by Susan Stec
"No! You can't hang up! Raphael'll be home soon. Listen to me, damn it!" JoAnn pumped the vacuum at warp speed.
I gritted my teeth and popped Marcus on the head. He wiggled back on the bed, a sheepish grin on his face. I turned back to the phone. "What happened?"
"Raphael took Lilith to meet his boss, Rahovart, and they were gone all day yesterday," JoAnn blurted. "Then Lord Rahovart, tormentor of the affluent and companion of Satan, came over for cocktails last night and played with Lilith on the living room floor. All day today, she's been going off on these tangents, speaking some foreign language, and I can't understand a word she's saying."
Marcus' rumbling chest competed with the vacuum.
"Sweetie, can you nix the vacuum? I can barely hear you."
The noise stopped and a dust rag replaced the vacuum. "I have to get the housework done before he gets back. We're on a strict time schedule here. Its housework, play time with Lilith, dinner, bath time, then hours of class time. We've been working with Grandma's old spell book, and he's teaching me how to cast spells and..."
I interrupted her, "You have the spell book? How the hell did you get it? It burned in the fire."
"Raphael had it. You'd think he would have taught me how to twitch my nose and get the vacuum to do the work on its own, but nooo, he wants to learn stupid stuff we never use, like bonding spells and conjuring up fireballs, and demonic possession. It's really getting old. And then I find out that he's… well…" JoAnn started to cry.
Marcus sat up, pulling a shirt over his head. We held eye contact for a heartbeat, and then I faced the phone. "Do you want to come home?"
"Yes, but he won't let me bring Lilith, so I can't! And… and… to make matters worse… Raphael is… he's…" JoAnn whimpered. She tossed the dust rag down. "I think he has a mistress, darn it. All he could talk about at breakfast is his tormentor boss and this witch, Danika, he has tucked away somewhere. It seems that's where he's been going every night for the last week, doing God knows what with her and that devil he works for; and now he says he's going to take Lilith over there! His excuse—he wants to start Lilith's education. Right? You don't think he's going to leave me for this woman, do you?" She stared off, wailing, with her hand wiping her wet cheeks. "I have no friends here, and I hate playing the domestic housewife, always at his beck and call. But I will not let some strange witch raise my Lilith!"
I tried not to smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think the witch is a mistress. She must be helping Raphael and his boss with Lilith's education. I bet she's ugly as hell, warts and all."
Marcus jerked his head toward me, wearing a lopsided grin as he pulled on his pants.
"You think?" JoAnn asked. "I wish I had the Internet here, I'd order something black and frilly from Frederick's of Hollywood. I don't know, do you think red and skimpy would work better? Maybe you and Mom could figure out how to send me something though a portal."
Marcus mentally pushed, Can you move the conversation in the direction of finding a way to get rid of the demon, instead of how to properly bed him?
"Um, I'll work on those nightie issues, sweetie, but…"
"If I had a sewing machine, I could whip something up, but I don't," JoAnn whined.
Marcus prodded, We need her and Lily to be alone for at least three hours, six preferably.
I breathed deeply though my nose. "JoAnn, is Lily with you now?"
"Yes," she hiccupped.
"When will Raphael be home?" I asked, mentally calculating what we needed to do before we could leave, and how much time it would take.
She wiped her face and plopped down on a couch. "In about an hour."
Shit! Here, that’s only minutes from now, I mentally snapped at Marcus, then turned back to my sister. "We have a chant that will get us into your world, but you and Lilith would need to be alone for at least three hours, before we try–"
"I don't think that's going to happen any time soon." JoAnn looked pitiful.
"Sweetie, the minute he leaves you alone with Lily, call me."
"It's Lilith," she sighed.
"Where is my little devil?" a loud voice asked in the background, followed by giggles.
JoAnn's eyes got big and round. "He's home!" The screen turned into a mirrored image of my concerned face.
~~~~
Chapter Six
~~~~
Marcus' cell phone vibrated on the bedside table. He flipped it open, and walked out the sliding glass doors onto the balcony as he said, "Dorius, what can I do for you?"
