Demons at Deadnight (2011), page 8
A noise burst to my right. I spun and grabbed the nearest weapon I could find. A fountain had splashed to life, a waterfall trickling into a mini rock garden. False alarm? Sure. But tell that to my hammering heart.
The weapon I clutched so desperately was a tiny rake for the tiny rock garden which was just hugely stupid because why anyone thought moving around dirt and stone, tiny or otherwise, would bring serenity was beyond me. Normal people called that “doing chores.”
I was ready to chuck the rake and make my mad escape when something stopped me. On a high shelf next to a child’s cowboy hat was a framed duplicate of the photograph Mom had found. The group of us. Hay bales, horses, goofy poses. I reached up.
“Can I get you something?”
I whirled, demolishing knick-knacks as I slammed back against the shelves.
Ayden’s amused gaze was only a few feet away. He wore T-shirt and jeans, his feet bare. I noticed because my eyes dropped when I saw the top jeans’ button undone. One hand reached behind his head causing his shirt to hitch up which bared, between the shirt and pants, a generous display of taunt skin. It was…wow…suddenly hot in here.
I squeaked a few times before I managed a legitimate “Hi,” my tone overly bright.
“Hello.” He drawled that one word in a low, smooth voice that caressed my entire body, wrapped around me like a thick towel straight from the dryer, warm against naked skin, chasing away every chill—
Whoa, down girl. I reminded myself to breathe and not go gaga for the demon drug kingpin. The breathing part worked out.
“What’re you doing here?” He looked around. “And how’d you get in?”
“The maid,” I cleared my throat, “let me in. Sent me up here.”
His forehead creased. “The maid? You mean Sergei? I wouldn’t call him that to his face. I didn’t think he was here today. And I don’t think he’d send you upstairs without telling us.”
Sergei? The Russian cartel was involved too?
“Not a guy. A woman. Thirties. Pretty. Perky. About yea big.” I used my hand in the air to approximate her height. Ayden shook his head. “Oh, come on. The French maid’s outfit? Surely you remember that. And the lavender-streaked hair?”
He laughed and put both hands behind his head. The shirt went up some more.
Eyes up, Aurora, eyes up!
“Nice try. That’s the kind of maid you think we’d have? Wow. I don’t know if I’m insulted or flattered.” Still chuckling, he crossed his arms over his chest. That helped. A little. “We’ll bypass the ‘how’ for now. Why are you here?”
“Oh.” I coughed a few times, patted my chest, gave him a sorry, just a minute while I concoct some reasonable answer to cover my breaking-and-entering so your drug cartel family doesn’t kill me look, and pressed the back of my hand against my mouth while I did some more coughing. Transparent? Maybe, but it gave me the time I needed. “I wanted to come by and thank you for saving me today. From Herman.”
A suspicious smile danced on his lips. “What happened to me playing you?”
“Oh, that.” I did my best to look contrite. “Sorry, I was a little wound up. You were very brave and I wanted to express my appreciation.” I hoped I was stroking his ego enough.
“Really?” His grin broadened to show plenty of those even white teeth. He sauntered forward, leaned in, and rested his palms against the shelf on either side of my shoulders. “What did you have in mind?”
Yikes, might have stroked that ego too well. I ducked under his arm and backed away.
“I-I-I could bake you s-something.”
He turned around and came toward me. I’d seen a panther stalking its prey on the Discovery Channel. I think it took lessons from Ayden.
“What d-do you like to eat?”
His grin widened. He looked me up and down. Crap.
In the middle of my retreat that stupid platform bed hit my lower calves which sent me sprawling back onto the mattress. A split second later Ayden was there and started to ease on top of me.
Like a ninja, I rolled to my left. Ayden flumped onto an empty bed as I flew off the bottom edge onto the floor. Not so ninja-like but it got the job done. My feet underneath me, I made a mad dash for the door. I heard no footsteps in pursuit but when I yanked open the door it didn’t matter. I was trapped.
