Dime a Demon

by Devon Monk

  “No,” she said a little quieter. She must have found a private spot to talk to me. “When you say you’re going to confront Bathin, it’s not doom twinges. But…something is going to happen. And I think it has to do with the vortexes.”

  “Can you tell where the next one is going to open?”

  “I’m pretty good at being drawn to disasters, so maybe? But I think…”

  “Tell me, Jean.”

  She inhaled, exhaled, a steadying of her nerves. “I keep feeling like something is going to go wrong at the parade tomorrow morning.”

  “You mean this morning? In a few hours?”

  “Gods, it’s late. Yeah. I mean this morning.”

  “You know something probably will go wrong at the parade, none of these events ever go to plan. The town’s stuffed with tourists, and a lot more will be driving in for the day.”

  “I know.”

  “But you feel like something is going to go really wrong?”

  “I can’t pin it down,” she said, frustrated. “Part of me thinks the parade is going to be fine, like, no actual threats. But part of me feels like…like it hasn’t been decided yet. Maybe something might go terribly wrong. Maybe it won’t.”

  “So no immediate disaster,” I said.

  “I don’t think so?”

  We had precautions in place if any of the run-of-the-mill disasters turned up. This wasn’t the first time we’d held this event. We knew how to handle the influx of people and the chaos it brought.

  None of the gods in town carried their powers any longer, so unless it came down to life and death, I wasn’t going to ask them to use their powers because then they’d have to leave town for a year.

  We had plenty of vampires, werewolves, giants, muses, sirens, and humans who would be more than happy to lend us a helping hand if things went sideways.

  “Let’s keep the event going as is. If you feel any warnings about it at all, we’ll take care of it as it happens. For now, I want you to get some sleep if you can—”

  She made a little sound of protest.

  “—or stay there with Delaney until you need to go help Bertie. Ryder’s still with her, right?”

  “I’d like to see anyone or anything make him move.”

  “Good,” I said. “I’ll lock up Xtelle, then deal with Bathin. After that, I’ll be by to see Delaney.”

  “You’re going to do all that by yourself?”

  “Not by myself.”

  “Before the parade starts in a few hours?”

  I grinned. It wasn’t a challenge, but I was naturally competitive. “Time me.”

  ~~~

  Step one: Call Death. “I need you to do something for me,” I said.

  “Are these not the hours in which most humans require sleep?” He didn’t sound like I’d woken him up, which I probably hadn’t. He did sound faintly amused.

  “I’m pulling an all-nighter, all-morninger.”

  “How, then, am I involved in this endeavor?”

  “I need you to help me with a demon.”

  There was the slightest pause. “Shall I inquire as to which demon?”

  “Do you care?”

  “Not in the least.”

  I grinned despite myself and finished pouring the strongest cup of coffee I could tolerate into one of Delaney’s giant mugs.

  I found Spud, Ryder’s dog, who had gotten left out in Ryder’s truck for a half-hour in all the chaos. He’d taken up a post at my feet, following me like a hairy shadow as I moved around the kitchen and the very annoyed Xtelle.

  He trotted beside me as I stepped into the living room where I could finish my plans in relative privacy.

  “Meet me at Ryder and Delaney’s house as soon as you can.”

  ~~~

  Than arrived promptly. He had on a dark plum T-shirt with Ordinarily Gifted written across the chest. He’d paired that with a smart silver-tipped walking cane and a gray fedora.

  “I need a demon.”

  He glanced toward the kitchen then back at me. “Perhaps you should explore the kitchen area?”

  “Not her. She’s…I need her trapped and out of the way. I can’t use her.”

  “And the demon known as Bathin?”

  I was pacing now, which he watched for a minute before settling himself into the straight-backed chair I knew Ryder must have picked because Delaney was all about comfort and lounging when it came to furniture.

  “He’s the worst.”

  “I see.”

  “He won’t let go of her soul, so now I have to trap Xtelle, then raise another demon, then bargain with it or blackmail it and make it use the scissors to cut Delaney’s soul away from Bathin. Why are you scowling?”

