Building eight looked like all the rest, plain and simple. A few balconies had pumpkins lined up in neat rows. One even had a scarecrow seated on a chair.
Julian walked slowly, first up and down the stairs, then around the base of the building, searching for anything that might be out of place.
His ability to detect demonic energy with his demon mark was fairly limited. He could detect when a person’s soul had been eaten by a demon, and when he was close to active demonic energy, but that was it.
“Hineker, do you sense anything?” Julian asked. The demon master clenched his hand into a fist and braced himself for the familiar burn from his back.
The demon closed his eyes and reached out with his magic, searching for the presence of demonic energy. He felt a slight residual effect, but nothing that was recent.
“A demon was here, but no longer,” the enforcer reported. “I suspect that they have moved on to another location.”
Julian ran his fingers through his hair.
Well wasn’t that just great.
How were they going to find a creature that was a moving target?
◆◆◆
By the time Julian and Hineker returned to the hotel, the demon master was in a foul mood. Their search at Hoverson Summit Apartments and the surrounding area had come up empty. They’d found no sign of their missing demon, and no clues as to where to look next.
Normally, Hineker enjoyed when his prey gave a little chase. Hunting demons that stayed in one location could get awfully boring sometimes. It was refreshing to encounter a demon that moved randomly from place to place. Unfortunately, his master didn’t appear to agree. The longer their search came up empty, the worse the demon master’s mood became.
Of course, it hadn’t really helped when Hineker had informed Julian that the appearance of their newest target wasn’t the result of a demonic cult, but a sole individual instead.
Because the energy of both demon and master were intertwined, Hineker could tell from the demon’s residual energy if the creature had been summoned by the same human or a different one. When demons were summoned in close succession with a different human each time, it was usually the sign of a cult. But this creature was summoned by the same human that had released the sleeper demon.
It was a pity, the enforcer demon liked when the hunt led to a demonic cult. The emotional state of cult members was always so fragile, the group easily succumbing to the lies and deception from a single leader.
The demon licked his lips. A cult leader’s soul was absolutely delicious, filled with angry intentions and misguided perceptions. Plus, cult leaders and their followers often welcomed the enforcer demon with open arms, mistakenly thinking that Hineker would devour their souls to save them. The enforcer demon smirked. Cults. They were a group of fools. Delicious, gullible, demon-loving fools.
Too bad they weren’t dealing with a cult this time.
Multiple demons summoned by the same human, that was the work of a single, crazed individual. Someone dangerous.
Their priorities for this hunt just changed. Now, they not only had to find the creature, but the missing human as well.
An insane demon master must be stopped.
While Hineker was intrigued by this latest development, Julian had almost yanked his hair out in frustration when he’d found out.
Hineker opened the door to the penthouse suite and followed Julian inside. The demon master’s gait was stiff, his shoulders tight with tension as he crossed over to the living area. Julian sat down on the nearest couch with a thump, frustration rolling off of him in waves. He selected a random channel on the TV, and tossed his wallet and smartphone onto the coffee table.
Hineker moved to the bar and poured a shot of whiskey. Julian accepted the glass without a word and drained it in one gulp. The demon immediately poured his master a second glass. Julian kicked off his shoes and sipped the drink this time, taking a moment to savor the taste.
“It’s a little sweet.” The demon master held the glass up for a moment, admiring the amber-colored liquid inside.
“Is this still whiskey?” he asked.
“Yes,” Hineker confirmed. “It’s Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey. Instead of yellow corn, the distillery uses white, and distils it in copper pots. This gives the whiskey a subtle touch of sweetness.”
“It’s good.” Julian nodded in approval and took another sip. The second glass was soon replaced with a third. Hineker watched Julian’s muscles finally relax and his body sank deeper into the plush, dark leather.
The demon made a mental note to have a few cases of the whiskey shipped back home to Julian’s estate.
