by Siobhan Muir
A Hell Hound’s Fire
Siobhan Muir
Acknowledgements
Why is this book free? Simple. Not many like to buy a book from an author they don’t know. Why take the chance it won’t be good when money is tight? So here’s your opportunity to try my writing. And if you already know my writing, you get a little more to enjoy in gratitude for taking that chance.
Thanks to Cara Michaels for reading over this story, twice, looking for typos and inconsistencies. Thanks to Lanya Ross for reading the longer version of this tale to check for logic. It’s good to have a scientist peer review your work. Thanks also to Natascha Jaffa from SPJ Editing for catching my repeated words and last little punctuation issues. I still can't get that darn em-dash.
A Hell Hound’s Fire
By Siobhan Muir
Copyright 2013 M.E. Varhalmi
Smashwords Edition
Cover Photo: Amy Harris | Dreamstime.com
Yekophotostudio | Dreamstime.com
Lehakok | Dreamstime.com
Cover Design: H.L. Carmichael
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Bio of Siobhan Muir
Bibliography
Chapter One
Alex MacLaren dreaded the coming night as much as the storm rolling in from the west. Eight long years hadn’t dimmed the pain of Lisa’s disappearance, but he continued to honor her memory. Rain, wind, and cold threatened, the gray sky matching his lingering sorrow.
Dammit. Lisa had left him, running into the darkness of another storm to pass away on her own terms. He’d wanted to be with her, hold her, comfort her in her final hours, but she’d insisted on doing it her way.
She always had.
All he had left of her was this simple marker he’d erected at the point of the island in the river she’d loved. He smoothed his hand over the cold stone and whispered a prayer to Lisa’s continued peace. Or his own, he wasn’t sure which.
The 1812 Overture interrupted his solemn thoughts and he swore softly before digging into his jacket pocket for his phone. Only one person had that ringtone and Alex never failed to answer.
“What can I do for the Cloudburst PD, Lieutenant Fitzroy?”
“I need a favor, MacLaren. Can you come down to the station?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there in twenty.”
Alex hung up and trotted into the house he’d built with Lisa, trying to take comfort in the warm, ruddy glow coming from the large windows. The light gilded the ground and trees around the house, but it didn’t bring the solace he sought. Not bothering to turn off the lights, he locked up and headed for his Jeep.
If Fitzroy called, there had to be something interesting going on, and Alex sorely needed a distraction from this painful anniversary.
****
“Oh, what places you’ll go.”
A woman’s lilting voice caressed Alex’s ears and drew him deeper into the police station. He glanced around the squad room, searching for the source of the sweetness, but his gaze hit Lt. Henry Fitzroy first and the grim expression he wore behind his glasses. Chewed bones, this can’t be good.
“Thanks for coming, MacLaren. Got an odd assignment for you.”
“Isn’t that why you have me on retainer, Fitzroy?”
“Yeah, but this one is odder than usual.” The older man ran his hand over his balding head, lifting his glasses and scrubbing his eyes. “Come into my office and I’ll tell you more.”
Again, the lilting voice tugged at Alex’s attention. “You’ll be best here and there, topping the others with style and flare.”
Her words curled through Alex’s chest and latched onto his heart, making it squeeze with tenderness for the first time in years. He wanted to stay in the squad room and listen to her reading…what was it? Some kid’s book. He remembered some of the words from his youth and how they’d filled him with a sense of hope.
Until Lisa left. Of course, no one had read it to him then.
He followed Lt. Fitzroy to his office and closed the door behind him. A magnificent feminine scent filled his nose and drew him to another door, stirring a yearning he’d long forgotten. The woman read to someone in the auxiliary room attached to the office. He tried to steal a look, but he only caught a glimpse of glorious straight red hair pulled into a silken ponytail and a tailored leather jacket before the Lieutenant closed the adjoining door.
Please leave it cracked. Please leave it cracked.
As if he’d heard Alex’s plea, Fitzroy stopped the door before it latched. Over the years Alex had worked with the Cloudburst PD, Fitzroy had never seemed concerned about sound escaping his office. Maybe he has some sort of noise-canceling device. Alex thanked the Goddess for it now. He could listen to the woman’s voice all day. Get a hold of yourself. It’s just a kiddie story. Or maybe her beguiling scent tickling his nose.
Fitzroy settled behind the desk. “I’ve got a problem.”
“Yeah, so you said. What kind of problem?” Alex dropped his butt into a chair and hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans.
“See the woman in there with the kid?”
Alex snorted. How could he miss her? She stole all his extra attention.
“She’s one o’ you. You know, a Moon Singer, and she’s on the run.”
“How did you find her?” A werewolf? Alex sat up and inhaled, deeper this time. The scents of morning mists over peat bogs and restrained nervousness hit his nose.