In an alternate universe.
Jayden was upside down, walking on his hands, and looked as surprised as his perpetual calm allowed. Steady as a rock, his balance and control might have something to do with the fact that his upper body was nothing but sinewy muscle. It was easy to see because while he wore sweatpants, he was shirtless. Didn’t anyone know how to wear clothes in this house?
He cocked his head. “Aurora? What’re you doing in Ayden’s room?”
Ayden released a dramatic sigh. “Not feeling as grateful as I’d hoped.”
He lounged on the bed, hands laced behind his head. That treacherous shirt hiked up even higher now. I wrenched my eyes to his face and glared. He shrugged, all innocent nonchalance.
“When did you arrive?”
“Just in time for our purple-haired maid to let her in.”
Jayden dropped gracefully to his feet and stood. “But we don’t—”
“Gotta go.” I shoved Jayden aside. While I didn’t exactly run down the hall, it was close.
Jayden said, “Check the cameras.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see if they were chasing me. And smashed into something solid.
“What the—” Matthias shoved me back. I stumbled, regained my footing. He glared. You’d think he’d just handled a rotting corpse. “Who invited the shelia?”
My breaking-and-entering skills needed some work on the stealthy-escape end of things. I darted past the Aussie. He made a grab. I dodged, slammed my hip into his stomach, and without looking back, launched myself onto the stairway bannister.
I rode down sidesaddle, accelerating at breakneck speed, hair flying in my wake, arms splayed out for perfect balance. Impressive. Until the bannister curved.
And I didn’t.
I sailed across the stairs, bounced off the wall, and flailed for anything to stop my out-of-control free-fall. One of those big, gorgeous, sturdy landscapes I’d seen earlier seemed like a shrewd choice.
It wasn’t.
The giant painting ripped away in my hands as I ricocheted back across the stairs. My gut rammed into the railing. The artwork spurted from my grip. Someone grunted, but it wasn’t me. No, I was too busy somersaulting over the bannister and thumping flat on my back onto the hardwood floor, missing the cushy oriental carpet entirely. I’m that clever.
I rolled to my knees, sucked and wheezed until air seeped into my lungs, and stared at the absurd.
Logan sat up from the floor, dazed. When the painting shot from my hands it had landed on Logan, knocking him down, his head tearing through the canvas. Now he wore it like some ridiculous, modern art collar.
With a scowl, he struggled to dislodge it from around his neck. “Not funny guys. Who—” He caught sight of me. “Aurora?”
Whoops.
I scrambled to my feet, raced to the door—and stopped short. Blake stood with one massive fist devouring the doorknob. His gaze ping-ponged between me and my wake of destruction.
“Stop her!” Matthias bellowed as he thundered downstairs.
Blake’s mouth twisted sideways, hand tightened on the knob. What little breath I’d regained, caught. Heart sputtered to a standstill. Then he swung the door open with a sweep of his arm.
“After you, milady.”
My legs didn’t hesitate. I vaulted off the porch and hit the driveway running.
“What the bloody hell did you do that for?!”
“I’m her knight in shining armor. Seriously, dude, your chivalry needs some work. Ow!”
A few stumbles, several bumbles, but I booked it to my car without further incident and gunned the engine. Couldn’t get away fast enough—though law enforcement might have some complaints.
Halfway home I realized something and nearly jumped the curb. Hands sweaty against the wheel, I pulled over and ripped the car apart. No luck. The photograph I’d left on the passenger seat? Gone.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I clomped into my room armed to battle frustration with a pint of ice cream and spoon, cool breeze blowing in from a window. The door slammed shut behind me. The pint and spoon thudded on the carpet as I whirled. And faced Tristan.
He stalked toward me, expression grim, and held up the photo.
“I know who you are, Rory, or Aurora, or whatever you call yourself, but stay away.” He’d made his voice abnormally deep. “We don’t play nice anymore.”
