by Noree Cosper
“True.” Jonah let out a small huff of breath in the form of a laugh. “What are your plans today?”
“I was hoping Lucy would have a new lead. I tried calling her earlier, but no answer. I came to see if she was here.”
“My daughter is difficult to track down when she doesn’t want to be found.” He patted my arm. “But she’ll contact you when she knows something.”
“Great.” I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I suppose I’ll have to patrol and look on my own then.”
“If you are going to do that, I have a favor to ask.” Jonah nodded up to the ceiling. “We’re still struggling to come up with a cure for the brimstone our guests ingested.”
“Which I’m sure Tres is just thrilled about since his former girlfriend is still one of your test subjects.”
“He is upset, but it just further drives him to find a way to help her,” Jonah said.
“His power doesn’t work?” I asked.
“I don’t want to risk him taking the effects of the substance in himself,” Jonah said. “Though, I have a feeling he’s going to grow impatient and try soon.”
“Maybe he will be distracted with your new guest,” I said.
“The nephilim girl?” Jonah gave a small huff. “Esais seems to have sequestered her off.”
“I guess I won’t be able to talk to her then.”
“Maybe in a few days.”
I crossed my arms and tapped my fingers against my arm. “Could you look into her background? And maybe this Aaron McDonald’s. Two nephilim in two days is a little suspicious.”
Jonah blinked and then glanced at the elevator. “Him, as well? Interesting. I was already looking into this Irae girl. I’ll add him to my list.”
“Great. What was the favor you wanted?” I asked.
“Hmm? Oh, yes. I have the possibility of a cure, but I would like to test it on someone who has been possessed to see the full effect.”
“You want me to capture one?”
“If you can. I believe it will aid us tremendously.”
“Fine,” I said. “Capture, not kill. I look forward to seeing Adrian’s face when I call him to transport a new guest.”
“Speak of that. I have something that might be of use,” Jonah waved me upstairs.
Lucy wasn’t here and who knew when she’d show up? I didn’t want to spend hours waiting for her to get back to me. What better distraction than to find a demon for Jonah? I waved at Jonah and headed out the front doors into the cold morning. It was time to hunt.
Chapter 5
I walked through Manhattan for most of the day, searching the hidden and forgotten parts of the city for any demons. The ones who possessed brimstone users would show physical signs of their true forms and would need to hide in order to not gain notice, which made things easier for me as well. People tended to take notice of a sword fight in the middle of the street and called the police, so a fight with a demon on the street would attract attention.
Still, the lack of demons was frustrating to say the least. I’d walked miles and still had nothing to show for it. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath.
The sun began to sink below the horizon as I crossed one of the side roads near the West Highway in Greenwich Village. This part of the neighborhood had been abandoned with just a few auto repair shops and liquor stores hanging on. Bits of broken concrete crunched under my feet as I passed by a group of buildings covered with fading graffiti.
I stopped by a chain—link fence surrounding a railway car sandwiched between two brick shops. A set of double doors with a round window in each stood partially open with a broken neon sign that read “diner” above them. A large wood slat had been placed in front of doors. Glass and broken chunks on the concrete littered the ground around the diner.
Had a shadow passed through one of the broken windows?
I took a deep breath and shifted to my spirit sight. The world grayed around me and a myriad of colors floated over the dulled buildings. Gone was the graffiti and broken windows. The diner stood, looking like it had at its height. The metal gleamed, even in the gray of the Eclipse. The neon sign glowed spreading light across the concrete parking lot. Apparitions of men and women dressed in jeans and leather jackets slipped in and out of the doors. They weren’t real, just imprints from the past. I ignored them and peered through the windows again.
There in the back, past the metal counter that connected the kitchen to the front, a flash of yellow eyes gleamed.
I blinked, and my sight returned to normal as a smile hovered on my lips. A rush of anticipation fluttered in my chest. Today wasn’t going to be a total loss.
I gripped the links of the fence and climbed over. My feet hit the ground, raising a cloud of brick dust and grime. I covered my mouth with my arm and gave a small cough as I scanned the remains of the diner.
The row of broken windows prevented any chance I had of blocking the demon in the diner to prevent its escape. The place would be cramped for fighting, which could be good or bad for me.
I picked my way through the rubble to the back. I didn’t want any surprises like a back door the demon could run through.
The car had been attached to a concrete building the size of a shed. A gray metal door with a hook handle stood in the middle of the building. It hung slightly open.
It was better than the windows or removing the wood from the door. I lifted the hand and slowly pulled the door back. My face scrunched in a wince at the squeak that echoed from the hinges. I paused for a moment, holding my breath. Silence greeted me from inside the diner.
I pulled my sword from it sheath and stepped into the narrow hall. The light of the setting sun glinted off the iron blade. Though the sticks were useful with the special symbol Adrian had added, my favorite weapon would always be my sundang. Unlike other swords, the blade was wavy on both sides with a rounded point. It was terrible for piercing anything, but it could slice through an enemy like butter. The blade had been created by worshipers of Kali for the purpose of slaying demons. Even after a millennium, it still served its purpose well. The sword and I made a formidable team. Over the years, I’d added a belt with a pouch of a multitude of tools, I’d found useful, but the sword had always been my best friend.
