by K. A. Fox
Detective Bishop watched me, his pupils spreading out, thin rays of silver sparking within. He closed his eyes for a moment, as if the light was suddenly too bright, shaking his head, and when he opened them again, they had returned to normal. “Those are all the questions I have for tonight. But if anything comes up, you’ll hear from me. I’ll have someone drive you home.”
Chapter Three
The officers Detective Bishop had assigned to see me home weren’t content to drop me off outside my building. They insisted on walking me inside, checking the dark corners and even the inside of my apartment before leaving me alone. They waited until I turned the locks before their footsteps moved away down the hall.
The quiet of my apartment wrapped around me, a comfort. Alone, I didn’t have to worry about crowds of people, or be constantly vigilant so I wouldn’t steal from them. I didn’t have to fight against temptation and need, knowing the energy of those around me would be warm and so very delicious if I would just give in. Holding a shield in place any time I was around others was exhausting. Even in the interview with Detective Bishop, I’d been careful to only push the tiniest bits of magic at him. Measure by measure. I hadn’t taken anything from him. And sitting behind those two young police officers he’d insisted take me home had been torture.
Hells, I was hungry.
I gulped down a stale bagel from the kitchen as I stripped off my ruined clothes. Some of the tension eased from my shoulders, the edge of my hungers eased, and I took a deep breath, letting relaxation seep into every part of me. I indulged in the hot shower I’d been imagining, scrubbing at my skin with the soap. Streaks of rust swirled around my feet before draining away. I rested my heat-soothed muscles against the wall until the shaky feeling in my stomach faded. Eventually, warm throughout, I shut the water off and stepped out, wrapping a soft towel around me. I dried quickly, not bothering with my hair. I threw on some old pajamas and collapsed into bed, sleep taking me over without a thought.
When I woke hours later, I organized my exit. I cleaned the entire apartment; every surface and corner, even inside every cabinet. There had to be nothing of me left behind, no indication I’d been there at all. When daylight started to fade, I took a few minutes to call the club’s office and tell them I was too scared to come in. No one questioned my fear.
That done, I looked around the unlit apartment, the setting sun casting an orange glow over everything. A blue tarp was laid out in the center of the floor, candles holding down the four corners. I walked to the middle, dropped down with my legs crossed and sat there, closing my eyes. Everything drifted away until I was focused only on this moment. Magic rose up inside, answering my call, eager to be released. The hair on my arms stood, electricity growing, the prick of it nipping at my skin. The pure clean smell of ozone built up, and the sharp taste of metal hit my tongue. I directed my magic toward the candles, a drop for each one and smiled when they ignited. It still made me proud, calling a flame to life. Once it required all my effort. Now it came easily.
While the candles burned high, I let my magic grow, filling every part of me. When I couldn’t hold any more, my skin stretched from the inside. I pushed it out away from me, directing its fury at the space around me with a simple command.
Purify.
Magic leaped forward from where I sat, rocking me back as it pulsed out from my core. The small flames of the candles wavered in its wake, their heat intensifying around me as my power fed on their thermal energy. Unleashed, it raced out. Bright blue fire scoured every surface from ceiling to floor. In my mind, I followed its course through every room, watching it find every hidden crack and even fill the pipes with its power. It burned, wiping away any remaining trace of my presence, physical or magical. When it was done, I whispered my thanks and felt the power seeping slowly away, back into the heart of me where it had taken root. A hint of a caress whispered across my back as it faded. The candles snuffed themselves out, and I was left in darkness.
I rose carefully to my feet, wrapping the candles up in the middle of the tarp. I carried the bundle under my arm and stepped out of the apartment, mouthing a soft word. The door shut securely behind me, locking itself. The keys were on the counter with an extra month’s rent in payment for my abrupt departure. Everything that had made me Janey Lynde was already packed up in the car. I was out of Angel Falls. I’d call the club tomorrow morning and tell them I was too afraid to come back at all. No doubt they’d forget about me soon enough. It was time for me to go home.
Chapter Four
It took me three days, driving back roads and changing direction, discarding the car I’d driven when I was Jane Lynde and making sure it couldn’t be traced back to me. My skin began to feel comfortable again and I relaxed, the need to constantly shield myself from everyone no longer pressing down on me. Seeing the turn leading to my property peek out amid the trees made me smile against the tiredness I was beginning to feel.
I climbed out from behind the wheel of my car, and as my feet touched the ground, I knew everything was exactly the way I’d left it, nothing disturbed. The protective wards I’d activated all those weeks ago welcomed me home as I stepped past them, their power tickling over my skin and washing me in their warmth. The deep black stones that marked out the secure boundary shone wetly in the moonlight, a reassurance that no other magic had broken through. I took a deep breath of the air, the clean brisk scents another confirmation that everything was as it should be. Stars were visible above me, a fat moon bright in the night sky.
Walking in the door of my own house was a relief. In no mood to sit in the dark, I turned on all the lights as I moved from room to room. The fireplace turned on with a stab at the remote and I curled up on the couch in front of it. The music I’d turned on washed over me; the quiet notes a classical balm. Familiar scents of my own space, bergamot and spiced tea, soothed me further as I closed my eyes. It was so very good to be home.
