Beg Me to Slay

by Lisa Kessler

  Dread filled her chest until her breathing labored. She glanced toward the bathroom. Even if Gabe came out, was he in any condition to slay anything? The demon started cracking his knuckles, and her fear exploded into anger.

  Good. She could channel anger.

  Gabe came out just as she got up and made her way out of the restaurant. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s him. At the Crystal Pier.” She jogged toward the pier, but the demon had vanished before she could reach him. Her pulse raced. He had to be here. Demons couldn’t disappear into this air. At least she hadn’t met one who could yet.

  Footsteps approached behind her and Tegan spun, ready to attack.

  Gabe put his hand up. “Just me.”

  She relaxed, but her hands still trembled with unspent adrenaline. “He was here.” She looked up and down the pier. “The bastard who bit me was right here. Watching me.”

  Gabe straightened, slipping his hand inside his jacket. “Stay here.”

  Screw that.

  He went two steps before she was at his side again. He shot her a glare, and she whispered, “I’ve got your back, remember?”

  He rolled his eyes but didn’t try to talk her out of it.

  Tegan stayed close behind his right shoulder, watching the shadows for any movement. Suddenly Tina’s words about a battle coming echoed in her mind. She took a slow breath, forcing her mind to quiet. Panic could keep her company later.

  Deeper in the shadows, Gabe slid his dagger free from his coat. Tegan wet her lips, making a mental note to grab a weapon out of the Mustang’s trunk later, one to keep with her at all times. For now, she had her fists, feet, and wits.

  A few men slept in dirty sleeping bags in the shadows along the boardwalk. Apparently the demon wasn’t interested in them. Gabe stopped suddenly, and she thumped against his back.

  “Sorry,” she whispered.

  He held his fingers to his lips, and she held her breath, trying to force her eyes to see in the dark.

  Gabe took a deep breath through his nose and shook his head. “He’s gone.”

  “Gone?” She glanced at the gazillion hiding places under the pier. “How can you be so sure? He stood right here giving me the evil eye.”

  “If he were anywhere within a football field, I’d be able to smell him.”

  “There’s no lingering scent? Nothing?”

  “Demons aren’t from this world. I can smell them when they’re right here because they produce an odor, but it doesn’t stay in our world when they leave since they’re not a part of it. Sounds cryptic, but that’s how it is.” He turned and made eye contact. “Are you sure it was him? This is a long way from the restaurant, and it’s dark.”

  “I’m positive.” She tried to keep her voice down. Homeless guys had enough problems without hearing about demons on their beach. “When he realized I spotted him, his eyes glowed, a bright gold color like they did when…”

  When the guy I danced with invited me outside, went all demon on me, and ate a chunk of my flesh. Her lips still refused to say the words out loud.

  Gabe nodded, giving the area one more scan. “Well, he’s not here now, but he’s seen you. We need to get the hell out of here and try that spell. I can’t face that guy like this. Time’s running out. We need to get inside the Eden Club.”

  He took her hand, polite enough not to mention how sweaty her palms were at the moment. Seeing those gold, glowing eyes again was like a nightmare come true. But if that demon thought she would lie down and die without a fight, he had the wrong goddamn girl.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Gabe focused on the rearview mirror, but he wasn’t watching for the highway patrol. Tegan was certain she saw that damned Hingo demon, and he wanted to be sure he didn’t lead it right to her place. The speedometer crept up while he kept replaying the night in his mind.

  “Watching for flashing lights?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. Tails.”

  “Tails? As in people following us?” She peered into the mirror on the passenger side. “You think he’s behind us somewhere?”

  Gabe tightened his grip on the wheel. “He’s been searching for you. The minions he’s sent are tracking his scent in your body.”

  Tegan winced. “You’re kidding.”

  “That scar doesn’t have a scent for you, but for a minion, they’ll smell their master’s taint in a heartbeat. So far we’ve killed every demon who’s found you, so there’s no way your name or address has gotten back to him. Yet. He must be getting tired of waiting if he tracked you on his own tonight. This would be his chance to find us.”

