A Very Paranormal Holiday

by J. T. Bock

  "Because you're a guy and belong to a secret club or something. All I get from Daniel is go away, little girl. You bother me."

  "He does not say that."

  "It's what he means."

  "Want me to ask him about that?" I read complaints instead of looking at my sister.

  "What? No!"

  "See—all your imagination," I said. "You shouldn't put words in someone else's mouth, baby sis."

  "You sound like Daddy."

  "I'll need to sound like Daddy if I take the Chancellor's seat."

  "Breakfast," Mom called from the floor below. Shutting the file, I stood, grabbed Louise by the arm and led her toward the stairs.

  * * *

  Cassie

  I ended up going to the market before I could cook breakfast. I'd wanted an omelet, but found I was out of eggs. To top it off, it was raining, so my walk was in a Seattle downpour. Clutching my cloth grocery bags to my chest, I struggled to keep them from getting soaked.

  By the time I got back home, the bags were soaked, anyway. The egg carton had to be tossed in the recycle bin—it was nothing but soggy cardboard by then. After drying off the milk carton and everything else I'd bought, I set about making my omelet. That's when I saw it—or him, I should say.

  I caught only the barest shadow, but I knew. Somebody was watching. If they'd intended to make me uncomfortable, they'd achieved their goal. I was shaky the rest of the day.

  Should I move? Would it do any good? Those thoughts circled my brain so often I couldn't even read a book or watch television. Later, when it was time for bed, I couldn't sleep, either.

  Sunday was a rerun of Saturday. Shakes, no appetite, no sleep. By the time Monday morning came, I was hoping someone would run over me on my way to Gruber, Taylor and Worth.

  * * *

  "Cassie, are you ill?" Parke dumped an armload of case files on my desk and actually looked sympathetic.

  "I think I have a stalker," I said, staring at my hands, which trembled in my lap. "If I don't show up for work someday, well," I shrugged.

  "What the hell happened?"

  "I—saw somebody. Outside my window on Saturday," I quavered. I would not, would not, cry in front of my boss.

  "Do you know who it was?"

  "No."

  "Do you need to take a day off?"

  "No." I almost shouted the word. I felt safer at work than I did at my tiny condo.

  "Look, I need to make a call, but after that, we should talk." Parke lifted his pile of folders and walked into his office, shutting the door behind him.

  * * *

  Parke

  "Daniel, did she see you?" My voice was clipped. Hard.

  "I don't know. She was in the kitchen, doing something, but she looked up, just before I could get out of the way. Why? What happened?"

  "She's terrified. Says she has a stalker. Now, what does that tell you?"

  "That I messed this up."

  "Yeah. Did you get anything from Grey or Lance?"

  "I have an appointment with Lance tomorrow. He'll be in the area, or so he says."

  "I want to be in that meeting."

  "When are you putting the word out?"

  "It went out this morning, before I left for work."

  "Then you'll have the authority of the office to back us up, then," Daniel sighed. "Look, nobody knows I'm there. Ever. It's the way my shield works. I can't say why she saw me anyway."

  "What are you doing for dinner tonight? Want to come by the house?"

  "Sure. I'll take your mother's cooking over a restaurant any day."

  "Good. Be there at seven."

  Chapter 3

  Cassie

  Parke had three calls in a row, so our meeting didn't happen until lunchtime. "Come on," he growled, standing beside my desk. "We're going out for lunch."

  "But," I said.

  "No. You're coming. We'll talk about this."

  I had no choice but to grab my purse and follow him toward the elevator.

  Half an hour later, we sat in a tiny back room of a Mexican restaurant, where margaritas and menus were placed in front of us. It didn't take a genius to know who owned the place.

  "Now, tell me why one man outside your window terrifies you," he began.

  "I can't."

  "Yes, you can."

  "You'll have me locked up."

  "No, I won't."

  "You say that now," I huffed, looking away. A painting hung on the wall, depicting a bullfight, but rather than what you'd expect to see, it appeared the bull was just about to get his revenge on the bullfighter.

