The cat remained in the circle with the brothers as Dom began the casting. There was something very comforting about the little calico, right there in the middle of the circle.
When Dom spoke the name of the demon, the candle flames all trembled and turned a deep reddish hue. Shadows began to dance around the circle, shadows that didn’t correspond to any light source in the real world.
Then a figure seemed to emerge from a gash in the air, just in front of Pie. Mal tightened his grip on the dagger, and adrenaline hit his veins.
The demon was nine feet high, but thin, like a person stretched too much. Its arms were long, hanging to its knees, and wicked nails sprouted from its four digits. It glared around at them all, its orange eyes blazing beneath its heavy eyelids.
“Who summons me? Let them come forth and be known, lest I pursue them even unto the ending of all things!” the demon intoned.
“Did you just intone?” asked Lex.
“No,” said the demon.
“You did. You have the look of an infernal being who just intoned.”
“Fool mortal! I shall destroy thee where thee stands!”
You will do no such thing, Ihithiltalas, Piewicket said. For you recognize me, and you ought to know that these mortals are members of the Salem family, to whom you owe a debt.
The demon hunched over, losing about a foot of height, but none of its menace. “Did you summon me to remind me of my past debt?”
No, we summoned you to pay it.
“Then I shall listen to thy pleas,” the demon said. “And decide if such petty desires are worth my attention.” It straightened up, an aura of power surrounding its twisted body. It intoned, “And woe to those who displease me, I who have devoured thousands of souls!”
“You’re intoning again,” Lex said.
“Fine. I intoned a little.” The demon looked affronted. “Fuck me for trying to display some gravitas.”
“Ihithiltalas,” Dominic said, pulling its attention to him. “We have questions.”
Ihithiltalas looked more alert. “A bargain, then?”
“My bargain is that you answer all our questions tonight honestly and to your fullest knowledge, and in turn, you will no longer owe the Salem family a debt.”
“With nary a soul attached? Not a great bargain.”
“We can skip directly to destruction,” Mal said, holding up the dagger.
“I did not say I would not accept thy bargain! Just don’t mention this to anyone else,” Ihithiltalas said. “The sooner I can put the shame of a debt to mortals behind me, the better. There is little glory for the weak.”
“Do you accept the terms?” Dom pressed.
“Though it pains me, yes. I shall answer thy questions.”
“Tell us about someone who goes by the name of Lord Netjerunakht.”
“Ah. That one.”
“Then you know who I’m talking about.”
“The Prince of Riimara, Realm of Gold and Glory. His is a famous name.”
“Famous why? What’s his interest?”
“Much interest, of all kinds. For Netjerunakht is a banker, a giver and taker of gold, of magic, of jewels, of ivory, of flesh…anything and everything that can be traded.”
“So a gate to make Señor Netjeruwhosit proud would be…” Lex’s eyes widened as he realized the answer even as he asked the question. “A toll booth!”
“Thou art clever, young mortal,” the demon acknowledged with a bow to Lex. “Yes. Such a pathway would be a true monument to the greed of the Prince of Riimara. Every exchange of coin, every promise of payment would glorify him. And strengthen him.”
“What was in it for Daniel Egan? Why would he have been interested in this particular demon?”
Ihithiltalas sighed. “Must I remind you that many who come to us have little notion of who they summon, knowing only that we have more power than they and are willing to bargain for the paltry price of a soul. We are asked over and over for the most banal of gifts. A million dollars. A hundred years. A beautiful face. Nothing that begins to test our powers. Depressing, really.”
“Do demons get depressed?” Lex asked.
“We have eons to think on the failures of creation. Of course we get depressed.”
“Uh, back to the main topic,” Dom muttered. “Does this Prince of Riimara have a lot of dealings with vampires?”
The demon shook his head. “Now that is a question I truly cannot answer. My guess is that he would have dealings with any creatures willing to trade. That would include vampires. Particularly old vampires, ones who had centuries or more to amass wealth and power and acquire ever more…exotic desires.”
