by T. G. Ayer
A little formal for the guy who just saved your life, don’t you think?
I kept my mouth shut though, and walked at her side as she returned to the house, quite the spectacle. With the pale blue wet fabric clinging to her skin, she may as well have been naked. As she stepped across the threshold, she paused and looked at Drake.
The gargoyle managed to look ultra-sexy, despite being wet from head-to-toe, his sodden shirt outlining his pecs and abs, his biceps too. His cargo pants clung to his thighs, emphasizing more impressive musculature.
Natasha stared at him for a moment, studying him, from sodden hair to soaking shoes.
“You broke my wards,” she said to him, lifting her chin as she stared up at him.
I raised my eyebrows and stepped around her, out of the way.
“I believe I did,” said Drake, his face strained. I felt a little protective of him, my brother from a gargoyle mother, but I couldn’t help him fight his battles. Especially not when he looked at his opponent the way he was looking at Natasha. I’d known it all along. Kai had just been eye-candy.
The gargoyle had the hots for the witch.
I left them to their conversation and topped up my blood-red juice, drinking deeply. The shock was slowly beginning to wear off and I considered Natasha’s revelation and its relevance to our case.
Santiani’s blood was infected both by a disease and by demonic magic.
Which meant that the meat my client had ingested would have come directly from the demon. Which also explained why Sentinel was keeping their suspicion under wraps.
Because we had a demonic-witch-serial-killer on our hands.
And it was very likely Gina Santiani.
Chapter 31
Back in Natasha’s study, we both took our seats slowly, then sat staring at the bowl of, now coagulated, blood. The color had shifted with the passage of time and exposure to air, now a rusty red ocher. Neither of us would ever be blasé about the blood of a demon witch again.
Natasha rubbed her forehead, then took her damp hair and twisted it into a topknot. She sat back and sighed, still eyeing the bloody bowl. “I’ve come across a few half-breeds who feed off the human spirit. Death, sex, grief. It all feeds the power base of such creatures. The more powerful they get the further gone they are. They know their magic, understand their power, but their own demonic form becomes hard to exist within. They choose human hosts to link with, allowing them to interact within society, more than anything because they no longer have control over their demonic form. To the extent that she is no longer coherent in her natural state.
“Possessing a human mind allows her to replicate their form, to move around, to find new subjects, to communicate with people, but she is limited to the mind and consciousness of the person she possesses. I’d put my money on the remaining sister.”
I nodded, not unhappy to agree with her. She didn’t know Gina like I did, having never met her in person. On first meeting, Natasha would have pegged her for the killer instantly. Natasha didn’t suffer fools. “If the demon has taken the form of the girl, it would make sense that she’s scouting out a new family already. She knows her time is up with the Santianis.”
Natasha nodded, still looking a little pale and more than a little tired. I wondered what Drake was thinking. He’d been upgraded to the living room and a brandy. Probably just until the wards were restored.
“So if these demons live off life-force, I’m guessing Gia is dead, and so is Gina?” Voicing what my gut had been telling me all along was a relief. It would have been good if I’d been able to translate those gut messages better. It certainly would have saved me all this trouble.
Natasha gave half a nod, as if she didn’t want to agree with me. “Unfortunately, that’s more than likely. It’s possible I’m wrong, and I’m hoping I am.”
“But it’s not looking good.” The irony in my tone hovered between us.
Inevitability is a bitch.
She sighed and I could hear her fatigue. She’d taken a kick to her senses, both magical and physical, and she was still standing. But it didn’t mean she’d be upright for too much longer. Everyone needed a recharge.
“You need rest,” I said, getting to my feet.
“And you aren’t going anywhere without protection.” Natasha sat forward and glared at me. Despite her annoyance it was hard to take her seriously when her damp kaftan hugged her body, now almost transparent. I didn’t have the heart to tell her.
“What the hell is possibly going to protect me when one drop of this creature’s blood can knock your lights out?” I lifted an eyebrow daring her to tell me I was wrong.
She didn’t.
“She’s powerful, yes. But she isn’t invincible. I just didn’t expect that depth of power. If I had, I would have been prepared and I wouldn’t have been-”
“Tossed on your ass?” I grinned.
She shook her head and chuckled. “Yeah. That.” She got to her feet, rummaged inside a cupboard along the back wall and returned with a taser and a small bottle of orange liquid.
“You are kidding me, right?” I asked, not sure if I should laugh or ask her if she was nuts. A taser? Really?
She wiggled her fingers at me. “It’s a magical taser.”
“That’s a thing?”
“Yup.”
“Then why have I not been given one before?”
“You get what you need,” she said with a shrug. Then she got serious. “The taser will incapacitate her. It’s got a few million jolts of magical juice in it. It’ll take her down fast. As soon as she’s down, bring her here. If her blood hates white water, imagine what her essence feels.”
I nodded, taking the device and holding onto it with extra care.
“And this is a little something that will take her down for good. Consider it a last resort option.” Natasha moved the bottle closer to me. The orange liquid glowed, twisting and shimmering with magic, coral then bronze, then rust. I reached for it and Natasha raised a finger. “Handle it with care. The glass is fragile, meant to shatter on impact.”
