by Sara DeHaven
“You’ve just lived with it so long, you don’t really think about it any more,” Kevin offered, voice sympathetic.
“Or I don’t want to think about it,” Daniel replied.
“So aren’t you basically screwed if the Keltoi want you for something that big?” Bruce asked.
Daniel laughed shortly. “Yeah, I’m basically screwed.”
“There has to be some way to resolve this,” Bree said fiercely. “There just has to be.”
Sophie entered the debate tentatively. “If by some miracle we succeed if figuring something out that makes the demons go away, wouldn’t that tip the balance back in favor of us good guys? Then maybe it wouldn’t be as big a deal if the Keltoi had the hiding spell.”
“I was hoping we could tip the balance in our favor and keep it there,” Daniel admitted.
“Wait a minute,” Bree interjected. “This hiding spell of yours. It’s pretty hard to do, right?”
Daniel nodded. “Very hard, actually. It takes a complex series of castings to set it all up, and it’s not easy to maintain either.”
“Would it take an exceptionally powered person to use it?”
Daniel regarded her thoughtfully. “Certainly someone high powered. It may not tip the balance to that great a degree, if we consider that it might not be usable by your average rank and file Keltoi. But the most damage the Keltoi do is typically done by Binders and Demon Masters along with their demons. I’m talking about the really big political stuff. Terrorist organizations, arms running, big drug producers and sellers, that sort of thing. Those are precisely the kind of people the Keepers need to be able to track.”
“Maybe someone in particular wants the hiding spell then, for some big deal they’re planning,” Sophie said, starting to gather up plates and silverware.
“Whoa, scary thought,” Bruce replied as he leaned forward to help her.
“If that’s the case,” Bree considered, “and if we figure out who it is and bust them, maybe the pressure will be off Daniel. And what if not very many people in the Keltoi know about it? I mean, maybe I’ve just seen ‘The Godfather’ too many times, but isn’t there infighting in these big crime organizations? Wouldn’t there be some reason for the people who know about it to keep it to themselves?”
“That’s a point,” Daniel conceded. He glanced over at Bree, and their eyes met, and held.
"What is it?" Bruce asked, picking up on their body language.
"I'm just thinking it's worth checking into it," Bree replied. "It's going to make it hard to focus on the demon research if we have to worry about Daniel being chased down by the Keltoi."
"I was thinking pretty much the same thing," Daniel admitted. "But I don't see this as something you all should have to take on. It's basically Keeper work, and at least that's something I know how to do. It's enough that you're willing to help with the demon research. That is, if you are all still willing?" His eyebrows rose in question as he looked around the group.
"I'm in," Kevin replied stoutly.
Sophie and Bruce looked at each other, then Sophie nodded. "If you keep to your promise, Daniel, and if you'll wait until your knife wound is healed, then I'll give it another go."
"What she said," Bruce rumbled.
Daniel looked at Bree, and a jackhammer started up in her chest as their eyes met. It made her want to bang her head against a wall just about as much as it made her want to get her hands on him. Just when she thought things couldn't be more complicated, she had to find out about the hiding spell issue. Yet something inside her continued to respond to Daniel, even with this new wrinkle. At least the flush on his cheeks told her she wasn't entirely alone in her feelings. It was clear he was hanging on her answer, as much as he was trying to hide it.
"I'm in," she said softly, in spite of Daniel Thorvaldson, and because of him.
Chapter 12
“You two go on ahead to my place,” Bree told Kevin and Daniel as they stood in Bruce and Sophie's living room preparing to leave. “I need to stop by my office and pick up my mail. I’m overdue for some insurance checks to show up.” While this was technically true, Bree didn't really need to go to the office tonight. In fact, she was so tired that the idea of running a late night errand made her want to cry. But she needed an excuse to avoid going home with Daniel. Her emotions about him were so conflicted right now she didn't trust herself alone with him. She felt right on the edge of losing her temper again, and at the same time, her attraction to him seemed very close to the surface. She could all too easily see them tumbling into bed together given both their defenses were low, and that was something she was determined to avoid.