He flung the photo toward the bed. It missed. He blinked, cleared his throat and stomped past me. Pausing by my bed, he shoved his hand in his pants pocket but then couldn’t get his fist back out without using his other hand for help. I rolled my lips into my mouth to squelch a smile. With a few choice words he finally pulled out my Celtic cross and one of my chains, last seen dangling from Matthias’ fingers, and pitched them on the bed.
He made it halfway out the open window when I said, “Want some ice cream?”
His head bumped the frame. “Ouch! What?” His voice was back to normal. He turned around. “Don’t offer me ice cream. I just broke into your room and threatened you.”
I stroked my chin. “Hmmm. A threat? No, that was a warning. To scare me off for my own good.”
His shoulders dropped with a sigh. He sat down on the sill. “Did it work?”
I bobbed my head back and forth. “Not sure yet. You should take some intimidation lessons from Matthias.”
“Yeah, sorry he’s such a jerk.”
“Why do you hang out with him?”
“Long story.”
I spread my hands. “I’ve got time.”
He stood, face sad.
“But I don’t. You okay? After today’s…events?”
“Tell me one thing. In the parking lot, did you guys knock me out?”
Both hands raked through his blond hair. “We didn’t hit you. I’m not sure what happened. You’ve got no reason to believe me, but we were trying to help.”
“I’ve got a reason.” I picked the photo off the floor. “We’re friends.”
“We’re not safe, Aurora.”
“Maybe, but—”
“No buts. I’ll try to get the rest of your stuff and bring it by.”
“Then can we talk?”
“No, then you stay away. For good. And please don’t tell them I was here. That we talked. It’s better for both of us.”
“What’ve you got yourself into? Maybe I can help?”
He shook his head, blue eyes flat. “I’m not in trouble Aurora, but you could be. Stay away.”
I picked up the cross. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Literally.”
I nodded and he was gone. A big oak dominated the space between our houses, and Tristan easily maneuvered over the huge branches spreading from my window to one at his house. I watched him disappear through it without looking back.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Groggy from tossing and turning all night trying to make sense of things, and re-checking the window was locked, I was already behind in my morning routine when the hoopla hit.
The early call from the sheriff’s office precipitated a mad dash to the mini-van where Mom, in such a dither, put pedal to the metal and pushed it at least three miles over the speed limit. Currently, she stood in front of her flower shop speaking to one of the sheriff’s deputies about the vandalism. Matthias’ dad was still out of town.
The display window of Mom’s store had been shattered from the inside out and lay in pieces on the sidewalk, the glass sparkling like precious gems. Inside laid shards of broken pottery, clumps of dirt, mangled plants and overturned tables. The stench of sulfur wafted through the air, but I seemed the only one who noticed.
And the only one who heard the demon’s voice.
I stood just outside the crowd, Selena on my hip. The hellion from yesterday’s “bear” attack lost no time taking credit for the destruction, making threats and barking demands shortly after I arrived.
“And now the Nex will follow orders from me.” His chuckle carried through the air and curled around my skin like a deadly serpent.
I held Selena tighter and swept the crowd, but no one was possessed. For me, when demons gained residence, human features slid away like a wax mask too close to a flame.
But I could hear him. His gravelly voice raked the nerves down my spine.
“Leave the brat and come to me. Alone. Down Main Street. Take the second left. Understood?”
I searched the sky. Nothing.
“Get moving!” Its snarling fury pounded against my skin.
The crowd’s volume dropped, reacting to the presence without knowing it.
“Leave now or I will start killing. Slowly. The rug-rat first. Her screams—”
“Lucian! Take Selena. I left my history homework at home.”
“I’ll come with you,” Luna said.
I indicated her clunky boots. “I’ll be faster alone.”
She shrugged and turned away. I backed up several yards to make sure she didn’t follow and bumped into something.
“Ow! Bloody—”
I turned and faced an angry Matthias. Like he had another mode. He’d been sitting in a black BMW, his leg hanging out the open door when I bumped into it, causing the door to slam into his shin.