Slipping off my robe and hanging it on the bedpost, I made my way across the bedroom, and into the walk-in closet, eavesdropping the whole way. Hopping behind the bedroom door, I pulled on a pair of cargo shorts and an Old Navy t-shirt. It was apparent Marcus was upset. I just didn't know why, since I couldn't hear Dorius' side of the conversation.
In front of the bathroom mirror, I grabbed up my wild curls and pulled out the coated rubber band I held in my teeth, securing my hair in a ponytail at the base of my neck; then I headed back to the bedroom.
Marcus stood by the bed, shoving his cell in his jeans. "There's been another murder. Dorius is beside himself."
"Did you mention anything about JoAnn?" I asked, shoving the murders into the back of my mind.
"Yes, and I also asked Dorius if the fairy can join us when, and if, we go into the portal."
"Why do we need Gibbie?"
"He can look like whomever he wishes. We may need him to pose as JoAnn or the child, because it appears Raphael is not going to let the child out of his sight."
"Won't the demon know it's not them?"
"Maybe, if it gets close enough, but by then, it might be too late. And if we can get back through the portal, the demon can't follow us. He can only come to Earth if he's summoned."
"Yeah, well, he's been educating JoAnn, remember?" I smiled as I opened the bedroom door. "Let's hope she can't summon him."
"Let's keep that information to ourselves for the moment," he said, motioning toward the stairs.
As we stepped into the kitchen, I caught sight of my younger daughter, and a big smile spread across my face. "Jeni! You're home! Why?"
Jeni sat beside my mother on the bench of the picnic table in the dining room; a billowy, gauze dress fanned about her legs. She pushed her cute, sandaled feet across the floor and gave me her full attention. "I'll be monitoring communications from here until you get Lily and Aunt JoAnn back. Dennis will take up the slack at the compound. Dorius sent me with a ton of equipment to set up in the den, downstairs."
"Yeah, and it's a damn good thing," Mom said as she slapped the laptop closed. "We can use someone with a brain in her head around here."
I didn't say a word—it was always good to have Jeni around.
"I was also thinking you might need a little help with Lilith," Jeni said, a smile on her pretty, round face.
The only mortal in the family, Jeni grounded us with her logic, and she'd be a big help if we ever got Lily home. Jeni loved kids. The rest of us could barely tolerate them.
"I got another call from JoAnn, and she's in quite a…"
"I spoke with Dorius this evening," Marcus interrupted. "There's been another murder. A woman this time. She's been drained and what's left of her is scattered all over the tiger cage at the Jacksonville Zoo. Could be an attempt at a cover up, but since the other victims were also mauled and drained, I'm still sticking with a shape-shifter, and certainly a vampire. Paul, Jake, and Gibbie are there now, searching for a scent."
Paul the werewolf, Gibbie the fairy, and Jake the shape-shifter dragon are all part of our team, but Dorius also uses them in the field occasionally.
Mom looked like she didn't know what issue to address first. While her eyes jumped from me to Marcus, Zaire came storming in the door, followed by Resi.
"I'm headed to BAMVC!" Zaire announced, all excited as she detoured to the stairs leading to their bedroom at warp speed. "Going to pack my shit! I'm taking the Cuda,
Resi."
Resi looked upset. "Dorius wants her on one of the teams, working the murders."
"What? Why isn't he sending you with her?" I asked, JoAnn's dilemma almost forgotten. They'd been glued to each other's hips for twenty years.
Resi sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. "She's been talking to Dorius a lot lately. I think she needs a break from…"
"A break? From what?" Mom wanted to know.
"Can't she at least take a few minutes to say goodbye?" Jeni asked.
"You know Zaire." Resi shook her head. "Just stay out of it, you guys. Let her go, she'll be back if you leave it alone."
Marcus tilted his head toward me with a look of complete understanding. "All of you are hard acts to follow. Especially for a new immortal. Zaire has extraordinary fighting skills, but she doesn't come close to the powers the rest of you have."
We all looked at Resi.
"It's okay," Resi said, flopping down on the leather couch. "She needs some action, and I'll be working with the snake anyway. She's been pretty pissy lately and maybe this will boost her ego."
