Heart of the Demon

by Cynthia Garner

  This was the first time he’d been asked to investigate a crime scene, and he hoped it’d be the last. If he didn’t know better, he’d think his father was running scared, having him come down here to smooth things over. Since when did they care if the preternatural community or humans got upset?

  Of course, there was the incentive of keeping the existence of demons on the down low. It was a sound strategy, he admitted, one that had allowed him certain latitudes over the centuries. If no one knew you existed, you could pull all sorts of crap and blame it on the other guy.

  Sam jumped off the tailgate. He wrote his name and address on the pad and handed paper and pencil back to Finn while glancing at the ambulance. “Look, uh, Lucifer doesn’t need to know about this, right? We can keep it between you and me?” He swung his gaze back to Finn.

  Finn would say one thing for dear old dad. He still had the respect, and fear, of most in the demon community. “I hate to break it to you, buddy, but who do you think told me to come over here? I don’t normally do liaison work, you know.”

  “Oh. Right.” Sam met Finn’s eyes. “Thanks. And don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope we never meet again.”

  Finn grinned. “I agree.” He sobered and put one hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Seriously, don’t fuck up again, Sam. We don’t want humans to start getting itchy trigger fingers, you know what I mean? From now on, some human gets mouthy with you, you walk away. You get me?”

  “Yeah, I got you.” A muscle twitched in Sam’s jaw and finally he started acting more like a demon. “It’s hard, though. Letting some puny human spout a bunch of tripe and not do anything to make him regret it.”

  “For now, that’s how it has to be.” And for a split second Finn wondered why. Preternaturals were stronger than humans and in most cases more intelligent, more capable. After all, they’d come from technologically advanced people in the other dimension. Maybe keeping the rift open longer wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

  Finn pondered that for a moment, and as Sam walked away he decided that his father was right, about the rift at least. Maintaining the status quo with humanity was the best way to keep everyone in the preternatural community safe, including demons.

  But as soon as he was done with this final mission for his father, he was done with being told what to do. He’d be the boss, and others could do the legwork.

  “What’s your guy’s story?”

  He turned to see Piper standing a few feet away. She had her own pad and pen in hand.

  “The human attacked him, not the other way around. He defended himself enough to get the guy off him.”

  “Huh.” She glanced back at the ambulance. “And yet your guy walks away without a scratch, while the alleged attacker sits in the back of an ambulance with a broken nose and busted ribs.”

  “Hey, I can’t help it if your guy can’t hold his own in a brawl. He should be more careful who he picks fights with.” He walked until he could see the human. “Sam told me the truth when he said the human started it.”

  “How do you know that?” she asked. Her head tilted to one side. “You carry a box with you?”

  Finn had been around enough law enforcement officers to know when they referred to a “box,” it was shorthand for a polygraph machine.

  Since Piper knew he was a demon, he didn’t mind giving up some information. “In a way.” He shrugged. “I just know when someone’s lying.”

  “That’s a handy little trick to have.”

  “You can’t tell me you’ve never seen it done. Vamps do it all the time. You’ve surely seen Knox do it,” he said, referring to one of the quadrant’s vampire liaisons. “Or even Tobias Caine,” he added. “You know him, right?”

  “Yeah, I know him. I worked with him, briefly, on a case several months ago. I haven’t seen much of him lately, though, now that he’s a council member.” She put one hand on her hip, and it drew his attention to the gun holstered at her waist. He had a feeling she was as sharp with that gun as she was at doing her job.

  “What do you need from me?” he asked.

  She sighed. “Nothing, really.” She directed a frown at the man in the back of the ambulance. “I tripped him up and he admitted he jumped the demon first. Not knowing, of course, that he was a demon.”

  “And does he know now?”

  Piper shook her head. “I know how secretive you guys are.”

  “I’m gonna take off, then,” he said. “If you want, I’ll e-mail you a report of sorts.”

  “Yes, please. Be sure to include his contact info. Thanks.” She headed back toward the ambulance, then paused and turned toward him. “You might pass along to Lucifer that perhaps now is the time for demon representation on the council. The next rift is only two weeks away. More prets will come through and people are going to flip out. It’s only a matter of time before they are painfully aware that demons are as real as every other preternatural on the planet.” Without waiting for his response, she walked away.

  Finn sauntered to the edge of the crime scene and ducked under the yellow tape. At his bike he paused and reflected on what Piper had said. She wasn’t wrong. People were going to find themselves with family members and friends who were human one minute and preternatural the next. And some of those prets would be demons.

  Their secret would be out, in a big way.

  By that time he’d be a free man, and none of this would be his problem anymore. He’d finally have the time and energy to devote to pursuing a real relationship with Keira without having to worry someone would come after her because of his job.

  Chapter Eight

  Keira went into the Devil’s Domain and stopped at the bar to order a drink. “Glenlivet Eighteen, straight up,” she told the vampire behind the bar. He handed her the whiskey and she made her way toward the back of the club. She tried to ignore the press of bodies, both preternatural and human, and the extreme noise level. The place was packed to capacity tonight, and everyone had to yell in order to be heard over the din.