  Good for him.

  "Tell me, Cassie. I'm your employer and I have a right to know whether my employees are in danger."

  "Since when?"

  "Since I hauled my ass back to Seattle. Start at the beginning. Tell me everything."

  I don't know why I did—how in hell was he ever going to understand this mess? "My father sold me," I quavered. "To Ross Diablo in Birmingham."

  * * *

  "Let me get this straight—he's aware of the law and he did it anyway?" Parke shook his head.

  I'd learned just as much as Parke had—he was not only a Truth Demon, he was the new Chancellor of everything paranormal or supernatural.

  "Ross paid him two million. He wanted a Fire Demon in the family. This was his way of getting what he wanted." I shivered. That wasn't all Ross wanted, either. A Fire Demon blackmailed and under your command?

  Scary.

  I wanted no part of that, so I'd run away.

  Now, Parke knew exactly what I was. How dangerous I was. Dangerous enough for somebody to hand out two million like it was candy.

  "How was he threatening you?" Parke asked.

  "He said he'd kill my baby sister. She's only twelve and hasn't come into her ability, yet."

  "Is she a Fire Demon?"

  "No. Neither are my parents. My great-grandfather was a Fire Demon."

  "Sherman Phillips?"

  "How did you know?"

  "Dad knew him," Parke shook his head. "I know he was murdered," he added.

  "Yeah. Just like your dad," I sighed.

  "You know something?"

  "I think I do," I nodded. "But I can't prove anything—or do anything—until the full moon."

  "Which just happens to be at Christmas."

  "Yes."

  "You're coming home with me tonight," Parke said.

  "No, I," I began.

  "Mom and Louise are there. We'll feed you. You'll sleep. End of story."

  "But what about Ross?"

  "Let me think about that, all right?"

  "You don't have to fight my battles," I said.

  "I'm the Chancellor. Someone breaking the law makes it my battle."

  "But what about the paper he made me sign?" I wanted to cry. Ross had threatened my sister if I didn't sign, so I'd signed it.

  "Under duress. Was the copy filed?"

  "Yes." I felt hopeless at that point. Ross made sure to do everything the law required to keep me under his thumb.

  "I'll take a look."

  "You won't find anything. I've gone over it so many times I have it memorized."

  "What's your real name?" His eyes compelled me to answer. I'd never met a Truth Demon before. Now I knew why information bubbled out of me anytime he asked. It made me uncomfortable.

  "Cassandra King."

  "Where's your little sister? Still with your father?"

  "No. I—uh, got her away, too. I really don't want to say where. It'll place lives in danger."

  "Dad always said Ross was shady, but nobody ever filed a complaint to warrant an investigation."

  "Too afraid," I snorted and hugged myself. Just the mention of Ross' name scared me. Sure, I was a Fire Demon. My little sister wasn't. She showed all the signs of being an Ice Demon, like my parents. Ross could hurt her—or kill her—and I wasn't sure I could stop him. If I did, it wouldn't stop Ross' family from labeling me a killer and demanding that the Chance
llor have me hunted and destroyed. They'd gotten away with too much to think otherwise.

  No matter how you looked at this, I was screwed.

  "So a Rock Demon wants a Fire Demon. Huh." Parke was lost in thought. "What about your father? Where is he in all this?"

  "He's not the greatest," I mumbled. "You know what they say, too—Rock smashes Ice."

  "And Fire melts Rock. Water quenches Fire. Ice freezes Water."

  "The Demon version of rock, paper, scissors," I whispered.

  "Only a lot deadlier," Parke agreed. "Truth can hold one or more of those talents, which make us the ideal candidate for Chancellor."

  "What?" I began.

  "Can't say. We'll keep that for a surprise," he flashed a grin. "I intend to sort this out. In the meantime, you will come home with me, tonight. I'll have someone clear out your apartment and bring your things. Ross Diablo will have to break down my door to get to you, now."

  "I don't think this is right. I can't place your life in danger," I said. "Somebody got to your father."

