Demon Aura

by Lisa Deerwood

  Julian rolled his eyes. Of course he was.

  “It’s great. It’s more than great.” Raelyn hugged Shane, joy all over her face. The blonde man’s arms wrapped around Raelyn and Julian almost growled out loud. He hated the fact that another man was touching her, even if he was only a friend.

  Julian sucked in a deep breath, annoyed at his own behavior. He really needed to rein in this jealousy thing.

  “I think this is it, your big hit.” Raelyn broke away from Shane and walked over to Julian. “What’d you think?”

  Julian shrugged. “It’s fine.” At the beginning of a frown on Raelyn’s face, he quickly backpedaled. “I mean, it’s good. I guess.” Shane moved to stand next to Raelyn. Julian turned his attention to talented singer. “Sorry man, I’m not really the right person to ask. I don’t know much about country music.”

  “That’s okay.” Shane waved away Julian’s half-hearted attempt at an apology. “Raelyn said you’re staying in downtown Nashville.”

  “Yeah, the Baldridge.”

  “Wednesday night, I’ll be performing at Café Finn at seven o’clock. I’ve got two extra tickets.” Shane’s voice trailed off, turning back to Raelyn with a hopeful look. “It’d be great to have you there.”

  Julian’s stomach churned at the offer. Her recent concussion wasn’t the only reason why he wanted Raelyn to stay indoors. There was still a demon on the loose. A demon who could attack at any given moment. He already knew that the creature’s reach extended downtown. Taking Raelyn back there was the last thing he wanted to do.

  He replied at the same time as Raelyn.

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  Julian shook his head at Raelyn, his voice stern. “You can’t be serious. You just finished recovering from a concussion.”

  “Drums and back tracks aren’t allowed, its guitars and keyboards only,” Shane said, attempting to ease Julian’s concerns. “The music will be pretty low key, it’s a display of vocal abilities.”

  “See,” Raelyn pounced on the opportunity. “It’ll just be a bunch of singers, singing.”

  Julian crossed his arms in front of his chest. He couldn’t bring her into the investigation until he’d figured out a way to protect her. He wasn’t willing to put her life at risk again. He wasn’t ready.

  “You should stay in and rest.”

  “I’ve been stuck inside for over a week,” Raelyn mimicked Julian’s pose. “I am rested.”

  “I know Maribelle would love having some company during my set,” Shane unhelpfully added. “She’s my sister,” he clarified for Julian.

  “You’re not helping,” Julian growled at the wanna be country star. Playing the please don’t leave my sister all alone in a bar card was a low blow. Julian barely restrained himself from summoning Hineker to crush him.

  “Don’t you have to go practice or something?”

  Shane winced under Julian’s heated gaze. “I’m going to go return the cart downstairs, while you two, uh, talk this out.” He hurried out of the room.

  Raelyn moved closer to Julian, oblivious to his internal torment.

  “I know you’re worried about me, but I’m better now. I swear.” Raelyn’s eyes softened. She placed a gentle hand on his arm, a move to temper his aggression. “Shane’s one of my only friends and I want to support him. I’ve never been able to go see him play live before. I can’t do this without you. Please.”

  Julian’s pride warred with his concern for her well-being. Easily overwhelmed around people, Raelyn had resorted to living a life of solitude and loneliness. Not anymore. Under his tutelage she was learning how to control her abilities. This enabled her to relax when she went out in public. Raelyn’s skills were progressing quickly, along with her self-confidence. Her desire to see her friend play was a giant leap in the right direction.

  Now Julian understood the pride that a coach felt when their worst player got better. He barely resisted the urge to gather her up in his arms and shower her with words of praise.

  “Please, come with me.”

  Julian’s resolve crumbled beneath her sweet plea. He begrudgingly nodded his acceptance. Her beaming smile warmed his stubborn heart.

  Damn, I think I’m falling for her.

  His stomach lurched at the possibility. He’d promised himself that he wasn’t going to make the same mistake as his parents. His body tensed, a sense of urgency flooding his system. He needed to find the demon and leave, soon. It was safer for everyone if he didn’t get any more involved with Raelyn than he already had. The longer he stayed, the harder it was going to be to leave her when the time came.

