiled hugely for the benefit of my family, and added under his breath, “You have no idea what you two have just done. But I like it!”
I smiled at him and ordered between my teeth, “You’re vibrating. Take it down a notch.”
Sucking in a deep breath, he hugged me again and I felt him relax ever so slightly. At least his eyes weren’t glowing. By the time he turned away, he was visibly calmer and made an excuse to go to the kitchen for a minute.
Dad cleared his throat and reached out to shake Sean’s hand. He assessed Sean with a grudging new respect. “That was nicely done, Sean. I guess you can’t be that bad if you love my daughter that much. Welcome to the family.” He cleared his throat again and gave me a hug. “You’d better be good to her or I’ll hunt you down myself.”
Sean’s eyebrows went straight up at that, and he struggled to keep a straight face. With as much gravity as he could manage, he assured my dad I was in good hands. “I can promise you she will be safer with me than with anyone else. I’ll be good to her.”
Janet and the girls were wiping tears from their eyes and blowing their noses. Janet was awestruck by Sean’s proposal and kept saying it was the sweetest thing she’d ever heard. The girls clustered around Sean and Dec like little blond butterflies. Dec’s face was kind as he teased them, but he caught my eye and motioned to the door. Sean gave me that look and I knew we had to go for now. Something bad was definitely up.
“Janet, Dad, we’re going to run for a bit. We promised one of Sean’s cousins that we’d come for a visit this morning. We’ll see you later though.”
Although they protested us leaving early, they bought my excuse and sent us away with our gifts and congratulations.
As soon as we got into the car, the two guys immediately switched into soldier-mode. I was aware of the change, but didn’t want to leave my bubble of complete joy. The twin stones sparkled in the sunlight, and I tilted my hand this way and that to catch the light.
Sean’s tone was regretful when he interrupted me, “Babe? I hate to do this to you, but we’re going to ne
ed your help. Can we get you to focus for now?” He reached over and squeezed my hand.
With a huge overburdened sigh, I said, “I know, I know. I can’t marry you if I’m dead!”
Dec drove as fast as possible on the way to the farmhouse. The roads were cleared so he wasn’t worried about sliding into a ditch. Apparently Dagin was sending a team in retaliation for Dec and James taking out some of his crew a few days ago. Killian had picked up chatter during his search for Sgaine Dutre and sent a message to Dec and Sean. Since Sean’s mind had been completely focused on me, it evidently went straight to telepathic voice mail. Good thing Dec was paying attention…
Facing a team of thugs ought to be a piece of cake for the three of us, but Sean was worried about the numbers. If there were too many demons, we’d get overwhelmed. He didn’t like the odds. His face was grim as he walked me through our options. The more we planned, the more pissed it made me. It was freakin’ Christmas for God’s sake! I just got engaged! There had to be some kind of waiting period for demon attacks around major life events. I was going to bring this up the next time I saw Alex. Growling under my breath, I mentally catalogued my weapons.
“Sean, don’t worry about me. My runes will protect me from demons, remember? They can’t touch me.”
He frowned and pointed out that I was missing half the rune on my hand now. My heart sank. I had thought I’d be protected. Why would Killian strip my protection? Did he even realize what he’d done? Maybe the rune still worked to protect me, but didn’t connect me to Killian’s powers? I mentioned the theory and both guys considered it.
Dec said, “That might be true, but I don’t want to make that assumption. Stay away from them. Kill them before they can touch you and don’t underestimate them. Demons can come out of thin air and get you from behind. Keep Domino at your back. Don’t rely on walls either. They can come through them.”
Gee, that’s a cheery thought. I was getting less happy by the minute. By the time we pulled into the driveway, I was ready to blow up the first demon that showed its ugly face. Before going inside, I took a minute to see if I could sense anyone on the property. Nothing popped up on my psychic radar. It was clear for now. We had about 40 minutes to get ready. We knew the routine and split up as soon as we hit the front door. In our bedroom, Sean methodically changed into his commando gear and loaded his guns. Without a word, he added extra magazines to his pockets and slipped on his knives. He had the Primani blade sheathed on one side and a wicked-looking military blade on the other. He nodded with approval when I came out dressed like him. I had my mic attached too and slipped in the earpiece. Domino paced by the window with her nose in the air sniffing for anything odd. I bent down and hugged her against me.
“I love you, girl. Be careful, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Sean ruffled her fur and patted her rump affectionately. “Okay, Princess, you take good care of your momma. Mica is your only priority. Do you hear me?”
She pricked up her ears and rolled her eyes. Isn’t she always?
With that order, we met Dec in the living room. We split up to check the doors and windows. Yep, all unlocked; no sense in locking them. The humans would break them to get inside if we did. We wanted it to be easy for them today. Cell phones were turned to silent mode and we tested our headsets. Everything worked. We were as ready as we’d ever be. It was time to get into position. With one last glance at us, Dec vanished.
I knelt and scooped up Domino tensing as Sean wrapped his arms around us both. Instantly, the three of us were in the trees at the edge of the property. In anticipation of an attack like this, we’d built several natural-looking blinds, like hunters used, on the corners of the property. This one looked like a brushy pile of overgrown blackberry canes; the second one looked like a pile of firewood, and the other like a tangle of grapevines choking a sycamore tree. I was pretty impressed with the job we’d done. You couldn’t see them in the summer or winter. Domino and I squeezed inside, and I adjusted the slits I used for my rifle. After checking that I had everything I’d need, Sean patted Domino one more time and pulled me against him for a hard kiss.
