Hot Magic (34 page)

She could, of course, leave at any time. At least, she thought she could. She still didn’t totally trust her ability to wield energy. But if she could get out of Gehenna, she sure as heck shouldn’t have any trouble getting out of London.
 

Harry kept her here. Flouting the laws that Harrison upheld didn’t seem like a good idea. Besides, she desperately wanted to see him again. Sitting in the Seat of Judgment might be the fastest way.
 

She’d explain her side of things, the Council would understand and everything would be fine. Hopefully. She kept remembering the look on Harry’s face when he’d ordered her not to go to Gehenna, and she’d gone anyway. And now there was the additional issue of her being a potential wild power.
 

She walked to the white dresser and picked up a brush that sat on top of a heart-shaped doily. Looking in the heart-shaped mirror, she sighed and began brushing her hair. Not that it did any good. How had Deluxe managed that soft, silky wave?
 

She set down the brush and paced the room. She flopped back on the red, silk duvet that covered the bed and stretched out. Hadn’t Linda Hamilton kept in shape doing chin-ups while she was in a mental hospital during the first
Terminator
movie? She kicked off her sensible shoes and began flexing her toes. She didn’t have enough energy for chin-ups. She’d start small with toe flexes, and maybe she’d work her way up.
 

Here she was with plenty of time and no work that had to be done. She could think great thoughts or figure out answers to pressing world problems…or check out the closets.
 

She stopped the toe flexes (who wanted bulging toes anyway?) and hopped off the bed. Inside a pair of wide doors was a closet full of clothes. She frowned and checked several tags. They were all new and all her size. Exactly how long was she going to be here and did all prisoners get a new wardrobe?
 

Pushing aside hangers, she wondered who had picked out the clothes. They weren’t her usual style, which leaned toward casual comfort. These clothes looked more like something Julie Deluxe would wear.
 

Maybe she should try one of the outfits on. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to pick them out. She quickly shed the brown slacks and cream-colored shirt she’d worn to work that morning and slipped into a deceptively simple black dress. It was sleeveless with a round neck and a zipper up the side. It hit her legs mid-thigh.
 

She stepped over to the full-length mirror. How could something so simple look not so simple once it was on her body? The material of the dress was soft and clingy, and hugged her in a good way.
 

She padded back to the closet and studied the rows of shelves that held shoes. A pair of low-heeled black sandals reminded her of a pair she had at home. Her eyes kept straying, however, to a pair of shiny red, sex-on-a-heel shoes with ankle straps. She pulled them out and buckled them on. Whoa. She sauntered to the mirror, one hand on her hip, and grinned. Not bad, Dancer. Not bad at all.

A knock sounded on the door. Julie started in surprise and turned toward it. Her stomach knotted as the door handle turned.
 

Linda marched into the room. Dressed in her purple outfit, the massive woman shut the door behind her. She paused, silent, and took in the white rag carpet, the bed with a red, silk comforter and the white dresser and chair. Then her eyes settled on Julie. “Before he chased after you to Gehenna, the Balance told Heidi to get a room ready for you in case you were arrested.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “The Council is not into torture, though. I’ll get you another room. And some shoes that won’t stretch your gastrocnemius like a rubber band.”

Julie had no idea what that was, and she didn’t care. She ran to Linda and gave her a big hug. She even got teary at the scent of dead cow. “I’m so glad to see you!”

Linda lifted Julie off her feet to set her an arm’s length away. “Going a bit squirrely, I see.”
 

Julie grinned, happy to see a familiar face or any face for that matter. She sat on the edge of the bed because her ankles were a little wobbly. “Tell me what’s going on. Where’s Harry? How is he doing? Is he okay?”

“Don’t know. Haven’t seen the Balance.”

“How do I post bail?” She’d hunt him down herself.
 

Linda regarded her with pity. “There’s no bail, mate. You’re here until the next Judgment Day. Of course, they’re not really days. Judgment Day can last a long as a month, depending on the quarterly caseload. Don’t know for sure when you’ll be seen.”

