by Mila Young
The blue-dressed lady ran her palms down her stomach in a nervous gesture.
I eyed them, and my attention landed on the farthest girl because she’d be sixteen at most, and she was staring at the dead chickens, her face paling. Did she take part in hunting down prey for their town’s meals? If so, then this grizzly scene wouldn’t scare her.
The older woman sniffed the air, leaning on her walking stick. “This intruder smells of fire kindling and electricity. Jess, get rid of her.”
“Grandma, let’s hear her out first.” Jess, the blue-dressed woman, took her arm, her eyes darting from the butchered birds to her grandma and me. “My daughter spotted a young girl behind our home about half an hour ago, running into the forest and wearing no clothes, blood streaking her face.”
My words rushed out. “Which direction did she go?”
Jess pointed back toward the freeway. “Okay, thanks. Now burn this circle because with the sacrificed animals, someone might have opened a portal to another dimension.” Meaning a spirit might have escaped already. My chest stung because what if a resident had already been targeted by a demonic hijacker?
The teen crouched near a chicken now, fingering the feathery carcass, and my stomach dropped at seeing her touching dangerous magic.
“Hey, don’t do that.” I tried to march over, but Grandma jabbed me in the gut with her stick. I pushed it aside.
“Get away from her,” she warned with her croaky voice.
“This circle is dangerous.” I stared at the girl, who studied her hand, the fingertips dipped in red. “Shit.” Rituals left behind residue, and if the demonic girl had created this, she might have released who-knew-what.
Murmurs buzzed in my ears, just as they had back in my bathroom. Or maybe I was going bat-shit crazy and hearing things because everyone else stared at me as I’d grown a second head.
When the teen stuck her fingers in her mouth, I my mouth dropped opened, unable to believe she would do such a thing. This wasn’t a buffet. “Don’t eat that!”
“Liana.” Jess whirled toward the girl and smacked her hand out of her mouth as a mother would do to a daughter. But Liana slapped her mother in the face, sending her reeling into a tree.
My heart struck the back of my throat, and without thinking, I tapped into the lava in my chest, already a fiery charge surging down my arms.
I lunged toward the teen, whose every moment became jerky, as if something inside her tested her body. I pressed my palms flat against her shoulders and drove her into a tree.
The familiar vibration of her body reacted to my touch—oh hell, we have a live one here. Goddamn demon.
The girl bellowed in agony and thrashed against me, beating her fists against my arms, those fists as hard as rocks. I whined but pushed past the stings of her blows.
Her hands clasped my neck, and I flinched as her fingers squeezed. I gritted my teeth, unable to breathe. So I did what anyone in my position would do. I kneed her in the privates. Her grip softened, and I slammed my power down my arms and into her.
A hum sounded in my ears, just as the earlier murmurs. I glanced around, but no one was humming. Damn, I better not be getting tinnitus.
Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped against me. Black wisps floated upward from her red and blistered shoulders.
The teen’s skin was clammy and cold beneath my touch, and a powdery barnyard smell with sulfur filled my nostrils. She was transforming, and shifters could be uncontrollable when in animal form.
A sudden whack to my head had me staggering sideways, and stars danced in my vision. “What the fuck?”
The teen fell face-first into the ground, her body convulsing and white fur sprouting across her shrinking body. Bones cracked, skin split, and it seemed intrusive to stare. Ryder had always told me it made him self-conscious when I watched his transformation.
I rubbed the bump on my head, glancing around to find Grandma with her stick raised in the air, and she struck me once more across the ribs.
“Stop that!” I sidestepped her, but my gaze fell on Ryder and Baldy from the bar. Behind them stood a horse, brown bear, and a raccoon.
Jess was by her daughter’s side and lifted her, now a cute rabbit, into her arms. Ha! I so called them being bunnies.
I lifted my arms to show the crowding shifters I had no weapons. “I was saving her from a possession.”
Baldy scanned the white bunny with black burn marks on her front legs, and his lips thinned to white lines.