The comfort I was feeling fled as pressure built up around me, my ears screaming to pop. As it released, a sudden rush of heat hit me from behind and a mix of pungent sulfur and musky brimstone filled the room. The scents were strong and surrounded me within seconds; a powerful presence that would linger. I didn’t open my eyes, knowing what was coming.
“DELANEY ANGELIQUE MURPHY!” His voice was just as I expected, loud and angry.
“Hello Daddy,” I said with a sigh as I stood up. “Let’s get this over with.”
Angus Murphy glared at me from a few feet away, the couch a minor barrier between us. He was still every bit the rock star who’d won the world’s affection years ago, from his carefully tousled coppery curls to the ripped jeans he wore. A black leather jacket hung on his long, lean frame and his faded T-shirt peeked out as he moved. Nothing about him had changed in all the years since his plane had crashed shortly after takeoff. That’s why there were still reports of Angus sightings on a regular basis in every tabloid imaginable. And right now, the rock star in front of me was furious. His long legs ate up the small distance between us almost instantly as he stepped around the couch, eyes filled with snapping flames telling me precisely how angry he was.
“What in all my Hells were you thinking? You could’ve been killed! Taking on a Chaos Demon? I raised you to know better than to try something like that.”
“I did okay on my own,” I said, trying not to sound petulant. “He’s dead, I’m not. Everybody wins.” Hoping to maneuver a change of subject, I gestured at him. “Guess this explains why your face has been splashed all over magazine covers lately.”
“First of all, Angus sightings are proven to increase the sale of the Angus Murphy merchandise which supports you, your mother, and the charitable foundation you both love so much. Second, I fail to see how your potential death is a win for anyone, Delaney. Putting yourself in this situation without back-up.” His tirade was gaining speed. “You spent weeks in that strip club waiting for him to show up and never thought to talk to me about this.”
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“What exactly would I have told you, Dad? That I thought a demon was hunting dancers and eating them for dinner? We both know what you would’ve said.”
“You should’ve left this to me. He was mine to take care of.”
“But I was able to handle it. You’ve had me training with Uncle Newt for years.”
His voice went dangerously low, every word enunciated. “I asked Newton to work with you only so you could defend yourself if needed. Not so you’d go looking for a fight.”
“I had a knife. I was ready for him.”
“You had the element of surprise. That’s the only reason you’re still here.”
“Give me some credit. I’m good at this.” I stopped, aware I’d raised my voice. If I was going to convince him, it had to be by proving my plan was sound. “I was there in disguise. Costumes and wigs, too much makeup, like every other woman working there. I purified the apartment, and no one will be able to trace the car I was driving. Janey Lynde is gone. Forgotten.”
My father glared at me. I was sure the stubborn set of my jaw matched his. “There’s no way anything can be connected to you?”
“They have everything they need to wrap this up. No one will come looking for me.”
He sank down onto the couch, and I could see the tension begin to ease from him. “I made sure there were no problems with the body. His fangs disappeared when he died so he looked human enough.”
Of course he’d check on that. I sat down and rested against him. “Thank you, Dad.”
I felt his laugh before I heard it. “You’re devious when you want to be.” I heard a hint of pride before his voice sobered again. “I know you want to prove yourself but charging in to fight demons is something else entirely. And you insist on living out here in the middle of nowhere on your own. I’ve tried to tell you this isn’t healthy, but you won’t listen.”
“I like this place. It’s not as if I never see anyone.”
“Don’t pretend with me. I know exactly why you’ve isolated yourself in this old farmhouse. The only thing about this demon hunting scheme that made me at all happy when I heard about it was that you were around people. You need that energy. You can’t survive without it.”
I sighed. He was right, but I just couldn’t bring myself to steal energy from others. I’d seen the pain it caused in my own family, the grief it still caused both my parents. I refused to do that to someone else.
“I get by. You don’t have to worry about me.”
He put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me gently to his side as he pressed a kiss into my hair, the curls that were pure copies of his. He held me there, the warmth pouring off him and filling me up. His voice, when it came, sounded sad, a rare thing for my father. “Once I worried you couldn’t have a normal life. Now you’re fighting demons face to face.”
I didn’t want to push too hard, but I knew I had to make some things clear. “Your definition of normal and my definition have never been the same.” I held my breath after those words left me, the quiet heavy in the space around us.
Angus was the one to break the silence. “Okay. I’ll agree to you staying here for now.” When I let out a small laugh to celebrate my win, he continued. “But you being alone isn’t an option anymore, not one I can live with.”
“I have Uncle Newt. I don’t need anyone else.”
“No. He’s needed Below. Besides, you’ve got that old demon drummer wrapped around your finger.” His emerald eyes glittered, the flames calm and low now. “I have a couple of other options in mind. Don’t fight me on this.”
I weighed my chances. If I wasn’t willing to compromise a little, I’d likely find myself exactly where I didn’t want to be, taken back to Hell, in a safe place prepared just for me. Angus had threatened as much before. Better to give a little and stay where I was.