  Chapter 24 - Raelyn

  “I like him,” Shane said to Raelyn when she walked into the embalming room. “He’s good for you. He gets you out of your shell.”

  “Trey said the same thing.”

  “She’s right.”

  Helping Shane unload the cart, she grabbed two bottles of arterial fluid and placed them inside a cabinet. As a close friend of the family and a few years older than Raelyn, Shane had always acted like a big brother to her. His approval of Julian lifted a weight from her chest that she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying. Shane had never liked her ex-boyfriend, Brady, and look how well that relationship turned out.

  First Trinity’s approval, and now Shane’s. Raelyn’s heart did a little flip of excitement. Things were looking up.

  “You said he lives in New Jersey.”

  And with that statement, Raelyn’s good mood took a nose dive.

  “Yeah,” she mumbled. She could feel the frown lines forming on her face.

  “Hey,” Shane moved closer, his expression mirroring her own. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know how much longer he’ll be here.”

  “Have you asked?”

  “No,” Raelyn shook her head, this conversation giving her a sense of déjà vu. “And before you say it, I’ve already been lectured about long-distance relationships.”

  Shane grinned, but wisely refrained from commenting. The phone in his pocket chirped, signaling a new message.

  “Bond-Latimer’s got a body coming in,” he said, reading the screen.

  “Go, I can finish up here.”

  “Before I forget,” Shane removed two tickets from his wallet. “For Wednesday night,” he handed them over with a wink.

  “Wait, how did you know…” Raelyn trailed off, confused.

  “That he agreed to go?” Shane smirked. “I’ve seen how he’s been looking at you all day.” He squeezed her shoulder. “That man will do anything for you. Stop worrying so much.” Shane turned around and walked towards the door. “Later,” he called out with a wave of his hand.

  Raelyn stashed the tickets inside her purse and continued to clean up. She quickened her pace, eager to return to Julian, who was waiting for her upstairs.

  Tonight, at dinner, she’d do it. She grabbed the bottle of disinfectant and began wiping down the cart, ramping up her self-confidence. It was time she grew a set of proverbial balls and just asked him already. Trinity and Shane were right. Plenty of people do long-distance relationships, there was no reason why she couldn’t do it too.

  She finished wiping down the cart and placed the bottle on the counter. A sensation crawled across her skin, disturbing and familiar. She spun on her heel and was greeted by an empty room. With a shake of her head she turned back to the counter and reached into one of the lower cabinets. Something crashed to the floor beside her. Startled, she banged her head against the shelf.

  Ouch.

  Scowling, she stood up and rubbed her head. A bottle of disinfectant rolled over to her feet. Raelyn stared at the bottle, puzzled. Had she left it too close to the edge?

  She bent down, picked up the bottle, and returned it to the countertop. The energy in the room thickened with the feeling of something sinister in the air. Goosebumps broke out along her skin. The sound of metal striking the floor made her jump again.

  She spun around. A stainle
ss steel sterilization tray was lying on the ground. The contents scattered nearby.

  What the heck?

  Movement out of the corner of her eye had her turning to look. She took a step backwards, alarmed. Sitting on the countertop was a bodiless hand. The hand walked along on its fingers and stopped in front of a pile of calvarium clamps. With a flick of its finger, the clamps tumbled to the floor one by one. The resounding plink of metal on metal caused her to flinch every time. The energy of the room rolled, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up in alarm. The hand moved and pushed a pair of forceps off the counter. Clippers and skull caps followed next, each item striking the floor with a loud clang. The hand picked up the pace, continuing to send everything left on the countertop tumbling to the floor in a flurry of activity.

  In her periphery, another shadow moved. Turning, Raelyn sucked in a sharp breath. A second hand sat on a cart along the far wall, drumming its fingers against the cool metal. She took a nervous step sideways, her hip pressed up against the embalming table.

  The fingers stopped moving. Both hands pointed towards the door.

