by Shona Husk
“Totally worth it.” He shifted and knelt on the bed, her feet now reaching for the ceiling on either side of his head. Her legs had never looked so good…and she had never felt quite so exposed and on display. He placed a kiss on her ankle as he pulled her hips closer. “If you could reach out, next to the pillow.”
She blinked and wondered what he was talking about, then remembered they needed condoms. Without taking her eyes off him, she stretched out and snagged the packet and handed it to him just as fast.
“You know, it would be nice to not worry about these.”
Yeah, it would, she wanted to be able to feel him, not the latex—she didn’t care how thin it was. She also wanted to be able to run her tongue along his cock and take him in her mouth without the taste of the rubber. “Not tonight, buddy.”
He gave her a look that didn’t need words. A mix of as if and do you think I’m really that dumb.
“Have you ever?”
He shook his head and pressed the head of his cock against her pussy. One good thrust and he’d be in, filling her core and taking her over the edge. She’d forgotten how good sex could be. “It’s on my to-do list.”
“Anything else I should know about?”
“I’m going to take you to Sweden to the Icehotel.”
“I like the way you think.” But she wasn’t going to hold her breath and hold him to it. This was a guy whose longest relationship in the last five years was with her. Even before that, it seemed as though he moved on every few months. Looking for something. She didn’t think she was it.
“I hope that’s not all you like.” He held her hips and pressed in, drawing a groan from her.
No, that wasn’t all she liked about him, but it was hard to think as he thrust in, moving slightly to change the angle so he could lean over her. She had no control like this and he was touching places that had never been touched. The tremor of liquid heat built and she closed her eyes. She wanted to hold onto the sensation. Her core clenched around him and he thrust faster, anticipating what she wanted. Yes. Her fingers gripped the sheets, her hips moving, needing.
He moved a fraction and she felt it everywhere as the climax rippled through her. He was there with her. Thrusting deep and groaning his own release. Neither of them moved for several breaths. She opened her eyes; his were closed, as if he were concentrating. After a moment he withdrew and eased her legs down. He went into the bathroom.
She laid still a little longer, her legs boneless and heavy. As much as she was trying not to think about last times, it was there at the back of her mind—well, closer to the front and getting in the way of every thought.
“We should get dressed and head out.” He rubbed his wrist.
“Are we coming back?”
“After.”
“You say that like you know how this will end.”
“No, I’m acting the way I want it to end. I don’t go into battle predicting failure. I go in expecting to win.”
“To hit a home run?” She sat up, wanting to draw the sheets around herself and yet not wanting anything between them.
“No, to get the other guy out with no bases. You’ve got to do the same.”
She nodded. “Easier said than done.”
“I know what I’m doing.” He started pulling on clothes.
She undid her shoes and gave them a pat. Next time she wore them it would be in a nice dress at a fancy restaurant. That’s how she’d get through this…by making plans the same way she’d gotten through the last few days. It had been working for her so far.
“So, you going to tell me how we’re sending the demon back to the dugout?”
Chapter 18
As plans went, it was alright. It certainly wasn’t foolproof, but then, battle plans weren’t. Shit always went wrong. He’d seen far too many witches get hurt when fighting demons, seen the victims die and the manifesters walk away—insane but alive. He’d also seen the manifesters die.
“Cory needs to let the demon in.” He walked down the sidewalk, well aware they were heading farther into an area that was better known for its derelict buildings and crime rate. Both of which he was hoping to make use of.
“Right, won’t that just give him extra power?” She gave him the look he’d been expecting, as though she thought he was unbalanced. He probably was. Most people didn’t speak to their goddess and then decide to go toe-to-toe with a demon-possessed bully.
Most people didn’t hear the voice of their goddess. And if he said that to the wrong people, he’d wind up on medication.
“It will be easier to contain him as one entity than two. Plus, human bodies aren’t made to hold demons. The more power he draws the faster he will burn out, and Cory will hopefully spontaneously combust.”
“He’s going to burn?” Rachel stopped as if her feet had become glued to the sidewalk.
Noah turned. “That’s what demons do once they get possession of a body.”
“Won’t that hurt?”
“Probably less than getting your limbs ripped off.” He touched her arm. “I said I won’t kill, I never said I won’t let the demon kill him.” He knew it was a very fine line between the two, and if push came to shove, he would kill Cory before he let him hurt Rachel.
They crossed the road towards a man with a black beanie pulled down low. He looked like he was wearing last week’s clothes and carried a plastic shopping bag. Noah walked straight toward him. When Rachel started to hang back, Noah slung an arm over her shoulder.
“Stay close. Cory is hot on our trail and I don’t have long to set up.” Noah nodded at the man, Sawyer doing his best chameleon. “Got it?”
Rachel nodded.
“Yeah, follow me. I’ve already had a look around,” Sawyer said, his voice low.
“Security?” That was Noah’s biggest concern. He didn’t want people seeing what they were doing as they’d have to come up with some rational explanation that ended up with him being accused of murder.
