The Devil You Know (16 page)

Heading her off, I said urgently, “I’m sorry, Kathryn. I’d ask again nicely, but I don’t have the time.”

“Don’t think I will be so easy to sway,” she said. “You deem to make demands of me when not five minutes ago you complained I did the same. Is your land so full of contradictions that this is acceptable?” Raising her chin, she looked down her nose at me. Her silver hair shone orange with the limo’s fire.

I couldn’t help releasing a small laugh at her overly aristocratic expression. But we needed to hurry. “You’re right,” I said. “How can I ask you to heed my request when I wouldn’t at least hear yours? So I’ll make you another deal. If you stay, I’ll consider what you ask.”

I felt Jacq’s shock in my mind, even as Kathryn’s ire deflated, confused victory shining in her eyes. I hastened to correct their assumptions. “That is…I’ll consider the honeymoon trip to Hell, but not the political wedding to the Demon Prince wannabe with the highest sperm count.”

I grabbed Jacq’s hand, pulling her stumbling body to my side. In the full sight of my family, the vampires, the quickly approaching Fera, and the Goddess, I said, “I’m in love with Jacqueline Slone, and if she’ll go with me, I’ll consider your request. But that’s no guarantee I’ll go and I certainly won’t do it alone.”

Kathryn nodded. “Fine, but I’ll hold you to your word.” She gave Van a look. “Your cousin goes with you.”

He silently removed his suit jacket, passing it to her, before rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. Fire ran from his fingertips, swirling up his arms. I nodded, and the three older women turned away. Nana tossed her sword to Fera. The blade flashed, reflecting the fire’s glow. The deft Fae caught it by the hilt. Then the three left.

Spurred into action, I pulled my stunned phoenix down by the shirtfront and kissed her on the lips swiftly, saying as I finished, “You be careful.” If there were rogue demons about, Jacq and Fera would have to track them to ensure they wouldn’t harm the area’s human population.

Jacq blinked at me. “You love me?” She grinned wide and that dimple appeared. Her eyes were fierce with desire and another emotion, one that matched the tide of love currently overflowing my heart.

My demon-half stirred, murmuring in my mind,
Mine.
And I mentally agreed. Jacq was
Ours
. And we were not about to let her go. My answering smile was more than a little feral but I didn’t try to hide it.

“It seems I do,” I said. “But don’t think that will save your stubborn, chivalrous self from me if you get killed out there. I’ll raise you from the dead and smack you around so hard you’ll wish I’d left you be.”

“You’re threatening me with violence?” Jacq’s smile broadened. “You really do love me!” Her whiskey-smooth voice dropped low. “Don’t worry, cher.” Silver magic shone from her skin, coating every visible inch, and that deadly silver-runed sword appeared in her hand. “I’ll be careful, but you had best do the same.”

Finger to his earpiece, Marco cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt the love fest, but three things we suspect are demonic just blew up the King’s limo and are currently leading several of my men and that half-blood Roskov on a merry chase above the woods. One of my Kin has already fallen. We go
now
.” Faster than the eye could follow, he stripped off his suit coat, tossed it to the ground, and had a large black gun in each hand, pulled no doubt from the double-harness running around his back and under his shoulders.

“Marco?” I called.

The vampire stepped through the door and looked back at me, his eyes glowing red with bloodlust. “Yes, m’lady?”

“I’m going to need a ride.” I wasn’t fast enough to keep up with the others, especially barefoot. Maybe Jacq or Van could carry me, but I didn’t want to burden Jacq and didn’t trust Van not to drop me at the most opportune moment. Marco, on the other hand, would be on his best behavior until his debt had been repaid. I quickly checked behind me to make sure my family had made it back inside. What I was about to do would in no way be considered ladylike.

Marco sighed. “Very well.” His guns were holstered in a blink. He held his arms wide. “Your carriage awaits.”

I made a twirling motion with my finger. For a moment, Marco looked at me, puzzled. Understanding dawned, and he gritted his teeth, turning.

With a running leap, I jumped, wrapping my legs around the vampire’s hips and my arms around his neck, my dress riding high around my hips in the most shocking version of a piggyback ride I’d taken since my diaper days. In Marco’s ear, I whispered, “I don’t ride sidesaddle.”

