Arcane Solutions (18 page)

“
Not my business.”

“
Is it not your business because you’re mad, or because you don’t want me asking any questions about the guys you’ve dated?”

A demon attack would’ve been welcome about then, because I sucked at the relationship conversations. All I had were pancakes.
“I’m not mad at you. But you did use a condom each time, right?”

“
Yes. My Alpha has been quite clear we’re not to run around creating half-breeds.” A pause. “That’s not why you were asking, is it?”

Flipping the pancake, I shook my head.
“No, it wasn’t. You know, I don’t usually jump into bed with guys, no matter how sexy they are. There’s a getting-to-know-each-other period, and even though talking about it embarrasses me, I know they’re clean before getting to the point of sex with someone. I didn’t ask you about any of that stuff.”

“
I’m clean. Shifters are immune to human diseases, and we aren’t carriers of any of them either.”

The tight, uneasy feeling that had been building in my stomach eased.
“Really? You can’t even catch a cold?”

He smiled.
“We’re disgustingly healthy. Or that’s what the doctors who checked our pack said, after running all of their tests.”

“
Great.” Yes, that was relief pouring through mind and body. At least my leap of lust hadn’t exposed me to anything potentially lethal. Condoms weren’t foolproof. Maybe my healing ability could handle anything, but that was a theory probably better not to test. “Will you get the small skillet out? Second door there.”

Retrieving it, he moved around to place it on a burner.
“Do I get to ask you questions?”

Fair was fair, damn it.
“Sure.”

“
Why were you single?” His hand stroked down my back.

“
Ah…just was. It’s not like I’m ready for the white picket fence and one point four kids, or whatever, right now.” There was also my job, my nutty mother, and being psychic just to top the list of roadblocks to long-term relationships.

Nick had no problem asking the question I’d resisted.
“How many boyfriends have you had?”

“
Counting you?” At his nod, I busied my hands laying bacon in the skillet. “Six. But if you mean ones I went to bed with, four.”

“
That’s not very many.” His fingers walked up my spine, and moved to stroke my hair. “Some of the regulars in the clubs I worked at were with new guys every week.”

“
I’m picky. Usually. Oh, I mean…” Foot, meet mouth. Eyes wide, I looked at him. “Forget that I just said that.”

He laughed, and planted a kiss on my lips.
“I’m going to take the fact you made up your mind that fast as a compliment.”

That, I could live with.
“Your pancakes are ready. The syrup’s in the pantry.”

“
Thanks.” Another kiss, and he carried off the offered plate as though it were a prize. Heaving a silent sigh of relief, I was proud at having gotten through the conversation without making more than one dumb comment.

Noticing Leglin sitting in the archway, I cooked extra bacon and a third stack of pancakes before joining Nick at the table. Setting the extra plate on the floor, I called the hound over.
“Here, Linny. Try this on for size.”

For such a large animal, he moved silently, not even a tap of his nails on the tile. Sniffing at the food, Leglin began eating before I had my first bite.
“I think he likes it. Crap, you’re not supposed to feed dogs table food, are you?”

Nick shrugged, chewing and swallowing before answering.
“It won’t hurt him. He’s not an ordinary dog, Cordi.”

Right, he was part demon. Funny how that had slipped my mind. Maybe it was because the dog was the only demon around that hadn’t tried to kill me.

***

Breakfast over, and both of us dressed, we met back at the kitchen table with legal pads and pens to work on the case reports, which we had neglected woefully.
“Okay, first off is order of events.”

“
Right. Meeting the Mitchells, Kate’s locator spell placing Zoe in the Barrows.” Nick wrote that down then paused. “What about the episodes with the vampires while we were there?”

“
Skip the one I head-butted. He was on the prowl for sex. Write Derrick down.”

He nodded, pen beginning to move again.
“He came along after the hi-jacking by elf. Thorandryll met with Mr. Whitehaven, and had the first meeting with you.”

“
Yeah. Next was the visions I had handling the scarf, second try with the locating spell, and then was the first hit with my tracking sense. The construction site, vampire ashes, and Fake Elf Guy.” Tapping the pen against my chin, I scowled while recalling it before dropping the pen to paper to write down what had happened.

Nick waited until I was finished.
“What happened next?”

“
Second client meeting with Thorandryll, trip to the morgue, and retro-cognition of a demon raising.” While he added those events to his list, I wrote down brief descriptions of each. “And then the trip to Thorandryll’s library. Another kick of tracking, which led to the magic string.”

Pens scratched paper. Leglin slurped water in the corner.
“Trip to the Orb to find out the magic string was a concealment spell. Research into Goth clubs to look for cultists.” More scratching noises. “And then another tracking insight. Had a brief vision, met Logan, fell into underground tunnels, and we were attacked by Derrick and his goons.”

Scritch
, scratch. “Third show of Thorandryll, and then you and I drove around the Palisades. More tracking, which led to recovering the scrap from the grimoire and another attack by vampires.”

Nick interrupted.
“Do you think that was Derrick?”

“
Has to be. He’s not the first vampire I’ve pissed off, but it’s too much of a coincidence.” Watching him write that all down, I lined up the next events.

“
Took the scrap to David for a look…”

He looked up from the pad.
“Does the boss pay them for doing stuff like that?”

“
Yep. Monthly consultation fee. Anyway, that’s when we found out it was a grimoire. I went with Damian to the construction site, and that’s where the first demon run-in occurred.”

“
Human in appearance?”