She worked her house key off of her key chain and handed it to Daniel. “I know you're wiped, so don’t wait up,” she told him. He took the key, then surprised her with an awkward hug and a quiet, “Thanks for your help,” spoken into her ear. Kevin hugged her goodbye as well, and the two left, a gust of cold air blowing into the house in their wake.
“You know, that Daniel’s a pretty amazing dude, but he’s not quite right,” Bruce said into the silence of their departure.
“Understatement of the year,” Sophie said tiredly.
“Hey, I didn’t say I didn’t like him. He’s just a little, you know, obsessed. And spooky.”
“And over confident,” Bree added acerbically.
“You know, I'm still really pissed off at him, but..."
"But what, babe?" Bruce prompted when Sophie didn't continue.
"Well, it's just that I think he’s a lost soul,” Sophie said softly.
“Huh,” Bruce grunted. “Only you would see ‘lost soul’ in that performance. He’s a Demon Master, Sophie. And a Binder. I totally get what he’s trying to do, or I wouldn’t be helping. But if that guy snaps, I do not want to be around for it.”
“Me neither,” Sophie agreed. "But isn't that the risk we're taking if we agree to continue helping him with the demon research?"
Bree sank down tiredly on the arm of an over stuffed chair. “I think we saw tonight just how big a risk it is. And yet, we all agreed to continue."
“I do wonder just how long we let this ride,” Bruce mused. “Isn’t it pretty much inevitable that Daniel will lose it if he keeps up this Demon Master shit?”
Bree hugged herself and rubbed her arms. She couldn’t seem to get warm. “That’s what I’ve always been told,” she replied. "I only hope we can squeeze enough information out of Gelsenim or some other demon fast enough that Daniel doesn’t have to do this over and over. And yeah, I know I’m probably dreaming there, but you never know.”
“Let me get you your coat, honey, you’re cold,” Sophie said, moving away from Bruce. She was pulled up short as her hair had tangled in his watch. “Oh, damn, this always happens,” she said, voice a little shaky with exasperation and leftover stress.
“I’ll get my coat,” Bree replied, and did so while Bruce patiently unwound the long, wavy hairs from his watch.
“You guys were amazing tonight,” Bree said as she hugged them both goodbye. “I didn’t do half so well the first time I saw a demon. I was basically a gibbering heap.”
“Oh, I was a gibbering heap,” Sophie replied with a tremulous smile. “I was just hiding it the best I could.”
“Well, I’ll keep you posted,” Bree said as she made her way out the door.
It was a cold night, colder than it had been so far this fall. The stars were out, at least the few that you could see past the city glow. She paused to look up, searching for Orion, her favorite constellation, in the gap of sky ringed about with the dark shapes of fir and maple trees, but it wasn’t up yet. She shivered in her coat, and made her way to her car. The radio was on, and she quickly shut it off.
Driving toward her office made her think about work. She’d managed to get in some massage clients the last two days while Daniel was recuperating at her house. The attack on him had made them all relax about Hunter, and it had felt safe enough to go back. She'd liked the s
ense of normalcy that working brought. The calm atmosphere of the massage room, the focus on each muscle group, each stroke, reading for how her clients moved and reacted to touch, all of this was soothing for her. It was a way to use her Reader sense for something good without getting overloaded by emotional input. And of course, it was always a pleasure to know that she had eased people in some way.
She reflected as she sat at a red light that she could probably use a massage herself. She knew she was carrying tension in her shoulders. She was feeling the weight of responsibility for Daniel, for the work they were doing, and by extension, for the problem of increased possessions. She wondered if it was a cop out, doing this experiment of talking to demons rather than getting back out there and doing exorcisms. It had been hard tonight, seeing a demon again, and lord knew she dreaded triggering more nightmares, but she had to admit it had been fascinating as well. When she’d been ready to try to banish the demon with an exorcism spell, it had proven to her that she could still want to do battle with a demon in the right circumstances. She hadn’t known that for sure after that exorcism on Jeremy went south.