My boots kicked up tiny clouds of concrete dust and dirt that had accumulated over the decades. It tickled my lungs as I breathed it in.
A doorway stood to the left that lead to a small square of a room with dirty white walls. It had probably been a small office when the diner had been open and serving hot meals. Now, it was filled with debris. I passed the doors to the men and women’s restroom and stepped into the main part of the diner.
To my right, the counter blocked the way to the kitchen, except for a small wooden gate. Glass littered the booths that lined the windows on my left. A breeze wafted through the windows along with the sounds of passing cars on the highway. Nothing but me moved within the diner.
I stopped in the middle and turned, scanning the room again. I could have sworn something was here. Had I been wrong? If they’d been here, one of the brothers, Adrian most likely, would infer that I was searching for things that weren’t here. They mentioned I’d been looking for Faust in every dark corner a few weeks ago. I’d shown up at the office a lot less after then.
I let out a deep sigh and turned back towards the gate that lead behind the counter. I still had to check the kitchen before I felt ready to leave.
A shadow moved past the window between the kitchen and dining area. My heart sped up. I hadn’t been wrong.
The swinging door to the kitchen burst open. A fur-covered creature leapt out towards me. The demon landed on the counter, the claws of her back feet digging into the surface. She hissed at me, baring a set of elongated fangs. She still had the shape of a human, but a short coat of brown hair covered her body. Her pupils grew to almost cover her yellow eyes.
Great. Before me squatted a bajang, a cat-demon from the Throne of Lust. No point in l
ooking at her with my spirit sight. I knew what I would see. The bajang would have almost devoured the human soul at this point, thanks to the brimstone.
My feet moved into a defensive stance as I gripped my sword. Jonah wanted to test his cure out. Looked like I’d found the perfect candidate.
“Go away,” the creature hissed. “Mine.”
“This isn’t your home, demon bitch.” The anger swirling in my chest caused my voice to come out with a rough burr. “I’ll send you back to Hell where you belong.”
A growl rumbled through the bajang. She swiped at me with her left hand. I ducked to the side, spun, and swung my sword, aiming for her leg. The blade nipped at her calf, leaving behind a shallow cut.
The demon’s screech echoed through the dilapidated diner. Despite the cut, the magic of my blade burned a demon it injured, if the wound didn’t kill them outright. The muscles of her back legs bunched up and she sprung in the air and over my head. She landed on the back of one of the booths. Her eyes darted from the window to me as her chest heaved up and down.
She was going to run despite her injured leg. I’d hoped I’d be able to hurt her enough with the sword to prevent that. Time to switch to something to capture her. I dropped my sword and pulled a bolo gun from my belt.
I’d had Adrian make it for me a month ago, in case I came across a demon I could question about Faust’s whereabouts. The handle was as thick as both my fists together and held a bolo that could be shot out to entangle my target.
“You’re not getting away,” I said. “I have some friends who’d like to meet you.”
I pulled the trigger.
The rope left the gun with a loud whoosh and flew through the air at her. The bajang ducked her head and darted into the booth. The rope hit the wall, tangling around the metal between two of the windows. Damnit, I missed. I backed up, fumbling with one of the rope cartridges on my belt.
A whining growl reverberated in the demon’s throat and she grabbed the tabletop and ripped it in half. The bajang raised on her haunches and threw the table at me. I tried to leap back, but my hip hit one of the stools along the counter and I stumbled. The table slammed into me, knocking me into the back wall.
The bajang climbed onto the window sill, pausing to glance back at me with a throaty laugh before she jumped out.
“Merda.” Shit. I pushed the table off and sprung up.
I scooped up my sword as I rushed towards the windows. By the time I reached the window, the bajang was climbing the fence to the street. My heart sped up.
A female in a hooded jacket rounded the corner and walked our direction, carrying a duffle bag on one shoulder.
The bajang bounded over the fence and landed in front of the woman. She seemed to double in size as she snarled. The woman took a step back, let one of the straps fall, and pulled a sawed-off shotgun from the bag. She raised her head and even in the fading light, I recognized that face. Marge.
“Eat iron, demon whore.” Marge grinned as she pulled the trigger.
There went my hope of capture.
Chapter 6
The boom of the shotgun echoed down the street as Marge pulled the trigger. The shot hit the bajang in her chest and she jerked, her body spasming, and fell to the ground. She stared up at the sky, her eyes turning glassy and her mouth frozen in an O of surprise. Her blood began to spread out, staining the concrete as a permanent testament to her death.
I ran the last few feet and climbed the fence, then landed beside Marge with a silent thud. I glared at her as my heart pounded and my ears rang with the sound of the shot. That would definitely catch people attention. I pulled the hood of my jacket up and glanced down the street. We didn’t have much time before someone would call the police if they already hadn’t.
Marge picked up the body of the demon and slung it over her shoulder. She had quite a bit of strength for a woman of her stature. She only came a few inches taller than me, which didn’t say much since I stood a mighty five foot two. It had to be the demon influence from the contract on her soul. Such contracts came with certain benefits, like enhanced strength. Though it seemed to be growing, which was worrying.
