Heart of the Demon

by Cynthia Garner

  Julius blanched, whether it was because he realized he was ill equipped to defy an enforcer, or because he had visions of Finn going all Hulk on his ass. Whichever it was, he righted his chair and sat back down.

  “Good. Now, then, where were we?” Finn leaned his arms on the back of his seat again. He focused his gaze on Julius. Sweat broke out on the paunchy demon’s forehead. Finn said, “Oh, that’s right. We were talking about Mrs. Peterson and Mrs. Davis.”

  Julius stayed stubbornly silent for all of two seconds. “Oh, fine,” he burst out, desperation raw in his strained voice. “I couldn’t help myself. With the economy in the slump it is, there are so many people who are depressed and anxious. It’s a veritable feast out there for those of us who feed on the misery of others.” His expression turned placating. “I’ll admit I was a little gluttonous. But I got really hungry, that’s all.” A pleading light entered his pale eyes. He made wide gestures with his hands. “I know we’re not supposed to feed where we live. I won’t do it again, I swear.”

  Finn pursed his lips. Julius had nearly caused the death of one human, but at this point the police had decided it had been a suicide attempt, and the family didn’t seem to be fighting that conclusion. The Davises had been having marital trouble for some time now. Hell, the wife had admitted she’d often fantasized about Bobbittizing her husband. She’d obviously mistaken one head for the other, but she’d been docile enough when the police had taken her away. Maybe some time under psychiatric care would actually help her. And her husband could use the time apart to be grateful he still had his penis.

  “You realize, don’t you, that I’d be well within my rights to end you, right here. Right now.” Finn held the other demon’s gaze. “But I’m going to let you off with a warning, Julius. No more screwups like this. Or I’ll be back, and I won’t be so lenient next time.”

  Julius gave a nod. His brows furrowed. “Why do you care?” He leaned forward. In a whisper he confided, “I’ve seen you at the meetings. What do you care if humans get more upset than they already are? After the next Influx it won’t matter. We’ll be the ones in charge for a change. So again, why do you care?”

  “I care because my employer cares,” Finn responded in a hard voice. It wasn’t the complete truth, not anymore. In dealing with the fanaticism that seemed to trail Liuz, Finn suspected that humans would have a hell of a time if prets took over. Whatever was dished out to humans would be heaped upon demons, especially by vampires. The blood feuds of old would look like nursery school parties by comparison.

  He had a moment of feeling a bit off his game as he realized he hadn’t seen Julius at either of the meetings he’d attended. He knew why, too. He’d been too damned distracted keeping an eye on Keira.

  Keira, who’d given him the best sex of his life the day before. Keira, who he had yet to call. To be honest, he needed some distance to try to sort out what he was feeling. To do his best to keep things in their proper perspective, and this last little bit of conversation with Julius was proof enough of that. Hell. So why hadn’t he called? He’d told her to believe it when he said he cared. And he loved being with her. She made him want to be better, and when he was with her he could more clearly see the life he wanted. But he couldn’t be sure she had the same depth of feelings for him.

  He pushed all that back and responded to Julius. “I still have a job to do. An employer to keep happy. After the next rift…Well, we’ll have to wait and see about that, won’t we?” He stood and pushed his chair up to the table. “In the meantime, you’d better walk the straight and narrow, my friend. Or there’s gonna be the devil to pay.”

  He stared at Julius a moment longer and then left the club. Getting back on his bike, he sat for a few seconds and rotated his tight shoulders. It hadn’t been all that long ago that, emotionally, he’d been where Julius was. Did what he wanted, when he wanted, and didn’t care about anyone but himself. He’d been spoiled. Childlike in his self-centeredness like many of the demons he’d handled. With Keira in the mix, though, he got how important his mission was.