“What kind of monster are you to attack a child?” he snarled.
“I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding.” Ryder recoiled toward me, blocking me from the leader’s wrath. “Sephy eliminates demons. Consider yourself lucky she was here.” He pointed to the butchered chickens. “Someone summoned a spirit. Plus, her magic only works on the possessed.”
Baldy shoved a hand against Ryder’s chest, but despite stumbling, he held his ground. This wasn’t about a show of who was the biggest alpha. These poor shifters lived in the woods because they were ostracized from the city, and I didn’t want to appear threatening to them.
I grabbed Ryder by the arm as he marched toward the leader and pulled him backward. My attention fell on Baldy. “We’re sorry for causing any trouble. We’ll leave.”
I met Jess’s gaze and tears rimmed her eyes. “Your daughter is safe now,” I said. “Burn the ritual circle.”
“Jon, she’s telling the truth.” Jess’s voice wavered.
The leader huffed, his face turning red as the vein in his neck throbbed. “I’ll show you the mercy your kind never gives us,” he hissed. “Get the fuck off our property before you join those chickens.” His twisted expression left me speechless. I loathed what the authorities had done to the shifters, driving them into the mountains. And now I felt like I was showing them I was no different by harming one of their kind. To them, it didn’t matter the reason, just that I’d used fire to harm her without explanation or permission.
“I’m sorry,” I offered, but Ryder took my hand and dragged me through the woods in a march.
“Well, I can cross this settlement off my list if I ever need a place to live,” he said. “Give me the keys. I’m driving; you’re too shaken.”
“I’m fine.” I pulled the keys from my pocket and studied the line of trailers behind us as additional shifters emerged from their home and headed to the commotion. Guilt pushed through me like an invisible storm at the trouble we’d caused. I prayed the bunny girl would be okay. And I made a mental note to visit more shifter locations and show them not all humans are assholes.
Ryder put his hand in mine and took the keys, then jumped into the driver’s seat. “Hurry up before they change their mind.”
Not bothered enough to argue over who drove, I climbed into the passenger side and in no time, we left behind the shifter’s home.
“The leader knew nothing, but he said shifters have seen dark shapes in the woods when they went hunting,” said Ryder. “But many believed they were humans spying on them. So I’m not sure that’s a lead for us.”
“The demonic girl was here.” I curled my hands into fists. “She created that freakin’ blood circle to release a demon. Then she headed toward the freeway. What is she doing? Opening portals near settlements?”
“Everything happened so fast.” I yearned to stay longer and explain to them about possessions and how to protect themselves. Now my limbs felt heavy and fear for those shifters looped in my head over and over. Maybe I’d return once the dust settled and teach them how to better protect themselves.
“Demon girl is likely still in the vicinity, so we’ll check the area.”
“The demon child’s human body would get exhausted, meaning the spirit would have to rest, get food perhaps. I might call the detective and let him know we saw her in these woods.” And I did just that, leaving a message for Dean, as he wasn’t at the station.
“I like this side of you,” Ryder said. “Determined and caring.”
&n
bsp; “Haven’t I always been like this?”
“Yeah, and I missed it.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond when my mind tugged me in so many directions, from trepidation for the demon girl to guilt at not healing her when I’d had the chance, to the kindness Ryder showered on me.
7
Already the sun had slid down the azure heavens, and shadows crawled across the mountains.
“Can’t see the demonic girl anywhere and we’ve been at it for hours.” Ryder still drove my Jeep.
Fine by me. Who didn’t want a personal chauffeur? But as we cruised down the hill deciding to head home, I eyed the dirt road that lead to the ruins where Dana had died. “Turn left just ahead, please.”
Ryder didn’t question me and before long, we glided between oak trees crowding the edges of the road, their branches sprawling overhead like tangled cobwebs.
