by Dora Blume
“Well, dear I don’t know about all that’s happening with the order, but she was consorting with the strangest man. She came to talk to me one day, and he was asking her to take him to see other Shikari members. Even your mother thought that was odd. You know how she can be.” Julie rolled her eyes. “She has the absolute worst taste in men. He had some kind of influence over her. More than just her being her normal head over heels in love with him in one day. This was something else. When she told me about him wanting to meet other Shikari members, she had this weird twitch and changed the subject. It was the strangest thing I ever saw. One minute she was talking about him, the next it was like she forgot his name. I always thought she would be the one doing the influencing, but this time it seemed she was the one influenced.” She shivered. “I’m not sure I ever want to see that again.” Her eyes met Jessie’s, and she could see her own fear reflected in them. Jessie’s mom was a powerful woman. It would take someone pretty powerful to influence her like that.
Jessie was sitting forward in her seat, hanging on every word. “Did she tell you any more about this guy? Like what he looked like, his name, anything we can go on.”
“His name was Scott. I didn’t meet him, so I don’t know what he looks like. He’s from Santa Barbara, they met at the beach. He helped her with something. You know your mom.” Jules rolled her eyes. “She was smitten immediately. So much so she was ready to follow him anywhere. They were going to Kansas City. God knows why you’d want to go there.” Julie threw up her hands. Jessie wondered why it hadn’t clicked for Julie. Maybe not every Shikari members knew where the archives were located. All the fighters knew, but not every Shikari member were warriors. Some were the keepers of knowledge. The order tried to limit the knowledge about the archives. Jessie was starting to understand why. No one thought the demons would be able to possess Shikari, but someone had to know it was possible. If they knew it was possible, why hadn’t they planned for when it would happen? Why didn't they warn others about the possibility? We all had to go through training. This felt like an important piece of information to know.
Jessie’s attention turned back to Julie, “Is there anything else that she told you?”
“Nope, just that they were heading to Kansas City. That was over two weeks ago. I don’t know if they were going right away, but that’s the last time I saw her. I wish I could tell you more. You haven’t spoken to her?”
“No, I have been trying to get a hold of her, but her phone says it’s been disconnected. I don’t know how else to get in touch with her. You are the last person to actually see her,” Jessie sighed heavily.
“Oh dear, I’m sure she’s fine. You know your mother, she’s always been a survivor. I wouldn’t worry too much about her, dear.” Julie said, giving Jessie one of those placating looks.
“Jules, you’re wrong this time. Demons are possessing Shikari members. The guy she was seeing was probably one of the possessed. I think he targeted her for a reason. This time, I think my mom got in way over her head. I need to find out who this guy is and why he’d be targeting my mom.”
Erik, who had otherwise been silent through their discussion, finally spoke. “Do you think he targeted her to get to you?” his voice was soft as he spoke.
“I don’t know, Erik. But I intend to find out.” Her voice was fierce. She glanced over to Julie. “I’m sorry, but we really have to go. I want to find out anything I can on this guy. Do you know where she was staying when she left?”
“I think she was bouncing around from place to place. She stayed with me for a few nights but wanted to go back up to Santa Barbara to see her guy. I don’t know when she left after that.” Julie moved to place her hand on Jessie’s knee. “I’m sorry, dear, I wish I knew more.”
“It’s okay. You’ve been helpful. I will find her. I promise.”
“I know you will, dear. I know you will.”
CHAPTER 4
“My mom has a new demon boyfriend,” Jessie spat as she got into the car with Sloane and Mike.
“So, like an actual demon, not like the low-lives she’s picked in the past?” Sloane asked.
“Yes, an actual demon. Julie said he was trying to get my mom to take him to other members in the area. She was suspicious of him. She went back to him in Santa Barbara and no one has seen her since. Julie wasn’t sure if she went anywhere else. She was being her usual self, falling for the guy right away.” Jessie rolled her eyes and huffed. “God, I wish she would actually try to be responsible, just once.”
“Jessie, she tries, you know she tries,” Mike’s soothing voice filled the air.
