Demon's Vengeance

by Jocelynn Drake

  “They found each other,” Gideon said emotionlessly from behind me.

  What he meant to say was, We’re fucked.

  “Tell the council,” I said past the lump in my throat. Something big and nasty was bearing down on Low Town and we needed help. “Just try to keep them from destroying the city.”

  “I’ll do what I can.”

  Shaking my head, I stepped around Gideon and started back toward the first floor. “I’ve got to call Serah. She might be able to figure something out that we haven’t thought of.”

  “You think?” Gideon asked skeptically, following me down the stairs.

  “I’m telling your wife you said that. Humans are pretty damn resourceful and you know it.”

  “True,” he conceded, sounding more tired with each passing minute. This investigation was wearing us both down.

  “I really doubt that we’ll be able to track the magic user, but the woman chose this place. Serah might be able to pull some info out of the cops that would allow us to track down the other killer.”

  “Agreed.”

  Gideon went quickly around the house and into the backyard, wiping away any evidence that we had been there, while I stepped outside under a cloaking spell to call 911 to report screams and a strange man at this address. The second call was to Serah to tell her the whole story.

  As I pulled up her number in my cell phone, I hesitated. She’d been warned away from this case. If she kept pushing, she would lose her job. And yet, I still completed the call, because she wasn’t the type to walk away. I’d met few ­people more determined or tenacious than she. Serah was not going to stop until the killer was caught and dragged in front of a judge.

  With the scene reset to look as if we hadn’t been mucking about the place, Gideon disappeared. I could only assume that the warlock was heading to one of the Ivory Towers to report to the council. I dreaded the idea of more witches and warlocks getting involved in this hunt for a madman, but Gideon and I were a step behind and outgunned when it came to taking these assholes down. We needed help, but I was afraid that we were getting the wrong kind. I wanted someone to act with the precision of a surgeon wielding a scalpel, not a five-­year-­old with a chainsaw and too much sugar.

  I hesitated, trying to decide where to go. It was with some disgust that I found myself standing in what had been Simon’s rooms within the Dresden Tower. I at least had the excuse of wanting to pick up my coat, but as I stood there holding it in my fists, I knew that the truth was that I didn’t want to go back to Asylum. There was too much unsettled business between Trixie and me, but I didn’t have any new answers for her.

  Throwing the jacket down, I slumped in a chair with my head in my hands. Zyrus danced around me, excited by the scent of death clinging to me like a second skin. In my desperation, I even tried asking the demon if it knew what I was up against, but Zyrus was unable to help. It recognized the magic as Death Magic, but it didn’t know who had cast the spell or even why.

  Shoving myself out of the chair in frustration, I paced over to the bookshelf on the far wall, but I didn’t pull anything down. What creature existed now that might be old enough to know what Death Magic was? What creature would be powerful enough to use it as well as have a vendetta against the Towers? The Dark Elves? Definitely, but that man didn’t look anything like a dark elf. His hair made him similar to the Winter Court, but that was the only similarity between them. The stranger’s features had been softer, more rounded than the Winter Court elves.

  My mind kept going back to the first trip Gideon and I took to investigate the magical disturbance. The magic we had sensed there had been different. Extremely different. Something I had never encountered before. It wasn’t fey and it wasn’t shifter, despite the man’s ability to easily change forms.

  Could Gideon be right in that this creature, this man, was one of the Lost Ones? They certainly had a bone to pick with the Towers, since it was believed that all of their kind had been wiped from the Earth centuries ago. There were a few species out there that were on the cusp of being categorized as Lost Ones, but the only groups who had truly earned the title were dragons and unicorns. Had I just seen one of those?

  I shook my head. Couldn’t be. I wouldn’t have survived an encounter with either creature if it had been. Then again, I had barely survived the encounter as it was. Gideon had pulled my ass from the edge.

  Fuck.

  And what if it was one of the Lost Ones? What was I supposed to do? Kill him, officially destroying the last of his kind. That’s what I wanted to be known for! Gage, the man who slaughtered the last unicorn. Gage, the dragon slayer.

  I roared with rage. Twisting around, I blasted energy through the room, shattering every glass vial, jar, and beaker in its path. Papers scattered, flying through the air.

  What the fuck happened to just being a tattoo artist? When had my life gotten so damn complicated? I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands and tried to clear my thoughts, but they kept getting pulled along the timeline of my life. Was it when Simon came back, hunting me? Should I have not killed my mentor to survive, but let him kill me that night last summer? It would have gotten me out of the Towers’ hair, but it would have landed me solidly in Lilith’s hands, which couldn’t possibly be a good thing.

  Was it when I faced down the Towers and saved my brother’s life? No witch or warlock likes to be shown up, and that was what I accomplished by outmaneuvering them. Or maybe things went off-­balance when I solved the elves little reproduction problem?

  Trixie blamed magic for all my problems and magic was involved in all those incidents. But what would have happened if I hadn’t used magic? My brother would be dead, Low Town would be a smoking crater in the earth, the elves would be going extinct because they couldn’t have babies . . . oh, and I’d be dead. Sure, magic had caused all those problems in the first place, but it had fixed it all as well. Where did you draw the line? How did you stop the cycle?