  Javier stood next to the door. His brown eyes lit on her as she neared. “I was wondering when you’d get here, bonita.” He flipped his wrist to check his watch. “You’re late.”

  “Traffic,” she said by way of explanation. Trying to get anywhere quickly in the greater Phoenix metro area was an exercise in futility. “I’m here now.” She placed her free hand on his arm and let part of her energy wash over him, creating a slight euphoric satisfaction in Javier. She could feel it bouncing back at her, so she knew it was working.

  “Let’s go inside,” he said and opened the door to the private rooms where the vampires fed.

  She followed him through the door and into a tiny room off to the left of the narrow corridor. The space was only large enough to hold a regular-size red sofa and a small table at the end opposite the door. Javier motioned for her to sit, and she did. As he sat down next to her, she took a sip from her glass, hoping the burn of whiskey down her throat would bolster her courage.

  Javier took the glass from her and twisted to place it on the table behind him. Then, picking up her hand, he played with her fingers while he mused, “I’ve been hungry for you, bonita. So hungry.” He raised his gaze to hers. His pupils had completely dilated, leaving them rimmed in the thinnest circle of brown, and the whites of his eyes had filled with red. “Will you allow me to nourish myself on your sweet vitality again?”

  Oh, sweet Morrigan, she wanted to throw up. At least she knew the fake feeding she’d foisted onto him still held. This time, though, she didn’t need to let him do anything to her. She was in the group. With a smile she pulled her hand away. “Not tonight, I’m afraid. You said you had a message for me?”

  His mouth firmed but he answered readily enough. “Our next meeting is in two days. Stefan wants you to stay afterward.”

  Her mouth went dry. Had she somehow given herself away? “Why?”

  “He didn’t say.” Javier seemed a bit put out by that fact, making Keira wonder if he didn
’t hold as much sway with the group leader as she’d been led to believe. He might be as much a foot soldier as she was hoping to be.

  “Where’s the meeting?”

  “Here. At six p.m. In the basement, as before. You’ll get another QR code sent to your phone.” He put one hand on her shoulder and lightly squeezed. “This you don’t want to be late for.”

  “I won’t be.” She stood. “Thank you, Javier. I appreciate you introducing me to the group.”

  He got to his feet and stared into her eyes. “You don’t act so appreciative, bonita.”

  Damn it. She took his hand in hers and pushed with her empathy, creating a sense of well-being and that same sense of satisfaction she’d imparted before they’d come into the room. “I would show you in a more substantial way if I could. I just can’t afford to be weakened right now. I’m sure you understand.”

  He withdrew his hands. “I do understand.” He held her gaze a moment longer, somber and disappointed before a small twinkle appeared in his eyes. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it, does it?”

  She gave him an answering smile though what she really felt like doing was giving the little shite a swift kick in the arse. “No, it doesn’t.” She opened the door. “I’ll see you around.”

  “Count on it,” he murmured.

  Half an hour later Keira stood barefoot on the small patch of grass in her backyard. As she absorbed energy from the Earth, she felt her body relaxing, her spirit calming. With a sigh she sank onto the grass and lay on her back, eyes closed against the early evening sun. When darkness arrived she might come back out here naked, but for now having the Earth against her heels, palms, and the back of her head would have to do.

  In order to prepare for the upcoming rogue meeting, she decided she would take it easy over the next forty-eight hours. She needed all the energy she could muster, especially since she’d been commanded to stay afterward to meet with Stefan.

  Her skin went cold again at that thought. Surely if he suspected she was a fraud he wouldn’t bother to have her sit through a meeting. So what the hell could he want?

  Two days later Keira took a seat in the last row and watched as other preternaturals entered the room. The last time she’d attended a meeting she’d ended up sitting in one of the middle rows, so she hadn’t been able to see everyone. Now, from back here, she had a great view. And she was on the outer aisle, so if she needed to she had the ability to stand up and lean against the wall. She could always explain that she didn’t like sitting for prolonged periods of time, which wasn’t untrue.

  She watched a variety of prets come into the room, and a few seconds later Finn strolled in.

  Finn. At this meeting. He was dressed as he usually was, in a soft black T-shirt that showed off his muscular torso, black leather jacket, worn blue jeans that hugged his hard thighs, and heavy shit-kicker boots encasing his large feet.

  Shock ran through her all the way to the tips of her neon green toenails. Yet she wondered why she was surprised to see him here. He had always seemed like such a What’s in it for me? kind of guy, so she assumed he had some other agenda than the one the group followed. What, she couldn’t say.

  Disappointment followed on the heels of her shock. She believed Finn could be so much more than what he was if he’d only allow himself to try. If the rumors were true, and she suspected they were based on his attitude, then he was Lucifer’s son. Much of Finn’s behavior reminded her of a son bucking up against his father’s authority. If theirs was a difficult father-son relationship, it would explain so much.

  It could also explain what he was doing here. If Lucifer was against integration of demonkind into the other pret groups, which he’d certainly seemed to be, then this could be another way that Finn had to stick it to the man.