“Okay. But no matchmaking. You’re terrible at it.”
I knew I’d won the round when he laughed. He pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head again. “Funny girl,” he said with a small smile. “I’ll be sending you some things soon. Be ready.”
Standing up from the couch, he stepped away from me, the path Below opening at his very thought. I saw a triumphant grin flash across his face before he fell back and disappeared. I knew I’d won that argument far too easily.
“Nice job, Laney,” I whispered in frustration. “You just made a deal with the Devil.”
Chapter Five
Despite everything, I slept well that night. By morning, I was ready to get back to my real life. I needed to catch up on things for the Murphy Foundation, buy some groceries, and get a workout in. Enough to keep me busy for a while. Grabbing a granola bar, I called in an order to the grocery store in the small town of Hazelwood and asked them to deliver it that afternoon. Then I dove into the work waiting for me.
It took a few hours, but I managed to address the most important business needs that had stacked up during my absence. I was wading through the last few emails when a rare knock sounded at my front door. A boy’s voice called out, “Delivery, Ms. Murphy.”
Surprised, I hurried to the door to find the grocer’s son, Ernie, standing on my porch, his arms filled with bags. He grinned at me, his freckles moving up and down.
“Wow, Ernie, you made it here fast.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Got my new car yesterday. Hadn’t had a chance to really try it out on the highway until your order came in.”
Looking behind him, I caught the flash of sun on the steel gray car in my driveway. It looked fast. “Very nice,” I said appreciatively.
“Yeah, it is. Bought it with my own money. Dad said that since I’m sixteen and I’ve been driving for so long anyway, I could go ahead and use the money I saved up to buy the one I wanted.” He winked. “I think the girls will really like it.”
I laughed. He was a charmer and I was sure there were plenty of young women he enjoyed flirting with. Reaching out, I took the bags from him. “I’ll put these in the kitchen. Just give me a second.” I carried them in and set them on the counter, then grabbed my wallet and pulled out some cash for him. Hurrying back to the open door, I handed him the money. “For your next insurance bill.”
Ernie grinned at that, but my enjoyment of his company dimmed as I saw something moving through the tall prairie grass just to the west of my front door. The odd movement of the grass made me instantly speculate that something hidden was stalking its way toward us under cover of the golden spikes. My stomach cramped at the thought of what could be out there.
I grabbed Ernie’s arm as he began to step away, careful to make sure my fingers touched only the fabric of his sleeve and not his skin. I tried to distract him, desperately offering something I never had before. “Why don’t you come in the house for a minute? Tell me all about the gossip from town.” It sounded silly, even to me, but I felt too exposed standing on the porch and didn’t want to risk Ernie getting hurt.
“When did you get a dog, Miss Murphy?” he asked.
Confusion swamped me. “A dog? I don’t have a dog.”
“Then what’s that?”
I followed his pointing finger and managed to make out the shape of ears peeking up through the grass in intervals before they disappeared again in an odd hopping motion. The heavy growth that always sprang up uncontrolled in the ditches swayed with the animal’s movement. Ernie walked down the steps and crossed the distance to where it was struggling toward us.
“Looks like he’s hurt his paw. Come here boy.” Ernie picked up the small dog, whose fur was streaked with shades of brown, from honey to golden caramel and even chestnut. I got a glimpse of a thin strip of silver running down his back. “Oh, he’s heavier than he looks.”
As he carried the dog over to me, I briefly debated the best course of action. I could send it to town with Ernie, give him a little more money and tell him to get the dog to a vet. Or I could do what I knew was the right thing and see if I could help him. I motio
ned Ernie inside and he followed me into the living room, the dog’s low whining urging us on. I pointed to the couch where Ernie gently laid him down. He picked up the dog’s left front paw revealing the bright spot of blood staining it. I grabbed a clean cloth from the kitchen, ran it under some warm water and came back to wrap the wound with it, letting the dog rest before starting to wipe the blood away.
When we had the area clean, Ernie assured me he’d seen this sort of thing before when his dogs had gotten into fights and he could easily treat it. With a little rest and time to recover, the dog would be back on all his feet fast enough. Then I could find a home for him. It only took Ernie a half an hour and then he said he had to get back to work. He offered to pick up some dog supplies for me and drop them off later that afternoon. He ticked off a list of everything he thought a dog would need for a comfortable recovery.
“You’re going to need a bed, maybe a couple so he has choices of where he wants to sleep. And food; good food, like what we feed our pups at home. A leash, so you can take him into town with you when he’s all healed up. And you should think of a name for him.”
I shook my head. “Why would I name him? He’s only going to be here until he’s better.” I heard a soft whine behind me and turned to look at the dog, still resting on the couch. He looked at me with sad eyes, and I swear he started to shake a little, like he was cold. Or scared. I sighed. “Okay, Ernie. You bring back what you think I’ll need to have on hand for him for a while. Then we’ll see.” I handed him some extra cash that I hoped would cover everything he’d mentioned and sent him on his way. He waved cheerfully to me from the front seat of his new car before racing out of my driveway, throwing gravel everywhere as he left.