“Nil. Cameras have been out for a while. No guards. Place has been used as shelter, but there’s no one in there now.” That was welcome news.
Rachel glanced at him. “Where are we going?”
“Empty building. I don’t want collateral.” Or people watching.
“Oskar is going to shield the whole place just in case. The plan is about as tight as it can be without dragging everyone in.”
“It’s just us?” Rachel’s steps faltered.
“Yes, there’s no point in the whole coven being there if it all goes tits up,” Sawyer replied with his usual tact.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Noah said without any humor.
“You ever done this before?” Sawyer stopped walking.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t do it.” He had to. Failure meant death for his friends and his lover. He drew her closer a fraction, hoping that she still believed he could pull off magic like he’d never done before.
He and Rachel followed Sawyer through a hole in a chain-link fence and walked toward a building that had once been used as a factory or storage. Now the windows were broken and blank and the there was an air of hopelessness about it. It couldn’t be salvaged, only condemned, but no one had even bought the site. A real estate sign was stuck in the ground, covered in graffiti and lopsided. Maybe someone would want the site after the building was demolished.
They went inside. The smell of dank water and rats and rubbish swept through on the breeze. All those broken windows provided plenty of ventilation, and yet there was the unmistakable scent of urine.
“Nice.” Rachel wrinkled up her nose.
“It’s perfect for what we want.” Noah tapped the concrete floor, then looked up at the half-collapsed, wooden second floor. “At least if it burns it won’t go up too fast.”
“Nah, concrete should contain it…” Sawyer frowned. “How hot do demons burn a body?”
“Never checked, usually nothing more than a small pile of ash left, though.”
Sawye
r gave a whistle. “That’s pretty hot.”
Rachel glanced around the ruined shell of a building. “Where do you want me?”
Noah looked at Rachel. It felt as though he’d known her for far longer than a few days, maybe because they’d been through so much and shared so much in that time. He wanted her wherever he was. He took her hand. “You’re already where you need to be.” Then he leaned in and kissed her.
Sawyer turned away, but Noah knew he’d hear about it later. As long as there was a later, he didn’t care, and there wouldn’t be too long to wait. The demon string on his wrist was warming. He had to get moving so he was ready. “I need to do some things. Where’s Oskar?”
Sawyer inclined his head to the other side of the building. “Out of sight. Ready to raise the circle once Cory is inside.”
Noah nodded. Tension tightened in his gut. While he acknowledged it was there, he didn’t stop to give it space to grow. He took the bag from Sawyer and pulled out a tin of shellac. With a little force of will, he popped it open then found a clear area on the floor that was about three yards wide. Then he walked clockwise, pouring the shellac onto the ground. He felt the combustible nature of it, familiarized himself with the smell and texture of the liquid. It would take hours to dry, and until it was dry he could light it. He finished drawing the circle but didn’t put any power into making it anything more than a painted circle.
Only once Cory and his demon stepped inside would he snap it shut, then he’d light it.
The skin on his wrist was hot now, just this side of uncomfortable. Cory was in the neighborhood and drawing closer. It wouldn’t be long now.
“I think we’ve got ten minutes. Ready Sawyer?”
He nodded. While Noah had been drawing the circle, Sawyer had been setting up a few mirror tiles that would act as a bit of a distraction. “I don’t know how well they’ll work on a demon, but they fool humans all the time.”
It was a gamble, but he’d take anything that bought him a few more minutes to goad Cory into taking in his demon. His plan was basically to enrage Cory and then trap and poke him further. There were so many ways it could go wrong…and yet if it all went as planned… He held that thought for a moment and was sure he could smell the smoldering remains of the building and feel the lingering heat from the fire on his skin.
“Sawyer, stay with her.” He pointed to the rear of the building. If Cory came through, he wanted Rachel away from the door and out of the way. He had one last-minute phone call to make.
He waited until they got out of earshot then dialed. His uncle picked up after two rings. “You’re in trouble this time.”
“Nothing I can’t handle. I, er, I just wanted to ring anyway.” This was definitely not a good bye; he just wanted an extra god on his side.
“You want to make a confession?”
“I would be here all night if I started. Just say a prayer for me and I’ll tell you what I discovered tomorrow.”
“You have your solution then.”
“Less solution and more an explanation. I know why and I have been released from my vow.” While he’d have loved to write it all down in an email, some things shouldn’t be written down and sent into cyber space. The coven was big on paper files that could be destroyed, and also heavily encrypted laptops—his database would erase itself if someone tried to hack into it.
“Stay safe and I’ll keep you in my thoughts tonight.” David paused. “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Good luck, Noah.”
Noah felt the shimmer of magic touching him just before his uncle hung up. He was sure David knew that he was about to end a life, but bloodshed couldn’t be avoided in battle, and only death could remove a demon from the world.
Rachel turned her back on Sawyer, who was looking more like a criminal than the last time she’d seen him. She always felt like she should be checking to make sure she still had her wallet in her bag when she was around him. Of course, her hand bag was in the hotel room, along with Noah’s laptop. All they had were some low-denomination notes shoved into the pockets of their jeans.