I held the bottle gently, placing it in the bottom of my palm. “So I need to throw this at her?”
Natasha nodded. “It needs to land on her body, to touch skin. It’s the only way the potion will work.”
“So face, neck. Bare arms.” I pursed my lips and thought of all the possibilities. There weren’t many so I’d have to be careful. “I’m assuming it isn’t going to be easy to put her down.”
Natasha shook her head. “No. But if you are smart you won’t have too much of a problem.” She sat back, studying me. “I just have one concern.”
“Which is?” I already knew what she was going to say. I waited.
“About your unwanted companion.”
“Trying not to think about it,” I said, glad Drake was two rooms away and wouldn’t hear this particular conversation.
“Which won’t help you.”
I shrugged. “Unless we find the person responsible I’m pretty much doomed. And I can’t drop this case. Once I’m done with the Santianis, then I’ll concentrate on my . . . companion.”
Natasha sighed but I got to my feet, ending the conversation before she got started. I had to stop by the hospital, and I still needed to rest before I headed to Kai’s place.
Natasha knew when she was beaten. She rose too, her lips a thin line. I didn’t expect her to be happy about my reluctance to pursue the mysterious curser.
Curser. Is that even a word?
I was too tired to figure it out.
At the door, I glanced back at Natasha. “Thank you. I know I’m being a pain but I’ll be careful. What do I look for?”
Her lips softened. “Fatigue. Increased nosebleeds. I’d say manifestations, but that would probably only happen if you’re too weak. Right now, your magic is keeping it tethered. So take care of yourself.”
I nodded and began to walk into the hallway.
“One more thing.” I stopped and looked at her
, my eyes saying this better be good. “If you start hallucinating, or if anything strange happens, call me.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
She shook her head. “I’m not going to influence you. I want you to be aware of yourself. That’s all. Anything out of the ordinary happens, then call me.”
I shook my head and walked off to grab my bag, stow the potion and fetch Drake. As if I needed to be any more vigilant than I already was.
Drake drove me straight to the hospital, then headed home to change out of his damp clothes. As I entered the building, my stomach tightened. How was I going to broach a supernatural connection to a practical man like Santiani?
I left my bag with Drake for safekeeping, thinking about the fragile potion. I headed up to the hospital room unimpeded, with the outside guard merely tipping his cap at me, and the nurse at the desk waving me in.
I knocked lightly and entered when I heard Santiani call. He was lying on his bed, his skin sallow, his face gaunt. The disease was eating away at him and my heart twisted just looking at him. I’d thought him a pompous rich man when I’d first met him, but now I understood what he was going through. He didn’t deserve this kind of horror.
Nobody did.
And should it ever happen, it ought to be the gods who decided. Mortals didn’t deserve to hold fate over the heads of the powerless.
There was still a possibility that Gina wasn’t the demon. That perhaps the creature had gained access to Santiani some other way. But even as I heard myself think those words I knew I was just saying it to make myself feel better.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, moving to his side. Somehow formality seemed unnecessary considering the circumstances.
The room was darkened despite being the middle of the day, and a fresh bunch of flowers stood on the side table. White roses. Could it be a message from Gina?
White roses for death?
“I’m glad you came.” Santiani wheezed and coughed and I handed him the glass of water at his bedside. He was too weak to manage the glass and I helped him, placing the straw in his mouth and waiting as he sipped. When he was done, he waved the glass away.
As I deposited it back on the bedside table he said, “I called my lawyer. If I don’t make it through the treatments, you are to be reimbursed for all costs and paid for your services.”
I shook my head. Money was the last thing on my mind. Especially now that I knew of Captain Murdoch’s involvement. “Don’t worry about the money. It’s not necessary. And besides, I got nowhere.” I paused, not sure how to broach the subject.
When did dealing with clients become so difficult?
Santiani studied my face. Turned out he was a very perceptive man. “Until now?” He smiled.
I nodded.
“Do you plan to tell me?”
“No. I was thinking of invoicing you first.” The words popped out of my mouth and I sucked in a breath. What was I thinking? The man was on his deathbed and I had the gall to be disrespectful.
But he just laughed. “You remind me of my Gia. That smart mouth.” He paused and spent a moment thinking about the daughter he lost. Then he focused again on my face. “Is it something difficult to say?”
“It may be. For you.” I looked away, disliking the pain I saw in his eyes.
Yet he smiled. “How did you know?” His voice was soft and filled with hurt and guilt.
I knew immediately that he was talking about Gina and there was no reason to skirt the topic. “I’ve been watching her. Her behavior toward you, toward the detectives on the case. Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”
He laughed and shook his head. His mirth sounded hollow and harsh all at the same time. “Would anyone have believed me? I’d have been labeled a molester.”
“And that was what she’s been banking on.”
The demon was smarter than what we’d thought.
“How do you mean?”
“Mr Santiani. I’m not sure how to say this without insulting you, or hurting your feelings.”
“Go ahead and say it.”