  “Don’t they have demon superpowers or something? Your informant could fly.”

  He glanced at her and almost laughed for no reason. Sleep deprivation was definitely taking a toll. “They do most everything we can. That’s why so many of them hate us. They live in this world, but they’re forced to hide their existence. Demons have massive egos, and pretending to be a human is far beneath most of them.”

  “I bet it would suck to be stuck here pretending to be something you’re not.”

  Gabe shrugged. “Doesn’t give you the right to kill innocent people.”

  He never really considered the demons’ side. He rested one hand on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. He could get used to talking to her.

  But he had to get her out of this mess first.

  He pulled into the Sprouts Farmers Market parking lot and nearly drove right over the concrete block at the front of the space. They both rocked forward before being jerked back by their seat belts. Tegan held out her hand. “I’m driving home.”

  He nodded and turned off the engine before placing his keys in her hand. No point arguing with her. This was worse than being drunk. He couldn’t tell if he’d blinked for a second or five minutes.

  He walked Tegan inside, scanning the lot as they went. Organic spell supplies. He had to smile that Tegan thought organic herbs might help. Belief was a huge ingredient for magic, though, and if she believed locally grown herbs would be better, who was he to tell her any different?

  They made it through the shopping trip without incident, and he hadn’t caught a trace of the sulfur that meant demons were nearby. He watched the mirror, feeling useless and punchy while Tegan drove back to the dojo.

  He had Tegan park the Mustang in the back of the lot, far from the streetlight. If the demon had seen his car in Pacific Beach, he didn’t want to make it easy to spot here. He got out first, taking a deep whiff of the sea air.

  No demons.

  She handed him the bag from their quick trip to Sprouts and opened the door to the dojo. Safely inside, she locked it back up and set the alarm. Gabe followed her up the stairs. Her jeans fit her perfectly, and he admired the view, relieved that exhaustion hadn’t stolen his senses completely. Although he had no business admiring her ass when he should be kicking demon ass.

  If he could keep his train of thought and focus, they’d both be safer.

  He placed the bag on the counter and took a seat in the easy chair. Tegan zoomed around her tiny kitchen, preparing the sage and rosemary while she warmed milk on the stove. He loved watching her. She moved with purpose and always with the grace and reflexes of a trained fighter.

  Settling back in the chair, he yawned and waited. When Tegan finally turned toward him, the front of her shirt was bright red, covered in blood. Her blood. More pulsed out through the crescent-shaped wound in the side of her neck. She lifted her trembling hand to cover it, barely slowing the bleeding.

  “He bit me.” Her breath wheezed from her lips. “Gabe.” She gasped. “He bit me.” She stumbled out of the kitchen, pale and her eyes wide with shock. Before he could scramble out of the chair, she collapsed into his arms, her dark eyes staring up at him. “This is your fault. You let him come for me. It hurts.” Blood gurgled in her throat. “I couldn’t wake you. You wouldn’t wake up.”

  He screamed and opened his eyes to find Tegan yelling at him.

/>   “Gabe!”

  He was up and out of the chair, yanking her into his arms, his pulse thrumming, heart stuttering in his chest.

  “Everything’s fine.” Tegan held him tight. “It was a nightmare.”

  He closed his eyes, willing the tears not to fall. Jesus, he’d never been so terrified in his life. His fault. His hands trembled like a junkie in need of a fix. He needed sleep, but after that dream, he never wanted to sleep again.

  Tegan pulled back. He focused on her eyes, his lifeline to reality.

  “Do you want some water?”

  “No.” He rubbed his forehead. “The dream changed. Tina recast tonight. She’s heard your voice now.”

  “I spoke in your dream?”

  “Yeah.” The fear ebbed and bitterness swelled. “That bitch. She threw me under the bus.”

  “If she needed to meet me to add my voice, how did she get my face in your dreams before? The demon didn’t take my picture when he attacked me outside that club or anything.”

  Gabe frowned, wishing his mind were half as sharp as Tegan’s at the moment. “Good question. You’ve never met her before?”