Then Dom said, “Netjerunakht has a true name, and you know it. Tell me.”
“Not that,” the demon protested. “Such a breach of etiquette, to reveal the true name of another of my kind! Ask something else!”
“Cut the crap,” Mal told it, holding the dagger up. “You guys love screwing each other over even more than you love screwing mortals over.”
Ihithiltalas’s face cracked into an unpleasant smile, just for an instant. “Ah, but it’s not good etiquette.”
“Tell us the true name we seek,” Dom said. “And if the one called Netjerunakht happens to be destroyed someday, well, that leaves a throne in Riimara that needs filling, doesn’t it?”
“A most interesting family, the Salem clan,” Ihithiltalas said. “Very well. I shall tell you.”
“Write it down as well,” Lex said quickly, holding out his ever-present notebook and pen.
“I shall, young sir.” The demon ignored the pen, and instead used one long nail now dripping with something like blood to inscribe the true name of his rival onto the paper. “His true name is pronounced as thus: Netjerunakhnalasatloth. Use this knowledge as you will, and may the fate of it fall only upon you. Now release me.”
Dom raised his hands. “Ihithiltalas, your debt is paid. We release you to return to your home in peace.”
The demon sighed in relief, then the gash it entered from appeared once more. “I leave you now, mortals. But one last thing I will tell you—out of our deep and caring bond. You sought me out to learn the true name of one who threatens you. I happen to know that others are seeking true names as well—names that contain Salem within them. Be wary, fool mortals. You are in deeper than you think.”
Grinning like a maniac, Ihithiltalas slipped through the gash into his own hellish dimension before anyone could react.
And then the gash was gone, as if it had never been there. The candle flames reverted to their usual yellow, and the night was quiet.
Chapter 24
Cara woke up next to Mal, and despite a deeply weird and upsetting night before, she found she was still turned on by a ragingly hot guy. At least there was that.
She managed to keep his volume down—that was the only thing he kept down—and eventually they were both sweaty and sated without waking up the whole house.
Afterward, he grinned and rolled to a sitting position. “I need coffee in a serious way. You want breakfast in bed?”
Cara shook her head. “I’ll be down in a little bit. Just got to clean up.”
He leaned over. “Is that another invitation to the shower?”
“Not when siblings are listening. Ew!”
“I can be quiet. I just proved that.”
“Get some coffee going, Mal Salem. I’m speaking as your boss.”
Cara hurried through her morning routine, hoping to avoid a bathrobe-only hallway meeting like before. When she was dressed, she went downstairs. Mal was the only person in the kitchen, but he was cooking a meal for what looked like twelve.
“Are we expecting guests?”
“Don’t think so,” he responded, cracking yet another egg into a bowl.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
“Or maybe we are? Uh, can you get that?” he asked.
Cara opened the front door and was met by a stack of books on two slender legs.
<
br /> “Little help, please!” the books said.
Cara pulled the top few books off the stack, revealing the face of an Asian woman about her age.
“Morning! You must be Cara! I’m Lily,” she said far too cheerfully at this hour of the day. “I brought research materials.”
“Oh, yay,” Mal said from the kitchen.
Cara pulled most of the remainder of the stack from her and placed them on the table. Lily followed her, dropping the rest.
“There’s more in the car. From what Lex told me last night, it seemed like you guys needed more on-site help, so I popped into the archives and grabbed everything that seemed relevant.”
Mal regarded the ancient tomes. “Are you sure you’re allowed to take these out of the archive?”
“I got special dispensation from Sam. But I have to return them all undamaged, or I’ll be killed.”
“That’s a joke, right?” Cara asked nervously.
“We’ll take good care of the books,” Mal interjected, leading Cara to think it was not a joke.
“Damn right you will. Hey, is coffee ready?” Lily walked over to the coffee maker, grabbing mugs on the way. She was certainly at home here.
“I’m assuming you want some of this, Cara?” Lily held up a mug.
“You bet.”
“Excellent. We’re going to need a lot of caffeine to get through all the books.”
