A Fistful of Demons

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I’ll check on you later,” he said finally. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “It’s fine.” Hannah felt hollow. “It’s just been a long day.”

  “Get some water while you’re up there,” Cooper suggested. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Whatever. Do whatever you want.” With those words, she was gone, and all Cooper was left with was Astra and his annoyance.

  It was a potent combination.

  7

  Seven

  Cooper watched Hannah go with a mixture of annoyance and concern. He didn’t know why she was acting like such a baby ... and an idiot ... and basically a tempestuous child. He had no intention of finding out either. He’d decided staying away from her was the best course of action ... for both of them.

  “What’s wrong, Coop?” Astra asked in a sing-song voice. “Trouble in paradise with your new girlfriend?”

  Slowly, Cooper tracked his gaze to Astra. “What did she say to you?”

  “Are you asking if she was talking about you?” Astra looked amused despite herself. “That’s so very ... fifth grade.”

  Cooper folded his arms across his chest and continued to stare.

  “She didn’t ask anything basically,” Astra replied on a sigh, shaking her head. “You used to have a sense of humor. What happened to that?”

  “Perhaps it died with Abigail.”

  “Or perhaps you can’t find it with this woman,” Astra shot back. “You never had trouble laughing with me.”

  That was true, Cooper silently acknowledged. Astra was the one — along with Abigail and Tyler really — who helped him rediscover what it was like to laugh. There was more to the story, though.

  “When I was with you, life didn’t seem so serious,” he admitted. “I didn’t feel as if I had anything to lose so there was no reason not to laugh. Things are different now.”

  Astra frowned. “You cared about me. I don’t know why you insist on denying it.”

  “I’ve never denied it. I did care about you. It wasn’t the way you wanted, of course, but I did care ... until you betrayed Abigail and took off the way you did.”

  Astra didn’t bother to hide her eye roll. “Why do you have to keep bringing that up? It wasn’t a betrayal. It was a simple parting of ways.”

  Cooper remembered it differently. “It really doesn’t matter. Abigail is gone. Hannah is here now. We have other things going on.”

  “I heard.” Astra was back to being amused. “An unexplained death at Casper Creek. Who would’ve thought that possible?”

  He recognized the sarcasm and it didn’t sit well with him. “Hannah is having trouble dealing with it.”

  “Hannah is having trouble dealing with more than that,” Astra countered. “She has too much going on for that teeny-tiny brain of hers.”

  Intrigue lit his face. “What did she say to you?”

  “You’re really curious, aren’t you?”

  “I’m really ... worried,” he corrected. “She’s had a full two days and I want to make sure she’s okay. What did she say to you?”

  Astra’s gaze darkened as she straightened. “What makes you think I’ll tell you?”

  “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

  “Since when have I cared about that?”

  “Since ... you owe her.” Cooper changed tactics quickly. “It was your acolyte whom you couldn’t keep in line,” he reminded her. “Leanne was supposed to be your underling and you couldn’t control her. She tried to kill Hannah. You do realize, if that happens, you’ll never get what you want.”

  Astra’s expression turned black at the reminder. “Leanne was better at hiding her true nature than I gave her credit for. That’s true. I could’ve taken her if it came to it. In fact, she should’ve been left for me.”

  Cooper let loose a derisive snort. “Oh, please. You were off in La-La Land when all of that went down. You thought you were playing me, but Leanne was playing you. I’m not an idiot.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

  “You’re just worked up because Leanne was clearly smarter than you.”

  “Yes, that must be it.” Sarcasm practically dripped from Astra’s tongue as she pushed herself to a standing position.

  Sensing his opportunity to question her was disappearing, Cooper reminded himself that some evils were necessary. “Wait.” He pasted a conciliatory look on his face when she shifted her eyes to him. “I didn’t mean for this to turn so quickly.”

  “Oh, really?” Astra was instantly suspicious. “What did you think was going to happen?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Cooper was calm as he regarded her. “The thing is ... I need to know about Hannah. What did she say to you?”

  “Hannah? That’s why you’re still here.” Astra exhaled heavily as the truth hit her smack in the face. “You’re all about Hannah now, aren’t you?”

  “I want to make sure Hannah is okay,” Cooper clarified. That was true. He’d decided that pursuing romance was a terrible idea because she was too much work, too temperamental, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to suffer. “She’s been upset since yesterday, for obvious reasons. I want to know what she said to you.”

  Astra looked as if the last thing she wanted to do was cooperate. Still, she managed to hold it together ... if only to remain strong in front of Cooper. “She’s convinced the child she saw yesterday is a demon.”

  “Oh, geez.” Cooper smacked his hand against his forehead and shut his eyes. “I should’ve seen that coming. I’m going to need to talk to her again. This is getting out of control.”

  “You don’t know that it’s not demons,” Astra argued pointedly.

  “I do know that. Demons aren’t real.”

  “How is it that you can believe in witches ... and ghosts ... and even shapeshifters, but you can’t believe in demons?”

  “Because I’ve seen those other things,” he replied simply. “They’ve all turned out to be real … and I’ve seen them. I’ve never even heard a single story about demons being real.”