  So for now, he would keep sane by reminding himself that it would all be over in a little over a week. And if all went according to plan, he’d be a free man. Free from his servitude with Lucifer. And free to explore a life with Keira without having to worry about her safety.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Keira sat on the sofa and stared down at her smart phone. Two days. It had been two days since she and Finn had made love. Or, rather, had sex. There had been plenty of lust. Affection, even, but no love. Not on his part, anyway, even though he’d told her he cared about her. “Caring” was not the same thing as love. And that certainly was borne out by the fact that he hadn't contacted her at all since he’d walked out her door and went into a house with another woman.

  Maybe she’d read the signs wrong. Maybe that other woman did mean something to him. Maybe the reason he hadn’t called Keira was because he was too busy shagging that hussy.

  At first she’d felt relief that he was apparently putting some distance between them. Distance was good and allowed her to get a better grip on her emotions, to try to stuff them back deep inside where they belonged. But then the second day without any contact from him rolled around, and relief turned to irritation and outrage. Just who the hell did he think he was to hop into bed with her and then go into silent mode?

  Then irritation and outrage became hurt. Being intimate with someone wasn’t something she did easily. For all her acting like she was into casual sex, she really wasn’t. Not in the way most people meant it. She had to have an emotional connection to a man before she could bare her body to him. Because with the removal of clothing came a removal of pretense, like the removal of a mask so the lover could see the real person beneath.

  She looked at the text message she’d typed moments before and still hadn’t sent. Miss you, it read. Please call me. It certainly was more polite than the last one she’d typed where she called his parentage into question, but this one made her sound desperate. With a scowl she deleted the message. There was another rogue group meeting scheduled for tomorrow night. If she hadn’t heard from him by then, she’d talk to him there. One way or another, she’d find out where they stood.

  The next evening, Keira took her seat at the meeting and watched while other members entered the room. The next rift was only a week away, and excitement and tension filled the air. As Stefan stepped up to the podium to start the meeting, Finn walked in. He saw her and paused, a split second of indecision flitting over his face before he walked over and sat beside her. All the emotions she’d been battling for the last few days surfaced again—relief, irritation, outrage, hurt, and anger all rolled into one big, messy ball just waiting to slam him upside his hard head.

  He must have picked up on some of what she was feeling, because he leaned over and murmured, “I’m sorry I didn’t call. Demons have been particularly frisky lately, what with the next Influx due soon.”

  She shifted on her seat to look at him. For a moment she debated having it out with him here because she didn’t want to cause a scene, but her emotions were too raw to sit there and say nothing. “How long would it have taken for you to text me with a ‘How are you?’ message?” she said in a low voice. “Let me know you were thinking about me, that our being together meant something more to you than just a quick poke in the whiskers.” She shook her head and faced forward again. “Typical male. Handing me a crock of shite like that. You’re a real wanker, you are, Finn Evnissyen.”

  “Look, I said I’m sorry, and I am.” He leaned closer. “I should have called you, or sent you a quick text. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to say.” He shook his head and took her hand in his. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, Keira, and I’m a little off stride here.”

  She was shocked at the hesitancy in his voice and twisted in her seat to look at him. That same hesitancy was reflected in his eyes. She squeezed his fingers. “We both have a lot to learn about re
lationships, I guess.”

  She started to say more but Stefan called the meeting to order. She contented herself, for the time being, with giving Finn’s hand another squeeze before releasing it and turning her attention to the front of the room.

  As Stefan began speechifying, she couldn’t keep from covertly glancing at Finn to gauge his reaction. He was focused on Stefan, seemingly rapt with attention. It crushed her to see how very much he bought into all this crap.

  Finn had never had to put his acting ability to use as much as he did right now. God, this guy was a total nut job.

  “With the death of Deoul Arias,” Liuz said, “we see the end of order and the beginning of chaos. First the council, then the local human government, then the Western states. We have members throughout the West who are dedicated to the path of anarchy.” His eyes glittered with fanaticism, a slight tinge of crimson circling his irises.

  “But the council already has another president in place,” someone said. “Shouldn’t we strike at every member?”