As the human nodded off, the glass of whiskey slipped from Julian’s grip. Hineker caught the glass before it could touch the floor. He turned off the TV and covered Julian with a blanket. It was good to see his master relaxed, even if it was only for a little while.
Hineker shook his head, annoyed with himself.
The physical state of a demon’s master was of utmost importance to a demon, after all, a demon can’t stay within the living realm without a human master. But the emotional state of one’s human should not matter.
The demon scowled. Human feelings were irritating, vague, and often irrational. He’d been around these creatures for far too long. The enforcer demon had developed a deep connection to his human master. It was an unforeseen consequence of having served the Rickelson men for more than a century.
It was good that Julian was the last living heir. It was what the human wanted. Besides, Hineker was long overdue to return to the underworld. Let another enforcer pick up the slack of patrolling the living realm for a little while.
Hineker startled at the thought. Return to the underworld. Was he really ready to do that?
Disturbed by his own indecision, the demon paced the room. Noticing that Julian’s smartphone was running low, he plugged the device into the wall charger. His finger brushed the side, and Julian’s text messages opened. The demon scrolled through the messages, reading the banter back and forth between Raelyn and his master.
Humans, they certainly were amusing at times.
The demon inclined his head. When he’s returned to the underworld, he’ll have to wait his turn to be summoned again. It could be years, decades, maybe even centuries before he can return to the living realm.
But, if Julian were to sire a male child, then he’d be able to stay a little longer.
The demon’s eyes roamed over to the demon master sleeping on the couch. Julian was handsome and wealthy, he never had a problem attracting the attention of a woman. It was a shame he wasn’t a playboy too, it would’ve made securing Hineker’s future so much easier. Then he wouldn’t have to orchestrate the stubborn human falling in love and getting married first. Two things he knew Julian didn’t want to do. The obstinate male was determined to be the last descendent of the Rickelson family tree.
Hineker stared down at Julian’s phone, and debated what he enjoyed doing more, hunting demons or playing matchmaker. Julian might be stubborn, but he wasn’t the first Rickelson male that the demon had to manipulate into marriage. Hineker’s fingers hovered over the keys of Julian’s phone, deciding what to suggest to Raelyn.
Well, they were in Nashville, a city filled with music. It was the perfect opportunity for the two humans to loosen up a bit with a night of drinking and dancing and whatever else the night might bring.
Chapter 14 - Raelyn
“I can’t believe I’m really doing this,” Raelyn complained as she drove her old pick-up truck through downtown Nashville. When she’d first received Julian’s message she’d been thrilled to hear from him again so soon. Until he’d asked her out on a date, to a honky-tonk. Then, her excitement at seeing him again sank as fast as a stone thrown into a river.
Honky Tonk Row was a four block area of neon lights, cowboys, tourists, bachelorette parties, and live country music. To the music lover, the energetic bar scene was a special place, where country
stars were born and legends were preserved. To Raelyn, it was a place to avoid like the plague. The area was always filled with people, which meant lots of rapidly changing auras for her to deal with. Raelyn’s stomach twisted in a knot of anxiety while she looked for a parking spot.
“This isn’t a good idea. It’s going to be—.”
“A night of fun with a hot guy,” Trinity interrupted. Unperturbed by Raelyn’s scowl, Trinity continued to take control of the conversation.
“Come on Rae, drinking, dancing, live country music, meeting a sexy guy in a bar, these are some of the things that I never got a chance to try. It really sucks being dead sometimes,” Trinity said wistfully, piling on the guilt. “But, that’s why I have you, to do the things that I can’t anymore. Someone’s gotta show that gorgeous City Boy how we party down here in the south, and that someone is you, Country Girl.”
Raelyn blushed, immediately regretting having told her friend about the nicknames during her banter back and forth with Julian. She stopped the truck at a red light and tugged on her belt. A brush of cool air passed over her hand when the ghost tried to stop her.
“Stop fussing Rae, you look great,” Trinity reassured her friend.
“There are going to be so many people,” she complained, pulling into an open parking spot on Broadway.
