by K E O'Connor
“Oh! Yes, good idea. Thanks, Tempest.” Cassiel hurried over to where Dazielle was slowly sliding down the wall.
Wiggles placed his paws on my chest. “That was quite an adventure. Same time next week?”
I could barely move my head as the dark magic spread through me. “Maybe not. We deserve a couple of weeks off after this.”
“We caught the curse killer,” Wiggles said. “We have to celebrate.”
“When I can move again, we will.” My throat felt tight as the curse edged across me.
Wiggles licked my cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on you until you shake this off.”
“Thanks, Wiggles. You saved my life.”
“And got Dazielle blasted with a curse. It was so worth it.”
I felt a little tearful as my best buddy rested on my chest and chatted about the epic fight he’d seen.
“You’re a great hellhound,” I whispered.
“That’s what I’m here for. Saving lives, breaking hearts, and generally being awesome.” He belched sulfur in my face. I could do nothing but inhale it and accept Wiggles, sulfurous gas and all.
“I’ll get you a big treat.” Those were the last words I spoke as the curse took away my ability to speak.
“I’ll make a list.” Wiggles looked at me. “But before you do that, isn’t there someone you need to check on?”
I wrinkled my brow. It was the most movement he’d get out of me for a while.
“A certain hot guy who’s life you saved and who will want to thank you by giving you a nice, wet, slobbery kiss?”
I shut my eyes and pretended to sleep. That was a problem I had no clue how to handle. I’d saved Rhett first and picked him over Axel, but did that mean anything significant, and if so, what would happen next?
Chapter 21
It had been two days since Sandy’s arrest. She was safely tucked away where no one would find her. And, after twelve hours of not being able to move or speak, her curse had finally broken, and I was back to normal.
“I can’t believe that lovely young Ginger was a black-hearted villain,” Granny Dottie said.
The whole family, apart from Aurora, who was on cemetery duty, sat around the table in Mom’s kitchen.
“She had us all fooled,” I said. “Ginger Gibson was an awesome person. Sandy Bishop, not so much.”
“That poor child must have been half-mad to do what she did.” Mom placed a sweet-smelling stack of pancakes on the table. “That dreadful boy treated her appallingly just because she rejected him and his ego couldn’t take it.”
“I hope the angels go easy on her,” Auntie Queenie said.
“I’ve talked to Dazielle. She sees the mitigating circumstances but will still charge Sandy with the attempted murder of Rhett and Axel. Sandy also killed Dewey to cover her tracks. She might be crazy, but she’s not stupid.”
“Which means the poor dear will not be back in Willow Tree Falls anytime soon,” Mom said. “Tempest, you should go visit her.”
“Mom! She cursed me.”
“Well, I will visit her. And her mom needs to know what happened.”
“She’s been informed,” I said. “She was as shocked as everybody. Happy to know her daughter is alive but horrified by what she’d done.”
“With Sandy gone, does that mean you’re looking for a new member of staff?” Granny Dottie asked. “I can take a few shifts in the bar if you’re short staffed.”
“You, behind my bar.” I shook my head. Granny Dottie had a liking for hard liquor. “We’ll manage fine for now. Although, this proves I’m not a great judge of character. I don’t think I’ll do any new hires for a while. I didn’t spot the dark magic on Sandy.”
“Nonsense,” Mom said. “You weren’t looking for any dark magic. Why would you? All your other bar staff are lovely. And that Blaze is a proper hunk. I saw him the other day with his shirt off.”
“Where did you see him with no shirt on?” I asked.
Mom blushed. “He didn’t have his blinds down in his bedroom. I was just walking past and glanced up.”
“Mom! You’re a peeping tom.”
“No, I’m not! It’s not my fault it was a lovely view, and I stopped to admire it.”
Granny Dottie chortled. “You’ll have to take me along the next time. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen a decent set of abs.”
Grandpa Lucius kissed her cheek. “I might not have abs anymore, but I still know how to show you a good time.”
