Demons Are Forever Read online

  I stifled a snort. Too well known. Baba’s awful, stuck-in-the-worst-of-the-eighties couture was a running joke no one would speak of out loud. Not unless you wanted to be zapped baldheaded.

  “It’s up to you, Linzie,” Carol chimed in, but the tone of her sniff made it clear no wasn’t an option.

  I hated feeling cornered, and the result made my eyes burn. The last thing I needed was to go all dark and twisty on the Baba Yaga, so I squinched my eyes closed.

  Carol snapped her fingers and a bottle of Grey Goose and three shot glasses appeared on the bar. “Tuck your demony ass away, Linzie Hellborne. I’ll have none of that here, though you can save it for Bumfuck. It might not be allowed out in the open, but where you’re going gives you an all-access pass to your dark side. In fact, I encourage it. It will give credibility to your cover story.”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” My hand shot up even as she paused pouring the vodka. “Bumfuck?”

  She nodded, letting the citrus-infused spirits flow. “Bumfuck Bayou, Louisiana. It’s a halfling haven, or at least that’s the spin. We need you to go in and help find what we need to give the Goddess enough to smite their greedy asses, and save those sad, duped demi-witches.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  The look on Carol’s face sent half my chromosomes dodging for cover. “You leave tomorrow. Roy will fill you in on the rest once the reception is over.”

  Chapter Two

  Tabitha and Michael left. They were off on their honeymoon and two weeks of radio silence with the rest of Salem, while I was heading to the swamp and a place called Bumfuck.

  I still hadn’t actually agreed to this craziness. So much so, Roy hadn’t left my side all day. He, Marge, Carol the Baba Yaga and her mate, Fabio, had the reception venue wired for sound. If I as much as got up to go to the bathroom, one of them was on me like white on rice.

  It was late when I unlocked the front door to Tabitha’s house. She’d left me in charge of her familiar, Sylvester. Not that a talking cat needed pet sitting.

  Roy walked in behind me with Marge in tow. “You really should pack, dear,” Marge offered. “Nothing heavy. I hear it’s hotter than a ball sac in hell.”

  Sylvester sauntered in, rubbing against one of the living room chairs. “Ah, madam. You must be referring to Bumfuck Bayou. I spent my first years as a familiar in that sweaty crotch.” Since the cat first revealed he could talk, he sounded more and more like Batman’s butler, Alfred.

  “Wow.” I scoffed. “Sounding better and better.” I reached behind to unzip my bridesmaid dress and headed for the stairs and Tabitha’s bedroom.

  If I was headed to sweat city, then I was raiding her closet. My wardrobe consisted of black, and then even more black, and that included shitkicker boots and Doc Martens.

  I didn’t do light colors, and I rarely did cotton. Tabitha joked I looked like a tiny, biker-clad super model, but I was sure she had something that would work despite our height difference. Shoes, on the other hand, were going to be an issue.

  My inner monologue must have been on speaker mode to the super-witchy-sister-squad, because a pile of summer clothes, sandals and sneakers included, were waiting on Tabitha’s bed when I opened the door.

  “Wait until Zelda hears about this!” I called down the stairs. The shifter whisperer from Assjacket W.V. did time in the magical pokey for zapping up designer duds. Of course, Zelda’s crime was zapping for personal gain. I, conversely, had no choice. Still, me in designer pastels? The idea was laughable.

  I packed quickly, not trying anything on. At least the suitcase was my style. A plain black roller bag, albeit large.

  Roy came upstairs to jackass the suitcase down the stairs. “We’ll head to the airport first thing. There’s an eight am flight out of Boston into New Orleans. After that, you go by boat.”

  “Fan boat?” I kidded, snorting a laugh, but the look on Roy’s face said I hit the nail dead on. “You can’t be serious! Do I look like Hillbilly Hannah?”

  He shrugged. “Bumfuck Bayou is a swamp island. Unless you plan on swimming with the gators, there’s no other way. One of the drawbacks of being a demi.”

  Of course, he was referring to my lack of ability when it came to poofing myself places. Or flying, either with or without a broom.