“You only need to focus on one,” Trinity pointed out.
Raelyn rolled her eyes at her friend’s smug smile and stepped out of the truck. The smells of burgers, barbeque, and beer carried to her nose as Raelyn hurried down the block, weaving through the crowds of people. Her ears picked up the lingering notes of music from up-and-coming country artists as she passed the bars, restaurants, and retail shops on Lower Broadway.
“Walker Bent Saloon should be coming up on your left,” Trinity directed.
Raelyn nodded, barely avoiding a collision with a young couple that stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to take a picture. Reaching her destination, Raelyn let out a sigh of relief and joined the back of the line.
“Do you think he’s here?” Raelyn asked.
“I don’t know, but I’ll check.” The ghost blinked out of sight before Raelyn could protest.
Suddenly aware of how very alone and single she was, Raelyn fidgeted with her outfit. The long-sleeve, plaid shirt was tucked into a pair of fitted jeans with embellishment on the back pockets. Accenting her waist was a wide leather belt with a center panel of more rhinestones than one could count. Her favorite cowgirl boots finished off the look. She blew a wayward strand of hair from her face, wishing that she’d worn it tied up instead of loose and wild.
Following the line of people, Raelyn walked inside. Her eyes widened in surprise. Walker Bent Saloon was the best honky-tonk in Nashville, and also the largest. An impressive three stories high, the crowded bar boasted a different live act on each floor. The building was already packed wall to wall with people, yet the host still let more inside.
What’s the maximum capacity of this place?
Raelyn tried to ignore the rapidly changing auras as she walked around. Red. Yellow. Green. Orange. Blue. Purple. Turquoise. In the crowded setting, the mixture of auras created a kaleidoscope of colors. Far too many for Raelyn to comprehend.
Her breaths came short and fast and she struggled to remain calm amidst the chaos. An electric energy filled the air, carrying with it waves of emotions. The energy of the bar crowd rapidly rotated through the shifting colors of its patrons.
Raelyn flinched in surprise as cold air signaled Trinity’s return.
“Relax Rae, it’s just me,” Trinity soothed. “I don’t think he’s here yet.”
An endless stream of people passed through the front door. The noise in the room intensified. Bodies filled up any available empty space, forcing people to press closer and closer together. The air buzzed with the energy of the nighttime crowd. A constant parade of colors and emotions washed over Raelyn. She struggled to keep from drowning underneath the onslaught.
“It’s too many people.” Overwhelmed, Raelyn panicked. “It’s too much information.” She kept herself away from large crowds like this for a reason. The over-abundance of energy and emotions in the room overloaded her senses.
She turned around and spotted an exit sign. “I should just go. I’ll apologize later or something.”
Raelyn hurried towards the exit door.
“No, no, no, no,” Trinity moved in her friend’s path. “Rae, wait. You can do this. Think of this as an opportunity to practice focusing your attention.”
“Trey, I can’t,” Raelyn pleaded. “It’s too much. It’s too many.”
“Yes, you can,” Trinity coaxed. “Let’s pick someone to focus on. Look, the guy at the bar over there, with the brown leather cowboy hat and the red plaid shirt.” The ghost pointed to the target sitting at the bar. “For the next eight seconds, I want you to focus all of your attention on only him. I want you to look at him and tell me what his aura is.”
Raelyn turned her gaze onto the cowboy at the bar.
“It’s only for the next eight seconds. I’ll count it off. Go!” Trinity began counting backwards from eight.
Raelyn stared at the man, pushing out all of the thoughts and emotions that were unrelated to him. The sounds of the crowd softened to a dull murmur. The swirling colors of the room coalesced into one distinct shade.
“Orange,” she observed. “Warmth and enthusiasm.” Raelyn turned to her friend and smiled. “Something good happened. He’s excited about something.”
“Excellent!” Trinity praised. “Let’s try another one. That girl in the denim shirt over there.” The ghost pointed to a petite red-head standing to Raelyn’s left.
