Magitek (The Rift Chronicles Book 1)

by BR Kingsolver

I thought about it. “Yeah, I think so. Have that crotch-fire spell of yours handy.”

  She chuckled. “I have that one loaded at all times.”

  I made sure I was adequately armed, including a couple of special magitek devices and Kirsten’s charm. I vacillated as to whether I should take the potion spritzer with me, but ended up tucking it into my jacket pocket.

  I told our Findlay guardians where we were going. A light drizzle had started, so rather than take our bikes, we decided to let one of the guardians drive us. She parked in a garage about a block from Lucifer’s Lair. From there, we took umbrellas and walked over to the club.

  Unlike Novak, Kirsten had no trouble cutting to the front of the line and getting in without paying a cover charge.

  We climbed the stairs to Ashvial’s office, and the demons standing guard let us through without a word. I hesitated in the hall, still debating whether to use the potions. I wasn’t sure I wanted him to be turned on, but the influence-nullifier was something I did want. Finally, I pulled the spritzer out of my pocked and gave myself a couple of shots.

  Kirsten reached out and took the spritzer. She pointed it toward herself and gave the little bulb two squeezes.

  “If I have to pull you out of there, I want to be protected from his influence,” she said.

  I knocked on the door, and when he called, opened the door and entered, leaving Kirsten in the hall. I didn’t pull the door completely closed behind me.

  “Ah, Miss James. What a pleasure to see you.” Ashvial was sitting behind his desk, just as he had on my previous visit. The dragon-headed woman statuette stood behind him, her red eyes watching me.

  “You sent word that you had information about Sarah Benning.”

  “Yes. Yes, I did. But first, please have a seat. Would you care for something to drink?”

  The chairs in front of his desk were missing. A new addition to the office was a chaise lounge against the wall, facing his chair to the side of the desk. I walked over to it and sat on the edge. He swiveled his throne to face me. The carvings on the chair of women being ravished seemed to move, to writhe. I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

  We sat in silence as the emotions he emitted bathed me. Lust, of course, but also feelings of safety and well-being. I realized that those weren’t being cast using demon influence. But in addition to the psychic lust he had used before, he was releasing some kind of pheromones that were playing havoc with my own hormones.

  Ashvial’s pupils and nostrils dilated as he leaned forward and inhaled. His breath quickened.

  “Miss James, Danica, you are exquisite. Are you comfortable? Don’t you want to take off your jacket?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine. Sarah Benning?” I managed to hold my voice steady as I tried to ignore the heat he was igniting in my crotch. The insides of my thighs burned, and I clenched, trying to contain the contractions he was causing.

  “An incredibly beautiful child,” Ashvial said. “Martin was obsessed with her. My understanding, though, is that she refused to have anything to do with him. At least, anything in an intimate way. But he did find a way to lure her. Are you comfortable, my dear? Are you sure I can’t get you something?”

  Heat crept up my body, and I had the sensation of someone breathing on my nipples, my throat. I tried to hold myself rigid, but couldn’t help but squirm where I sat.

  “So, he did take her,” I said.

  “Yes, he told her he could facilitate an introduction. He promised her an engagement with someone she thought was more attractive. You are aware of her tastes, aren’t you? You do seem uncomfortable. Are you sure you won’t take off your coat?”

  It was hard to speak. My voice came out almost in a gasp. “She fancied herself a dominatrix.” Sweat rolled down my neck. I shrugged out of the jacket. His eyes fell from my face and fixed on my chest.

  “Just so.” Ashvial was panting, leaning forward in his chair. “She thought she was meeting someone else, but when she arrived, Johansson took her. She was sold that night. I can only imagine how lovely you must be in your natural state. I’ve never understood humans’ obsession with clothing.”

  He stood and ripped his shirt open, dropping the rags to the floor. Ghostly hands ran over me, brushing my breasts, lightly rubbing between my legs. My shirt and bra were soaked.

  I stared at the muscles of his chest and abdomen, unable to take my eyes off him. “Who did he sell her to?”

