“The stable’s been quiet with all the teams out demon hunting,” Laramie said, pulling a broom off a wall. “I’ll be glad when it’s over. The horses are getting antsy without the exercise.”
“Sorry we’ve been neglecting you,” I said, taking another broom off the wall to join her in sweeping the concrete floor. “It’s been crazy.”
“I understand.”
She straightened her spine and stretched to her highest height, which wasn’t much compared to the Nephilim around here who all towered above six foot tall. Laramie had to be only about five foot and thick around the waste. She had an extra chin and thick wrists, short curly brown hair and small flashing eyes. But none of that kept her from wrangling some of the most spirited horses I’d ever seen. She kept a tight ship, allowing the Nephilim to train their horses for battle.
“I’m surprised to see you up and about at this hour,” she said, swinging her broom with ease. “Something on your mind?”
A heavy sigh left my lips. Not only was Laramie the absolutely best stable manager, but she had a way of taking on the roll as my personal therapist. She was blunt and to the point. I could expect honesty from her. It was a refreshing trait.
“Too much to mention,” I replied.
Most days, I would’ve spilled my guts to her. But today, I just needed a distraction from reality.
“I see.” She dug in her pocket for a handful of oats and fed it to a bay sticking its head out of the nearest stall. Running her hand up his nose, she smiled to herself. “Did you know that today begins my fifteenth year at Westward Manor?”
My mouth dropped open. “No! I didn’t know you’ve been here this long.”
“Yep. Wonderful years, every single one of them.” A dimple appeared in her left cheek as her grin grew. “This job saved my life, you know?”
All the times I’d been out here riding, not once had Laramie opened up about her past. I had the feeling it was a rare occurrence, like Hale-Bopp’s comet passing over the Earth every couple of millenniums. Zipping my lips shut, I leaned back against the stalls and hoped she would continue her story.
“I had a ranch in Texas,” she said, concentrating on the motion of her broom. “Right on the Mexican border. Nothing huge, you know? But people from all over the country knew about my horses. They’d come for miles to get their hands on my fillies. I bred the best.”
Of that fact, I wasn’t surprised. Laramie knew horses better than most people knew the back of their own hand. She seemed to prefer them over humans. I counted myself lucky to be one of the few within her confidence.
“But my property drew unwanted attention, too.” She leaned on her broomstick and looked up at me. Sorrow filled her face. “I’ll never forget the day they showed up. Big F-350 pickups with engines that roared. There were six of them with guns and a bald man who did all the talking. They were going to run drugs across my ranch and cut me in on a tiny percentage of the profit. That was the price for my silence.”
My mouth fell open. “Did they threaten you?”
“Didn’t have to. I was a Texan. We didn’t just carry our guns around for show. I knew these guys were the same and they’d use them on me if I didn’t comply.”
My hands felt clammy against the hard plastic of the broom. I rubbed them against my pants to shake off the dread Laramie’s story had given me.
“I’m sorry to say that I gave into that fear,” she went on. “Didn’t even argue with them. I continued my work on the ranch and turned a blind eye whenever they brought a shipment in. The next day, a wad of cash would appear in my mailbox. It was that way for months. I can’t tell you how it felt to be so powerless. To feel like nothing was in my control. Like I had to bow to those drug-rats, bringing their poison onto my land and trying to pay me off. It was awful.”
Something nudged me forcefully in the back and I turned to see Reba, finished with her apple and back for more. I scratched under her chin and thought about Laramie’s story. Never in a million years would I’ve guessed she’d take crap from anyone. She was a stubborn lady—not a person to mess with. The fact that she’d let those drug runners bulldoze her over was sobering.
“How did it end?” I asked.
She ran a hand through her short wavy hair, dislodging a piece of hay. “In violence, as these things often do. I’d finally gotten up the gall to face them one day. They’d just brought across a shipment and I was expecting a payment that day. So, I waited by the mailbox for two hours before they showed up. Three of them, in their big pickup, with sunglasses so dark I couldn’t see their faces. I shoved a paper bag with all of their money through the driver’s window and told them I wasn’t having it anymore. They weren’t very happy, to say the least.”
