by Judith Post
Hecate grew still. “Nen’s building more magic. He’s trying for more control over the demon. He’ll have to release it soon to let it feed, and he wants to make sure it can’t escape again.”
Reece hugged herself. The balcony doors were open, and the weather was mild, but she shivered. “How does he do that—build more energy?”
Hecate rolled off the sofa and came to join them. “Has anyone gone missing lately?”
Shit. That's not what Reece wanted to hear.
Damian answered. “A homeless man who usually camps at the railroad overpass hasn’t been seen in a few days, and a prostitute who works the street on Broadway got in a car with someone two nights ago. No one’s seen her since.”
“Nen.” Hecate went for coffee. She poured extra cream and sugar into her mug.
“Jimmerson and his partner have been watching the house all day, every day, and we’ve watched it at night. No one's come or gone.”
Reece remembered Jimmerson, the Latino she’d met at the apartment when they’d found the young prostitute. He came across as a cocky rookie, but competent enough. She turned to Hecate. “Nen could use an obscuring spell to leave the house, but how could he bring people back without being seen?”
“An obscuring spell?” Damian frowned.
“So that he’d blend in with his surroundings. He wouldn’t be invisible,” Reece remembered finding the dark witch Minerva when she’d tried to blend with a brick building, “but he might as well be. You wouldn’t see him.”
“What about a back door or an alley?” Andre asked, stating the obvious.
“Covered. Benito and Antony watch those from rooftops at night. Pete had them put up a surveillance camera for day time.”
“Then Nen didn’t kill them at the house.” Hecate paced between the potted plants near the French doors and her friends at the kitchen table. “Once I think about it, that makes more sense. If he slit mortals’ throats near the demon, he’d make it too agitated. It’s fed recently, but if it saw food, it would want it. And what would Nen do with the bodies? They’d stink if he tossed them in the basement. All he wants is their blood.”
Reece grimaced. “Isn’t there a ceremony or something? Or does he just kill them?”
“He can build an altar anywhere.” Hecate paused and turned to Damian. “Did you notice dark clouds near the city when you stood watch?”
Damian’s eyes went wide. “About three this morning. Near the park by the city zoo. Thunder and lightning.”
“His ritual. We’ll find the bodies there.” Hecate rinsed her mug and started for the bathroom. “Give me a few minutes to get ready. I should have thought of the obscuring spell. I didn’t think he’d take a chance on leaving the demon again, but he must be feeling pretty sure of himself.”
Reece pushed her half-eaten plate of eggs away. She no longer had an appetite. Images from the spell book flooded her mind.
Andre frowned at her. “You look a little green. Do you have any of that cleansing potion here?”
Hecate shook her head. “Sorry about that. I should have let you finish your breakfast first.”
Reece tried to block the spells and rituals from her thoughts. “No time’s better than another, believe me.”
“But why would Nen capture people and hold them two days before he sacrificed them?” Damian persisted. “Why not just grab them before the ceremony?”
Hecate tossed an apologetic glance at Reece. “Because he wanted to feed off their fear and suffering before he killed them. Emotions are almost like an appetizer before the main course of blood.”
Reece could feel the color drain from her face and knew she’d gone pale.
Andre looked a little pale himself. “You mean he gets off on pain as much as the demon does?”
“If Nen has his way, he’d play with them as long as possible. Thankfully, he doesn’t have that leisure, but that’s why the stench near his house is worse. He was growing stronger the more he toyed with them, and once he sacrificed them, his power surged.”
Damian reached for his cell phone. He punched in Pete’s numbers. “I might know where the bodies of the two missing persons are. Do you want to meet us at the city zoo?”
Andre pushed himself to his feet. For once, his movements were jerky, not smooth. He wasn’t looking forward to this any more than Reece was. They all got ready silently and filed into Andre’s Land Rover.
Reece pressed a hand to her stomach. She hoped she didn’t toss her breakfast if the scene was too bad. Damian reached out a hand and placed it on her thigh. “You can stay in the car when we get there. You don’t have to help us search for them.”
