by Trim, Brenda
“I seem to be upsetting many people lately. Who is your boss?”
The demon kicked the books and the stands they had been sitting on from the top of the shelving unit as he hopped down the aisle. Fiona stopped by my side with her hands lifted in the air. “Do we contain it?”
I bobbed my head. “I want to know who the thing works for.”
“I’m a boy, not a thing,” the demon called out. It had disappeared.
I winced when I heard paper fluttering followed by thuds. Fiona shook her head as she turned to me. “Find out what it is and what it’s weaknesses are so I can catch it with a spell.”
I hesitated for a second as I debated having her do research while I went after it. Having Fiona do it was the better choice since her power was more reliable. From the sounds of it, that delay likely cost me a couple dozen books.
Finally, I bobbed my head and she took off in the direction the demon had gone. I had to shove down the queasy feeling at having my friends protect me. They’d taken a protective role over me ever since they discovered why I was malfunctioning.
I wanted my magic to be alright now that my secret was out and we’d discovered what happened to me in Eidothea when I was injured. Eat your pride and allow her to help. Or lose your bookstore. Itis up to you. My inner voice of reason was a pain in the ass. I snatched the book under the counter and dropped it on the counter.
Popping sounds echoed through the store while I was flipping through pages. “Is everything alright?”
Fiona’s grunt one hundred percent annoyed. I empathized completely. I skipped to the section on demons and scanned for the descriptions for one that would match the one in my store. The one we’d faced had been bigger than me, so the fact that Fiona hadn’t come out of the stacks carrying it by its tail was perplexing. It should be easy to catch.
My gaze snagged on a listing for imps. “I’ve got it,” I called out.
“Imps are troublesome and mischievous more than seriously threatening or dangerous. They’re lower-level beings and unimportant. It says here they’re often the attendants to the Gods in the Underworld.” Lively with a small stature. Check.
I grabbed the dagger I kept in my purse. After everything I had been through, I didn’t want to be unarmed. Bas made me the blade last year when we started fighting Fae on a regular basis. Maybe the energy emanating from the blade would intimidate the imp.
I tapped the tip against the page and finished reading when another paragraph caught my attention. “They’re minor magical creatures with a big appetite for the spotlight. Always desirous of attention, they act out through practical jokes and small outbursts of magic. I wonder if we ignore it what will happen.” I gasped and spun around when the bell jangled over the door again.
The human woman furrowed her brows but never paused as she approached me. “Is that blade part of a costume? It reminds me of the ones I see elves carrying in most movies with those symbols. It’s stunning. My son would love it.”
A crash sounded at the side of the store and both our heads shifted in that direction. “I’m sorry, Violet. I dropped a couple books. I’ll clean it up,” Fiona called.
I chuckled awkwardly as the woman craned her neck. Her eyes resembled fried eggs as she looked down the aisle the imp had been traveling down. I cleared my throat. “How can I help you?”
The woman turned back toward me. “Oh. I’m looking for books on local animals. My son has a project that’s due tomorrow and he waited until last night to tell me about it, so now I’m out gathering some information so he isn't relying solely on the internet.”
Violet set her dagger in her purse then came out from behind the counter and froze when I saw the imp flying through the air at her. It took everything to keep my expression neutral. Fiona was under the imp with her hands up and pointing toward it. The tiny demon stopped mid-air with a snarl on its face.
I lifted an arm and pointed to the education aisle, which was thankfully in the opposite direction from the damn demon. Knowing my BFF would handle the creature, I grabbed the three titles I had on the subject and showed them to the woman. “These are the only ones I have in stock. Some of the other books on animals in general might have sections of which countries the animals live in, but I don’t know them well enough to say for sure. Have a look around. I’ll be helping clean up Fiona’s mess, just holler if you need more help.”
She bobs her head and flipped the first book I handed her open. I turned and speed-walked to the last spot I saw the demon and Fiona. Neither was standing in the same spot anymore. Fiona was bent over with her hands rubbing her bad knee. She’d hurt it over a decade ago and it bothered her more as time passed.
“Are you alright?”
She looked up at me with a snarl. “I’ll be fine. That little asshole threw a book at me and it hit mt knee.”
“I’m not an asshole,” the imp sang as he bounced up and down on a shelf. It was small enough to fit in the extra-large apothecary jar that held Lion bars. They were the reason I needed the tallest jar they sold. I sold more of the chocolate bars, Maltesers, and Wlaker’s toffees than almost anything. The fruit pastilles and Refreshers were close seconds.
The containers of colored candy grabbed customers eyes. Most customers couldn’t resist adding a piece or two to their order. I needed to get the jar, but before I moved, I was going to freeze the jerk in place. “Congelasco.”
“Inde moventes prohibere,” Fiona said at the same time I cast my spell.
We looked at the imp frozen with one hand reaching for his groin and the other making an obscene gesture. My gaze met Fiona’s and we both started laughing. I raced to the front and dumped the Lion bars on the counter and was back before the woman left the section where I left her.
Fiona was heading my way and carrying the imp by its tail. It looked like a doll when it wasn’t moving. “Put it in here. That will keep it out of trouble for a bit,” I told her.
