Demon Inn

by Davida McLea

  "I agree,” Lorena said. “The demon isn't haunting the Inn because of an attachment to the land or the building. It doesn't feel like the haunting is personal. This thing is like a psychic vamp. It goes wherever it thinks it can feed off strong emotions. That's why McKenna and I needled you some at the Inn. I needed to see how you would react if you were being driven from your hotel. I wanted to see how strongly you were attached to the building, and as it turns out, your spirit is woven into the brick and mortar of that place. Under normal circumstances, that would be great. It means that your business would be successful. Unfortunately, these aren't normal circumstances."

  "This spirit is drawing its energy from you,” McKenna told him. “Have you been tired lately? More irritable or irrational?” McKenna thought of how harsh he had been when she had fallen down the stairs.

  "I just thought it was because I was working too hard.” He had snapped at employees and been barely civil to guests, but when he was in his apartment, his energy and good humor were restored. He had certainly been his normal self when he was in McKenna's bookstore.

  "But it's not just you.” Lorena laced her fingers around her coffee cup. “It goes after anyone who has strong emotions or energy. McKenna said that she felt sick the last time she was in your office.” McKenna squirmed under the look Lorena gave her. “She obviously has strong emotions tied to something or someone in that Inn.” Aidan dropped his head and refused to meet her eyes.

  "I didn't feel anything while I was in the Inn,” Julie said. “I mean, I picked up positive readings on the EMF, but I didn't feel run down or sick."

  "That's because you're not a sensitive,” McKenna explained. “If you're not sensitive to spirits or energy fluctuations, then spirits tend to leave you alone.” McKenna knew that being sensitive was a gift, but after what she had felt the last few times she stepped into the Inn, she was almost willing to trade places with Julie.

  "But I'm not sensitive,” Aidan pointed out. “I can't see ghosts or spirits. Until I saw that video, I didn't even believe in any of this stuff."

  "Don't be so sure.” Lorena looked smug. She had obviously taken the measure of Aidan and confirmed what McKenna had only suspected. Aidan had inherited some of his grandmother's gifts. He was clueless, of course, but with so many people in Murphy's Corner displaying some sort of talent, it was easy to overlook latent gifts. You're surrounded by the kind of energy field that only exists in sensitive people. You had to have inherited it from a family member.” She looked deeply into his eyes for so long that Aidan began to squirm. “Your grandmother. You called her Nan. You got your gift from her."

  "I don't know how you knew about Nan,” Aidan said, “but she wasn't a witch. No one in my family has ever dabbled in this stuff."

  McKenna stood and walked behind Julie's counter, helping herself to another cup of coffee. Myrtle Lindsay had been a friend of her grandmother's. It had been a shock the first time McKenna had seen the old woman in her grandmother's kitchen, chanting softly over a steaming pot. She tried to quietly back out of the kitchen, but Miss Myrtle stopped her. “I see you there, McKenna Murphy.” Her stooped back had been to McKenna, and she never turned her head. “Come, let me show you what we have."

  It was then that McKenna first learned that Miss Myrtle was a healer. It was a gift that had been passed from daughter to daughter, but no girls had been born in the Lindsay family since Myrtle herself, so she had passed on some of her knowledge to McKenna, in hopes that the gift wouldn't be entirely lost. McKenna remembered the herbs and chants, but she didn't have the gift for it. Most of her unguents lacked the potency of those mixed by a true healer. Miss Myrtle refused to share her secrets with any of her sons. “Men!” she snorted. “They don't understand. This is women's work. You remember for when you have a daughter—you teach her. Spells older than my great-grandma. They can't be lost.” McKenna grieved when the old woman died, and hoped that she would indeed have a daughter to carry on the Campbell legacy.

  "But everyone in town knows which families have a history of all of this stuff.” Aidan waved his hand dismissively. “Ask McKenna. She can tell you. Her family is the biggie, of course, but she knows who is and isn't involved."

  Lorena leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at McKenna over the counter. “Yes, tell us McKenna. Tell us all about Aidan's Nan who was never involved in anything strange."

