Fire Within (26 page)

When Ari’s inner eye reached the glow deep inside, the familiar peace and serenity surrounded her. Only this time something was different. She’d come looking for answers, and her witch source embraced the asking. She stood suspended in time as images and faces swirled around here. Her parents, Great-Gran, Yana, and many she didn’t recognize, yet she
knew
them. The Calin witches. They were all with her, not really so far away.

She felt an increasing surge of magical energy, bursting with purpose.
A knowing
. Ari almost laughed. It was so simple. The incredible secret she’d thought was lost forever—her true power was the knowing, the believing in who she was.

She absorbed the energy around her and when she was overflowing with the lights from her past and her future, she brought herself back step by step. As the room reformed around her, Ari raised her lashes to stare at the vampire’s face. “I can do this,” she whispered.

“Yes.” His eyes were deep pools. “And it need not be alone.”

She stared at him a long moment, feeling an urge to know his thoughts, but so overwhelmed with her own revelations, she wasn’t ready to explore others. She stepped away, ending the intense moment.

“How long was I gone?”

“A few minutes, no more.” The look on Andreas’s face was pensive, almost as if he was impressed by what he’d witnessed.

“It seemed longer. Days, even years. A lifetime.”

“Realization can come like that.”

Ari tipped her head. Realization was an interesting way to put it, but maybe he was right. In many ways, she’d been headed toward this moment all her life. And the magic had been waiting for her to find it.

She felt different, more optimistic, and she owed part of that to Andreas for encouraging her to draw from her inner strength. How had he known it was there? Was their link more than just some rare form of telepathy? Something she’d think about when there was time. For now, there was magic to do. Spells and potions to create. A demon to catch and vanquish.

“Magic won’t be enough,” Ari said, pushing away from the kitchen counter and refocusing on the problem at hand. “We have to figure out what kind of magic and have a good plan to go with it.”

“Moriana suggested vanquishing rather than death,” Andreas reminded her.

“Yes, she did. Like the demons in St. Louis. I remember now what she told us. They didn’t die, their spirits fled. I’m not sure how we do that with an image changer. He seems more slippery, but I understand the concept of vanquishing.”

“Can you elaborate?” Andreas asked. “I am afraid demonology was not part of an Italian boy’s education.” When she gave an impatient frown at the interruption, he added, “Think of it as practice for when you try to explain this to Lt. Foster.”

Ari's frown disappeared as she chuckled. That wouldn’t be an easy conversation. “No comparison, believe me. OK. Moriana used dark magic to control two of the demons and force them by irrevocable orders to return to hell. Not having her skill, the other apprentice and I killed the earthly bodies of the other two. When their bodies were near death, the demons chose to return to hell. Otherwise, they would have been trapped here as shades, ghosts. I guess that’s not a great thing to be, since Moriana said shades are almost powerless. Anyway, once a demon is vanquished, whether forced or voluntary, it cannot return to earth.”

“The final result is encouraging. How do we get there? If I understand correctly, we have to keep the demon from switching bodies and then put his body in danger of immediate death. Of course, before we can do that, we have to penetrate his disguise.”

“Yeah, that’s all,” Ari said dryly. “I’ll research the magic for vanquishing, but I’m not sure how to find him. I could try scrying again if we had one of his possessions. Something that holds his essence, sort of his spirit DNA.”

“Evidence from the crime scenes?”

“There’s nothing I could use, like a weapon or scrap of clothing.”

“An object, you mean. Maybe we could find one, if we knew who he was or where to look. A suitable item could be right in front of us.” Andreas let out an exasperated breath. “The only demon contact we can verify was his meeting with the drive-by suspects.”

“Where he gave them the money,” Ari said, snatching her phone from the table. “He had it in his possession, touched it.”

Ryan answered immediately.

“Did Philby or his partner have money on them?” she demanded.

“Nothing to speak of. A few dollars, some change. Why?”

“What happened to the twenty-five thousand dollars?”

“I don’t know. Is it important?”

“I think so. If the killer touched it, I may be able to use the money to find him. Don’t ask me how right now, but see if Philby can tell you where the money is.”

“I’m still in the building. I’ll call you back.”