  “No.” She crossed her arms. “Never.”

  He snatched up his coat. “Damn it.”

  “Where do you think you’re going? I had to drive us home, remember? You can’t get behind the wheel of a car right now.”

  He gripped his coat in both hands, twisting it, struggling to calm the panic and rage. “I have to do something, Tegan.”

  She stepped closer and slid her hand up his chest. Her touch soothed him all the way to his soul. “How about, for once, you let me help you. Let me work this spell. I can do it.”

  He wanted that to be true. Sadly, wanting it wasn’t enough to change reality. “Judging by what just happened, it seems like she spent time with us to get more ammunition to power her spell.”

  “She’s worried about her sister.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, but I’m thinking that spell she wrote down is probably not right. Doesn’t seem like helping me was high on her list tonight.”

  Tegan reached up, cupping his cheek to force his gaze to meet hers. “She didn’t think I’d be able to lift the spell anyway. Why go to the trouble to make something up?”

  He bent to kiss her warm, soft lips. The woman was sexy, brave, and the only clear thinker in the room. “All right. We’ll try your way first. Then I’m going out to have another chat with my friend Tina.”

  …

  Tegan sat Gabe in one of the hard chairs at her tiny table. With any luck it’d be too uncomfortable for him to fall asleep in. She hadn’t asked him about the dream. His scream echoed with panic, so why make him relive it?

  She turned all her attention on the spell. Gabe could be right: it could be a fake. It seemed too simple to her, but what did she know about magic?

  Once the milk warmed, forming a foamy skin on top, she skimmed it and put it in one of her never-before-used wooden salad bowls. She figured the natural wood might help. It couldn’t hurt. Next, she added in the pinch of sage and rosemary, mixing it into a thick, pasty substance.

  Returning to the table with her bowl, she sat beside Gabe. “Ready?”

  He nodded, blinking his bloodshot eyes. “Paint me, baby.”

  A chuckle escaped her lips. “I might let you keep ‘baby.’”

  “Nice.” Seeing his grin lifted her spirits, buoying her confidence. “So no ‘pumpkin,’ no ‘ma’am,’ but ‘baby’ got a definite maybe.”

  She laughed and rolled her eyes. “We’ll see. Stop making me laugh. I’ve got some serious magic to work here.”

  “Is that part of the spell? Seriousness?”

  “You’re getting delirious.” She dipped her index finger into the room-temperature goo.

  “A few hours of sleep, and I’ll be back in the game.”

  “Hopefully I can help you with that.” She brought her fingertips out of the bowl. “Close your eyes, and don’t you dare sleep.”

  He followed directions, and she drew a circle in the middle of his forehead. “You can open them now.”

  “That was fast.” The corner of his mouth curved up, and it took all the self-control she had to maintain her focus. He looked cute somehow with his puffy eyes and a circle painted on his forehead. Like the first guy who fell asleep at a slumber party.

  “We’re just getting started.”

  She went back to the kitchen and pulled the cinnamon-scented pillar candle and canister of salt out of the bag. With the candle placed in the center of the table, she lit it and circled the base with a trail of salt. “Almost ready.”

  She took the dried sage and dropped it on a plate. Placing the plate at the edge of the table, she lit the pile of herbs and blew out the flame, leaving it to smolder. The soothing scent surrounded them as she sat in the chair across from him and placed her hands on the table.

  “Give me your hands, and close your eyes.”

  He did, and she held them tight before her eyelids closed. Pulling the sage scent into her lungs, she let the words flow. “This is a circle, purified with fire and protected by love. No magic can enter this place. Curses are not welcome. We banish false thoughts and false dreams. We welcome the light of hope.”

  She didn’t feel anything happening. Did magic have a feeling? Pulling in another whiff of the sage, she started again. “This circle is purified by fire and protected by love. No magic or curses can enter this place. We banish false thoughts and false dreams. We welcome the light of hope.”

  She kept repeating the words, varying them until they became a part of her. “This circle, purified by fire and guarded by love, cannot be broken. No magic, no curses, and no false dreams may harm us. Together we walk in the light of hope.”

