by Mary Abshire
"Do you enjoy sending these souls to Hell?" Renaud asked.
"Do I enjoy it?" I repeated in a mocking tone. "Yes. They were all evil. They murdered people, mutilated, raped, whatever. They deserved to be in Hell."
"Did you personally enjoy when you were sending them to Hell?" Dimitry asked.
The question sounded too similar to the prior one. I decided to give a more detailed reply. "Knowing that they were going to a destination where they belonged, yes, I enjoyed it. They were evil. They shouldn't have been allowed to walk this earth freely."
Until my dear ol' dad, the devil, decided to call their souls to home, evil spirits were free to walk the earth. And if they were strong enough, they could possess the living.
Elissa leaned over the table. "I think what Dimitry wants to know is if you feel excited or have something similar to an adrenaline rush."
"Oh, no." I shook my head. "No. I don't gain any power or feel any sort of high. I suck them in and they disappear. End of story." Well, close enough. No need to explain they fought back. I always won the battle anyway.
Elissa smiled. "Thank you for clarifying that for us."
I glanced over my shoulder at Sean. His hazel eyes met mine and he gave me a supportive smile with a tilt of his head.
"Mr. McClelland," Anton said. "How many years, would you say, was Jessie under your care?"
"I would say almost six years. I took Jessie in before her thirteenth birthday and she stayed with me until she went to college. I believe she was eighteen and a half," Sean said.
A small grin spread across my face. I loved hearing his voice. He had a magical way of easing my worries and calming my soul.
Anton tilted his head as if in thought. "Did you ever notice any unusual traits about her?"
"No, never."
"But you knew she was a demon," Constantine said.
"Half-demon. Yes, I knew. Her mother left Jessie a journal and a note for me."
"Did you suspect she had any special abilities?" Constantine asked.
"No. She acted as normal as any other human being would of her age. Because she is half-demon, I believed she had more human traits than demon."
"Did you ever see her catch a soul?" Ramon asked.
"No. As she already told you, she was in college when she began to use her ability. Once she moved away from home, she came back for short visits, but nothing more."
"Did your biological father ever contact you, Jessie?" Sophia asked.
I shook my head. "My mother did not tell me the name of the demon that impregnated her, and so far, he has never contacted me that I know of."
Nassar folded his hands above the table. "We know demons have a connection to the devil and can receive communication from him. Have you ever received any type of communication from him?"
I glanced at Jeremy as I took a deep breath. He gave me a quick supportive nod. Talking about the ultimate evil beast was not a topic I enjoyed.
I faced Nassar. "Yes."
"How often does he contact you?" Dimitry asked with a curious gaze.
I lifted my shoulder. "On occasion."
Many of the members turned their eyes to each other. Their blank faces and lengthy gazes proved they were talking with their thoughts rather than their voices. Although it was probably normal to them after centuries of silent communication, I found it rude.
"Do you speak with him?" Ramon asked.
"Not usually. He'll give me a message."
"When did you last speak with him?" Nassar asked.
I hesitated, not wanting to respond. But what choice did I have? I'd already said I communicated with him, so I couldn't lie now.
"I spoke to him last night, when Drake was saving me."
Dimitry leaned over the table. "What did he say?"
My gaze jumped to Drake. If I told the complete truth, it might hurt my relationship with him or my chances of walking away alive. I didn't want either to happen. Fibbing a little wouldn't hurt. "He told me to trust Drake."
Several members turned their eyes to Drake.
"Why?" Quon asked. "Why would the devil tell you to trust Drake?"
"Because he can protect me," I said, snippy. "I'm sure he enjoys the souls I send to him and doesn't want anything to happen to me."
The room became silent again as members locked eyes with other members. Drake scanned each person. I wondered if he was tapping into their thoughts. I would do just about anything to have that ability for the moment.
Sean patted my hand. "You're doing fine."
"Thanks." I smiled. His soft touch and comforting words lifted my heart, if only a little. I was so glad he’d come to support me.
