by Susan Stec
"JoAnn, get your mouth back in front of this phone," I yelled. "I want some answers!"
A small child with long, black hair in wild curls around her face ran into the scene. She wore a dress exactly like JoAnn's and Tootles was nipping at the hem. She turned and faced us with an angelic smile.
I sucked in a big breath. She looked just like Mom did in pictures of her as a child, except for the color of her eyes. They were Raphael's.
Lilith's lavender eyes sparkled. She bowed deeply. "My name is Lily and Mother finds that silly."
JoAnn frowned and quickly reprimanded, "Daddy is a bad, bad demon. I told him not to call you Lily! It's Lilith, sweetie? Say it. Come on, say it."
The child smiled. "Lily is much less frilly, and suits me just fine, Mother of mine."
JoAnn huffed, pushing the child's bangs out of her eyes. "I will confine you to your room, young lady. Now what is your proper name?"
I wanted to drag JoAnn's ass into the phone and out my side.
"JoAnn, you're officially nuts!" Mom said. "Come home and bring Satan's spawn with you. It's not like she won't fit right in here, with the rest of this family."
JoAnn hooded her brown eyes at the phone. "Don't be crude, Mother. I love Raphael and he loves me. I'm staying where I'm appreciated."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" I asked. "You're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy! Now click those damn shoes and get your butt home!"
"I have a man… demon... whatever… now, and a daughter. I know my place," JoAnn slammed the screen shut, and she was gone. I stood looking at myself in the mirror on the pink phone in my hands.
Christopher became animated at once. "Call her back! We need to get that kid here. She's a demon-witch-vamp cross and probably powerful as hell. Someone needs to call Dorius."
Behind me, Marcus sounded like the pink Barracuda's engine. "Close the phone, Susan. We need to talk."
~~~~
Chapter Three
~~~~
I tucked the mirror in my back pocket, my eyes dancing around the room. "Now what do we do? She's clearly under some spell or something."
"JoAnn has no business with a kid," Mom said. "Although, if I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: karma. If that kid gives her half the problems JoAnn gave me…"
"I don't believe for one minute that kid is hers," Resi said. "Raphael's playing with her."
"Did you not see the child, Resi?" I walked away from the pentagram, shaking my head. "She looks just like Mom did when she was a kid."
"She doesn't have my eyes," Mom reminded us.
"I say we make a trip into the Otherworld and stage a divine intervention," Zaire suggested.
Marcus glared at her. "None of you will do anything of the sort. JoAnn will soon see she needs all of you. I know exactly what Raphael is up to."
"Come on! What in hell's name could Raphael possibly want with a child?" I was thinking all this had to be a dream. JoAnn would in no way want to live with a demon, and she didn't do kids.
"Think about it, Susan," Christopher chimed in.
"Darling, your sister has demon and witch blood in her veins and she's clearly mated with Raphael, a pure demon," Marcus said. "Surely, you can see the benefit of having a child with that pedigree. I'm sure Raphael's master is elated, and endowed the demon with more status in his dominion. This child could actually be the next leader of the Otherworld. We need to bring them both back here, where we have some control of the situation, before Raphael exploits the child's powers. Just think what Lilith could do for us."
I hadn't thought of it like that. My first impulse was to call JoAnn right back and demand she come home. I pulled the pink thing out of my back pocket and flipped it open.
"Let's not call her just yet." Marcus looked from my eyes to the phone. "We need to advise Dorius. I'm sure his priorities will do an about-face as soon as he hears about Lilith."
"Screw Dorius! He'll take JoAnn to the compound, and I need her for my plan to work," Christopher snapped. "Make the call, Susan."
Marcus slowly turned in Christopher's direction. "What plan?"
Christopher huffed, "I'll tell you when I get good and..."
Mom threw her hands in the air. "He has a python in the garage and he wants to unleash it on the fanged wildlife." Mom headed for the computer. "I'm calling Dorius. We can present your asinine idea and Lilith at the same time."
