by E E Everly
TWENTY
Thandoran and I appear outside the gated entrance. Unlike Deorc Mansion, demon central is a gracious estate, the kind I picture on boulevards where the rich live. A sign says Vondur Estates. From outside the gate, next to the guardhouse, I see fluted columns spanning the front of the manor.
The demon in the guardhouse doesn’t look up. He’s too into something on his phone. Perhaps if Thandoran and I showed up in a car, a vehicle that made noise, then we would have his attention. I roll my eyes and mutter to Thandoran. “I’ve got this.”
I didn’t want to materialize within the confines of the manor. I don’t want to be rude. We need the cooperation of Josef Werner to locate my demon spell caster, so I’m here to play by the rules today. No whirlwinds, no shocking, no firestorms. I give Thandoran a steady gaze, warning him to play cool. His palm is already hot in my hand.
I drop it and step toward the guardhouse’s window and rap on the glass. The guard looks up with a start. His badge says Alex.
“Good morning, Alex,” I say with a cheery voice.
He slides the glass open. “Where’s your car?”
“We walked. Such a nice day, don’t you think?” It’s cold actually. Thandoran and I have been outside for about thirty seconds, with me in a sweater, and Thandoran, well, he doesn’t need a coat. He only wears one so no one realizes how hot he is.
Alex shrugs. “Do you have an appointment?”
“Nope. But Mr. Werner will be very much interested in seeing us.”
“How do ya think?”
“Tell him Sasha Walters is here. He’ll know who I am.”
His eyes round, and he fumbles with his walkie-talkie. After his awkward exchange in conversation with the guy on the other end, we wait a few minutes in silence. And not to my surprise, an armed guard shows up inside the gate, armed with ice blades, that is. One nick is deadly.
“Sasha…” Thandoran whispers as he leans toward me with his hands shoved into his pockets. He’s stiff and eyeing our escort with unease.
“Relax.” I pat his shoulder. “After what happened the last time I was here, I didn’t expect a welcoming parade.”
The gate opens, and we file in between six guards.
“Good day, gentlemen and lady.” I nod my head at the only female in the entourage. I stroll up to the manor, with Thandoran by my side, as if I come here every day. But I’ve never strolled through the front entrance. When I was here before, I woke up inside after being knocked unconscious. My how things are different.
We’re shown into a room off the entry. The estate is bright, with large windows to allow the light in, and reminiscent of last time. Themes of browns and rusts. Wood trim. Marble floors with thick rugs. I assess the atmosphere. No magic in this room. Good. So we weren’t just escorted into a cell. The last room I was in had the comforts of home but was spelled so Killian and I couldn’t get out.
No sooner the guards post themselves around the room than another man walks in. Josef. He’s neat and trim in a suit and tie. Very businesslike. His blond hair has a serious side part. The man is young, and when I say man, I mean the poor human the thousand year old demon possesses.
I smile, and Josef grins and straightens his tie. His cheeks form a round apple under his eyes. “The prodigal daughter returns.” He snickers.
Josef is referring to how the former demon leader was my father, the human he was possessing that is.
I step forward and extend my hand. “Josef, it’s a pleasure to meet you finally. Might I say, you are perfectly charming. Nothing like my father.”
Thandoran’s looking half sick at my side. He must not know about my supposed demon heritage. It’s confusing. Demons inhabit human hosts, so they can’t procreate. None of their demon traits are passed to their offspring this way. Essentially, my mother had relations with a human, even though he was possessed by a demon, so I am in no part demon. The part about me being the prodigal daughter is just a bad joke.
Josef looks at my hand curiously, as if I have the amulet hidden there, and then takes my hand. He has a thick gold ring with a massive red jewel on his ring finger. “You have a bit of him in your eyes.”
I pull my hand back, caught off guard by the remark. I don’t give a lot of thought to how much I look like Henrik, the human—not Korbinian, the demon. I didn’t know Henrik. I’d met him only briefly before he was killed.
