Devon Monk - [Ordinary Magic 02] - Devils and Details
Page 31
The door to my room opened, and Myra walked in. “No we will not use that mark, or Delaney to do anything,” she said. “You’re going to erase his tie to her. I’ve waited until she was awake. You’ve had your chance to talk to her. Break his claim on her. Now.”
Old Rossi’s body tightened. “We have no other way to find him. Or Ben.”
“We’ve only started looking,” she said.
“All the vampires. All the werewolves, and not a scent of him in the wind. We will not find him before he’s dead.”
“And putting Delaney in danger would make anything better? Do you need more deaths on your hands, Rossi?”
“Wait,” I said, holding up a hand, tired of the argument even though it had just gotten started. “Just. Wait. Both of you. Let me think.”
They both shut up, though there was some glaring going on. The discussion had drawn Jean into the room, and like an angel from caffeine heaven, she handed me a mug of coffee.
“Hey,” she said. She dropped a quick kiss on the top of my head, then sat down on the bed next to me, facing my angry sister and my angry vampire.
The coffee was warm between my palms and the fragrance made my shoulders drop and my pulse settle. It was just so...normal. With everything else going sideways, the scent of coffee felt normal, average, safe. I took a sip.
All right. I could do this.
“How would you use the mark to find him?” I finally asked.
“He left within you a trace of his life force.”
Great. Now I wanted to vomit.
“You can track that?”
“Yes.”
“Is he the one who bit Jame?”
“Yes.”
Myra’s voice was almost a yell. “Then why didn’t we use that bite to track him before he found Delaney?”
“Werewolf.” Rossi didn’t look like he was going to add anything to that.
“And?” I asked.
“It is...harder to trace. A werewolf physiology fights such intrusion, such claim. But humans are more...pliable. Our natural prey. The link between you and him shines like silver.”
Okay, I was starting to vote for team Myra. Just the idea of carrying anything that connected me to that creep was making my skin crawl.
Jean spoke up. “Didn’t Ben bite Jame? They’re living together, mated, right? Chose each other? I thought Ben would claim him like that. Couldn’t we follow that link?”
“Lavius broke that link when he bit Jame.”
“Is that the asshole’s name?” Jean asked. “Creepy. How can he break a mated link?”
“He is very old, and very strong.”
Well, hell. No wonder Jame was out of his mind in pain for Ben. Another question occurred to me. “Is...is one bite enough? Strong enough to track him? Will it fade?”
“Jesus, Delaney,” Myra said. “You are not suggesting you put yourself out there to get bitten again.”
Jean reached over and took my hand, squeezing it. “You aren’t doing that,” she said with absolute confidence.
“One bite is strong enough,” Rossi said. “Because he is strong enough. And so are you, Delaney Reed.”
“All right,” I said. “Okay. Yes.”
“Delaney,” Myra turned to me. “Don’t do this.”
“I can’t just let Ben die. And Jame...I can’t do this to him. Not if we have a chance. Not if I have a chance to save them.”
She closed her eyes and I noticed the dark circles beneath them. Then she squared her shoulders and, looking calm and composed, turned back to Rossi. “When?”
“In three days. When the moon is full and we have a plan.”
I wasn’t sure if I was happy about carrying around the bite and Lavius’s life force tie that long. “How vulnerable am I?”
Rossi’s eyebrows raised and for the first time, there was a ghost of a smile over his lips. It was not a warm one. “Other than the fact that he crossed into my territory and claimed you when I wasn’t looking?”
“You were looking for Ben. I don’t expect you to be everywhere at once.”
“Neither did he, obviously.”
I nodded. It was, I realized, a very well-executed plan. Ben as bait to pull all the vampires out of town, the Wolfes either hunting for Ben, or guarding Jame. According to the rules of Ordinary, all creatures were welcome. They didn’t have to stow their powers like the gods, didn’t have to go through me to live here.
That he had caught me alone on the beach wasn’t all that surprising either. I loved to jog, and I lived alone. He could have found me at any number of places alone.
“You are less vulnerable that most humans. Much stronger than he might believe.”
Images of him easily lifting me off the ground with one hand, shaking me like a wet towel, flashed through my mind. “I don’t feel strong.”
“Oh, but you are. It’s your blood, Reed blood, chosen by the gods. You underestimate your strength. I am counting on him underestimating it too.”
“So we have some time to plan. That’s good.” Look at me: Little Miss Bright-Side.
“Yes.”
“Good,” Myra said. “Then the plan starts with us letting Delaney take a shower and eat breakfast.”
