Shadow Demon

by Judith Post

  That left plenty of room for error. The rogues had come here in their human form, then shifted once they were inside. The potion would stop that now. No enemies could enter at all.

  Reece frowned at the priest. “Other than people, you and your friends are safe, as long as you’re in here?”

  He smiled—the patient smile of a wise, old man. “Benito’s already made up a bed for me in my study. I’ve closed my house for the moment, and my housekeeper fixes meals for me here.”

  She nodded, satisfied. He’d be in the church with the gargoyles, as safe as he could get at the moment.

  He pointed a finger at her and Damian. “You and your small band are putting your lives at serious risk to help mankind. You know that, don’t you?”

  Damian answered. “Our kind was born on churches’ rooftops. It’s our purpose in life.”

  “And witches?” Father Daniel turned piercing, blue eyes on Reece.

  She stammered for an answer. “I didn’t sign up to fight the good fight, and to be honest, I’m still not sold on it. But it’s hard to stand by and do nothing when something’s eating people from the inside out and some warlock is slitting their throats to grow more powerful.”

  He smiled and closed her fingers around the rosaries. “You’re a good girl. Damian has chosen well.”

  She felt herself blush. She looked down at her feet, embarrassed by his praise. She knew he didn’t give it lightly.

  He chuckled. “Come upstairs with me. If you don’t stop in to say hello to Benito and Antony, they’ll never forgive me.”

  Not true, but she was grateful for a change of subject. She and Damian climbed the stairs after him.

  “Have you ever thought of installing an elevator?” she asked when they reached the top. The priest looked too frail to skip up and down stairs every day.

  Father Daniel’s blue eyes danced with amusement. “When the Lord thinks I need an elevator, he’ll supply me with one.”

  Reece wasn’t so sure about that. Her dad, practical engineer that he was, always told her that God helped those who helped themselves. But she wasn’t about to argue with a priest.

  Benito and Antony were anxious for news. They settled in to discuss the stronger stench at Nen’s house. When Damian told them Hecate’s theory—that he was building magic, they all nodded as one.

  Reece sat back and let them talk. She enjoyed watching the gargoyles in action. Each respected the other, and they seemed stronger as a unit. No bickering. No one-upsmanship. When they’d exhausted every avenue they could, Damian looked to Reece. “We’d better go home. Andre will have to leave to go to the restaurant soon. I don’t want Hecate there alone.”

  Reece and Damian didn’t talk on the drive home. When they reached the garage, she watched a man and his son walk to the elevator, and waited until the area was clear. Then she and Damian rode up.

  This time, when they entered the condo, Hecate and Andre were sitting on the balcony, pretending that nothing had happened.

  Reece smiled. “You decided to wear your hair down today?”

  Her friend grinned. “Weres hear whispers, you know. Thanks for leaving us. There’s nothing like a good screw to relieve tension.”

  “We wouldn’t know.” Damian’s voice was so dry, Andre laughed.

  “No luck, my friend?”

  “A woman a few doors down came to knock on the window at a bad moment.”

  “And you stopped? Americans! You should have given her a good show, a little nudge in the right direction.”

  Damian shook his head. “Gargoyles don’t do peep shows. Not now. Not ever.”

  Andre pushed himself to his feet, laughing. "Then let's eat. I've worked up an appetite."

  Damian followed him into the kitchen and Reece sank onto the lawn chair Andre had just vacated.

  “Are you feeling better?” Reece asked.

  “It’s amazing how small things can lift your spirits. You?”

  "My dojo does it for me every time.”

  “Then we’re balanced again.”

  Reece nodded. Damian and her dojo did that for her. Andre did it for Hecate. And Nen? All he ran on was hatred and greed. It was pitiful, in a way. And horrid.

  But they'd worry about that tomorrow. Tonight was about sharing a meal with her friends and recharging their batteries. Andre would have to leave for the restaurant soon, and Damian would join Benito and Antony to watch over Nen’s house. She and Hecate would sleep, and they’d all be restored in the morning, ready for the next step. Whatever that step might be.