That doesn’t make the observation sting any less.
“Let’s not pretend we’re here to exchange pleasantries,” I say. “I need information.”
Josef paces away. “You need information.” He muses as he twists his ring. “Why would you even think I have information just sitting around waiting to give away?” He stops and turns to me. He has that nutty grin on his face again.
I can’t tell what sort of mood this joker’s in.
Thandoran opens his mouth as if to speak, but I step forward and cut him off. “You know about my curse. All the demons do. I need to know where the caster is.”
Josef moistens his lips. “Oh, this is just too grand. You need something from me.” He claps his hands and laces his fingers together. “I bet you know what I want in return.”
“I am prepared to make you an offer.”
“I want only one thing from you.”
I purse my lips. He wants what I will not give—the amulet. I’m willing to compromise. “Tell me where the demon is, and I’ll restore the powers I’ve taken.”
“Sasha—!” Thandoran begins.
I hold a hand up to silence him. Josef tilts his head as if he’s considering. “All of them?”
“Of course,” I say.
“Even the powers you and your partner here are possessing.”
Thandoran bugs his eyes at me. “Sasha—”
“Even those,” I say with confidence.
“Ah.” Josef steeples his fingers and touches his chin. “This would be better than the amulet because we can’t power it without your blood.”
“Exactly. Everyone has their powers restored.”
“And everyone is happy.”
“Yes.” I’m getting excited. It seems Josef is more than willing to make a bargain.
His face grows serious. “Swear that you won’t use the amulet to take demon powers again.”
I inhale a steady breath. I didn’t want to go this far. In truth, once I have my curse lifted, I can go home. I won’t need my demon powers anymore nor will I need to hunt demons and steal their powers. I extend a hand. “Done—”
Thandoran grabs my wrist. His hot palm is a degree away from scalding me. He doesn’t want to give up his demon powers. It’s his ticket home.
I have a way around this. “Here’s the deal I’m prepared to make.” I yank my wrist from Thandoran. “We restore all your demons’ powers in exchange for the whereabouts of the demon who cursed me, but my partner and I hold on to our powers until we actually have the demon. Once my curse is lifted and my partner and I are safely home, I will restore the powers to the last two demons and retire the amulet’s use.”
“Sounds more than fair enough,” Josef says.
“It’s a deal, then?” I stick my hand out.
Josef shakes it.
“So the information?” I smooth my palms over the fabric of my jeans. His hands were clammy.
“A token first,” Josef says. “Restore poor Anton’s powers.”
“Anton?”
A familiar demon walks into the room—the one who mugged me when I was eight months pregnant. He scowls at me.
“Oh, Anton.” I lift my expression. “How nice to see you.”
“I can only hope to say the same in a few minutes,” he says.
“Of course.” I pull a glove out and slip it onto my hand. “Hold out your palm, and you can have what’s rightfully yours.”
Thandoran is practically hyperventilating at my elbow.
I fish the amulet from a pocket. The demons get a greedy look in their eyes. This is the very thing making their
lives hell for the past year or so, and they want it destroyed as soon as their powers are returned.
I step toward Anton, but Thandoran grabs my wrist and scoops the amulet out of my palm. “No. This is not happening. There’s no way in all of Grimoria that I’m letting these demons have their powers back.”
“Thandoran.” I can’t take the amulet because he’s holding my gloved hand. I would never dare touch the amulet with my bare hand. I can’t risk a surge of demon power that I can’t control. Thandoran’s grip is hard, and I yank my wrist, but he doesn’t let go. He’s holding the amulet up as if this is keep away and I’m the short kid who can’t reach his extended arm. I could tackle him to the ground, but I don’t want to make an even bigger scene.
Josef steps forward. “Come now. Thandoran, is it? We have a deal.”
“Now you make a deal with me,” Thandoran says.
“What sort of deal would I make with you?”