Christopher flew across the living room and pressed Mom against the wall in a heartbeat. "I decide when we tell Dorius about Monty." His fangs were inches from Mom's throat.
"Put the old lady down," Zaire growled. Ready for a fight, she sidled toward them.
"Do I look like an old lady?" Mom didn't look old or scared; she looked deadly.
I froze.
Marcus calmly said, "All right, you two, this battle is unnecessary."
Mom tightened her lips, pulled her brows together, and wiggled her fingers in front of Christopher's face. With a whoosh, he sailed across the room and slammed into the plastered wall, close to the ceiling. He slid down the wall, grabbing for the antlers on a mounted deer head beneath him, which did not break his fall. He only managed to take it with him when he crashed onto the glass top of the coffee table, shattering it all over the stuffed gator, which formerly held it up with its tail and head.
My mother's gift is having telekinetic powers. Using only her mind, she can transport people and reshape inanimate objects without any physical effort.
Christopher glared at Mom, fangs extended.
I put both hands on my hips and scanned the damage. "Nip it, you two. And you'll both be plastering the hole in the wall this time—I'm not paying for a new glass top, either."
Fangs still extended, eyes locked on Christopher, my mother said, "I'm calling Dorius, and you, little man, better not forget who is in charge here." Mom took two steps toward him, twisting her fingers, again.
"That's enough!" Marcus made a fist and shook it at us; his eyes went from blue to black, jaw tight, body rigid, as he said, "Everyone will take it down a notch—we will discuss this in a rational manner."
Uh, so, that little display had my body all a-tingle.
Mom tucked her hands under her armpits.
Christopher scraped himself off the floor.
Marcus gave him a warning glance. "I am eager to know how a python can assist with the immortal animals, Christopher."
"I have a plan, and it will work." Christopher frowned at my mother as he plucked glass shards out of his arms and legs.
"I'd like to hear it," Marcus said, stabbing his chest with his thumb; then finishing with, "before we present it to my brother."
"Can we get the glass up first?" Resi asked, heading for the pantry.
"Yes, then we are all going to have a quiet, adult conversation." Marcus' voice still held a fair share of warning.
Okay, so enough was enough. I'm not really good at the submission thingy. None of the women in my family are. We do bitchy. We do sarcasm. We even do stupid. But none of us does passive, docile, or obedient. I shot him one of my "You're not the boss of me” looks.
He raised his brows and pushed his hand around in a little circle over the mess on the floor. I thought about throwing something at him, but then he grinned at me and those damn dimples popped out again before I could find something.
Resi strutted back into the room with a dustpan and broom and we cleaned up the mess and pushed the gator to the back of the room by Mom's altar. Then we sat at the picnic table, and I passed out bags of blood. I popped one on my fangs and sucked contentedly.
Marcus' mind pushed, Darling, you don't need the bag of blood. I'm looking forward to sating you later. I've missed your body and your blood.
I kept sucking.
Marcus' jaws clenched. His nostrils flared and he turned to Christopher. "Explain your proposal for… Monty, is it?" His eyes found mine and I wiggled on the bench and sucked harder on the bag of blood.
"Yeah, Monty the Python. Get it?"
<
br /> "I get it, Christopher; what I don't get is what you plan to do with it."
Zaire laughed from the kitchen. "He wants Aunt JoAnn to make it immortal, and then Resi's supposed to mind push it to kill only the vamp-critters. Stupid, right? Like JoAnn's gonna suck a snake and let it bite her, never mind letting Resi control it." Zaire walked up to the table and pushed her way in beside Resi.
Resi whipped her head around, fanning her hair as Zaire sat beside her.
Christopher frowned at Zaire. "I think it's a great..."
"Actually, it is a fine idea," Marcus said with a big smile. "Resi has been in my head of late. If she can do that, she can surely take on the python, immortal or not."
I wanted to hit both of them. "She's in your head too? How the heck is she accomplishing that? You're fifteen hundred years old."
Marcus smiled at Resi. "Dorius and I were just discussing that very issue this morning when I arrived in Miami. We decided to do a few experiments with Resi next week at the compound, but now–"
"I'm not crazy about working with snakes," Resi whined.