  Chapter 14

  Damian seemed more self-assured when he lowered himself into bed next to her in the morning. She rolled over and opened one eye. “Something’s different.”

  “Bull kept watch with me last night. He’d know if Nen left the house. Nothing happened.”

  Reece frowned. “Bull was careful no one saw him, wasn’t he?”

  “He parked two streets over and we walked to the back door of the place Jimmerson rents. We’re not taking any chances.”

  Reece thought about that. “Hecate and I can’t smell werewolves, so Nen shouldn’t be able to either. The demon? Can he?”

  “Hecate doesn’t think so. She thinks we’re the only ones who can catch their scent.” Gargoyles, Reece knew, could smell a young Were before his first shift. The older the werewolf, the stronger the scent.

  Reece relaxed under the blankets, moving close to him. “I know yesterday was busy, but I’d like to take the rosaries to Pete and his men today. Maybe we should give a few to Wedge, too.”

  “Anything else?” Damian asked.

  “Hecate and I are brewing more protection potion. It's getting low.” Reece pressed herself against him, enjoying the full, naked length of him. The apartment was quiet. Not a sound. Hecate and Andre must still be asleep. She lowered a hand to grip Damian’s penis. His body stiffened with surprise. That pleased her. She’d caught him off guard. His penis stiffened, too. That was even better. She silently pressed her lips against his chest.

  She felt him take a deep breath. She began to pump up and down. His hands went to her breasts, fondling them, caressing her nipples. They touched and stroked each other silently, the passion more intense somehow. Finally, when every inch of Reece’s body strained for him to enter her, she dug her nails into his buttocks and urged him to move on top of her.

  She sucked in her breath when he slid inside her. She bit her bottom lip to keep from groaning. He pleasured her as long as possible before they both reached orgasms at the same time. Then they slumped together in a tangled heap.

  He kissed her gently. “Nice way to start the day,” he whispered.

  The whisper’s what did them in. Andre was instantly awake. “Is someone here?”

  “Just me,” Damian called. “I crawled into bed for a minute.”

  “You whispered. Whispers always worry me.”

  “Sorry. I was trying not to wake you.”

  Andre pushed out of the recliner. They listened to him pad to the kitchen and pour himself coffee. “Are you two just going to lie there? You woke me up. Come keep me company.”

  Damian sighed, but pushed himself to his feet. He disappeared into the bathroom and returned, dressed in his jeans. He went to join Andre.

  Reece sighed too. She zipped into the bathroom to take a quick shower before she went to the kitchen for coffee.

  Andre shook his head and put a finger to his nose. “If you wanted a little more time, all you had to do was tell me.”

  “What do you…????”

  Andre cut Reece off. “A wolf’s nose can smell mating. Good for you. You didn’t get any yesterday.”

  A blush burned her cheeks. “I took a shower.”

  “I like the strawberry shampoo you’ve started using.”

  “Doggone it…”

  “Weres don’t like to be compared to doggies. Wolves sound more macho.”

  She gave up and took a long drink of coffee.

  Andre looked from o
ne of them to the other. “So, what are we doing today? Anything special?”

  Damian explained their plans.

  “Rosaries? Blessed with holy water?” Andre’s eyes narrowed, thinking. “I already have holy water. I’m giving mine to my brother to wear.”

  Reece opened her mouth, about to tell him they were taking the rosaries to Pete and Wedge, and then decided against it. Andre could be right. The demon came to his restaurant once. His family could be in jeopardy, too. She went to her room and handed him three sets of beads. “One for your mom, dad, and brother.”

  “You gave me yours and Damian’s, didn’t you? And Hecate’s, too? Thank you.”

  For such a handsome, successful man, Andre could surprise her with how humble he was at times. And then he could turn around and be so full of himself, she’d want to throw something at him.

  “How many are left?” Damian asked, already counting out beads to people.

  “There were a dozen, so I have nine more.”

  “Let’s deliver them. Do you think Hecate will want to come, too?” Damian glanced at her, still asleep on the sofa.