“I just wish she would try harder,” Jessie sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Julie mentioned they were heading to Kansas City. I’m not sure we’re going to find out much here. We should book our flights and get back to the order. Jessie’s mom may have something to do with what’s happening there.” Erik rubbed circles over Jessie’s knee as he spoke. She was scared her mom was possessed, but she didn’t want to admit it. Jessie just had one nagging question. If the guy was possessed, how was her mom able to go see Julie? There’s no way she’d be able to pull that off if she was possessed. Why did he want her to bring him to other Shikari members? Why hadn’t she listened? There was something else going on here. Jessie knew her mother. She had a powerful gift over the mind. There was no way she would have gone down without a fight. There was also no way she would have gone to visit Julie had she been possessed. What the hell was her mother playing at now? After visiting with Julie, Jessie had more questions than answers.
“Sloane you want to see what you can find for flights? I booked a few rooms for us tonight if we need to stay.” Mike looked to Sloane before focusing back on the road.
“No problem,” Sloane started searching on her phone.
“Should we check out Santa Barbara?” Erik asked.
“Why Santa Barbara?” Sloane turned in the seat to look at them.
“My mom met the possessed guy there. I don’t think we’ll find out anything new. I think we should just go to Kansas City.” Jessie was slumped in her seat, her hands pressed between her thighs. She had an utterly cold feeling after her visit with Julie.
“We can’t get a flight out until tomorrow afternoon. We could see what we can find out in Santa Barbara. Is there anyone else your mom would see while she was here?” Sloane asked.
“There are but I’m not sure it would matter much. They went to Kansas City. I’d like to get there as soon as possible.” Jessie stared out the window at the passing cars.
“Well, we’ve got a day to kill. There are beaches in Santa Barbara. If we’re not investigating, we might as well enjoy a few hours of fun.” Sloane turned back to look out the front window. “You up for the beach, babe?” she looked over to Mike.
“After all the craziness, a day on the beach sounds like heaven, love.” He rested his hand palm up in the space between them. Sloane slipped her hand in his and entwined their fingers.
“Actually, we could all use a day of relaxation. Wouldn’t you agree Jess?” Erik’s eyes looked concerned as he assessed Jessie.
“Yeah, I guess. We could check out some spots my mom may have gone to. She has an ex in Santa Barbara. I can’t imagine she’d go to his house though. It hadn’t ended very well. Actually, none of my mom’s relationships ended on good terms. She met the most recent one at the beach. Maybe there are other demons in the area we can get info from.” Jessie clenched her hands into fists. She didn’t want to admit how worried she was about her mom. She knew her mom wouldn’t have gone to see Kyle. They hadn’t parted on good terms. She wasn’t sure who else her mom would have visited there. Tamslyn had bad memories in Santa Barbara after Kyle. She was surprised she even went there unless there was another reason she’d come. Jessie was so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t heard Erik’s question.
“Jess, you okay?” he asked.
“What, ah, yeah, I’m fine,” she stammered.
“Are you sure? What were you thinking about?” he asked.
A grateful smile spread across her face knowing he didn’t listen in on her thoughts. She knew he could listen whenever he wanted to, but he chose not to listen in on those he cared about. “I was trying to figure out why my mom would go to Santa Barbara. She didn’t have good memories of her ex who lived there. I couldn’t fathom why she’d want to revisit those memories.”
“Oh, maybe she was looking for closure or something. Sometimes you have to revisit the place of the memories to truly let them go.” Erik spoke in a low voice. His wisdom always surprised Jessie. Maybe he got it from being able to listen to others' thoughts.
She smirked. “That’s very wise, Erik.”
“You sound surprised?” he responded.
“I am, I forget how wise you can be.”
“I have my moments. So, should we check out this ex?” he asked.
“No, I don’t think she’d be there. We should check out the beach. That’s where she met this guy. If we strike out there, we can always check the campus. They have a tendency to cluster on college campuses.” She pressed her hands between her thighs again.