"Yeah, but you're F'n capable." Zaire looked pissed. She didn't share our lineages and had no special powers, except being a kick-ass immortal.
Resi consoled her. "You're doing a lot better with your mind pushing since we've mated. Maybe we're able to give others our powers through our blood."
"Another reason why it is so crucial we bring Lilith and JoAnn back from the Otherworld," Marcus said. Then he looked at me and frowned as I grabbed another blood bag.
I knew what he was thinking. I was swiftly acquiring more power since mating with him.
"Yeah, well, I want my powers tested too," Zaire announced.
"I think we'll work with Resi first, Zaire," Marcus said. "The rest of us will need to concentrate on getting JoAnn and the child back."
"So do we call JoAnn again?" I asked, watching Zaire and her growing jealousy. She'd never shown it before and that frightened me.
"No, we should alert Dorius first," Marcus said, his eyes on mine. "I think Christopher may be onto something with the snake. I believe Dorius will be very receptive to both situations. I know the murders are a top priority at the moment, but I think he can use the rest of his hunters in that area while we work on getting JoAnn back, and testing Resi with the snake."
"So let's call him," Christopher blurted out.
Mom eyed him as she punched a few keys on the computer.
My older daughter's face filled the screen. "Hey, Nan, any luck with JoAnn and the spell book?"
Jeni headed the communications systems at BAMVC in Miami, working with the rogue hunters in the field. The system was state-of-the-art and she was not only able to communicate with us, but could also watch our every move while directing us on our missions.
"Well, that's why we're calling. We had a talk with your aunt. Is Dorius around?" Mom asked.
"I can get him for you. Is Aunt JoAnn all right?" Jeni's expression took on a worried look.
Zaire shoved her face in the computer screen. "No, she's not all right. She made a kid with the demon."
Jeni giggled. "Right, and I'm supposed to believe Aunt JoAnn had a baby in just six months."
"Not only did she have a baby, but she doesn't wanna come home," Christopher said.
I added, "Time goes faster there. It's been almost three years in the Otherworld."
Jeni's mouth made a little circle before she burst into laughter. "Come on… JoAnn and a demon child? Are you sure? This is just so wrong."
"The kid looks like me with purple eyes," Mom said.
"Lavender, Mother," I corrected, thinking this was just crazy. My senior citizen sister, not only did the nasty with a demon, but now has a child. I mean, she doesn't look like a senior citizen anymore. But still.
"Ohmygod, I'm a cousin," Jeni said. After spending the last year with five immortals, a fairy, a troll, a dragon, and a werewolf, she was much easier to sway.
"Come on!" Zaire said. "JoAnn had sex with a freakin' demon! Can you wrap your head around that?"
Mom shook her head. "Good thing she didn't have her Bible with her when Raphael sucked her into Hell. I imagine quoting scripture to Satin's spawn wouldn't go over too well."
"Or the cross that still hangs over her bed," Resi sang, adjusting her t-shirt over her cleavage.
Marcus cleared his throat. "Jeni, I have some concerns about the demon's rationale for fathering this child. I would like to speak to my brother about the matter, if all of you wouldn't mind."
Jeni shook her head. "I'll get him, hang on."
"I talk first," Christopher ordered.
Marcus turned his head toward him as the screen went black. "I will speak first, Christopher. You will get your chance, and I'd advise you to use discretion when you do."
I elbowed Marcus. "Give him a break. It's his idea."
Before Marcus could put up a rebuttal, Dorius' deep voice boomed, "Marcus, you have some information for me?"
Marcus shot us a warning glance and turned to the laptop. "Yes, we do. Christopher has an idea that could help with our immortal animal issue, and we spoke to JoAnn."
Dorius' uninterested eyes moved to Christopher for a second and back to Marcus. "What is this idea?"
"What about JoAnn?" Mom asked. "We talked to her and—"
Christopher elbowed my mother's mouth shut, as he shoved Marcus out of the way. "I've given our critter problem considerable thought since it keeps the team from working to our best potential. I think we proved ourselves at the cabin with the sorcerer and the vampire bitch. Anyway, I wanted to free up more time for us in the field, so I've come up with a solution."