  He stepped closer to me, reaching out and carefully unbuttoning my shirt. I knew I should stop him but couldn’t find the will to do so. When he finished with the last button, he slipped a claw between my breasts and sliced the bra in half. He jerked my shirt open and down over my shoulders, baring me to him. Those ghostly hands stroked me. My back arched, and I pushed my chest toward him, my breasts tightening into hard balls. In spite of myself, I wanted him to take me, to relieve the incredible tension building inside me.

  “Magnificent,” Ashvial said. “Truly magnificent.”

  The tent in his pants drew my attention. An ache of longing, of need, caused me to moan. The muscles in my thighs began to quiver. A wave of pleasure rose inside me, and I felt like I would explode, unable to hold all the lust he poured into me. My entire body felt like it was on fire. It felt so good it was painful.

  “Akiyama Benjiro.”

  He reached down and ran a single finger between my legs. An electric shock hit me there and spread through my body. I bucked, writhing and moaning as my orgasm overwhelmed me. Dimly, I saw Ashvial stagger backward, bumping into his desk. He let out a cry, his breath coming in great heaves. My mind went blank, and I lay on the chaise, shuddering uncontrollably. The world shrank to my body and the pleasure flooding into my brain.

  The next thing I knew, someone’s hands pulled at me, arms embraced me, images of a face wreathed in golden hair flashed in front of me.

  “Come on,” Kirsten’s voice in my ear. “Come on, stand up. We need to get you out of here.”

  She pulled me to my feet and practically dragged me to the door. My knees felt liquid. Ashvial’s fire pulsed through me, triggering burst after burst of sensation in my groin.

  “Hold out your arm.” She managed to get me into my jacket and button it up. Then she pulled me out into the hall.

  I glanced back once and saw Ashvial still leaning against his desk, staring at me with red, glowing eyes. He didn’t attempt to follow us.

  I managed the trip out of the club and to the garage in a haze. By the time we reached the car, I was walking on my own. Other than a fuzzy feeling, like being awakened too early, I was able to focus again and see the world around me.

  As Simone drove us out of the garage, Kirsten laughed. “Man, that was the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if I should shower in that stuff and go visit him, or just send you in there again. I think you might have turned me into a voyeur.”

  Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t think I should do that again. Ever. That was a lot more intense than last time. Too much. Just way too much.”

  Kirsten glanced toward me, the expression on her face serious and a little concerned. “Yeah,” was all she said.

  Chapter 37

  While taking a shower the following morning, I tried to figure out my priorities. I needed to speak with Whittaker about the Benning girl and Akiyama Benjiro. I also had to get my grandmother alone and tell her about the DNA analysis. But I decided the first thing I needed to deal with was Ashvial and the pull—the attraction—I felt for him. Not at all healthy. Hell, not at all sane. And the person who might be able to help me with that was my mother.

  I called Whittaker and made an appointment to see him that afternoon, then called my insurance, and prodded them a little about my destroyed bike.

  I fired up my old cycle and took off for Loch Raven. When I got off the freeway, I stopped and gave my guardians directions for where they should wait. My mom wouldn’t have been at all happy with me if I
dragged a bunch of people along.

  When I parked the bike and dismounted, Mom opened her front door and stood there leaning against the frame.

  “And to what do I owe another visit so soon?” she asked.

  I approached her and kissed her on the cheek. “I need to ask you some things about my elven heritage.”

  “Ah. Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

  She led me inside and brewed a pot of tea while she placed fresh scones and her homemade berry jam on the table.

  “And what do you want to know?”

  I buttered a scone and slathered it with jam. “I was told, and I quote, that ‘the Fae experience emotions far more deeply than humans.’ Is that true?”

  She cocked her head to the side and studied me, then sighed. “Dani, you used to ask me what kind of magik you inherited from my father, and I would say that we’d have to wait and see.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”

  “Well, the answer to that question, is not much. Kirsten’s magik is far closer to that of the Fae than anything you’ve manifested. But the question you just asked tells me that my little girl has grown up.”