I was about to say something, probably stupid, but Marcus pushed his thoughts in my head. Susan, let Resi handle this her way. She's a big girl.
Resi smiled at him. Marcus smiled back. I hated not being able to control the situation; and Resi's new ability to hear our thoughts pissed me off.
I huffed and turned to Mom. "Have you seen Christopher?"
"Screw the snake-keeper—what's with JoAnn?"
I tried to put off the subject. "Come on, Mom! I don't want to go over it two times."
Mom got up from the table and swaggered over to the front windows. "I'm ready to meet my granddaughter."
Jeni answered my question, "I heard the RTV crank up about fifteen minutes ago and looked out the window. Christopher was with–"
"…Some blonde bimbo and they were headed out to the woods," Mom finished the sentence for her. "Jeni wouldn't let me go after him." Mom turned to me. "Answer my question, Susan. Why are you being all tight-lipped about JoAnn?"
I strutted to the window, ignoring JoAnn's dilemma for a moment. "It's probably Betty. Damn it, I told him he couldn't see her again."
Marcus turned into a burbling volcano. "Is this Betty woman an immortal?"
I planned Christopher's demise as I checked my cuticles for a few beats, then answered, "Nope, just some chick he met on-line. He had a little… um… thing up in our bedroom earlier, and I walked in on…"
"A mortal?" Marcus erupted. "We do not need this at the moment." He took long strides toward the front door. I followed like a dog with its tail between its legs and almost fell into him when Jeni stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Marcus, think of how you would feel in his place. Don't embarrass him. Wait until he returns. You can discuss it with him then."
Marcus' eyes met hers. "I don't think you're aware of the consequences of his actions. There are rules concerning involvement with mortals."
"Maybe she's a possible blood mate," Resi whispered.
I quickly came to Christopher's defense. "He didn't drink from her, just mind pushed her into thinking he was…. Never mind, they just had sex and he handled it very well, as far as I'm concerned." I'm an idiot. He's a little fornicating time bomb.
We stood in the open front door, Marcus warring with his emotions, when small engine noises solved his dilemma.
The RTV burst from the woods, headed for the house at break-neck speed. Christopher came to a dirt-slinging stop in front of the front door. "One of the vamp-animals bit Betty on the ass—she bit back—shit!—she's acting like she's turned! I need help! She's wild."
We all hit the grass, including Resi. Jeni yelled after us, "I'll plug in the equipment. Anyone got a transmitter?"
"I have mine!" Marcus yelled back, pulling it from his jeans. He plugged the earpiece into his ear, and shoved the transmitter in his shirt pocket as everyone ran for the woods. The RTV sped by, Christopher signaling the way.
Ten minutes later, with no sign of Betty, Marcus announced, "Jeni has her on the monitor. She's at the barn." He turned on his heels. We all followed.
When we got to the barn, it sounded like a gang fight inside: hissing, cussing, a whack—wood splintering—something hit the inside of the wall in front of us with a loud thunk, followed by a shitload of scratching noises. Betty screeched and cussed; scuffling noises followed, and then it got really quiet. Christopher leapt from the RTV and headed for the door.
Marcus stopped him. "Hold on, Christopher, let's take this nice and slow. We don't want her running off again."
Hand on the doorknob, Christopher said. "Don't hurt her. If she is immortal, she's mine!"
"Is she a possible mate?" Marcus asked, his expression hopeful.
"They're all possible mates," Christopher answered.
"Answer the question," Marcus said. "Is she a possible blood mate?"
Christopher kicked the dirt with his little Spiderman tennis shoe. "No, but I found her and I'm keeping her."
"Christopher," Marcus warned.
I patted Christopher on the shoulder. "Sweetie, you turned me, remember? And even if you wanted me as a mate at the time, I wouldn't have… well… let's just wait and see… I mean, don't get your hopes up."
Christopher had his mouth in a pre-statement gesture when a loud rumbling noise assaulted us from the house.
We all jerked our heads in that direction as the Barracuda growled its way down the dirt road.
Resi headed for the car. "Be right back!" she yelled over her shoulder.
I watched the Cuda jerk to a stop in front of Resi, and turned away when Zaire leaned out of the window to kiss her.
