“Now you’re going to be cleared to go anywhere, but we need to work up to it. There are a lot of other realities out there and some of them will seem, well, surprising? I believe you’ve gone through a total transformation. You don’t just have demon bodies. I think you have demon minds as well. If I’m right about that, new environments won’t be frightening, alarming, or disturbing. It won’t seem more unusual to you than traveling to the Amazon rain forest or the Grand Canyon or the Tunisian desert. These places are vastly different, but you take the change of landscape or weather or culture in stride.
“I think that’s the way you will view the new experiences that will unfold for you, when you begin interdimensional travel. Whether I’m with you or not, anytime you feel threatened, launch yourself into the nearest slip and think about home.
“For the next hour or so my friend, Kellareal, who is an angel, is going to talk to you about the general comportment expected of you now that you’ve joined the community of worldwalkers. After that, we’re going to go exploring.”
Sher looked at Torn and grinned. He shared her smile, loving that the idea of new experiences delighted her so much.
That evening sixteen hunters saw things they couldn’t have imagined were possible. They petted dragons with shiny scales of emerald green and cobalt blue. They walked over lava fields without harm in a world with an orange sky. They stood on a windy plateau and watched a battle between Vikings and Angles in a world that was twelve hundred years behind Loti Dimension.
Every new experience was more stunning than the last.
When she believed they’d had a sufficient sampler of life as a demon, she said, “Meet me back at the Abbey,” and disappeared.
When the hunters, all sixteen, returned feeling powerful and powerfully pleased with themselves, they found the dining table and chairs had been replaced with comfortable lounge furniture.
“Take a seat,” Rosie told them. “Congratulations. You passed the test. If you could find your way home from Breitlingen Dimension, you can get back here from anywhere. Consider yourselves certified.
“Now. About today. Thoughts?”
The hunters looked around at each other.
Deck was first to speak. “I understand why you have a concern about how we use this, ah, ability. Being able to do anything is…”
“Let’s fill in the blank. Seductive? Tempting? Overwhelming? Dizzying? Mind blowing?”
The last choice made a few of them chuckle.
“Aye,” Shivaun said. “All of that.”
Rosie turned to her. “I’m sure it makes adapting to the world outside the New Forest seem easier.”
Shivaun nodded. “Do we, em, Sheridan and I have any special concerns?”
Rosie cocked her head. “What do you mean?” The question was reflex, but before Shy could answer, Rosie took her meaning. “Oh!” She shook her head vigorously. “You can’t be forced to do anything you don’t want to do by another elemental. And the males are not stronger than you. As I said earlier though, you, as a single female demon, can be the belle of the ball if you want.”
Shy raised her chin like she was thinking that over.
Rosie went on. “I’m thinking that Black Swan doesn’t need to support the expense of maintaining residences. You can work your districts from here as easily as anywhere. So I’m recalling all of you to the Abbey. From now on it will be home base and also home if you want. Of course, if you want to maintain a separate place, on your own farthing, be my guest. I’d just ask that your main residence be here in Loti Dimension.” At that several of the hunters grinned at each other as if to say, ‘Life is strange’. “Move your stuff back here today.” Almost to herself, she said. “I guess we can let the kitchen staff go.
“Other thoughts?”
“If we don’t need to sleep and don’t need rest,” Razz said, “are we supposed to work all the time?”
“No. Of course not. You still need free time just like before. Only now you’ve got a much broader range of choices on how you’ll spend it.”
Torn leaned into Sher and whispered in her ear, “Got unlimited ways to thrill my girl.”
Sher gave him a smile that said she was imagining couplings with a gorgeous redheaded demon in a hundred different ways in a hundred different worlds and she found that, as a demon, her imagination had expanded to keep pace with her newly acquired worldwalker abilities.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SHIVAUN
The twins and their partners arrived at the Dublin house to gather their things and clear out their belongings. They were standing in the kitchen, taking one last look around when Lyric appeared behind Sheridan. When she turned around, he was there in all his captivating glory.
