by Beverly Rae
“Good save, C.”
I started to answer my friend and, instead, held my breath. Like something from a B horror film, Mr. Andrews’ body and head slowly disintegrated until Jenn was left sitting in a pile of dust. Of course, I did what any former skeptic would do when faced with grisly physical evidence that demons are real. I laughed my ass off.
Jenn hopped to her feet, brushed the demon dust off her clothes and walked over to me. With a bemused expression on her face, she crouched down, pried my hands off Brenda and lowered the still-out-of-it woman gently to the floor. “C, are you okay?”
Her question only made me laugh harder. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I held my stomach, the stitch from my hilarity stabbing me in my side. “Yeah.” (More giggling.) “I’m okay.” (Giggle, giggle.)
“Are you sure? You seem kind of freaked out.”
“Nope.” (Hysterical giggling now.) “I’m good.”
“O-kay. If you say so.” Obviously not buying it, she shifted to sit cross-legged. “But I’m here if you need me.”
“Uh-huh.” I nodded and laughed at the same time which surprisingly is more difficult than you would imagine. “I’ve never seen a real demon before.” Then again, I’d never known a real human-mouse—and mouse-eater—or dragon before. I’d experienced a lot of firsts lately.
“Yeah, it can throw ya for a loop. Although I don’t remember anyone ever finding anything funny about it.”
“What are you doing here anyway?” I pointed at the demon dust, giving renewed life to my giggle fit.
“I meant to call you, but things got hectic.” Jenn glanced at the woman, then at the demon-dust hubby.
“But Brenda—” I gasped, “—said I was already up here. She didn’t believe I was me.” I wiped the tear streaks away and sucked in more air. Then I scrunched up my face and held my breath, trying to keep another round of laughter from hitting me.
“Yeah, sorry about that. When she came to the door, she assumed I was you and called me by your name. I figured it was the easiest way to get into the house without a lot of questions.” Jenn reached for the bottom of Brenda’s shirt and cleaned the gunky mess of blackish blood and dust off her blade.
Now that I could finally speak without breaking into hysterics, I had to ask. “Jenn, I don’t understand. I know you always believed in these things—”
“And you didn’t.”
I ignored the triumphant gleam in her eye and hurried on. “—but how did you know he was a demon? And how did you end up killing him?” My gaze fell on the huge knife she still held. “With such a big knife?”
“The better to kill them with, my dear.” Jenn twirled the blade in her hand and stuck it—hopefully in a sheath—behind her back. “Good thing you came along after he knocked it out of my hand. A knitting needle just doesn’t do the job.”
“I gotta say, I’m pretty impressed. You killed a demon.” I looked at my friend, really seeing her for the first time. “You’ve done this kind of thing before, haven’t you?”
She smiled her answer and pulled out a very unique-looking phone. “First things first. Right now I need to get reinforcements in here to clean up the mess.” She looked at the screen. “Partner, I need a team for a demon cleanup. You’ve got the address.” She glanced at the still prone Mrs. Andrews. “Oh, and the Psych Squad.”
“Really, Jenn. Can’t you ever do your job without witnesses?” the voice from the phone quipped.
Funny. I hadn’t seen her dial anything. Was her phone voice-activated?
“Partner, don’t give me grief. I only did this job because I was already in Atlanta and the local Protectors were busy. Now do your job and contact the area HQ.”
“Partner? Since when do realtors have partners? And what’s a protector?”
“Yeah, about all that.” She obviously took a moment to reconsider opening up to me. “I’m not really a real estate agent. Well, I am, sort of.” She held out her phone so I could see the screen. “And Partner doesn’t help me sell houses. In fact, he barely helps me with my real job.”
“Hey!” The image of a man dressed in a space suit huffed at Jenn. “I’ll have you know, Miss Taylor, that I am a valuable asset to the Society. Whether Jenn wants to admit it or not.”
“The Society?” I took Jenn’s offered hand and awkwardly rose. “I’m so confused.” Another glimpse at the scene around me didn’t help my turmoil. “About everything.”