“If there are strong feelings at the ex’s house, I can possibly track where she went. Even after years, I can hone in on strong memories. They can help me focus on where your mom may have went.” Mike’s eyes met Jessie’s in the rear-view mirror.
“Well, then I guess we should head to Kyle’s house. It’s on the West side of town, up one of the foothills.” Jessie let out a breath. She didn’t want to go to Kyle’s house. He wasn’t Jessie’s favorite person. Kyle had gotten abusive with her mom. It was the one time Jessie was proud of her mother for standing up for herself and not allowing anyone to treat her like that.
“Jess, it’s been a rough few days. Why don’t you relax for now? There’s nothing we can do until we’re there. Come here.” Erik twisted in the seat and held his arms open for her. Jessie’s mouth twitched up. “You were shot a few days ago. I’d feel a little better if you actually spent some time relaxing, even if it is in the back of a car.”
“Oh? You weren’t all that concerned last night,” her voice was low as she spoke. The car was small, and she knew her voice carried to the front seat whether she wanted it to or not.
“Jess, we both know you had sex last night. You’re not quiet either,” Sloane muttered from the front seat. Jessie felt the blood rushing to her cheeks.
“Thanks, Sloane,” Erik’s tone was sharp.
“No problem,” Sloane shot back. It was easy to see the familial resemblance between the two. Their sharp cheekbones and angled jaws were similar. Erik had blonde hair while Sloane’s was jet black. Erik resembled his mother, whereas Sloane looked more like her father, Bryant. Maybe that’s why they were always fighting each other.
“Come on, Jess. Please relax. You can lay against me. It’d make me feel better.” Erik’s voice was soothing.
“I do feel more tired than usual. It could be from being shot I guess. I hadn’t really gotten a chance to recover much in Colorado.” Jessie met Erik’s eyes, then shifted to lean against him. After a few minutes, her eyes drifted closed, and she was out cold.
“Jess, Jess, wake up we’re at the beach.” Her eyes fluttered open, and she could taste the saltwater in the air. She shifted out of the warm embrace of Erik’s arms. She missed the warmth already. Warm lips pressed against her forehead. “Hey sleeping beauty, we’re at the beach.” There was amusement in his cobalt eyes.
“How long was I out?” Jessie asked drowsily.
“About an hour. It wasn’t nearly long enough, but I figured you’d want some time to wake before we took a walk down the beach.”
“I thought we were going to Kyle’s to ask him about my mother?” Jessie’s voice was still hoarse with sleep.
“We will, we thought we’d see what we could find out where your mom met him. Plus, it’s a beautiful day. We might as well enjoy it.” Erik brushed a kiss to her temple before she sat all the way up to look out the window.
“Was this your idea?” Jessie looked to Sloane.
“Why the accusatory tone? You don’t think we deserve a little sun before we’re onto the next battle. I just wish I would’ve packed my bikini for the occasion.” Sloane ran her finger over her bottom lip thinking. “Plus, Erik can listen to the thoughts around us, and I could use some relaxation to try to get a vision of what’s coming next. I need to relax for my power to work. What better place than a nice spot on the warm sand?”
“I wasn’t accusing you. I just knew it was all your idea. You always go for the good time.”
Her dark eyes turned and focused on her. “Is that such a bad thing?”
“No, I could use some beach time, I guess. It’s not like I thought I would find out anything from Kyle anyway. I doubt she even went to see him.” Jessie looked out the window at the people walking down the boardwalk.
“Jess, we can talk to Kyle in a few hours. It would be nice to relax even if it’s only for a little while. Besides, if your mom met the guy here, maybe there’s more demons in the area. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check it out.” Erik took Jessie’s hand and brushed his thumbs over her knuckles.
“I’m sorry,” her head dropped. “I don’t want to be the one to ruin the fun. I’m just so worried about my mom. It’s clouding everything else out.”
“That’s understandable. I’m amazed you were able to fight as much as you did back in Colorado.” Mike glanced up in the rear-view mirror. “I was worried about you. When you found out about your mom, you seemed distracted. Yet, when it came time to fight, you were amazing. Take some time for yourself. Just be here. Jess, you need the break more than any of us, love, please take it.” Mike’s eyes were filled with concern. Jessie’s heart constricted. Mike was the only one who knew when she’d found out about her mom. She felt guilty for not telling Erik right away. She hoped he would understand why she hadn’t told him.