I tried not to be grossed out by my grandparents smooching. It was sort of sweet in an old, wrinkly way. “If you think Blaze is cute, are you going to ask him out?” I asked Mom.
“Ooooh, that would make you a cougar,” Auntie Queenie said and nudged me. “Your employee could become your step-father if he plays his cards right.”
Mom blushed and swatted at me with a tea towel. “Of course not, but he’s a charming young man. If you keep hiring staff who look like that, you’re going to have a crowded bar every night.”
“Full of middle-aged, lonely women looking for a good time,” Auntie Queenie said.
I smiled at Mom. She hadn’t dated since Dad had disappeared. She’d lost the love of her life and knew there was no point in trying to find a replacement.
“And how’s that lovely young man, Axel?” Auntie Queenie said.
“His dad returned him yesterday,” I said. “Axel seems good as new. In fact, when I saw him, it’s as if he’s had some improvements.”
“What do you mean?” Mom asked.
“I can’t put my finger on it, but he looks different. It’s like his dad sent him for a makeover. He has a new haircut, and I’m sure his teeth look different. It’s more than that; there’s something about his energy. He felt stronger, more powerful.” I’d only seen Axel for five minutes when he’d dropped by the bar yesterday. He’d thanked me for saving his life and had once again promised he wouldn’t touch any mushrooms. I wasn’t convinced but had been distracted by how different he’d seemed to scold him too much.
“His father is a powerful demon,” Granny Dottie said. “Maybe he’s decided he wants his son to step up into a more senior role.”
I groaned. “Don’t say that. I never want to find Axel on my hit list of demons who need hunting.” That would be a conflict of interest I wouldn’t know how to handle.
“What about your young man, Rhett?” Granny Dottie asked.
I stuffed a pancake into my mouth to avoid answering.
Everyone waited for me to chew my pancake, all eyes on me. This was something I’d been avoiding. I’d made my decision to save Rhett. I’d picked him over Axel, but I wasn’t sure what it meant. A big part of me was way too scared to follow through after my initial actions. Maybe it meant nothing. I had to make a choice, so I did.
I swallowed the pancake and went to stab another with my fork, but Granny Dottie stopped me.
“Fine, I know he’s doing okay. I saw Josh yesterday, and he filled me in.”
“Don’t you want to check that for yourself?” Auntie Queenie asked, a twinkle in her eyes.
I shrugged. Did I? If I followed through with my decision, it meant something big. Big, scary and possibly romantic.
“You shouldn’t ignore Rhett,” Mom chastised. “You go to all that effort to save his life and then don’t bother to see how he’s recovering.”
“I’ve been busy. I have a business to run. I’m also recovering from being cursed.”
“You’re better now, and Cloven Hoof can look after itself for a few hours. You should go see Rhett today. He’ll wonder if he’s done something wrong.”
“I’m eating breakfast!”
Mom grabbed my plate and replaced it with a large box. A sugar cinnamon scent drifted out of it. “You take these cookies to the boys and make sure they’re doing okay.”
“The boys?”
“Axel and Rhett. They both deserve cookies after what they’ve been through.”
“Yum! Cookies.” Wiggles
’ nose appeared on my knee.
“You’ve already eaten,” I said to him.
“There’s always room for cookies,” Wiggles said.
“Now go,” Mom said. “No dragging your heels.”
“They will want to thank you,” Granny Dottie said. “I bet they’re grateful you saved their lives. You should have something in mind if they ask how they can repay you. I’d ask Axel for a new car and Rhett for a back rub and some hanky panky.”
“You would.” I glared at her for a second, but she just chuckled and ate a pancake.
“Go now.” Mom pulled my chair back.
I reluctantly left the kitchen and headed outside with Wiggles, the box of cookies tucked under one arm.
“I think we should see Axel first and get that out of the way,” Wiggles said.
“Good choice.” Even though Axel was a notorious flirt, I never took him seriously. It would be good to see how he was doing and check out his new vibe again. There was something about it that set my teeth on edge. It had a dark edge I’d need to keep an eye on.