Fiona dropped it inside head first. “Good idea. I can seal the lid in place so it can’t get out when our spells wear out.”
I shut the lid the second it hit the bottom. Then I called on the fire that had been bubbling beneath the surface since the moment I woke up. Thanos told me I would eventually be able to control it with precision.
“Put me out before I start a bonfire,” I told Fiona then ran the flaming tip of my finger around the rim. The glass melted and started to cave in about three-quarters of the way through the process.
A blob of orange glowing glass dripped down the side and I nearly dropped the container. Footsteps had me turning around. The woman was looking from me to Fiona and the jar in my hands. Thankfully, the glass had cooled.
“It goes with my costume. I bought it online and it just arrived,” I blurted in a rush. Fiona smiled and nodded as she headed behind the counter. I couldn’t love her more as she started shoving the candy bars in a paper bag.
“What does your outfit look like? I am picturing one of those leather bustiers and leather pants. With that knife and that demon stuffie, you have to wear pants.”
I chuckled took my place behind the display case, setting the apothecary jar next to Fiona. “You have an eye for cos-play. I wear a t-shirt under the bustier. There’s no way I’m showing that much skin off.”
The woman walked about how much her son loves going to various conventions while I checked her out. All I could think about was the spell could wear off at any second.
By the time the woman left, sweat was pouring down my back and my heart was leaping in my chest like I had too much coffee this morning. “Holy crap that was a mess.”
Fiona sagged against the counter. “After everything we’ve encountered and fought, I never thought trying to chase a two-foot-tall demon while keeping his presence and our magic hidden from a mundie would be challenging.”
I ran a hand over my face. “I’m going to need to reach out to Thanos and let him know more demons have arrived in town."
Fiona nudged my shoulder and w
aggled her eyebrows. “Don’t just talk demons with him. Mention his gorgeous grey eyes. Or his silk blond hair.”
I shook my head and punched her playfully. “We need to get to the bottom of this. Demons are coming at the behest of some master. Aislinn is pregnant. She doesn’t need the danger hanging around her.”
Fiona sobered. “You pissed her off somehow. At least we know it’s a woman now. We can rule out Derek.”
“I’m more disappointed than you. I don’t like the older shifter. He’s mean and onery. Of course, he could have a witch helping him.”
“I’m not ruling anything out at this point. There’s a mess back here. That book was right about imps. This guy enjoyed causing chaos.”
I sighed and started to straighten the mess in the front before moving toward the back. Fiona talked about the flower she grew this morning to match Sebastian’s blue eyes while we worked. I loved hearing her joy in every new accomplishment.
My mind kept returning to Thanos and how eager I was to send a text about the imp to see if it would hasten his return. No. You’re playing it cool, remember? The way my heart sped up when I thought about him told me I wasn’t going to be easy going for long.
That was the last thing I needed when life had just become more difficult than climbing K2 or Mount Everest. Demons. I was going to focus on demons and getting my magic under control. Nothing else.
Authors’ Note
Review are like hugs. Sometimes awkward. Always welcome! It would mean the world to me if you can take five minutes and let others know how much you enjoyed my work.
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Never allow waiting to become a habit. Live your dreams and take risks. Life is happening now.
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XOXO,
Brenda
Also by Brenda Trim
The Dark Warrior Alliance
Dream Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 1)
Mystik Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 2)
Pema’s Storm (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 3)
Isis’ Betrayal (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 4)
Deviant Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 5)
Suvi’s Revenge (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 6)
Mistletoe & Mayhem (Dark Warrior Alliance, Novella)
Scarred Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 7)
Heat in the Bayou (Dark Warrior Alliance, Novella, Book 7.5)
Hellbound Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 8)
Isobel (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 9)
Rogue Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 10)
Shattered Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 11)
King of Khoth (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 12)
Ice Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 13)
Fire Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 14)
Ramiel (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 15)
Rivaled Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 16)
Dragon Knight of Khoth (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 17)
Ayil (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 18)
Guild Master (Dark Alliance Book 19)
Maven Warrior (Dark Alliance Book 20)
Sentinel of Khoth (Dark Alliance Book 21)
Araton (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 22)
Cambion Lord (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 23)
Omega (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 24)
Dark Warrior Alliance Boxsets:
Dark Warrior Alliance Boxset Books 1-4
Dark Warrior Alliance Boxset Books 5-8
Dark Warrior Alliance Boxset Books 9-12
Dark Warrior Alliance Boxset Books 13-16
Dark Warrior Alliance Boxset Books 17-20
Hollow Rock Shifters:
Captivity, Hollow Rock Shifters Book 1
Safe Haven, Hollow Rock Shifters Book 2
Alpha, Hollow Rock Shifters Book 3
Ravin, Hollow Rock Shifters Book 4
Impeached, Hollow Rock Shifters Book 5
Anarchy, Hollow Rock Shifters Book 6
Midlife Witchery:
Magical New Beginnings Book 1
Mind Over Magical Matters Book 2
Magical Twist Book 3
Bramble’s Edge Academy:
Unearthing the Fae King
Masking the Fae King
Revealing the Fae King
Midnight Doms:
Her Vampire Bad Boy
Her Vampire Suspect
All Souls Night