I squirmed in my seat at returning to the ruins, chewing on my cheek, unable to get enough air into my lungs. It had been weeks since I’d come up here. When Dana had first passed, I’d made the trek daily, but I got busy, trying to find new clients, and deal with grief. Now guilt sawed through my chest for not visiting more often.
The moment we emerged from the woodland and into a clearing, my caught breath in my lungs. In the distance stood a mount, and on top, stone pillars jutted out of the ground. Most had long ago broken and over time morphed into stubs. Only three stood tall and proud.
“Is there where…?” Ryder’s words faded, and I nodded.
“Want me to join you?” he offered.
“Thanks, but I want to pay my respects alone. They say when a person passes under tragic circumstances, part of them remains at the spot they died.” I clung on to that theory, whether it was real or not, because it gave me a place to visit Dana. I guessed that was one of the reasons graveyards existed. For the living more than for the dead. But many magic folk insisted the cemeteries were gateways to the afterworld.
I climbed out into the warm afternoon air. Trees spread on either side of me, and the air wafted with their scent. With my hands deep in the pockets of my shorts, I marched up the hill. Birds squawked in the trees while a hawk flew overhead.
Ahead, the broken ruins had once been used for incantations and sacrifices at a time in history when mysterious happenings were explained by magic. Like sacrificing a virgin once a month to the gods ensured the sun rose each morning. But now, the location resembled a gaping mouth with chipped and crushed teeth. Old, decrepit, and painful.
I stepped over a destroyed stone and moved into the center of the circle that had to be close to fifty feet wide. Tiny vibrational energy shook beneath my skin as it did every time I visited. The years of blood magic spilled in this area still hummed, and yet it was the one place where I felt most at peace. My head always grew sharp and clear here.
I sat with my back to a stone tablet and crossed my legs. A light breeze swished past, lifting the hair from my nape. Refreshing.
Farther below was my Jeep and something about Ryder inside the car, watching over me brought me comfort.
“So, Dana,” I started, my throat constricting, “I haven’t found your killer yet, but you know me. I’m tenacious to a fault.” My attempt at laughing came across strained, and a tear bubbled at the corner of my eye. “I’m sorry this happened to you, babe.”
I fisted the overgrown grass near my thighs and ripped it in handfuls. “We were supposed to travel the world, and I was chatting with Raven about taking a trip to all the places you wanted to visit. We’ll have a drink at each location for you.”
Lounging back, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through my playlist until I hit upon Africa by Toto. “God knows why you love this song, but I guess it’s growing on me.” I clicked play and basked in the tune, except each time I listened to the damn song, waterworks unleashed. I sat there and let my mind empty of everything from the day.
“Never took you for a Toto fan,” said a male voice.
I snapped open my eyes to find Dean. He entered the circle directly across from me. His long, blond hair had flyaway strands, as if he’d been riding in a car with the windows down. I grumbled under my breath and wiped my eyes at his presence.
“Didn’t hear you approach.” I hit stop on my phone and tucked it into my pocket as I stood. “Anyway, are you here to accuse me of being involved in Dana’s murder again?” Yep, sarcasm came naturally.
He sighed, and his posture stooped forward ever-so-slightly. “I never accused you, Sephy. I had to question you since you were first one on the scene.”
I raised a brow. “Some call it ‘questioning.’ Others might say ‘bullying.’ And what’s with the constant requests to head down to the station so different people can ask me the same questions? You guys should get your act together down there and focus on catching the real killer.”
With a long huff, he stood his ground. “I was just doing my job. And I’m not here for you. Just passing through on a walk.”
I eyed him, noting his bandaged forearm and the sleeves of his blue work shirt rolled to his elbows. He wore his thick belt lined with his gun, taser and other items over tailored pants.
“You often roam in the forest in your work clothes and with a gun?”
The corner of his mouth lifted, and it brightened his expression, chasing away the shadows beneath his cerulean eyes. “I had the strangest desire to search the woods near the ruins. Figured since the Missing Persons Unit was tracking for the girl near Leafside settlement, I’d start here.”
