A Fistful of Demons

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Like what?” Becky remained baffled. “What sort of creature takes over a small child?”

  “We don’t know that anything took him over back then. He might just be evil.”

  “Why don’t you talk to him?” Danielle queried. “That makes the most sense to me. He’s going to have the answers you want. Can’t you get in to see him?”

  “Actually, we can’t but that’s not the reason we’re here. I got a call when we were at the Lincoln house. Logan has escaped from the hospital.”

  Jackie immediately started shaking her head. “I’m sure we exorcised the demon yesterday.”

  “I’m sure you did, too. That doesn’t change the fact that Logan managed to escape ... and he killed a guard before slipping out. I’m starting to think the demon wasn’t the issue.”

  “Or maybe the demon made him twice as bad as he normally would’ve been,” Cooper suggested. “Maybe he was evil, the demon stumbled across him and saw an opportunity, and together they were two or three times as evil as they would’ve been without one another.”

  “I guess.” Jackie didn’t look convinced. “That means we have two problems, though. The boy is missing. If you’re up here, that must mean you think there’s a possibility he’s up here, too. We know the demon is up here because he’s approached Hannah twice.”

  Cooper shifted from one foot to the other, an idea popping to the forefront of his brain. “What if they both came up here because they want to reunite?”

  Boone shot him a keen look. “That would take a level of planning I’m not comfortable with.”

  “Me either. I’m not sure they planned it, though. Maybe they can feel each other, are drawn together.”

  “Then that would mean they’re weaker apart,” Tyler said pragmatically. “We need to hunt them down when they’re separated.”

  “And then what?” Becky questioned. “Are you suggesting we kill that boy? That’s not going to go over well with the authorities. They’re not going to believe us when we claim it was necessary because he was evil.”

  “She has a point,” Boone conceded. “We can’t kill the boy. We can kill the demon and take the boy back into custody. I think that’s the best outcome we can hope for.”

  “So we’ll aim for that.” Cooper lifted his head and scanned the street. “Where is Hannah? I thought she would come down when she heard me calling.”

  “She took Jinx for a walk,” Tyler answered, grim. “They looked to be heading toward the creek.”

  “Son of a ... .” Cooper viciously swore under his breath.

  Boone reassured him, resting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll all head out and find her. If we’re lucky, she’ll have already tracked down the demon for us.”

  To Cooper, that sounded extremely unlucky, but he managed to keep his opinion to himself. He had other things to worry about. “We’ll break into teams,” he announced, making up his mind on the spot. “One man and one woman. Once we find her — or Logan and the demon — we’ll text a location and regroup. If we can, we need to try to take them on as a team. I know that might not be possible given the circumstances, but we have to try.”

  “Then we’ll try,” Tyler said. “Try not to worry. We’ll find her.”

  “We’re definitely going to find her,” Cooper agreed. “Then, once we do, I’m going to kill her.”

  HANNAH WAS FOCUSED ON KEEPING her footing even as she followed Abigail’s ghost over a rocky incline. She had no idea where her dearly-departed grandmother was leading her but there was no turning back at this point.

  “How much farther?”

  “Soon,” Abigail replied, taking a moment to stare at Hannah’s flushed face. Even though Hannah tried leaving Jinx at the bottom of the craggy rock formation, the dog insisted on following. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and he didn’t look particularly agitated. Abigail had no doubt that would change once they reached their destination.

  “Perhaps you should try to tie Jinx in the shade somewhere,” she suggested, absently looking around. “The climb is only going to get more difficult.”

  Hannah had already considered that before ruling it out. “No. If something happens to me, he’ll die out here. I won’t do that to him.”

  “A fall could hurt him, too.”

  “Do you think I don’t know that?” Hannah’s eyes flashed with irritation as she regarded her grandmother. “You’re the one asking a favor of me. If you’re going to keep this up, I can turn around and take Jinx back to town. Is that what you want?”

