Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex

by Lexi George

  “Miss Lucy?” Duncan’s deep voice sounded from the top of the stairs. “Is that you?”

  “Dunk,” Sugar chortled, hopping up and down in excitement. “Sugar bring Dunk pretty.”

  “Give Miss Cassie the basket, Sugar Britches.” Lucy gave the bigfoot an indulgent smile. “He gets so excited.”

  “Basket.” Sugar handed the tote to Cassie. “Sugar good boy?”

  “Yes,” Cassie said, unable to resist the entreaty in the bigfoot’s blue eyes. “I’m sure we can find you something. What would you like?”

  “Treat,” Sugar said, as though Cassie was a little slow.

  “He loves baby gherkins,” Lucy said. “And apples and carrots. Sweets aren’t good for him. He’s got a beautiful smile, and I don’t want him to ruin his teeth.”

  Sugar beamed at this, showing a mouthful of large Chiclet teeth.

  “I’m sure we can find him something.” Cassie turned to find Toby loitering in the hall near the kitchen door. “Would you mind checking the pantry?” she asked him. “I think there’s a jar of pickles in there.”

  Lucy noticed Toby and gave Cassie an accusatory glare. “You didn’t tell me you had company. I never would have come. Don’t trust strangers where my boy’s concerned. He’s too precious.”

  “Toby won’t say anything,” Cassie said. “Will you, Tobes?”

  “Toby?” Lucy scowled. “You related to Tobias Littleton?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Toby drawled. “Real close kin.”

  “You his son?”

  “Grandson, actually.” Undeterred, Toby gave her a lazy smile. “No need to worry. Sugar’s safe with me. We’re friends, aren’t we, boy?”

  The bigfoot sidled closer to Toby, his black nose quivering. “Doggie?”

  “That’s right.”

  Sugar beamed. “Dunk fix owie?”

  “Yup, and then some. You want that treat?”

  “Treat,” Sugar said with a happy nod. “Sugar good boy.”

  “So I hear,” Toby said.

  Cassie left Toby to handle Lucy and the bigfoot, and hurried upstairs with the basket of medicinals. She rapped on Verbena’s door and stuck her head in the room. The girl was curled up on the bed, surrounded by dozens of books from Cassie’s library. It took Cassie three tries to get her attention.

  “Can you come next door?” Cassie said when Verbena looked up at last. “Duncan may need you.”

  “Sure thing,” Verbena said, tenderly setting aside her book.

  Cassie and Verbena went down the hall and slipped quietly into the bedroom. The mother was much improved. Pink color flooded her once-waxen complexion, and she seemed strong and whole. She hovered near the bed, her anxious gaze on her child.

  Duncan bent over the shivering girl. Green light poured from him, bathing her pitiful form, but the hideous lesions did not heal.

  “Duncan?” Cassie set the hamper down by the door. “I’ve brought Verbena, and I have the supplies you asked for.”

  “I cannot help her.” He lifted his head, and Cassie saw that he was crying. “I healed the mother, but this is beyond me. The damage from the orb is too great.”

  The girl’s mother cried out in anguish and slumped to the floor.

  “Oh, you poor thang.” Verbena darted to the woman’s side and knelt beside her.

  “This is not your fault, Duncan,” Cassie said, starting toward him. “You must not blame yourself.”

  “And what of Mac?” Duncan slammed his fist into the wall, knocking a gaping hole in the beadboard. “What of my promise to him?”

  Blood dripped from his smashed knuckles onto the floor.

  “Duncan, your hand.” Tossing Sugar’s flowers onto the bed, Cassie rushed to his side to examine his injuries.

  “It is nothing. See? Already I mend.”

  He was right. As Cassie watched, the bones and flesh healed before her eyes.

  “Would that I could do the same for this poor child.” Duncan raised a shaking hand to his forehead and froze, staring at the drooping flowers scattered across the coverlet. “These blooms,” he rasped. “Whence came they?”

  “Sugar brought them,” Cassie said. “Lucy Hall says they work wonders.”

  “But this is marvelous.” Snatching up the flowers, Duncan removed the bone-handled knife from his pocket and began to cut up them up. “A mortar and pestle, quick, Cassandra. And hot water, honey, and a spoon. Hurry.”