The next fifteen minutes dragged like hours to Ari. She paced. Andreas sprawled on one of the dining room chairs, his gaze following her. His watchfulness made her even edgier. Before she jumped out of her skin, Ryan called.

“The money’s gone,” he reported. “He gave them a roll of bills, and they went on a shopping spree. A car, a home theatre, and several cases of beer. Guess they thought there’d be more when they finished the job, or they just couldn’t resist. Anyway, they spent it all. Good luck tracking it down at a car dealer or electronics merchant. Besides, it will have gone to the bank by now.”

“And be impossible to trace.”

They hung up. Another good idea shot down.

“There’s got to be a way,” she said, dropping the phone on the counter as she resumed her restless walking. “We can’t wait around doing nothing.”

“No, not an option,” Andreas agreed, straightening in his chair and resting his elbows on his knees. “There is another complication I had hesitated to mention earlier.”

“What now?” Ari stopped pacing. “Are we ever going to get a break?”

“Not yet. Last night a group of nest leaders petitioned Prince Daron for permission to hunt the killer. He refused, of course, but the younger hotheads are on the verge of striking out on their own.”

“By hunting, you mean hunting to kill, don’t you? And they think the person they’re looking for is human.”

Andreas nodded, and Ari stifled an urge to kick the nearest wall. Such a hunt would be bloody for both sides. If the vampires attacked the humans, they’d be hunted in return.

“Are the Pure Bloods behind this?”

“No, the leaders of that group are out of circulation, but there are many who share their sentiments.”

“What do you mean by out of circulation?” she asked, momentarily diverted.

“Nothing important.”

“Are they dead? Or going to die?”

They locked eyes.

“No.”

Maybe Rita was right when she said they’d been sent out of town. Ari was relieved. The gang members might be crude and nasty, but she couldn’t condone their murder. Whatever else happened to them was out of her hands, and they probably deserved it. Ari shrugged. Maybe she should trust Andreas’s judgment.

“Should I be worried, or can Daron control the vampires?” she asked instead.

Andreas’s expression flickered at her blunt question. “No reason for concern yet, but it may become necessary for Daron’s court to provide a greater presence on the streets. I could be pulled away at any moment. Lucien is informing the Magic Council of the unrest. I think you and Lt. Foster will hear from your employers.”

“Just what we need, something else to think about.” Sarcasm was one way of letting off steam. Ari felt a growing tension, unease, a hint of foreboding. She flexed her stiff shoulders. Too many complications, and she was running out of steam. She opened the fridge and peered inside, looking for a quick energy boost. It was pretty much empty, except for soda and apples. “Tomorrow could be a very long day,” she said over her shoulder. “At least none of your vamps will be hunting during daylight. It’ll give me time to research, maybe figure something out. How about taking a break? Do you drink soda?”

Andreas didn’t respond, and when the silence began to grow, Ari peeked around the fridge door. One of her complications was leaning casually against the kitchen wall, watching her every move. Her pulse picked up tempo. She thought about the bottle of Chianti in her cupboard and about the fierce inner dialogue she’d had the day of its purchase. An argument that seemed to be over now. She closed the fridge and rested a hip against the kitchen counter. “Why aren’t you singing at the club tonight?”

“Our business was more important.” His slow smile said he was no longer referring to murders and demons.

“Was it? Well, now that you’re here, what would you like to do? Watch a little TV? Have a drink? Or,” she returned his smile, butterflies fluttering in her stomach, “something more satisfying?”

His pupils flickered as he absorbed the open invitation.

Ari was glad she’d surprised him. “I have a bottle of Chianti.”

“Were you anticipating company?” He still didn’t move, but his magic reached out to touch hers, and Ari’s body tightened in anticipation.

“Maybe.”

“Perhaps the Chianti can wait.” Andreas straightened from the wall and glided forward, his arms slipping around her waist. She met his lips halfway. Soft and firm, gentle, demanding, insistent. Her senses flared at the touch of his hair brushing her forehead, the smell of his cologne. His hands made possessive circles on her back, pulling her in. Deepening the kiss, Andreas drew her closer until she could feel every hard line of his body. She tugged at his shirttail, slipping her fingers between the smooth silk and the hard, cool muscles of his chest.