  Abigail planted her ghostly hands on her ethereal hips. “Now you listen here, Missy. I’m your grandmother. I know you didn’t grow up knowing me. I’m sorry for that. I still deserve a modicum of respect.”

  Hannah worked her jaw. “Fine. I respect you. I don’t need constant reminders about Jinx, though. I can’t tie him up. The thought of him dying of thirst or hunger — a slow death — kills me. I don’t like worrying about him being injured either. The only thing I can do is stick with him. Besides, if I tie him up, he’ll kill himself to get loose. I’m not going to just leave him behind.”

  Abigail let loose a weary sigh. “I get what you’re saying. You love the dog.”

  “You have no idea how much I love him. He’s the one thing I brought from my old life. There’s a reason for that. He was the only good thing I had.”

  Sympathy rolled over Abigail’s features. “I’m sorry you were so miserable.”

  “You shouldn’t be. I did it to myself.”

  “I don’t believe that. You’re a good girl. Things are going to get better for you here. I promise you that.”

  Oddly enough, Hannah believed her. “We should keep going. If Astra is really in trouble, we need to get to her.”

  “She’s definitely in trouble,” Abigail agreed. “Also ... we’re there. She’s right inside.”

  Confused, Hannah furrowed her brow and glanced around. As far as she could tell, they were in the middle of nowhere. Then, as if a fog suddenly cleared, her gaze fell on what looked to be an opening between the rocks.

  “Oh, geez.” She made a face. “Are you going to make me go inside of a cave?”

  Abigail was rueful. “You’re not claustrophobic, are you?”

  “Not really. I mean, I don’t love enclosed spaces, but I don’t freak out or anything. Dark and dank places that are probably filled with snakes are a different story, though.”

  “Can you do this?”

  Hannah held her grandmother’s gaze for an extended beat and then nodded. There was no turning around now. “Yeah.”

  “Then let’s do this.”

  BECKY MANAGED TO WRANGLE Cooper as a partner and she was flush with glee as they headed toward the creek.

  “It’s a beautiful day.”

  Cooper merely grunted in response. All he could think about was Hannah ... and getting to her. Everything else was superfluous.

  “I’m glad we got a chance to spend some time together,” Becky offered. She had to struggle to keep up with him — his legs were much longer than hers — and her breath was ragged as she worked to maintain her pace. “Maybe we can go out to dinner or something once this is all over.”

  “I think I’ll be busy killing Hannah tonight. She’s not going to want dinner when I’m done with her.”

  “Yeah, but ... I’m talking about you and me having dinner,” she stressed. “Hannah wasn’t invited.”

  Cooper didn’t slow his pace, but the look he shot Becky was incredulous. “You have to be joking.”

  “Why would I be joking? I think a private dinner, just the two of us, is something we would both enjoy.”

  Cooper wasn’t always observant when it came to women. He didn’t pick up on certain nuances without help. He was well aware of Becky’s crush on him, however. He hoped it was something she would outgrow. Perhaps she would meet somebody else, he often thought. Actually, he fervently hoped for it. The fact that she was choosing now to move on this situation was beyond frustrating. He didn’t w
ant to hurt her, but he had to nip this conversational topic in the bud ... and right quick.

  “Becky ... .”

  Perhaps sensing that he was about to shut her down, she kept talking so he would have no choice but to keep quiet. “We have a lot in common if you really think about it. We both love the outdoors. We’re both familiar with the area. We both love Old West stories. You can’t say the same about Hannah.”

  “Hannah and I have different things in common,” he said after a beat, causing her to frown. “I don’t think now is the time for this conversation. Hannah could be in real trouble.”

  “If she is, she caused it herself,” Becky barked. “And what do you have in common? She’s from the city. You always said you liked the country. I heard you talking to Tyler one day. He asked what sort of woman you wanted. He was being serious.