"Jessie, did you ever take a soul that was not evil?" Nassar asked.
"No," I replied flatly. "Never."
"How are you certain?" Renaud asked.
"Well, for starters, most of the ones I found were through a paranormal investigation. We check out places where someone has reported seeing spirits. In all cases, my roommate researched the place and we knew someone evil harmed another person. Another way I can tell is by the energy they put off. Souls that have killed, tortured, and committed crimes have strong energy. The purer the soul, the weaker the energy."
"Drake informed us in our prior meetings about her ability to sense the presence of these souls. I see no point to continue asking her what she feels," Nassar said with his attention directed at his peers.
"If she is quick to judge one of us for manipulating the dancer's mind, how do we know she isn't quick to judge the souls she finds?" Quon asked.
"My gut instinct knows a good spirit from a bad one," I snapped.
Sean stretched his arm out over my lap.
"Instinct"—Dimitry eyed me pointedly—"can be wrong."
"The fire within me would disagree," I said in a firm voice. "If you want to ask it—"
"Jessie," Jeremy said softly. He shook his head.
His silent warning gave me pause to consider my response. Maybe my attitude was a little too unruly.
I returned my gaze to the audience. "Look, I know when it's a bad spirit. My body knows."
Anton leaned forward, glaring at Dimitry. "The question has been answered. We need to move on."
"I have a new question for Jessie," Quon said.
I gritted my teeth as I turned my head. His questions and Dimitry's put me on the defense.
"Why did you bring a demon with you to this meeting?"
Slowly, I glanced around the room. I found only one set of kind eyes. They belonged to Drake.
"He came to help protect me," I said.
"I thought Drake was here to protect you," Dimitry said in a cynical tone.
"A lady can never have enough protection," Jeremy said with his lips twisted at the corner of his mouth.
Several men chuckled at Jeremy's comment.
"What is your specialty, demon?" Elissa tilted her head elegantly to the side and arched her brows.
The urge to look at Kuri plagued me. He really hadn't told them what Jeremy had done to him. Why? The Asian vamp was never nice to Jeremy or me. In fact, he wanted Jeremy dead. So why hide what had happened?
"I am a skilled fighter," Jeremy said.
On the far left, someone let out a light cough. I glanced over Sean's shoulder and saw Kuri twisting in his seat. I wondered if he wanted the truth released now since we were sitting in front of the group.
"Do you have any other special abilities?" Quon probed.
Jeremy's fearless gaze pierced Quon. "I can burn people."
"Burn people?" Dimitry asked.
Jeremy locked eyes with Dimitry. "I can set an enemy on fire." His voice was confident, strong, and had a don't fuck with me tone.
Dimitry looked in both directions. "Well now, that is truly remarkable. I can certainly see why Jessie would want you to come here."
Several members mumbled to each other. Drake's downcast eyes and tight lips revealed his concern. He had warned me they would frown upon Jeremy c
oming. Still, I didn't regret my decision. Jeremy was a strong ally I needed.
Sean rose. "I assure you, she did not bring him here to instigate any trouble."
I scooted my chair back, then stood. "I know what you must be thinking." I approached the table in front of me. Sean followed me closely. "I wanted Jeremy to protect me in case anything bad might happen."
"Jessie." Sean touched my arm.
Dimitry slapped his hand on the table, shaking it. "Then you admit to protect yourself you would allow him to use his skill." His harsh voice sent a sharp chill down my spine.
Fingers wrapped around my arm. An electrical zing shot into me, numbing my nerves and silencing me. My mind threw out words, but my lips refused to move. Sean had used his magic on me.
"She admits nothing other than he is here to support her. Anything more is mere speculation on your part." Sean tugged me back.
Nassar rose. "Ladies and gentlemen, none of us should have any ill feelings toward Jessie or Jeremy. The expectation is the same from them. We should proceed with that mutual understanding."
