by Judith Post
A low growl rumbled in his throat.
“Give it a rest!” Reece snapped. “We care about you too.”
His golden eyes widened in surprise, and then he shook his head. “It’s a good thing I like you, witch.”
“I wasn’t sure you did.”
“If I didn’t, you’d be snack food by now.”
Reece snorted. “You could try.”
He stared, he was so surprised, and then he tossed back his head and laughed. “You’ve got some spunk, kid. I’ll give you that.”
Hecate's voice was as brittle as ice. "None of you are taking this seriously enough. If Nen captures you—any of you—I won't be able to save you. He'll torture you, and it will tear me apart, but I can’t trust Nen to keep a deal, even if he offers one.”
Andre hugged her close. “I know that. We all do. You can’t make deals with the devil.”
“You have to stay strong.” Wedge climbed behind the steering wheel of his Suburban. “We all know what we’re up against. No one will blame you for what Nen does.”
A cold knot tightened and settled in the bottom of Reece’s stomach. She hadn’t thought anything could scare her more than the demon did, but Nen somehow managed. They were starting to her SUV to follow Wedge when an explosion made them all turn quickly.
The golden, beautiful man who'd approached Damian in the alley lay on the ground, writhing with white sparks of energy bouncing around him. His fog swirled for a second, then formed a crude shape—four legs and a long, pointed tail. The demon narrowed crimson eyes. Focusing on Hecate, he pounced again, hit the protective spray, and was tossed backwards with another loud crack. Furious, he leapt to his feet and sprang with more force.
The potion didn’t give. He hit, head on, and the blast was deafening. This time, he flew half a block away. He rose slowly, shaking his head to clear it.
Head down, he raced toward them. Energy crackled like fireworks. The demon contorted and convulsed, flew skyward, then crashed to the ground.
Reece held her breath as the young man formed once again and struggled to his knees. He looked too weak to walk, but finally, he made it to his feet.
“You!” he said, pointing at Hecate. “You’re the reason he summoned me! You’re the reason I’m suffering!”
“I’m sorry.” Pity filled Hecate’s voice. Even the demon heard it. “I wish I could help you.”
“No one can.” Clouds gathered overhead. Thunder rumbled, and winds whipped between buildings. “He knows where I am.” The young man staggered away.
“He’s desperate,” Hecate said. “Nen’s almost starving him. If he finds food tonight, the person won’t suffer. He’ll consume them in one gulp.”
Reece felt sick. She started after the demon, but Andre yanked her back. “What can you do? How can you stop him?”
“I have to try.”
“And die? What good will that do?”
Blood pounded in Reece’s ears. How could she stand here and do nothing? But Andre was right. She couldn’t defeat the demon. She stalked over to Wedge. “You have protective potion on your car, don’t you?”
“My car? You said to spray my property.”
“Then we'll drive you home. You can have someone bring you for your car tomorrow. The demon’s hungry and pissed.”
He sat silent a moment. “Someone’s going to die tonight, aren’t they?”
“Unless Nen finds him and makes him return.”
“Fuck Nen.” Wedge followed Reece to her SUV.
She shared Wedge’s sentiment. Nen was worse than the demon. She called Damian before leaving the parking lot to tell him what happened. Then she pulled her keys out of her pocket and slid behind the steering wheel. Thank heavens driving was an automatic reflex, because she couldn’t concentrate, she was so shaken.
When they made it back to the condo, Reece sagged onto a kitchen chair, grateful for familiar surroundings. Her loft might be one, big, open space, but it was her space. She thought longingly of her dojo. It always restored her balance, helped her clear her mind. But not tonight. Tonight, she just wanted to burrow somewhere safe and run away from her thoughts.
Chapter 12
Damian called later, asking her for details, and she listed them. When she finished, a loud sigh greeted her. “You could have been killed.”
“We were inside the protective barrier.”
“What if the demon decided to use a gun instead of magic?”