  “You said you wanted someone easygoing, who loved the outdoors and was perfectly happy spending an entire afternoon just sitting in a field and staring at the sky,” she continued, barely taking a breath. “That’s me. We’re perfect for each other.”

  Cooper would’ve preferred being somewhere else. Really, anywhere else would do. Hannah needed him, though. He could feel that in his gut. He didn’t have time for this conversation.

  “I’m not attracted to you.” Cooper knew it was brutal to lay it out that way, but he didn’t have a choice. Becky had to let this go. “I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings, but it’s the truth. We don’t have any chemistry.”

  Becky made a protesting sound with her tongue. “That’s not true. I feel tons of chemistry whenever we’re around one another.”

  “Well, I don’t.”

  “But—”

  “No.” He held up his hand, firm. “You honestly couldn’t have picked a worse time for this conversation. I was hoping you would find someone else who was more age-appropriate at some point, but I didn’t get that lucky.”

  Becky balked. “You’re not that much older than me.”

  “Maybe not in years, but in life experience I’m an octogenarian. You’re still a child in that respect. We really have nothing in common. Like ... absolutely nothing.”

  “That’s not true. You’re blind to how cool I am because of her.” Becky knew she sounded bitter, but she couldn’t stop herself. “All you care about is Hannah. I think she cast a spell on you or something. There’s no other explanation.”

  “She did cast a spell on me,” he confirmed, not backing down. “It’s just not the kind of spell you think. From the moment I saw her, I was attracted to her. We have chemistry. She has life experience that’s not exactly similar to me, but she’s lived. More importantly, she’s loved and lost. She’s also learned. You haven’t done any of those things.”

  “Then you could teach me.” Becky knew that she was coming across as desperate, but she couldn’t stop herself. “We could do it as a team.”

  Cooper felt sorry for her, but he didn’t have time to soothe her frayed feelings. “I’m already a team with Hannah. I know you don’t want to hear it, but we fit ... and I’m not backing away from her. It’s simply not going to happen.”

  “She said that you’d say that.” Becky’s lower lip quivered, making her appear even younger than her twenty-three years. “She said that you would shoot me down. I wanted to kill her when she said it, but she was right.”

  “When did she say that?”

  “Before she left on her walk. She told me to talk to you about my feelings when I asked her to stay away from you.”

  Frustration bubbled up in Cooper’s stomach. It tasted like acid. “I can’t believe you actually asked that of her. That is just ... ridiculous.”

  “I have a right to feel what I feel.”

  “And I have a right to feel what I feel,” Cooper shot back. “I want to be with Hannah. I think I’ve wanted to be with her before I even met her — and, yes, I know that sounds ridiculous — but things simply fit with us.

  “Now, I’m sorry if your feelings are bruised, but I can’t help that,” he continued. “None of this matters right now. Hannah is in trouble. We have to find her. I’m not stopping. I’m done with this conversation. You can either stick with me or go. I really don’t care.

  “The only thing I care about right now is finding Hannah.” His eyes flashed with determination. “You can stay or go. I’m done worrying about stupid crap, though. What you do with the rest of your day is up to you.”

  With those words he put his head down and increased his pace. There was a warning sounding in his head ... and it told him Hannah was in big trouble. He had to get to her. He was already out of time.

  19

  Nineteen

  Hannah wanted to take back her declaration that she wasn’t claustrophobic the second she entered the cave. She had to duck her head to slip through the opening, but the corridor widened about twenty feet inside. That was the only bit of good news she had going for her.

  “I hate this.” Her voice cracked with emotion as she reached out a hand to touch the cool stone wall. “I really want to turn around.”

  “You can’t.” Abigail was insistent. “Things will get better once you’re around that far corner.”

  Hannah had her doubts, but she sucked up her fear and kept walking. “They had better. If I don’t like what I see around that corner, though, I’m leaving. You’ve been warned.”

  Instead of being offended, Abigail chuckled. “I bet you were fun as a kid.”