  Andre grinned. “You two run along. When she wakes up, I’ll keep her busy. And I’ll be able to make noise.”

  Reece arched an eyebrow. “Spoil sport.”

  “You shouldn't have whispered.”

  They were all nervous lately. Who could blame him? “Maybe Hecate won’t want to two days in a row.”

  “With me as her partner?” Andre chuckled. “What woman wouldn’t want that?”

  There! He’d gone and done it. Turned into Sexy Frenchman again. Reece went to a kitchen drawer for a rubber band and pulled her damp hair into a ponytail. “I’ll get the rest of the rosaries,” she told Damian, “but you owe me breakfast on the road.”

  “I’ll look the other way while you chow on a wrap.” Damian didn’t approve of fast food, but he only ate because he wanted to, didn’t he? Gargoyles didn’t need food. They just ate to be social, to fit in. He didn’t wake up, ravenous, like she did.

  A half hour later, Reece’s stomach full, she pulled into a parking spot behind Pete’s police station. Pete and Hud came out to meet them. Reese had never been here before. Her SUV looked out of place in a sea of squad cars. Uniformed officers were coming and going.

  “What have you got for us?” Pete asked, coming to her window to talk.

  Damian wisely kept his tinted window rolled up.

  Reece handed him four rosaries and explained about Father Daniel blessing them. “We thought they might keep more of your team safe.”

  “Thanks, I’ll get two to Jimmerson and his partner, and Hud and I will make good use of the others.” Pete bent his knees to look inside the vehicle, so that he could include Damian in the conversation.

  Reece frowned. “Does Jimmerson ever reach a crime scene before you do?”

  “If he sees something in progress, yeah. Then he calls us,” Hud said.

  “We should spray his car with the protective potion. Yours, too. No enemy can cross it. If you're in your car, you're safe.”

  “Werewolves?” Pete asked.

  “Only if they’re friends.”

  “And Nen?”

  “We’re not sure. We’re not even sure we can beat him.”

  Hud’s face fell.

  “We’ll give it our all,” Damian said. "And I'll bring a spray bottle with me when I stand watch tonight. You guys can share it."

  Pete pressed his lips together. “We can always count on you.”

  Hud watched Reece reach for her car key. “Where are you off to now?”

  “Wedge’s place. We have five more rosaries to deliver. We split them among you guys and the Weres, and we gave some to Andre for his family. The demon went to their restaurant. He might go again.”

  Pete glanced at the windows of the police station. A few officers were standing there, watching them. “We’d better get going, or people will want to know what was keeping us. We’ll get peppered with questions.”

  Damian motioned to the clock on the dashboard. “We still need to see Wedge.”

  “Thanks for these.” Hud crammed his rosary into his pants pocket. Pete did the same before he and Hud turned and started back toward the building.

  On the drive out of town, Reece could have sworn that every citizen in Bay City was in his car. People had been holed up for months of bad weather, so everyone wanted to be out and about on a day like today. Once Reece left downtown and heavy traffic, she rolled down her window. The air smelled of spring—fresh and clean. The breeze was warm. “I love days like this,” she said.

  Damian smiled. “So does everyone else.”

  Yards burst with tulips and daffodils. Green buds covered branches. Forsythias bobbed yellow stems. “A riot of color.” Reece slowed to admire a row of crabapple trees in full bloom.

  When they reached Wedge’s drive, she slowed to take a deep breath. The entire drive, on each side, was rimmed with flowering pear trees. “The man knows how to do things right.”

  “He’s had a long time to perfect it,” Damian said.

  Reece blinked. She wondered how old Wedge was. She’d heard of Weres who fought in the American Revolution and Civil War. “How long have you known him?”

  “Since Benito, Aurelius, and I moved to Bay City.” It was the first time he’d said Aurelius’s name without flinching. She knew he was purposely working to only remember the good times with his old friend, not his last moments.

  “Was Wedge already settled here before you came?”

  “He and his pack. Before Wedge became an alpha, he ran with Weres on the west coast, somewhere in Oregon.”

