Demon Seer (Ember's Flames Book 1)

by Sadie Waters

  “Let Zach decide?” She thought it seemed like a crazy idea, but Ryan wasn’t one for throwing out silly thoughts.

  “Sure. Why not? It’s his life we’re talking about here. What do you say, Lane? Let the Seer decide who he wants watching his ass and who he wants hunting down his would-be killer?”

  Lane scoffed. “He doesn’t know what’s best for himself. If he did, he would know that my team is far superior to yours, and we will have answers for him in a matter of hours. It will take you fools weeks.”

  Ember’s glare intensified, but Ryan was still calm. “So that’s a yes then? You’ll agree to whatever Zach says? After all, just because he wants part of a team to stay here, that doesn’t mean the whole team has to.”

  Once again, she was puzzled. Ember raised an eyebrow but didn’t intervene.

  Sighing, Lane said, “Yes, yes, whatever. I have things to do.” He crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on the couch, suddenly bored.

  “Very well.” Ryan’s blue eyes concentrated on Zach, who looked like a stunned puppy just brought into the shelter. “Zachary--do you want us to stay here and keep you safe tonight while Lane and his three gorgeous women go out into the streets and try to hunt down the demon who killed Myke? Or, would you rather our team go out and hunt while Lane’s women stay here with you? And, since Lane is taking this so personally, we’d be more than happy to let him come with us since clearly his three beauties are more than capable of protecting you. Ruby could probably do it all by herself.”

  Zach looked around at each of them, eyes wide as saucers as Lane realized what Ryan had done and the visitor’s dark caterpillar eyebrows grew together. Zach said, “Wait--you’re seriously asking if I’d prefer to spend my evening with you three or Ruby and her two hot friends from last night? Really?”

  Seeing he was about to lose, Lane said, “You know Ember would be here as well, and she’s rather… fetching… I suppose.”

  “Thanks for the compliment, Lane.” Ember rolled her eyes. “Yes, Zach. You want Carson, Jake and Ryan here with you tonight or Ruby, Jess, and Tinsley?”

  “Uh, sorry Em, but that’s a no brainer. Seeing as though you already have a boyfriend… or two… I think I’ll take the women.”

  “They are already spoken for as well, you realize.” Lane was not playing around in his defeat. Ruby’s hand on his thigh should’ve been enough for Zach to know that.

  “Right, right. Sure, I know that.” Zach’s confusion was evident, and Ember assumed he didn’t actually know that before, but Lane left no room for doubt.

  “All right then. It’s settled. My team hunts, yours stays here. But you are more than welcome to go with us. Just remember, my team, my calls.”

  Lane shook his head slowly. “This is going to be a disaster.”

  Ember grinned at him, wondering if she could get away with taking him out herself. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. Now, get the hell out of my house.”

  Without having to be asked twice, Lane stood. “Zachary, it was a pleasure to meet you, but do not attempt to take advantage of my women tonight, you understand?”

  “Of course.” Zach shook his hand, not understanding. Ruby gave him a hug, promising she’d see him later, and Ember let Ryan walk them to the door since he was far cooler than she was.

  She ran a hand through her hair, and Jake patted her shoulder. “Well, we got what we wanted.”

  “Yep.” Ember managed a smile, but it was obviously fake. Was this what she wanted? Why didn’t she just tell Lane to take Zach’s ass with him and never bring him back? She glanced over in his direction. He was sitting again, doing that nervous movement with his hands, looking like a lost little boy trying to be tough, and she realized he was starting to grow on her. Silently cursing herself, she pushed those thoughts aside and tried to concentrate on the hunt. They’d have to get a plan together in the next few hours so when night fell, they’d be ready to hunt down the bastard that had killed Myke, figure out what he knew, who he answered to, and how hard it would be to keep Zach safe. Something told her it wouldn’t just be hard--it might be impossible.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Crouching down in alleys was one of Ember’s most frequent pastimes she didn’t much enjoy, but it was a necessity her job entailed often ever since the Seers had disappeared. While every Sorcha had a sort of sixth sense that let them have an impression of when the enemy was nearby, it wasn’t the same as actually being able to see their movements, particularly from hundreds of miles away, as the best Seers could do. Thus, she spent hours in alleys, waiting for a sense that something was on the prowl in the vicinity and then seeking it out.