  “If you believe my father, I was actually an easy kid. He tells a few stories that make me think otherwise.”

  “Parents always remember things differently from kids. What you might’ve thought was the end of the world in your youth, he probably wrote off as a youthful indiscretion.”

  “Yeah, well ... I—” Whatever Hannah was going to say died on her lips. Once she turned the corner, all the oxygen escaped from her lungs. There was so much to register in a short amount of time she didn’t even know where to start.

  “Hello, Hannah,” Astra drawled grimly. She sat in the middle of the cave floor, two lanterns hanging from branches jutting out of the cave walls offering limited illumination, and she was cradling her ankle as she glared at a dark figure in the corner.

  Slowly, even though she didn’t want to acknowledge the trouble she was about to be facing, Hannah tracked her eyes in that direction. There, fury etched over drawn features, stood the demon who invaded her apartment the night before. He looked weak — as if he might fall over at any moment — and he curled his lip and began snarling when Jinx began barking.

  “Why did you bring that hateful beast with you again?” the demon complained. “I’m going to make him shut up if you don’t. I swear it. I’ll enjoy it, too.”

  Hannah turned an accusatory set of eyes to Abigail. “You tricked me.”

  Abigail immediately started shaking her head. “I swear I didn’t. I was watching Astra for other reasons when she hurt herself. I wasn’t sure she would offer you the information you needed. She’s not always the most reliable witch.”

  “Thanks,” Astra said dryly, making a face. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

  “Oh, don’t give me grief.” Abigail rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky I got help in the first place. After everything you’ve done—”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Astra turned a set of plaintive eyes to Hannah. “Thanks for coming. We seem to have a situation, though.”

  Hannah had figured that out for herself. “I see that.” She shifted from one foot to the other as she regarded the petulant demon. “What did he do to you?”

  “What did I do to her?” The demon was incredulous. “What makes you think I did anything to her? Have you ever considered that she invaded my space and attacked me? Of course you didn’t. You just hear the word ‘demon’ and naturally assume that means I’m an awful individual. I’ll have you know that I’m not. I help people. I used to run an animal rescue in the last body I inhabited.”

  Hannah rolled her
eyes. “You’re afraid of my dog, who is the biggest lover on the planet. There’s no way you ran an animal rescue.”

  “It was for ferrets. They’re far superior to dogs.”

  “In what universe?”

  “In every universe.”

  Astra cleared her throat to end the argument. “Um ... can we talk about something else? It’s not that I’m not fascinated with the dogs-versus-ferrets argument, but I’m in pain and I want out of this cave. I’m going to need help to do it.”

  Hannah shifted a wary eye to the demon. “I’m assuming he won’t let you go.”

  “Oh, there you go again.” The demon’s expression twisted. “Way to make assumptions. I’ll have you know that I want her out of here as much as she wants to leave. She invaded my space. I was minding my own business when she came in here and started jabbering away. I didn’t hurt her, by the way. She was so surprised when she saw me that she tripped.”

  “That’s true,” Astra acknowledged. “He’s kept his distance. I think it’s because he’s afraid of me.”

  The demon snorted. “Oh, that is priceless. I just can’t even ... .” He shook his head. “Get your friend out of here and leave me to die in peace. I’m sick of you people. I don’t want to spend my last hours with you.”

  Hannah took a tentative step in Astra’s direction and then stilled. Something about the situation didn’t feel right. Er, well, other than the obvious. “I don’t understand,” she said finally, opting to push the conversation as far as she could. “You’re allowing me to take her out of here. That’s what you’re saying, right?”

  “That’s what I’m saying.” The demon sagged against the cave wall. “I just want to die in peace.”

  Hannah risked a glance at Astra and found the woman watching the demon with the same intense reaction as she felt.

  “Why don’t you want to kill us?” Astra asked finally. “I mean … you’re a demon. You should want to kill us.”