  “And where am I supposed to find this demony fan boat?” I asked. “Do I summon it like Charon crossing the River Styx? Or do I hail one like a New York taxi?”

  He glanced over his shoulder on the stairs headed down to the main floor. “We’re not sending you in completely alone. I’ve already got someone on the inside, but Carol and Marge agree he needs help. He’s a demi same as you. Half demon, half witch.”

  The combination wasn’t common. “Who?” I asked. The effort ripping my suddenly dry tongue from the roof of my mouth.

  “Daniel Saint.”

  Roy’s reply was matter-of-fact. Did he know my past with Daniel? Probably not, but then again, the Baba Yaga had direct access to the Goddess, so who knows?

  “I know you’re not thrilled about this, Linz, but it’s a chance to score points with the Goddess, and with the two witches who keep the magical world in balance.”

  “I don’t need to score points.” Definitely not with Daniel, anyway. That ship sailed a few years ago, whether I wanted it to or not.

  “Then think of it as an insurance policy. You’ll have a trump card in your back pocket you can redeem when needed.”

  When he put it that way, it made my nips tingle. A magical get out of jail free card I could use in the future. I liked it. Especially since it was t-minus twelve hours before I was face-to-face with Daniel again.

  We left it there, and I followed him into Tabitha’s living room where the others waited. Marge had rummaged through Tabby’s fridge, pulling together a midnight snack for us. One thing never changed, and that was a witch’s metabolism. It was super-fast, and needed to be constantly fed.

  “So,” she asked, munching on slices of caramel-dipped apples. “All set?”

  I nodded, helping myself. “As they say, laissez les bons temps rouler. Let the good times roll.”

  She nodded. “Oui cher. May the Goddess permit.”

  Getting to the airport wasn’t the clusterfuck I expected. In fact, it went pretty smoothly. Flight included. I stood just outside the baggage claim at Louis Armstrong International Airport, not quite sure what to do. A few quick texts to Roy told me to wait where I stood. Whoever he sent to take me from point A to point B was late. Not a good sign.

  I fiddled with a hangnail on my thumb. A nervous habit I had for years, though I hadn’t chewed on my cuticles since I was a teen. I curled my fingers into my palm before I picked my thumb bloody. I was a demi-witch, and if Carol’s suspicions were true, I didn’t need to advertise my particular blood mix. Not where I was headed, at least.

  I spotted him before he spotted me. The sandpaper taste in my mouth was back, accompanied by a quick chest squeeze. When Roy said Daniel was on the inside, I figured he meant on the island. My bravado failed me for a moment. What would Daniel think when he saw me? Did he know I was the one joining him in Carol’s covert plan?

  Didn’t matter. Like it or not, we were on the same side, with a job that needed doing. Squaring myself to a wall of look-at-me-wrong-and-you’ll-regret-it, I lifted my chin, prepared for the worst. Look at me. Look, look, look. I wanted him to stop short and stare. I wanted him to see me and feel the same gut stab I felt three years ago. I’d chalk it up to I’m only human, but since that wasn’t the case, I had no choice but to go with petty.

  Chin up, I watched him scan the baggage claim area. Sweat trickled between my breasts despite the airport’s sub-zero air-conditioning. One quiet expletive was enough. Daniel homing-pigeoned his eyes my way, and his mouth curved into an all too gorgeous, all too I-remember-how-that-tasted grin.

  He walked toward me, and my stomach knotted, but my butterflies hadn’t left the hangar. Yet.

  “Linz.” His voice r
asped over my skin, cat-tongue rough and sensuous. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  Damn. He was still demon delicious.

  “Lose the grin, Daniel. Your last name may be Saint, but we both know that’s a crock. I’m here because no one says no to the Baba Yaga.” Everything tingled as he studied me, but I’d damn my demon half before looking away first.

  “You look good, Linz. Really. I love the pixie look.”

  Land mine number one. Answering in kind would cost me a body part, and he already blew up my heart, so nope.

  “Don’t we have a fan boat waiting for us?” All business. That was how this would play.

