by Judith Post
“Except you?” Damian looked at her with concern. “What will it cost you to open those books?”
“It’s according to how careful I am. I intend to take precautions. Reece will help me.”
“Me?” Reece’s voice was almost a squeak, even to her own ears. “What if I mess up? Will you be hurt?”
“We’ll manage. But first, we need to protect ourselves as much as possible. Wedge, did we spray a protective potion around your property when we fought the rogues?”
“No need to. No rogue would dare step foot on my land. My pack would smell it and destroy it.”
“A demon’s a different matter. It’s time we sprayed the entire perimeter. The sooner, the better.”
Damian’s scowl deepened as he gazed out the windows to the city below them. “What about the church and our nest? We never sprayed those either.”
“We couldn’t, or we couldn’t lure the rogues there. But now we need to protect everyone and everything we can.”
Wedge pushed himself to his feet, his cell phone in hand. “I’ll call Bull. If you give us enough potion, we can do our own spraying, unless a witch has to do it.”
Hecate shook her head. “Our magic’s bespelled into the liquid. It will save us all time if you do your own.”
Reece glanced around at her big, open loft. They’d sprayed protective potion on every baseboard when the rogues were loose in Bay City. They’d even sprayed the parking garage and the lawns. Tedious work. Was it enough to keep a demon at bay? “Have you used protective potions on demons before? Are they strong enough?”
Hecate pulled at a strand of her hair. “In theory, the potions protect against any enemy—human, Were, demon, or vamp.”
“You didn’t mention wizard,” Damian pointed out.
Hecate pushed her plate away. “If he has stronger magic than I do, my spells won’t help.”
Reece’s hand went to her moonstone pendant. She moved it back and forth on its chain. “You defeated a wizard before, the one who summoned the fire demon. How did you do it?”
“Luna and I stole his books and ran. We separated and hid from him until we felt safe that he didn’t follow us.”
Andre blinked. “So you never defeated him.”
“No, and I might not be able to defeat this one either.”
“What if we all work together?” Wedge began to pace. “We have two witches, three gargoyles, and my entire pack.”
Reece glanced at him. For once, Wedge counted her as part of the team, a valuable part. He ruined it when he added, “The kid’s not up to par, but she’s good enough, isn’t she?”
“Maybe, but Luna’s as strong as I am, and we were afraid to face him, even together.” Hecate collected dirty dishes and headed to the kitchen. Reece rose to help. Better to keep busy when fear roiled her insides. The men followed suit.
“What are you saying?” Damian wanted specifics. “If we all work together, are we still in trouble?”
“It’s still risky.” Hecate motioned to Wedge and Andre. “Weres won’t stand a chance against a demon. They probably won’t survive a warlock this powerful either. It would be better if they stayed away.”
Wedge stopped in his tracks and squared his strong shoulders. “If we can kill vampires, why not warlocks?”
“Vamps can’t blast you with so much magic, it pulverizes your internal organs.”
Wedge balled his hands into fists. He wasn’t used to sitting on the sidelines when there was trouble. “But you’d take her?” He pointed to Reece. “Isn’t that like leading a lamb to slaughter?”
“Reece has more magic than you or she realizes. Neither of us can attack the warlock, but we might think of a way to survive him.”
“No.” Damian put an arm around Reece’s shoulders. “It’s too dangerous. Let Benito, Antony, and me deal with this.”
“You can’t.”
“I agree with Damian.” Andre came to stand behind Hecate. “If you die, what have you accomplished? We won’t know where to begin without you. Tell us what to do, and you two stay safe.”
Hecate’s eyes glittered. Tears? No, anger. She raised a hand and a white ball of energy hit Damian in the chest. He flew backwards, slamming against the brick wall. He shook his head, trying to clear it.
“How are you going to deal with that?” Hecate’s voice shook with emotion. “That was just a love pat. I have stronger energy. The warlock will have more than I have.”
A growl rumbled deep in Wedge’s throat. “We’re not sending two women to fight our battles.”