  Of course, they had other tracking methods as well, once they picked up a scent or evidence that a Scale had been nearby. There were tell-tale signs her kind had learned to detect from years of practice. From the odor of death and decay lingering in the air to hot spots or a disruption in the environment, they had their methods, just like bloodhounds chasing down criminals.

  It was nearly 2:00 AM, and Ember would’ve gladly accepted any of those signs or even a hunch. Her legs were starting to cramp up, so she adjusted, knowing they were going to have to get a bite soon, or they’d be headed in empty handed, and Lane would be laughing for weeks to come, or at least until he was in charge of a hunt that went south.

  Thankfully, he wasn’t with her. She’d split her team up and stuck Lane with Jake since he was the least likely to get in a heated discussion with the other Ink. Not that Ryan would’ve been impolite unless Lane deserved it, but he was more likely to be duped into a debate. And Carson was just not even an option.

  It made sense that whoever this asshole was who’d taken Myke out would come back to Zach’s building. Lane had insisted they should go back to the scene of the initial interaction, but Ember had overruled him. Her team, her decision. So Lane had called in a favor from another Ink, and that team was over near the bus stop where Zach nearly lost his throat and pissed his pants. The fact that they others had seen nothing yet only made Ember feel slightly vindicated. She wouldn’t mind being wrong if it meant something happened somewhere.

  Ten more minutes passed before she heard Carson’s familiar voice in her ear. “I think I got somethin’ here,” he said in a low whisper. He was stationed on top of Zach’s building, already using his Blending talent so that he wouldn’t be detected. Ember locked eyes with Ryan, who was a few hundred feet away from her. He gave her a slow nod as if to say he’d sensed something. He was a lot more sensitive than Ember was. Perhaps the crouching was almost over for the day.

  “You got eyes on him?” Ember whispered. The ear pieces they used to communicate in the field were hypersensitive, so they wouldn’t have to be loud at all in order to be heard.

  Carson was quiet for a few moments. “I’ve got movement, but I’m not sure if it’s our scraggly haired punk or something else. He’s not showing himself yet, who or whatever it is. Just movement on the fire escape. Definitely not human.”

  “Let’s get in there.” Lane was always impatient, which was one of the reasons Ember hated going out with him in the first place.

  “Patience,” she cautioned. “We don’t want to scare him off.”

  “I don’t want to see that old lady across the hallway bite it either,” Carson said. “Are you sure you don’t want me to head down there?”

  Ember closed her eyes and felt out into the universe with her energy. Back when she’d had a Seer before, she’d had a better sense of where the enemy was. Perhaps now that she’d found another, her skills would have improved. Was it the same monster as the night before?

  In her gut, Ember knew that it was. “Yes, Carson. Go down the way you got up, by using the stairs. I’ll head over to the fire escape. Maybe we can pin him. Lane, go invisible and move to the front entrance of the building. Jake, go around back.”

  One by one, they all voiced that they had heard and moved into position. As Ember stood, she approached Ryan who knew her well eno
ugh to understand there was a reason she hadn’t told him what to do while everyone else was listening in. Switching her communication device so that she could hear but not be heard, she said, “Go cover Lane. If this asshole goes out the front door, I want someone there who can run him down.”

  “You got it.” He found her lips briefly, but purposefully, and then took off in a flash, leaving her grinning after him and then reminding herself she needed to get her head in the game.

  Ember turned her mic back on and her visibility off, using her Flying skills to position herself at the base of the fire escape within a few seconds. Carson was right. There was definitely a Scale above her. She could feel his presence now, even though she couldn’t see him. She couldn’t tell if he was actually a Blender or just really good at using his shadow energy to meld into the surface of the wall where it was too dark for her to see. Either way, he was there at the moment. She doubted that he would be much longer, though. He was on Zach’s floor, and she had a feeling he wouldn’t get the apartment wrong this time. When he found it empty, he might attempt to peacefully depart into the night. Or he might take his anger out on the closest human he could find, which would likely happen to be Mrs. Donaldson.

