“This one heads back to England.”
“I understand. We have our van waiting in the yard. Monsignor Ordieux will take you to your hotel now.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
The Cardinal stood up straighter. “It is, as always, a pleasure to be of service to the Council. May we one day do more than merely tolerate each other. Come. I’ll take you to the van. Ms. Silver, if you’ll be so kind as to wait here, we will take you out a different door.”
Nodding, Denny hugged everyone. When she came to Iris, she said, “I wish you’d go home. I worry for your safety, my friend.”
“I know you do. We belong in this battle, in this fight, in this war, together. Yes, we are inexperienced, yes, this could very well be outside our area of expertise, but baptism by fire has created some of the greatest warriors and social changes in history. We can do this, DH. I believe in us. In all of us. So should you.” Standing on tiptoe, Iris kissed her cheek and whispered, “If you don’t meet us at the hotel, I swear to all the Goddesses listening, I will cast unimaginable spells on you.”
Denny grinned. “I’m not skipping out on you guys. I swear. We need new phones is all. Give me your numbers, email addresses, and passwords so I can make sure all your cells are backed up and have all your contacts in them. This being a step ahead of us is ending. Let’s see how they handle it now that they won’t be able to track us.”
“Just be careful, DH. This whole thing gives me the creeps.”
“Me, too. Get some rest.”
When everyone was gone, Denny waited for the Cardinal to return.
“I have a motorcycle for you.”
Denny’s face broke into a wide grin. “Seriously?”
“Sister Adele fell and broke her ankle, and has been unable to ride. Leave it in the parking lot of a hotel you aren’t staying at so we can pick it up. You can ride, yes?”
“Yes. I can. If you are in no hurry to have the bike back, I’ll email you where I left it once we are long departed.”
“Yes. The less I know, the better. Just send me an email here.” He pulled out a small slip of paper from his pocket with his email on it. “The key to the Council’s success has always been to keep the puzzler from merely making good guesses or taking quantum leaps.” He handed Denny some keys. “We are all spokes in a wheel, Golden Silver, and right now, it’s our job to move that wheel to the next location. I wish you the best of luck. Now, the phone store is down Rue Halevy, or off Boulevard Haussman. I will take your phone to the dock with one of the nuns, so it appears I have you with me. She will transport the phone to the ferry. She will get on the ferry as a nun and then off as a passenger. She’ll have just enough time to take the last ferry.”
Taking the keys, Denny sighed. “Thank you. I don’t really even know how to repay you.”
“Of course you do. Be kinder to your sister. You may not agree with her spiritual direction, but she is just as much a force for good in this world as you are.”
Denny was speechless. “I…wait…you know Sterling?”
“I must be off. Good luck, Golden Silver, and Godspeed.” And then he was gone.
“Strange little man in a strange little religion,” Cassandra said from behind. “I don’t know if I trust him or his kind, and maybe I never will.”
“You have got to stop sneaking up on me like that.”
Cassandra smiled and reached back to tie her long, dark hair into a knot. “Then stop lumping me with the others. I am unlike anyone in our little cadre, my sweet. Your safety is my sole concern. I want your word that you intend to return to us this evening. Do not go off half-cocked. Do not be the hero in this story. Be true to your word to me and swear you’ll return tonight.”
Denny nodded and kissed Cassandra’s cheek. “You have my word. Now go.”
Five minutes later, Denny was riding a Suzuki down the cobblestone streets of some Parisian roads that jarred her fillings from her mouth. She hadn’t felt this free in a really long time. She just wanted to ride this little pink scooter around all night and let the fresh air caress her face. She wanted, even for just one second, to be free; free of the responsibility, free of the danger, free of the demon within.
As the wind blew in her face, she thought back to her friend and fellow demon hunter, Peyton, who had so wanted her demon removed, she went slightly around the bend.
Denny didn’t blame her.
She was so tired.
Bone weary and brain dead.