“Do you honestly think I can’t defend myself against a gun?” Hell, she could have probably take the demon in his mortal form with just her martial arts training, but add witch power to that, and she should survive.
Another sigh. “You’re not Wonder Woman, you know. You’re not invincible.”
“Thanks for reminding me.” She decided to turn the tables. “You know, it’s not much fun for me, worrying about you night after night.”
“The demon can’t hurt me.”
“But what if Nen decides to give it a go?”
Silence. Eventually, “That’s another story.”
“Exactly.” Reece remembered Hecate’s white energy slamming Damian against the wall. What would Nen do to him if he met him? “Be careful out there tonight.”
“If we see a warlock, we’ve agreed to summon each other before we try to jump him.”
“Will three gargoyles have more luck than one? Why not run?”
A longer, deeper sigh. “We’re gargoyles, Reece. We keep guard over mortals. It’s what we do.”
“Not if Nen turns all three of you into pretzels.”
That caught him off guard. “Pretzels?”
“All beat up and tied in knots.”
“I’ll be careful. I promise.”
“Remember your holy water.” She wasn’t sure if it actually worked, but it was worth a try.
“We’re all carrying ours. So is Father Daniel.”
She didn’t have anything more to say, but she was reluctant to hang up. “Damian…”
“I love you, too. Now get some sleep.”
The conversation was only a little satisfying. It must be like talking to a loved one in the military, doing service in a war zone. Words weren’t enough. She was too restless to sleep, so went to join Andre and Hecate.
She found them on the balcony, the blanket from the sofa tossed over their legs. It was a cool night, the sky mostly clear. The city’s lights blocked out any small stars, but she could make out the Big Dipper and Orion.
“How’s your hulk?” Andre asked. The Were loved to tease Damian. He wasn’t much nicer to her. Maybe it was part of being a Were. Wedge was no better.
“I warned him about the demon.” Reece pulled a lawn chair closer to theirs.
“Nen will have him caged by now,” Hecate said. “Once the demon starts feeding, it won’t stop until Nen makes it. He doesn’t want it to have too much energy. He wants to keep it weak.”
“It was strong enough to escape,” Andre pointed out.
Reece cringed. “Damian was going to warn Pete and remind him that cops don’t have a prayer against the demon.”
“They’ll find bodies tomorrow. Easy victims. The demon won’t want to expend any more energy than it has to.”
Reece stood and started to the kitchen. “Want some tea?”
They followed her inside. The clock read one a.m. Andre yawned. They didn’t talk, just sat at the table and sipped their Constant Comment. Finally, exhausted, they separated for bed.
Reece jerked awake at seven-fifteen. No Damian. Sunlight bathed the balcony. He should be home. She slipped out of bed and hurried to the kitchen.
Relief washed over her when she saw him at the long, wooden table, slouched over the morning paper.
Without asking, Reece refilled his coffee mug before getting her own. Usually, she sat across from him, but this morning, she took the chair next to his and leaned against his strong shoulder. He looked like he needed some cheering.
“Three,” he told her. “People walkin
g home from a party. He ate them all.” His voice was troubled, brooding.
Reece reached to rub the back of his neck. “You can’t be everywhere at once. You try to cover as much of the city as you can, but you can’t save everyone.”
“We sense when something’s going to happen. The city lets us know. But it happened so fast, by the time we got there, it was too late.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t eat more.”
Damian raised his eyebrows at her. “You didn’t hear the thunder and lightning last night?”
“I must have slept through it.”
He tossed her a fond gaze. “I’ve never seen anyone sleep like you. Once you’re out, a street full of sirens doesn’t wake you.”
“Lightning can't hurt a demon.”
“No, but a swirl of winds can pick it up and carry it away. Nen must have been furious.”
“So he caught the demon.”
"For now."
Reece took a minute to sip her coffee. “It'll be stronger. Nen will have to keep a close eye on it.”
“Yes, and that’s an advantage for us.”
“To do what? How do you catch a warlock?” Reece asked.