“If we return these powers, you swear you’ll stop teleporting onto Belyven. Swear that you’ll never kidnap another fae being. No storm sprites.”
“This is all you want?” Josef asks.
“Your horde has taken too many lives, more than the powers Sasha has harvested from your fellow demons.”
“Josef.” I wrench my wrist from Thandoran’s grasp. “He’s right. In the past, your predecessor had a deal to nab storm sprites for the vampires. This has to stop.”
“I have not made such deals with Ciprian.” Josef spits the vampire’s name. “He is a dishonorable man.”
“Well, that’s good, then.”
“You’ll stay off our planet?” Thandoran asks.
“If you crush that accursed amulet. Completely destroy it, and I want to be a witness of its destruction.”
“Done.” I grab the amulet from Thandoran.
“Undone.” He takes it back, drags me by the wrist into a corner as if I’m a naughty child, and pushes me against the wall. “You can’t destroy the amulet. The fate of our people relies on the amulet to control the demon population.”
I’m seething. He’s making me look like a fool in front of Josef. I push Thandoran’s chest, ready to beat him senseless. He leans in and touches his forehead to mine. “Sasha, think of your people. Is having your curse lifted worth their lives?”
“I do think of them,” I hiss.
His breath is heavy on my face. His forehead is hot on mine. We are in this bubble of space and time, in which we’re playing an unspoken game of wills. Meanwhile, Josef most likely thinks I’m a weakling if I let my guard push me around.
“I’m your princess. You listen to me. I know what I’m doing.” I’m so tempted to blast him into the wall, but I do not want any more of a scene. “You will submit.” Then I remember. Vampire compulsion. I lift Thandoran’s chin just enough so I can look him in the eyes. “Give me the amulet, and trust me.”
Thandoran gets a confused look in his eyes before slapping the amulet into my gloved palm. His eyebrows twitch with rage when he realizes what he’s done.
He straightens and storms across the room. I adjust my sweater and turn to Josef. “Now where were we?”
“My powers,” Anton says.
“Palm out.”
He does as I say, and I hold the amulet to his skin. He goes rigid, and the amulet does its usual glow. After three seconds, I pull back and pocket the jewel.
Anton gasps a breath and stretches his shoulders broad. “Yes.” He steps back and snaps his black wings open. The wings are massive, dark, and leathery. Nothing like my airy, delicate fae wings. He waves them briefly, stirring demon stench toward my face.
“Okay. That was your token of good faith,” I say.
Anton folds his wings and disappears without a word of thanks.
“It appears his teleportation works as well.” I narrow my eyes at Josef. “The whereabouts? Who’s this demon we’re looking for?”
“Isac Vasile. He’s who you want.”
“Do you have a picture of him?”
Josef waves over one of his guards, who pulls out his phone and punches a few buttons.
“This is the last photo we have of him in our records. But he would look much the same since our humans don’t age.” Josef passes me the phone.
The demon appears to be in his thirties, with light brown hair and bright eyes.
“Where is he now?” I ask.
“I’m afraid I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? You made a deal. You told me you would give me his whereabouts.”
“I’m telling you all I know.” Josef fiddles with his ring.
“Which is nothing.” I huff and squeeze my eyes shut. “Have you met him yourself? Where was his last known residence?” I’m trying to keep my cool, but agitation is giving me a craving for ambrosia.
“I have not met Isac, but he did live here for a short while during his employ under Korbinian.”
“Do you have any of his belongings?” Thandoran asks.
“None.”
“Show us to his old room, then.”
I eye Thandoran.
“Trust me,” he says.
“Yes.” I nod in agreement. “I’d like to see his room.”
“Kostan resides there now,” Josef says. “He’s out on assignment. I don’t know what you think you can find after all this time.”
“You let us worry about that,” Thandoran says.
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt to let you look around,” Josef says. “I can let you in.”
