Eudemons have no desire to hurt humans or create obstacles in their path. That role belongs to the cacodemons which thrive on causing chaos and wreaking havoc––from murders to their favorite duty of fathering babies.
Babies?
She lowered the book. “Iris.”
Sticking a three-by-five card in the page, she set the book down and pulled up the term cacodemons on the laptop she’d brought up to the room.
In psychology, cacodemia is a form of insanity in which the patient believes they are possessed by an evil spirit. What gives the cacodemon so much power is societal non-belief in demons. This has strengthened demons and enabled them to not only grow in number, but create an astounding abundance of issues from minor acts like lying, to major indiscretions like affairs, money laundering, and sexual perversions. All of these feed the cacodemon’s desire for chaos.
Denny clicked out of the screen.
So it appeared Iris might have a cacodemon after her.
Why Iris?
It had followed her all the way down from Boston when it clearly could have had any other college co-ed it wanted. It specifically chose her.
So, why her? What was it about her that made these demons follow her all the way down to Georgia?
She called Lauren.
“Well, if it isn’t great to see your name pop up on my screen, Den. First, seeing you the other day, and now a phone call? It’s been so long since we chatted on the phone.”
Denny grinned. Lauren had always had a way of making her smile. “I’m back in the land of the living for good and off demon watch. I’ve changed some of my evil ways. How are you?”
After several minutes of small talk, Lauren said, “I can tell by your voice that you need something. What can my mega-mind and lightning fast fingers do for you?”
Denny chuckled. “Damn you, I hate that you know me so well.”
“No, you don’t. You love it. So spit it out. Professor Lindberg is waddling this way with a stack of books.”
“I need background info on a Bostonian family––more specifically, the daughter, Iris. Iris Carter.” Denny quickly gave Lauren the data she needed and hung up before Professor Lindberg made it to her desk.
So, with a little more knowledge under her belt, information being gleaned from the Internet, and a clean house, Denny needed to do one more thing to get back to center.
And it involved flowers.
Denny stopped by Rose’s Flower Cart and bought a spring bouquet with added baby’s breath. It felt good to be back in the land of the living. The house was finally in order. Dishes were put away, laundry done, and bathrooms cleaned. She’d called and spoken with both Sterling and Pure, just to check in, and was delighted to hear that both of them were doing well. They, too, seemed thrilled to hear the lightness in her voice. As usual, Sterling grilled her on the Hanta issue, but Denny had wanted to keep the conversation easy and non-demonic, so they chatted about everything else but.
When her phone calls were done, she felt a huge sense of relief. She hadn’t realized just how close she’d come to letting the Hanta separate her from those she loved.
Not anymore.
And although she was unsure of whether she’d successfully corked that genie, she did know she was back in the driver’s seat at this moment.
As she drove to the coffee shop, Denny felt like she was finally beginning to live this life on her terms. She was more herself than she had in a long time and was eager to get back into the game.
Denny grabbed the bouquet, got out, locked the car door, and took four steps before stopping.
Sitting at a table with an incredibly handsome woman was Brianna, her hand lying on top of the other woman’s hand. They were engrossed in a conversation that kept Brianna’s eyes riveted to the woman with short black hair and large hoop earrings.
Denny was too late.
Brianna had moved on.
Who could blame her? Denny had been an asshole, and she knew it. All Brianna had done was show she cared over and over, and Denny had crushed that concern beneath her heel.
With the flowers barely hanging from her grasp, Denny watched the subtle dance of intimacy between the two women––the flirtation, the leaning closer––and those hands...
Denny remembered how warm Brianna’s hand had felt on hers that day they’d gone on a picnic together. Preternaturally warm.
The woman sitting across was now the benefactor of that warmth.
The Hanta had managed to drive a wedge between Denny and Brianna, and someone else had stepped into the vacancy.
Letting the flowers drop from her hand, Denny got back in the Prius, feeling the anger of the Hanta stir within her.