  A third hand gripped the doorknob and turned the lock. The resounding click echoed around the room. The hand scurried across the floor, then jumped up onto the handle of each shelf before landing on the countertop. The second hand ran across the floor and joined the duo a moment later. The three appendages lined up in a row on the countertop, three carbon copies that appeared to stare at Raelyn. Fifteen pairs of fingers tapped against the countertop, striking in a steady rhythm. The dark energy in the air increased in time to the beat and waves of danger crashed into Raelyn.

  Her heartbeat picked up a rapid pace. She was locked in a room, alone, with three menacing, bodiless hands.

  Raelyn’s eyes darted back and forth between the three body parts. The hands rested on a countertop that ran the full length of the wall with cabinets both above and below. The embalming machine sat in the middle with extra tubing beside it. The closest item to Raelyn was the aluminum headrest that sat at the far end of the embalming table. Near it was a short stool and a cart, both on wheels. On the cart, scalpels of various sizes were laid out in a neat row, along with bottles of arterial and cavity fluid, tissue builder, and a collapsible trocar.

  Raelyn’s mind reviewed through her options. Located in the basement of the funeral home, the embalming room had three exits. On her left was the main door, which was her closest exit. Outside that door was a hallway that led to the casket display room. Next to the display room was a set of stairs up to the first floor. Unfortunately, she’d just watched one of the hands lock the main door, which eliminated that option. To Raelyn’s right was the door that led to her office, but that was a dead end. Behind her was the door to the casket storage room. The casket storage room had a large freight elevator used for deliveries at the far end. It was her best option for an escape.

  Raelyn’s muscles tensed. She had no idea if the hands had blocked that exit too. There was only one way to find out. She’d have to make a run for it.

  She took a deep breath. One against three was not the best of odds. She’d only get one shot to do this. She better make it count.

  Raelyn turned on her heel and lunged for the end of the embalming table. She grabbed the headrest and threw it in the direction of the hands. She pushed the rolling stool out of her way, grabbed the trocar from the cart and darted for the door to the casket storage room. A scalpel sailed past her head and imbedded itself into the door frame. Raelyn skidded to a stop.

  Main door it is.

  She changed directions and ran around the embalming table towards the main door. She grabbed the handle with her free hand and fumbled with the lock. It was broken. She tried to yank the door open but it wouldn’t budge. She threw her body weight into it but the heavy duty steel wouldn’t move. She turned around in time to see the hands go airborne, heading directly for her. She threw the trocar at the hands and bolted back the way she had come. Not pausing to see if she’d injured any of them, she ran towards the door to the casket storage room. In a blind panic she ran through the opening, driven by fear and adrenaline.

  The casket storage room was long, narrow, and densely packed. Four rows, each with caskets stacked three high sat on either side of a center path that led to the elevator. She darted towards the elevator, sending a silent prayer that she was faster than the hands. She’d barely made it halfway down the second row of caskets when a wave of dark energy pressed against her back. She risked a glance over her shoulder and ducked as a trocar sailed past the spot where her head had been. She turned back towards the front. She needed a way to get these hands off of her tail or she’d never make it to the elevator.

  In front of Raelyn, caskets tumbled from the shelves of the third and fourth rows. The resounding crash of hundreds of pounds of wood striking the floor was deafening. Forced to stop, Raelyn covered her ears as the smell of pine and oak filled the air. The caskets blocked the center aisle, completely cutting off her escape.

  Dammit!

  Raelyn spun on her heel. A hand grabbed her ankle, knocking her off balance. She fell forward onto her hands and knees. She hit the ground hard. A spike of pain shot through her body. Before she could scramble back to her feet, something wrapped tightly around her wrists and pulled her hands forward. With nothing to support her body weight, she landed on her stomach and her chin smacked against the floor. Her teeth sliced her lip, blood filled her mouth. She shivered at the cold touch of the concrete floor where her shirt had risen up, exposing the skin of her stomach. Rolled onto her back, her arms were now over her head. She glanced down at her feet. Two of the hands wrapped tubing from the embalming machine around her ankles.