Rossi nodded. “It’s a good start.” He stood, and rocked his head from side to side as if stiff from holding still for so long. I wondered if he’d sat there all night.
“I’ll come by later this evening. We can talk. Plan.”
“Rossi?” I said.
He waited.
“Promise me we’ll take care of Lavius before anyone else is hurt.”
“You have my word.” He left, and Myra followed him out and locked the door behind him.
Jean relaxed into me, laying her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arms around me.
When Myra came into the room she took one look at us then joined us on the bed, wrapping around both of us.
We held each other, silent, thankful, and whole.
~~~
“Ketchup for your thoughts?” Ryder held the bottle out for me. I shook my head. He tipped the bottle over his plate, keeping his eye on the growing red puddle. “So how are you holding up? Really?”
We were sitting at my little breakfast nook. Ryder had brought us lunch from Jump Off Jack—burgers and fries since I’d sort of stood him up for dinner the previous night.
I’d used Ryder’s arrival as an excuse to make my sisters go home and sleep. Roy was at the station covering the phones, and he would contact Myra or Jean if there was anything happening that needed police attention.
We still had no leads on Ryder’s boss, Jake, and no other hints about where Ben might be.
“I’m...” I was going to say “fine,” but couldn’t force the lie out of my mouth. “It’s been a weird week,” I said with a laugh that sounded a little too hollow. “I’m sort of still processing it.” I took a bite of fries, trying to enjoy the salt and heat and grease. “And you?”
“I’m good,” he said with a grin. He took a drink of his beer, then dragged a few fries through the ketchup and Tabasco on his plate to mix it up. He shoved the fries in his mouth, chewed. “I mean, I’ve apparently given my life and soul over to a god I don’t believe in, but hey—at least I didn’t get bitten by a murderous vampire.”
I made a face at him. “Oh, so now we’re comparing war wounds?”
“If you want.” His eyes flicked to the side of my neck and I felt my stomach churn—and not in a good way.
Some of that must have showed on his face, because his eyes, when he turned them back to me, were kind. “Have you looked at it yet?”
“I took a shower.”
“Have you looked at the bite?”
I picked up my burger, set it down without taking a bite. “I...couldn’t. I didn’t want to see it. Didn’t want it to be real. That’s stupid, isn’t it?”
“No, I’d say that’s normal.” He took a drink of beer again, then nodded toward my food. “Jean told me you didn’t have brea
kfast. I know you missed dinner. You should eat.”
“My sisters worry too much.” I picked up the burger again and this time took a bite. It was good. Really good.
“Would it help if I was there when you look at it?” Ryder asked.
I knew he was still talking about the bite, the mark. “Maybe?”
He nodded. “I haven’t sent a report to my superiors yet.”
“About Jake missing?”
“About any of this. Vampires, werewolves, gods, and mermen.”
“Mermen?”
“Chris Lagon?”
He was being all casual about guessing what creature was who in town, like it was no big deal. It was kind of cute.
“Gill-man. There’s a difference. If you ask Chris, he’ll tell you. At length.”
He grinned and shook his head. “That’s...it’s just amazing.”
“What?”
“This town. These people.”
I liked that he still considered someone like Chris a “people” even though an awful lot of folks might consider him a monster.
“Have you figured out what Bertie is?” I said to tease him.
“Bertie’s something?” He sounded like a kid who had just been given a present to unwrap.
“She’s something else, that’s for sure.”
“I don’t suppose you’d give me a hint?”
“Nope. You’re going to have to earn your supernatural bingo card.”
“Sounds like that’s going to take some time.”
“It will.”
“Maybe even years.”
“Maybe.”
“Or a life time.”
“Yep.”
“You’ll be around while I try to figure it out?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Well then, I am looking forward to it.”
Oh. I studied his face. He was done with his food, sitting back in the chair, nursing his beer. And yes, that look said he’d meant exactly what I’d thought he’d meant. He was staying here. And not just for the creatures. Not just for his job. Not just for the town.
He was staying here for me.
Something tight in my chest that had been knotted for months, finally, finally relaxed. I felt a little lightheaded from relief.
He might not know all of my secrets, but he knew enough. He’d accepted them, and still wanted to be with me. I knew Ryder still held secrets I hadn’t uncovered. But wouldn’t it be fun to try?
“There’s a mirror in the bathroom,” I said.
“I’d expect so.”
“I’m going to go look at it now.”
He waited as I stood. I held out my hand. “Coming?”
He stood, took my hand. “Anywhere you go.”