  Flopping back in the chair, I stared at the mess I’d made across the room. Glass glittered in the pale light while scattered paper soaked up the liquids that were spreading across the table and onto the floor. I didn’t know the answer. It felt like I was left with only two choices. On the one hand, I could let the Towers kill me. That would stop them from bothering Trixie and our child. But, in my opinion, that was a really shitty choice.

  On the other hand, I could use the magic and information that filled this room and many like it in this Tower to take down the witches and warlocks, dismantling the Towers and all their power. Removing the Towers meant removing the threat from Trixie and the world. That road was long, treacherous, and unlikely to lead to a happy ending for me.

  “Is it even possible to get rid of the Towers?” I murmured, talking to myself.

  Of course you can. The man who destroys Lilith can do anything in this world.

  The demon’s words reminded me that I had another task waiting for me that I’d rather not think about. Zyrus still had its little black heart set on me destroying the Queen of the Monsters. I wasn’t sure how the fuck I was going to accomplish that feat, but that seemed a little more possible than the road I currently faced against the Towers. I might just be reassured by the idea that Zyrus had already read in the future that I had the ability to take Lilith down. It was too much to hope that such a thing was possible.

  “And become a murderer in the process,” I muttered, dropping my head into my hand.

  Murderer for some, but savior for your world.

  I would happily give my last breath to save the world for Trixie and my child. But then dying was easy. Was I willing to become a murderer for my love?

  Serah called, jerking me from my dark thoughts. She said it was safe to return to the scene of the crime now that the cops had arrived and locked the place down.

  Glancing around Simon’s old room, I sighed. I needed to stop spending tim
e here. It wasn’t good for my state of mind. I also needed to stay focused on the problems directly in front of me. If I could catch the killers, the city would be safe and I could turn my full attention to Trixie. Maybe then it would be time for me to part ways with Zyrus. It might not be too keen on the idea, but I didn’t think hanging around with a demon was good for my health.

  Chapter 7

  Night had claimed the city when I crawled back to my apartment. The investigation at the crime scene had taken longer because of the changes made by the killer. I kept my mouth shut about the fact that they were now looking at the chaos created by two separate killers. The Low Town police didn’t need to chase after the other asshole. I was still trying to figure out how a pair of warlocks was going to take these lunatics down. Humans didn’t have a chance.

  When Serah dropped me off, she promised that she’d follow up with me as soon as possible. She was confident that we’d get closer to the killer now because she was sure she could establish a link between the victims and the killer. I just pitied them. How could you piss someone off so much that this was the result? The world had enough of pain and death already.

  Rubbing my eyes, I shoved my key in the lock and froze. Someone was in my apartment. I could feel them on the other side of the wall. Their energy was warm and inviting, though the occupants felt agitated, as if they were anxious about my arrival. Very carefully, I probed the room to find that Trixie was in the living room along with . . . her brother.

  My heart stopped for a second and I leaned my head forward to rest it against the door. I didn’t want to move forward. Hell, I wanted to back away and go hide at Asylum, where I could bullshit with Bronx and pretend that my girlfriend wasn’t leaving me. But they would have heard the key going into the lock. They could probably hear me breathing. I didn’t get the choice of acting like a coward.

  Turning the key in the lock, I stepped into my living room to find Trixie sitting on the edge of the couch with her hands folded tightly in her lap. Her brother Eldon was prowling my dining room and kitchen, a scowl on his face. I scowled back at him. We’d never actually gotten along. I think it had to do with the fact that I was a warlock and that I was the reason his sister had chosen to stay in Low Town rather than returning to her ­people. Of course, I was the one who had saved their race, so you’d think he’d cut me a little slack, but not this prick.

  Carefully closing the door behind me, I walked over to the dining room table and draped my coat over the back of one of the chairs. Eldon had stopped pacing and out of the corner of my eye I could see Trixie now standing beside the sofa. I wracked my brain for the perfect words to say: the words that would win her and convince her to stay. At that moment, I would have promised anything. If she wanted, I would give up magic. I would find a way to be a normal guy who did normal things that didn’t attract the attention of murderers, thugs, and the Towers.

  But the words I needed in that instant would be a lie, and we both knew it.

  “I thought you were going to give me more time,” I said softly, breaking the tense silence that had grown in the room.

  “It’s too dangerous,” Eldon said in clipped tones. My head jerked up and I clenched my teeth, fighting the urge to snap at the man.

  “Don’t, Eldon,” Trixie sharply said, surprising me. But then I had no doubt that she could sense that I was just about to crack. Trixie always knew how I felt. “Just let me talk, please.”

  Without breaking his gaze, Eldon nodded stiffly. The elf leaned back against the wall across from me, folding his arms over his chest.

  “I thought it would be best if I left now,” Trixie said. Where her brother’s voice was like a sledgehammer beating against me, Trixie’s sweet voice was a blade, slicing through my heart as if to remove it completely from my chest. “The weather has been getting worse and we’ve heard whispers that the Winter Court is planning for heavy snowfall at the start of the new year. It would be safest if I leave now.”