  “What do you suggest would be the proper response? You are planning to trap the kitchen demon, then raise a minor demon to do surgery upon your sister’s soul. Shall I frown thoughtfully? Grimace?”

  I blew out a hard breath and threw my hands up.

  Spud was giving Than all his attention, but hadn’t left my side. Than snapped his fingers softly, and Spud hustled over to sit at his feet.

  “What else can I do?” I asked. “He has her soul, and it has holes in it now. That means there’re holes in Ordinary, so now the vortexes to Hell…”

  “The Underworld,” he corrected gently.

  “…which might as well be Hell, for all the demons and demon spawn coming through those vortexes—which also try to suck people into them, by the way.”

  “And turn them into frogs.” He nodded. “I was there.” Was he amused? Was there something funny about this?

  I planted my fists on my hips and glared at him. “You have a better idea?”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t assume so. But I am curious as to what you think will happen when you summon a minor creature of darkness.”

  Spud was absolutely fascinated by him, tail wagging slowly, stopping, then wagging again as he listened to every word that fell out of Than’s mouth.

  “For one thing,” I said. “I’d expect it to be less judgmental than the current creature of darkness in front of me.”

  His eyes glittered. He didn’t smile, but he did narrow his eyes in something like glee.

  “You will order the minor demon to wield the scissors against Bathin. The Prince.”

  “Yes. I’m going use a demon to cut Delaney’s soul away from Bathin.”

  “Who is a creature you harbor feelings for.”

  “I harbor feelings for a lot of creatures,” I said evenly.

  Than tsked. I ignored him.

  “Listen. My sister is in a coma. I’m done waiting for a better solution. This isn’t ideal, but I don’t care. Waiting for perfect isn’t going to work anymore.”

  He was silent, dark eyes intense as if there were nothing else in the universe as interesting as me. It was disconcerting and welcome. If I was going to pull this off, I’d need him engaged and on my side.

  “Delaney Reed is in a coma?” It was said softly, but there was enough power behind it, I fought not to step back, turn, run.

  “Just happened. Ryder and Jean are with her. She’s stable.”

  “But unconscious.”

  I nodded, not trusting that I could get the words out. My throat was closing up. It was fear, it was instinct. Survival instinct.

  He blinked, once, and the terror pushing at the back of my throat eased.

  “I see.”

  “So I’m going to get her soul back,” I said. “Now. Before the next vortex opens.”

  He stroked his palm over Spud’s head, once. Spud leaned his whole body into Than’s knee.

  Than tipped his head downward, the slightest of movements. It made him look like a predator catching the scent of its prey.

  “You will not entrust Delaney’s soul to some low-level demon, Myra Reed.” The words were soft, but they were deep and sonorous, and a shiver feathered down my spine.

  “I’ll do anything I have to and you can’t stop me. Not here in this town where I’m the
law.”

  Than lifted one eyebrow. Right. He was also sort of the law. But he was a god on vacation who had to follow the rules.

  “Let me clarify,” he said. “It would be foolish to summon an unknown demon to do your bidding when you have other options.”

  “What options? I can’t use the scissors, I can’t trust Xtelle to use the scissors. Who else do I have?”

  “Me.”

  Spud wagged his tail while I tried to get my brain around that. “You can use the scissors?”

  “Perhaps. Could I see them?”

  “Sure. Yes. Hold on.” I had taken them from my closet and brought them with me when I left my house. There was no way I was leaving Bathin at my house with the scissors if I wasn’t there to keep him away from them.

  I jogged out to the car and after gathering up the wooden box, I stuffed an extra bag with a clay pot, some random boxes and bags, until the this, this, this tug in my chest settled down and went silent.

  Spud was in doggy heaven as Than’s long fingers rhythmically scratched and smoothed along his ears.

  I opened the box and pulled the bag out of it. Than leaned forward just an inch and his hand rested on the arm of the chair.

  I tugged the cuff of my sleeve down over my palm and fingers, then tipped the scissors out onto my sleeve-covered hand.