“I’ll be fine.” She didn’t sound fine, not even to her own ears, but she wasn’t going to weenie out on them.
Damian gave a quick nod. “We’ll search in pairs. You and I together, Hecate and Andre, Pete and Hud.”
He was worried about her. She loved that about him.
Pete’s unmarked car was already parked at the zoo’s entrance gates when they got there. He motioned for Andre to pull into a small, private parking space hidden behind the souvenir shop. “Better if no one sees you,” he told Damian.
Hud pulled in a few minutes later, and they all split up to search the area. It was only a matter of moments until Reece froze and reached for Damian’s hand, pointing with her other. He’d been looking to the left, she to the right. He turned and froze too. Just past the small park with playground equipment, two bodies were hung by their feet from a tall tree. Their heads sat on a picnic table beneath them, their blood dripping over their hair and faces.
Reece pushed a hand into her mouth. Damian punched numbers into his cell. “We’ve found them.”
When they were all together, they approached the table. Duct tape covered each of the victim’s mouths. No screaming. Their hands and feet were bound with tape, too. Bruises covered their bodies. A lotus was placed in the call girl’s curly hair.
“The bruises?” Pete asked.
“Nen kept throwing energy at them, battering them with magic, until he killed them,” Hecate said.
Pete’s lips pressed into a tight line. Hud’s hands balled into fists. Andre looked sick, and Reece was sure she didn’t look any better.
“If he was after blood, he got plenty of it.” Damian looked at the sticky pool under the picnic table. “The more blood, the more power?”
“That’s the whole point.” Hecate waved a hand and a breeze started up. She motioned, and the bodies gently floated from the tree to the ground.
“The techs haven’t been here yet. We can’t move anything…” Pete’s voice faltered. His shoulders slumped. “What difference does it make? We know who did this. What do we do about it?”
Four squad cars pulled into the lot, and Jimmerson jogged toward Pete and Hud. “Got the call….” He saw the headless corpses and his hand went to the butt of his revolver. “Mother of…” He cut off his curse abruptly.
“He promised his mother not to take the Lord’s name in vain,” Hud told them.
“What the hell?” Other curse words must be fair game.
“Not the demon,” Pete explained. “The warlock.”
“I say we rush the house and take the bastard.” Hud jammed his fists into his jeans pockets. “There’s got to be something that can kill a warlock.”
“It can be done, but it’s not easy.” Hecate shook her head. “How many men do you want to lose? And once Nen’s magic is gone, the cage is, too. The demon’s free.”
Hud hunched his shoulders. “There has to be something we can do! We can’t just let him keep killing whoever he grabs off the streets.”
“We have to at least warn people.” Pete’s voice was ragged with emotion.
Damian nodded. “Flesh-picked skeletons are hard to explain, but people understand mutilated bodies. They know there’s something sick and awful in their city.”
“We don’t have to say it’s a warlock.” Pete was following Damian’s line of reasoning.
“But we can let them know the streets aren’t safe.”
At Damian’s nod, Pete made a call. “Hey, I’ve got a story for you. Bring a barf bag. I’m at the park beside the city zoo.” When they’d made arrangements, he flipped his phone shut and turned to Damian. “The Gazette’s crime reporter. He knows the ropes. He’ll put the right spin on this.”
Reece looked at the yellow tape Jimmerson and his crew were stretching around the area. It was still early morning, but a jogger slowed his steps on the main street, trying to see why the turn-off to the zoo was closed. Reece squared her shoulders. She couldn’t help anyone if she cowered and whined. “People are starting to get up and out. Is there anything we should do here before we leave?”
Hud shook his head. “We’ve got to let the techs get down to business soon. You guys should get out of here.”
Andre sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. “Sulfur. Blood. Nen’s scent is here. If I smell it again, I’ll know he’s around.”
Reece inhaled, but shook her head. Her sense of smell was better since she’d gained her witching powers, but she couldn’t compete with a Were. Damian could only discern Nen’s scent.