“You’re right, come on, the beautiful day is wasting away.” Jessie glanced at each person in the car.
Sloane let out a squeal. “Come on, Jess. Let’s go get some bikinis, so we can actually go swimming.” She jumped out of the car and bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting.
“Oh God, what have I gotten myself into.” Jessie rolled her eyes.
“Don’t look at me, although, I do look forward to seeing that bikini,” Erik winked and pulled her in for a quick kiss. Sloane rapped on the window.
“Come on, already. I’d like to soak up the sun.” She rapped again.
“Alright, I’m coming,” Jessie flung open her door and got out.
“There are some cute boutique shops down the walk. Come on, I bet we can find something in one of them.” Sloane pulled Jessie behind her.
“Since when do you want to shop? Um, Sloane is something wrong?” Jessie was suspicious of Sloane’s sudden giddiness. It wasn’t like her.
“What? I’m sure they have an all-black bikini that will be perfect for me.” She looked back to Jessie. “Oh, fine, I think I’m actually happy. Is that crazy or what?” Sloane slowed to match Jessie’s pace.
“It’s not crazy. You were in love with Mike back when we were teenagers. Now, you get to enjoy being with him as an adult. There’s nothing wrong with being happy about that.” Jessie studied Sloane.
“I know, but it feels wrong to be happy when all this other shit is going down around us. Like I’m betraying my mom or something. We still haven’t figured out who was behind her death and that’s the whole reason I came back in the first place. I never thought I’d be happy as a Shikari hunter. I always hated it because of what happened. I never thought I’d find happiness again. I was screwed up for so long after my mom’s death, it feels nice to have some normalcy, to feel like I have someone who will always have my back no matter what. It’s nice.” Sloane let out a breath. “Is that crazy?” her voice dropped and I caught a worried tremor behind her words.
“No, it�
�s not crazy. You deserve to be loved. You also have more than just one person who would have your back. Erik and I would too. You have a family. You always have, you are the one who ran away from us. I understand why you did it, but we never stopped loving you,” Jessie filled her voice with as much sincerity as she could. She didn’t like how Sloane took off all those years ago, but after all the craziness with her mom growing up, she understood it. Some people just needed to run away from life to find themselves again.
“Thanks, Jess, I always knew you were there for me. I just couldn’t stay with my father in that house. I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive him for what happened.” Sloane’s head dropped to stare at the pavement.
“Is that the only thing bothering you?” Jess asked. She knew Sloane well enough now that her being happy wasn’t what was really bothering her.
“No, how do you always know?” She blew out a breath. “I’m just scared of losing it all, you know. My mom died while fighting demons. What if one of us dies while fighting? I know we’re supposed to be trained for this, but are we ever really ready to lose someone we love? I just don’t think I could handle another loss like that. It makes me scared to get close to anyone. I’m so afraid I’m going to lose Mike. I couldn’t take it, Jessie. I just couldn’t,” her voice dropped to a whisper. There was a raw pain behind her words.
Jessie reached out and took her hand. “Sloane, you’re not going to lose Mike. We’re going to find the demons who are threatening the order, and we’re going to stop them. Just like we always have, okay. I don’t want to hear you talk like that again. We are going to be fine. We have to be,” Jessie’s voice reverberated with her strength.
“Jess, you are so amazingly strong. You know that.” Sloane’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
“You’re strong too, Sloane. After everything in our lives, we’ve had to be.” Jessie’s mouth quirked up. “Come on, we have some hot bikinis to find.” She pulled Sloane into the nearest shop. She knew Sloane needed the time on the beach. There was a nagging feeling that she needed to find her mother, but they couldn’t get a flight until tomorrow. She might as well enjoy her time under the sun. Sloane brought up a good point. None of them really knew how much time they had. She might as well make the most of hers.