  Cassie gave him a startled look and ran downstairs to find the things he needed. She headed for the kitchen to heat the water, and Verbena scurried to the workroom for the mortar and pestle.

  In the kitchen, Cassie found Toby and Lucy at the farm table enjoying a glass of iced tea. Sugar loomed near the sink, slurping the brine from an empty jar of sweet pickles.

  “What’s going on?” Toby asked when he saw her face.

  “No time,” Cassie said. “I’ll explain later.”

  She tucked a spoon and a small jar of honey into her pocket, snatched up the whistling kettle, and pounded upstairs to the sickroom. Verbena had beaten her there, and Duncan was mashing up some of the flowers with the pestle. The child’s mother hovered nearby, her expression a heartrending mixture of grief and hope.

  Duncan motioned impatiently for the kettle and added some of the hot water to the plant mash in the bowl.

  “Honey,” he said, holding out one hand. Cassie dug the jar out of her pocket and gave it to him. He added a generous dollop of honey to the mixture and stirred. “We must get this mixture down the child.”

  “What about the mother?” Cassie asked.

  “She is distraught. You will assist me?”

  “Of course,” she said, going to the bed.

  Duncan strode up to the moaning child. “Lift her so she does not choke.”

  Cassie climbed into the bed and took the child in her lap. “Hello, sweetheart,” she murmured, summoning the voice she’d used with Jamie’s children so long ago. “Time to take your medicine.”

  The girl turned her head. “No. Don’t want it.”

  “You want to get well, don’t you?” Cassie stroked the child’s dull, patchy hair.

  The little girl blinked up at her. “You’re pretty. Like a fairy princess.”

  Cassie smiled. “Thank you. I’m Cassie, and you’re Blaze, right?”

  “Samantha Blaze,” the child whispered. “I don’t feel good. Hurts. Make it stop.”

  “Samantha Blaze is a lovely name.” Duncan eased his weight onto the edge of the mattress. “Will you take your medicine now?”

  His deep, hypnotic soothed the suffering child like a balm. Keeping up a stream of gentle nothings, he coaxed the liquid in the bowl down the little girl, spoon by spoon, until the mortar was empty. Blaze sighed and drifted to sleep in Cassie’s arms.

  She touched the child’s cheek. “Her fever is cooling. What now?”

  Duncan set the bowl aside with a sigh. “Now, we wait.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  “I can’t believe it,” Cassie exclaimed an hour later. “Blaze’s fever is gone, and the sores on her body are healing.”

  She was seated at the kitchen table with Duncan, Toby, and Lucy. Sugar stood next to the counter, munching on a basket of apples. The bigfoot tossed one into the air. His long tongue shot out, snagged the fruit, and snap, the apple was gone.

  “Sugar, don’t play with your food,” Lucy said, giving him a mom look. “It’s impolite.”

  Sugar ducked his head. “’Kay, Mama.”

  “What are those flowers?” Cassie asked Duncan. “You recognized them, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, and I confess, I am all astonishment. They are Tandaran windflowers, exceedingly rare. Their healing properties are without equal. Wherever did Sugar come by them, Miss Lucy?”

  “In the hills growing along the crater,” Lucy said. “Shug brought some home, and I gandered pretty quick what they could do, so I got him to show me where he’d found them. Dug up every one I could get my hands on and toted the
m back to my greenhouse. Temperamental little suckers. Took me a while to figure out how to make them thrive.”

  “Tan what?” Toby wrinkled his nose. “Where’s that, Georgia?”

  “Nay, Tandara is—” Duncan shook his head. “It matters not. The crisis is past and the child lives, thanks to you, Miss Lucy.”

  “No thanks needed.” Lucy’s voice was gruff. “I know what it is to love a child.” Her doting gaze went to the bigfoot. “Some would say what I feel for Sugar ain’t the same, but I say love is love.”

  “Where’s Verbena?” Toby asked, looking around. “Haven’t seen her for hours.”

  “In the sickroom,” Duncan said. “I asked her to linger there awhile. The mother is still distressed and in need of reassurance. I asked Verbena to abide there so that her peculiar gift may speed the healing process.”

  “She’s reading, ain’t she?” Toby grunted as Duncan nodded in assent. “That’ girl’s gon’ explode from learning.”

