Arcane Solutions (21 page)

Twenty-five

Kate lay under a thick coating of David’s healing salve, her skin blistered and raw. Hunks of melted hair guaranteed to piss her off were clumped around her face.

David sat at the bedside, eyes closed and hands up, maintaining a thin bubble of blue over her. Magical life support.

“Is she going to be all right?” My whisper turned Percy’s head, and with a squawk, he launched himself from the headboard to land on my shoulder.

“Found girl. Demons!”

The parrot was shaking, his nails digging through my jacket. Jo herded us into the hallway, shutting the door.
“She’s pretty bad off. Ronnie and Damian are on their way. David’s keeping her asleep until they get here. We’re going to have to move her to the hospital.”

It was really bad, if the coven thought the hospital was a good idea. I felt useless, which made me angry.
“Okay. Percy, where did you see the girl?”

“
Club. ‘Stay in car, Percy’,” he mimicked Kate’s voice perfectly. “Demons attack my witch. I feel, go. We fight demons, Cordi. My witch…” the parrot choked, stretching his neck and lifting his wings. “I bring her here.”

He settled when I stroked his feathers, beak open and one eye focused on the bedroom’s door.
“Which club, Percy?”

With a chirp, he burst out singing ‘Bodies’. It was no help at all, but in a pinch, I thought he could stand in for Drowning Pool’s lead singer. It took a few minutes to calm him down enough to pass the parrot over to Jo.
“We’re going to try and find her car. Call Mr. Whitehaven, tell him what happened.”

“
He was next on my list,” she said, cuddling Percy. “Be careful, Cordi.”

“
That’s my plan.” I led the way downstairs, trying to hold in anger, worry, and fear. Crystals murmured when I halted in the middle aisle, shivering in their velvet nests.

Logan moved around me, his gaze on one large, deep blue crystal as it began to chime discordantly.
“You’d better calm down before they explode.”

Taking a deep breath, I spent a few moments clearing my head, forcing away those three emotions. Calm determination was what I needed.
“Okay. I know what Kate’s car looks like, so I’ll try teleporting us to it.”

Eyes narrowing, he didn’t immediately take hold of the hand I offered.
“Wait a minute. Don’t you need to see where you’re going when you teleport?”

“
It’s a car, Logan. It’s going to be in a parking lot, and those all pretty much look alike.” Leglin bumped my other hand, pressing against my leg as I took hold of his collar. Wiggling my fingers, I told the shifter, “Trust me.”

“
All right.” His hand closed around mine.

Closing my eyes, I visualized the silver rear end of her car.
“Here we go.”

Logan spoke before I opened my eyes.
“This doesn’t look like a parking lot, and I smell elves.”

“
What the…” Leglin’s bark cut me off, and elves seemed to pour from the woodwork in response. Every single one of them armed with swords or bows, and all the weapons were pointing at us. Logan stood extremely still, sword held point down, and grip on my hand tightening. Massive confusion filled me. “This hasn’t happened before.”

“
Miss Jones?” Thorandryll appeared, people clearing a path for him. “What are you doing here?”

“
I have no idea. But I’m, uh, on the clock.” How discreet was that?

“
Ah. It’s all right. Return to your pursuits, these are guests of mine,” the elf ordered, and the others quickly cleared out. As soon as the last was out of sight, Thorandryll spoke again. “What’s happened?”

Where to start? If he’d kept the damn grimoire in a more secure place, or destroyed it the second it came into his hands, none of this would have happened. Letting go of Logan’s hand and the hound’s collar, I swung a punch.
“You bastard!”

It didn’t land, smacking into Thorandryll’s palm. That was fine, because his hand closed around it, and the elf yanked me closer. My knee hit the real target while he glared at me, and I stepped back as Thorandryll bent over, skin a yellowish white as he gasped for air. Logan grabbed me around the waist, swinging me away before I kicked the elf in his arrogant face.
“Okay, Discord. We have to be here for a reason, and I don’t think it’s for you to beat on him.”

He did have a point, and I had gotten one good shot in. The elf was still trying to catch his breath, and warily watching us.
“If you stop me next time, we can’t be friends anymore.”

“
I won’t stop you,” the shifter promised, arm loosening. “But tonight’s not the right time, Discord.”

“
Yeah, I hear you. I’m done—for now.” He let go, and I was thrilled when the elf retreated slightly. “Kate was attacked by demons tonight. She might not make it. They kidnapped a teenaged girl. I found the woman they sacrificed in that vision, and had another where I get ripped wide open as the sacrifice for the spell in the damn book you lost.”

“
I didn’t…”

“
Shut up. Logan’s right, we’re here for a reason. The demons that took Kate down might still be there. You,” I’d stalked close enough to jab a finger in the elf’s chest. “Are going to help us.”

“
Of course.” Thorandryll straightened, trying to regain his composure. I bet no one had ever kneed him in the family jewels before, and was damn proud to have been the first. “Give me just a minute to arm myself, Miss Jones.”

“
I was thinking more of you being a distraction. Like dinner.”

Logan touched my shoulder.
“Discord.”

“
Oh, all right. Go get your sword, or bow, or whatever.” Waving the elf off, I turned to face the shifter. “I was joking.”

He grinned.
“Sure you were.”

***

Standing on the lawn, I surveyed Thorandryll and the milling pack of hounds. “I can’t teleport everyone, and if they turn on Logan, I’ll be using something sharper than my knee next time.”

The elf flinched.
“They won’t, Miss Jones. Handle the transport of yourself and those two. The other hounds will follow Leglin, and I will travel with them.”

“
Fine.” I hoped my teleportation ability didn’t malfunction a second time while grabbing hold of both shifter and hound. “Take two.”