  McKenna bit her bottom lip so hard that she tasted copper on her tongue. Damn Lorena to hell for putting her nose where it didn't belong. She was silent as she walked back to the table and stared down into her coffee cup. “Does it really matter? It doesn't matter whose grandmother was or wasn't involved in anything. What matters are the people sitting here."

  "That's a lie, and you know it, McKenna Murphy."

  McKenna heard the frustration in Lorena's voice, but she just didn't understand the way things worked in Murphy's Corner. People had their place and they stayed in it. The McKennas were the town eccentrics. The Campbells and Murphys were the respectable town pillars. It had always been that way. Coming from New Orleans, Lorena couldn't understand that the people in Murphy's Corner knew they shared their town with spirits and witches, but preferred to keep the whole messy business buried unless it was a situation to be dealt with, like the Inn.

  "It matters because if Aidan comes from a line of powerful women, he could be vulnerable to attack. You know as well as I do that all kinds of spirits are most attracted to people with the energy to sustain it. The demon has been draining him of energy, and without a shield, he may as well have an all-you-can-eat buffet sign around his neck."

  Lorena was right. If there had been no talent, no latent energy inside Aidan, then he would never have been affected by the demon. He wouldn't have noticed anything amiss, but he and McKenna had both been attacked. McKenna wanted to crawl inside herself and let Lorena deal with the whole thing. Usually, intimate knowledge of an area and a person were an asset in paranormal investigation, but McKenna had allowed her judgment to be clouded. She stopped seeing things and people as they were, preferring instead to see things as they had always been. Lorena was harsh, but she saw Aidan through clear eyes.

  "Your grandmother was a healer, Aidan. She came from a long line of healers. I suspect you inherited some of her talent."

  For a split second, the shock spread across Aidan's face before he closed up and his expression grew guarded. “No way,” he said as he shook his head. “Not Nan. She was as straight as an arrow. She didn't hold with any nonsense. I would have known."

  McKenna took a long drink of her coffee, wondering how to convince Aidan that she had known his Nan better than anyone in his family. She smiled at Aidan across the table. “Do you remember the week before the homecoming football game, senior year? You twisted your ankle during practice."

  "I thought I had broken it,” Aidan said. “The biggest game of my high school career, and I thought I was going to miss it."

  "Dr. Forrester fixed you up though, didn't he? He gave you pain medication, wrapped your ankle and told you to stay off your feet for two weeks."

  Aidan wrinkled his brow in concentration. “I went to the doctor,” he said slowly, “but Nan said he was a quack. She put me in bed and made me drink some foul-tasting tea. She rubbed my ankle with a special ointment she had made.” Comprehension dawned on his face. “I was fine the next day.” He looked up at McKenna. “I thought the sprain wasn't as bad as the doctor said."

  "How many days of school did you miss because you were sick?"

  "None,” he whispered.

  "Perfect attendance award every year,” McKenna teased. “Everyone thought you were some kind of superman."

  Aidan shook his head as if trying to shake off years of cobwebs. “I don't understand. Why wouldn't she tell me about this? We were always so close."

  "Your grandmother was a wonderful woman and a truly gifted healer, but she was also a product of her time. The gift passed from mother to daughter for years, but yo
ur mother died with you as her only child. There was no one left for Miss Myrtle to pass it on to. But aren't you a healer, too? It's a different kind of healing, but look at the old buildings you've restored. Look at what you've done to the Inn. You've brought a building that was on the verge of demolition back to life."

  For once, Aidan looked open and vulnerable as he looked at McKenna with sad eyes. “But by bringing it back to life, I may have destroyed it for good."

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  Chapter Six

  "You know that it's a bad idea.” Lorena stood in McKenna's tiny kitchen, stirring a big black pot of gumbo. She had been quiet since they left The Brewery. McKenna had been waiting for the explosion, so she was taken aback at Lorena's nonchalant tone.

  "I don't know what you're talking about,” McKenna lied. She turned her back to her friend and rummaged in the refrigerator for a cold beer.

