She found it amazing the things people did or said around people in the service industry. Almost like people thought since bartenders and servers just waited on them, the help didn’t know or care what was going on. But they did, if the price was right. Forget church, people confessed things to their bartenders that would make Satan himself cringe. All that alcohol really helped loosen the tongue.
“Just follow my lead, and don’t say anything stupid.”
Kiernan feigned an innocent look. “When have I ever said anything stupid?”
Just every time you open your mouth, she thought. Thankfully, she had the foresight not to mumble this time, Daemon ears and all.
“Just stay out of the way. I can handle this on my own.”
He scoffed. “Obviously, you can’t or Racine wouldn’t have sent me along to help.”
“I don’t need your help,” she growled, hands curling into tight balls at her side. Oh, how she wanted to slug that little smirk right off his face.
The light faded over the Rockies casting shadows, dusk. Hours to go till prime hunting time, but only a fool would let their guard down. Kakos and other monsters prowled the Denver streets, but they weren’t alone. Other dangers roamed. Humans possessed just as much capacity for evil as supernatural beings, sometimes more. The inner city would never be the friendliest of places.
They passed the Denver Public Library and entered Civic Park. The park lay in the heart of Denver, wedged between the city and county building and the state capitol. One would think that would be enough incentive to keep the park clean and free of crime. It wasn’t. She loved the park during the day, the fountain, the statues, the amphitheater. But at night, however, things got a little dicey. The sunlight continued to fade as they walked, putting Tabitha on alert.
All seemed quiet as they moved down the stone steps of the Greek-like amphitheater. A homeless man took shelter in one of the entrance doors, curled up in a dirty sleeping bag and snoring lightly. She felt for the man. Hard enough being homeless, but in Colorado half of the year was brutal weather-wise.
A siren rang out in the fading light, a common noise in a city so large. She paused to listen to its direction, west on Speer. As it faded into the distance, she heard another noise, branches rustling. A familiar sound when the wind blew through the trees. However, the air stilled. No wind tonight. Immediately, her gaze darted to the treetops, scanning. Sparse trees scattered through Civic Park. The light faded fast, and her eyes failed her. She couldn’t see anything. She turned to continue walking when something fell from the trees and landed on top of her head.
A sharp sting sliced her cheek. Instantly, she knew what she discovered. A Changeling.
Changelings could imitate any animal on earth, except a human. Solitary creatures, very territorial, very poisonous. One scratch could sicken a Daemon for days and kill a man in two hours.
“You little bastard,” she screamed, ripping the Changeling from her head. It chattered at her—currently possessing the form of a squirrel—and swiped a tiny paw at her face. She felt its small claws graze her lower lip. If she didn’t do something fast, this thing was going to kill her. Wouldn’t that be a headline to see: Woman dead after violent squirrel attack. Authorities say it’s nuts!
Throwing the Changeling as hard as she could against the tree with her free hand, she pulled out the dagger she kept in her boot. The Changeling hit the tree with a sickening smack. It fell to the ground, shifting forms into a four-hundred-and-fifty-pound Bengal tiger. Yeah, that didn’t look suspicious in the inner city. She needed to kill it quickly, before anyone came along and saw a giant predator native to India in the middle of Colorado. She supposed she could always say it escaped from the zoo. Wouldn’t explain why she was currently trying to kill it.
The Changeling growled, crouching down on its legs, getting ready to pounce. She wished she brought her sword. Of all the times to leave it at home, but this was only supposed to be a recon mission. Too late now, her dagger would have to do. She eyed the Changeling/tiger waiting for the first flicker of movement. Its eyes glowed brightly in the darkening night. The creature stepped closer. Close enough for her to see whiskers flick back, and the great beast bare its teeth. She held her ground, barely breathing, ignoring the searing pain in her cheek and lip.
With a flick of its tail, the Changeling leapt into the air. Tabitha braced herself for the impact, but it never came. In mid-leap, the Changeling transformed once more, this time into a dark crow. It flew off into the night sky, cawing what she could only assume as great insults directed at her.