  “Perhaps that’s because you have trouble opening your ears.”

  “Or perhaps it’s because they’re not real.”

  Astra let out a sigh, the sound long and drawn out. “You’re set in your ways. If you want to entice the new witch, you’re going to have to give a little. I get the feeling that she’s not the sort who will put up with being told what to do ... especially given her past.”

  Cooper narrowed his eyes. “What do you know about her past?”

  “Enough to realize you’re treading on thin ice.”

  “Since when do you want to help my dating life?”

  “I couldn’t care less about your dating life. I am interested in the demons, however. You might want to ask yourself why I believed her straight away and you think she’s a liar. You’re not going to be able to move forward until you figure that out.”

  Cooper opened his mouth to argue, but Astra was already turning away. He watched her go, a myriad of emotions jockeying for position in his brain. Finally, he turned on his heel and headed toward Casper Creek.

  He had a lot of thinking to do.

  BY THE END OF SHIFT, COOPER had pretty much come to the conclusion that he was an idiot. He’d been convinced he was making the right decision hours before when he decided that he and Hannah simply weren’t a good mix. Since that time, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head ... and the more he thought about her, the guiltier he felt.

  “What are you still doing here?” Tyler asked as he ambled over to the security guru. The town was almost completely empty and he was surprised to find his friend standing in the middle of the street staring at the saloon.

  “What?” Cooper stirred, his eyes going wide when he realized he was no longer alone. He was usually much better at registering his surroundings, but he’d become lost in thought.

  Instead of being concerned, Tyler chuckled. “I see that you’re distracted.”

&
nbsp; “I’m not distracted.” Cooper forced a smile. “I was just thinking. Boone says the state pathologist is coming back out here tomorrow ... and he wants the operation shut down so he can do a full investigation.”

  “Does Hannah know?”

  “I saw Boone talking to her shortly before we shut down for the day. I’m pretty sure she’s aware.”

  “Well ... it’s not ideal but there are worse things in life. We’ll get through it.”

  “Yeah.” Cooper rubbed his jaw as his eyes went back to the saloon. He was trying to remain strong, stay away from her, and yet he couldn’t ignore the pull he felt tugging him in her direction. “Did you talk to her at all?”

  Tyler shook his head. “She’s isolating herself from us. I think she believes that she’s going to be in trouble for Lincoln’s death and doesn’t know how to deal with it. It’s not surprising. From the brief conversations we’ve had, I think she was emotionally abused during her last relationship. She has a tendency to close down when things get bad.”

  Cooper jerked his head, surprised. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know if she’s said anything to you, but her last boyfriend repeatedly cheated on her and made her feel as if she wasn’t worth anything. He basically told her that if she’d been a better person, more interesting, he wouldn’t have felt the inclination to cheat. She’s still raw around the edges because of that.”

  Honestly, Hannah had opened up about her last boyfriend ... to the point where Cooper wanted to hunt him down and do great bodily harm to the man. He didn’t understand how anyone could cheat on Hannah. It wasn’t as if there was anything better out there. How could there possibly be? And still ... he hadn’t really thought about what was going through Hannah’s mind during all of this. He realized now that her emotional well-being should’ve been his biggest concern.

  “I didn’t really think about that,” he admitted. “She mentioned the boyfriend ... how she made a lot of mistakes and regretted them. I didn’t really think about that when she started talking about demons.”

  Tyler lifted an eyebrow. “Has something else happened on that front?”

  Cooper caught him up, assuming the man would side with him. When the exact opposite happened, he was flabbergasted.

  “If we’re dealing with a demon, we’re going to need help.” Tyler was matter-of-fact. “I know a priest in town. I’ll head in that direction tonight if he can squeeze me in.”

  Cooper worked his jaw. “Wait ... you don’t believe this demon stuff, too, do you? I thought you were messing with me earlier.”

  Tyler nodded without hesitation. “I absolutely believe it. Why don’t you?”

  “Because it’s ludicrous.”

  “Is it? Demons are former fire elementals. Witches are former earth elementals. There’s a lot out there you haven’t yet seen. That doesn’t mean those creatures don’t exist.”

  “Yeah, but ... .” Cooper trailed off. He felt like something of a ninny.

  “There’s evil and good in the world,” Tyler offered. “Just like there are evil and good witches, there are evil and good demons as well. They’re very real, though.”

  Cooper jerked up his head. “Have you seen one?”

  “No, but I’ve heard plenty of tales. I believe in them. If Hannah thinks she saw a demon, I have to believe in her. She’s never lied to us before. She’s trying to figure her way around the paranormal world as much as we are. I think we owe her a little support ... especially since that’s the one thing she needs to really feel like this is home.”

  A sick feeling settled in the pit of Cooper’s stomach. He hadn’t thought about that. “She’s mad at me.”

  “Still?” Tyler looked amused rather than upset. “I guess it’s good you’re fairly charming and know how to fix that.”

  “She doesn’t want to see me.”

  Tyler gestured toward the paddock. “She still needs her dog. I’m betting you can work that magic you have when dropping off Jinx if you’re fast enough.”