I headed to Axel’s flash bachelor pad. The windows and doors were shut, and it looked like nobody was in. Before knocking on the door, I peeked through a ground-floor window.
“Oh my...”
Axel lounged on an enormous cream sofa. Leaning over him was a gorgeous blonde wearing a skimpy nurse’s uniform. The hem of the outfit barely covered her panties.
Wiggles wolf whistled. “That’s like no nurse I’ve ever seen. Is that uniform even legal? I can feel my blood pressure rising.”
“It’s definitely not. If she bends over, Axel might have a heart attack.” I watched as the nurse popped a grape into Axel’s mouth and ran a hand through his hair.
“We should go in,” Wiggles said. “I have to be introduced to that nurse. I’ve got a stomach ache and need a belly rub.”
“Another time.” I backed away from the window carefully, not wanting to disturb Axel’s recovery.
After another few seconds of leering at the nurse, Wiggles followed me. “We’re not going to see her, I mean, him?”
“Axel will be just fine.” I shook my head and laughed. Trust Axel to hire a cute blonde to nurse him back to health.
“Axel doesn’t need your mom’s cookies to get over being cursed. He can enjoy the cookies that hot nurse has.”
I nodded as I pulled out two cookies and passed one to Wiggles before eating my own.
“Now to Rhett’s?”
I sighed. “I guess so.”
We’d only taken a few steps before the ground rumbled. I clutched the box of cookies tighter and looked around.
“Have you broken wind?” I asked Wiggles as I was engulfed in a waft of rotten eggs.
“Not guilty, but I can smell it too. Sulphur.”
My gaze narrowed. Somewhere nearby was a demon. The air shimmered in front of me, and Axel’s dad appeared in a flash of red smoke.
I gazed up at him, his eyes black murky pools as he peered down at me. “I didn’t think you liked Willow Tree Falls.”
Kroni grunted. “I can’t say I do. But my son decided to return. I’m keeping an eye on him until he is fully recovered.”
“He’s doing well,” I said. “You might like to give him half an hour. He’s got company.”
Kroni chuckled. “He always was a ladies’ man. He mentioned your name a lot when he was recovering.”
“We’re friends.”
“Nothing more?”
I shook my head. I did not want a demon like Kroni as my father-in-law. “Nothing more.”
“That is for the best.” Kroni picked something long and stringy from between his teeth. “Crypt witches can be difficult.”
“We aim to please,” I said.
Kroni snorted and used a talon to scratch his chin. “Although I do not approve of your demon hunting activities, my son spoke fondly of you. You hold a place in his heart. Make sure you don’t abuse that.”
“I have no plans to. As I said, we’re friends. I treat my friends well.” After my visit to Rhett’s, I was planning a trip to Sprinkles to buy the biggest cake I could find. I owed Izzie a huge apology and everyone else at Cloven Hoof for pulling rank. I’d never doubt any of them again.
“As it should be.” Kroni sniffed the air and eyed the box in my hands. “Because of that, you will get no trouble from me.”
“That’s good to know.” I tightened my grip on the box. This demon was not having my cookies. “There’s a chance we’ll meet one day outside of Willow Tree Falls. The angels are not fans of yours.”
“And when we do meet?” Kroni tilted his head.
I sucked in a breath. “When we do, one of us will win.”
His hand reached out, his talons stroking down a strand of my hair. “It will not be you. You are good at what you do but don’t underestimate my power. You saw a tiny hint of it when I saved my son. I can make life very difficult for you.”
“You could, but would you want to do that to one of your son’s friends?” I refused to flinch as his talon clipped my ear.
“We can come to an agreement,” Kroni said.
“I don’t make deals with demons.” I discounted the recent bargain I’d made with Frank. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
“My deal is, we stay out of each other’s way.”
It wasn’t a bad offer. I was sure I wouldn’t be able to beat Kroni if he turned nasty. “I’ll consider it.”
“I’ve watched you work outside of Willow Tree Falls. You have taken some of my friends.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Your friends do bad things. They deserve to be taken.”