Chilly night air caressed my face, and Kate’s car waited in vain, the lone occupant of a smallish parking lot.
“The Velvet Razor. There’s a name for a Goth club.”

Thorandryll and his hounds appeared. Logan held me back when I took a step toward the club’s entrance.
“Let him go first.”

“
But…”

“
But, nothing. I smell death.” He refused to release my hand. Hounds ran into the club, Thorandryll shooting us an arrogant look before following after them.

Leglin was the only one who stayed, his eyes focused on the entrance. I slung my purse strap over one shoulder and my head, digging out the dagger before zipping it shut and pushing it toward my back.

Danger oozed from every shadow. Logan let go, hefting the sword and taking a few steps forward. Leglin growled, his hackles rising. Thorandryll’s yell, and the sudden tumult of snarling hounds, jolted me into motion.

Avoiding Logan’s grasp, I skidded to a halt as a demon popped into existence directly in my path. The dagger caught it in the stomach.

Leglin rushed by, lunging into another one. I spun around, teleporting away from the demon behind me and buried the dagger between its ragged, green-tinged black wings.

Logan was swinging the sword as if he knew how to use it. A scaly arm went flying, the sword keening something vicious and eager. The fight inside the club spilled out, and things become too confusing to keep close track of.

It didn’t take long for my head to start pounding with the teleporting and use of TK to toss demons away. Claws cut through the sleeve of my jacket, leaving bleeding furrows in my left forearm. Leglin jumped that one, and was back instantly with two more hounds. They circled, holding the demons back and creating a path through the mess toward Logan.

I went down practically at his feet, and swiped at scaly legs while the sword whistled overhead. The dagger didn’t make any sound, just glowed brighter red with each trip through demon flesh.

A really large, dusky black demon flew through the air, landing on Kate’s car. The hood dented under one cloven hoof, the windshield cracking under the other. I hoped her insurance had a trashed–by-demon clause. “Leglin, sic that sucker!”

The hound raced off, but Logan grunted and blood splattered down. Grabbing hold of his leg, I looked up to see how badly he was hurt, and the green shield suddenly appeared around us. A demon ran into it, striking with a thud and bouncing off.
“Logan?”

He was panting. Dropping to one knee, he planted the sword’s tip on asphalt and grinned.
“Already healing. How are you holding up?”

“
I’d kill for my bed and two days’ sleep.” Not to mention a shot of something that would kill the pain in my head. My brain was screaming in protest. “Not sure how long I can hold this shield thing.”

“
You’re bleeding.” His fingers hovered over the dark, wet rents in my jacket sleeve.

“
Yeah, that’s not helping.” I spotted Leglin’s return. The hound tore into another demon, chunks flying and hitting the shield. “Ugh. Can you see Thorandryll?”

“
He’s fine. Looks like he’s enjoying himself.”

Thunder lanced from temple to temple, and I dropped the dagger to grab my head.
“Ahh!”

“
Discord?” The shifter touched my hair.

“
I’m about out of juice.” Gray seeped into my vision, and I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to remain conscious.

“
All right.” Logan rose, swinging a leg over mine so that he stood over me. “Just trust me and the hounds.”

Like I had a choice, as agony smothered me. The shield faded, and the sword began keening again, its song cutting my eardrums to shreds. I stayed put, eyes closed, and my hands sliding over my ears to try to muffle the noise. I did trust him. Something about Logan inspired trust.

Silence dropped a sudden blanket. Cracking my eyes open, I asked, “What happened?”

Logan knelt, straddling my legs, and laid the sword down.
“I don’t know. They just left. Let me see your arm.”

He shucked out of his t-shirt after helping take my jacket off. My head was full of thunder, multi-colored sparkles shooting across my vision. Hounds milled around us, sniffing the demon grit left behind.

Thorandryll walked up while Logan was wrapping his tee around my arm. “Rather rousing skirmish.”

“
Did you find a girl in there?”

A trail of pink glimmered, hiding the elf’s face.
“There are several bodies inside.”

Crap
didn’t quite cover the situation. “Damn it all to hell.”

***

Logan overrode my protests, accepting the elf’s offer of his healer and home. The healer turned out to be Mr. Nosy who’d assumed I was the new flavor of the moment.

“
Aren’t you the little warrior?” Alleryn asked while surveying me after Thorandryll left to return to the scene. He’d promised to handle things, calling the cops and speaking with them. I wondered how much lying he planned to do, while Alleryn continued rattling. “You’re filthy, so it’s the bath for you before I can tend to your wounds.” He peeled the bloody tee up to peek at my arm. “Where all do you hurt?”

Logan answered. He was holding me up with an arm around my waist.
“Her head. Mind. Whichever. She said she was tapped out and in pain.”

My stomach chose that moment to punctuate the statement by heaving. I almost passed out, bending over to vomit all over Thorandryll’s marble floor.

“Lovely. In here.”

The shifter didn’t move.
“That’s your prince’s room.”

Alleryn snorted.
“She’s his lover, so is allowed inside. Move it, kitty, so that I can tend to your mistress.”

“
My name is Logan.” The shifter’s voice was a silky growl. I managed to open my eyes and focus on the elf.

“
Yeah, use it, or I’ll throw up on you next time. He’s not a pet.”

Alleryn rolled his eyes.
“As you wish. Inside.”

I balked at either helping me undress or giving me a bath, so Logan removed my boots before settling me at the edge of an enormous tub.
“Thanks.”

“
Yell if you need help. Don’t pass out and drown, Discord.” He touched my cheek, glancing at the doorway. Voice lowered, he asked, “Why does he think you and Thorandryll…”