“Listen to me now. If you get any face time with these freaks, tell us on your mic. Do not, and I mean this, do not think you can handle these demons on your own. If they spot you, you’re a target they’ll take out.” He shook my shoulders gently. “Do you understand me? Don’t get cocky!”
“Don’t worry. I’m okay. You let me know what’s happening though. I freak out if it’s too quiet. I need to hear you. Promise me?”
“Promise. Okay, I have to go. Keep your gun down and don’t fire unless you’re sure you can hit them.” With that, he left.
I whispered for Dec and he hummed softly in my earpiece. Reassured, I hummed the next line. It was an old Irish folk song he’d taught me on one of our endless stakeouts. I closed my eyes and searched for incoming. My main job was to search for targets and use remote viewing to see what they were doing inside the house. The guys would pick them off one at a time.
“Show time! I’m picking up four humans coming in from the east side.” That was Sean’s area.
“Two more pulling into the driveway. Wow, that’s bold.” That’s my area. I could see the driveway and the road in front of the house.
The sound of shattering glass startled me and I hissed into the mic, “Freakin’ demon just broke my mirror! It was an antique! Someone kill him before he breaks anything else.” Carefully watching the house, I said, “Three demons just popped into the second floor, going room to room. They’re dressed like people. The one in our room’s wearing a Devils jersey, the biggest one’s got a black leather jacket on, and the third idiot’s wearing a ski mask.” I snorted and added, “Moron.”
Sean whispered, “I’ve got eyes on the four. They’re fanning out and going around to the back door. Probably split up and take the back porch and basement. I’m ready. Mica, where are they now?”
“Two at the back porch and one out of view now. He’s going to the basement. The third is hovering at the corner of the porch on my side.”
“I’m gone,” Sean said.
As I watched, he reappeared behind the two near the back door, and with two quick thrusts of his knives, they crumbled silently into the snow. Without blinking, he grabbed their collars and vanished. I wondered where he dumped their bodies. In another second, Sean was back and surprised the thug in the basement. He’d been foolish enough to consider the unlocked door an invitation rather than a trap. He was partway into the room when Sean rematerialized behind him. Without hesitation, he slid the blade into his kidney and vanished with him.
“Dec, you’ve got the other two. One’s in the kitchen tearing apart the pantry. Get him before he destroys everything.”
“Gone.”
He caught the guy by surprise too. Wrapping his hand over the guy’s face, he twisted his neck until it snapped. No blood, no mess. I liked the way he was thinking. After all, I usually ended up with the bleach.
“Watch out! Company in the hallway…uh, two demons.”
Dec whirled around just as they rounded the corner and came within eye shot. Using the element of surprise, Dec raised his hand and blew up the Devils fan. His partner had a split second to react and fired a shot at Dec. The fireball went wide and set the curtains on fire. Damn it!
“Sean! The house is on fire!”
“What? Where?”
“The kitchen’s on fire!” I looked down at the dog and growled in frustration. She growled back in sympathy. “Ski Mask is running to the kitchen.”
Dec and the demon in the leather jacket were close enough to smell each other now and Dec palmed his Primani blade. Crouched to spring, he passed the knife from hand to hand and taunted the demon.
Leather Jacket grinned confidently and pulled out his own blade. It was black and glittered dully in the firelight. Come and get me, he seemed to say. Moving closer to him, Dec smiled wickedly and the demon backed away. The demon was still
wearing his human façade, but it was crumbling with the stress of fighting. Part of his face had melted away to show the black scales underneath. His eyes were yellow and narrowed in concentration as he feinted to the left. With lethal precision, Dec lunged and buried the knife in his abdomen. Shoving it upwards, he snarled in the demon’s face and yanked the knife out. With a gasp of pain, the demon collapsed and dissolved into ash.
Sean rematerialized behind him and managed to rip the curtain down into the sink and turn on the water. Smoke filled the room reducing the images to shadows. This wasn’t good.
Where was that third demon?
Methodically, I searched every room but he wasn’t there. Domino growled softly in warning. I dragged my eyes back to the yard in front of me.
“We’ve got a runner! He’s going for the car. I’ve got him.” I slid the barrel of my rifle out of a slit and watched him through the sight. In a blind panic, he scrambled for the car, his shotgun bouncing against his back.
Sorry, dude. No witnesses allowed.
I rested my finger on the trigger and exhaled slowly.
You’ve got to go.
He fell over like he’d been hit by a baseball bat. Pulling the rifle back into its hiding place, I quickly looked around for company. No one popped up in the yard so I closed my eyes again and searched that way. We were still short one demon and one human. I’d counted them and two weren’t accounted for.
“Nice shot,” Sean said in my ear. He clapped his hand over my mouth to keep me from yelping.
“Jesus! You scared the hell out of me! I could’ve killed you!” I nudged his thigh with the tip of the knife I’d been holding.
Smirking, he said agreeably, “You could’ve tried. Where’s the other human?”
“I lost him. I can’t see him anymore.”
“I’ll go look around. Stay here for now and keep watching. There may be more on the way.” He stopped just long enough to kiss me again before vanishing.
“I thought he’d never leave,” a sarcastic voice said outside the blind. “You might as well come out, girl. We’ve got you covered and we could always just shoot you from here.”
The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) Page 53