She grabbed Deck’s light gun and pointed it at Lyric.
The demon put his hands up. “I come bearing gifts.” When he opened his palm, the homing device necklace fell so that it was dangling from the cord looped around his thumb.
“I’m no’ goin’ with ye, demon,” Sheridan spat at Lyric as she put both hands on the pistol to steady it in the most deadly way.
“I’m not here for you, Sheridan. Just returning your, ah, device,” said Lyric.
Torn had sprung to an instant alert and was in between Sher and Lyric. “Is this the fucker who took ye?” He felt for his pistol, but wasn’t wearing it. Which was a good thing because he surely would have stunned the demon into a permanent state of stupor if he could have.
“No offense.” Lyric looked at Sher calmly. “I enjoyed my time with you very much.”
Torn started toward Lyric, but Deck grabbed hold of him. “Easy, brother. Let’s decide how to handle this together.”
Lyric never took his eyes away from Sher, as if Torn was of no concern. That, of course, infuriated Torn even more. Lyric continued, “But I’m not here for you.”
To everyone’s surprise, Shivaun stepped between Lyric and Sher and pressed Sher’s arms down so that the gun was aimed at the floor.
“Let’s hear what the beautiful creature has to say.”
All three of her teammates’ heads jerked toward Shivaun when they heard her call Lyric a ‘beautiful creature’.
Sher gaped. “Shivaun. What are ye doin’? This is the demon who took me.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “But he did no’ harm you. And maybe he had a good reason.”
At that Lyric gave Shivaun a blindingly brilliant, ear to ear, closed mouth smile.
Sher’s mouth fell open even wider. “A good reason? Are you ill?”
Shivaun glanced back at Sheridan. “No,” she replied as if it was a serious inquiry into her health.
Sher looked at Torn. “What’s happened to my sister while I…” she glared at Lyric, “was being HELD AGAINST MY WILL?!?”
Torn replied as if it was a serious question. “She’s missed you. Terribly much. She’s worked. And worked. And she’s told me stories of the two of you growin’ up in a strange land where time stood still.”
Sher looked at Torn like she was having a hard time processing his response. “Has everybody here taken a literal pill?” Torn frowned slightly. “That does no’ explain this strange behavior.”
“No. It does no’.” He shrugged his powerful shoulders. “Maybe she’s attracted to him.”
Truthfully, Torn didn’t care who was attracted to who so long as none of the parties were Sheridan O’Malley.
Sher looked stupefied. Then horrified. Then stupefied. “Likes him! She can no’ like him. He’s a kidnapper.”
“But he did no’ harm you,” Shivaun repeated softly.
Sher acknowledged that Lyric hadn’t harmed her per se, but captivity shouldn’t be looked upon with nonchalance either.
“He held me against my will,” Sher repeated with clenched jaw, glaring at the demon past Shivaun’s shoulder.
“I offered to trade her for you,” Lyric said to Shivaun.
Surprised by that revelation, Shivaun turned toward Lyric and cocked her head with wide
eyes. “You did?” He nodded as his attention drifted down to her lips and lingered there. “Why?”
“She’s mated. You’re not,” he said casually. Then he raised his eyes and locked gazes with her. “But there’s also your name. Shivaun is a name I could say thousands of times without tiring. On my errands. In my sleep.” He deliberately let his voice drop an octave and leaned into her slightly. “Making love.”
Shivaun shuddered visibly. It made Lyric smile and brought the dancing firelight into his eyes.
“Oh for…” Deck said. “Rosie said we could understand all languages. That goes for bullshit, too.”
“But she said no,” Shy said.
“Yes. She thought she was protecting you. I suppose she thought being traded to me was a nightmare.”
“Would it be?” Shivaun said, looking all the more interested in what Lyric had to say.
“Shy!” Deck stepped forward and gently moved Shivaun out of the way. “Are you bewitching her?”
“Not a witch, boy,” Lyric said.