  This final chant sent energy thrumming through her body and out her fingertips. She opened her eyes, and the candle’s flame stretched until it rose at least a foot above the wick, warming her face. The heat spread up from her feet all the way to the top of her head, tingling.

  Across from her, Gabe opened his eyes, his gaze locked on hers. “You did it.” His mouth curved gently at the corners. “Do you feel it?”

  She wasn’t even sure what it was, but she definitely felt something. Like a cozy blanket by the fireplace. Peace.

  “Are you sure it worked?”

  “Pretty sure. Warmth, like sunshine, slid up from my feet all the way to my head. That usually happens with purifying magic.”

  “I felt that, too.” Magic. She’d made it work.

  He squeezed her hands. “Only one way to test it.”

  She glanced at the bed. “Ready to catch up on some sleep?”

  “Definitely.” He stood up, only releasing one of her hands as he came around to her side of the table. He bent to kiss her lips, and her entire body warmed all over again.

  Breaking the kiss, Tegan got up from her chair. “If it didn’t work, we can try again. I could modify ingredients or change the words or something?”

  He tugged her toward the bed. “I already feel better.” He nodded toward the table. “And the candle’s still got that magic flame burning, see?”

  Sure enough, the flame remained about a foot long, without a single flicker. “Should I blow it out? After all this, I’d rather not die in a house fire.”

  “I think the spell is cast. The rest is ceremony.”

  “In real-speak that means I can blow it out, right?”

  Gabe kicked off his shoes and nodded. “You can blow it out.”

  Tegan went back to the table and snuffed out the flame. By the time she reached the bed, Gabe was already asleep. She lay beside him in the darkness, listening to his slow, even breathing.

  Waiting for the dreams to begin.

  …

  Gabe woke up disoriented. The sun was…setting? How long had he slept?

  He lifted his head. Where was Tegan?

  Gabe sat up and rubbed his eyes. The apartment was empty. He heard a muffled voice call out from downstairs.
“Come on, you guys. Channel the power all the way to the edge of your foot.”

  He smiled and stretched. Tegan was teaching.

  After a quick shower and shave, he pulled on a T-shirt and sweatpants. Careful not to disrupt the class, he descended a couple of steps and sat down, watching her in the mirrored wall below. Her auburn ponytail bounced while she demonstrated a new kick combination, making sure they differentiated between their side kicks and roundhouse kicks. After answering a few more questions, she grabbed her big kicking pad and braced herself.

  “Come on, Devon.” She rattled the padded shield. “Show me what you’ve got.”

  Devon answered with a solid kick and a smile that lit up the room. “I did it.”

  “You sure did!” She bumped knuckles with her student. “I won’t accept anything less from you now.”

  “Yes, Sensei.” He bowed and jogged to the back of the line.

  Gabe rubbed his neck. Watching Tegan work, seeing the pride in the eyes of her students, moved him. Even though she recently learned demons exist, that some of them wanted her blood, and she managed to break a curse on his dreams, here she was sweating with a group of kids, encouraging them to be more than they believed they could be.

  Just when he thought he couldn’t admire her more.

  He swallowed hard. It was more than admiration. Now that he’d slept and cleared his head, it was tough to deny the emotions in his gut. Saying the words would be pointless unless they lived through their visit to the Eden Club tonight.

  But maybe the words were the magic.

  He was lost in his thoughts when one of the kids called up the stairs. “Hi, Gabe!”

  He grinned and stood. “Hey, Devon. You looked good today.”

  “Thanks! Coming twice a week is really helping. Sensei says I should be ready to test up to my blue belt soon.”

  Devon was a thick fifteen-year-old boy still waiting for that teenage growth spurt to hit him. Gabe jogged down the steps, his gaze sweeping over to Tegan just in time to see her bending over to put the boxing gloves away. Bonus.

  He glanced at the boy again and ran his fingers back through his damp hair. “If you ever need a sparring partner, you know where to find me.”