“Two witches.” Reece’s hands went to her hips. “And we’re the only ones who can.”
Wedge pressed his lips together, his eyes tinged an angry yellow, but he kept tight control over his inner Were.
Hecate’s tone grew soothing. “We know if we need your help, we can depend on it. But for now, the best thing to do is to protect our own. Let’s start spraying.”
Andre went to the closet that held Reece’s potions. “How much do you need?”
He seemed as grateful as Reece that there was something to do, something that might help.
Wedge opened his cell and punched numbers. “I’ll have my men meet us at the church. That's where you'll start, right? We’ll load our supplies and spray my property ourselves. That way, you four can get to work protecting Damian’s nest.”
“The priest, too,” Damian said. “If it’s all right, I’d like to spray the entire block. I don't want an enemy to get close to him.”
“We have enough potion for all of it.” Hecate frowned at the shelves lined with filled, spray bottles. “At least, I hope so.”
Reece grabbed an armload of them. If she had enough time and magic, she’d protect every corner of Bay City. She’d put potions in the city’s drinking water and douse racks of clothes at malls. No black magic could put a toe here.
Damian saw the look in her eyes and shook his head. “You can’t dust a city with magic like farmers dust crops.”
Her brows flew up. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “I didn't think of a fly-over."
“It’s too much. It won’t work. Let’s get started.” Hecate dragged out grocery bags that Reece stored under the sink and began filling them with the bottles.
It took more trips up and down in the elevator than Reece had thought, but eventually, they were ready. The temperatures had climbed higher than predicted, so the day was mild. She wiped sweat off her face and put a hand to her aching back. A long bath. That’s what she'd need when she finally got home. No, a shower was better. Damian could join her under the warm water.
The church wasn't that far from where Reece lived. It was located in a rundown neighborhood threatened by gentrification. In a few years, the area might even be trendy. As they drove past her studio on the way there, Wedge looked at her, surprised. “I just thought, this is a weekday. Why aren’t you teaching kids how to hit and kick each other?”
Reece grimaced. “I teach defensive arts. You know it. But too many people leave for spring breaks to keep giving classes.”
“Can you stay away from your dojo that long?”
He knew her too well. Her dojo helped restore her mood, it helped center her. “Why? Are you afraid I’m going to be mean to you?”
He grinned. “I’m used to that, but I worry about poor Damian.”
“He knew what he was in for when he signed on with me.”
Damian reached to take her hand. “If I wanted a sweet-tempered woman, I’d have looked elsewhere.”
“Hey!” She gave his arm a playful punch.
Andre shook his head. “He’s telling the truth. You witches are mesmerizing, but you’re difficult women.”
Their banter ended when Reece pulled to the curb behind a black pickup with Bull waiting beside it. No one could miss Wedge’s second in command. His nickname suited him—wide shoulders, a thick neck, and a beefy build. A second Were stood beside him, one Reece had never met.
Wedge climbed from the SUV and made intr
oductions. “Reece, this is Whitey. Whitey, the witch.”
“Whitey? Isn’t that a little racist?” Wedge didn't strike her that way.
Bull snorted. “See his widow’s peak? When he switches, a white streak runs down the center of his entire face. Hence, Whitey.”
“Aaah.” Reece thought of Choco, a black man who’d been bitten by the rogues, and his friend, Spikes, with her short, spiky hair. “What you see is what you’re named.”
“Exactly.” Bull chuckled. “Nice to hang out with you again, witch.”
“Same here.” Reece liked the Were. “Take enough potion to keep yourselves safe.”
“Will do.” Bull and Whitey began transferring bags to the bed of the pickup. Wedge jumped in to stack them properly.
Damian tugged at her arm. “We’ll have to spray both blocks, since the church sits on one side of the street and the priest’s house is across from it. You and I can spray the north and east sides, and Hecate and Andre can take the south and west. When we finish spraying the streets, we can start on the church.”