When she arrived at her office, it was verging on eleven, so even office mates with Saturday hours would be gone. She parked in the little parking lot to the side of the building, fished out the office front door key from her key ring, and opened the door. As she reached for the light, she felt a ripple in her Demonsense. She registered a dark shape moving toward her, and gave an involuntary scream as hands grabbed her arms. Whoever it was, they were possessed; she could feel it like razor blades against her spine. She instinctively kicked and twisted away, felt one of her kicks connect, and heard a grunt of pain. The grip of one of the hands on her loosened, and she pulled away hard, getting one of her arms free. She swung wildly, and connected with the side of her assailant’s head.
Before she could do more, another set of hands grabbed her other arm from behind. She struggled, kicked and swore, but couldn’t break free. Then both of her arms were immobilized with a bruising grip. The light snapped on, and she recognized the men holding her as those who had come after them at Daniel’s, including the possessed one. She should have been able to sense the demon before she opened the door, she thought a little hysterically. It must have some of that new ability to hide.
Then another person moved into her field of view, a tall, strikingly beautiful woman. She had long hair that fell in loose, blue-black curls like waves under starlight and wore a long navy coat, stilleto heels, and matching navy leather gloves that she was pulling off one finger at a time. She looked familiar, but Bree couldn't place her.
“Well now, that’s more like it,” the woman said with a smile. “There’s no need to struggle, we just have a few questions for you about your boyfriend Daniel Thorvaldson.”
Justice felt the presence of the demon inside him quicken with excitement at the woman’s fear as she struggled against being held, and felt its disappointment as she went still when Franchesca turned the light on. He was becoming familiar with the signs that the demon’s hunger was building. It enjoyed most kinds of visual and emotional stimulation, but what it really craved were the more intense emotions of terror, rage and hatred. It was hoping for some violence here. He tensed in heightened anticipation of the pleasure he would feel if he were allowed to hurt the woman.
“You can start with telling me where Daniel is,” Franchesca said to the woman, who they’d finally found out was named Bree Jenkins. They had traced her to her office with a simple internet look up of her cell phone number and her first name. It had taken longer to catch the woman alone at her office. He’d thought it ridiculous that Franchesca had made them wait as long as she had tonight, but it looked like she’d been right to do so.
Franchesca put her gloves in her pocket and paced closer when the woman said nothing. Franchesca’s hand shot out and hit Bree, hard and open handed, across the face. Her head snapped toward Justice, where he stood to one side of her holding her arm, and briefly, he looked her in the eyes. He saw surprise and fear follow one another quickly across her features, then she jerked away from him, though not hard enough to break his grip. He felt a tremor of excitement move up his back and down his arms, the beginnings of demonic pleasure.
Still Bree said nothing, and Franchesca put her hand almost tenderly under the woman’s chin and tipped it up. She was almost a head taller than both the woman and Justice. Franchesca regarded Bree closely, her lips pursed, and Justice saw the woman’s cheek was reddening from the slap.
“I suppose you’re attractive in a wholesome, healthy sort of way,” Franchesca said dismissively, releasing Bree's chin. “But really, Daniel could do better. You don’t imagine he would settle for a little nobody, do you? With his family connections and his abilities?”
Justice felt the demon stir at the anger it was sensing beneath Franchesca’s cool tone. He wanted to move closer to it, as one wants to move closer to a fire after being out in cold rain all day.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Bree replied, voice high and tense with fear. With the increased awareness of emotion granted by the demon, Justice could tell she was angry as well as afraid.
Franchesca reached out and grabbed Bree's chin again, much more forcefully this time, and turned it roughly first to face Scanlon, then to regard Justice.
“Perhaps you recognize these two men? They saw you and Daniel coming out of his house together. And they both report that Daniel moved to protect you. So it's ridiculous to pretend that you don’t know who I’m talking about.”