Jenn slipped her arm around me, taking me along with her to the door. “I bet. Let me explain downstairs, okay? I’ve got some associates who should arrive any minute now.”
I let her lead me downstairs and onto the couch in the lovely—and very normal-looking—living room. Jenn took a seat on the massive coffee table. “Okay, here goes. Try to open your mind and know that everything I’m about to tell you is the truth.”
Alarm rushed through me. More truth? My stomach did a sickening flip-flop. “Frankly, I’m not sure I can handle anything else.” Yet Jenn’s chuckle reassured me that I could.
“Dear friend of mine, I’m not what I seem to be.”
“I kind of gathered that. Then what are you? Some kind of demon duster? A super agent with a super-secret organization that eliminates the nasties of the world?” I waited for her to laugh. She didn’t and the alarm I’d felt earlier shot up five levels above Code Orange. “Oh, come on, Jenn. I was kidding.”
“Kidding or not, it’s a good guess. You nailed it big time. The super-secret organization is called the Society and I’m called a Protector. That’s someone who protects—”
“Or tries to.” Partner let out a series of beeps that sounded amazingly like laughter.
Jenn rolled her eyes at me, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Did you call HQ, Partner?”
“Of course I did. I always do my job whether on Earth or in space.”
Jenn turned the screen away from herself and winked at me. “Great, then I don’t need your help any longer, so off you go.” She pushed a button on the gadget, sending the squawking space man into cyber exile.
I wondered if her partner was related to Mini-Pam.
“As I was saying, I protect innocent people from supernatural bad guys. You know, like our friend upstairs. Demons, ghouls, ghosts, were-animals and…” She took my hand. “…dragons.”
My heart hit the floor and took my ability to breathe along with it. Suddenly, I didn’t know if I could trust my friend. I swallowed and decided to play it cool. Or at least as cool as I could. “Wow. So all those times you insisted these beings were real, you were telling the truth. Were you a Protector way back then?”
“Yep, way back even in college. Demon dusting, as you called it, was kind of my real major instead of Business Management.”
I shook my head, partly to rid my brain of confusion and partly to buy myself time. Did she know about Kaine? “This is a lot to take in. But tell me, why are you here?” I couldn’t help but glance upward. “To get rid of Mr. Andrews, right?” I cringed. Calling that thing Mr. Andrews after what I’d seen seemed wrong.
“Not at first. Actually, I came to see you, C.”
I met her gaze and knew. She’s here for Kaine. Please, oh, please, don’t make me choose between my husband and my friend. I steeled myself and asked the question I didn’t want to ask, but had to. “You came to see me? For a quick visit?” Please say it’s only a visit and not a dragon-slaying.
Her eyes glittered, scaring me. “I came to warn you about your husband. He’s not what he appears to be.”
How does she know Kaine and I are already married?
She took my hands. “Yeah, I know you’re married. I did my research and found out more than that little tidbit. C, Kaine Delcaluca is a dragon.”
So tell me something I don’t know. Anger flashed through me and I yanked my hands away. If Jenn was here to hurt the love of my life, she’d have to go through me first. “Don’t be ridiculous. My husband’s no more a dragon than you are.” Lie, girl, lie. I hated telling my f
riend a lie, but it wasn’t as though she hadn’t been lying to me all these years. (I’m really good at justifying things when I want to be.)
“Come on. You know what he is. You even said you saw him change the first night you met him. And the tattoo you described cinched it.”
The doorbell rang and she reluctantly left to open it. Four men, looking every inch like accountants in their boring gray suits and ties, murmured something to her and headed upstairs. She returned to the coffee table. “Look, I understand you want to protect him and that you’re probably mad at me for hiding my real job from you all these years. C, believe me. I’m not here to hurt him. I’m only here to warn you. So you’ll know who—and what—you’re married to.”
“Seriously? You won’t do to Kaine what you did to Mr. Andrews?” I studied her, hoping I could catch any insincerity in her expression. I didn’t, but then she was probably a pro at hiding her feelings.
“Ah, so you do know. Good. From what I’ve gathered from my sources, Kaine Delcaluca isn’t a bad dragon. Most of them aren’t. Besides, killing a dragon is a whole lot harder than taking out a demon.”