Her life had been a nonstop, not-so-merry-go-round since she first knew she had the Hanta inside her. It had been one thing after another, after another, after another. If she could get her hands on the treatise, she might actually carve out some free time for herself and her life. She might actually be able to take time off hunting and be a college student. She might be able to go on an actual date without being interrupted by death and destruction.
Yes, if she could stem the flow of demons arriving in the world, she just might find a piece of happiness.
It was sure as shit worth a shot. She deserved it. So did the rest of her party, so when she arrived at the Apple store, she carefully picked out phone cases that would please each person. It seemed such a tiny gesture that meant so much.
Once she made the clerk’s day with her purchase of five brand new cell phones, Denny hopped back on the scooter that reminded her of the Energizer Bunny and rode unmolested down the street and back to a hotel a block from her own.
She parked the scooter under a light and started for the place they were staying. It seemed like everything but the streets were big in Paris, and the Marriott was no exception.
The Silver Legacy money afforded Denny the life she had. Only recently had she discovered that the family money had been her mother’s, and that there was a lot of it. By a lot, she meant a fucking shit load, and once Sterling trusted her enough to release the trust to her, Denny had taken very good care of it.
After checking in and getting her card key, Denny trudged up the stairs and down the hall to her room where Iris was waiting.
“DH! How’d it go?”
Denny handed her a case with a picture of the witch from Wizard of Oz.
Iris squealed when she saw it and chose one of two gold iPhones. “This is totally awesome! Thanks!”
“Well, we’re all on the family plan, so everyone is programmed in and we’re good to go.” She then got the room numbers for Cassandra, Ames, and Annalee, all of whom had asked for their own rooms.
“Be back in a bit. I’m going to go have a drink with Cassandra.”
Iris shook her head. “I don’t get it, DH. What is it about her that has you hooked? The woman is an evil bitch, yet you can’t seem to stay away. She’s like crack for you.”
“What are you talking about?” Denny’s voice betrayed her.
“You can’t stop yourself, can you? She crooks her little finger and off you go. She can’t be that good.”
Denny grinned, her hand on the doorknob. “Oh, but she is.”
“Maybe getting her face punched in will dim her appetite. I gotta say, DH, that was fun to see.”
“It was wild, wasn’t it? I felt like we were in an episode of some housewife show.”
“I wanted to yell out cat fight!”
Denny laughed.
“I’ll say one thing about Cassandra...she can take a punch. Never even left her feet, and that chick punched her hard.”
Denny opened the door. “She’s a tough one, for sure. Please let the others know I am back, and let them have their phones. They’ll know which case I bought for whom. Be right back.”
Walking past Ames’s door, Denny knocked on Cassandra’s. She could hear someone rattling around near the door and thought briefly about reaching into her vest for a cylinder.
Then the door opened and there stood Beatrice...long red hair all disheveled, a large white bath towel tucked around her ample bosom. “Oh, hello, hunter. Would you like to come in? The bed is certainly big enough for three.” She punc
tuated her request with a lascivious grin. “I’m sure we can make room.”
Denny looked past Beatrice and saw Cassandra come up behind her. She could not read the expression on Cassandra’s face. “I brought a phone,” she said stupidly. “They’re in my room with cases chosen for each of you.” Denny felt two inches tall and hoped the heat on her face did not show up as pink or red.
Cassandra eased past Beatrice so she was standing almost between them. “Sure you want to pass up this invitation, lover? You know what they say.”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“A threesome means more cum.” Cassandra laughed.
“Sounds tempting, but I’ve got a lot to do. Maybe next time.” Denny turned to walk away. Then she stopped, pivoted, and smiled at Beatrice. “Good shot, by the way.”
“It was long overdue.”
“I can only imagine.” Trying not to feel like a complete schlub, Denny walked away and prayed Annalee would open her door before Denny got there. She could feel eyes still on her ass as she walked away.
Annalee, the savior of the evening, must have heard her telepathic plea because at that moment, she opened her door. “Silver! I thought I heard you out here.”