“Oh, I know who you’re talking about, I just don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bree replied. “I’m not his girlfriend, and I have no idea where he is if he’s not at home. I just did a job for him.”
“What kind of a job?” Franchesca asked. Justice saw her eyes narrow as she read their captive.
“A taint clearing,” Bree replied, words coming quickly. “The attack, why it happened, all that, Daniel didn’t tell me much, and I didn’t want to know. The last thing I wanted was to get mixed up in something like that.”
“Oh, but you are mixed up in it,” Franchesca purred, and slapped the woman again. “And if you want to stop being mixed up in it, you’ll give me this little piece of information.”
“I don’t have it,” Bree responded.
“And you’re lying,” Franchesca replied, turning away.
Justice felt Bree stir under his hands, tensing herself for some kind of action, and he jerked her, hard. “Don’t even think of trying to cast,” he growled.
“I don’t think she can cast,” Scanlon said scornfully from her other side. “All she had the other day was one little defensive spell. If it wasn’t for that amulet, I could easily have taken you then.”
“That little defensive spell worked on you,” Bree shot back at Scanlon, who just smiled and squeezed harder on her arm. The demon flared up again at Bree's involuntary wince.
“Ah yes, the amulet,” Franchesca mused, turning back to face them, holding her purse now in one hand. “Aren’t you wondering why it’s not working? You see, I could tell from my associate’s description of the battle that you must have had one of Daniel’s protection amulets on you. So I made a casting on your doorway here to neutralize its effects. If you happen to know the other Caster intimately, as I do Daniel, it's possible to unravel their spells.” She reached into her purse and extracted a neat little hand gun, handling it casually as she set her purse back down on one of the magazine topped tables in the office waiting room. She dug back into the purse with one hand and withdrew a silencer, which she attached to the gun.
“Now,” Franchesca said, moving in again and putting the gun gently against Bree's temple, “I think we should just make this simple and quick so nobody gets permanently hurt. Just tell me where to find Daniel. That’s all you have to do to live. If you truly have no relationship with him, surely that would be easy to do.”
Bree went completely still, and when she m
ade no reply, Justice figured there must be some kind of relationship or she would just answer the question. He glanced at Franchesca, and saw her cheeks coloring with anger. The demon inside him surged up in a rush, making his entire body heat and start sweating. His consciousness receded, moving back inside his skull like a man falling backwards off a cliff. He heard his own voice say, “Shoot her, Master. Shoot her and let me eat.”
Franchesca withdrew the gun from Bree's head, and looked thoughtfully at Justice. “Tirakku,” she murmured. “You have been so good. You deserve a little treat.” She turned to Bree again, grabbed her chin again with one hand, fingers digging in at the hinges of the woman’s jaw. Bree strained against his and Scanlon’s hold, but was unable to do much more than scuffle her feet on the floor. Her mouth involuntarily began to open, and Franchesca shoved the gun into it. Bree's eyes widened, and she gagged.
Justice, from his place far away, registered the demon was building toward a killing frenzy. There was something about the near presence of a Demon Master that made it responsive to the Master’s feelings and wishes. The Master wanted to kill the bitch, and the demon sensed this and wholeheartedly agreed. After a long stretch of moments, Franchesca took the gun out of the woman’s mouth without firing. “One last chance, Miss Jenkins,” she said.
“What are you going to do to him?” Bree blurted out. “I don’t want to give up some guy to be killed.”
“We’re not going to kill him, we just want to talk to him. He has some information I need. I can’t promise we won’t rough him up a little in the process, but it works against our interests to kill him. And you might as well stop pretending he is just ‘some guy.’ I'm a high power Reader, and even if I weren’t, your feelings for Daniel aren't that hard to read. Your pupils dilate every time I say his name.”
Bree was silent again, clearly trying to think up some response. Franchesca hit her again, this time with the gun. Bree cried out, and began to bleed where the skin on her cheek had broken at the blow.