Yay! I breathed a little easier. “He’s not bad. I know he isn’t.” Okay, marrying me only to get an heir was kind of a bad thing to do, but underneath he’s a softie.
“So how about letting me meet Kaine?”
Oh, hell, no! Surprised at my first instinct, I was glad I hadn’t said anything out loud. But that didn’t mean my first reaction wasn’t the right one. Could I trust Jenn not to hurt Kaine? And once he found out who she was, why she was here, how would he react?
“C?” Jenn crossed her arms and urged me on. “What’s it going to be? Do I get to meet the man who won your heart or not?”
Not. But sometimes my mouth doesn’t listen to my head. “Sure you do.” Not giving myself time to change my mind, I hurried to the door. “And on the way, I can give you the lowdown on some other, uh, people in my life.”
Maybe if I distracted her by outing Fitz, I could save my hot-in-more-than-one-way hubby.
I ushered Jenn into the foyer of the mansion. “Well, what do you think?” Maybe it wasn’t the nicest thing I’d ever done, but I admit I enjoyed showing off my new home. From the moment we’d opened the ornate iron gates to the second I’d swung open the door, I could see that Jenn was duly impressed and, for one of the few times since I’d met her, speechless. “Jenn?”
She slowly turned in a circle, taking in the rare artwork, the enormous chandelier and the beautiful furniture. I had to fight not to gloat. “Hell’s bells, C. I knew the guy was rich, but not Bill Gates rich. Hell, I think this surpasses even Bill.”
I tried to act casual and blew it. “Yeah, I know. Wild, huh?”
“Very.” She locked an arm through mine. “But I bet not half as wild as Kaine.”
“You got that right.” For a moment, we grinned at each other, once again two college girls talking about our handsome boyfriends.
“Did I hear my name?”
I’d never seen anyone—except Kaine—move as fast as Jenn did. Blade at the ready, she whirled around to face my husband, who stood at the entrance to the first parlor. Or whatever the hell that room was called. Damn, I need my map with the names of the rooms listed on it.
“Kaine, I want you to meet someone.” I wanted to say more, but his expression left me without words.
He glared at Jenn and took a step backward. “I know what she is.”
Jenn, who had at first appeared congenial to Kaine, sneered. “Back at ’cha, bub.”
“Why are you here, Protector?”
I gaped at the two of them, both with feet spread apart, ready for battle. “Does everyone know all the supernatural stuff except me?” How stupid did I feel? I was the so-called paranormal expert, and yet, apparently I was the last to find out about that other world.
“Don’t stir your embers, dragon. I’m not your enemy.” Jenn held up the knife, then very deliberately slipped it out of sight. “Unless you want me to be.”
I peered at the back of her shirt and jeans, but didn’t see where she could’ve put the huge knife. How does she do that? “Kaine, this is the friend I told you about. Jennifer Randall. I mean Jennifer Randall-Barrington.”
Kaine blinked a couple of times as though processing the information. “I see. You, however, neglected to mention that your friend is a Protector.”
“You mean like you neglected to mention that you married her to get an heir to the Dragon Dynasty?”
Crap! Everyone does know about our baby business. “Hey, you two, come on. Let’s have a seat in the parlor, or whatever this room is called, and get to know each other.” Taking Jenn’s arm, I tugged her along with me. She complied but came with me in an awkward sidestep, keeping her eyes on my disgruntled husband following several paces behind.
Once seated with Kaine and me on one couch and Jenn in the chair directly across from us, I folded my hands in my lap and dove in. “So here’s the deal. Jenn came here to take care of a demon problem and decided to drop in on the happy newlyweds. Right, Jenn?” I shot her a look, urging her to play nice.
“Oh, uh, yeah. That’s right.” She darted her gaze between Kaine and me, but always lingered a second or two longer on him.
“A demon problem?” He sat ramrod straight as though ready to jump into action.
“Nothing much. A husband didn’t tell his wife what he truly was. She found out when he ate her best friend.”