If she died, would they even be able to identify her?
Her stomach cramped. She needed to pee. No, that was just nerves. She was not going to fall apart in front of Sawyer and Noah; when she was by herself she could cry and shake all she wanted.
Something scuttled in the dark corner. Rats? Were they preparing to run? She wanted to run and never stop. Standing and fighting was for brave people, she wasn’t brave. She was a coward who’d paid someone else to deal with her problem. If she had any guts, she’d have bought a gun and done it herself. The result would be the same—Cory dead and the demon gone. This way she was putting three other lives on the line.
Three witches. Warrior witches, and they weren’t going to let anything happen that wasn’t in the plan. She paced a little and watched Noah on the phone. He kept it short and to the point and she wondered who he was calling. He hadn’t really spoken about his family. Perhaps after Louise they had washed their hands of him—another reason for him to come to New York. Like her, he’d been running when he’d first arrived, but now he’d made a life here…could she?
She couldn’t imagine herself living in Liberty again, and not just because of the gossip. The world was far bigger than she’d thought. While she knew plenty of people never left their home town, she wanted to do more, see more, and discover what else was out there.
Whatever happened tonight, she was no longer bound to Liberty or Cory. The weight fell away and she smiled.
Rachel turned back to face Sawyer. “Do you do this often?”
“Fight demons? No. Make things disappear?” He pulled some small square mirror tiles out of his pocket. “All the time.”
“What are they for?”
“I’m going to make it harder for Cory to pinpoint your location in the building.” He handed one to her, even though she wasn’t sure what to do with it.
Noah walked over to the doorway and took a look outside. “I can’t see him yet, but he’s close.”
How close? Was he sneaking around the building to surprise them? She fisted her hand around the mirror tile, felt the corners pressing into her palm.
Sawyer placed a couple more tiles and adjusted the location of a couple of others, as if the pattern was key to his part of the plan. “I’m done, if you’d like to get into position.”
Noah hesitated. “I still can’t see him.”
“We should get the illusion up, be ready,” Sawyer said.
Being ready sounded like a good idea. As she breathed in the cool evening air, anxiety gripping her, she realized that she was ready for this to be over. She wanted to live again—her way. She gave the mirror a squeeze. She may not be able to do magic, but she could believe in it, and Noah, with all of her heart.
Noah swore and started walking towards her nice, dark, rat-infested corner. The corner on the other side of the building was lit by the streetlight. As he walked over, he raised one hand and pointed at the street light. It obligingly died, leaving everything in dusky gloom. Not quite night, but not daylight, either. She was caught in a creepy twilight world where normal didn’t exist. She could never go back to normal.
Noah put his hand over hers. His face was grim and hard in the shadows. “I will not let him get you.”
She nodded. Noah would die first, but she didn’t want that, either. With her free hand, she gave him a hug; she never wanted to let him go.
He glanced over his shoulder to where Sawyer was sitting on the other side, little more than a shadow. “Get part one up; my wrist is burning.”
In the middle of the circle Noah had painted, there was a flicker, then she and Noah were there. Except they weren’t. They were still in the dark corner. He touched her cheek and the Noah in the middle of the circle touched her cheek.
Her breath eased out in a long sigh. That was an impressive illusion.
“Look at me. When Cory walks through that door al
l he’s going to see is you and me, that you and me. Whatever happens tonight, I want you to know that I’m glad I met you and that I wouldn’t change anything.”
“Except the demon part.”
“Yeah, it would be nice to know you when we aren’t trying to find a way to survive.” He cupped her cheek and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I love you.”
For a moment her mouth was frozen. He’d said he loved her. It was the fear talking, except he didn’t seem afraid and it didn’t feel like a good-bye kiss—more of a promise for something later.
He loved her. That wasn’t possible, not after just a few days, and yet, if he died, there’d be a huge hole carved in her heart. She’d miss him and all the things they hadn’t done. “I love you, too,” she murmured against his lips.
A snarl of rage filled the building. Cory. She wanted to turn and see where he was, how close he was.
“Look at me, not at him.” Noah’s voice was soft, but it was unmistakably an order. This was a job and he was working.
“Get your hands off my wife.” Cory took a couple of steps forward.
Noah ran his hand up her back and drew her closer, his kiss becoming more impersonal. He might be kissing her but he was watching Cory, the way he’d angled them gave him a perfect view. One of his hands moved and she had the impression that Noah was flipping the bird at Cory.
“Make me.” He drew back. “Besides, I think she likes me more.” He brushed his lips over her ear as though he was whispering something loving. “I don’t think you are man enough to keep her.”
Something rippled in the air. She turned her head and saw Cory and his shadow…except there wasn’t enough light to make a shadow that dark and solid, and the shadow seemed to move on its own, sliding closer.
Noah swallowed. “Come on.” It was murmured like a prayer. She realized he couldn’t fight a man and a demon on two separate fronts. He needed Cory to take his demon in to be able to fight him. And it needed to happen before Cory touched the illusion in the circle and discovered it wasn’t real.