She laughed, although I could hear a hint of sadness in her voice. Reba’s lips plucked at my ponytail, demanding my attention. I’d abandoned her under the story’s thrall.
“What did they do?” I asked, unsure I wanted to hear the answer.
“When they saw I couldn’t be bought out, they decided to teach me a lesson.” Pain crossed Laramie’s forehead and her eyes went dull with the memory. “I had two favorite stallions and my five dams. They’d just given birth that spring. It was going to be an especially good group. They shot ‘em dead, every last one of them. Made me watch it, too.”
I gasped. Nothing could’ve broken Laramie’s heart more than to see her horses get executed one by one. She carried the pain with her still, deep within her eyes.
“When they were done, they turned on me,” she said, wiping a tear from her cheek. “I knew I was going to die. These men were evil. They had no qualms about killing people who got in their way. Lucky for me, some new clients I was expecting that day showed up early. Drove all the way from South Dakota to see my herd. They took down those drug lords with their silver blades. Never seen anybody move so fast. It hurt my eyes to follow them.”
The Nephilim didn’t usually like to get into human affairs, but there was no way they’d sit back and watch someone be murdered. I was grateful to the ones who’d shown up in time to save Laramie. I couldn’t imagine the manor without her.
“When all was said and done, they packed up my remaining horses and brought me here,” Laramie added with a sad smile. “I didn’t have any family left. Nothing for me in Texas. And we knew I couldn’t stay there. It was an easy choice. One that I’m thankful for every day.”
She hung up the broomstick and went to drag a bale of hay down the aisle. I watched her, although my mind felt a million miles away. Laramie’s story felt an awful lot like mine. I felt powerless, too. Except there was no Nephilim warrior to come to my rescue. And the episodes were getting worse.
“Just hang in there, kid.” I looked up to see Laramie watching me, her dark eyes unblinking. It was like she could read my mind. “Things will get better.”
On my lips, I wore a grateful smile. But inside my heart, I doubted that things would end up quite so well for me.
Chapter Nine
The afternoon had been set aside for the big competition. Most of the warriors had been convinced to participate and it had quickly grown into a large attraction for the rest of us. It was a welcome distraction and I was determined to let go of my problems for the entire day. I had my friends to cheer for and that was all I would worry about.
After an impromptu opening ceremony hosted by Noah Brown himself, they began the competition with a bang—hand to hand combat. It was a favorite event of most of the warriors. A time for skill and strength to combine.
“Are you nervous?” I asked Gabe.
He was bouncing on his feet next to me, waving his arms to warm up his muscles.
“Nah...”
His gaze traveled to the giant square ring that had been built on the green expanse of the lawn. The bleachers that surrounded it were filled with Nephilim. News had spread quickly about the little diversion. Pretty much everyone was in attendance.
“You’re up against Noah Brown first,” I said, l
ooking at the schedule drawn on a giant whiteboard someone had rolled outside.
Shoot. I’d hoped he could take on someone easier for his first round. Noah wasn’t going to lose lying down. I’d spotted him working out in the training facility. He moved faster than anyone I’d ever seen and had the muscle mass to wrestle a polar bear.
“That’s good,” he replied distractedly. Rolling his head on his neck, he pulled his foot behind him to stretch.
“You’re going to do great.” I grabbed his hand. It felt sweaty and warm against my skin. “You’re the best warrior I know.”
He looked down at me and although his lips remained pressed in a line, I could see the grateful flash of hope in his green eyes. Ever the stoic angel. He wasn’t going to crack under pressure.
The women were up first. It wasn’t surprising to see Ashley among the ten or so competitors, her lips pursed with an attitude that told me she expected to win. In the first round, she easily took out a warrior four times her age, pinning her in less than three minutes. As more women were eliminated from the ranks, she stepped into the ring for her second match against a behemoth of a woman from Asia—another one of Luke’s recruits down in the lab. I cheered until my throat went hoarse, calling out her name.