  They didn’t fall out of the bag so much as slide onto my hand like poured silk. Gold and deadly, the metal glinted as if it were fashioned around a fiery core that still burned.

  “May I?” Than extended his hand. I nodded.

  He plucked the scissors off my palm using only a finger and thumb. If it were possible, his eyes went even darker.

  I waited. I wasn’t sure what he would decide. Maybe that he wouldn’t do it, maybe that he couldn’t. Maybe that the scissors were a fake, a fraud, and I would have to go back to square one to save Delaney’s soul.

  “Can you?” I asked. “Can you use the scissors to save Delaney’s soul?”

  His gaze finally shifted to meet mine. “There will be consequences.”

  “For Delaney?”

  “That is yet to be seen.”

  “To her soul?”

  “No.”

  “But you can do it? You can cut her soul away from Bathin?”

  He stood, tall that man, tall that god, and held his other hand out for the spell bag.

  “Myra Reed,” he said as he dripped the scissors into the velvet, “I am the god of Death. Even on vacation, there is very little that I cannot do better than a creature of the Underworld.”

  “Okay.” This was it. This was our chance to get Delaney’s soul back.

  A part of me was crowing with the victory almost in our hands. Another part of me knew this would mean saying good-bye to Bathin.

  Forever.

  There was no place in Ordinary for demons. No matter what my heart wanted.

  I exhaled through my mouth. Calming. Preparing. “Don’t interfere, okay? I want to lock Xtelle away on my terms.”

  He tipped his head in a nod.