  A sigh slipped from my parted lips. I dropped my head to stare down at the top of the table before turning to face her. “You know that’s not the reason. If you’re going to leave with my child, the least you could do for both of us is to tell the truth.”

  Tears glistened in her wide green eyes and I almost wanted to take the words back. My first impulse was to take her into my arms and tell her that it would all be okay and that I understood why she was doing this, but I couldn’t. I was hurting too and I didn’t understand why she had to do this when it was killing us both.

  “Low Town is too dangerous.” Trixie paused and cleared her throat, though her voice wasn’t any less rough when she continued. “You’ve become too dangerous.” When my gaze narrowed on her, she started speaking much faster as if she was trying to head off my next words. “You’re messing with some kind of magic that is just bad. I don’t know what it is, but you’re changing. You’re becoming more reckless. The Towers are demanding more of you, and I’m afraid that you’ll never be able to escape again. I’m afraid for you, Gage. I’m afraid that if they keep demanding, eventually you’re not going to want to leave. “

  “I’m fine—­”

  “No, you’re not. You’ve been hunting down two different killers while still keeping up with your hours at the parlor. You’re spreading yourself so thin that you’re barely sleeping, barely eating. It’s affecting your control over magic. Most ­people wouldn’t notice, but there’s a change in the air wherever you go. It’s like waiting for lightning to strike.”

  “I’ve got it under control. I’m f—­”

  “No, you’re not!” Trixie closed the distance between us and cupped my cheeks in both of her hands. “Please, you have to realize that you’re not fine. We’re not fine. You need help. You need to stop and get away from the Towers.”

  Tears slipped down her pale cheeks when she blinked, but she didn’t wipe them away. She kept her hands on me and I was at last shaken by her fear. Her crisp fresh scent floated around me. If I closed my eyes I could see a spring rain on a green glade filled with wildflowers. I could hear birds singing and I could feel the cool water hitting my face. The feel of her, of her own gentle magic, broke through the sludge of darkness that had coated me for so long.

  “I just wanted to keep you safe,” I said, struggling to get the words past the lump in my throat.

  “I know, my love. You have tried so hard, but what we wish for will take more time and more power than either of us possesses. So long as the Towers exist, they’ll haunt us. I’m afraid of bringing a child into that kind of life.”

  “What if it were just you? Would you stay?” I asked. It was a stupid question to ask because it didn’t reflect reality any longer. But something irrational in me had to know that she would have fought for me if she had only herself to worry about. Somehow, I thought knowing that would help ease the pain that was suffocating me.

  “Yes,” she said in a rush. She stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to mine in a kiss made damp by her tears. She kissed me a second time and then kissed my chin as she stood flat-­footed on the floor again. “If it were just me, I’d stay. Damn the Towers and the danger. If it was just me, I’d stay with you. I would fight for you and I would win.”

  Reaching out, I pulled her against me, wrapping my arms tightly around her as I squeezed my eyes shut against a sudden burning. I didn’t know if her answer made me feel better or worse. I’d loved Trixie for so long, and we’d had so little time together. We didn’t start dating until after she’d found out the truth about me. I respected her too damn much to take a chance on a relationship without her knowing that I was a warlock. Now I was losing her.

  “Trixie,” Eldon said, reminding me that the elf was still here. My arms reflexively tightened around Trixie as if he’d tried to pull her out of my arms. Maybe in a way, he had. He was reminding us both that it was time to go.

  It was an inner struggle but I finally loosened
my hold on her and took a step back, even though I kept my hands locked on her forearms. I looked down at her, confident that I’d always remember what she was wearing at that moment. She had on her favorite worn blue jeans with the small hole in the right knee. Her pale blue sweater reminded me of the summer sky on a cloudless day. Beneath the sweater, she wore the black T-­shirt I’d randomly picked up for her as a joke. It had a picture of an animated ninja cat on it because I complained that she moved so quietly around my apartment

  I placed my right hand over her lower abdomen, which was only now starting to show a little bulge. “Do you know what it’s going to be yet?”

  She placed her hand over mine, holding it there. “Not yet. Another month. Maybe a little longer. Do you have any suggestions for names?”

  “I do,” I said with a fragile smile, my head popping up to look at her. Releasing her, I knelt down before her so that my face was directly in front of her stomach. I gently placed my hands on either of her hips, my thumbs brushing against her stomach. She was so small and slender in my hands. I’d never get to see her grow large with our child. I shoved the thought away and clung to the happy moment I’d held just a second ago.

  “I never told you this, but when I went to see Mother Nature, I met several souls who were living in her . . . place,” I started, struggling for the right words. Mother Nature lived in a sort of energy crossroads, having largely abandoned Earth because of the warlocks and witches making a mess of everything. “There was one soul in particular. He was so very small, so very young. When I saw him, he had curly blond hair and blue eyes. He was beautiful, Trixie. And the moment I held him, I knew he was mine.”

  “You met your son?” Trixie asked in a hushed whisper.