We walked into my tiny bathroom to face the thing I didn’t want to face. As I stood there, in front of the mirror, with Ryder’s arms holding me tight, my back against his front, I finally looked at the mark.
Two black circles, each small as a freckle, but perfectly round, and perfectly placed.
It was strange that something that had hurt so much, something that had the power to change me so deeply, left so little a mark. I felt like I should be wearing a sign that said “damaged” or “failure” or, at least, “injured.” But some wounds only scar on the inside.
Ryder was silent, his breathing steady, his warmth an anchoring necessity.
When I looked back up in the mirror at him, he was watching me.
“I’d like to forget this, for at least a little while,” I said softly.
“Forget what?” His breath was warm against the opposite side of my neck, my cheek.
“Everything. Except us.”
His arms tightened and his palm, resting on my stomach, shifted to drag upward so his fingers brushed the edges of my breasts.
“We can do that,” he said. “But I still have one more question left.”
“Question?”
“We agreed to ten. I’ve only asked you nine.”
I nodded, my eyes never leaving his in the mirror. “Anything.”
“Do you love me?”
My heart was pounding hard, my pulse fluttering. I could pass. I could say no. But we’d promised each other the truth, and I was so tired of secrets.
“Yes.”
I think both of us stopped breathing, afraid to shatter this fragile thing between us. “Do you love me?” I whispered.
“Yes.”
One exhaled word, heat against my skin, solace in my soul, and we were breathing again. But there was something new in the air. Something new in the world. Something new about us.
The truth.
“Good,” I said.
And when I turned in his arms, when he kissed me as we stumbled to my bed, slowly peeling off each other’s clothes, I knew that it was one extraordinary, ordinary truth that would never change between us.
MORE ORDINARY MAGIC? YOU BET!
GODS AND ENDS
Ordinary Magic - Book Three
Coming Spring 2017
Acknowledgment
Things in this book which might be true: canoe jousting, doomsday gas station attendants, Cherry City Derby Girls, umbrella hats, eggshell carving. Things which might be not be true: umbrella hats ever catching on in the Pacific Northwest.
This book was a lot of fun to write and I have a lot of people to thank for making it so. Dean Woods and Dejsha Knight, you give me the kind of feedback that always makes my stories better. Thank you both for being so amazing. Sharon Elaine Thompson, thank you for not only being a talented woman, but also for being an excellent copy editor. Thank you to Lou Harper for this spectacular cover, and thank you to Skyla Dawn Cameron for your formatting genius.
To the Deadline Dames and all the indie published writers out there sharing information, stories and joy—thank you for being a part of my life!
All my love and gratitude to my husband Russ Monk, and my sons Kameron and Konner Monk. The three of you make the world a better place, and always make me laugh–often at myself.
To our sweet, nocturnal dog Opal, who gave me the experience of breaking a thumb while in the middle of writing a book. Good times, dog. Good times.
And most importantly, to you, dear readers. Thank you for spending a little of your time in the world of Ordinary, Oregon. I hope you enjoyed your stay and will come back soon to see what is next in store for our heroes, monsters, lovers, gods, and extraordinarily ordinary folk.
About the Author
Devon Monk is a national best selling writer of urban fantasy. Her series include Ordinary Magic, House Immortal, Allie Beckstrom, Broken Magic, and Shame and Terric. She also writes the Age of Steam steampunk series, and the occasional short story which can be found in her collection: A Cup of Normal, and in various anthologies. She has one husband, two sons, and lives in Oregon. When not writing, Devon is either drinking too much coffee or knitting silly things.
Want to read more from Devon?
Follow her online or sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.devonmonk.com.
Books by Devon Monk
Ordinary Magic:
Death and Relaxation
Devils and Details
Gods and Ends
Shame and Terric:
Backlash
House Immortal:
House Immortal
Infinity Bell
Crucible Zero
Broken Magic:
Hell Bent
Stone Cold
Allie Beckstrom:
Magic to the Bone
Magic in the Blood
Magic in the Shadows
Magic on the Storm
Magic at the Gate
Magic on the Hunt
Magic on the Line
Magic without Mercy
Magic for a Price
Age of Steam:
Dead Iron
Tin Swift
Cold Copper
Short Fiction:
A Cup of Normal (collection)
Yarrow,
Sturdy and Bright (Once Upon a Curse anthology)
Table of Contents
Title page
Devils and Details
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
MORE ORDINARY MAGIC? YOU BET!
Acknowledgment
About the Author
Books by Devon Monk