Reece grabbed two spray bottles to follow him, then froze as dark smoke slithered between two houses. “Hecate!”
Her fellow witch turned and raised a hand, ready to blast.
Andre sniffed. “A smoker. I’d say a barbecue.”
Reece wrinkled her nose, breathing out. A vision of the dead man’s ribs sprang to mind and she pushed it away.
Andre sniffed again. “Chicken.”
Damian let out a slow breath. “Once we spray, the demon can’t come here. Let’s get busy.”
People came to sit on their porches to watch them. Reece thought surely someone would ask them about it, but no one did. Apparently, in this neighborhood, people didn’t interfere in other peoples’ business. Wedge and his men pulled away before they finished. Reece’s fingers grew stiff as she worked the bottles. Who knew that spraying could cramp your hand?
It was no quick job, but eventually, she and Damian met up with Hecate and Andre, and the entire two-block area was protected.
Hecate clenched and unclenched her hand. Her fingers must feel stiff too. “Let’s take a break before we start on the church.”
Reece stretched. Her spine felt like a pretzel. At five-eight, she didn’t have to bend as much as Andre did to spray the curbs, but her muscles still protested. A bath, she decided, definitely a long, hot soak before bed. Damian was taller than all of them, but his muscles were chiseled into alabaster, and they never seemed to tire.
“I need a cold beer,” Andre grumbled.
“We can help with that.” Antony cracked a door and motioned them inside the church. He and Benito never left during the daylight hours. Even disguised, their coloring was too dramatic to avoid notice. Benito’s marble skin and pure white hair attracted attention every bit as much as Antony’s rosy hues. Of course, their wings might cause a stir, too. Damian was bulky enough that when he pulled his close to his back, he could hide them under tent-sized shirts, but the two older gargoyles had leaner builds, and their wings stood out.
Andre ducked inside the church and pelted up the staircase to the gargoyles’ nest. Half of his beer was gone before Reece joined them. Benito smiled and handed her a glass of wine. “Damian’s made sure we stocked your preference, too.”
Reece jostled alongside Damian and Andre on one of the couches clustered in the center of the room. Only Hecate remained standing.
“How’s it going?” Antony perched on a nearby chair. The chess board, Reece noticed, had been pushed out of the way to make room for a pile of sandwiches.
Damian noticed, too, and reached for one. He gulped his beer and then enjoyed his snack.
“We never sprayed to protect you,” Reece explained, “because we had to cage the rogues here when we caught them. If we had used protective potion, we couldn’t bring enemies here as prisoners.”
“So we’re spraying it now.” Hecate downed her beer and reached for another one.
Antony’s brows rose in surprise. “Do you think we’re in danger?”
Hecate's nails bit into her palms. “I don’t know why the warlock came here, what his purpose is. And I don’t know why he summoned a demon. If we stand in his way, he’ll enjoy battling us. Supernaturals have more energy than humans. If he destroys us, that energy will become his.”
“He has no fear of gargoyles?” Benito asked.
“I doubt it.” Hecate frowned in thought. “We don’t know what we’re up against or why.”
“Research.” Antony motioned to his computer. “One of a gargoyle’s greatest strengths. We'll ask our friends around the world if they know anything that might help us.”
Reece put a hand to her moonstone necklace. “I haven’t had one tingle, one image from Luna. Usually, when I'm danger, she knows.”
Hecate stared at the translucent stone. “Luna would have advice about demons. She’d be worried. Have you tried to ask her?”
Reece nodded. “It’s like we’re disconnected.”
Hecate’s jaw tightened. “Like something’s jamming you?”
“Can someone do that?” Reece hadn’t considered it. She didn’t know it was something to worry about.
“Only if it’s intentional, and someone knows about your connection to Luna and is purposely blocking it.”
“Who’d know? I’m too new. I shouldn’t be on anyone’s radar yet.”
Hecate scraped a hand through her lush hair. Her creamy complexion turned chalk white. “When was the last time you heard from Luna?”