Sean and I returned to our seats as some voiced their agreement and others simply stared, namely, Quon and Dimitry.
The numbness in my arm disappeared the minute Sean released me. His silencing spell had come at the right time. I had been angry and ready to give them heated words. He was a smart lawyer to stop me from saying something that would've made me look bad.
As I took a glimpse at each member, a sense of dread branched out from within me. Though I'd been honest, except for fibbing once, I sensed they didn't trust my judgment. I sure didn't trust theirs.
I took a deep breath while I figured out ways to improve my standing with them. What I needed to do was show my strengths, prove I had moral principles, and demonstrate I could be an asset to them, not a hindrance. I could do it.
Well into the morning hours, I answered their questions. My rear became numb. Sean and Jeremy added comments in moderation. The response on the members' faces seemed positive, except for Renaud and Dimitry. No matter how hard I tried to prove myself, it seemed they already had formed an opinion of me. As for Quon, his impassive features left me questioning if he even listened to a word I said.
"Nassar, perhaps we should have a discussion without Jessie, Jeremy, and Mr. McClelland present," Constantine said.
"I think that would be a good idea," Ramon said. The others mumbled in agreement.
"If there are no other questions, then they are free to leave." Nassar made brief eye contact with the rest of the group.
Silenced filled the room, but only for a few seconds.
"Jessie, you and your friends may return to your lodging. We will need you to return tomorrow evening for another meeting," Nassar said in a polite tone.
The three of us rose. "Thank you," I said.
The room became silent as Jeremy led the way out. I had an odd feeling all eyes watched our movements. Sean walked out behind me. His energy felt like a constant buzz under my skin, whereas Jeremy's warmed me. I couldn't wait to sit and chat with Sean.
We reached our building slightly wet from the drizzling rain. While Jeremy led Sean into the living room, I dashed to the bathroom. I grabbed towels, then returned to the main room and handed them out.
"I can't believe you came here," I said as I handed the cloth to Sean.
"Drake and I planned it." Sean patted his face.
"You came at the right time too." Jeremy turned and plopped down into one of the recliners, bouncing on the cushion.
Sean sat at the end of the sofa. "You did well."
"You think so?" I sat in the recliner nearest him and wiped the rain from my face. "I don't think I impressed Quon, Renaud, or Dimitry. And they're the ones I needed to persuade to support me the most."
"You impressed Dimitry. He couldn't keep his eyes off your legs," Jeremy said.
"I noticed that also," Sean said.
I cleaned the water from my arms with the towel. "He came here yesterday with Renaud and offered me eight million for blood and sex."
"What?" Sean asked, shocked.
"Yeah. I think he's mad because I declined. He's probably the one who forced the exotic dancer to stab me."
Sean's eyes grew wide. "You were stabbed by an exotic dancer?"
"Nassar and Drake questioned her, but someone wiped her memory clean," I said.
"Someone wants to scare you," Sean said.
"Why would they want to scare me? If they don't like me, they can vote to get rid of me. Wouldn't that be easier?"
Sean draped the towel over his knee. "They don't want to get rid of you. I don't believe that was ever their plan."
"Drake said they thought I was a risk to them since I could send souls to Hell."
Sean gave a single shake of his head. "I don't think the majority believe that."
"But it takes all of them to vote in favor of me."
"I don't believe for a second they would want you dead. You offer something they could use," Sean said.
Leaning back, I thought about what I had to offer. Only two items came to mind—my blood and ability to send souls to Hell. If they wanted me to share my blood, they could forget it. If they wanted me to work for them and catch souls, I might consider it, but only if Drake was my partner.
"I think he's right. They want to use you." Jeremy balled the towel in his lap.
Use me. The word made me think about my mother. Demons and witches had used her. To get away from them and to save me from sharing the same fate, she’d committed suicide and left me with Sean. My situation with the vamps was similar—they wanted to use me. Would I end up like her? No, I wouldn't commit suicide as a form of escape.
"If they want my services, my soul catching services, they should ask me."