I jerked back my head, lifted my brows, tucked my chin in, and looked down at him. He almost sounded intelligent.
Dorius scowled. "Once again, Christopher, you've told me nothing. Get on with it; you're starting to mimic the fairy."
Gibbie, the fairy on our team, drove all of us crazy with his long, drawn-out explanations. Dorius was being a smartass with a descriptive razz. Dorius and Christopher had some bad history.
Christopher gave my mother a quick smile before he continued. "I want to get JoAnn back so she can turn a python that I bought. It's about twenty-five feet long and can dislocate its jaws to feed on an animal as large as a pig, or even a deer. I think Resi can mind-control the snake so it only seeks out immortal animals. Once we find out if it is effective, we can add more. I know they're not indigenous to the area, but since Florida already has a python problem, ours should go unnoticed. We've altered the ecosystem in a major way—I think we need to correct it. If the snakes can be manipulated, we can have them return to us each morning, thereby keeping them under control."
Holy shit—his idea even sounded good to me. I anxiously watched Dorius' face, waiting for an answer.
Dorius' eyes grabbed for Christopher's. "Again, you've surprised me, Christopher. This is a well-thought-out plan, and I find myself once again commending you. You did indeed prove yourself worthy with the Erzsebet situation, and I will reward you for your efforts, both then and now. You, with Chick and Marcus' assistance, will lead the team in this endeavor, since I neither have the time nor the men to spare at the moment. Good work."
Christopher nodded. My chin dropped three inches.
Marcus cleared his throat. "We have a little problem."
Dorius turned to his brother. "What problem?"
"JoAnn. She has a child with the demon, and does not wish to return to Earth."
"What do you mean, she has a child?" Dorius did not look amused. Not one of us butted in. Marcus had the floor.
"She introduced the child as her daughter. The child has the demon's eyes."
"Are you sure it also belongs to JoAnn?"
"The women see the resemblance, and you know the blood benefits. It all makes sense, now. This was the demon's plan. We clearly need to bring JoAnn and the child back here, where we have more control over them. However, JoAnn is not receptive to our dem
ands. How shall we proceed?"
Dorius turned to me. "Susan, you will use Tootles again—put the dog into your sister's body, and let it take control. You can reason with Tootles—you've done it before. Once you get your possessed sister home, with the child, it will simply be a matter of removing the dog from JoAnn's body."
Marcus' eyes turned black. They only did that when he was sexually aroused, or angry. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess it was the latter.
I couldn't breathe. "How the hell do I do that from here?"
Dorius smiled. "You don't."
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Chapter Four
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"I don't see anything in here about opening a portal into the Otherworld," Resi announced as she fingered the pages of our spell book while I walked around in a stupor.
"There has to be something. Keep looking." Mom was hell-bent on sending me straight into the Abyss. I was busy trying to figure out a way to totally avoid this ridiculous idea. The thought of leaving Earth gave new meaning to the phrase, "rot in hell,” especially since my sister and her demon spawn would be hosting me.
Marcus walked through the front door, wearing a pair of jeans that hugged his body like a second skin. Long, black hair fanned his shoulders when he tucked his cell phone into the pocket of a white dress-shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow. Oh, yeah. My thoughts immediately went somewhere else. At that moment, the corner of his mouth turned up, his blue eyes sparkling. Great. I kept forgetting he could read my mind.
"So what did Dorius have to say?" I asked with a flirtatious grin, my southern-most parts zinging.
Marcus nipped my lascivious thoughts in a heartbeat. "There's been another murder. This time, they found two bodies—a man and a woman. The woman was torn to pieces and the man bled to death."
Zaire was the first to remark. She looked way too excited. "Does he need someone to go and check it out? Is the crime scene out-of-state? I could use some of my Frequent Flyer miles."
Marcus turned to her as he took a seat on the couch. "No, he's already dispatched a team."