“I could have stopped you. I almost did on several occasions. Perhaps now, I will not watch you so much. I will allow you to do your job, providing you do nothing to harm my son and stay out of my way.”
I couldn’t believe Kroni was bargaining with me. He must seriously overrate my powers, or maybe there was a soft side to this demon, just like his son. “I’d appreciate you not watching me. It sounds a bit creepy.”
He chuckled. “I’ve been called a lot worse than a creep. Do we have a deal?”
I nodded slowly. I had no plans to hurt Axel. He was a super annoying, sometimes sleazy friend, but still a friend. “If you don’t get in my way when I’m taking down demons, I don’t see there being a problem.”
“Then it is agreed.” Kroni held out his hand, a talon raised.
I grimaced. Why do demons have such an obsession with blood? To seal the agreement, we had to exchange blood. I carefully ran the tip of my finger over the top of his talon and felt the skin break. He sliced his own finger open, and we pressed skin together, our powers mingling before the deal was formally sealed, demon-style.
“Have a pleasant life, Demon Hunter,” Kroni said.
“You too. Have a pleasant... demon existence.”
Kroni nodded, snatched the box of cookies from my hand, and vanished in a puff of red smoke.
“Hey! He stole the cookies.” Wiggles growled at the spot Kroni had been standing.
I stared at my empty hand. “Typical demon. They always have a sweet tooth.”
“Kroni always was a show off,” Frank muttered in my head.
“Don’t say you wouldn’t do the same thing,” I said as we headed back along the lane toward Rhett’s house, minus my cookie gift.
“I’d do it with much more class.”
“Could he beat me in a fight?” I asked Frank.
“Between the two of us, we could knock him on his fiery behind.”
I snorted a laugh. Today was full of surprises. “You’re suggesting we work together?”
“No, I’m suggesting I take advantage of you at every opportunity. Remember who I am. Remember why I’m here.”
I pressed my lips together. Of course, Frank’s focus was getting to Aurora. I could never let my guard down and take the risk that he would succeed.
“If you walk any slower, you’ll go backwards.” Wiggles
turned and looked at me over his shoulder.
I was dragging my heels, but I didn’t have a clue what to say to Rhett. I’d picked him. When backed into a corner, Rhett had been my choice. Did that mean I wanted to take it any further?
I arrived at his house and stood outside his front door, staring at it. “Maybe he’s not in.”
“Unless you knock, we’ll never know,” Wiggles said.
I knocked quietly. “See, he’s not in.”
Wiggles jumped up the door and pounded against it with his paws.
“Traitor!”
“Anything for true love and snacks. I bet Rhett has snacks.”
Rhett pulled open the door and smiled when he saw me. “I’ve been hoping you’d drop by.”
Other than looking a little paler than usual, Rhett was back to his frustratingly gorgeous self. “I wanted to give you time to recover after the incident in the forest.”
“You mean the incident where you saved my life?” He grinned at me.
I nodded. “I had cookies to give you. They got stolen.”
“Who stole them?”
“Axel’s dad.”
Rhett peered over my shoulder. “Kroni’s here?”
“Not anymore. Neither are the cookies.”
“No problem. I have cookies.”
“I knew he would.” Wiggles barged past him. “Show me the cookies.”
Rhett shook his head as he watched Wiggles walk along the hallway. “I guess that means you’re coming in.”
“I guess so.” I stepped through the doorway and looked around. “You’ve got some new pieces.”
Rhett gestured at the small metal sculpture of a tortured angel. “A commission from a customer.”
I inspected the begging, terrified expression on the sculpture’s face. “Someone who does not like angels?”
Rhett chuckled. “Client confidentiality, but it’s safe to say they run on the dark side. Come through. I’ve been working on something I think you’ll both like.” He led the way into the kitchen and gestured to a sculpture by the back door. “What do you think?”
I stared at the sculpture. “Is that...” I moved closer. “You’ve done a sculpture of Wiggles?”
Wiggles raised his head from his focused investigation of Rhett’s trash. “Say what?”
