Demons Undone: The Sons of Gulielmus Series (71 page)

He pounded the nightstand again.

She turned, presenting him with a look of feigned innocence. “I don’t understand why you’d think I’m out to get you, Claude. You’re my only child. I feel no satisfaction from seeing you unhappy.”

Bull.
Shit
.

“You are my entire legacy, all that’s left of a family that was once great and revered. I did what I could to give you your best chance of survival.”

Right, sure, she’d done it all for him.

He rolled his eyes and pressed his palms against the bed edge. He needed a shower and some food, maybe a gallon or so of cold water first, if he could remember how to swallow it.

“I kept her from you, Claude, because she needed her best chance, too. I knew Laurette was doomed from the start, but I couldn’t stop what was already put in motion. This thing, this scheme, has been playing out for longer than you can imagine. I had no part in it. I’m just a witness. But let me tell you this.”

She walked, pulling her skirts up from the floor as she crossed the rug, and stopped six inches in front of him. He turned his head down to meet her eye contact. She’d been tiny in life, and apparently she hadn’t cared to alter that in death. On bare feet, she stood four-ten, maybe four-eleven. She was practically elven, but he knew she wasn’t that.

That was Clarissa’s domain.

Maman balled her small hands into fists and thumped them against Claude’s chest.

“This is your last chance. The game is coming to a close, but not before someone has to make a choice that’ll require him to give up what he holds dear.”

She tapped his throat with her fingertips, and he sucked in a breath, and swallowed.

“By
he
, who do you mean?”

The wrinkles folding the corners of her eyes gave away her distress, mild as it was. A rare tell for a woman who gave away nothing, who
feared
nothing. “I don’t know. I wasn’t meant to know, and nor are you. Just be prepared to lose in order to win.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Life makes no sense. Just mark my words. Maybe you can defeat whatever your obstacle is, but you must be prepared to suffer for it. You may yet lose her if you don’t let her fly.”

What the fuck did that even mean?

“Why did you feel the need to dispatch this news now? Now I’ll expect defeat, and that’ll make me weak.”

“Maybe winning isn’t just about you.”

Footsteps sounded up the staircase, and Maman
stepped back, turning her ear toward the door. “Your woman,” she whispered. “I’ll leave you to her. Now’s not the time for introductions,
non
?”

Claude shook his head.

Maman clucked her tongue, and Candy Corn shimmied out from beneath the bed.

The cat whirled around the spirit’s legs and purred as Maman
swirled her fingertips over the cat’s head. Maman
murmured some endearments to the familiar, and then vanished, leaving the scent of honeysuckle in her wake, her earlier words a tight band around his chest.

None of it made sense. What was about to happen? Suddenly
,
Papa didn’t seem to be his biggest problem anymore.

The room door swung inward and Gail poked her head in. She nudged her hair behind her ear as her eyes went wide. “Oh, wow. You’re nearly on your feet already. Motivated, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely. I can’t get things done from bed.”

She dragged a hand through her ponytail and scoffed. “It’s insane how fast you guys heal. A normal guy would have been on his back for a couple of weeks.”

Thank goodness he wasn’t normal.

“I thought I heard some banging. I wanted to make sure you didn’t fall off the bed or something. I was about to go …” She stopped her words mid-statement and took a tentative step into the room.

“Go where? Tell me.” Why was she so restrained with her words all of a sudden?

She sighed, and crooked her thumb eastward, toward the back of the property. “Down the path to Sweetie’s. Your sister, uh …”

“Julia?”

“Yeah, Julia. She’s going to meet us. I really have to go to work.”

Claude put his hands behind him to slow his descent as he sat. Too much at once. “To work? Did no one tell you that—”

“You mean, did your rich-as-sin brother and brother-in-law offer to give me money? Yes, in their delirium, they both did. I don’t take handouts from anyone.”

“Wouldn’t be a handout,
chéri
. Not charity. Look, I know what it’s like to struggle. I’ve never sought wealth. I get by with a bit of cash here and there. I’ve never tried to save because what would a man like me need riches for? If I had known you’d need it, I would have tried harder. I promise, it won’t hurt either Charles or Calvin to get you square. If I had to guess, we’re talking a pretty insignificant amount of money for someone like them.”