“Bespelling? Enchanting? I don’t care what you call it. Whatever you’re doing, stop it, unless you want to be the first field guinea pig for what happens when we cast the blue net over a demon.”
Lyric narrowed his eyes. “I’d be careful if I were you. What works on me probably works on you as well.” The demon raised his eyebrows and waited to see what else Declan had to say.
While Deck was thinking that Lyric was smarter than he’d hoped, Torn spoke up. “You’re thinkin’ like a human, Deck. We do no’ need weapons to stop this creature in his tracks.”
Deck’s eyes slid slowly to Lyric. “I guess that’s right.”
“Nobody is bespellin’ anybody,” Shivaun said. “I just happen to think he has a certain… appeal.”
“He’s a DEMON, Shy!” Sheridan had not gotten used to people calling her sister Shy and almost made it sound like a pejorative.
“So are YOU, Sher!” Shivaun threw the biting inflection right back at her twin.
Torn, Deck, and Lyric watched in fascination as the twins perfectly synchronized crossing their arms as if they were two people and one brain. The only difference was that one held a gun-shaped object while the other did not.
They glared at each other wordlessly for a few seconds before Sheridan said, “Fine! Just wait ’til you see his cave. He does no’ have a single window.”
Shivaun blinked. “I have no’ said anythin’ about seein’ where he lives. I’m just sayin’ we should let the, um, creature speak. Hear him out. Our da would demand it.”
Sheridan gave her head a quick jerk to the left and resumed gaping. “Our da would take a pitchfork to my kidnapper! No’ insist on treatin’ him like a guest.”
Shivaun turned to Lyric. “She might have a point, demon. What have ye to say for yourself?”
Lyric looked at Shivaun like she was something marvelous to eat. “Do I have permission to lower my hands?”
Shivaun waved impatiently and said, “Tell your story, but be warned. If we do no’ care for it, my partner will stun you into statue land.”
The colorful description caused Torn to tear his glare away from Lyric long enough to exchange a glance with Deck.
Lyric directed his focus to Shivaun and spoke to her as if no one else was there.
“I was on an errand when I passed by a troupe of four travelers in the passes. It piqued my curiosity for three reasons. First, because travelers don’t usually move about in groups. Second, they were moving so slow they were practically standing still. And third, I sensed something quite impossible. Or so I thought. A female demon. A prize beyond all others.”
He noted with considerable satisfaction that Shivaun was drawn into his story like he was telling a spell-laced tale.
“In all of creation I know of only three. Two of them are mated to gods. The other, let’s just say she’s preoccupied and not interested in being courted.”
“Courted.” Shivaun repeated the word as though it was a paradise-like vacation destination.
“Yes.” Lyric leaned in.
Deck pulled his pistol. “Step back.” Lyric raised both eyebrows, but did as Declan requested. “You can talk, but not move.”
Lyric cast a look at Declan that gave away nothing then turned his attention back to Shivaun.
“So when I realized that I had passed within inches of a miracle, I turned back. I could see that they were taking her for granted, not taking care with her as they should. So I took her hand and gave a little tug.” He smiled his blindingly beautiful smile. “And she came with me. Since demons can’t be forced to do what they don’t want to do, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. The she demon was choosing to come home with me.
“But when we arrived, she was not at all what I expected. I thought she was playing a game I didn’t understand when she claimed to have been abducted. I thought she wanted to live out some version of a ‘capture’ fantasy. So I went along to see what would happen. Then she claimed to be elf and not demon. She said she needed a toilet. So I built her a toilet to shame all palaces and she never used it. I brought her food and drink, but she never touched it. She also never slept, but still claimed she was not one of us.
“I couldn’t force her to tell the truth until she was ready. So I decided to bide my time and try to convince her that, if she was looking for a mate, she should consider me.” He lowered his voice, his gaze boring into Shivaun’s. “I have a lot to offer.”
“So you really didn’t think you were kidnapping her?” Shivaun asked.