“So you drove? Didn’t see your car.”
“It’s parked a couple of miles away.”
“Why would you walk that far?”
“It’s not that far.” He laughed, the sound powerful and confident. It belonged to a man who knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to take it. Maybe it was the exhaustion, but something about him had me smiling.
I sauntered closer, hands by my side. Curiosity slithered through me because this man was a stranger. And I still recalled the way he had spoken to me when he’d first arrived on the scene of Dana’s murder. Derogative and accusatory. Yet that morning, he seemed caring and he wasn’t snapping at everyone. “Do you often have such instincts to go into the forest? Or is an Aussie thing, walking for long stretches?”
“Never.” He smirked. “I figured the intuition must have kicked in for a reason.”
“What do you think brought you to the ruins?” I pushed aside loose strands of hair fluttering over my face. Did the man have some kind of intimation ability? Wasn’t unheard of.
He half-grinned. “Are you grilling me?”
I shrugged. “If I were, then I’d handcuff you, shove you about, and lock you in an interview room with no water or the chance to pee for hours. It’s how you play, right?” I smiled.
He studied me, cocking an eyebrow, not shy of dropping his attention across my T-shirt, over my shorts and down my legs.
Confident men were my weakness, even more so if they took control. Ryder was that and more, but Dean was different. Darker, while Ryder was the playful kind. Maybe Dean’s bedroom mirrored a sex chamber, and damn, just having that thought left me burning up. I changed topics.
“You didn’t seem to freak out this morning,” I said. “You often attend possessions?”
I dawdled past him to see if Ryder still waited and hadn’t ditched me because I wouldn’t be surprised if he had.
Dean’s gaze followed me. It was predatory, and fuck if that didn’t tickle my libido. This wasn’t the man I’d encountered before. It was someone who showed interest in me, who was flirting with me.
“This is my second possession since I’d transferred,” Dean explained. “Both times, Knox helped me out. He’s a champion. But I’ll give him this—he’s not afraid of much. Few things get me jumpy, but fuck, possessions do it every time.”
I kicked a tuft of grass at my feet. “They suck balls, and unfortunately I’ve seen too many in my line of work.”
&nbs
p; “What do you actually do for a job?” His voice dipped with that inquisitive tone he reserved for the interrogation room. Been there, done that. And while my thoughts drifted to scenarios involving handcuffs, his commanding voice, and me, I shoved the fantasies away.
“Freelance work. Osteomancy, cleansing homes, eradicating spirits. Simple stuff that cops don’t want to get their hands dirty with.”
He nodded. “Not sure I’d call dealing with the supernatural simple, but we’re understaffed and can’t keep up with crimes, let alone possessions. Maybe one day you’ll tell me how you got into this line of work, and how your hands light up into flames.” His tone as he said the last few words grew serious.
Of course he’d remember that part, but it wasn’t illegal to perform magic in Evangel. Not yet, anyway, but there had been rumors of legislation being passed to place sorcerers and witches into the same basket as shifters. Basically as outcasts. Since I made a living informing people of my ability to read their future and vanquish demons, I’d be royally screwed.
“Perhaps.” I used my sultry voice, and he rewarded me with a grin. “But it’s a miserable, boring tale. I’d rather find out why you moved from Australia to Evangel city.”
“That’s an easy one.” He sat on a broken stone that resembled a loveseat. “My sister relocated here with her husband and two kids. I have no family back home and I’m super close with my sister. I didn’t want to miss out on seeing my nieces grow up. The Evangel precinct put out a call for overseas transfers, so I applied.”
“What about friends?” I took a seat next to him, well aware I was making zero attempts at being subtle.
He twisted toward me, his leg bent between us. “What I miss most are the beaches and surfing.”
“There’s some spots near the coast. Only about a three-hour drive. I’ve been to a great beach there where nudists and great surfers go.”
His eyes lit up. “I’m super keen now, but I didn’t take you for a beach girl.”