  "You can't lie to me,” Lorena said. “You've never been able to lie to me, and there is something going on between you and Aidan."

  McKenna handed Lorena a drink and leaned against the refrigerator. “There's nothing going on.” It wasn't a lie, exactly. They had a one-time fling, but neither of them had mentioned it again. As far as McKenna was concerned, it was over before it had even started. If she had to pretend that her eyes didn't stray to his ass every other minute to maintain her dignity, then she could do that. What happened between them had obviously been nothing but a physical release for Aidan, and McKenna knew she just had to accept that.

  "You know, you don't have to be psychic to tell that you have the hots for him, and if you weren't in the middle of an investigation, I wouldn't blame you, but this can be dangerous. Have you slept with him?"

  McKenna started to lie, but she knew there was no point, and the concern on Lorena's face pierced her conscience. “We didn't exactly sleep."

  "Damn, McKenna,” Lorena said. “You know better. Tell me you know better than that."

  "I do and I told myself that it was wrong and I should stop.” She sighed and ran a hand through her curls. “But hell, it had been a long time and you saw him. How was I supposed to say no?"

  "You didn't have to say no. You could have said later. Both of you opened yourselves. Sex creates a psychic bond between two people, even if there isn't a pre-existing relationship. It's one of the reasons I don't engage in casual sex.” She turned the stove on and began scooping rice into a bowl. “The spirit had already tapped into Aidan's energy reserve, and it obviously saw you as a threat. When you slept with him, you left your energy signature on him and he left his on you. It was why you felt so sick and drained when you were in his office. The demon recognized the signature and drained you instead of attacking."

  "Well, it's not like it's going to happen again,” McKenna sighed. “I don't think we have anything to worry about."

  Lorena threw her head back and laughed. “It's going to happen again. Trust me.” McKenna's eyebrows rose in surprise and Lorena laughed louder. “Don't tell me you can't see it! Steam started rising from his pants the second you walked into his office. It never fails to amaze me that people can be so obtuse sometimes.” The laughter faded, but a small smile stayed behind. “He seems like a good guy, McKenna, but you have to stay away from him. At least until after we finish our work."

  "I promise,” she said. “I feel like I'm so in over my head here.” McKenna looked back over the last week and saw every mistake she had made in the handling of the haunting. She had never had so much trouble on an investigation before, but the Inn had thrown her for a loop.

  "You're not in over your head, but you're way too close to the people. If you're too close, you only see a small part and not the whole picture.” Her face brightened suddenly. “You know what you need? When this is all done, you need to go to New Orleans for a while. You've been cooped up in this small town looking at the same people and taking pictures of the same orbs for too long."

  She had been to New Orleans once, but it had been before she had her own business and before the residents of Murphy's Corner called her for every bump and odd noise. McKenna thought longingly of a vacation, strong hot coffee, beignets and long walks in the French Quarter. It would be nice to walk down the street and not have to tell someone that what they thought was a ghost was a malfunctioning toilet. “That sounds wonderful, it really does. But I have my business to look after."

  Lorena looked like she would protest, but McKenna was saved from the confrontation by a knock at her door. “Oh, great, Josh is here. He's so excited to finally have someone to learn from.” That was somewhat of an understatement. Josh had been thrilled when McKenna told him that she had found someone to teach him. McKenna ushered Josh into her apartment, but had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. He was dressed in impeccably pressed black slacks, a golden honey silk button down shirt that was the exact color of his eyes, and his hair was parted on the side and neatly combed. It was quite a change from the young man who lived in faded jeans and second hand t-shirts.

  "You look wonderful,” McKenna said. “But you didn't have to dress up. Lorena is hardly one to stand on formalities."

  He shrugged. “I didn't really know what to expect.” He motioned to the stack of books he carried. “I brought some books just in case."

  "Somehow I don't think what Lorena will teach you can be found in those books,” McKenna laughed.

  "Hey, I thought I heard voices in here.” Lorena walked out of the kitchen with a smile, but stopped short when she saw Josh. “Wow,” she said. “You really are young."