  “Good,” I said to Than, to myself, to that little part of me shattering into a million pieces. “Let’s do this.”

  ~~~

  Step two: Contain the demon in the kitchen.

  I marched into the kitchen, Than silent behind me, Spud on his heels.

  Xtelle’s gaze flicked to me, then stopped on Death.

  Than just strolled past her, ignoring her as if she weren’t worth his attention. “Is there tea?” he asked.

  “Upper right in that last cupboard,” I said.

  “Thank you. I believe I am going to enjoy this.” That was when he looked at Xtelle. It was amazing to see her eyes widen, her nostrils flare, and every muscle in her body go hard.

  Afraid. She was afraid of him. Good.

  But he wasn’t the one she should be worried about.

  I was.

  I opened my bag and began taking out the items.

  A heart-shaped ruby on a pure gold chain, a bumble bee’s wings in a tiny glass box, a few drops of red ink, the very rare, very dangerous dried flower from my pocket, and lastly, a chipped terra cotta teapot from the local thrift shop.

  As soon as I placed the teapot on the countertop, Xtelle broke her silence.

  “I will not be crammed into that grimy little thing.”

  I turned the teapot in my hands so she could get a good look at it. It was just your basic orange-brown, with a perfect surface for the glyphs and symbols I had written across it in thick, black Sharpie a month ago.

  “I am not some common demon spawn you can defeat with a turnip.”

  “Yeah, I got that. You’re a demon who forced her way into Ordinary, passing herself off as a unicorn—a creature of purity—who then lied about who she was, what she was, and why she was here.”

  “You never asked me why I came here.”

  That was true. But it was also a diversion. Words were a demon’s sharpest weapon. Best way to disarm her? Ignore her.

  Than put the kettle on and selected two mugs and two tea strainers.

  There was something soothing about his long, pale fingers delicately tamping tea leaves into place as if he had all the time in the world. As if we all did. It was calming. Ritualistic.

  The last thing I pulled out of my bag was a piece of chalk that I kept on the windowsill during the full moon.

  “Xtelle, you are no longer welcome in Ordinary.” I used the chalk to draw a triangle on the counter, placed the teapot in the center of it, then opened the pot. Next, I placed the ruby heart and bee’s wings into it, then tipped out three drops of red ink and added the flower.

  So far so good.

  “It won’t work,” she said. But her arms were crossed and her lips were wet. Her gaze kept skipping between Than and the teapot, and there was a heavy dose of fear in her eyes. Anxiety.

  It would work. It was just going to take some time.

  “Tea?” Than offered. He placed the mug of tea on the counter a good distance away from the teapot, but still in my reach.

  “Thank you.” I picked up the mug, inhaled the woodsy green scent, blew across the liquid and, for a moment, just centered myself. I sipped the tea, savoring.

  Then I began the spell.

  It wasn’t something that could be done quickly. It wasn’t one or two lines of Latin, like they did in the movies, and call it good. This had to be strong enough to hold her and keep her until I found a way to send her back to the Underworld and make sure she would stay there.

  I got the spell wrong three times.

  After the last attempt, which had ended with a small puff of smoke rising from the chalk triangle that surrounded the teapot, I groaned and slumped down onto a kitchen stool.

  “What am I doing wrong?” I growled at the ceiling.

  Xtelle snorted. “For one thing, you didn’t summon me. That’s an uphill battle right there.”

  “You could just agree to get in the vessel,” I said.

  “It’s not even fine china. Really, Myra. What are you thinking? Do I look like a woman who is going to willingly occupy a cramped kitchen vessel? ”

  She sounded so much like the unicorn version of herself that I fought back a smile. “No, you do not.”

  “You bet your ass, no I do not.” She gave me a smile and a wink, and it reminded me so much of Bathin, it made my chest hurt.

  “I need tea.”

  Than handed me another cup, perfectly brewed.

  “You’re good at this,” I told him.

  “Perhaps I shall pursue a barista career if the life of a law officer and kite enthusiast longer suits,” he intoned.

  Imagining him working a drive-thru coffee kiosk was hilarious. I could just imagine what kind of apron he’d pick out.

  “There is an easier way,” Xtelle said.

  “Yeah, no.”

  “You could let me go.”

  “No.”

  “You could tell me to leave Ordinary.”

  “Would that eve
n work?”

  She shrugged. “The Reed family has always had ultimate say over who can and can’t be here. It seems like it would work.”

  “If Delaney told you to leave and forbade you from coming back, that would work. She’s the bridge. I’m not that sister.”

  “You aren’t a demon hunter, Myra. You aren’t a witch. You aren’t even a magic worker. You’re out of your depth here.”

  “And?” Listing off my faults wasn’t going to stop me from doing what I knew had to be done.

  “Despite what your eyes tell you,” she swiped her hands down her curves, “I’m a lot older than I look.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Wow. I am so surprised you aren’t what you seem to be.”

  “I am tired of playing this game.” She threw her arms wide. “You can’t hold me. You could never hold me.” She snapped her fingers.

  I hit her in a full tackle just as the spell around her evaporated into steam and ashes that flew in a whirlwind of black-winged moths.

  “No! You can’t—”

  Her words cut short as I wrestled her to the ground.

  If I didn’t know she wasn’t human, that would have been when I found out.

  She was heavier than she looked, much heavier than she should be, built of rocks instead of bones. Her skin was so hot, I expected to hear my hand sizzle as I yanked both her wrists behind her back.

  “I refuse to allow” she sputtered.

  I flicked the cuffs from the back of my belt opening them around her wrists—which were no longer there. Neither was Xtelle.

  I was flat on the floor, no Xtelle to be found.

  I scrambled up, scanned the kitchen. Still no demon. Just Death, sipping tea.

  “Is she gone?”

  He placed his cup carefully on the countertop. “Define ‘gone’.”

  “Not in this house.”

  “That is true.”

  “You couldn’t stop her?”

  He raised one eyebrow. “I didn’t interfere. As you asked.”

  Right. Right. I’d wanted to lock her up by myself. Wanted the satisfaction of being the one who closed the lid on her smug face so I could look Bathin in the eyes and tell him I’d defeated his mother.

  That was dumb.

  I rolled my shoulders and suddenly felt too tired for any of this. I hadn’t slept for over twenty-four hours and obviously wasn’t thinking things through. I should have just snapped my fingers and said the spell for the dried flower.