by K. A. Fox
“Look, I know you told me to be careful and I was. I let Moose and Callum move into my home, just like you wanted. I even stayed away from Torren, but then he came out here anyway. And someone sent a Proles demon after me.” The words raced out of me. I had to get them out before he tried to stop me. “From what they told me, I almost died. Which according to the Proles, could actually have saved the world. Since I’m the bringer of the Apocalypse. Or something like that.” I sagged down into the chair someone had moved in while I was unconscious. It was embarrassing how fatigued I was after just a few minutes of standing.
Angus fumed quietly for a moment, running his hand through the mahogany curls he was known for. He’d always liked to tease me about our matching hair. All the different species of demons carried this mark in some way. Hells, even the Proles had streaks of rust in that matted mess I’d seen. Humans had long been suspicious of redheads. A superstition born of instinct. But I was the only one of his creations that was such a close copy. His hair, his coloring. His power.
“How did the Proles get into the house? How did it even get close enough to attack you?” Angus asked. He was speaking in that quiet, contained voice he only used when he was furious. It had always been a sign that I was truly, deeply in trouble.
Oh, this was not going to go well. “Um. Well, Cal and Moose went for a run and I wanted to stay here. When they left, I didn’t think to check the wards around the house.”
“So, the demon was able to walk right in.” His voice was low and sharp. I would have almost preferred him to be yelling at me rather than hear the disappointment in his words.
“I’m sorry. It’s not like I wanted a demon to come strolling into my house and try to make me a meal.” I fought to keep the tears out of my voice and my eyes.
Angus sighed. “I thought you were smarter than that. That’s all. You’ve been telling me all along how you can survive alone out here, how you can protect yourself without help. Yet you forgot something as basic and necessary as checking your wards.”
I shrugged. “People forget things sometimes. All I can say is, I will try harder next time. And I will.”
“I don’t think you understand Delaney. You don’t have a clue what it would do to me to lose you. And what about your mother? Even though she can’t be with you, just knowing that you’re alive in the world is more important to her than anything else. Losing you would break her. She’s lost so much in her life already. I’m afraid she wouldn’t survive if something happened to you.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded and saddened. He was right. Not once had I thought of how my mom would be hurt if something happened to me. I’d separated myself from her to keep her safe in the first place. Again, my intentions had been good. But I hadn’t seen the full picture.
“You meant well when you chose to leave,” Angus said, startling me with his soft words, the familiar brogue coating them a comfort. “But that doesn’t mean things will turn out the way you intend.”
“So now you can read minds too?”
He chuckled softly. He pulled me up from the chair and wrapped me in his strong arms. “All I want to do is protect you, Delaney. You are the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. I need you alive. That’s all. And I will do anything in my power to keep you safe.”
“I never really thought of how you and Mom would feel if something happened. I mean, I know you both love me, but I never thought of it the way you just put it.”
Angus hugged me even tighter, stroking my hair. “You’re not a parent, honey. It becomes a whole different world once that happens. Trust me.”
I relaxed against his warmth for a few minutes, knowing we both needed this. He felt strong and solid, holding me up against everything that seemed determined to knock me down. Angus let me rest there, allowing me to draw some strength from his presence.
“Laney love,” he whispered into my hair, using my childhood nickname. “Please tell me you’ll agree, now.”
“Agree to what?” I asked, my voice soft.
“Let me place a piece of Hell inside you. We talked about it before, but it would help you in so many ways.”
I reluctantly pulled away, shaking my head as I did. “I can’t.”
Angus grabbed my shoulders, holding me firmly in front of him. “This is important. You’d have easy access to your magic any time you needed it. You could pull right from me in an emergency.”
I searched his face, seeing his need to keep me safe stamped on every feature. “I know what you’re trying to do. I appreciate it, Dad. But I can’t.” I didn’t know how to explain the fear constantly haunting me. I was his daughter, but I was human as well. A deep seated survival instinct told me that my humanity was the first thing I would lose if I gave in.
Silence stretched between us, his eyes locked with mine. “Think about it, please. There are benefits to this. And you’d never be cold again.” He gave me a crooked grin and leaned in to kiss my forehead.
As he released me, I grabbed his hand. “Who is Callum? I can tell he doesn’t want to talk about it but I need to know.”
Angus gave me a pointed, direct look. “I’m not the one to ask about his secrets. All I will tell you is that he’s someone I’ve known for a very long time and I trust him. With your life.”
“This is information I need to have.”
My father didn’t answer. Instead, he stubbornly shook his head.
“I’m serious. I don’t know how close I can let him get.” This felt more awkward than I expected, but I had to know. “He had to work some healing on me while I was unconscious, gave me some of his own energy. I don’t want him ruined because he’s forced to be here with me. I need to know if that’s a risk for him.”
“He’ll be fine. Any bond he forges with you will be of his own choosing.”
“He’s not human then. Which means he must be a demon.”
Angus looked at me with an almost sad smile on his lips. “He’s human enough. But he’s Other too. Strong enough to resist you. If he wants to.”