  He nodded, and I’m not sure if it was my imagination or just wishful thinking, but I swore a flash of regret and disappointment crossed his brown eyes. Truth was, he looked good. Better than good. And it irked me a little.

  “I’ve got an uber waiting. We’ve got a bit of a ride before we get to where we need to be, so you might want to grab food and hit the restroom.”

  “Wow. Cruise director much?”

  His mouth opened and closed cod fish style. “Hey, at least I’m trying to be civil.”

  “Well, that’s new.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?

  I cocked my head, watching the annoyance on his face. “Your thin skin. Is that a side-effect of swamp-living, or just karma?” There. It was said. Not outright, but the set of his jaw told me he got my point.

  “Linz, what do you want me to say?”

  Land mine number two. I baited him and he swallowed, but I still wasn’t stepping. That one sentence. What do you want me to say? Most people assume it’s something to say when you don’t know what to say. On the surface that’s true, but the subtext is passive aggressive. Basically, what do YOU want me to say to make this go away. It irked. More than the fact he looked good.

  So why was I standing here staring at him? Hesitation wasn’t usually my thing, but in this instance the face of his words didn’t match his face. No metaphoric get-over-it-already patronizing pat on the head. There was regret in both his pitch and presence. Real regret.

  Forgive and forget. That’s what most of us are taught. Not that I was there, of course. Forgiving is one thing, but there’s an inherent problem with not forgetting. You remember everything. Good and bad. And Daniel was very, very good. If you know what I mean.

  His phone dinged, saving me from answering his not quite rhetorical question. I’m sure he wanted old Linzie, with her trademark wink that said you’re-cute-so-you’re-forgiven.

  Yeah. Nope.

  Daniel glanced at the notification on his phone and then at the air-con-fogged doors leading out to the street. “Uber’s ready to roll,” he said, almost disappointed.

  “Okay then. Let’s get this undercover party started.” I went to grab the handle on my roller bag, but Daniel got there first. Chivalry. Nice touch. Hopefully not to score points.

  I walked with him out to the uber sedan. “You said we had a ride ahead. How long?”

  “About an hour and a half. We’re headed to the ass end of Terrebonne Parish and then into the swamp.”

  “Roy said this was an island,” I replied, waiting by the back passenger door while he stowed my suitcase in the trunk.

  The driver slid in behind the wheel, and when he turned with a nod of greeting, I didn’t expect to see red eyes. Not fully red, but enough to say demi-vampire.

  A snarky comment sprouted on my tongue, but I swallowed it. Carol called the island a halfling haven, so who was I to judge which kind of halflings? Except the demi-vamp sent a slick spike of unease up my spine. Was he sizing me up for a snack in an annoyingly vampiric way, or was I just being paranoid? Either way, my demony side went on alert.

  Daniel closed the trunk and then gestured for me to slide into the backseat first. Good. At least I wouldn’t spend the next hour and a half in the driver’s line of sight.

  The demi-vampire must have glanced at Daniel from the rearview mirror because he nodded once before starting the engine and pulling away from the arrivals curb.

  Daniel didn’t say anything else. I looked out the window as we left the airport and got onto the highway. The next hour and a half would either fly by or feel like walking through waist high mud. With an exhale, I looked at Daniel. I was the one who set the tone for any further conversation, and that tone unequivocally said don’t talk to me. So he didn’t, and that irked me even more than before. I knew it was petulant, but I couldn’t help it.

  I caught the ghost of a corner smirk on the vamp-driver’s mouth. Was he chuckling to himself at some private joke or was I telegraphing my angst?

  Leaning back against the comfortable seat, I crossed my legs and then my arms at my chest.

  “Wow. Talk about a double defensive whammy.”

  Daniel’s comment was said nonchalantly to no one in particular, yet directed at me. “If you have something to say, I suggest you do it now before we’re miles from the airport and the next flight back to Boston.”

  He turned, and his crooked grin picked the lock on my butterflies. They took off fast and furious, making me both nervous and nauseous.

  “That look doesn’t work on me anymore.” At this point, I wasn’t about to let him reset the tone. “So instead of playing games, why not fill me in on why we’re headed where we’re headed.” I let a furtive glance slip toward the driver’s seat.