A van pulled into the parking lot and Hud nodded. “The techs.”
Damian started for Andre’s Land Rover, hidden in the small, private lot. Hecate, Andre, and Reece were following behind him when an Audi zoomed close to where Pete and Hud were standing. A man with a camera draped around his neck hurried toward the detectives. He caught Damian’s movements and lifted his head to see him.
He only glimpsed their group for a moment before they ducked behind the souvenir shop. That's all they needed. A picture of them on the front page. She was grateful for tinted windows when Andre pulled away and zoomed toward home.
There was awkward silence once they entered the condo. Reece glanced at the kitchen clock. She thought of going back to bed, curling in a fetal position, and playing possum, but she knew she wouldn’t sleep.
“Let’s play cards,” Andre said. He grabbed a deck and poured himself a finger of whiskey. Damian did the same. Reece started to the coffee pot, but her stomach already had enough acid in it. She filled a glass with wine instead. So did Hecate.
They played euchre for the next hour. Andre made trump for no reason, sometimes winning by sheer luck and sometimes losing, but no one cared. They laughed and heckled each other, blowing off steam. Finally, when their nerves settled, they wandered to the sofa and recliners and sat down to talk.
Damian didn’t dawdle, but went straight to the point. “Since Nen wanted more power, does that mean he plans to release the demon again soon?”
Hecate nodded. “He’s growing tired of waiting. He enjoys playing games with people, but he likes to win. He’s growing frustrated.”
“So are we!” Andre sprang to his feet and started pacing. His eyes paled to amber, and dark hairs grew on his cheek and chin and on the backs of his hands. He took a deep breath to calm himself, reverting back. “If he gets too antsy, will he mess up?”
“Not usually, but he doesn’t have as much control as he wants, and he’s not used to that. The sacrifices will make him stronger. When he releases the demon this time, it will do as it’s told.”
Damian braced himself. “Which is?”
“There’s no way to outguess Nen.” Hecate walked to the balcony and looked at the sky. Traffic flowed up and down the streets. Gray clouds brooded to the west. “If all else fails, he’ll resort to raw power, and he has a lot of that.”
Damian sighed. “So all we can do is stand watch and hope we can stop him once he makes his move?”
No one looked hopeful about that.
“You can’t even keep track of him if he uses his obscuring spell,” Andre pointed out. “I could stay with you. I could smell him if he leaves his house.”
“That’s too dangerous.” Hecate looked to Reece for backup. “I don’t want you anywhere close to Nen. He tried to poison you and sent the demon for you.”
“I’m the only Were in our group. How else can Damian tell when Nen’s on the move?”
Hecate jabbed a finger in Andre’s direction. “You’re not going near Nen’s house. Call Wedge. He can sniff for magic.”
“It can be a different Were every night, so that Nen doesn't focus on one of them. All Damian needs is their nose.” Reece glanced at her gargoyle for his reaction.
Damian nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’ll get something set up.”
“Now’s a good time.” Hecate folded her arms over her chest, glaring at Andre. She meant business.
Damian walked out on the balcony and made the call. When he came back, he said, “Bull’s going to meet me here tonight. He’ll drive me to Nen’s neighborhood to stand watch.”
“You sit on a roof, don’t you?” Andre asked. “Can Bull jump that high?”
“Benito and Antony watch from the roof. I watch from a balcony off the room Jimmerson rents. Bull will stay with me.”
Hecate stretched out on the sofa, satisfied. “I need a nap.”
Andre dropped into the recliner and reached for the TV remote.
Damian surprised Reece by starting to the door. “Come on. Let’s go to your dojo and work out. I need to relieve some tension.”
She jumped at the idea. Talking was fine, as far as it went, but she wasn’t good at twiddling her thumbs.
The drive to her studio was a short one. She turned onto Broadway and glanced at the people on the sidewalks, shuffling from one shop to another. Bay City had put a lot of money into sprucing up this area, and it had paid off. Small, specialty stores lined both sides of the street. She passed the Mexican bakery, the Italian market, and the boutiques. Two women exited the butcher’s, carrying heavy bags.