The jarring ring of a cell phone jerked her back to earth. His phone. Ari stiffened and broke the kiss, resting her forehead against his chest. Desire still shimmered around them.

“I will ignore it,” he murmured.

It rang again, and the mood was broken. Still, she didn’t move.

“Andreas…” she said into his shirt. What the hell was she doing? Wasn’t there enough going on? Why had she started this? Oh yeah, she knew why. But more to the point, what did they do now?

On the third ring, Andreas glanced at the readout and frowned. “Marcus.” He breathed the word against her hair. “He would not call unless it was important.”

“You need to answer it,” she said, stepping back this time, reluctant yet knowing the decision for tonight had already been made.

He punched a key, listened a moment, his gaze never leaving Ari’s face. “On my way.”

Disconnecting, he reached out a hand, and his fingers touched her cheek. “Sorry.” He gave a short, rueful laugh as he turned away, tucking in his shirt. “You do not know how sorry I am, but I have to go.”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” she demanded, keeping pace with him as he headed toward the door. Whatever was going on, it was serious. “I’m coming with you.”

“Then, hurry. The club is on fire.”

Chapter Fifteen

Black smoke billowed from the front windows and doors. Andreas and Ari stood frozen, taking in the jarring contrast with the pristine whiteness of the rest of Club Dintero. The worst of the fire was out, but heavily clad firemen still clung to hoses aimed into the interior. A thick haze hovered over the sizable crowd of guests and curious bystanders drawn by the trucks and sirens. People choked and hacked from the dense smoke, and Ari wondered why they didn’t leave.

She rubbed at the prickly feeling on her neck and looked around. A brooding sense hovered over the fire scene, as if something malevolent was watching. As she scanned the area, she noticed a group of a dozen or more young vampires huddled off to one side. Most were in jeans and t-shirts or leather and didn’t look like club patrons. They weren’t staff. Ari didn’t like the angry energy they produced. It wasn’t the same malevolence she’d noticed earlier, but in light of Andreas’s comments about the mood in the vamp community, the youthful group could be real trouble.

She was about to point them out to Andreas, when he spotted Marcus. “Is everyone out?” Andreas asked.

The young maitre’d nodded. “Yes. Sure glad you got here. I think the only ones seriously hurt were two humans.” Marcus nodded toward a green and white rescue van. “Paramedics are treating them now. They were standing in the entry when a bottle or something on fire came through the front windows.”

Ari saw a seventy-something couple seated on the open back of the van. A paramedic swabbed the woman’s arm with cotton, and the man held an ice pack against the left side of his face. If that was the worst of the injuries, the club patrons had been very lucky.

Andreas surveyed the ordered chaos surrounding his building. He telegraphed uncertainty, a rare state for him, clearly torn between his duty to the victims and taking charge of employees and damage control.

Ari nudged his arm. She could help Andreas and still be in a position to keep an eye on the youthful vampire gang. “I’ll stay out here and talk to the victims. You deal with the rest of this mess.”

His instant smile made her glad she’d offered. It might just make holding the victims’ hands bearable. She started toward the rescue van.

Charlie and Henrietta Stillman barely noticed when Ari joined them. Henrietta was upset and making her feelings known.

“I can’t believe this. I finally talk him into going out for a romantic evening, and what happens? Someone throws a Molotov cocktail at us! What kind of a place is this? Is this a gangster hangout? Or was this a terrorist attack?” Mrs. Stillman shuddered; frustrated tears glistened, ready to spill over at any moment.

Ari arrived in time to hear the woman’s complaints and interrupted to introduce herself. “I’m so sorry this happened. Is there anything I can do? The club owner wants to do whatever he can to make it right.”

“Make it right?” the woman wailed. “My poor arm is burnt to a crisp, and look at Charlie’s face. He’s all cut up and burned. He’ll be scarred for life.”

“Now, Mrs. Stillman,” the female paramedic working on her arm said, “I told you, you and your husband will be fine. The burns may blister, but if you keep the creams on and are careful of infection, you should both heal without scarring. None of his cuts even need stitching. It looks worse than it is. In a few weeks you won’t be able to see where either of you were injured.”