  "And with your help, we'll get to the bottom of that. By the full moon." His narrowed, darkening eyes and the tightness of his mouth told me how determined he was. If a Demon's eyes go black, unless you're a stronger Demon, then all hell is about to break loose.

  Literally.

  * * *

  "This is nice," I ran my hand over the soft leather of the dashboard in Parke's car. He drove a Mercedes, which didn't surprise me at all.

  "You drive?" He turned and asked as we made our way out of the parking garage and onto a foggy Seattle street.

  "Not since I got to Seattle. No car," I said.

  "If I wasn't so worried about you being out alone, I'd find a loaner for you."

  "That's all right," I waved a hand. "I can walk. It's good exercise."

  "That's another thing. No going walking by yourself—not until we get this managed," he said. "There's a gym at the house. You can walk or run on the treadmill while watching TV or a movie."

  "Does it suck to be you?" I asked as innocently as I could.

  "Sometimes." His frown kept me from talking the rest of the way to his house.

  * * *

  Parke

  Daniel was already working on the mystery of Cassie King—I'd asked him to the minute she and I'd gotten back from lunch. I have no idea whether she suspected I was investigating her—the answer was probably, but she was too scared to ask me about it.

  It took a special person to make friends with a Truth Demon. You had to come to trust us—that we wouldn't ask for anything too personal. That had ruined many of Dad's relationships—he knew too much, simply from asking questions.

  He'd made a promise to Mom, years ago, that he wouldn't insist on a personal answer if she wasn't comfortable giving it to him. That, I believe, saved their marriage. She only had to say no and he'd back off. He believed her, though, whenever she said she loved him. That was always enough.

  Daniel would give me the information he had after dinner. Mom would insist that Cassie join her and Louise for television—it was an after-dinner ritual. You got an hour to sit, talk and listen to something that didn't matter in the background.

  "Here we are," I said, turning in to the driveway.

  "Holy cow," was her only response.

  * * *

  Cassie

  The house—if you could call it that—was huge. Bill Gates sort of huge. I understood Parke's great-grandfather had started the dynasty and each generation kept building onto the thing until it looked as if a moat might be the next addition.

  Yeah, holy cow was out of my mouth before I could stop it. No wonder he didn't mind bringing me home—I could be lost for days inside his freaking house. He'd never have to see me unless he wanted something. It was just as well; being near a Truth Demon made me nervous.

  "It's home," Parke shrugged as he drove into a garage that held six other cars. In Mobile, I'd been lucky to own one.

  "Your home," I pointed out. "You boss. Me employee. Me sleep in broom closet."

  "My mother would kill me if I suggested anything of the sort. Out of the car. Into the house. I've had your things brought over already."

  By that time, I was getting the idea that whenever Parke Worth waved a hand, people (Demons included) scurried. It was probably the same with his father. Parke was my boss, as well as the new Chancellor. I scurried, just like everybody else.

  * * *

  "Oh, my goodness," Mrs. Worth's smile nearly blinded me when we walked into the kitchen. "Parke, why didn't you tell me how pretty she was?"

  "Mom, that's considered sexual harassment in the business world," Parke said. "You can say it all you want. I can't."

  "We're having pot roast," Mrs. Worth waved me into the kitchen. "Call me Kate, please, and can you mash the potatoes?"

  "I sure can," I smiled at her. "On both counts."

  While it surprised me that Kate did most of the cooking, with help from Louise, Parke's (very pretty) sister, she explained it while we worked. "I have a full-time staff, but I like my cooking better," she laughed. "And I like to cook, so I just let the staff clean and carry, now. Both are Demon—Harmon hired them years ago. They're like family."

  In half an hour, we had dinner on the table. Kate's pot roast was excellent; I hadn't had anything that good since I'd left the South behind. Another man joined us for dinner; I met Daniel Frank, the firm's investigator, in person for the first time.

  That's when I learned what Daniel really was—an Ice Demon with an unusual shielding ability. He could get in and out of places without being seen—by most people. "Only a handful have ever been able to see past the shield," he said. "I know who all of them are."