The armed guard escorts us down a wing and up a flight of stairs. Once we reach the corridor, Josef slides a keycard over the lock. “My guards and I shall accompany you.” He allows us into the room ahead of himself.
“I’d have it no other way.” I smile as I pass him. Thandoran’s right behind me. We wander around, not touching anything. I get a feel for the magic in the room. Typical demon magic. No whiff of spells having been cast for a long time. The guards trail after us. I tug on Thandoran’s elbow and hiss, “What are we looking for?”
He grins but doesn’t answer me directly. He gestures to a closed door on one side of the bed. “Is this the washroom?”
“Yes,” Josef replies.
Thandoran gestures again, asking for permission to enter.
“Be my guest,” Josef says.
Thandoran turns the knob and clicks on the light. The washroom is like any other. A few shaving supplies on the sink. A few other toiletries in the cabinet.
“What do you hope to find?” I whisper at his side. If these things are Kostan’s, they won’t help us find Isac.
Thandoran opens the cabinet under the sink. “What color is Kostan’s hair?” he asks no one in particular.
“Brown.” Josef says.
“Dark brown or light?” Thandoran’s messing around under the sink, pulling out cleaning supplies and toilet paper, when Josef tells him light brown hair.
I kneel next to him. “What are you doing?”
“This P-trap is old and rusted. It hasn’t been upgraded in say twenty years. They most likely have not unscrewed it in that long either.”
I shrug. “So.”
“Hand me that towel.”
I hand Thandoran the towel as Josef leans over us. I have no idea what Thandoran’s getting at, and Josef is equally curious. Thandoran spreads the towel under the trap and, with one twist of his wrist and the help of demon strength, loosens a piece at the top of the trap. With a few more twists, it comes loose with a mess of water and rust dust.
The smell of sewage hits me, and I sit back on my heels. “Whoa.” I pinch my nose.
Thandoran angles the trap toward me. “See right there?”
I don’t want to see. Something is black and slimy. “What is that?” I try not to puke.
“Hair,” Thandoran says.
“You’re not serious. You can’t really believe his hair could still be in there.”
“One way to find out.”
Thandoran fishe
s the hair out of the trap and reassembles the pipe. After plugging the stopper, he puts the glob of hair in the sink and rinses it and separates the strands.
“This is the grossest thing I have ever witnessed.” I back into the corner, as far away from the stench as I can. None of this fazes Thandoran. I won’t be holding his hand when we teleport home.
Thandoran lays the hairs out on the sink and analyzes them.
“This is nuts,” I say through a hand over my nose.
Most of the hairs are short, which is what I would expect from a guy. A few of them are long. Maybe girlfriends or one-night flings.
Thandoran puts his compass on the counter. “This compass works with organic matter, so having a personal belonging won’t help me track down Isac. It has to be hair, nails, skin, spit, blood.”
I shudder.
“You get the idea.” Thandoran puts a hair in the compass’s base. It turns and points behind us. “Josef, where is Kostan right now?”
“I can’t disclose that information,” Josef says.
“All right. Would it be safe to say he’s to the west of us?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” Thandoran replaces the hair with another one. He tries the lighter shades of brown. The compass continues to point in the same direction.
“You hope those are all pointing to Kostan,” I say. “What if Isac is that way too?”
“This is all I have, princess. You better hope that it points”—Thandoran puts a different hair into the compass, and it swivels to the southeast—“to another direction.” He straightens and stands back. “There, Your Highness, is your bearing.”
“You’re sure?”
“Hmm, 80/20.”
I roll my eyes. “You have got to be kidding.”
Josef nods. “Brilliant, actually. I hope for your sake that it leads you to him.”
“You mean for your sake,” I say.
“Whatever works for you, princess.”
“Oh, not you too.”
TWENTY-ONE
I spend the next hour restoring the demons’ powers who live in residence. Josef has to contact a few who live elsewhere, but Thandoran and I call it an afternoon, with our promise to Josef that we’ll return.