  The idea of Wedge being a member of some other alpha’s pack surprised Reece, but a Were didn’t start as an alpha. He had to earn his own pack and his power. “I can’t picture Wedge as a new Were, learning the ropes.”

  “We all have to start somewhere,” he told her.

  Reece took the fork in the drive that led to Wedge’s construction company and ogled a forest floor of wildflowers. When she parked in the visitors’ lot, Bull stepped out of the office to greet them. “The boss isn’t here right now. Can I help you?”

  “We brought five rosaries for Wedge to pass out.” Damian stepped out of the vehicle to stretch his legs. “That’s not much, but if any Weres leave the property more than others, it might keep them safe. Father Daniel blessed them.”

  Bull looked across the work site to where Whitey was driving a fork lift. He motioned for him to join them. The tall, thin man with the shock of white hair at his forehead left his load to saunter toward him. “Need something?”

  “Reece and Damian brought these. You leave here more than most. I want you to wear one.”

  The Were cringed and backed away from the string of beads with their cross. “No.”

  Reece stared. Bull was Wedge’s second in command. Most Weres didn’t argue with him.

  Bull frowned. “What’s the deal? You’re on and off the property all the time. This might protect you.”

  Whitey took another step backward. “I’m not worthy.”

  “Don’t start that again. It’s not like you chose to go Were…”

  “I become a beast. Before I learned to control it, I killed three people. At full moon, I have no soul, no conscience. Those beads are blessed. I won’t touch them.”

  “Damn it, Whitey! We’re fighting a demon. Do you think you deserve to die if it comes for you?”

  “That’s not my decision.” Whitey looked at Reece and Damian. “I’m honored you tried to help me, though.”

  Reece watched him turn and stalk away. Confused, she looked at Bull.

  “Stubborn, old man! He was a missionary when he got bitten. He’s always believed he wasn’t worthy or God would have spared him.”

  “A missionary?” Reece turned her head to see Whitey help a young Were load a pallet. “Where?”

  “He was with the American Indians out west.”

  “On a reservatio
n?”

  Bull grinned. “Before reservations, little witch. Before General Custer.”

  Reece couldn’t hide her surprise. In her head, she knew Weres could be really old. To say she’d gotten used to the idea of talking in centuries, though, would be pushing it.

  “Doesn’t he know that bad things happen to good people?” Damian asked.

  “Whitey thinks too much. He never measures up to what he wants to be, but he’s one damned good Were. You couldn’t ask for anyone better. If he won’t take the beads, I’ll give them to someone else.”

  “Whoever helps me stand guard over Nen’s house should wear one,” Damian told him.

  “That would be me.”

  “Every time?” Damian shook his head. “Nen might notice the same person night after night.”

  “Has he noticed you?”

  “No.”

  Bull shrugged. “The demon’s never left the city, has it? Our pack should be safe if we stay on our property.”

  “But you can’t do that all the time. You run a business.” Damian frowned at the beads. "Whoever has to work deliveries should wear these."

  “That's me and Wedge. We're trying to keep as many Weres close to home as we can. Hecate told us we’d provide more energy for Nen if he took one of us.”

  Reece's fingers curled, and her nails bit into her palm. That's where Wedge was, making deliveries, so that none of his pack had to leave his property.

  “I’ve changed my mind. You shouldn’t come stand guard with me,” Damian said. “You’re too close to trouble.”

  Bull slipped a rosary over his head. The shiny beads looked odd on his thick neck, and the gold cross looked too feminine. “I’ll be doubly careful, but I can let you know if the warlock slips out of his house. I’ll smell him.”

  “Why not send a different Were every night?” Damian asked.

  “We won’t put our pack in that kind of danger. I have holy water, and now I have a rosary. The demon had better stay away from me.”

  Reece’s face pinched with worry.

  Bull slid an arm around her shoulders and led her back to her SUV. “You’re the one who’d better watch herself, little witch. You’re young and tasty with more power than I have, and you have a tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”