  "Up to now," Parke pointed his fork at Daniel.

  Louise watched Daniel whenever he wasn't looking in her direction. The moment he did, she dropped her eyes and toyed with her food. It didn't take much to figure out what was going on, there.

  Louise, the Rock Demon, wanted Daniel, the Ice Demon.

  Really bad.

  I was surprised to see such diversity in one family, and mystified that Parke was the only one to inherit his father's Truth Demon skills. At least as I understood it. He did say he had other skills. Perhaps his sister did, too.

  Daniel, though—the more I watched him, the more I understood. Rock breaks Ice. He wasn't sure how to deal with a powerful woman. He wanted to be the strong one. I wanted to tell him that as long as he loved her and she loved him back, it didn't matter. Besides, I could imagine Louise turning to jelly if he just touched her.

  "What do you think, Cassie?"

  "What?" Parke caught me off-guard.

  "About the recent election?"

  "The incumbent is a bumbling fool," dropped right out of my mouth. "That's not fair," I pointed out. "I don't like discussing politics with anyone. It's too personal. Everybody is entitled to their opinions."

  "I keep telling him that," Louise huffed and went back to pushing carrots around her plate.

  "Don't worry, I feel the same way," Parke said. "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

  I wanted to tell him that he shouldn't ask those questions, when he knew it might upset someone. Perhaps he was feeling me out, to determine whether I should keep my job or not. I know it had happened in the past—I'd read articles on the subject. It wasn't exactly legal, but plenty of people had been fired for less.

  "Cassie, what's troubling you?" Kate asked.

  "I need my job," I said. "Please excuse me." I rose and left the table, although I had no idea where to go—for now, I only knew where the kitchen and dining room were.

  * * *

  Parke

  "Way to go, big brother," Louise snapped the moment Cassie was out the door, heading for the kitchen. "Can't you turn that shit off during dinner?"

  "I'm ashamed of you," Mom said and stood to follow Cassie.

  "Fuck," I mumbled and scrubbed a hand across my face. It didn't take much to realize that Cassie found it di
fficult to trust anyone. I'd just blown a huge hole in my efforts to make her comfortable with me.

  "Man, that's a Fire Demon," Daniel rumbled softly. "What the hell are you trying to do? Alienate her?"

  "She was miles away, so I thought I'd draw her into the conversation," I said. It was a lame excuse and Louise was right, I should have turned the Truth shit off during dinner. The truth was—Daniel was right, too. Fire Demons were quite rare. A female Fire Demon hadn't existed in recent records until Cassie showed up. I already had Daniel working on that conundrum, in addition to everything else.

  I knew what Mom was thinking, too; Water Demons were a dime a dozen. Adding a Fire Demon to the family would be the biggest coup ever. No wonder the bastard in Mobile wanted her. Demon families often went looking for missing pieces to add to their arsenal, especially if they planned to make a grab for power. Ross Diablo had been on Dad's radar, but he'd never overtly done anything wrong.

  Until now.

  Cassie was at the crux of everything, and I'd made her think her job was on the line. She was afraid to disagree with me, too, most likely. What troubled me most was this—I wanted her to trust me. To see me as a friend, at the very least, if not something more than friends. Obviously, I'd have a longer way to go to make that happen, now.

  Chapter 4

  Cassie

  Kate followed me into the kitchen, where she found me having a panic attack. "Cassie, he didn't mean it that way," she soothed. "Your job is safe, I guarantee it. He can't help himself when it comes to politics. Just to know you agree with him on this one makes him feel as if he can talk freely around you."

  "He's a Truth Demon. Why would he worry about that?" I flung out a hand and struggled not to cry.

  "Truth works both ways. He has to guard his carefully. Remember, anything he says can and will be used against him."

  She smiled as she paraphrased that part of the Miranda speech. "He's the Chancellor, now, and he'll be looking to protect himself even more than he did before. I know you're traumatized and I wish that weren't so. In a way, so is he, because so many things have been building up since his father's death. All of it just landed in his lap."