Jeremy laughed. "Vampires typically don't ask. They take and they are good at it."
Frowning, I gave Jeremy a baleful glare.
"I'm afraid he's right, Jessie. They are very good at taking," Sean said.
After I kicked off my shoes, I curled my legs underneath me. "They can't expect me to give up everything in my life and just do whatever they want." I ran my fingers through my damp hair, brushing it away from my face.
Jeremy placed his arm on the armrest. "You're talking about a group of people who don't know or understand what it's like to work, pay bills, take care of family or friends, or anything a normal human would do. These people have been immortal for centuries. They don't care about your obligations." His tone clued me in to his dissatisfaction.
I let out a heavy sigh and started dissecting the meeting from the beginning. Jeremy and Sean chimed in, commenting about little details they noticed. We agreed Nassar seemed to be the leader. He had a more open and optimistic outlook. Dimitry was the commanding one of the bunch with his in your face dominance. The three of us also agreed the older vampires were able to control him. Therefore, Dimitry really wasn't such a bad ass. His governing attitude was merely a front.
An hour or so later, a knock at the door interrupted our pleasant conversation. We hushed our words and glanced at each other.
"I'll get it." Jeremy pushed his lazy self from the recliner.
Sean and I both rose as Jeremy opened the door. One of the male servants stood outside, dressed in casual jeans and a polo shirt.
"Is Mr. McClelland here?" the servant asked.
Sean stepped toward the door. "I am."
"Sir, I was sent to ask if you would mind returning for further questioning."
Jeremy's suspicious gaze hit me. I disliked that they only wanted Sean back. What further questions could they have?
"Why do they want him and not Jeremy or me?" I asked.
"I was told to ask Mr. McClelland only," the young man replied. His glassy eyes stayed focused on Sean.
An odd feeling stirred within me, giving me pause to let him walk out the door. "I'll go with you."
"No." Sean gripped my arms. "You and Jeremy stay here. I'm sure they just want to ask
a few more questions."
"Let Jeremy go with you," I said.
Sean cupped the side of my face. "You worry too much. I will be fine."
I held his hand tight pressed to my face. The slight zing tickled my cheek—a reminder that he was a warlock and he had power he could use. "I don't want you to go by yourself."
"I'll be fine." He smiled with confidence. He slid his hand away, then spun to face Jeremy. "You may have to restrain her."
Jeremy smiled, amused. "That would be a pleasure."
My jaw dropped in shock. How dare he ask Jeremy to detain me. Before I could voice my disapproval, Sean left with the servant. I stepped toward the door and Jeremy rushed to block me from following.
"Not so fast." He held his palms toward me. "Let's give him a half hour. If he's not back, we'll go there together."
I backed up, shaking my head. "Fine. Half an hour."
I meandered back into the living room as Jeremy shut the door. What could I do in a half hour besides bite my nails and wait?
"Does the television in the bedroom work?"
"Yeah," he said.
I strode into the room, then pushed the power button on the front. The television made a faint whine as a picture formed. After I snatched the remote, I stretched out on the bed near the windows. I flipped through the channels in search of something to distract me, but I doubted I would find anything since sunrise was a few short hours away. Infomercials were not my cup of tea.
Jeremy relaxed on the other bed. He crossed his ankles and placed his arms behind his head. "Find something funny to watch."
After one round through all the channels, I slowed my search, staying on a channel for more than thirty seconds at a time. Programming from the UK streamed through, but not clear enough. When I found a show about two older women living together—both drunk and a bit wacko, I set the remote down.
Twenty minutes later, my eyelids grew heavy. I yawned. Ten more minutes, I reminded myself. Then, we would leave to check on Sean.
I was in the middle of another yawn when the front door burst open with a loud thud. Jeremy and I leaped to our feet.
"Jessie?" Drake said loudly.
My heart pounded as I rushed out of the room. "What? What's wrong?"
He grabbed hold of my hand and jerked me toward the door.