“I’m, uh, not exactly part of this superhero team,” Cara warned her.
“That’s what Vinny said, and now she’s going through Buffy Boot Camp.” Lily handed her a mug of steaming coffee. “Sugar? Cream?”
“Unnecessary.”
Lily smiled in approval, becoming even cuter. Cara was hyperaware of the other girl’s figure. She was just as slender as Vinny, but shorter, which made her seem delicate. The fact that she was wearing a pink skirt and kitty-cat print tights made her even more adorable. Lily is what women should look like, a voice whispered inside Cara’s head, a voice that sounded a lot like her mother.
Cara stepped around to the other side of the kitchen island, using it to hide her body from the others.
“Heard you got possessed last night. Lex tells me everything,” she added.
“Lily is one month younger than Lex, and she’s basically our extra sister,” Mal explained as he turned to the stove.
Cara nodded. “Ah. Yeah, I got possessed last night. First time.”
“It’s really startling, isn’t it? I’ve been possessed a bunch of times, but it’s always a bit weird.”
“Being possessed by the spirits of your own ancestors is different,” Mal argued. “No one knew Marigold was going to hop into Cara. It’s not like she asked permission.”
“Oh, now you’re on the #MeToo bandwagon? Well, whatever works to get you on board.” Lily stuck her tongue out at Mal. Then she said to Cara, “You know about Mal, right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Ohhhhh.” Lily’s eyes widened as she figured things out. “Lex didn’t tell me that.”
“That’s because I don’t care about Mal’s love life.” Lex bounded into the kitchen, wearing flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt. “Morning, Li! You drove fast.” He squeezed Lily in an exuberant hug. “What, no one poured coffee for me?”
“Get it yourself,” Lily said post-hug. “And pour a lot. I brought books.”
“Oh, yay!” Unlike Mal’s yay, Lex’s held no trace of sarcasm.
Dom wandered in, fully dressed but bleary-eyed. “Coffee?” he asked no one in particular.
Lex handed him the mug he’d just poured and proceeded to start brewing another pot.
“Breakfast ready soon,” Mal announced. “Pancakes, beans, eggs, and bacon.”
“Vinny’s not back?” Dom asked. “She went out on errands.”
“Do you want us to wait?”
“No way. Let’s set the table.”
Cara watched the kitchen chaos somehow result in a set table piled with a ton of food in practically no time. She was directed to a seat next to Mal. Lex and Lily sat opposite each other, next to the towering piles of books. Dom sat across from Mal and grabbed a pancake off the stack before he even sat down.
“Dude!” Lex chided him. “Now you have to say grace.”
“Crap.” Dom put the pancake down. “Ok. May this meal feed us and bless us, and give us the strength to fight evil and stand for those who cannot fight for themselves. Those we love who cannot be at this table in the flesh, may your spirits always be welcome. Amen. Now eat.”
Cara took eggs and beans, holding off on the pancakes. She was surprised by the formality of a breakfast grace, but then again, these were people for whom ritual had a specific and tangible meaning.
Lily spread jam on her pancake and rolled it up tight before eating it. Mal shook his head at her. “Weirdo.”
Cara asked, “Excuse me, Lily. But you could just grab a bunch of arcane books in the middle of the night and drive to Ohio and it’s fine?”
“I’m a grad student,” Lily said with a shrug. “Pretty flexible schedule. Speaking of, catch me up on what the demon said.”
“Wait, what?” Cara asked.
Mal said, “Oh, we summoned a demon last night. Strictly for informational purposes. It’s fine.”
“Wow.” What else had she slept through? “This isn’t one of those pop into another dimension things, is it? Mal said he hates going into the otherworlds.”
Lex looked pained. “You know the story of how NASA invented the ballpoint pen? They needed a way for astronauts to write in space and fountain pens don’t work in zero gravity. They spent millions of dollars testing inks and barrels and delivery systems and voila, they invented the ballpoint pen.”
“While the Russians used a pencil,” Cara finished. Her dad told her that story when she was little.