  “Let me go!”

  Raelyn tried to kick out with her legs, but the tubing held tight. She felt a tug on her arms and her body slid along the floor. The hands dragged her, twisting and squirming, back towards the embalming room.

  She began to tremble, except it wasn’t from the cold. No. It was pure panic. She struggled harder against the binds, but the tubing held fast. Her body was dragged to the embalming table. The hands tied her wrists to the legs of the table, keeping her in one spot. Cold, piercing fear whipped through her body. They were going to kill her and the only person in the funeral home besides herself was upstairs waiting for her to join him. Julian.

  Raelyn opened her mouth and screamed. Loud. She screamed again as tears rolled down her face. The tubing rubbed against the skin on her wrists while she yanked and twisted, struggling to get free. She didn’t know if Julian could hear anything upstairs from the viewing room but she had to try. The hands scurried around the room, gathering up scalpels, forceps, and a trocar. She yelled, again and again, begging, pleading, and praying that Julian would hear her.

  When someone started pounding on the main door she almost wept in relief. Julian’s muffled voice carried to her ears.

  “Raelyn.”

  “Julian,” she felt an inkling of hope. “Help me!”

  “Open the door!”

  “I can’t,” she cried out. “I’m tied up. The hands. It’s the hands! I’m trapped!”

  Raelyn babbled, her voice growing hoarse with her cries.

  “Help me!”

  Julian continued to bang on the main door, his voice panicked.

  “Raelyn! Raelyn!”

  A bodiless hand grabbed her tongue and pulled while squeezing the tip, preventing Raelyn from speaking. She shook her head back and forth, trying to break free from the vice-like grip.

  Julian was so close. He was right there. If only he could get through that door. She heard him continue to beat on the metal. Julian yelled again, except this time he called out for his assistant.

  “Hineker, save her.”

  As if on command, a black portal opened inside the room. Raelyn’s skin tingled with the sudden shift in energy. A black shape coalesced from thin air. Her eyes widened at the sight of Hineker stepping out from the darkness, impeccably dressed
in his dark navy blue suit. He tugged his cuffs into place, the platinum cufflinks glinted underneath the fluorescent lights. Walking towards the table, he looked down at Raelyn. His eyes shifted to the three hands surrounding her. He smiled in a way that chilled Raelyn’s blood.

  “A ménage a trois,” Hienker said. “How delightful.” There was a silky dark note to his voice that made Raelyn shiver. She stared at Julian’s assistant, her mind reeling. Hineker’s eyes were red, two burning orbs that looked anything but human. Evil so thick it threatened to penetrate her very being whispered across her body. His power pulsed, a visible force that she could see emanating from his skin. Plum mixed with a dark and muddy gray, the edges rimmed in black.

  That aura. She’d seen it before.

  The air in the room stilled.

  Something dangerous flicked in the depths of Hineker’s eyes. He suddenly looked feral, like a dangerous predator. In that moment she believed that Hineker, not the bodiless hands trying to kill her, was the real threat.

  A few things happened in rapid succession. One of the hands gripped her neck, intent on squeezing her throat. The other two hands jumped towards Julian’s personal assistant. Hineker snatched the appendages out of the air as easily as a cat catching a fly. A moment later black flames engulfed the bodiless hands held within his own. Raelyn winced, the dark energy in the air quivered with the creatures’ agony.

  Hineker knelt next to Raelyn and tsked. He removed the hand off of her neck, finger by finger. The resounding crack of bone as each finger fell to the floor reminded Raelyn of the popping of balloons. She gasped, struggling to take in greedy gulps of air. The broken hand flopped like a fish out of water, as if it no longer could do anything else. Hineker rose to his full height as he watched the hand, a macabre fascination on his face. A moment later, he raised his foot and brought it down, squashing the broken hand underneath his shoe. Black flames erupted around the edges and when he picked up his foot the hand was gone. Finished, Hineker strode towards the main door. He stopped in front of it and ripped the knob off of the steel door.