“Shy!” Deck said. “Please tell me you are not buying this load of demon droppings.”
Shivaun glanced over her shoulder. “Seems plausible to me.” Lyric smiled like the Cheshire cat. “Is that all?”
“Oh, no,” Lyric purred. “There’s more.”
“Well, what is it?”
“I’d like to spend time with you.” His eyes flicked to Torn, Sher, and Deck just before he said, “Alone.”
“Why?” Shivaun breathed.
“I’ll get to know you better. You get to know me better.”
“You’re talking about a date!” Sher spat. “You want to date my sister, you conniving creature.”
He ignored the last half of what Sher said. “Yes! A date! I, Lyric, want to go on a date with you, Shivaun.” Shy closed her eyes briefly from the pure pleasure of the way the demon said her name. “What could be bad about that?”
“What could be bad about that,” Sher began, “is that you might just decide to keep her. You made it clear to me, when you believed I couldn’t get away, that you had no intention of letting me go.”
Lyric did his best to look innocent. “I’m sorry if I gave you that impression.”
“Why you…” Sher started toward Lyric, but Shy held out a stiff arm that stopped her progress.
“Just a minute,” Shy said. “’Tis my choice.”
“Shivaun,” Sher said. “Do no’ be taken in by this thing. I know he’s beautiful…”
“Hold on,” said Torn indignantly.
Sheridan continued without missing a beat, “But he’s no’ what he appears to be at the moment.”
Shivaun turned to Sher. “Rosie said we’re no’ in danger.”
“That’s because she does no’ know this demon.”
“I get that you’re worried. I felt the same way when you took up with Torrent Finngarick.”
“I didn’t ‘take up’ with Torn. We’re mated!”
“Still.”
“Still? What can I say to get you to see reason?”
“I’ll go along with that,” Deck said.
“Look.” Shy put a hand to her forehead for a second. “I’m no’ proposin’ a handfastin’. I’m considerin’ a date.”
“And you do no’ see a problem there?”
“No. What’s the problem?”
Sher crossed her arms. “The problem is this. How many dates have you been on?”
Shy would have flushed
if she was still elf. As it was she simply looked flustered. “None.”
“That’s right. You have no, as in zero, experience with the opposite sex.” Lyric’s head slowly swiveled to Shivaun and it was clear that she just became his entire raison d’être.
“So?” Shivaun crossed her own arms and adopted a stance that looked like she was preparing to dig into an intractable position.
“So!” Sher turned to Lyric. “How old are you again?”
Lyric dropped his chin, but kept his eyes on Sher. “Very.”
“Right. And how many females have you ‘dated’?” She put that in air quotes. “Do no’ bother to lie. We will all know if you do.”
“Many,” he gritted out grudgingly.
To Shivaun, she said, “Exactly. Your first experience with the opposite sex should no’ be with someone who…”
“Knows what he’s doing?” Lyric offered.
Shivaun gave Lyric a coy smile like she understood that to be a sexual reference.
“Someday you may be lucky enough to be mated,” Sher went on.
“And if that happens,” Shy said, “it won’t hurt anythin’ for me to have a broader understandin’ of… things. From what I hear, your mate had the broadest ‘understandin’ possible.” She put ‘understanding’ in air quotes.
Sheridan gaped.
Torn said, “Let’s just…”
“Wait a minute,” Deck said to Torn. “A catfight between the twins could be kind of, I don’t know, fun.”
Torn glared at Declan. “’Tis my mate you’re talkin’ about.”
“Yes. But it’s my fantasy you’re trying to deprive me of.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Sheridan told Deck. “Nobody is fightin’ anybody. If my sister will no’ see reason and wants to make an epic mistake with this dick of a demon, then so be it.”
“’Tis my life,” Shivaun said, as haughty as any teenager.
“Indeed ’tis,” Sher confirmed. “So go on. Be off with ye.”
“We’re supposed to be moving our stuff to Hunter Abbey. Or has everybody lost sight of that fact along with their minds?” Deck asked.
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