Wow, oh, wow. Why didn’t you tell me that part, Jenn? I pursed my lips, unhappy that she’d left that information out. Unhappy, yet at the same time grateful. “But that’s done and over with. Now it’s fun time. You know, just a friend visiting a friend.” The tension between them could’ve been cut with a fork. I blew out a breath, quickly losing my patience.
“Have you shown your wife what you really look like?”
I didn’t know whether to slink away or agree with her. Since finding out Kaine was a dragon, I’d been curious to see him in his full dragony form. Sure, I’d glimpsed his other half once in awhile in limited form, but never in his full glory. I have to admit I was ready. Deciding to follow her lead, I decided now was as good a time as any. “Yeah, Kaine, show me. I want to see you. All of you.”
Kaine scowled at Jenn and, if glares could burn, Jenn would be toast. A golden flame sparked in his eyes. “Don’t you think this should be a private matter between my wife and me?”
I’d always known Jenn was strong, but the woman before me had nerves of steel. “I think the time for privacy has passed. Show her, Kaine. Unless you’re afraid you might lose your baby-maker.”
Oh, tell me she didn’t just say that. Wincing, I held my breath and hoped Kaine didn’t spontaneously combust from hot fury. Instead, his posture changed, relaxed, a small smile forming on his lips. Is this a good sign? Or should I run and get the fire extinguisher?
“First of all, I’ve explained my need for a child. Not that it’s any of your business. I admit that I married her for an heir, but I love her as any man loves his woman. If we never have a child, she will still be my wife and my love.”
“Aw, Kaine. That’s so sweet.” A tear sprang to my eyes and I leaned over to hug him. “Believe it or not, I really want to have your child. Knowing what I do—” I paused, letting the knowledge of his imminent death pass silently between us, “—how could I not?” I swallowed back a happy sob. I’d do anything for him.
He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry I deceived you. But I’m not sorry that you’re my wife. With or without a child.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll have a child.” I’d give him anything and I wanted him to know it. “I want a child with you. For you. For us.”
“Even if you don’t survive either the childbirth or…later?”
A wrecking ball couldn’t have hit me any harder. Why the hell did she have to say that? The familiar terror that always gripped me when I thought of how my parents had really died charged outward from the
pain in my gut. Now that I’d planned on having a child with Kaine, I’d pushed the awful idea of cancer deeper into the recesses of my head. Come hell or high tide, I’d give my hubby what he needed. “Jenn,” I warned, but she blatantly ignored me.
“Chrissy and I have discussed her fears. I’ve done my best to convince her that she will not die in a car accident.” Kaine wrapped his arm protectively around me. “Trust me. I’ll keep her safe.”
Jenn scoffed and narrowed her eyes first at Kaine, then at me. “Oh, really? I’ve spent years trying to get her to believe she won’t die like her parents. Not that anyone can predict the future, but there are tests now to see if a person has a genetic predisposition.”
“Jenn.” This warning was meaner, lower in tone, but just as ineffective as the first one. “I think we need to change the topic.”
“No, Chrissy, let her speak.” Kaine dropped his arm, yet remained close to me. “What does a genetic predisposition have to do with predicting if she’ll be in a car accident?”
The chill—from the air conditioner or from the tension—skimmed over my arm and I had to resist the urge to grab his arm and make him hug me again. “I think she’s said enough.” Please, Jenn, shut the hell up. Don’t make me say anything. Don’t make me go through that pain again. And don’t make Kaine have to go through it with me.
I scowled at Jenn although I knew she only had my best interests at heart. She was one of the few people who knew of my fear. I’d confessed one night in our dorm room over three bottles of Boone’s Farm wine and a greasy pizza. Trust me. The secret wasn’t the only thing I’d upchucked later. Even now my already churning stomach flipped over sickeningly just thinking about it.
“The accident isn’t the whole story.” Jenn waved her hand at me. “Look at her. She’s still afraid she won’t live to raise her own child. And yet, she’s willing to run that risk for you.”
Damn her for knowing me so well. I plastered on what I hoped was a serene expression and fought to keep from trembling. A flash of my parents lying in their coffins blindsided me and I had to clutch Kaine’s arm to remain steady.