Denny knew she was a fool for thinking a woman like Brianna would sit around waiting for the likes of her. So far, Denny had been nothing but a pain in the ass to her.
She was smart to kick Denny to the curb. She’d shown Brianna nothing Rush knew of her—nothing Pure might describe. Brianna didn’t get to see kindness, softness, or generosity. What Brianna had witnessed was ninety percent Hanta.
Without a thought or any planning, Denny found herself at the Catholic School where Sister Sterling taught.
“Golden. So good to see you,” Sterling said, embracing Denny in the hallway in front of her classroom. “Come in, come in.”
“You sure?” Denny had watched the children stream from the room as she walked down the hall.
“I have a parent meeting in thirty minutes, but I always have time for you.” Sterling pulled two chairs together and motioned for Denny to take one. “You look much better than the last time I saw you. I’ve been so worried. We all have.”
Denny nodded. “I know, and I’m better now. The Hanta. It kinda grabbed the wheel there after Rush left. Self-preservation, I think. Hard to tell. I know so little about this thing inside me, but I’m learning…or at least trying to.”
“Mom’s journal any help?”
Denny shrugged. “It’s taking a while to get through it. Hell, Sterling, it’s six inches thick and it’s not the only one.”
“Is it...does it hurt?”
Denny glanced away a moment before returning her gaze to Sister Sterling. “She was very good at her job.” Denny glanced around at the classroom. Dioramas of missions lined the wall on one side of a room that looked unlived in.
So Catholic.
“Not good enough, as it turned out.”
Denny returned her gaze to Sterling’s eyes. On occasion, they could look a turquoise blue, and they were that color now. “I’ve been thinking. What if uncovering the demons responsible for Quick’s frame up puts you and Pure, even Mom, in danger? Is it worth that risk?”
Taking Denny’s hands in hers, Sterling leaned closer. “You’re asking if Quick is worth the risk and yes, Denny, he is. Is he a screw-up? Yes. Is he a flake? Yes. Is he a Silver? Absolutely. I know I’ve had issues with all of….this…but––”
“But you’ve realized that I am going to host this demon no matter what, so we may as well use it to get one of us out of trouble.”
Sterling sighed softly. “Something like that. You need to help him just as you would me or Pure. You need to go see Quick and tell him what you have, what you’re going to do, and that you’re going to finish this on one condition.” Sterling paused as an announcement came over the intercom. “That he leave Savannah and go to wherever there are fewer demons. If he does not agree, then wash your hands of him.”
Denny’s eyebrows rose. “Wash my hands?”
Sterling rose and wiped off the whiteboard. “He has to participate in keeping our family safe or he can rot in there. It’s that simple.”
Studying Sterling as she wiped the board clean, Denny felt a huge albatross lift from her shoulders. “It really is that simple, isn’t it?”
“When it comes to family, yes, Golden, it is really that simple. If the demon protected us and kept us safe while Mother was alive, then we need to allow it to continue doing so.”
<
br /> Denny stood and hugged her sister. “Thank you.”
Pausing her cleaning, Sterling cocked her head. “You didn’t need my permission, Golden, but I was afraid you would let our wayward brother ruin your life if you thought doing so would help him.”
Denny shook her head. “The Hanta would never let that happen.”
“It’s not up to the Hanta, though, is it? You have to have the strength to hold it down, to keep it at bay. You need to learn even more than our mother did. You must protect Pure at all costs. She is an innocent in all this. If Quick couldn’t protect her––or can’t—and Mom can’t, then it’s up to you. If Quick doesn’t understand,” she shook her head, “then to Hell with him.”
Denny’s jaw dropped. Sterling never swore. Ever.
Sterling smiled at Denny’s surprise. “And I mean that in the Christian sense of the word.” She squeezed Denny’s hand before letting go. “He’s one of us, Golden, until he isn’t. You weigh the pros and cons for him but make it very, very clear, he is not to return to the South.”