“Exactly. Mal is like the NASA of otherworlds-walking.” Lex pointed almost accusingly at his older brother. “He was so fixated on avoiding this one particular situation that he basically perfected a bananas workaround where he doesn’t just send his consciousness into the otherworlds, he sends his whole being. Which is way harder, and about seven hundred times more dangerous, and any other rational person would have just sucked it up and learned to do it the way it’s always been done. But Mal invents a brand-new thing, and then uses it to just sort of pop into an otherworld for two seconds and pop out again to win fights. Which is the most Mal thing ever.”
“Look, it’s just what works for me,” Mal defended himself. “And anyway, that’s not what happened. We summoned the demon to this world. And only because it was important.”
The brothers told Lily and Cara what their demon said, and Lily evidently got more out of the info than Cara, who was starting to feel very lost at sea. Then she felt a foot nudge hers, and saw Mal smiling at her over his coffee.
Don’t worry, he mouthed.
“But why are vampires getting involved?” Lily asked toward the end of the debriefing. “What’s in it for them?”
“They’re long-term thinkers,” Lex said. “They’d love the idea of a gift that keeps on giving. They must have learned about the hellhole, and the fact that there’s a big ol’ house on top of it. They see a multidimensional investment opportunity, and bam: Morningside’s Friendly Portal to the Mortal Realms.”
“The vampire’s monetizing a demon gateway?” Lily asked. “That’s some late stage capitalism.”
“But he can’t monetize it until it can be activated again,” Mal jumped in. “So he hires Cara to remake the floor, and the rest of the restoration work on the house me and the other guys are doing is actually just cover for that. But he didn’t count on Marigold still hanging around with all her memories of the original night the gate was almost opened. She even remembered the name of the demon who was supposed to run it. And no one counted on Salems being on watch either.”
At that moment, Vinny walked in through the door to the garage. She held a canvas bag in one hand and a big flat box in the o
ther.
“Ooh, donuts!” Lex said, jumping up to grab it from her and put it on the table.
Lily’s eyes lit up. “Are those from Mora’s Bakery?”
“Of course,” Vinny said, pouring herself coffee.
“Yay! They’re the best.” Lily plucked a donut covered in pink sprinkles from the box and took a bite, a blissful expression coming over her face.
“Cara, pick one. You can’t go wrong.” Mal pulled the box toward her.
Cara confronted the box of colorful, delicious-looking donuts. It might as well have been a box of cocaine. “No thanks, I’m good.”
“But they’re fresh. You should eat one.”
“Malachy Salem,” Vinny said, “Never tell a girl to eat.”
“Or not eat,” added Lily.
“In fact, generally just don’t tell girls to do things.”
“Or not do things,” added Lily.
Mal scooted his chair back, looking a little hunted. “Ok, ok.”
“Thanks, though,” Cara told him. She shot a glance to Vinny, and then to Lily and felt the connection between them, all women, all living in this world. We’re all in the same boat, the glance said. And Cara took a slightly deeper breath, relaxing.
Meanwhile, Mal took three donuts. She rolled her eyes at the unfairness of the world.
Vinny shoved a donut into her mouth and pointed to the books. “Whashh all thisshh?”
“Chew first,” Lex told her. “These are all books on the topics of the portals, hellholes, the specific demon dude Marigold mentioned, and old spells that sort of match what we think Egan did.”
Mal leaned forward. “And that’s it? That’s all we need?”
“Hopefully,” Dom said. “We were at a dead end until Marigold told us the name of the demon that was involved. And after last night, we know the demon’s true name, so we can shut him down for good.”
“Assuming Morningside doesn’t open the gate up for business first,” Mal said.
“If there’s a gateway Morningside is trying to open, that means there’s a way it can be closed. Find it.”
Lex and Lily exchanged glances. “Yes, your honor,” Lily muttered.
Cara wanted to help, but knew that she was way out of her depth. Mal pulled her aside and said that the nerds would ask for assistance if they needed it. “Meanwhile, let’s get some fresh air, ok?”
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