  Cooper perked up. “Hey, now there’s an idea.”

  “Yeah. I’m full of them.”

  COOPER DECIDED TO ORDER MEXICAN. He knew Hannah liked tacos — really, who didn’t? — and by the time he picked up the food and collected Jinx, he was feeling better about himself.

  He was also feeling nervous.

  His decision to refrain from dating Hannah had gone out the window in a matter of hours. He realized now he was reacting out of anger ... and frustration. She was a difficult woman. That wasn’t going to change. The best things in life required work, though, and he had a feeling she would be one of those things.

  Of course, it could’ve had a little something to do with his hormones, too. Whenever he looked at her, his heart heaved and his stomach clenched. His body wouldn’t allow him to walk away from her even if his head insisted on it.

  So, he was regrouping. He had dinner and her dog ... and he was convinced he was going to make things right. One look at her face when she opened the door told him she wasn’t going to make it as easy as hoped.

  “What are you doing here?” Her tone was accusatory.

  “I’m bringing Jinx home.”

  “Oh, well ... thanks.” She reached out to grab Jinx’s leash, but the dog had too much energy. He pushed through the partially-opened door and bounded into the apartment, endless enthusiasm on display.

  “I also brought dinner,” he added, holding up the bag of takeout.

  “I’m not hungry.” Her eyes flashed with belligerence as she jutted out her chin.

  “It’s tacos ... with refried beans and Spanish rice. It’s that place I got our dinner a few weeks ago and you absolutely loved the food.”

  Hannah narrowed her eyes. “That’s playing dirty.”

  “Yes, well ... I’ll do whatever it takes to make things up to you.” He opted for sincerity. Tyler said to use his charm but being honest with her seemed more important. “I’m sorry about ... well ... everything.”

  Hannah couldn’t contain her surprise. “You’re sorry?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “I wasn’t sure you knew the meaning of those words.”

  Instead of being offended, he chuckled. “It’s come to my attention that just because I’ve never seen something, that doesn’t mean it’s not real. I got it in my head that demons couldn’t be real — perhaps it was fear fueling me — and I wouldn’t allow the possibility I was wrong even a minor consideration.”

  Hannah pursed her lips and then pushed open the door. “I guess I can accept your apology. I don’t really blame you for being dubious of demons. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I’m crazy.”

  “You’re not crazy.” He grabbed her wrist with his free hand and drew her eyes to him, earnest. “I believe you saw what you saw. I always believed that. I had trouble believing that meant we were dealing with a demon, but that hardly matters now.

  “I never once doubted you saw something,” he continued, searching for the right words to soothe her. “Don’t think that I was questioning your sanity ... or truthfulness. You’re an honest person and I know that. I’m sorry if I made you doubt yourself.”

  The words were better than any balm. Hannah found herself studying his features with a hunger she didn’t know she possessed. Then, out of nowhere, she was on him.

  Cooper caught her around the waist, somehow managing to keep hold of the food while pressing himself against her. Their lips met in an explosion of emotions — lust being the leading factor — and all he could see was fireworks.

  Most first kisses are awkward. Adjustments are often necessary. Not this kiss, though. This kiss felt like coming home ... for both of them. It went on so long, Cooper almost forgot where he was ... and what he had planned. When he finally remembered, it was with great reluctance that he pulled his head back and stared into her eyes.

  His lips felt chapped they’d gone at it for so long, and his muscles felt oddly weak. “What was that?” he asked fi
nally, finding his voice.

  “I just wanted to thank you for believing in me.” Hannah was breathless. “I just ... I don’t know what that was.”

  “I kind of want to try it again,” he admitted, sagging against the door frame with a loud thud as he kept the takeout bag in his hand and tightened his arm around her waist. “I hope that’s okay with you.”

  Hannah let loose a giggle that was ridiculously adorable and tugged on every heartstring he had. “We can probably try it again. After dinner, I mean. I’m starving.” As if on cue, her stomach growled.

  Cooper raised the takeout bag. “Food first. Then we’ll talk about the rest.”

  Hannah nodded, her eyes going heavy-lidded. “Thank you,” she offered out of nowhere. “I didn’t realize how much I needed you to believe in me until ... well ... you did.”

  He thought his heart might break at her earnest expression. “I always believed in you,” he reassured her. “I never thought you didn’t see something. I need you to know that. It’s just ... demons. That seems somehow bigger than anything we’ve dealt with before.”

  “I definitely think there’s something wrong with that boy. He doesn’t react normally. I saw things this afternoon outside of the house.”

  Cooper nodded, thoughtful, and then pressed a kiss to her forehead. He knew if he went to her lips again they wouldn’t eat and things would progress much faster than either of them were comfortable with. They needed to take a breath and regroup.

  “I want to hear about all of it,” he promised. “I’ll really listen this time, too. I’m sorry about before.”

  “I know. It’s okay.”

  It wasn’t okay. It would be, though. For the first time in hours — really, the first time since they’d argued the previous night — he could breathe again.

  It was more than relief. It was virtual nirvana. The rest would sort itself out. He had no doubt about that.

  8

  Eight