“What!” Julie jumped up. “I can’t stay here for weeks!”

Linda shrugged. “Should have thought about that before you made a deal with a demon in front of half the Walkers and Dancers in America.”
 

Julie sighed. “Go away, Linda, and bring me Harry.”

“The Balance won’t meet with a sand bag.”

“Excuse me?” Why on earth couldn’t Linda speak plain English?

“A sand bag. You’re extra weight, throwing off the balance of the Triad.”

“Am not.” Julie automatically sucked in her stomach.

“You’re a sand bag until proven ballast.”

“Where’s Bas?” No point in discussing this.

“He’s off getting women for Harrison to sleep with so the curse can be broken.”

“He’s what?” Sharp prickles danced along her skin and settled in her chest. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Then she took a deep, cleansing breath and opened her eyes. Julie still wanted to shake Harrison, Bas and any woman in their vicinity. “Why did you come here, Linda? Are you trying to cheer me up?”

“I’m your Guardian. I’m checking to see if everything is all right.”

“No. Everything is not all right.” Harry might be having sex with another woman while she languished in prison. Okay, it was a nice room, with killer clothes, but she was still languishing.

She tried to pull her thoughts together and think clearly. How could she be selfish enough to be angry with Harry when she knew he needed to break the curse? Would she rather he suffer with Marguerite in his head or have sex with another woman? Afraid to think about it too closely, she spoke. “Can you get word to my mother, Dorie and Tasha about where I am?”

“That’s not in my job description.” Linda folded her arms and tapped a foot, encased in what looked like purple alligator skin.

“Linda, please.”

She shrugged. “Already have. All three of them are on a plane on their way here.”

The news cheered her and worried her at the same time.
 

Linda nodded at her. “That was some feat, you pulling all those folks out of Gehenna. Twice. Absolutely brilliant work. Made all Triad members proud.”

Yeah. But not proud enough to ignore a little thing like making a deal with a demon. Besides, Julie wasn’t sure that she could even be considered a Triad member, with her mixed heritage. A thought occurred to her. “If I’m not a Triad member, can I be held to Triad laws?”

“Don’t go there, Dancer. You better be a Triad member.”

“Why?”

“If they decide you’re wild, you’ll get banished. If they decide you’re a demon, nobody’s gonna want anything to do with you.”
 

“I don’t have cooties, you know. Just a demon father. It’s not contagious.” She tried not to be hurt. “You all have a real thing against demons, don’t you?”

Linda just stared at her.

“Okay. Sorry. Root of all evil. I know.” She sighed.

“There’s no easy way out for you. The Council will put you through the wringer, and then Harrison will pronounce judgment. He’s known for his strict interpretation of the law.”

“Doesn’t Harry have to recuse himself on account of possible bias?” He knew her. He’d kissed her. He’d been to Hell and back with her. Surely that counted for something.

“Balances aren’t biased.”

“Ever?”

“Ever.”
 

Linda sounded very sure of herself. Which made Julie slightly less sure of the outcome of her trial. She’d counted on Harry to have a bias toward finding her innocent. But what had Joe said? The law would always come first with Harrison. Adventure had come first with Jack. War and evil came first with her father. Maybe her demon blood led her into her own personal little hell of bad relationships.

She began pacing the room. “What are the chances I’ll get a not guilty verdict?”

“Did you make a deal with a demon?”

“There were extenuating circumstances,” she hedged.

“Did you make a deal with a demon?” Linda repeated.

Julie sighed. “Technically, yes.”

“You’re guilty, Dancer.”

She stopped pacing. “What will happen to me?”

“The Balance likes you, so you may just be sent to Lobolo for a couple hundred years.”

“I’m so glad he cares.” With friends like that…it was time to plan a prison break.

Bas suddenly appeared in the room.
 