“
No. It wasn’t making any attempt to fit in. All scaly demon on display.” Since that hadn’t worked out so great, it was logical to me that they had resorted to human facades since. “Then the second demon attack, at the office.”

“
I’ve been meaning to ask how you knew it was a demon.”

Train of thought interrupted, I stared at the top of his head.
“Its eyes.”

“
What about them?” He looked up.

“
They were solid black, no whites, no distinguishable pupils.”

Nick leaned back.
“It had blue eyes, Cordi.”

“
They were black. So were the ones of the demon I stabbed at the restaurant.”

He shook his head.
“I didn’t get a good look at that one, but the first one I saw had blue eyes.”

Wasn’t that interesting?
“Put a mark by that one. We’ll come back to it.”

He did so, and I continued.
“The elf showed up after that, and said the grimoire had the Melding spell, which someone wanted to alter in order to meld the demonic realm with ours. And so far, the last thing was the attack at the restaurant – two demons.” After a pause, I said, “Need to get Kate to try again with the locator bit.”

Surveying the list he’d made, Nick scowled.
“Three demon attacks, and two attacks by vampires. Which might be all Derrick-related.”

“
There was the ash pile. You really didn’t see that his eyes were solid black?” Something was nibbling at the edge of my mind. “Because his and the one’s at the restaurant were black.”

“
The only time his eyes looked black to me was after Percy bombed him, and the demon went black all over, Cordi.”

Black. What was it…
“Fake Elf Guy. His face was covered in like this swirl of darkness.” We stared at each other. “Can you smell demons, Nick?”

“
Those smelled like humans, at least until they began smoking.” He paused. “You think…”

“
The reason the one at the office didn’t set off the ward was because he was wearing a human body? Yeah, that’s what I think. Where’s my phone? I need to call Kate.” Pushing away from the table and grabbing my purse from the catchall near the archway, I dug out the phone.

***

Kate wasn’t happy. She detested having to visit the morgue. “Put the body in the middle of the room.”

Damian and Nick obeyed, moving hastily back while I began placing candles at the four compass points around the corpse. Making use of a black wax marking pen, the witch created a circle on the linoleum.
“Percival?”

“
Bad magic.” The parrot wasn’t impressed with the scene, squawking his opinion through a beakful of feathers he was busily preening.

“
Noted, but get over here and help. This is for Cordi, remember?”

“
Is bad magic,” the parrot insisted, flapping his wings violently. Leglin barked, the deep sound reverberating off steel surfaces. Huffing, Percy launched off the desk he’d been perched on. “Bad dog.”

He landed at Kate’s feet, feathers puffing. She rolled her eyes, gesturing for us to move further back. Once we’d complied, the witch began a soft chant. The candles popped, their wicks catching fire.

Kate’s chant continued, her familiar rustling his feathers in irritation. A final word sent the room plunging into almost complete darkness. I blinked, noticing the lights in the hallway outside were still working.

Nick shuddered, sliding an arm around my waist.
“Did it just move?”

“
Hush.” Kate’s order was crisply delivered.

Squinting, I could see a faint outline beginning to rise above the corpse. It was grotesque in shape, twisted and streaked with sickly green.
“Please tell me that’s not what our souls look like.”

“
No, that’s definitely a demonic aura. Congratulations, Jones. You were right. He was possessed.”

Damian muttered something then spoke in his normal tone.
“The others disappeared as smoke and ash. Why didn’t this one?”

“
Ooh, I know.” Everyone looked at me. “I didn’t puncture this guy, or use a banishing potion on him. Or maybe, since there was already black escaping, the demon was vacating the premises, and finished before I uh…sealed him up.”

“
Feasible,” Damian decided. “But there hasn’t been a true case of demon possession ever recorded.”

Kate snorted.
“That we know of. You’re forgetting that we’re running a couple of thousands of years behind in the learning department.”

That statement confirmed my opinion that no one was an expert on anything.
“Well, now what?”

“
Now, we do heavy research on demonic possession.” At her answer, Percy began cursing in French.

***

Mr. Whitehaven didn’t appear all that pleased, seeing us entering the office. “You’ve been attacked here, so this isn’t a safe place.”

“
Neither is my apartment. Not from demon possessed humans.” His worried expression became one of surprise. “Kate’s calling Ronnie to see what she can come up with by way of new wards.”

“
Possession.” The boss heaved a long, mournful sigh. “Are you certain?”

“
She did a spell on Dead Guy. Damian’s been questioning the dude’s known contacts – not that anyone’s admitting to being involved in a cult. But yes, we’re sure.” I was looking around the reception area, which was repaired and even the furniture replaced. “Looks like nothing happened here.”

Whitehaven ignored the remark.
“This presents a rather large problem, Discordia. Demon possession isn’t possible, unless there are already portals opened between our realm and theirs.”

Nick sat on the new sofa, a deep pine green, overstuffed and comfortable-looking thing.
“If they’ve already got portals available to them, why would they need the grimoire?”

Good question. I sat next to him, waiting for the boss’s reply. Leglin followed, sitting so that he could rest his head across my thighs. Having saved my life, among other things, the hound was gaining points with me, so I petted him.

“It’s a matter of…I suppose ‘magic saturation’ is as good a term as any. You and I have always lived in a realm with magic, whereas Discordia has not. Without that magic saturating our melded realms, we would not be able to exist here.” Whitehaven paused. “Demonic magic is different, and portals won’t supply enough saturation for more than a small number of demons to be present in this realm.”