This was the Angus I knew best, talking in riddles and not answering simple questions. Not when he could throw you a puzzle and laugh while you struggled to find the answers. It always frustrated me.
“This is serious, Angus.”
My father reached over and took my hand. “I’m being serious, Delaney. His is not a story for me to tell. Have a little faith. If you have questions, sit him down and talk to him. Maybe he’ll give you the answers you’re looking for. Stranger things have been known to happen.”
I sighed, but it was clear that he wasn’t going to be sharing anything else with me. Seeing that he’d won this battle with me, he nodded at the door. “I think it would be wise for us to go out there and continue our discussions with the gentlemen waiting on us. Before they come to blows.”
I closed my eyes in frustration but knew he was right. He was no doubt able to sense what was happening out there, so if he thought they needed a distraction, we should provide one.
Chapter Twenty·Four
When we walked into the living room, Moose was seated at Cal’s feet, intent on the palpable tension between the two men. His rigid position relaxed a bit when my father cleared his throat, easily communicating that he was relieved to have someone else be responsible for whatever was about to happen here.
“So, gentlemen,” Angus said, stepping between them. “The testosterone is so thick out here we can practically smell it. What seems to be the trouble?”
Torren clenched his fists at his sides but refused to say anything. Cal was the complete opposite, almost too relaxed, leaning back against the cushions. Underneath it all though, I knew he truly was ready for anything that might happen.
It was Cal who answered my father. “Torren feels I took advantage of Delaney while she was unconscious. Now that she’s healed, he intends to defend her honor.”
I saw my father’s lips twitch up at one corner but other than that, he maintained
a neutral expression.
“Ah, I see. Admirable. And how exactly did you take advantage of my daughter?”
“Her core body temperature was dropping quickly after she was hurt and I needed to bring it back up to facilitate the healing process. If I couldn’t get her temperature to return to normal, I was afraid we might lose her completely.” Cal kept his voice even, void of emotion, like he was reciting something he’d learned from a book.
“And you did that how?”
Torren broke in, anger coating every word. “He stripped off her clothes and carried her into the shower. He locked the door so I couldn’t come in and keep an eye on what he was doing.”
I felt myself flushing a bright red. That explained why I’d been wearing different clothes when I woke up. And why I wasn’t covered in blood.
Angus was definitely enjoying himself. “Callum, I’m assuming that this was a hot shower and you were also unclothed?”
A brief nod was Cal’s only response. Mine was to blush even more obviously than I had a moment ago. If my temperature had been too low before, now every inch of my skin felt embarrassingly hot.
Unlike Cal, Torren wasn’t about to stay quiet. “He tried to say that Delaney wouldn’t have wanted me to see her like that. And when I still tried to get in there, that damn dog knocked me over and sat on me.”
Nothing, it seemed, surprised my father, but I coughed out a laugh I couldn’t hold in. The simple image of Moose sitting on Torren was hilarious, but I could understand his frustration. He’d been struggling with our bond in that moment and hadn’t known what was going on. All he’d known was he needed to be with me. Even if it would’ve made everything worse.
Angus, however, wasn’t as forgiving. “First of all, young man, you need to understand that damn dog is a Hound. One of my Hounds, in fact. And as such, he should be treated with the utmost respect. If he doesn’t eat you, count yourself lucky.” Moose cocked his head and curled his lip, showing his teeth, an action I interpreted as a warning. Angus then directed his attention back to Cal. “Knowing a little about the healing process, I believe that skin to skin contact is required. Am I correct, Callum?”
Cal nodded, starting to explain, but Torren interrupted him. “That’s what he tried to tell me before he carted her off in there. And he said that he was less likely to be distracted since he’d already seen her in the shower before!”
I choked. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. The embarrassment was simply too much. But my father was in his element, loving every moment of the exchange, looking back and forth between the two of us. “Did he now? Funny how no one mentioned that before. Well, Callum, please elaborate on that for us all. I’m very interested to hear how you managed to see my daughter in the shower. Naked.”
Cal had the decency to at least look a little chagrined, but that was fleeting. He spread his hands. “Angus, it’s not what you think. It was all a misunderstanding.”
Angus quirked an eyebrow. “A misunderstanding that resulted in you seeing my daughter without her clothes on? I really do have to hear this.” He was playing the role of protective father, but behind the stern face he was wearing I knew he was enjoying this enormously.
I stepped into the conversation. “It’s your fault actually.” His gaze shifted to focus on me as I continued. “When you sent Cal here and shoved him through the wards, I was in the shower. So of course, he showed up in the bathroom. That’s how it happened.” Looking at the men in front of me, I thought it best to add, “And that is ALL that happened.”
Cal backed me up. “Exactly. She asked me to wait for her downstairs, and when she had dried off and dressed, she joined me here and we properly introduced ourselves. She showed me to the guest bedroom and that is where I spent the night.” Then for good measure he said, “Where I have spent every night. Alone.”
If dogs could laugh, I think Moose would have been rolling on the floor at the mess playing out in front of him. As it was, he had what must have been the Hound equivalent of a smile on his face, his tongue lolling out as he watched the exchanges between all three men. If Hounds really could talk, this one already had a million stories to share.