  “Mom, I’m thirty-five years old.”

  “I know, and it’s about time you started asking adult questions. Dani, one of the inherent gifts or talents of the elves is empathy. We feel not just ourselves but the world around us and other creatures. Personally, I’ve always thought that is why you became a cop. Even when you were very young, you wanted to help people and animals in need. You always got so indignant when you thought someone had been wronged, and you wanted to fix it. You almost never get angry—I mean truly angry—when someone hurts you or does something mean to you, but if someone weak or helpless gets hurt, it sends you into a rage.”

  She let that sink in, then asked, “So, who told you that? Why are you asking?”

  “Uh, do you know anything about demons? Specifically, lust demons?”

  She chuckled and took a sip of her tea. “Lust demons, or more powerful demons using lust as a weapon? Because minor lust demons and sex demons don’t have enough power to influence mages. Certainly not enough to influence you.”

  “More powerful demons, I guess. Like a major fire demon or demon lord.”

  Her head jerked up. “Demon lord? Have you been playing games with one?”

  I felt embarrassed, but the way she was staring at me, I didn’t have any choice but to answer her. “I guess I have. It’s part of an investigation, and, well, he seems to have a thing for me.”

  “I’ll bet he does. And how he makes you feel has you frightened out of your mind.”

  I nodded.

  She sighed again. “Dani, a couple of years after your dad left us, I was feeling lonely and made the mistake of getting involved with a demon lord. I kept telling myself it was a mistake, but I kept going back again and again. I finally managed to break it off, but it’s a kind of addiction.” She never referred to Dad being dead. More than twenty years later, she still held out hope that he lived.

  “How long did it last?”

  “Two years. Every time I saw him, I’d swear afterward that was the last time. But three, four weeks later, I’d find myself back there.”

  “Is the demon lord still around?”

  “Oh, sure he is. He runs that club, Lucifer’s Lair, down by the harbor.”

  Oh, shit. One thing you never want in your mind is the image of your mother having orgasmic sex with anyone, let alone a demon. But that was exactly the picture that popped up.

  “You, I mean, did you ever… uh, I mean you didn’t really have sex with him—you know, sex-sex, did you?”

  “Have actual sex with him? Oh, hell no. I’m still alive. Dani, they feed off strong emotions. The lust, the pleasure. When a demon has actual penetrative sex with a human, they do it so they can feed off the terror and pain as the human dies. Your demon can do that with any human, so I doubt he’d do it to you unless you enraged him.”

  A thought struck me. “Remember me telling you about that missing girl, Sarah Benning? She’s an empathic projector.”

  Mom snorted. “I’m sure there’s a huge market among upper-level demons for that talent. And if humans consider her pretty, that would only enhance her value.”

  We talked for another hour, and she told me what she’d done to break the cycle with Ashvial. Nothing earth shaking or particularly magikal, just some common sense things. Among other things, she found a boyfriend who lasted for a few years. I remembered Joe, and he was a nice guy. He finally got tired of waiting for her to make a commitment and married a nice girl and had a bunch of babies.

  Chapter 38

  After that eye-0pening conversation, I collected my guard detail and rode over to Findlay House. Usually, the route I took to the estate was from the city in the south, but from Mom’s house, it was closer to take back roads going west.

  The weather was fairly nice, and I was distracted—thinking about what my mom had told me—when the world suddenly shook. It sounded like thunder from a lightning strike right next to me, but with a clear sky I figured it must have been a massive explosion. I managed to control the bike and slowed down, looking around and expecting to spot smoke somewhere close.

  The guardian riding with me yelled, “That was magik!”

  I slowed down even more. We came around a bend and saw a large SUV burning in the middle of the road. Behind it was a luxury limousine and then another SUV. The occupants of the vehicles were either hiding behind their cars or seeking shelter in the trees lining the road. All except for one.