Denny told her about the phones. “And when you get yours, can you do me a favor and take one to Ames? I am really beat and he’ll want to ‘Monday morning quarterback’ this whole thing for hours. I just don’t have the energy right now.”
“Sure, but you gotta give the guy mad props. He’s let you take lead. I’ve never really seen him be so laid back before. Honestly, I don’t know what that’s about, but he gets my respect for it. I’ll grab the phones in the morning. Go get some rest.”
Denny said good night and went back to her room, where Iris was waiting.
Iris half-smiled. “Of course I knew. I’m a witch. I sense other witches.”
Denny plopped in the middle of her bed. “And you didn’t think that maybe you’d want to save me the embarrassment of walking in on them?”
Iris rolled over and laid her chin in her palms. She looked like a nymph or a dryad on a toadstool. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe that was exactly what you needed? That your paramour has the vagina of a Tijuana hooker and isn’t worth the relationship you’re trying to ground before it even takes off? Look, I know your demon makes you hypersexual. I get that. But you need to learn how to keep it in your pants. Cassandra isn’t worth it. She will never be worth it.”
Denny leaned on her elbows. “So how surprised will you be to learn she said the three most dangerous words in the English language?”
Iris’s eyes grew wide. “Death and taxes? Wait. Don’t tell me. I’ll kill you. No. Wait—”
“Funny.”
“Come on. Cassandra loves sex. She loves the hunt. She loves the ‘catch and release’ program, but she doesn’t love people. That’s out of her purview. It doesn’t matter if she says she loves you. Cassandra loves Cassandra. Period. Amen. Move on before you fall into her wicked web.”
Denny stared at Iris. “Have an opinion?”
Iris rose and hugged Denny. “I adore you, DH, but if you plan on starting something with Brianna, you’re going to have to get a better grip on your sexuality and detox from whatever spell Cassandra has on you.”
“Jeez, like I needed ‘tough love’ from my witch.”
“Actually, DH, you do. We’re getting ready for the fight of our lives. I need your whole head in the game. Whole head. Understand?”
As Denny looked down on the little witch, she nodded. “I understand.”
“Good. Now get some rest. We’ve got a bit of a ways to go tomorrow and you look like you might need to feed before then.”
When Iris rolled over, Denny took her phone into the bathroom, opened the envelope, and snapped a photo of another piece of the charcoal drawing. Then she hit send and called Lauren.
“Hey there. Got your phone back?”
Denny smiled. “New phone, whiz kid. What’s shakin’?”
“I’m doing my homework and trying not to belabor the fact that goons might be after me and my very special life is in danger. How can anyone stand these dormitories? Nothing but sex, drugs, and rock and roll. No, wait. Hip hop. No, wait. Rap?”
“Oh my God, how old are you?”
“I’m just saying it’s noisy as marbles on a tin roof, and for someone used to spending her days in a library, it is very annoying.”
“I’m sure it is, Grandma. Still, I want you to stay there until I get home. I need to know you’re safe. Don’t go anywhere until the battle is over.”
“Battle? Jesus, Den, will you ever get a break to live a normal life?”
“I ask myself that question every day, Lauren. Every single day.”
“And?”
“And I don’t think normal is ever going to visit my doorstep again. I mean, I hang out with witches. I grew up with a ghost. I’ve never really been normal.
“Isn’t that the truth? So what now?”
Well, if we can get our hands on Hildegard’s fourth book, I think I might be able to put a stop to this recent influx of demons long enough to take a breather and gather our forces.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Then I’m afraid there’s going to be a cleansing where both sides lose.”
“Hard to believe all of this transpires under people’s noses, but when I started Googling the evil perpetrated by man in the last two thousand years, it is right there for all to see.”
“Right.”
“Any word about your mom?”
“None. I have to assume she’s safe with Valeria somewhere. I can’t think about her too much or it will drive me crazy. I can’t be afraid for her.”
“The Big V hasn’t contacted you?”
“Nope.”