Behind me, Fera whistled then wheezed in pain as Jacq hit her in the stomach with the back of her hand. Marco drew his guns, Jacq closed the ward door behind us, and we were off, whipping through the darkened woods, the smell of burned metal, gasoline, and ozone fresh in our noses and the knowledge that we were headed into danger fresh in our minds.

The night was definitely looking up.

We rushed along the ground, air roaring past us. Then we were bouncing from pine to pine, Marco’s feet barely touching the lofty limbs, before finally we were airborne. Left below, Van yelled, irritated. I felt Jacq’s worry in my mind. But it was hard to focus on those things when I was reveling in the glory of flying.

Cool wind whipped against my face, blowing my loose raven locks behind me. The night sky above us was beautiful with an occasional star peeping through the clouds, shining like a diamond in a sea of mists. My body didn’t have wings, but for the time being, my heart did. It was an exhilarating sensation. Though I knew I wasn’t the cause, I still wanted to throw my head back and whoop with joy.

Of course, Marco had to piss on my parade.

“And to think,” he said, “all this could have been yours every night for eternity…if you had only accepted Serena’s offer to become one of us.”

I couldn’t see Marco’s face, and his low words, stolen away by the wind, were hard to catch, but I fancied there was a bit of puzzlement as well as challenge in his tone. The first was easy to understand. The second made me wonder if Seth hadn’t sent his guard to do more than fulfill his oath. Serena had offered to make me a vampire. In the many years of her undead life, she had never met someone who didn’t fear or envy her power and position…until she met me. Mortality shouldn’t be allowed to steal such a friendship as ours. Or so she said. Seth too had offered to convert me…in exchange for something else. His pride had been hurt by my denial. He would not ask me again outright. But it would be just like Seth to have Marco test the waters with the topic of Serena’s offer.

I rested my chin on his shoulder and with clear eyes looked at the gift the vampire siblings had offered me, seeing my home from a perspective I’d only ever dreamed of, finally saying quietly, “It’s not
could have been
but
could be
. Serena and Seth left their offers open. I’m free to change my mind at any time.”

I looked again at the beautiful sky and the land that flowed like a dark ocean of rippling trees below us. I had roots in that land, roots as deep as those of any of the tall pines below. I turned my head to see the ant-sized car and trailer that must be Cassie and declared, “But I won’t. I can have this feeling day and night without ever leaving the ground.” I watched a silver blur streak through the woods, outpacing Van’s red fire, and my heart pounded in my chest. I hoped I wasn’t lying when I added, “And I won’t have to die to get it.”

That silenced the vamp, and I took a moment to note our direction. Distant trees swayed with a massive disturbance. The loud cracking of branches carried like gunshots through the quiet night. The fight had obviously moved from the air to the more cover-friendly woods. Realizing we were headed toward the fight and away from Cassie and the children, I tugged on Marco’s ear. “You heard my grandmother. Don’t make me break my promise.”

It took several tugs and even more snarled commands (by us both), but finally he turned. Though Marco would be glad to be rid of me, the annoyed vampire wanted to rush immediately to his fellow Kin. My heart wanted to do the same because that meant I would stay with Jacq. But my conscience insisted I help Wellsy’s grandchildren and their guardian. Whoever had penned the children’s song that said, “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage,” hadn’t been referring to priorities. Because if they had, the children would always come first. More often than not, love could defend itself. Children could not. That thought rang uncomfortably true, but I ignored it. Whatever my sense of premonition was trying to warn me of, it was still far away.

Cassie and her passengers were on a lonely stretch of road near our long driveway’s entrance. Gem’s car was parked behind hers. I saw the blue glow of a cell phone and the green glow of earth magic right before I saw Cassie. Her straight, nearly white hair and pale skin glowed in the near pitch black. Cassie, seeing a hoard of strangers approaching, one covered in fire and two bearing swords, took a defensive stance, waving a magic-covered tire iron threateningly. Marco snarled, fangs flashing, which didn’t help.

“Whoa,” I cried to Cassie, slipping from Marco’s back as he landed several feet away. “It’s Cate, Helena’s niece.” The others fanned out around us. I felt Jacq’s presence, warm in my mind and hot at my back, and tossed her a reassuring smile. Green glowing wards surrounded the car, allowing Cassie to create a temporary circle at a moment’s thought—one powered by the earth around us.
Impressive.

Fera flashed her most charming smile. “Cate…and the cavalry.”