Wincing from the pain now seeping through her entire face, she turned to face Kiernan. He leaned against a tree, watching her with an amused look on his face. She wanted to scowl at him, but pinpricks of pain lanced through her face numbing her expression. The poison was spreading.
“Thanks for your help,” she managed to mumble, though it sounded much less sarcastic than she wanted it to.
Kiernan pushed himself off the tree and started toward her. “I thought you said you didn’t need my help.”
She tried to glare at him, but her head swam. She needed to get back to council headquarters immediately. They had an antidote for Changeling venom there.
“Council headquarters.” Her mouth sounded full of marbles.
Kiernan shook his head, the playful light in his eyes now gone. “It’s too far away, even if I fly you there. You have two wounds. The poison is spreading.”
He took another step forward, reaching out. She jumped back from his touch. Or tried to. More of a stumble, the poison affecting her equilibrium.
“You’re confusing me here, Tabby Cat. You want my help or not?”
His ice-blue eyes bore into hers. All signs of teasing gone. The poison must have made it to her brain because she had trouble understanding what he meant.
“Tabitha.” Kiernan’s deep voice seemed to come out of a fog. “Let me help you.”
He once more reached for her face. Grasping the back of her head, he pulled her to him. Dizzy from the poison, she could do nothing but let him. Kiernan tilted her head, bringing his face inches from hers. She felt his warm breath on her cheek. The fog began to clear. She realized what he was doing.
Daemon breath held healing qualities. Technically, their saliva, but licking people was not the most pleasant way to render healing, unless you were a dog. The molecules of moisture in Daemon breath were powerful enough to heal most minor wounds. Like Changeling scratches. Tabitha felt a warm glow caress her body as Kiernan’s healing breath counteracted the poison. Her head cleared, and she lifted her face to his.
Heat burned her cheeks. She once again cursed his Daemon night vision. Bad enough he saw her wounded by a Changeling, but to have his hands on her, his breath, while she blushed like a damn schoolgirl was more than she could bear. Tiny sparks of sensation shot across her body at the close contact. She tried to wish them away, but it didn’t work.
“Thanks,” she managed to mummer.
The smirk came back. “There’s one more.”
Her lip. She could have refused. She felt well enough to make it to council headquarters. Most of the poison was gone, and the scratch on her lip much smaller than the one on her cheek. She could have insisted he drive her to council headquarters to get the antidote, but she didn’t. Instead, she tilted her head back. Some poison must still affect her brain.
Kiernan’s smirk turned into a full-on grin as he lowered his head. She felt the heat racing through her body as his lips came closer. Her eyes drifted closed of their own accord. She cursed her stupid body for reacting. Kiernan’s hot breath whispered across her lips, so close all she had to do was move forward half an inch to complete the contact.
A shiver racked her body, but not from the chilly temperature. She felt the wound seal up and the last of the poison leave her body. He hovered over her. She stayed perfectly still, not moving a muscle. If she did, all self-control would be lost. Then the headlines would read: Man and woman arr
ested in park for lewd acts. Authorities say it’s better than Pay-Per-View.
Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the lightest brush of Kiernan’s lips against her own. Then he was gone. She opened her eyes to find him standing a few feet away. The smirk back on his face.
“There you go, Tabby Cat. All better.”
The heat left her body as her head cleared. How could she be so stupid? She put all her willpower into keeping her hands at her side. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to knock him out or pull him closer to feel the full force of those soft lips. He seemed to realize her inner battle, because the smirk widened into a devilish grin, and his eyes gleamed with desire.
“I’m going home.” She turned and headed back the way they had come. She could not work with this man.
Kiernan’s soft footsteps quickly followed. “Home? One tiny fight with a Changeling, not even full grown by the way, and you call it a night? Where’s the great Enforcer who doesn’t need anyone’s help to catch the bad guys?”