“And if he doesn’t agree, I just let him rot?”
Sterling slowly nodded. “The ‘needs of the many’ has never been wrong, Golden. I know how hard it will be to say goodbye to him, but we can always visit him. We just can’t let him live near us. He is a liability.”
Denny sighed loudly. “No, I understand what you’re saying. You’re right.”
“Can you...will you be able to...free him?”
Denny nodded. “Getting closer every day. You know he didn’t do it, Sterling. Quick is many things, but a heartless killer? No. One or more demons got to him––demons who thought they could destroy the Silver legacy.”
“They just didn’t count on you being such a kick-butt demon hunter, did they?” Sterling threaded her arm through Denny’s and walked her to the door. “As much as I wish it weren’t so, I have no doubt this is your calling.”
“Really? How come?”
“Oh, Golden, you have always lived in the black and white of the world. Always. Right from wrong has always been so clearly defined for you. Why do you think you were always so attracted to Quick’s energy? He lives in the gray. Together, the two of you balance each other out––only, because he is older, he possessed greater influence over you than you did over him. Now, it is time for the balance of power to shift in your favor.” She smiled. “Save him, Golden, and then protect us all. It is what you were chosen to do.”
“I’ll do it on one condition.”
Sterling frowned. “Okay.”
“Stop swearing. You’re freaking me out.”
Sterling rewarded her with a rare laugh. “Deal.”
As Denny walked down the hallway and to her car, she could only shake her head.
When had Sterling become so wise?
When Denny pulled her car into the driveway, she noticed a black Toyota in front of the house. The Hanta woke up, sending warning signals up her spine. Funny thing was, she was getting used to that warm molasses feeling of imminent danger.
“Down, boy,” Denny muttered, coming around the back of the car.
When the Toyota door opened, a tall brunette woman stepped out, a smile sweeping across her face as she approached. “Denny. So good to see you.”
Denny folded the taller woman in her arms and hugged her tightly. “Cassandra.”
Cassandra hugged Denny tightly before pulling away, her blue eyes searching Denny’s face. Slight smile lines twitched on the corners of her mouth. “You’ve lost weight.”
“I’ve been working out.”
The twitch turned into a tiny grin. “And I’m Helen Keller.”
“How’s my favorite witch?”
“I’m great. How’s my favorite demon hunter?”
“Better than I’ve been in a long time.”
“So I’ve heard.” Cassandra pulled Denny closer. They were nearly the same height. “I heard you went to some really dark places, Hunter. It’s not easy to bounce back from those.”
“Well, I seriously bounced back. I know my place now. I know what I should be doing with my life. Not many twenty-one-year-olds can say that.”
Cassandra lightly played with Denny’s hair. “Tough way to go about knowing that, but well met. You are more balanced than when I last saw you.”
“How can you tell?” Denny said, unlocking the front door.
“I’ve had you on my radar since we first met. I know things others merely guess at. I know you’ve been skulking around in the darkest corners of Savannah. I know you have caused a great deal of suffering on the dark side. You’ve done your fair share of damage. That appears to be over for the time being. Welcome back.”
After they entered the house, Denny led Cassandra to the kitchen and poured two glasses of lemonade. “It’s good to be back, and yeah, I was pretty dark.”
“Pretty dark? Hunter, you were on a mission of utter self-destruction. You cared not whether you lived or died. What brought you out of it?”
Denny sipped her lemonade. “A girl named Iris came to me. She was being hunted by demons and needed help.” Denny poked an ice cube deeper into the lemonade. “I turned her down.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear I’m not the only woman you can so easily turn down.”
Denny smiled. “Funny.”
“Why did you reject her plea? That doesn’t sound like you at all.”
“Because I’m an asshole.”
Cassandra cocked her head. “Oh. Well, then there’s that. Continue.”
“As you obviously know, after our encounter with those demons, I really went around the bend. I’ve recently returned from the bend and I have my head on straight now.”