  My grandmother stood beside her limo with her arms raised, dressed to go to afternoon tea. Flickers of electric energy crackled around her. Fireballs, lightning, and energy beams flashed back and forth between her guardians and people hiding in the woods, but she didn’t flinch. As we approached, Olivia brought her fists down in an emphatic, pounding gesture. A huge bolt of lightning flashed out of a clear sky and crashed into the woods across the road from her. The thunder was deafening, and the world shook again.

  All the magikal activity on that side of the road ceased. Olivia leaned back against her car and folded her arms. She said something, but I couldn’t hear what, and her guardians raced toward the woods.

  The guardian riding with me was speaking into his phone. We slowed and stopped in front of her.

  “Are you the cavalry?” Olivia asked me, a crooked grin on her face. “You’re late.”

  I could barely hear her due to the ringing in my ears.

  “I didn’t want to spoil your fun,” I responded.

  She laughed.

  “Who did you piss off?” I asked.

  She sobered. Looking around at her guardians and mine, she gestured me toward her. “Walk with me.”

  We walked a little apart from the others.

  “I don’t know what sparked this, but I have my suspicions. Remember that I told you to be careful of Courtney? Dani, George’s heart isn’t very strong. He had a heart attack a couple of weeks ago, but we’ve tried to keep it quiet. Now, as his daughter, of course Courtney knows. Courtney is ambitious, and so is her husband. Even more ambitious is Akiyama Benjiro, and he would love to install one of his allies as head of Findlay.”

  “Well, that may play into what I came to tell you.” I informed her of the DNA test on the paper with my address.

  “Yes, the two attacks may be connected,” she said when I finished.

  “And that’s the second time in two days that someone has mentioned Akiyama to me. So, you think Courtney’s trying to cement her succession in case George keels over?”

  She didn’t answer me directly. “Watch your back, Dani. Courtney is the obvious candidate, but you can’t rule out Helen’s brood. People might discount her, but she’s sneaky, and Veronica’s husband, Karl Rudolf, is also very ambitious.” Helen Dressler-Findlay was my Granduncle Richard’s widow, and Veronica was one of Helen’s daughters.

  Great. One more—make that two more—reasons to s
tay as far away as possible from my father’s family. I didn’t have enough fingers and toes to keep track of all the people in the Findlay Family who might want to kill me. And that didn’t even count Johansson, Akiyama, and God knew who else.

  One of her guardians approached. “My Lady. We captured one who’s still alive, and we’ve found five bodies. No idea if any of them escaped. Should I call in a tracker?”

  Olivia thought about it for a minute, then said, “No. Get the survivor to a healer, and then turn him over to Osiris. Are any of our boys hurt?”

  “No, ma’am. Just the car. I’ve called a wrecker to haul it.”

  I glanced over at the burning vehicle. “Is that thing going to explode?” I asked.

  “No, ma’am. The hydrogen cell already blew.”

  He walked away, and I said in a low voice, “Are you sure one of our family members is behind this attack? Surely Courtney knows what you’re capable of.”

  My grandmother shook her head. “Other than Helen, the ones who might have a motive were still children during the war. And Helen has led a sheltered life. I doubt if Courtney has ever seen me use my power.”

  When mages of a certain age referred to ‘the war,’ it always meant the Rift War, the one they had fought against the demons and their vampire allies. It was my turn to shake my head. Even if I’d never seen Olivia fight, she was legendary. She, along with my Granduncles George and Richard Findlay, Frank Novak, and Thomas Whittaker, had led the effort to stop the demon incursion in eastern North America. It seemed to me that people should pay a little more attention to history, especially when most of the major bad-asses were still alive.

  I looked at the forest where her lightning bolts had hit. On both sides of the road were areas at least fifty yards wide where the trees had all been blasted to burning splinters.

  Olivia glanced at her watch. “Damn! Probably too late to make it to my hairdresser on time. This just screwed up my whole day.”

  Before I took my leave, I told Olivia, “I know you have healers and doctors, but if you like, I could send Mom and Kirsten out to see Uncle George.”