  That crooked grin hiked higher on one side. “I could say you started it, but we both know that’s not true. I own it, Linzie. I fucked up three years ago...”

  His pregnant pause left my butterflies hanging suspended mid-stomach. “And?” I cringed inwardly at how hopeful that sounded when I was aiming for disdain.

  “And nothing.” He shrugged. “I know you don’t want to hear it, and frankly I don’t know what to say.”

  My lips pursed at the improvement. “Hmmm.”

  “Hmmm, what?”

  “Progress. Saying you don’t know what to say is a step in the right direction.”

  Daniel’s brows crumpled together at that. “Isn’t that what I said earlier?”

  “No, and you can deconstruct the difference on your own time. Now tell me what’s going on and what I’m expected to do once we get to this place. Carol and Roy were less than helpful in that department.”

  He grinned at that. “Tell me about it.”

  My eyes slid toward the driver again, and Daniel shook his head. “Vonny is half witch/half vampire, so his blood is on the block as well. The Goddess sent him, so he keeps a purposely low profile. Plus, the uber’s interior is spelled against eavesdroppers. Especially the backseat.”

  “Fine. So tell me, besides pink-stripped seersucker shorts and midriff tops, what can I expect once we get there?”

  “Now that’ll be something to see.”

  I shot him a look.

  “Think of it as camouflage.” He laughed. “Hey, it might start a new thing for you.”

  “Who’s in charge?”

  The humor on his face faded and he inhaled, glancing out the tinted side window. “A demon named Hux.” He turned with a face like someone eating sour gummies. “Hux Hellborne.”

  I blinked once and then blinked again.

  “I’m sorry, Linzie.”

  Butterflies fell with a thud, leaving a different kind of nausea behind. Daniel reached for my hand, but I was too stunned to jerk away.

  Chapter Three

  I hadn’t seen my sperm donor since before I learned to walk. There was no way in hell Carol didn’t know beforehand. I had been played, and though my head knew there was a reason, the rest of me burned worse than my eyes.

  At this point, I stared out the window, though I kept my hand wrapped in Daniel’s. He had to have known from the get-go. Of course he did, so it didn’t take much imagination to guess my reaction to the news. Would I have told Carol to go shit in her pointed black hat? Probably not, but a heads up would have been appreciated.

  “Look, if any
one knows what’s swirling around your head at this point, it’s me,” Daniel tried. “If it’s any consolation, I thought you should’ve been told ahead of time, but like you said, no one says no to the Baba Yaga.”

  I grunted. Just because it was true didn’t mean I had to like it.

  “When it comes to your father,” Daniel continued, “I’ll do whatever you want. Run interference. Make sure you’re never alone. I made it my business to learn the island and the surrounding bayou. I now know every inch of this swamp, and the canals in and out.”

  “Hux Hellborne made a deposit with a return on investment nine months later. He didn’t stick around to reinvest, so he’s no father.” I inhaled, but the air tasted as stale as I felt. “As for Carol, at least she told me I was bait. My mistake was assuming it was because of my blood.”

  “If anyone can get to the bottom of what’s happening in Bumfuck, it’s us. I know you, Linzie. And you know me. We can tag team this bitch and be home before you can say Team HellSaint.”

  The sheepish grin on his face reminded me of when he made me laugh until I cried instead of just crying.

  “You and me, Linz. We’re the only two demon/witch demis on the island who know what’s going one, so that gives us an edge.” He paused, and his gaze wouldn’t let me look away. “I know what I did, and how things played out between us, but there’s a reason hindsight is twenty-twenty. Its ice-cold and pitiless when it comes to showing you what you had, and what you let go.”

  There was no room in my head for a cross-stitch volley of twenty-questions meets woulda-shoulda-coulda. I hated that Daniel sounded like my Daniel, and not the bastard voodoo doll I mentally stuck with pins. I hated that after thirty years of refusing to have mommy daddy issues, I was thrown by the mere thought of seeing Hux. I hated myself for being weak. I hated my father for…well, being my father, and I hated Carol and her crew for putting me in this position.