“I’m tired.”
He laughed lightly, the deep tremble angering and turning her on at the same time. She felt his large presence behind her. His hot breath hit the nape of her neck as her ponytail swung with the forceful movements of her steps.
“Did I miss some of the poison?” His voice a deep whisper just above her ear. “I could try again.”
Oh, hell no. He would not use his sex appeal to intimidate her. A very satisfying grunt left Kiernan’s lips as her elbow connected with his gut. She turned, smiling sweetly as he rubbed the offended spot and glared at her. “Guess I’m not that tired after all.”
Throwing what she hoped was her own little annoying smirk back at him, Tabitha walked past Kiernan in the direction of the bar. Stupid letting her hormones take over from an almost kiss. She had to focus. Four very dangerous Kakos lurked in her town, and she needed to rein them in. Who knew how many they had already killed?
Kakodaemons were smart enough to feed off outcasts mostly—the homeless, loners, human beings no one would miss. Hard to track deaths when no one cared enough to report them. It made her sad every time she thought about it.
Who were these people, and why did no one care when they disappeared? How did they come to be that way? She had a soft spot for the forgotten. Volunteering at an animal shelter to do her part. The abandoned beings of the world held a special place in her heart. Outside work, Tabitha had no one. Her father refused to speak to her after the accident, and he forbade her from visiting her sister, not like he could stop her. Her mother took off long ago, and for a while she held out hope, but her mother was never coming back. As for friends, kind of hard to make friends when you hunted the supernatural for a living. Unless you wanted to make friends with the guy by the side of the highway who thought aliens sent him messages through his flatulence.
Tabitha was alone. Just as alone as the animals she cared for and the people Kakos hunted. But she’d grown used to it. She didn’t need anyone. Besides, she couldn’t afford to let anyone get too close. If they knew her true identity, what she could do…well, there was a reason her mother had disappeared and never come back.
A glance over her shoulder revealed Kiernan following behind, that sexy grin still in place. No, she couldn’t let her guard down. Not even for a moment. Because she feared the minute she opened herself up to more with the frustratingly handsome Daemon, she’d lose herself in him. And she could never allow that to happen. No matter how much she craved it.
Chapter 5
“Wicked punch you got there.”
“Just keep your distance,” she threw over her shoulder, not slowing her pace.
“Sorry.” He did not sound the least bit sorry. “Next time you are dying, I’ll leave you to rot.”
She stopped midstride, exhaling heavily. He had a point. Kiernan saved her butt back there. She would have been lucky to make it back home, let alone all the way to council headquarters. If not for him, she’d be worm food right now. She owed him some gratitude. She just hated admitting it. And she really hated the way he made her feel. Hated that she liked it.
Exasperated, she turned to face him while trying her best to look contrite. “Thank you. I’m sorry I snapped at you, Kiernan. I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, and I’m tired.”
He stared at her with those mesmerizing ice-blue eyes. A girl could get lost in those eyes. She squirmed under his gaze wishing he would just say another caustic remark and they could move on, but he didn’t. Instead, he turned and headed in another direction.
“What are you doing? The club is that way.” She pointed the way they had been going, but he ignored her and continued to walk until the trees and grass of the park gave way to cement sidewalks and paved road.
“You said you were tired, and the club won’t really start hopping for another few hours.”
He crossed the street as the neon sign changed from the red hand to the white walking person. She followed, completely baffled as to where the Euadaemon headed. Her confusion soon cleared as they came to one of the many coffee shops housed in the downtown area.
“Care for a cup?” he asked, holding the door open for her.
Coffee? Everyone knew she was a caffeine addict. How sweet of Kiernan to consider her need for a fix. She watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye as she entered the small shop. Sweetness and Kiernan did not mix. What was he up to?