Raelyn stared at the petite woman. She laughed along with the female on her right, probably a friend. The friend gestured to the front door and the red-head turned around to look. Her aura brightened, settling into a mixture of two colors.
“Red mixed with yellow.” Raelyn breathed in deep, sorting through the energy. She narrowed in on the emotions radiating from the red-head’s aura.
“Lust.”
The red-head bit her lower lip.
“I think she sees someone that she likes.” Raelyn turned to look at her friend. “It’s probably a hot guy walking by.”
“Yeah, and she’s not the only one,” Trinity said, breathless. “Hot damn Rae, your City Boy is really looking fine tonight.”
“What?” She shifted to look at the front door. Heat rushed to Raelyn’s center at the sight.
Julian weaved his way across the room. The eyes of every woman in the bar followed him. Among a sea of western shirts and faded Levi’s, Julian’s outfit stood out among the crowd. The black button down shirt was sharply pressed, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Slim black jeans fit as if they were custom made for his body. At his waist sat a black Ferragamo belt with a gray metal buckle. A pair of black monk strap shoes finished the ensemble.
“Wow,” Raelyn whispered.
Julian was class and sophistication, all wrapped up in one delicious black package. And if the sudden rush of red and yellow auras invading her sight was any indication, Raelyn wasn’t the only female in the bar who liked what she saw.
“It looks like my work here is done,” Trinity declared, satisfied that Raelyn was no longer a flight risk.
“Hey, Rae?”
“Yeah?”
“Have fun tonight.” Trinity grinned wickedly at her friend. “And don’t forget to use protection.”
Before Raelyn could retort, the ghost blinked out of sight. Trinity was gone, but Raelyn swore she could hear the ghost’s laughter anyway.
Julian stopped in front of Raelyn, greeting her with a gentle kiss on the cheek. “You look amazing, Country Girl,” he whispered, his lips brushing past her ear. His hand slid to her lower back and she shivered at the light touch. Shouldn’t she be saying that to him?
“Thanks, City Boy,” she managed to squeak out.
“Sorry I’m late.” He loo
ked around the bustling room. “This place gets pretty packed.”
“I can show you somewhere more private,” a new voice spoke up from the crowd.
Distracted by Julian, Raelyn had failed to notice the hostess standing directly behind him. The hostess eyed Julian like he was a piece of rare meat, and she was a hungry lioness eager to pounce. The woman’s aura flared a bright mixture of red and yellow.
“Great, lead the way,” Julian replied, oblivious to the woman’s heated gaze. He slid his hand around Raelyn’s waist, staking his claim for the night. The hostess’s eyes narrowed, her aura shifting rapidly from red and yellow to green. Lust to jealousy. She scowled at Raelyn before turning away and leading them through the crowd.
Julian slid his hand into Raelyn’s own and followed the hostess across the room.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I’ve got us VIP access,” he replied, guiding her along.
The hostess cut a path through the crowd and led them through a side door. The noise of the crowd dulled slightly as they climbed up three flights of stairs.
“Welcome to our VIP lounge.” The hostess pushed open the door, nodding to the bouncer at the entrance. “Your wrist please.” She snapped a yellow band on Raelyn’s wrist. “The opening act will begin shortly. The house drink tonight is the Pony Show. The door next to the bar will take you down to the main stage. Bathrooms are around the corner.” The hostess snapped a yellow band around Julian’s wrist. Her fingers lingered at the top of his hand, hopeful.
Raelyn felt a prick of jealousy slide through her at the sight of another woman touching Julian. He was with her! She had to hold back the urge to swat the woman’s offending hand away.
“If you need anything, anything at all, I’ll be at the front entrance,” the woman said to Julian, completely ignoring Raelyn.
“Thanks, we’re good for now.”
“Okay,” she smiled before leaving them alone.
Taking a calming breath, Raelyn turned away from Julian, so he couldn’t see the jealousy written all over her face.
Demon Aura Page 11