A chill slithered up Reece’s spine. “I don’t know. It’s been a while.”
Hecate slumped onto a chair. “Whoever the warlock is, he knows about you, probably me too. He came here, knowing you’re Luna’s great-granddaughter.”
Damian interrupted. “Then why come? Why not go somewhere free of witches?”
“Maybe we're what brought him. There's no better energy than a witch who hasn’t tapped into her full potential. And I’d be a great entree—enough substance to last a while.”
Andre snarled. "So he came for you?"
Reece’s thoughts immediately flew to her brother and sister. “What about Joseph and Jenny? They have Luna’s bloodline, too. They’re just kids, eight and five.”
“Even better. Joseph doesn’t have any magic of his own, but Rutherford genes are in his blood. If he marries and has a daughter, she’ll be a witch. Jenny’s powers aren’t huge, but they’re fresh. Between the four of us, a warlock couldn’t find a better city to gorge on.”
Reece pushed to her feet. “The kids have to leave. Today. As soon as I can get tickets to send them somewhere.”
“What about school?” Antony was always the scholar.
“If they’re dead, education won’t matter.” Reece started toward the stairs. “They’ll be on spring break next week. They can leave early. I’m calling for tickets right now.”
“Your mom. Your stepdad….” Andre grimaced. “Sorry, but they’re difficult to work with.”
“Mom will do whatever’s best for the kids.” Reece stopped abruptly. How could she say that? Her mother had married Eugene, the biggest jerk in the world, and she let him rant and rave, and quite often threaten, both Jenny and Joseph.
Damian sighed, watching her face. “Your mother won’t let a demon or a warlock harm them. Call her. And be honest. They’re in serious danger.”
"Wait." Benito raised a hand. "Why a demon? If the warlock's that powerful, why not take your powers by himself?"
A good question. Everyone looked to Hecate for an answer.
She shook her head. "This is all theory. I don't know."
Reece nodded and went down the stairs and outside to talk to her mother. When she returned, Damian looked at her questioningly.
“As soon as I find tickets, Mom will yank the kids out of school and go on vacation with them. Eugene won’t take time off from work, but I don’t care about him.”
“Use Benito's computer and get the tickets now,�
�� Damian said. “We'll spray the church.”
They all got busy, even Benito and Antony. Soon, Reece had flight plans printed out and the entire building was protected. No enemy could enter—unless the warlock had more magic than any evil creature deserved.
Hecate was quiet while they worked. She’d withdrawn into her private thoughts. Andre glanced at her occasionally, but respected her silence.
Before they left, Benito lowered his voice to confront Reece. “Maybe you should go with your family. It sounds as though you’ve been singled out here. It might be safer if you left.”
Reece straightened to her full height. “And leave all of you and Hecate to die? How could I live with myself? I might be new, but I’m a witch. I have powers. I can help.”
“Child….”
She cut Benito off. “Thank you for caring about me. But I can’t go. I’d never forgive myself.”
He nodded. “We understand.”
They did, she knew. The gargoyles would never flee to save themselves.
Damian hooked an arm around her waist and led her down the stairs. Hecate and Andre followed. It was a quiet drive home. Reece found herself glancing at the sky at each red light. The ground was cold, and the air was warm. Would there be fog tonight? Would there be mists off the bay, or would there be something deadlier traveling through their city?
Chapter 4
Reece drove home on autopilot. Her mind wandered, trying to decide how to stop a demon. Could they scare it away if they found it, so that it didn’t harm anyone? She reached the corner for her parking garage, turned, and gaped. An Egyptian pharoah stood in the center of the street, holding a long rod in his right hand. At least, he looked like a pharaoh, right out of the old movies she watched on late night TV.
She stomped, hard, on the brake and swerved to a stop. He wore what looked like a short, golden kilt and a tall, golden headdress. A thick, gold collar circled his neck. His skin glowed bronze, and an aura of power buzzed around him. Long, raven hair fell to his shoulders.