“Nice visit?”
“I wouldn’t recommend it, no.” Denny smiled at Cassandra, the air filling with mutual admiration and attraction as they held each other’s gaze. “It was…hellish and bloody. In destroying them, I nearly wiped out myself. Anyway.” Denny broke off her gaze. “The girl was beaten pretty badly and there was an attempted rape.”
Cassandra held her hand up. “Whoa. Slow down. One of your demons attacked this girl and tried to rape her?”
“Not one of mine, but they were demons, yeah.”
“You say attempted.”
Denny studied Cassandra’s unlined face. She was a beautiful woman with a sensuous mouth, high cheekbones, and a Roman nose that barely got noticed since her deep blue eyes were so penetrating and intense. “It did not succeed.”
“But a demon was after her.”
“Yes. Kicked her ass and––”
“Tell me more about this Iris.”
Denny set her lemonade down. “There’s not much to tell, really. Comes from a wealthy family in Boston. She’s got a bunch of siblings. She––”
“How many?”
“What?”
The air around Cassandra became very still. “How many siblings?”
Denny thought for a moment. “Six.”
Cassandra put her glass down and laid both hands on the table. The room became preternaturally still. “Did she say where she was in the birth order?”
Denny noted Cassandra’s change in energy and tilted her head. “She told me but I wasn’t...I don’t remember.”
Cassandra stood up straighter. “Take me to her.”
“What? Now?”
Cassandra was already headed for the door. “If you have time. If not, I’ll go on my own, but we need to get to that girl before they do.”
Denny caught up to her. “They? They who?”
“Come on. You’ll see, but we need to get moving. Not a moment to waste.”
It didn’t take long before Denny understood Cassandra’s interest in Iris. A few questions cleared that mystery from the table.
When they entered the hospital room, Iris was sitting up and texting on her phone. She looked up and fear started to cross her face until she saw Denny come in behind Cassandra.
“Iris, my name is Cassandra. I’m a friend of Denny’s.�
�� Cassandra reached her hand out for Iris’s. “Denny told me you’ve had quite an ordeal. How are you feeling?”
Iris cut her eyes over to Denny, who nodded.
Shaking Cassandra’s hand, she answered, “I’ve been better. It was pretty dicey there for a minute. What can I do for you?”
Cassandra released her hand and leaned closer to her. “I’ll be brief. Denny tells me you have seven children in your family.”
“Yes.”
“All girls?”
Iris frowned. “Yes, but––”
Cassandra pushed away from the bed and took a deep breath. “Oh my.”
“What?”
Cassandra returned to the bed. “And you’re the last one born, aren’t you? The last one in the group.”
Denny stepped up to the bed, her curiosity piqued.
Iris cut her eyes over to Denny, who shrugged.
“Cassandra is cool. I wouldn’t have brought her here if she wasn’t.”
Iris swallowed. “Yes, I am the baby in the family.”
Cassandra clapped her hands together. “Wonderful. Oh my, but this is fantastic.”
“Wonderful?”
“Fantastic?” Denny asked.
Cassandra reached for Iris’s hand once more and gazed deeply into her eyes as if searching for some cosmic truth. “Oh. I see. You don’t know. You really don’t even know.”
“Know what?”
The energy around Cassandra fairly crackled with her energy. “How many aunts do you have?”
Iris looked again to Denny, who was also confused by this strange line of questioning.
“Two.”
Cassandra frowned. “Your mother only has two sisters?”
“No. My dad has two. My mother has none. She was adopted.”
Cassandra inhaled deeply and smiled. “Oh my. I see. Well then. That makes complete sense. You are the genuine article, Iris.”
“The genuine article?”
Cassandra nodded. “My best guess is that you are the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter.”
“A what?”
Cassandra then leaned over closer to Iris, her lips next to her ear. “You, my dear, are a true witch. A powerful witch.”
The Demon Within (The Silver Legacy Book 2) Page 11