  She watched as he made his way across the room. He started down the aisle on the opposite side of the room from her. She knew exactly when he saw her. He stopped cold and a funny expression crossed his face. She couldn’t decide if it was astonishment, disappointment, or distress. Maybe it was all three for he certainly seemed gobsmacked to see her. He began to walk the rest of the way down the aisle, his intention to reach her clear in his manner, but Stefan Liuz stepped up to the podium and called the meeting to order. Finn paused, then took the nearest seat he could find, which put him several rows in front of Keira. For him to look at her he’d have to twist round, but she had a grand view of him. Or, at least, of the back of his head and powerfully built shoulders.

  Stefan went through his tiresome, illogical rhetoric again. And at the end of his speech the room exploded into applause. Keira clapped along with everyone else and watched Finn for his reaction. He seemed just as enamored as the rest of the crowd, which really disappointed her. She’d thought if nothing else his innate intelligence would save him.

  “Now, before I dismiss you all,” Stefan said, beaming a look around the room like a doting father, “I’d like Keira O’Brien and Finn Evnissyen to stay afterward so we can talk.”

  Her stomach dropped. Most of the people in the room turned to stare at her. The curiosity in their eyes made her wonder if Stefan requesting audience members to stay behind was an unusual occurrence. Or maybe they were curious about her, since she was new to town. Whatever the reason, she’d find out soon enough what he wanted with her. And Finn.

  Stefan met her eyes, his own expression unreadable, and she did her best to suppress her growing panic. With another glance at the room he said, “Thank you all for coming. Victory will be ours!”

  There was more applause, which eventually petered out and stopped. Keira slowly made her way up front, her pace in no way reflecting the racing beat of her heart, and reached the rogue leader at the same time that Finn did. While Stefan finished a conversation he was having with another follower, she murmured, “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re not the only one who’s surprised.” Finn stood close and gazed down into her eyes. His voice low, he said, “What the hell are you doing?”

  She raised her brows. What did he expect her to say with Stefan—a vampire with very good hearing—standing right there? “I’m here for the same reason everyone else is,” she said. “I’m tired of being treated like…no, worse than second-class citizens. It’s time we do something about it.”

  “I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Stefan chimed in before Finn responded. The leader murmured something to the man he’d been speaking with, and the man walked away, purpose in his strides. Stefan put an arm around Keira’s shoulders and then did the same to Finn, though he had to reach up quite a way to do so. “Come with me,” Stefan said.

  He led them to one of the rooms that lined the corridor outside the large meeting room. He closed the door behind them and took a seat in an overstuffed armchair. That left a loveseat for Keira and Finn. She sat down and tried to stay as far away from Finn as possible, though the settee was so small she could feel the heat from his strong body next to hers.

  “Now, let me say first of all how pleased I am to have the two of you on our side.” Stefan leaned forward and clasped his hands between his knees. “You both bring such solid abilities to the team, we’re fortunate to have you.”

  “Thank you,” Keira murmured.

  Finn stayed silent and watchful. Keira knew he was wondering the same thing she was: What the hell was Stefan up to?

  Stefan gave a slight smile and went on. “I have an assignment for you that will put those skills to good use.”

  There it was. She exchanged a glance with Finn. Stefan was going to test them—both their skills and their loyalty, she had no doubt.

  Stefan stood and pulled out a small clasp envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket. “Hold out your hand, Keira,” he said and walked over to her. Opening the envelope, he poured several rough diamonds onto her palm. He smiled at her gasp. “Each of these is at least two carats. They’re fake, of course.”

  Keira picked one up and looked at it more closely. It was a da
mned good fake, that was certain. She’d seen a lot of diamonds in her days, and at a glance this would fool even the most reputable jeweler.

  “I want you to go to a local shop and swap out a couple of these for real ones.” Stefan sat back down. “Specifically, Beynard Jewelers. They just received a shipment of raw diamonds. We need additional funds, and the money from those real diamonds will fill our coffers nicely.” He stared at her, his gaze tracking over her face. “I’ve been told you’re really good at grifting. I want to see how good you are.”

  “Of course.” Keira was unable to fight back the tinge of sadness at the thought that people still wanted to use her because of her abilities to be a con artist, though she did think she was successful in hiding it. Stefan needed to think she was eager to prove herself to him. To the cause.

  She couldn’t deny the slight embarrassment that this was happening in front of Finn. While he was aware of her history, he’d never seen proof of it like he was now. She also couldn’t deny the slight thrill of excitement at the thought of pulling a heist. The adrenaline rush was still there even after all this time.

  “And if you’re successful with this assignment, I can promise you that you’ll be relied upon more and more.”

  If she was adept at swapping out the diamonds, she might get into the shadow cabinet of advisers and fixers for Stefan. She had to do this; time was running out. The next rift was only two weeks away. She had to get into that inner circle, become part of Stefan’s closest confidants so she could find out where he was building his machine.

  “For you, my friend,” Stefan said, looking at Finn, “I have a job that is perfect for your rather unique skill set.” He didn’t say anything more.