  Josh looked like he had been punched in the gut. Of course, that was the usual reaction when men saw Lorena for the first time. McKenna had even seen Aidan's eyes widen when she walked into his office. Josh's eyes started at the top of Lorena's head and slowly took in her lavender eyes, the generous curve of her breasts, her tiny waist, her full hips and her impossibly long legs. By the time he made his way back to her face, he was blushing a violent shade of plum.

  "Josh, I would like you to meet Lorena Boutin of New Orleans. She has agreed to train you."

  "N-n-nice to meet you,” Josh stammered. He moved to shake her hand, but forgot about the books he carried. The books fell from his arm as his hand shot out to clasp Lorena's. He dropped to one knee and fumbled with the books, trying to gather them back up, all the while avoiding Lorena's eyes. “I'm so clumsy sometimes. Don't know what to do about it. My mother is forever trying to get me to be more careful but she still makes me drink out of plastic cups. Of course, if I knock them over I still spill my drink but at least the cup doesn't shatter the way glass does.” Words tumbled over his lips at lightning speed until Lorena knelt beside him and placed a hand on his cheek.

  "Hey,” she said softly. “Calm down, unless you always talk that fast, in which case I'll have to tape your mouth shut."

  Josh expelled a shaky breath and gave Lorena a weak smile. “I'm nervous as hell,” he said with his usual candor.

  "No need to be nervous around me. I don't bite.” Lorena's voice was as gentle as McKenna had ever heard it. “But I'm not going to lie. You're going to work hard. It might be scary sometimes. I need your word that you'll listen to me and do what I ask, because I'll never ask you for anything that isn't necessary. Can you make me that promise?"

  "I can,” Josh said. “Anything—just help me learn."

  "One more promise,” Lorena said with a smile.

  "Name it.” Josh's eyes took on a flirtatious gleam.

  "Toss these books. What I'm going to teach you can't be captured on paper."

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  Chapter Seven

  Aidan hated lying to people. Lorena, McKenna, Josh, Julie and two of Lorena's team had brought clothes for a week, along with EMF meters, video cameras, audio recorders, herbs, sage sticks, holy water, salt and candles. The more trips they made in and out of his hotel, the more nervous he grew. All of his reservations had been canceled and Josh had spread the rumor th
at a paranormal convention had rented out the Inn for a week. It was too close to the truth for Aidan, but it did explain why there was one group staying at the Inn for an extended period of time. It would also explain why there would be increased activity at night.

  McKenna walked in with her suitcase and immediately began issuing orders and assigning team members to their rooms and tasks. “No one will stay in the Union Suite,” she told him. “I think it's too dangerous.” There was a quiet note of authority in her voice, which surprised him. He had thought that Lorena would be leading the team.

  He was pleased to see that the color was returning to her cheeks without the odd glow that she carried the last time he had seen her. At least his judgment hadn't been irreparably off. He wasn't in the habit of bedding random women. When McKenna had appeared in his office ghost-white, he had been stricken with guilt. She had never even mentioned the episode. He had begun to think he imagined the whole thing, but then McKenna with the rosy cheeks and bright eyes had finally reappeared and his body responded just as it did in the back room of her bookstore. He was glad he was wearing loose khaki trousers and not tight jeans.

  "That's a good idea. I'll be staying in the Blue Room, just so you don't assign it to anyone else.” He waited for the explosion. He knew that Lorena and McKenna both wanted him out of the hotel while they conducted the investigation, but would be damned if he completely turned over control of his place.

  "You can't stay here, Aidan.” Fire flashed in her eyes, but she kept her voice low and calm. He admired her control when she was so obviously angry. “It's not safe for you here, and I can't take responsibility for you while I'm trying to work."

  "I'm not asking you to take responsibility. I won't get in your way,” he promised. “I'll stay in my room and you won't even know I'm here."

  "It won't matter where you are in the hotel.” Frustration tightened her voice. “This thing has locked onto your energy signature. No matter where you are in the hotel, it will find you and draw energy from you. You'll be slowly drained while it gets stronger. It's attacked you before."