“She’s won!” I turned to Gabe. He hadn’t said a word this entire time. “She’s in the finals.”
He managed to give me a little smile and nod his head. The muscles in his neck tensed.
“I’d better go warm up,” he said, looking over the crowd. “As soon as the women’s finals are over, they’ll want us out there.”
I nodded my agreement and squeezed his hand in mine. “Good luck.”
His eyes narrowed as he looked down at me, taking in every detail of my face. Suddenly, he pulled me forward and pressed his body against mine. I had no idea if anyone was watching. Doubtful, judging by the noises coming from the ring.
I melted into him, feeling his hand travel up the back of my neck and into my hair. Inhaling the scent of his skin, dark and musty, I softly kissed the bare skin on his neck. His grip on my waist tightened and he pulled me even closer. Dropping his mouth to mine, he kissed me until my head spun, pulling away only when I was good and breathless.
“I needed that,” he said, his lips slightly swollen.
I gazed up at him, unable to speak a word. My head was still spinning.
With a final squeeze of my hand, he was lost in the crowd, headed toward the competitor’s booth on the other side of the ring. I shook off the haze that had settled in my brain and wandered off behind the bleachers. A satisfied smile lingered on my face as I thought about that kiss. Gabe never failed to surprise me.
Shaking my head, I looked to my right and saw Raquel sitting alone on the side of the grassy hill, watching the action in the ring below. Needing a little break from the crowd, I made my way over to her shady spot. Dropping to a spot beside her, I hugged my knees against my chest and watched the ongoing match.
“I’m surprised you’re not down there, competing,” I said, pointing to the ring.
She shrugged. “Maybe next year.”
I studied her out of the corner of my eye. It was unlike my cousin not to get totally wrapped up in the latest happenings—whether that be local Nephilim excitement or celebrity gossip on the internet.
“What’s up?” I asked, nudging her with my shoulder. “You seem kind of down.”
She bowed her red head and stared down at the blade of grass between her fingers. “Nothing. I’ve just been thinking...”
A silence fell between us. I waited for her to speak. Usually, I didn’t have to wait long for Raquel to spill. She couldn’t keep a secret for long.
“It’s just...” she continued.
I smiled. That hadn’t taken long at all.
“I overheard Uncle Luke and Mom talking about your episodes last night.” She glanced at me, her eyes full of worry. “Uncle Luke says he’s worried about you. And that you decided you didn’t want to be a warrior anymore. He doesn’t know what to do. Mom says the demon is taking its toll on you. That you might not be able to fight it off.”
My head buzzed with sudden static. So much for a day without worry. I’d been so wrapped up in my own stress that I hadn’t stopped to think about the people around me, who cared about what happened to me. They were suffering, too.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, wrapping my arm around her narrow shoulders.
She leaned into me, her bony elbow digging into my side. “I don’t want to lose you.” Sighing deeply, she abandoned the handful of grass and fixed me with a stare. “You’re my best friend. Like a sister. I can’t imagine my life without you, now.”
“You’re not going to lose me.” I tried to laugh, but it sounded hollow to my ears. “The demons are gone, the Hell Gate is closed. If one little demon inside my head is all we have to contend with this year, I’m ecstatic. We’ll find a way. Trust me.”
With a solemn nod of her head, her attention returned to the competition. I continued to watch her freckled face out of the corner of my watery eyes. Raquel had become important to me in more ways than I could count these last two years. She really was like a little sister. I didn’t want her to worry and I certainly didn’t want to leave her behind.
“Look.” She pointed down to the arena. “Ashley’s in the final battle against that chick from Australia. She’s got her work cut out for her.”
Sure enough, Ashley was climbing into the ring, her golden braid glistening in the afternoon sun. I groaned inside. If Ashley won, there would be no end to her bragging for the next few months—or even years. As much as I wanted my friend to win, I wasn’t looking forward to her gloating.