“You should run,” Marge said in her Cajun drawl.
She took off down the street with the dangling arms of the demon swaying with the rhythm of her run. With a soft growl, I ran after her. The cold air bit at my face. I followed Marge down a narrow street to the right and into an alley two blocks away.
She dropped the body and rested her hands on her knees with her chest heaving. I stopped a few feet away and closed my eyes as my breath came out in small pants. A small ache was starting in my chest, but it was nothing compared to the knot of anger tightening in my stomach.
I stepped forward and shoved Marge in her shoulder. “What the hell were you thinking using a shotgun in the middle of the street?”
She snorted a small laugh. “That I could run fast, and the cops don’t really show up in a speedy manner, anyway.”
“Even if they didn’t catch us, someone probably saw us,” I said.
“So? I had my hood up. They’re going to look for a short person in a hoodie. Good fucking luck with that.”
Marge pulled the hood in question down, revealing a ponytail of blonde hair that swung with the shake of her head. With her petite nose, blue eyes, and milky skin, Marge looked like a china doll. Pretty and petite until she opened her mouth.
I closed my eyes and rubbed the bridge of my nose with a sigh. “Fine, whatever. Why the hell did you kill my target?”
“I didn’t know we were laying claim. The demon’s dead, so what’s the problem?”
“I needed her alive,” I said.
“Why?” Marge jerked her hand in the direction of the bajang. “Look at it. The human’s all but gone. No saving. Remember what you said in Hampton?”
Hampton had been the Texas town we’d first discovered the use of brimstone. An enterprising devil by the name of Ose had been testing it on people he’d driven mad. The drug allowed possessing demons to devour the soul of the humans with brimstone in their system. At the time, I’d though there was no hope for those people.
“Jonah is working on a cure,” I said. “He wanted a demon to test it on.”
“Oh,” Marge scowled. “Oops.”
“Oops? That’s all you can say?”
Marge shrugged. “His hoodoo cure probably won’t work, anyway.”
“Alchemy isn’t hoodoo,” I said.
“Same thing to me,” Marge said. “He’s a creeper working on weird shit.”
“You still have a problem with Jonah?”
“I still think he’s the one who caused all this.” She waved her hand from the demon towards the street.
I crossed my arms. “Jonah said he didn’t do it, and I trust him.”
Besides, I had a nagging suspicion on who got the drug out.
“Yeah, ’course you do. You trust that whole gang.”
“What is your problem with everyone? They were helping you with your contract.”
Marge snorted and put one hand on her hip. “What with that useless tarot reading by the druggie?”
“How about all the backup the brothers have given you? Or the time Tres healed you when the lamia nearly killed you?”
It had been a small run-in with a demon connected to Marge’s contract. In truth, the Lamia had had it out for me, but Marge loved to jump in and kick ass. Only this time, the Lamia had sent her flying off a second story landing.
Marge sighed. “I’m not saying they haven’t been good to me, but things are getting weird around there. Especially with Esais.”
A chill traveled up my spine. “What do you mean?”
Marge knelt down and crossed the demon’s arms on her chest. “I don’t like being around him. Especially with that Irae woman clinging to him.”
“You’ve met Irae? I didn’t even know you’d been in the office lately.”
“You’re one to talk,” Marge muttered. “I saw her yester
day. Creepy bitch. The whole time I was there, she just stared at me like she wanted to burn me or something. Fucking made my skin crawl.”
“Irae’s just a temporary resident and she just got there less than a day ago.” I leaned against the alley with my arms crossed, watching Marge yank out a trash bag from a pocket on her belt. “So, what’s your problem with Esais?”
Marge stayed silent for several minutes as she covered the demon’s upper body with a trash bag. She drew out a second bag out and pulled it over the lower half. Next, she took out a roll of masking tape from her bag and started wrapping it around the bajang’s head.
“I think Esais’s using his mind powers on me,” she said.
The chill crept back up my back. “How can you tell?”
“Feels like someone is stirring shit around in my head. Digging into a place I don’t want them to.”
Just like what had happened to me a few days ago. I rubbed my arms, trying to get rid of the goosebumps that had popped up under my jacket. No, we had to be wrong. Esais was the kindest of the brothers. He looked after everyone. He just had to be protecting us.
“Did you ask him about it?” I asked.
She gave a short laugh. “He said it wasn’t him. Goddamn liar.”
“Maybe it’s not,” I said. “Maybe there is something else that locked onto the area.”
“Don’t know,” Marge said. “I don’t know how his mind shit works. Don’t really care. I’m just going to keep hunting down these demons, ’cause there seems to be a lot of them. Maybe one will lead to my contract.”
“You know, you’ll never find that out if you keep killing them,” I said.
“It tried to jump me after you let it get away.”
I let out a deep sigh. “Fair. I’ll look into the whole Esais thing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t trust the others.”
“Why? I mean Adrian’s cool, for being a dick, but he’ll stick by his brother, and so will Tres.”
“They’ll want to know if something is happening to their brother,” I said.