  “And we will. Imagine, if you will, the fear that is rippling through them even now,” Liuz responded. He lifted one hand, index finger pointing upward. “First we took out their newest member, Tobias Caine.” His gaze held Finn’s for a moment, and through all the crazy shining in his eyes there was a brief glint of approval. Liuz held up a second finger. “Now we’ve removed the president. Believe me when I say, they are more panicked than you will ever know.” He went droning on, more of the same claptrap he’d been spouting from the beginning.

  Finn knew in order to keep the trust he’d earned and move further into the inner circle, he would have to continue to act like he completely agreed with the narcissistic son of a bitch. He tried to ignore the fulminating glances Keira kept sending his way. It didn’t help that the shiny bluish-green blouse she had on reflected in her eyes, making them look even more gorgeous than normal.

  He knew he’d screwed up, big time. But there wasn’t much he could do about it now. As a matter of fact, if anything had come out of these last few days it was the certainty that until this mission was complete, the less he saw of Keira the better.

  She distracted him, as his father had figured she would. The other day, when he’d left her to go to Nix’s house, he’d been so inwardly focused that he hadn’t taken the ordinary precautions he would have to ensure he wasn’t being followed. Even if he had been, it wouldn’t have been all that unusual for his almost stepsister to have called him in her time of need. His presence at her house could easily have been explained.

  Then something Liuz said caught his ear. “I and my comrades on the other side have been working on this plan for centuries. It wasn’t until the last few years that technology on this planet has allowed a machine to be built that will keep the naturally occurring rift open longer than normal. What does this mean for us?” He paused and smiled, looking like a proud father announcing the birth of his first baby. “It means that more of our kind can come through the rift, perhaps double the normal numbers. Maybe even triple.”

  Finn frowned. Granted it had been a couple thousand years ago, but he himself had been born here on Earth. He hadn’t traveled through the rift like Liuz. And like Keira and probably at least three-quarters of the people in this room. Unless there’d been a mighty increase in crime in the other dimension, he didn’t see how those numbers were possible.

  “My comrades have been gathering likeminded individuals and sending them through the Detention Center on the sly. There is no record of them being stripped from their bodies, and no record exists of which holding cells they’ve been placed in. The authorities on either side of the rift are completely in the dark, and will remain so until it is much too late.”

  Finn shared a glance with Keira. She looked alarmed, and he was sure the same feeling was plastered all over his face. And it shouldn’t be, not if he really wanted to get deeper into the group. He schooled his face to impassivity and whispered, “Isn’t this great?”

  “Yeah,” she murmured, her brows drawn in a slight frown. She didn’t sound like she was thrilled. Far from it, in fact. Before he could comment on it, she looked forward again.

  Finn did, too.

  “This machine is waiting for one final part,” Liuz said, “and then it will be operational. Don’t worry, it’s in a secure location that very few of us know about. Myself, of course, and three or four of my most trusted lieutenants.” He wrapped his hands around the edge of the podium and leaned into the microphone. “My friends, our time has come. With this machine I will be able to keep the rift open indefinitely. Our compatriots from the other dimension will join us, and soon, very soon, we will outnumber the humans on this planet.” He waited until the cheers died down and then said, “And then we shall rain chaos down on them, and take control. It will be glorious.”

  “Oh, my God,” he heard Keira whisper just as applause broke out again.

  He glanced at her but couldn’t tell if she was appalled at Liuz’s batshit craziness, as he was, or enamored by the vampire’s alleged brilliance. Liuz adjourned the meeting and Keira hopped up right away. Without sparing a glance for Finn, she headed toward the end of the row.

  He frowned. That was definitely a woman with a mission, and he had the sneaking suspicion she meant to go up to Liuz and offer her praises like a lot of other prets were doing at this moment. Finn stood and walked to the back of the room where he could keep an eye on things. Damned female. He let out a breath. She was brighter than that, he knew. She was one of the most intelligent people he’d ever met. But for such a bright woman she was being too goddamned stupid right now.