Angus was nodding, a glint in his eye belying the serious face he was trying to maintain. “Good to know. Sounds perfectly reasonable. Does that make you feel better Detective Bishop?”
“I don’t like it, but if Delaney says that’s the truth, I’ll believe her.”
All eyes were fixed on me. Thankfully, it felt like some of the heat-soaked flush I’d been overcome with before had faded slightly. I probably only looked bright pink instead of fire red. “It’s the truth. Cal has been a gentleman the entire time he’s been here, even when Angus dumped him in my bathroom.” I glanced at Callum, hoping he’d understand that I wanted to leave the whole part about me seeing him in his nothings as something that didn’t need to be discussed. The corner of his mouth went up, a small crooked smile acknowledging my message.
“Well, that settles it,” Angus said brightly. “Now, let’s tackle another difficult topic that we need to get out of the way.” Turning to Torren, he said, “Did Callum tell you who I am?”
“I already know who you are. You’re Angus Murphy. And you’re supposed to be dead.”
My father just waved his hand at that, shaking his head. “No, no, no. Not what I asked you. Did Callum tell you who I am?”
Torren looked confused and uncomfortable. “He said you’re really the Devil, that you created the identity of Angus Murphy so you could live on Earth for a while. And while you were living here, Delaney was born.”
“As is the way of biology. And Lust,” Angus interjected, waving Torren’s words aside. “But the question is whether you believe what he told you or not?”
“Why would anyone believe that?” asked Torren.
A gleeful smile spread across my father’s face and he stood up, rubbing his hands together like he was trying to warm them up or prepare for a magic trick. “Are you saying you need proof that I am who Callum says I am?”
Torren shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything you could do that would make me believe you’re the Devil.”
Joy radiated from my father. “Yes! Oh my, I have always loved the Doubters of this world so very much. You will be my very own Doubting Torren and shall be recorded in my Histories. This is going to be so much fun!” Pointing to Callum, he said, “Step over there and be ready to catch him when he falls. Delaney go on into the kitchen and get this young man a glass of water, and a shot of something strong. He’s going to need it in a few minutes.”
“Angus, please don’t do this,” I said, prepared to beg. Torren had been through enough already. Adding to it might rattle him so much he’d never recover.
My father turned his eyes on me. “Now Laney. It’s time for you to leave the room. It’s best we get this over with, so we can all move on to the important things.”
I sighed, knowing I wasn’t going to change his mind. When Angus wanted something, he was relentless. And he wanted Torren to see him for who he really was.
I heard the crackle of flames leaping up as I left the room. Heat erupted behind me but burned off quickly, leaving behind the brimstone scent I loved. It was like smelling birthday cake or fresh bread baking—so many happy memories were mixed up with it that I would never be able to let it go. It made me feel safe and content. One sniff and I was a little kid again, sitting in Daddy’s lap with Mom across the way, all of us laughing as Dad conjured magical things and did tricks just to make us smile.
I heard Torren’s loud gasp of shock and resisted the urge to go back in there. One thing I knew very well was that my father wanted me to see the face of Angus Murphy when I thought of him. Seeing his true form was simply not allowed. I filled a glass with cold water and poured some whiskey into another. When I moved into my home, Angus had brought me some Fireball Whiskey. He called it a housewarming gift, but I think he liked the devil on the bo
ttle more than anything. He’d only had one shot that first night to toast my new home and never asked for another. The bottle had been sitting in the cabinet, untouched, since then. Good thing alcohol doesn’t spoil. At least, I hoped it didn’t. There was a loud grating sound from the living room that I recognized might have been an attempt at laughter but came out like two stones smacking against each other and reducing into pebbled gravel. Apparently, laughing wasn’t exactly easy when my father wasn’t in human form.
There was another flash of heat that I could feel even in the kitchen and then Dad’s voice came to me again. “You should probably bring those drinks in, Delaney.”
I walked in to the living room, seeing Torren’s open-mouthed astonishment and Cal’s contained laughter. I handed the drinks to Torren, watching carefully as he drank the shot of whiskey faster than I felt was safe. His hand was quivering a bit, but I pretended not to notice. He sputtered as the whiskey burned its way down his throat, but then washed it down with some water.
Trying to lighten the mood, I said, “Please, please tell me that at least he didn’t brandish a pitchfork this time.”
Angus tried unsuccessfully for an innocent face. “A pitchfork? My dear, you know me so much better than that. I’d never do something so expected.”
I flopped down onto the couch next to him, sarcasm in my voice. “I suspect your pitchfork is the reason why I was only asked out once.” I didn’t say anything else, keeping the painful memory of that one date locked away. I didn’t want to talk about it again so soon.
“All part of my fiendish plan,” Angus said, laughing. He grabbed my hand, holding it fondly for a moment with our fingers laced together before lifting it up into the light to examine the gleaming white scars that ran around my wrist and up onto my arm. His fingers traced the lines, as if trying to find a message written in them. Releasing me, he said, “You managed to do some very good healing with this, Callum. You’ve always been the best. I just hoped you wouldn’t have a reason to use it here.”