  “Let her alone,” Lucy said. “She’s obviously bright and hungry to better herself, and I say that’s a fine thing.” She pushed to her feet. “I’d best be going. Keep me posted on the little ones.”

  “Thank you again,” Cassie said, walking the old woman to the back door. “You and Sugar saved the day.”

  “Duncan saved the day,” she replied. “I brought the flowers, but he knew what to do with them.” She gave Cassie a sharp look. “You’re a mighty lucky gal, Cassandra Ferguson. Duncan’s a good man. Got a heart big as all outdoors and made for loving. He’s been kind to my Sugar. Rescued him from a trap. When I think of my baby lying in the woods, hurt and scared, and no one to help him . . .” Her voice faded off, and her chin quivered. “Well, all I can say is, I’m grateful to Duncan and thankful he was there to help my Sugar.” Removing a linen handkerchief from her pocket, she blew her nose defiantly. “Duncan taught Sugar to talk. Did you know that?”

  “No,” Cassie said, surprised. “I had no idea.”

  “That’s right.” Lucy nodded. “Sugar couldn’t say a word until Duncan came along. You got any idea what it means to a lonely old woman, to hear her boy call her ‘Mama’ and tell her he loves her?” She looked fierce. “He’s promised to look after Sugar when I’m gone. What have you got to say about that?”

  “That’s between you and Duncan.”

  “Your business, too, unless I’m mistaken. Anybody with eyes in their head can see he’s crazy about you.”

  Cassie shifted, uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. Her relationship with Duncan was supposed to have been simple and uncomplicated, a physical affair to the mutual satisfaction of both. But things had shifted, and nothing was turning out the way she’d planned. She hadn’t had time to absorb the changes—changes in her perception of Duncan, and changes in herself. She had a lot to figure out, and there’d been very little time. Until she did, she didn’t want to share her feelings.

  Lucy was watching her. “Cold feet?” she said, cackling. “You’re a fool, Cassie Ferguson. You think a man like Duncan comes along every day? He’s the best thing walking on two legs. You let that one get away, you’ll regret it.” She slipped the handle of her pocketbook over one bony arm. “But there’s no accounting for stupid. You’ll find it everywhere.” Turning, she bellowed down the hall, “Sugar.”

  The bigfoot stuck his head out of the kitchen. “Mama?”

  “Shag your fuzzy butt down here, son. Time to go home. We don’t want to miss Days of Our Lives.”

  “Sands,” Sugar chirped, galumphing down the hall.

  “He loves his stories,” Lucy said. “And Thomas and Friends. Crazy about that dadburn choo-choo.”

  Cassie saw them out, then carried a tray with ginger ale, sandwiches, and fruit upstairs to the sickroom. Verbena was sitting in a chair, her head bent over a book. She looked up when Cassie entered. Putting a finger to her lips, she pointed to the bed where the mother and child were asleep and whispered, “Wore slap out, both of them.”

  Cassie set the tray down on the dresser and spread a quilt over the exhausted woman. “Are you hungry?” she asked, turning to Verbena. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Curious, Cassie moved closer. “What are you reading?”

  “It’s called A Little Princess.” Verbena placed her finger against the inner spine to mark her place. “It’s about this girl, Sara, who goes to this fancy school. Her pappy’s a fine gentleman, and Sara’s treated like gold until her pappy is reported dead. Then the fly’s in the soup, and no lie. Miss Minchin—that’s the old bat what runs the school—hears tell that Sara’s money is gone, and turns rattlesnake mean. Starves Sara, and works her, and makes her sleep in the cold.”

  “I remember that book,” Cassie said. “I hated Miss Minchin, and I felt sorry for poor Sara.”

  “Me, too,” Verbena said. “But it ain’t—isn’t—altogether sad. There’s a monkey in the story, and a nice man in a turban. Things work out in the end. The man in the turban works for the rich man next door. Turns out, this rich feller was friends with Sara’s pappy. He adopts Sara and takes her out of that terrible place.”

  “You already know the story?”