  Keira walked slowly toward the front, casting out with her empathy abilities to pick up on the emotions of those gathered in the room. Mostly she felt the highs left over from the galvanizing speech, but there was something, coming from two vampires just ahead, that seemed like secretive excitement. One of those I know something you don’t know kind of things that she reckoned required further investigation. She stopped at a group of five other fey talking quietly on the opposite side of the vamps. Pretending to partake in that conversation, she focused her attention on the vampires. One of them mentioned a mine, but he didn’t say the name or anything about the location.

  Frustrated, she excused herself from the fey and turned toward the vampires. As she was about to outright ask them about the machine, she heard her name being called over the din of voices. She looked around and saw Stefan beckoning her.

  As she walked over to him, she saw Finn heading that way, too. Hmm. What was this all about, then?

  Stefan smiled at them. “Ah, you two. My shining stars.” He took Keira’s hand, cupping it between his palms. “I have another assignment for you. We are setting up bank accounts throughout the world, so that when our new brothers and sisters arrive, they can make their way to one of the banks, give a verbal password and be allowed access to funds. I’ve set up Scottsdale as the hub for orientation and to determine where in the country these new preternaturals can best be utilized.”

  “You’re assuming these newbies will be able to speak English?” Finn’s voice held a wealth of sarcasm and a darker tone that made her look at him. Flecks of demon yellow colored the bright blue of his irises, and his gaze was fixed on her hand in Stefan’s before he raised his eyes. Was he jealous?

  A thrill zinged through her at that thought. Of course, jealousy didn’t necessarily equate to love, but it was a start.

  Stefan shot him a sharp look. “No. I am not stupid, Finn, and don’t make the mistake of thinking that I am.” He looked back at Keira and his expression softened. She sensed that he was attracted to her and, even more, that he genuinely liked her. He gave a light squeeze to her fingers before releasing her hand. “We have people in place in these banks who can communicate with the newcomers in the standard language of the other dimension,” he went on. “However, we need more money to fund these activities. Which is where you two come in.”

  “You want me to
kill someone else?” Finn didn’t sound eager about the idea. As a matter of fact, to her, he sounded resigned. Resentful even. The bits of yellow had grown his eyes, making it clear he was going demon.

  “No.” Stefan threw him another look. “Now that I see how good Keira is, I want you to have her back.” He glanced at her and then stared at Finn. “Or was I misinformed when I was told the two of you have a relationship?”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call it a relationship,” Keira hedged. She didn’t want this insane vampire to know how much Finn had come to mean to her. She wouldn’t give him that kind of leverage over her. “We’re not a couple or anything.”

  “So, it’s a friends with benefits sort of thing?” Stefan barked a laugh. “All the better. None of those messy emotions to get in the way.”

  He laid out the plan, and Keira bit back a sigh at learning she was to swap out yet more diamonds, though this time at another store.

  And Finn was to be her lookout. Like it wouldn’t be odd for a guy like him to be in a jewelry store. She said as much to Stefan.

  Finn’s “Hey! What d’ya mean, a guy like me?” was largely ignored.

  Stefan said, “I see your point.” He looked Finn over. “He’s a big guy, good-looking enough, I suppose, but rather brutish. And that leather.” He shook his head.

  Keira looked Finn over, too, and privately disagreed. He’d look good in anything he wore, even though she’d only ever seen him in, and out of, jeans. She bet he looked downright tasty in a tuxedo.

  Stefan snapped his fingers, dragging her attention back to him. A glint lit his eyes. “Go in as a newly engaged couple looking for diamonds to create your perfect engagement ring.”

  That wouldn’t do at all. She couldn’t go in and make googly eyes at Finn, pretending to be his fiancée. It would be too awkward and make her think all sorts of thoughts she shouldn’t have, about Finn and a future. “I’m not sure that will work,” she murmured. “I mean, we don’t exactly look like we go together.”