Reece didn’t relax until she stepped inside her studio. Just the smell of the place calmed her. The mats beckoned. She made herself do stretches before she took a stance. Going through the motions, working up a sweat, sparring with Damian—everything combined to help her center herself. When they stopped, sweat rolled down her spine. Her armpits felt like bogs. She stretched to cool off, her body moving smoothly, her gut no longer twisted into knots. She’d needed this. When she looked at the clock on the far wall, she yipped in surprise. “Damn, almost time for supper.”
Damian hugged her to him. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “You usually don’t complain when it’s time to eat.”
“I didn’t realize how long we’d been here. Hecate and Andre must be worried about us.”
“Hecate’s probably sleeping. I wouldn’t be surprised if Andre’s cooking. That’s how he chills out. And you—you like to hit and kick things, especially if it’s me.”
She smiled and snuggled close to him. No sweat. No rapid heart beat. Just solid warmth. She ran a hand up and down his firm muscles. “You feel good.”
He bent to kiss the top of her head, wrapping her in a warm embrace. “I could hold you forever and never get tired of it.”
“Holding’s not good enough.” She raised her chin for a proper kiss. His arms tightened. His lips crushed hers. Fire sparked through her veins. A pool of need washed over her. Her hands slid from his back to his ass. Mother of Moses, how good could it get?
Her fingers pulled at his waistline. They slid under his jeans. He groaned, and excitement buzzed through her body. Everything tensed. Her hands dove deeper, under his boxers. Oh, hell, why just play? She was reaching to undo his zipper when someone knocked on her front window.
Reece jumped, startled. She glanced at the woman whose nose was pressed against the glass. Sara owned the boutique three doors down. Reece felt heat rush to her cheeks. How much had she seen?
Damian pulled away. They were in plain view. Thankfully, they were in the back of the studio with a half-wall that separated them from the front, seating area. Empty chairs held magazines for parents to read while their children took classes. With a quick mumble, Damian disappeared into the changing room.
Reece went to greet her business
neighbor.
Sara rushed into speech. “Sorry to bother you, but you haven’t been around lately. Some of us have gotten together to petition the city to take better care of our alleys. I saw you out trying to spray your section for weeds. I was wondering if you’d sign the petition, too?”
“Sure, of course, it would make a big difference.” In winter, customers couldn’t get to back parking lots because the alleys were too messy. Reece signed at the X, then returned Sara’s clipboard and pen.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt a private lesson. I’ll leave you to it. Hope to see you soon.” Sara hurried out the front door and walked back to her shop.
Damian came out of hiding. “Private lesson, right. That was a nice way to put it.” He sighed. “But the mood’s gone. Let’s go home.”
Reece couldn’t argue. She shut off lights and locked doors. They drove home in silence. Their perfect afternoon could have been even better, but Life happens. As her dad often told her, “You can’t have everything, so choose wisely.”
At the door to her condo, she didn’t bother with keys. She ran her hand over the locks to undo them. As they stepped inside, groans met them. Male and female. Damn! Hecate and Andre were doing what she and Damian wanted to.
Damian tugged on her arm. He whispered, “Let’s let them have some fun. We can go to my nest for a while.”
When they reached the garage, Reece was careful to check if anyone was there. The coast was clear, so she and Damian hustled to her SUV. Then they drove to the old church that housed his friends.
Father Daniel greeted them at the back door. He reached into a pocket and brought out a handful of rosary beads with gold crosses at their ends. “I’ve dipped the crosses in holy water and prayed over them. They might help.”
Bless the man, he was doing everything he could think of to help them. “I used gold crosses, not silver,” he said, “so that even the werewolves can wear them.”
She was touched. He’d thought of everything. “Can a demon enter your church?” Reece asked.
“No. It’s forbidden.”
“A warlock?”
“No evil can enter this sanctuary, unless it's mortal. That falls under free will.”