  “Yup.” Verbena tucked her legs under her. “Read it last night at the library. Liked it so much, I checked it out this morning. I done— I mean, I’ve read it four times so far.” She stroked the hard cover with wistful fingers. “Sara and I got a lot in common. Folks think she’s a dud and no-count just ’cause she was poor. And Sara knows what it is to be hungry. Starving in an attic—starving with the dogs . . .” She lifted her slender shoulders. “Reckon there ain’t a whole heap of difference.”

  Verbena went back to her reading, and Cassie left the room to return to the kitchen. She’d left Duncan and Toby eating lunch, and as she stepped into the hall, she could hear the low murmur of their masculine voices in conversation. Toby said something she couldn’t quite make out, and Duncan laughed.

  The sound sent a pleasant shock through Cassie’s body. Duncan’s laugh was rich and deep, hot cocoa and brandy, and it never failed to warm her to her toes. It was one of the many things that made him attractive. It was one of the reasons she—

  Grim materialized unexpectedly in front of Cassie, and she staggered back, clutching her chest. “Grim. You scared me into next week.”

  “Where is Duncan?” Grim’s expression was haunted. “I must speak with him.”

  Cassie took one look at his stark face and led him down the hall without another word.

  Toby glanced up from his plate when Cassie and Grim came in. “Head up, boy,” he told Duncan. “Here’s trouble, unless I’m mistook.”

  Duncan shoved to his feet. “Brother, what is toward?”

  “It is Gryffin.” Grim’s voice shook. “I saw him in the woods. You were right, brother, though I did not credit it until I saw him with mine own eyes. He is a dupe, and he suffers most dreadfully.” A tremor racked his big body. “The orb consumes him, brother. His palms smoke and burn from its touch. The pain . . . ah, gods, the pain. I cannot bear to think on it.”

  Grim dropped his face into his hands, and Cassie felt a surge of sympathy for the huge, fierce warrior.

  “Do not despair, Grimford.” Duncan strode over and clapped the big warrior on the shoulders. “We will find a way to save Gryff.”

  Grim lifted his head, his expression eager. “You will help me free our brother, then?” He clasped Duncan’s forearms. “I knew I could count on you, Duncan.”

  “Of a certainty,” Duncan said. “We will set out at first light on the morrow.”

  “Nay, we cannot wait. The matter must be dealt with at once. Taryn has gone stekaath.”

  Duncan swore. “Stekaath? Then she is unaware that things have changed?”

  “You have the right of it.” Grim released Duncan and stepped back, his face very white.

  “What is ‘stekaath’?” Cassie asked.

  “It means ‘shadow,�
� ” Duncan said. “Taryn has gone to ground. She was ordered to find and slay the rogue, and she is very, very good at what she does. That is why she was chosen for the task. Unfortunately for Gryff, Taryn is unaware that the situation has altered.”

  “Aye,” said Grim. “My fear is that she will find and slay Gryff ere we can stop her.”

  “I’m thinking she’ll find that hard to do,” Toby drawled. “You Dalvahni boys are hard to kill.”

  “True,” Duncan said, “but Taryn has been given a sheaf of special arrows fashioned by Kehvahn himself.” He shrugged. “What our master has wrought, he can undo.”

  “Oh, my God,” said Cassie, horrified.

  “What of Conall?” Duncan asked Grim. “Does he know of this?”

  “’Twas he who sent me,” Grim said. “Rebekah nears her time, and he will not leave her. He bade me ask that you accompany me in his stead.” He glanced at Cassie and cleared his throat. “The captain informs me that you have long haunted these woods and hills, and know them exceedingly well. ’Tis his thought that your many sojourns here in pursuit of a certain . . . quarry . . . may be of use.”

  “The captain is nothing if not astute,” Duncan said, giving Cassie a look rife with sensual promise. “Very well, brother. Let us be about it. I am eager to see the thing done and hie me home.”

  Toby pushed back from the table. “I’ll come with you. If this rogue’s anywhere about, I’ll smell him.”

  “I thank you,” Duncan said to him, “but I would have you remain here, an you would.”

  Cassie put her hands on her hips. “To keep an eye on me, you mean.”

  “To keep you safe, my hornet. You are the dearest thing in life to me.”

  Duncan pulled her close and kissed her right there, in front of the others. A few days ago, Cassie would have slapped him silly for manhandling her in such a fashion, but today, she didn’t mind at all.