  Determined not to let anything happen to the sweet old lady or anyone else, Ember leapt up and grabbed the lip of the lowest landing of the fire escape, quiet as a whisper, and pulled herself up. Above her, the energy shifted. The Scale knew she was there now, and he knew she was coming for him. A wicked smile pulled up the corner of her mouth. She always liked it when they ran away from her--and right into the arms of her teammates.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Getting into the building from the fire escape was no problem for Ember, especially when she was certain she was climbing into Zach’s bedroom window. Carson had been inside of his apartment but hadn’t seen the Scale yet, so he’d gone back into the hallway. Had he missed him, or had the Scale seeped through the wall into a different apartment?

  Ember stepped down onto the carpet next to Zach’s bed, listening and feeling. The Scale was definitely in the building somewhere. He had to be aware of them, too. Why was he staying? Didn’t he know by now Zach wasn’t there?

  She did a quick recon of the apartment and found it clear. Heading toward the front door to join Carson in the hallway, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps outside of the door and then a yelp. Ember took a second to make herself invisible and then flew through the door. Carson had his gun drawn but didn’t seem to know where to aim, the sleeve of his leather jacket torn and smoking. “What happened?”

  “The bastard threw a fireball at me,” he replied. “I feel like he’s still here somewhere, but I can’t see him.”

  Ember had the feeling, too, like the Scale had found a shadow on the wall somewhere and was just observing them. The bullets in their guns came out silently. Made of a special blend of wood, metal, and holy water, they didn’t usually kill humans unless a vital organ was hit directly, but they still hesitated to fire unless they could see what they were aiming at, which made their weapons difficult to use inside of an apartment building.

  If she couldn’t see in the shadows, she’d just have to illuminate them. Using her Throwing power, Ember created a bright light in her hands and shown it around the hallway. “There!” She pointed at the ceiling where the Scale had deformed himself and molded into a corner.

  Carson hesitated to shoot, not knowing what might be on the other side of the ceiling, so Ember tossed her ball of light at the demon instead. He leapt to the floor, but her power caught the top of his head, leaving it smoldering as he screeched and took off down the hall.

  No longer worried about what he might hit except for the exterior wall, Carson fired, hitting the demon in the shoulder. Once again, the monster let out a high-pitched scream, clutching at its upper arm before fading into the wall.

  “That’s gonna be one hell of a fall,” Carson noted, watching it disappear out of their range.

  “It’ll slide down the interior and pop out the bottom of the building.” Ember ran down the hallway to see if she could get her bearings before she told Lane and Ryan, “It’s coming your way, probably through the building between the second and third windows on the south side of the door.”

  “Copy that,” Lane said. “He’ll meet his demise if he dares.”

  She rolled her eyes and rushed to the elevator, which Carson had already called. “Jake, where are you?”

  “Headed up the alley on the south side of the building in case he tries to come this way.”

  “Perfect.” The bell rang, and Ember started to step on but then froze.

  “What is it?” Carson asked, holding the door for her.

  “Something’s not right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know… I feel like…. Do you still feel like there’s a Scale around here?”

  Carson was quiet for a moment and then shrugged. “Residual energy from that asshole?”

  Ember knew what that felt like, but this was different, and it seemed to be growing more intense. “I don’t feel right about this, Carson. Go on down and see if you can help them get that guy. With any luck, he’s our mark, the one who was after Zach. Remember, we want to bring him in if we can. Remind Lane of that.”

  “What are you going to do?” The scowl on his face let her know that he didn’t like the idea of leaving her.

  “I’m going to… check on Mrs. Donaldson.”