She blew out a forceful gust of air that cleared long, wild tendrils from her face, and he felt a painful stab of recognition.

Laurette used to do that when they were in bed.

He squeezed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

“Taking their money would make me feel like a loser. Besides, I barely know them.”

“Don’t let pride get in the way of your safety.”

“I’m not. That’s why Julia is going to teleport me there and shield me, and Sweetie’s going to play backup.”

He twined his fingers. Sweetie, he trusted. As a wolf, the girl was ferociously territorial. She wouldn’t let anything happen to her friend without going down with a hell of a fight. Julia, though, was a wildcard. She didn’t have complete control over her abilities, though she was much better at using them than she had been a couple of years ago. Like John and their other two sisters, she was descended from an angel on their mother’s side. Way back, though. Still, they had some skills that were useful for defense if they practiced them. Julia could extend a psychic shield that shrouded her and those she guarded which blocked them from observation by psychics and other supernatural beings. If she didn’t concentrate—if she got distracted—the shield would fall off.

She needed a chance to practice it, but not at Gail’s expense.

Gail squatted in front of him and draped her forearms over her thighs. “I barely know you, but I don’t like that look on your face. You’re thinking too hard. Do I want to know what’s on your mind?”

“No, rarely should you ask what I’m really thinking. I don’t believe you’re particularly easy to scandalize, but I get a few wild thoughts that would do it.”

She sighed. “Claude, behave.”

Laurette used to say that. He yanked his hair and growled out an obscenity. He hated this confusion. Was Gail her or
not
her?

Gail slapped his hand away. “Stop it. I happen to enjoy looking at that hair. What’s your dysfunction?”

He took a deep breath before answering. “Look. I don’t think Sweetie and Julia are enough, especially since whoever it is starting shit knows where you live, and certainly by now where you work.”

“He wouldn’t hurt me in a public place. Isn’t that the rule? That’s what Sylvester said. All the supernaturals have to keep their fights out of public view so they don’t risk exposure.”

“Yes, that’s been the rule for eons, but certain beings have become quite crafty at working around them. Whoever it is could wait for you outside. They’d make you trust them, and you’d walk away with them. It would only take a moment for him to whisk you away. Besides, there’s no way Julia and Sweetie could go with you every day. Julia has a child to care for …” He rolled his eyes, thinking of the infant half-brother his father had discarded last year.

“Don’t worry. It won’t be every day, thank goodness. The three-hour commute is a bitch. We’re talking two weeks. It’ll be just long enough for me to put in my notice and for me to sell my car. I could pay down a good chunk of what I owe in student loans if I can get even close to what it’s worth.”

Two weeks still seemed like thirteen days too many, but his mother’s words haunted him. Gail had to find her own power, and that meant he couldn’t get in her way. That didn’t mean he couldn’t be her shadow. “If you insist on going, I’ll go with you.”

Her shoulders shook even before the laughter spilled from her throat. “You can barely stand up on your own. How do you think that’ll help me unless you plan on using yourself as a human shield?”

“I may not be at full capacity at the moment, but I have a reputation. No one will come near you when I’m around.”

“And what if they do? Hmm? Then we’re both in deep shit instead of just me.”

“You underestimate my abilities.”

“And I think you overestimate them.”

His scoff turned into a cough, a dry cough that had him clutching his chest and eyes watering. He felt like his lungs had been exposed to some noxious gas, burning them, but that was just the magic. He didn’t know what his opponent had traded to wield that magic, but dark magic never came with a fair trade. It took back its cost plus interest. Claude just hoped he could be there to see the user get it when it collected its final payment.

“See,” she said quietly. Her gaze had gone soft with concern, and she clasped her hands in front of her belly, shifting her weight.

He could probably pull himself together and do what needed to be done, but she was right in a way. He was weaker than usual. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. Time for Plan B.

“If you won’t allow me to escort you, then take Clarissa along with Sweetie.”