Hot damn, another Moon Singer—two, with her son. Alex wanted to run into the room, gather them into his arms, and tell them everything would be okay. What is wrong with me? I don’t even know them.
“That’s the strange part. She and her son just landed a week ago from Chicago by way of Dublin, Ireland, and were staying with a friend in Manitou Springs.”
“Manitou is a hundred miles from here.”
“Right. Apparently, she’s running from something, and got out just before it hit her friend’s place.”
“Okay, but why is she here in your precinct?”
Fitzroy raised his eyebrow and Alex swore.
“Right, sorry, you’re Morukai. She came looking for help from the Goddess.”
Morukai were the speakers of the Goddess, there to help Her children in times of crisis. They brought light, understanding, and healing to all the Elder Races, as well as the humans, though the humans didn’t seem to know much about them. Fitzroy had joined the police force of Cloudburst, not to be a warrior, but to help connect with the neediest of Her children. So far he’d done a great job.
Fitzroy didn’t broadcast his abilities, or his connection to the Goddess, but everyone in Cloudburst, Colorado knew some of the residents were a little special. Alex hadn’t understood why he and Lisa had settled here until he met Fitzroy and began worki
ng with him on some of the weirder cases around Cloudburst.
“Could she sense your Morukai mojo?”
“Yeah, she came straight to me. Apparently she’s got a demon on her tail.”
Alex ran a hand over his shaved head. He’d like to see her tail. “Shit. A real demon?”
The woman’s voice interrupted as if on cue. “And when you’re in a jam, you’re not in for much fun.”
Alex glanced at the door then back at Fitzroy. “She can’t hear us in there, can she?”
“No.”
“Why not?” Curiosity only killed the cat—never a werewolf.
“Acoustics.” Fitzroy waved off his question. “And yes, a real demon. It smells like rotten eggs and brimstone, according to…” Fitzroy checked his notes. “Sarah Flanagan.”
The name sparkled in Alex’s mind for a moment, stirring mixture of comfort and passion. He wanted to grasp the sensations and hold them tight to his heart, lighting all the dark corners at his core. He took a deep breath and inhaled the emotional scents until they flooded through his chest and warmed him from the inside out.
“What does this have to do with me?”
“I need you to help her.” Fitzroy gave him a piercing stare.
Sarah’s seductive voice intruded as if doling out a message. “How much will you lose and how much will you win?”
“What the hell do I know about fighting demons? That’s a dragon’s job.” Alex fervently wished he knew more about the monsters, if only to defend Sarah and her son. But other than a few drunk humans, he hadn’t done much fighting since Lisa’s disappearance.
Fitzroy tapped the side of his head. “When she came to me and told me her problem, your image came to me first. There’s something only you know which will allow you to stop this thing. The Goddess has selected you to help Sarah. And in turn, help yourself.”
“Help myself? What does that mean?”
Sarah spoke. “Be ready for anything, low hill or high, ready because you’re that kind of guy.”
She seemed to be speaking right to him though she remained in the other room, reading to the pup beside her.
“Come on, MacLaren. You know how this works, what Morukai are supposed to do.” Fitzroy gave him a dry look.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Healer to all.”
“Yep. So are you up for this?”
Alex glanced at the door again.
“But on you will go, through fair weather and foul, and face the path where your enemies prowl.”
Chewed bones, does she always know what to say at the right time?
Alex sighed. “What do I need to do?”
“From the messages I’ve received, she needs a place that doesn’t smell like her. The demon seems to be tracking through some kind of emotional or psychic scent, and she needs a place without hers.” Fitzroy scanned Alex with his unnerving stare, the one that always seemed to see right through him. “You still have the house on the river, right?”
Alex groaned. “Take her to my place?”
“Water confuses demons.”
Sarah piped up. “Onward up many a frightening creek while losing the paddle and springing a leak.”
Alex grimaced. “Do you know why a demon is after her?”
“No.” They both looked at the door. “But I have the feeling it has something to do with her son.”
“My boy, you’ll move mountains!” The boy laughed and Sarah verbally pointed out all the fun things on the page.
“Can you really move mountains like that, Mama?”
“I think it means anything’s possible if you put your mind to it. You can do or be anything if you focus. The mind is the most powerful tool you have.”
Too bad it can’t change the past.
Alex turned back to Fitzroy. “I’ll do what I can.”
“Good. You don’t have much time. Whatever’s following her isn’t far behind. Get her somewhere safe and work out a plan.”
“A plan for killing a demon. Right.” Alex rose and shook Fitzroy’s hand.
He opened the door and stopped, struck by the simple beauty of the woman cuddling her blue-eyed son. Goddess, I wish they could be my family.
“Great places are waiting. Today is your day. Your mountain needs moving so…” Sarah paused and Alex could picture the words as they’d been read to him so long ago. “Get on your way!”