Behind Cassie, two sets of frightened brown eyes peered out of a half-rolled down window. A little hand lifted and waved to us. I smiled, waving back.

Cassie scowled and said something to the children, who disappeared from view. She eyed us cautiously before lowering her weapon. “I’d say I’m happy to see you, but I really don’t care for the circumstances, whatever they may be. Though I must say, Cate—” Her tone lightened. “You make one heck of a first impression.”

“Is that a good or bad thing?” Laughing, I shook my head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. Let’s just get you guys somewhere safer than here.”

Cassie nodded, giving me a tentative smile. I approached the car, Van at my side. He released his fire as we neared the children, twisting his face into a stiff semblance of a friendly smile, looking more than a little awkward. I stopped just outside Cassie’s wards and turned to look at the others.

Finger again to his ear, Marco said, “The creatures are moving quickly and will soon reach a more populated area. Let’s move.”

“Be safe,” Jacq said, giving me a look difficult to read in the dark. But though the night hid her body, her mind was clear. It said she was grateful I hadn’t flown to Never-Never on Marco’s back…and that we’d have a talk later about my flashing the better part of the county a fine view of my thong-clad derriere. Of course, that last part required a little reading between the lines. All I really felt was relief, amusement, concern, reluctance, and desire. But the way she eyed my ass made me think the view up my dress was somehow involved.

That look made me bold. I smiled and blew her a kiss goodbye, making the good law-woman blush for the second time since we’d met. Then Jacq turned, and she, Fera and Marco disappeared into the dark woods. I could hear Fera teasing my love before they moved too far and the night became quiet again.

Van and I spoke with Cassie for several minutes, debating the wisdom of taking Gem’s car to the house or staying where we were until the all clear. I felt my link to Jacq weaken then fade completely as they reached the battle. Van asked me to step inside Cassie’s wards where it would be safer, but I declined. The fight was far away and I was leery of being trapped in another witch’s circle. After a moment, the children’s heads peeped back up behind Cassie’s back. They seemed more curious than scared.

I smiled at the pair, rubbed my hands together, and said sweetly, “We have mucho leftovers at mi casa just waiting for two hungry hombres to gobble them up.” I understood from Aunt Helena that Loren, the children’s biological mother, had begun speaking Spanish to the children while in the womb and Cassie was trying to carry on the tradition. I hoped they would find my rusty Spanish reassuring…or at least amusing. It had been a long time since my lessons and my accent was torturously bad. “So, who’s hungry?”

One of the children pointed behind me, silently answering my question. Cassie’s eyes widened, and the children ducked out of sight. Before I could turn, Van made a strangled sound. From the corner of my eye, I saw him fall to his knees. Crimson blood stained his white shirt around the short arrow jutting from his back. My heart thudded once loudly in my chest then Cassie’s green circle rose mere inches beyond my nose, shimmering a transparent green in the night.

She mouthed,
Sorry.
Then her magic thickened, darkening until it became a dark green magical mirror. All I could see was my startled reflection and that of a hazy figure emerging from the woods behind me. Then I was spinning around.

What—or who—I saw was more than a little surprising.

Chapter Ten

“This isn’t the age of Aquarius, buddy. You need to take that soul-train back on to the station.”

—Cate Delacy

“Gem?” I stared wide-eyed at the crossbow Gemini Roskov held with such nonchalance.

Domini Roskov’s daughter stepped from the dark woods at the road’s far side.
Why would she shoot Van?
He was annoying, certainly. But their meeting the night before couldn’t have been long enough for them to become mortal enemies.

Her lovely face sneered. “Not quite.” The grating male voice echoing out of those plump pink feminine lips was wrong. A shiver went down my spine. I recognized that voice, though I’d only ever heard a more cultured, more controlled version of it. Van, lying facedown nearby, moaned then took a sharp wheezing breath.

“Strange…” I gritted my teeth, painfully drawing my fire forth. “I seem to remember saying you weren’t invited to this shindig.” I returned her sneer, even as Gem’s lovely face melted away, revealing the flat pug-like mug of Ramus, the demon limo driver. The tall, brown-haired demon’s clothes followed suit, changing to loose black pants and a matching laced shirt. Something about the limo driver’s face looked different, but I couldn’t quite place it. Then I saw his eyes.
Madness.
Pure and utter madness. The black orbs fairly gleamed with it. I shivered again but didn’t dare turn away.