“Your daughter Gina isn’t what you think she is.”
This time he smiled sadly. “You think she’s got mental problems? That what she’s done can be justified by a psychological illness?
“No. It’s much worse than a mental illness.”
“What can be worse?” he asked, bitterness curling his lip.
I hesitated. I hadn’t been sure how to broach the idea of the demon until now. “I believe that your daughter is being controlled.” He frowned. “It may be some type of cult, or even a coven of sorts”
“You think she’s dealing in witchcraft?”
I nodded. “It’s definitely something we shouldn’t rule out.”
His head jerked up and down. A nod. “Okay, so what then? If she’s been brainwashed and forced to do these things, then what? What do we do to save her? To stop her?”
“There is something.” I sat on the side of his bed. “We could draw her in. I’ll be right here in the room, but she won’t see me. You challenge her . . . tell her you know what she is. If it tips her over the edge, then we can grab her. Take her someplace safe.”
Uncertainty filled his eyes. “Will she be hurt?”
I couldn’t lie to him. “I can’t guarantee she’ll be unharmed. We are trying to save her and really speaking, if she gets hurt in the process it’s a small price to pay for saving her life.”
He let out a rough sigh. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”
“Are you sure?” I was surprised at his quick agreement. I’d expected more resistance.
“I’m very sure. To be honest I am hoping you are right. I can’t understand why Gina would’ve done the things she did. If she was being controlled, then I suppose she’d had no choice in the matter. I could forgive that. But right now . . .” He fell silent and I could almost feel his pain.
I patted his hand, careful of the needles and tubes. “We’ll try to get to the bottom of this.” I took a deep breath. “So tell me, when is her next visit?”
“Tomorrow. She comes every night, but she said she was busy tonight.”
A piece of good fortune. “I can’t do this tonight anyway, so that works out well. Tomorrow evening it is. I’ll have backup outside just in case.”
I briefed him on what to do and what to say, so as not to alert her that something was up.
Then I left him to his thoughts and to his grief. I hadn’t mentioned his wife. Nor had I brought up his missing child. Perhaps he knew that the search for Gia was now second to the apprehension of the one still around.
Chapter 32
It seemed Drake and I had returned to Kai’s apartment just in time.
Logan left Kai in the room with her brother Iain, and came to the dining table. Ivy touched his arm as he took a seat. “Don’t worry too much, dear. She’ll be well enough soon. She’s a strong woman, your Kai.”
Logan nodded and cleared his throat as he met my eyes. “Mel. Thanks for coming back. I was actually hoping you would.”
I nodded back, tired. No, drained from the Santiani case and Kai being injured on my watch. “What do you need?” I asked.
“We need you to track Celeste one more time. This time there is no Illyria to betray us. And I think it’s best to move as fast as we can. They won’t expect it—the last thing they’ll expect is a full-scale rescue mission. Especially when they think Kai is injured, and poisoned to boot.”
“That’s what they think. They obviously know nothing about walker physiology or immunization practices,” said Kai. She walked out of her room, slow and easy, an annoyed Iain in tow.
Silence reigned as all occupants stared at Kai.
“What?” she asked, laughing as she sat on one of the stools at the kitchen counter.
“Are you freaking insane?” Lily got to her feet, her red cheeks revealing her fury.
“I’m fine, Lily. I promise. I wouldn’t get out of bed if I wasn’t.”
A chorus of snorts echoed around the room. Kai ignored them as she looked at Logan and asked, “So what’s the plan?”
“The plan is for you to go back to bed and recover.”
Kai pushed off the stool reached for the hem of her T-shirt, bared her abdomen, then turned to the right so everyone could see her wound.
No, not a wound.
A scar.
I gasped.
Only the walkers in the room, and Logan, weren’t surprised.
I took a deep breath. “Kai? Are you sure you’re fine for this?”
She nodded. “Walkers just heal fast, and alphas heal faster.” She shrugged, sitting to face me. “You up for tracking Mom again?”
I restrained the urge to roll my eyes. “The key will be fine unless you have something else.”
Kai glanced at Iain and then at Ivy, who both shook their heads and shrugged. “Okay then. The key it is. Do you want to do it in the room?” she asked.
I smiled and we headed to her bedroom. Leaving the door open, Kai headed to the bedside table. I sat on the bed while she retrieved the portal key from the bedside drawer. She asked, “Would you rather be alone? Do you need anything?”
Grinning, I shook my head, taking the key, while Kai sat beside me. Breathing in, I drifted into the Ether. I skimmed along the strong threads that took me straight to Celeste Odel. Again.
This time what I saw was a whole lot worse.
Underground bunkers, medical equipment that was far too professional for the wraith Army. All in all, enough to make me feel ill.
I blinked as I regained consciousness.
“You all right?” Kai bent close
I nodded, fear filling my gut, I felt sick.
“What’s wrong? Did you find her?” Kai asked.
“I’m fine.” I sighed and rested my elbows on my knees. “We just have a bit of a problem.”
“Which is?”
“She’s being held in a secure facility in the Nevada desert.”