The round began to the raucous cheers of the crowd and I forgot my selfish complaints. This whole thing was such a great idea. The manor had been so dreadfully sullen lately, as if no one remembered how to have fun anymore. They needed a reason to pull it together. A reason to remember what life was about. The games would do just that.
I rested my chin on my knees and gazed down at the ring. Gabe was standing next to Noah Brown on the north side. The two of them seemed to be having a pleasant enough conversation, even shaking hands at one point. I smiled as I watched them. Although it was no question I would be rooting for Gabe, I had come to enjoy Noah’s friendship. He was certainly better company than some of the other newcomers.
As if on cue, Georgia came strutting around the ring and approached her son. The bile in my stomach jumped up my throat as I watched her kiss him on the cheek and pull him into a hug. Tensions had yet to calm between us. My solution was to avoid her at all costs and hers was to ignore my very existence. It was working out well for us, if not for my father and Gabe.
A prickling feeling began on the back of my neck as the round continued. I swatted the sensation away, rubbing the muscles with the pads of my fingers. Still, it continued to grow until all the little goose pimples on my arms stood at attention, sending shivers down my spine.
“Raquel...” I swallowed hard. “Do you feel something?”
She looked up at me, her mouth slightly open. “What do you mean?”
“I feel...” A twinge, more intense than all the others, jolted my stomach. I sprung to my feet and glanced wildly around. “Something’s going on. We need to check it out.”
“We’re in the middle of the last round and Ashley is losing.” She pointed to the ring. Ashley had just been tossed to the ground and was scrambling to her feet. “We can’t miss this.”
Ignoring the match, I looked back over my shoulder at the mansion. It had been practically abandoned due to the excitement of the warrior competition. No curtain stirred. As I continued to watch for movement, something caught my eye in the forest just to the east. It was a man, tall and lanky, standing on the edge of the grassy expanse. Soon, another person joined him, this one a woman. And then another, and another, until a line twenty strong stood shoulder to shoulder looking in, their eyes trained on the mansion.
“Raquel.” My voice faltered as I stood.
“What?” She kept her gaze focused on the match.
“Look.” I reached down and turned her head toward the invaders. With a shaky hand, I pointed. “Are those ferals?”
With a quick intake of breath, she stood next to me, her jaw dropping. “What are they doing here? We killed them all.”
Panic began to course through my veins as the first feral stepped across the invisible barrier of the manor. The defenses were down and there was no telling how many more ferals hid in the woods. The only weapon I had was a small dagger I’d taken to hiding in my left boot. Certainly not enough to take on a small contingent of demons. Still, it was more than most of the Nephilim gathered outside. Most of them were completely unprepared.
“We have to sound the alarm!” I shouted.
My feet pulled me forward, before I even got a confirmation from Raquel. There was no way I’d be able to get anyone’s attention over the noise of the crowd. They were too far away. Our only chance was to sound the alarm. The very alarm that was tucked away inside the manor.
Gritting my teeth, I shot forward with all the speed my body would allow. I could only hope that I would reach it before the ferals. With so many people sitting clueless in the stands, they’d be sitting ducks for an attack.
We couldn’t lose anyone today. Not again.
Chapter Ten
I made it into the Manor with just moments to spare. The ferals were hot on my tail. Yanking open the door, I sprinted inside. A figure ran next to me. I tensed and reached for my dagger, only to breathe a sigh of relief when I recognized Raquel’s lithe form.
We were in this together. We had to reach the alarm.
“Go on ahead,” she yelled as ferals began to pour in the door behind us.
I hesitated for only a moment. As much as I wanted to help her fight, our number one priority had to be in alerting the rest of the Nephilim. Plus, it wouldn’t help to have another one of my demon attacks. Praying that she didn’t get overwhelmed, I continued my spree up a side staircase and onto the second floor administration hall.
Death of a Demon_An Urban Fantasy Romance Page 6