Julie jerked and fell back on the bed. “Bas! You scared me.” She pushed up on her elbows.

“Sorry.” He spoke tersely as he took her arm and pulled her to her feet. He wore jeans and a white T-shirt today. His lips were set in a tense line.
 

Julie felt a flicker of concern before she remembered what Linda said he’d been doing. Pimping for Harry. But why would that make Bas worried? Women were no doubt lining up to sleep with the man.
 

“Come.” Bas tugged on her arm. Julie stepped toward him, her heart racing. She’d never seen Bas like this before. His face was hard and his eyes glittered, filled with a vast and ancient power. Gone were any signs of his usual humor and charm. Something was seriously wrong.

Quick as a whip, Linda broke his grip with a wicked swipe of her hand and inserted her body between them. “The Dancer’s not going anywhere. She’s under Triad arrest and can only be released by Council edict.”

Bas gritted his teeth but spoke calmly. “Peace, Guardian.”

Linda stiffened and stepped aside, quickly and silently. Bas gripped Julie by the waist and pulled her against him. She locked her hands on his arms, driven by a sudden, desperate worry for Harry.

Then she stood in what appeared to be a lush office. Her gaze swept the room quickly, logging details. A large, mahogany desk took up most of one side of the room. Two laptops and a neat stack of paper looked lost on the massive surface. Beige walls and gleaming hardwood floors gave the space its only hint of warmth. Several black and white pictures broke the monotony of the walls. Ansel Adams? Oddly enough, the room held no furniture other than the desk and chair, giving it an empty feel. Except for the fact that Luc stood in front of the desk, frowning at the floor beside it.

Not at the floor. At someone on the floor.
 
Julie was already moving when she saw two shining wingtips poking out from behind the side of the desk.

Harry.

She brushed past Luc. She barely noted that Marguerite lay on the floor beside Harry. She dropped to her knees. Harry didn’t move. His face scrunched, as if he were locked in the act of lifting a heavy object. Her hand went immediately to his heart. It beat quickly under the soft, white silk of his shirt.

“What’s wrong with him, Bascule?” She gently smoothed the hair away from his forehead. He felt cold, stiff. “What has she done?” She couldn’t even look at Marguerite.

“Your father’s enemy, Ashakarin, uses the link he helped Marguerite forge to access the Balance’s mind. Ashakarin is attempting to invade and take over the Balance.”

“Why?”
 

Bas squatted down beside her, his eyes trained on Harry’s face. “Ashakarin lives for two things—to escape Lobolo and to get back at your father for putting him there. Very few people have access to the lost dimension. Only a few of the Immortals. And Harrison. The Balance is given the knowledge by the previous Balance, when he assumes the position. For the Triad, it is the place of ultimate punishment.”

“So Ashakarin can gain his freedom if he controls Harry,” Julie said slowly.

“Yes.”
 

“He must be very powerful to be able to attack Harry like this from another dimension.”

“He is.”

“How did my father defeat him?” Her hand traced Harry’s jaw as her mind worked furiously. She had to touch him, connect with him. She had to save him.

“Ashakarin is powerful but your father is brilliant. Abigor tricked him.”

Julie took in a deep breath and leaned toward Bas. “If I have sex with Harry right now, will this all end?”
 

“If you can have sex with Harry right now, you’re even more powerful than I think you are.” Bas nodded toward the still man on the floor. “It’s not going to happen. His energy is focused on the battle he wages against Ashakarin. He’s fighting for his soul.”

Julie’s hand went again to Harrison’s chest and she rubbed gently, as if she could give him her heat. He was so cold.

With frightening clarity, the perfect solution popped into her head. She ignored it. “I’m a social worker,” she said loudly, just to remind herself. “I
help
people.” But while she subscribed to the Social Work Code of Ethics, she hadn’t actually sworn to a Hippocratic Oath. Okay, where did that last bit come from? Her heart started beating faster. “Shut up, brain.”