Hecate’s voice drifted from the sofa. “We trace his magic.”
Damian sat up straighter in his chair. “Of course! He can sense your magic, right? So you can sense his. We drive around the city and sniff the air, like we did when we hunted for rogues.”
Reece couldn’t smell a rogue, but Damian could. So could any Were. She’d driven the van, with its windows down, while Damian and Andre leaned their heads into the wind and sniffed the breezes.
“Can you smell magic?” she asked him.
“Some, but not like you and Hecate. This time, I’ll drive. You hang out the windows.”
“I’m coming too.” Andre stretched on the recliner and rubbed his eyes. “If anything happens, I want to be there.”
“Not a good….”
Andre interrupted Hecate. “I’m a Were. The moon’s getting close to full. It’s not safe to leave me alone.”
“What a crock!” Hecate rolled her eyes. “You drive to Wedge’s camp once a month to hunt with his pack.”
“We can’t leave his home property this time. Too dangerous. It won’t be the same. I need to release some of my energy ahead of time.”
Reece raised an eyebrow. “You could sell sand in the desert if the people didn’t know you better.”
He grinned. “I’m only making my case.”
Hecate surprised them with a shrug. “Why not? The demon will be caged until it’s weaker again. Nen won’t be able to control it until then. There’s no better time to be out and about.”
“Then let’s do this.” Andre rose in one, fluid motion. Weres were so graceful, it always surprised Reece. Damian pulled his tent-sized shirt over his wings. Not graceful, but manly. She pulled her thoughts back to the task at hand. “How cold is it outside?”
“A sweater day. Later this afternoon, you won’t even need one of those.”
Finally! Warm weather. Bay City had seen enough ice and snow, and spring had started out wet and gloomy. She tugged on her long, black sweater and hurried after the others.
“We looked up Rome Nash’s properties and had some idea where to start last time,” Andre said on the ride down in the elevator. “Do demons hang out any place in particular, or do we just drive up and down streets and hope for the best?”
Hecate slid onto the SUV’s back seat next to Andre. “He won't be in the center of the city. He doesn’t need anyone reporting strange fogs rolling around their apartments, but I don’t think he’s too far away. All of the demon attacks have been in town.”
“And it'll be some place temporary.” Damian slammed his car door shut, locking himself behind tinted glass. “Something he can rent.”
“A house maybe?” Reece nodded to Damian. “You have friends in city hall. Could you get a list of houses that have been rented in the last month?”
“It’s worth a try. I’ll ask Pete.” He made a quick call on his cell phone. “Pete and Hud will get back to us as soon as they find anything. Pete sounded pretty rough. The three bodies were messier than usual.”
Hecate rolled down her side window as Damian pulled out of the parking garage. “Let’s start in the center of the city and work our way out, driving in bigger and bigger circles.”
“Sounds good. We should cover everything that way.” Damian drove to the old, limestone courthouse with its tall spiral. The flat, practical city/county building sat across the street. The jail was a block away, with the juvenile probation building and bonds offices all within walking distance. They passed the bus terminal before turning onto Clinton Street. Office buildings fanned out in neat blocks from the city’s center with tiny restaurants tucked here and there to provide lunches for city workers.
Reece inhaled deeply.
Damian noticed and sighed. “We forgot to feed you again, didn’t we?”
"You make me sound like the damn demon. I'm sniffing for magic. If we find Nen, we can…” Reece fumbled to a stop. What would they do once they found the warlock? She looked at Hecate.
Hecate looked just as confused. “I don’t know.”
“We can keep track of his movements, if nothing else.” Damian turned a corner, ready to circle a larger block. “Maybe we can notify you girls if the demon leaves his place, and you can cage it?”
“Fat chance.” Reece bit her lip. What would they do with it? And how would Nen react once he knew they had it? If the warlock summoned storm clouds when he was aggravated, what would he do when he was out and out pissed? Her hand went to her necklace and it tingled to life. A chant sprang from her lips.