The rich aroma of roasted coffee beans hit her instantly. Her nerves calmed. A drinker since the age of sixteen, Tabitha loved coffee. She refused to get out of bed without it and had been known to go through six or seven cups a day. The heavenly scent of freshly brewed coffee made even her sourest mood turn cheery.
Score one for smirk man.
Her worries temporarily forgotten, due to the anticipation of legally addictive stimulation in a cup, she glided up to the counter to place her order.
“Large Americano, room for cream please.”
“Make it two,” Kiernan said from behind her, pulling out some cash.
She could have argued. Tabitha had money for her own cup, but she really was a bit tired after her incident with the Changeling. Undoubtedly, he would hassle her for refusing his kindness. No reason to start another fight and miss out on good hot java. She’d count it as retribution for all the times he pissed her off. The beginnings of retribution. It would take an entire coffee shop to make up for all the times Kiernan had gotten under her skin.
The barista took the money and set about making their order. Tabitha always ordered an Americano because it took much less time than those fancy mochachino drinks and cost less too. Why did people need those fancy drinks anyway? Whatever happened to good old cream and sugar? It tasted the same in the end. Maybe she didn’t have a fancy palate, but she did have a thicker wallet.
The barista, a skinny, hipster kid with shaggy hair—looked like it hadn’t seen shampoo in many days—handed over their drinks and disappeared into the back. The coffee shop was nearly empty. A couple sat in a corner at a chess table, not playing. A lone man sat in a plush chair near the door reading a finance magazine and the quintessential writer had set up in the center of the shop with his laptop open, writing away for all to see.
Tabitha doctored her drink the way she liked it and headed for two chairs near the back. Kiernan skipped the cream and sugar stand, following silently and sat in the chair opposite her. The fragrant steam rose from her cup, tickling her nose. She closed her eyes, enjoying the aroma. A smile curved her lips as she brought the warm liquid heaven to her mouth and let it run down her throat. Oh yeah, this was what she needed.
“I should buy you coffee more often.”
Startled by Kiernan’s deep voice, she opened her eyes. She almost forgot about him sitting there. “What?”
“Coffee. You seem to enjoy it.” His bright gaze rested on her lips. “You should smile more. It’s lovely.”
A warm flush heated her face. She dipped her head over her cup, blaming the blush on the
coffee steam. Dammit, his charm did not work on her. Nope, not at all. She was never quite sure if his compliments were serious or just another way to get under her skin and annoy her. Either way, they confused her more than an AP chemistry class.
“We should talk about the game plan for when we get to the club.” She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact. If she didn’t have to stare into those sinfully beautiful eyes, she could focus on the current mission. Damn Daemon DNA.
Kiernan chuckled at her obvious change of topic. So much for subtlety. She disregarded him and plowed ahead.
“We’ll want to talk to the wait staff and, most importantly, the bartender.” She took another sip of coffee. Every sip supplying liquid fortitude. “They are the eyes and ears of everything and everyone in that place. How long has The Basement been open?”
Long fingers stirred coffee with a thin wooden stick. She ignored the memory of those gentle appendages brushing against her skin only a few minutes ago.
“Not long. A few weeks maybe.”
She chewed on her lower lip. “Hmm. Okay, that means most of their customers will be promos.”
One thick, dark eyebrow arched.
“Promotions,” she explained. “They’re a new club so they have to do a lot of promoting—flyers, emails, newspapers. A lot of in and out flow, not long enough to establish regulars. New people checking it out every night and never coming back.”
“Perfect hunting ground,” Kiernan said darkly.
She nodded. Damn, these Kakos were smart. Not a good sign. Most Kakos lost bits of their sanity with each soul they took. Stryden not only retained his intelligence, but somehow was smart enough to get three other Kakos to follow him. Not a good sign. This assignment shaped up to be a very difficult.
“How do you know Stryden was at The Basement?” she asked, once again suspicious of his idea to go the club. She planned to suggest club hopping as well, but not a particular one. She figured they would peruse them all until they found the one the Kako leader visited.
Daemon Uprising Page 3