The barn erupted with animal screeching, gut wrenching growls, and shattering glass. Christopher yanked open the door and immediately ducked. A hawk with stretched talons, raked Christopher's blonde curls as it swept upward and away, shrieking loudly. "You see that? Friggin' vamp critters! Betty!" Christopher ran back into the barn.
Marcus hammered a communications button on his chest. "Jeni, do you copy? What are we dealing with?" Marcus listened, then followed Christopher into the barn in.
Mom turned to me. "I'm waiting right here. You go around back in case the bimbo tries to climb out the window."
I ground my teeth and took off in that direction. Without my communication device, I was winging it. All I could do was try to be ready for anything.
I rounded the building and noticed the window was broken. Scanning the area, I wondered if Betty had made an exit. It was awfully quiet in the barn. I was just about to call out to Marcus when the action cranked up inside. It was deafening.
Marcus yelled orders at Christopher. Christopher screamed obscenities back. A piece of wood flew from the window and I crouched down, making ready.
"Grab her, damn it!" Christopher screeched. "She's headed out the damn window!"
I froze, knees bent, arms spread, eyes on the window, and waited.
A bloody raccoon shot out, rolled on the ground, and scampered away; no Betty.
"Calm down, Betty. Everything's going to be all right," Marcus said in a calm voice, followed by a yelp. "The gods be damned, your woman bit me!" Marcus yelled.
"Don't let go of her!" Christopher yelled back.
"Let me go, ya sons-a-bitches!" Betty hollered. "That raccoon is dead meat!"
"Ouch! Damn it, woman. Do not bite me again!" Marcus snapped.
"I got her legs!" Christopher cried out, as Mom and Resi rounded the back of the building.
"Jesus, even Zaire wasn't this bad when I turned her," Resi said, coming to a halt in front of me.
I shot her a nasty look. See, I went from a decrepit senior citizen to a hot-looking twenty-five-year-old after Christopher turned me, and everyone wanted a piece of that action. Ah, vanity, the bane of our existence.
Anyway, I fanged Resi within hours. Zaire wanted in—the girls decided to savor the moment—and Resi bit Zaire in the privacy of their bedroo
m. Not the smartest idea she ever had. Christ, what a mess. I tried to help Resi cuff her to their bed. Mom saw an opening and jumped into the cluster-fuck and Zaire latched on, good and proper. The domino effect continued; Mom fanged JoAnn shortly thereafter—all of us became new immortals within a week—except for Jeni. She made it clear she was not interested in perky new breasts, or immortality.
"I'm losing her!" Christopher shouted, interrupting my thoughts.
A loud growl came from the other side of the window.
"Get your fangs out of my neck, woman!" Marcus ordered. "Christopher, grab her by the hair, damn you! She's sucking on me!"
"I can't!" Christopher croaked. "She's got me by the throat and her damn fingernails are like a friggin' bear trap."
I heard a loud slap; then it got quiet. I sidled up to the window and peeked in about the same time Betty came flying out, knocking us both on our asses.
I tossed up my shield—trapping us inside—then got on all fours and faced off with her. That was one of my special powers. That, and summoning demons, casting spells, and all sorts of other nifty, witchy things. I could create a force field around me that was impenetrable to anyone but me. Only problem—I was now locked inside with a very new, very mad immortal. But I'd be damned if I was going to let her out.
I crawled in circles—her eyes following me—she rumbled deep in her chest.
Marcus and Christopher came running around the building.
"Susan, pop the shield, now!" Marcus ordered.
I ignored him, my mind on the immortal in front of me. "Betty, I know you're freaking out. I know you're hungry. I know you can smell, taste and hear things that you've never thought existed, but if you don't let me help you, you won't be getting out of this circle alive. Well, you're already dead—I mean, kind of dead."
She hooded her eyes, inched closer and hissed. "My body’s burning—I have a hunger fer animal blood—I'm in pain—what the hell happened ta me?"
"Ho-boy, this oughta be good," Mom said. "Go ahead, Susabella, explain that, why doncha?"
Christopher hammered the bubble with both fists. "Don't you dare hurt her!"