Gail narrowed her eyes. “What do you know about Clarissa? What is she?”

“That’s her business.” If Clarissa were really part-elf, there was no wonder she was so tightlipped about it. Elves, like fairies, had been trying to quietly assimilate into human society for centuries. That also explained why it had taken him so long to figure out her flavor. He’d never encountered an elf before. At least, not an “out” one. “Regardless of what she is, she won’t let a demon sneak up on you because she can sense them before they get in striking distance. Most are afraid of her, and justifiably so. She doesn’t hesitate to do what needs to be done, even at her own expense.”

Gail pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and worried at it, staring at him without seeming to see him. After a moment, she nodded and extended her hand. “Deal.”

“That’s a human habit. You have to give me flesh a bit more premium than that to seal the deal.”

“Just how premium? And you don’t trust me?”

“Hell no, I don’t trust you … at least, not on this.” Their girls all had a bit of a reckless streak. They got complacent, thought they were safe, and did stupid shit like trying to run away. Whenever they did, they ran right into the arms of the enemy.

“I should be offended,” she said.

He opened his eyes and found that her previously sweet countenance had shifted into one of annoyance.

“I don’t care if you’re offended. I’d rather have you pissed than dead. Promise me you won’t do anything reckless, and then bring your lips over here.” He’d almost forgotten what it was like to have someone of his own to touch, and nebulous as their relationship status was at the moment, he wanted to take advantage.

She pushed up an eyebrow. “And if I pass?”

“Then you won’t go.”

“You can’t stop me.”

Were they really going to play this game? Had she been any other woman, he would have disarmed her with magic—made her compliant. But he couldn’t afford to waste energy on that right now. Besides, he needed her in perfect understanding that she wasn’t just a conquest for him, but someone he saw as a perfect partner. Well, eventually.

“I can stop you, and I will if I have to. I don’t want to force you. I want you to trust me.”

“Tell me what happened to you boys, then. Clarissa didn’t want to tell me the specifics, and neither would the other guys.”

Good. None of them had been in any condition to discuss what they’d tell and what they wouldn’t before they got triaged in the living room, but apparently they were all holding their tongues about it. It was better not to scare the women. What none of them had considered yet was if a werewolf, three cambions, and a powerful psychic could get knocked on their asses by one or two weaker entities, what chance did the girls have in a fight?

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know, but I can tell you what I suspect. I’ll tell you all about it when you get back.”

“Promise?”

“Do you?”

She sighed. “I guess so.” She pressed her palms to her knees and leaned in closer. “I promise not to do anything stupid.”

“And you’ll stay in Clarissa’s and Sweetie’s sights.”

Her cheek twitched. “As much as reasonable.”

He didn’t waste his breath on rebutting. He pressed his hand to back of her neck and brought her face to his, skimming his lips over hers. “If you get yourself in trouble, I’m going to make sure you’re incapable of exercising free will for a very long time.”

“Oh yeah?” She chuckled, obviously not believing him.

“I have a cabin in the mountains. It’s isolated. Quiet.”

“Sounds like the perfect place for a loner.”

“It is. And it’s the perfect place to tie a woman naked to a bed so she can’t run. And no one could hear her moans.”

“Screams, you mean.”

“Maybe there’d be a few of those.”

“Promises, promises.”

He darted his tongue between the crease of her lips in search of hers, and wrapped his left hand around her waist, pulling her body down as he fell back onto the bed.

His kiss was rough, desperate, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t have practice in this art of giving up power—only taking it. That gave him an idea. If he couldn’t go with her, he could send with her something that would help in a fight, should there be one.

He dragged his fingertips up her back and raked the others through her dense hair, feeling her, memorizing her, as he trickled his power into her, drip by drip.

She didn’t seem to notice, being so caught up in their ardor. Her breathing had gone shallow and her skin heated as she ground the crotch of her jeans against the bulge of his boxers.

He would have loved to indulge her, but they didn’t have time for that sort of play. He’d want hours, not a few unsatisfying minutes. She needed to go do her time at work, and come back so he could see her. Watch her. Endear himself to her.