“Sorry.”
He slapped the cell phone shut and was in front of me in an instant. The weird thing, he was smiling. I tried to scurry past.
“Aurora, wait. Where’re you off to?” His tone was genial. It creeped me out.
“Left my homework at home.” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. “Funny, it being homework you’d think home would be where it’s supposed to be but no, I need it at school, but you can’t call it schoolwork because that’s just stuff you do at school but it really is schoolwork you do at home and then bring it back so you could call it school-home-school work but either way it’s not here and I need to get it from home and get it to school so home is where I need to go now.” I took a breath. “Bye.”
Matthias shook off any attempts to make sense of my blabbering. “You should wait for your mum.” He gestured toward the flower shop, eyes darting side-to-side. “Not wandering off alone.”
Concern? Even creepier. “I’ll be fine.”
When I turned to leave his steely fingers clamped around my wrist in a grip I couldn’t break without losing my hand.
So I flung myself onto his chest—he didn’t even wobble—and wrapped my free arm around his waist. My sobs wailed, loud and pathetic.
Matthias went rigid. “Uh.”
“This has been so scary,” I whimpered between ragged breaths, clutched tighter. “And now,” more sobbing, “now, you’re here and can help me, hold me.” Incoherent blubbering amplified. I pressed our bodies closer, almost pawing him.
He let go of my arm and put both of his straight out to his sides. “What the—”
I pushed off and sprinted down the street, grinning, hoping I got plenty of snot on his shirt.
“Son of a—” His cell phone rang. The violent, “What?!” he growled into it broadened my smile. The bad boy could bully, but give him a clingy, weeping damsel, and he caved.
Cocky about duping the jerk, I made it all the way around the corner before a hand snatched mine.
I screamed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The woman shrieked back, her free hand jumping to her throat and startling bright blue eyes going wide before she pulled me into an alley.
“Good golly, Miss Molly!” she said, getting her breathing back to normal. “You gave me quite a start.”
“You’re the maid!”
Her outfit was different, but it was her. She’d let me into the Ishida house. Today she looked like she should be running some big boardroom meeting, wearing a smooth, white pencil skirt and fitted jacket over her slender frame. However, the hair? Not so corporate. Short and fashionable, it bounced as she walked, and shimmered with the same intense cobalt blue as her silk blouse and mischievous eyes.
I stopped and tried twisting my arm from her grip.
“Who are you?”
At the end of the alley she faced me, suddenly grim, and in a heavy Austrian accent said, “Come with me if you want to live.” Her ominous expression broke into a cascade of giggles and she slapped her thigh. “Oh, I always wanted to say that!”
I wondered which loony bin was missing a patient.
“But seriously.” She skewed her face into a semblance of composure. “You need to trust me and it will all be right as rain.”
Trust her. Riiight. The guys with the padded van and straightjacket would be here any minute.
“Sorry, you’ve already gotten me in enough trouble and I’ve got to get moving.” I tugged on my hand again. She didn’t let go, but we started walking again. “Someone threatened my family and—”
“I knoooow! I mean, I must give him points because frankly he seemed quite the dolt to me. All dirty, smelly brawn and no brains.” She wagged a finger in the air. “Shame on me for judging.” She saw my worried face and rolled her eyes. “Pah-leeze. I’ve got your family covered. A couple of temporary ciphers, and ergo, he can’t touch them. For now. You, on the other hand, are vulnerable, but I can help.” Another dazzling smile.
Ciphers? And who’s Airgo? “You did what to my family?”
She patted my head. “I’ll explain later. Just do what I tell you. You’ll be safe at Rita’s.” In a rush, she gave me directions. “I’ll meet you there.”
“With a demon on my tail? I’ll never make it.”
“Two actually.”
“What?”
Her hand made a cutting motion, nixing further discussion. “Trust me. You’ve got what it takes.” She winked. “You just don’t know it yet. Or had the right training.”
“Who are you?”