“Damn. I thought for sure she would once you were in town. Well, just know I’m all over this. Okay…I’ve been doing a ton of digging, and I did find out something about the Kramer family, though I am unclear if it is relevant.”
Denny waited.
“The one who was injured in the car accident? Get this. He was your dad’s twin.”
Denny sat down on the toilet. “My dad...had a twin?”
“Yep. Not sure how important that is right now. My genealogist has mad skills. He says the Kramers have no issue with their past witch hunting activity, but we also found they donate a butt load of money to a lot of humanitarian organizations.”
“Such as?”
“One sec. Here we go. They’ve given millions to a nonprofit called GenLabor in Heidelberg. They do all sorts of experiments with genetics for things like cancer cures and MS. And, before you ask me for more research on the company, I already have. They are all about finding cures for those and other types of genetic maladies.”
“Like witchcraft?”
“Took the words right out of my mouth. There’s no proof of that, of course, but given what the Nazi regime attempted during World War Two on a platform of eugenics, I’d say that’s entirely possible. That shit didn’t just go away because the Germans were defeated. It just went underground.”
“You don’t think—”
“That they use human test subjects? I’d like to say I seriously doubt it, but you’ve read the Maleficarum, haven’t you? Did you read the section on demons?”
“I did, but refresh my memory.”
“It claims that it is normal for all witches to perform filthy carnal acts with demons.”
Denny cocked her head. Iris’s words smashed into the walls of her brain. “Wait—”
“Exactly. Your witchers might very well be involved with the demons not just to destroy witches...but to hand them over as part of some weird demonic mating ritual. Now, I could be way off on this, of course, but hey, when in Rome, pay attention to men named Brutus, right?”
Denny pinched the bridge of her nose. It was all beginning to make sense now. “Jesus H. Why didn’t I think of that? I figured they had made a deal with the demons.”
“Maybe they have. I wouldn’t rule it out, but think of their progeny. Think of what it would mean for the Kramers and the likes of other witch hunters to have hunters who also have witch DNA.”
“Naturally born bloodhounds.”
“Bingo. Witches will never be safe again. This cleansing of yours could be the beginning of the end.”
“It also explains why they came at Iris with a tranq dart and not a bullet.”
“Exactly. How are you doing?”
“Exhausted. Feels like we’re running in circles. It’s hard not to get discouraged. Not knowing where my mom and Valeria are haunts me every moment. So, just dandy.”
“I’m doing everything I can on my end to get you to the Kramer estate, but there are dead ends everywhere. We’re following the money in the hopes it leads us somewhere, but they’ve managed to spread it wide and far.”
“Good. Keep at it. And thanks, Lauren. You’re a godsend.”
“We live in the most haunted city on the continent for a reason, Den, and I’ll not admit to saying this, but this is the most fun I’ve ever had…even with my life in danger.”
“I’m really sorry if you got scared the other day.”
“Well, Pat and Victor were amazing. One came through the front door, the other through the back, and before those thugs knew what was happening, they were on their way through the window. Don’t worry. Got the window fixed. The lair is closed and all is well with our world. I’ll push everything I have to your phone. You just take care of business there and come home, you hear?”
“I’ll do that. Be safe.” Hanging up, Denny stared at the phone, a million questions running through her head. What was GenLabor, anyway? A front to be able to experiment on witches to determine their genetic makeup? And what had the witches promised those demons who had joined ranks with them? More importantly, what would happen if she couldn’t find Hildegard’s treatise and, if she did, how certain was anyone that it would work?
Re-entering the room, Denny stood over Iris, who was snoring lightly on the bed. Reaching down, she lightly brushed the bangs from her forehead.
Real lives were at stake here. Her people’s lives. She had two pieces of a puzzle that, when completed, still wouldn’t tell her where her mother was. She had a ring and a necklace, and still, she didn’t have shit. She had put everyone she knew and loved in danger, and for what? To save the world from itself?
Coven Betrayed (The Silver Legacy Book 4) Page 12