She must have said it out loud. Hecate smiled. “That’s the chant we’ll need to keep the demon behind bars.”
Reece patted her moonstone. “Thank you, Grandma.” She’d stopped calling Luna her great-grandmother. Luna seemed too close to her for that. She’d settled on a more cozy term, something easier to roll around on her tongue.
Hecate’s smile grew wider. “Say the chant again.”
Reece repeated the words, and both witches nodded. They had it now. It was theirs.
Damian drove around block after block of the downtown area, passing bank offices and government buildings before his cell phone rang. He handed it to Andre. “Pete’s got a list. Do you have a pen and paper?”
Reece dug in her purse and handed them to Andre.
“I’m ready.” The Were wrote down one address after another. When he finished, he said, “We’ll drive past all of them.”
Reece looked at the long line of scribbles. They were going to be at this for a while.
“Are you ready?” Andre asked. “Pete listed them from the ones closest to the city to the ones farthest away.”
“Which one’s first?” Damian asked.
Andre gave an address, and Damian headed in that direction.
They were approaching the ninth one on the list, a mixed neighborhood of rundown houses close to the river, when Hecate’s head snapped up. “Smell that?”
Reece winced. Dark magic hung in the air.
Even Andre grimaced. “It doesn’t take a witch to smell that. I’m surprised mortals haven’t reported it.”
“They have.” Damian pointed to a city truck parked at a curb. “Workers are looking for a gas or sewer leak. No one knows what’s causing it.”
Hecate leaned forward, excited. “Slow down so that we can tell the exact house it’s coming from.”
“That one.” Andre nodded to the address Pete had given them. A shot-gun style, brick, two story huddled between more tall, narrow houses. Blinds covered each of its windows. The air seemed clear here.
“Why no smell?” Damian asked.
“Nen’s put a dispersing spell on it. It fans out from his house, so that it can’t be traced to it.”
“Smart.” Andre narrowed his eyes, looking for a glimpse of a shadow or a movement. The house w
as sealed tight.
“You’re sure this is it?” Damian asked. It was a perfect location. An alley ran behind the small, back yard. The street dead-ended at the river bank.
“Positive.” Hecate rubbed her arms. “We have to leave. If we stay too long, Nen will feel our magic.”
Once out of the area, Damian called Pete. “We have the house. You'll want to make sure no one knocks on its door.”
He gave Pete the address, flipped his cell phone shut, and started for home. Reece could tell finding Nen made him more confident. It made her more nervous. Seeing where Nen lived and knowing he was inside made his evil more real.
“What now?” Andre asked, once they were back in the condo.
“Benito, Antony, and I will keep watch there. Pete says there’s an empty, one-room flat in the house across the street and two doors down from it. He’s going to put a man there. He’ll call us if anything out of the ordinary happens during the day.”
Reece nodded. They had a plan. Eventually, a shadow would slither out of that brick house and roll down the city streets. What then? She and Hecate knew a chant, they had a spell, to lock the demon behind magic bars. Would it work? They wouldn’t know until they tried it. And then what? Nen wouldn’t be happy. He’d come for them. Well, they had shield spells for that. Not enough, but she was tired of waiting. She was ready for action.
Chapter 13
Damian stood guard over Nen’s house three nights in a row. It made Reece so nervous, she couldn’t sleep well. For that reason, she and Andre were eating breakfast at the kitchen table when he returned on the fourth day. Hecate, as usual, was sleeping.
“I’ve never seen her sleep this much,” Andre said.
“Stress wears you out.” Damian glanced toward the red, leather sofa. “It’s taking its toll.”
Reece knew the feeling. If she weren’t a witch, she’d have gray hairs by now.
Damian dropped onto a kitchen chair and without preamble, said, “Something’s going on at Nen’s house.”
Hecate’s head popped over the back of the couch. “What is it?”
“The stench in the neighborhood is worse, and it covers a bigger area.”