Alex’s throat closed with a mixture of hope and gratitude, and tears threatened to slide down his cheeks. He firmly reminded himself a male Moon Singer, who’d lived for more than two centuries, didn’t cry. But the soft cadence of her Irish lilt and the evident love he heard in her voice damn near unmanned him.
“Can you read it to me again, Mama?”
“Not right now, Liam.”
Alex cleared his throat. “Ms. Flanagan?”
Chapter Two
Sarah jerked her head around so fast she heard her neck pop. The man’s rich, rumbling voice offered comfort in ways she’d never experienced before. She inhaled to get more of an understanding of the salt-and-pepper haired man standing in the doorway. He carried the scents of alpine river and hot stone, but more importantly, he smelled like a Moon Singer.
Don’t be fooled, gel. The demon can pull off such trickery.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Alex MacLaren. Lt. Fitzroy called me to take you somewhere safe.”
She sighed. “Thank you, but I don’t think there’s anywhere safe from what’s following us.”
“Fitzroy says running water helps throw off the scents. I happen to own a house surrounded by the river. What say we get you there and then figure out an additional plan of action?”
“Are you west of left field, Mr. MacLaren?” The Moon Singer code popped out before she thought.
He gave her a half smile. “I haven’t heard that phrase in a long time. But, yes, ma’am, I surely am west of left field.”
Sarah hadn’t known she’d been holding her breath until it rushed out in a relieved sigh. More relief than required over his not being the demon. What’s that about?
“Do you think we’d be safe from…what’s coming?”
“Let’s talk about it on the way. The fewer people who know, the less likely someone might tip off your pursuer.”
Sarah wanted to ask more questions, but a sense of urgency made her rise and pull Liam up with her. Her son watched Alex with wide, blue eyes, clutching the book.
“Mama, can we bring the book with us?”
“It doesn’t belong to us, Liam.”
“Bring it. Fitzroy won’t mind. He keeps books just for that reason. We’ll just go out the back to my Jeep.” Alex gestured to the door. No one stood in the hallway outside and Sarah scented Alex’s relief.
He ushered them out to a cherry red Jeep Rubicon and helped them inside. He buckled Liam in directly behind him as if to protect the boy with his own body. The inside of the Jeep smelled like Alex. His strength, comfort, and power wrapped around them as he closed the doors. Old sorrow spiced the other scents and Sarah wondered what wounds he carried.
“I’m taking you to the River House. I don’t go there very much anymore, so most people in town won’t know about it.” Alex scanned the world outside the windows with careful eyes as he drove. “It may be a little dusty, but it’s quiet and safe.”
“Why don’t you go there much?” Liam asked.
Sarah hissed a warning and the boy frowned.
“My mate and I built it for relaxation. After she left, it just didn’t feel the same.”
“I’m sorry about your mate.” Sarah smelled his pain as he shrugged nonchalantly.
“It happened a long time ago.” Alex checked his mirrors and made a turn up a dirt road. “Let’s talk about what’s going on with you. Fitzroy told me you have a demon after you. Want to tell me how that happened?”
Sarah clenched her jaw and looked at her son. She hated revisiting the memories, but she’d come to the Morukai and he’d brought Alex in to help. Knowledge is
power and I can’t do this alone anymore.
“Six years ago, demons attacked our village.” Alex raised his eyebrows and Sarah shrugged, pushing away fresh grief. “We’d just learned of my pregnancy and had gone out to celebrate. They killed my mate, Malcolm, and left me for dead.” She rubbed the ragged scar along her thigh under her jeans. “They killed so many people. If we’d stayed home, we might have escaped.”
Alex whistled with amazement. “They bit you?”
She nodded. “Bit, scratched. They left my body a bloody mess.”
“How did you survive the venom?”
“I don’t know. Sheer dumb luck? I wish I could explain.” She glanced at Liam. He met her gaze with love and trust.
“Why would the demons pursue you now?” Alex downshifted and slowed the Jeep, sparing her a thoughtful look.
Sarah sighed and clenched her fists on her legs. “They’re after Liam.” Alex only raised an eyebrow. “He must have incorporated some of the venom during his development because now he can smell and sense when demons are around. He has saved us from them many times.”
Alex’s expression softened. “That’s a mighty useful skill to have, Liam.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You can call me Alex.” He smiled. “What do they smell like to you?”
Liam didn’t say anything for a long time and the seconds ticked by with the growl of the engine. Sarah tried to forget the putrid demonic stench, but it festered inside her, engraved in her scent memory. At last, Liam glanced at her as if seeking permission and she nodded.
“They smell like rotten eggs and really hot rock.” He paused and hugged himself. “A little like you.”
****
All the air left Alex’s chest as Sarah’s sea-green eyes fixed on him and he focused hard on the road.