  Still not happy, Carson let his reservations go and released the door. Ember hoped she was wrong and everything was okay, but she had a feeling there was more than one Scale in the building and the one they’d just ran off wasn’t the one who was sent to cause mayhem.

  As quietly as she could, she headed back to Mrs. Donaldson’s door. They’d been lucky not to wake anyone so far, not that they didn’t have methods for taking care of human witnesses. If anyone had heard the altercation in the hallway, they hadn’t come to investigate.

  Ember was still invisible as she worked her way through the woman’s locked door, made more difficult by the chain meant to keep out intruders. It took some jimmying and some shimmying, but she managed to make her way through. The feeling in her gut that told her there were Scales nearby increased the further into the apartment the Sorcha crept. Ember chose her steps carefully so as not to alert anyone of her presence.

  Mrs. Donaldson was moaning softly from her bedroom, a sound Ember associated with one thing--an incubus. Only, when she pushed the door open enough to seep through, her eyes widened in shock.

  It wasn’t an Ink leaning over top of Mrs. Donaldson, sucking down her essence like a gluttonous child. It was a Xana--a familiar one. Her black wings stretched out behind her, fluttering in the air with each pull of the old woman’s life force, her black hair glistening in the eerie glow her presence in her current manifestation created.

  Anger boiled up inside of Ember as she raised her hand to throw a ball of fire. As the creature’s head turned, dark eyes, rimmed in red bore into Ember, and an evil smile overtook the beautiful face of death.

  “Lil,” Ember spat through bared teeth.

  The Scale Queen began to laugh, and Ember let her fire fly.

  Chapter Twenty

  Flames arched through the air, illuminating the room and licking Lilith’s hair as the demon queen dodged out of the way. The light extinguished without harming any of Mrs. Donaldson’s possessions, but Ember knew the sleeping woman would wake up soon if she didn’t take the fight elsewhere. Both the entities in her room were currently invisible to the human eye, assuming Mrs. Donaldson would wake up alert. Either way, the sound of the fight would be terrifying. Ember hoped to lure her nemesis outside.

  Lil had other plans. She sent her own surge of energy flying at Ember. Blue sparks sailed toward her face as the Sorcha ducked aside, hurling another ball of fire at the Scale. This one hit her in the side. The demon screeched, the black leather, skin tight suit she wore smoking as she used her h
and to smother the flames.

  Her eyes wild, Lil sprinted across the small space between them, throwing herself headlong into Ember and knocking her back into the wall. A picture crashed to the ground, the glass shattering. Mrs. Donaldson groaned and rolled over as Ember raised her boot and caught Lil in the stomach, kicking her away. The demon flew into the dresser, sending the old woman’s items into disarray.

  “Are you looking to die again, Ember?” Lil asked, pulling herself up off of the ground, her shoulders squared, her jaw set.

  “Not tonight.” Ember raised both hands and sent twin beams of light cascading across the room. Lil pulled a weapon from her belt, a six inch blade Ember knew all too well. The light ricocheted off of the silver, dissipating before it hit the walls, not that her light could harm the human realm. With her other hand, Lil pulled a star from her belt and sent it spinning at Ember. The Sorcha bent to her left to avoid it coming, knowing well she’d have to twist the other way as the weapon came flying back to its owner.

  She didn’t quite get out of the way in time, and the jagged edge caught her in the arm, slicing through her sleeve before it landed in Lil’s outstretched palm.

  “Bloody hell,” Ember muttered, done with pussy footing around. She pulled her gun and took aim at Lil’s face. She knew the demon wouldn’t be taken down easily with a bullet, but her arm was bleeding, and she was done playing.

  Lil snickered, but rather than rushing her again or throwing another weapon, she took two giant steps toward the exterior wall and disappeared through the sheetrock.

  “Ember! What are you doing? Is that Lil?” Carson was barking at her in her earpiece. From his tone, Ember assumed he had asked more than once.

  “It was,” she whispered. Mrs. Donaldson was awake now, looking around the room wide-eyed. So much had been knocked over on her dresser, the picture shattered on the floor. Ember couldn’t leave her.