Two Parts Demon

• Chapter One
  
• Chapter Two
  
• Chapter Three
  
• Chapter Four
  
• Chapter Five
  
• Chapter Six
  
• Chapter Seven
  
• Chapter Eight
  
• Chapter Nine
  
• Chapter Ten
  
• Chapter Eleven
  
• Chapter Twelve
  
• Chapter Thirteen
  
• Chapter Fourteen
  
• Chapter Fifteen
  
• Author’s Note
  
• About the Author
  

Benny is swept on a quest to save her parents, and binding herself to her agents is all part of the plan. Who knew it was permanent?

Benny has completed the XIA course that will let her work with the agents she became close to while hunting a serial killer. It will take effect the moment they are cleared of demonic influence. Nothing like knowing that your blood is despised to make a girl feel wanted.

After a night on the town with Freddy, Benny runs into the agents, and they are not only hogging her favourite taco joint, but they are interested in her social status. She is about to say yes to whatever they can come up with when she gets a call from her house, and the night goes downhill from there.

Karaoke, kidnapping and binding spells make up the rest of the night when Benny must head to the demon zone and Argyle, Smith and Tremble refuse to let her go alone.

Nothing like jumping into a dimensional prison to lock in a first date.

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © 2015 by Viola Grace

ISBN: 978-1-987969-01-6

©Cover Design by Cora Graphics

©Cover photography by

©
BigStockPhotos.com/
leksandr Doodko

©
Depositphotos.com/
mppriv

All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.

Published by Viola Grace

Look for me online at violagrace.com, amazon, kobo, B&N and other ebook sellers.

Two Parts Demon

An Obscure Magic Book 2

By

Viola Grace

Benny grunted as she was struck from above and continued crawling through the obstacle course.

“Come on, demon. Lose it!”

Benny gritted her teeth and continued to pull herself forward, arm by arm. She really hated control training, but today was her last day. One way or another.

She scraped her belly on the rough ground of the course; her tank top was no protection against the gravel and dirt. She hissed as a boot connected with her ribs and another kick sent her tumbling. She held in her pain and kept moving until she could get to her feet and run through the swinging, weighted bags.

Benny gritted her teeth as curses and insults to her bloodline were spewed at her. This was practice for being in the field and dealing with those who were not too keen to be subdued. She wanted nothing more than to finish her training and get into the SUV with her agents, if only to get away from the trainers.

She grunted as one of the bags made impact, but kept going. She could see the end of the course.

It had been decided that the best way to prove her worth to the XIA was to go through endless rounds of stress testing. If she could keep her cool under every circumstance they could come up with, she was safe to be in public.

Her ability to use magic was not in question. She was physically capable of managing the tasks that made up the bare minimum of the staffing skills for the Extranormal Investigation Agency. She could apply for additional training later on, but the course designed to test her skills and tolerances was her first step.

Her impulses wanted her to burn a pathway through the course, but her self-control kept her doing things the hard way.

Benny grunted and heard a distant voice call her a scaly bitch. She sighed and poured on the speed while her bruised body screamed silently.

When she stumbled across the finish line, it was time for the final task. Benny whispered and moved the pegs into the properly sized holes using tightly controlled magic.

The light turned green when the last peg hit the slot, and she dropped to the ground.

Her trainers applauded wildly and cheers sounded around the workout yard.

Benny looked around and nodded wearily. “So, did I pass?”

Agent Tafnor chuckled and pulled her to her feet. “You did. Time for the final photos, and then, you are officially cleared by the training centre.”

Benny nodded and headed toward the imaging booth. She had been photographed every day for the last two weeks. The bruises and damage to her body were tracked for a very specific reason—she needed to know how a victim felt. She needed to know how easy it was to damage evidence on her own body, and she had to feel the exposure of the photographs.

All agents were subjected to a rape kit at some point during training. She had opted to get that out of the way on the first day. Today, it was just the indignity of stripping down in front of the camera.

A cold voice greeted her when she entered the space. “Take off your shirt.”

She flinched at the aggression in the tone. Benny pulled her tank top off, exposing the damage to her upper torso. The camera flashed, and she winced at the light.

“Hold still.”

The camera flashed again.

She was ordered to turn to the side and then face the back of the photo area.

“Now remove your pants.”

She hesitated.

“Now!”

Benny got angrier than she had been while she had been physically attacked. The camera flashed, and she flipped her middle finger at the shadows before she removed her trousers and pushed them to her ankles, leaving her bra and panties as the only things covering her.

The cameraman got closer, but she still couldn’t see him. He took close photos of her thighs, back and ribs.

“Remove your bra.”

“No. You can see the damage around it. This is my body, and I am saying no.”

“This is an order.”

“No. This is a courtesy. This exercise is to make me feel like a victim or a suspect, and in either situation, I would ram that camera through your jaw.” She pulled her cargo pants back up and pulled on her top.

“You are already healing. We needed to document the pattern.”

She snorted. “I heal the same as a shifter does. I just don’t match any blood types that they do. I have to be faster or I die.”

Benny tucked her shirt into her pants, and she lit the interior of the photo booth with a ball of soft light. No hands required.

The goblin in the XIA uniform grimaced. “Can you turn that down?”

She dimmed the light. “You need to use manners when you deal with either suspect or victim. You were very close to breaking my control.”

He chuckled. “I know. Check this out.”

He turned the camera to her and showed her an image of her glaring at the camera, her eyes were poisonous green and very demonic.

“Oops.”

His finger slipped and the image disappeared.

She frowned. “Why did you do that?”

“They are looking for reasons to restrict your movements. Let’s not give them an excuse.”

Benny cocked her head. “I will not lie about seeing my own demon in the mirror.”

He inclined his head. “And so I will lie for you.”

His fingers moved over the back of the camera. “Sent. Your training is now complete.”

She patted him on the shoulder, a move that caught him by surprise.

Benny sighed. She knew that most of the XIA did not touch the goblins, but she didn’t have any hang-ups in that regard. Their magic and transformation came from the same energy that ran in her veins. There was no difference.

Benny double-checked her clothing and left the photo area. “Thank you.”

He was so stunned by her thanks that he didn’t respond.

She returned to the training area and accepted congratulations for successfully making it through the course without biting her trainers. Apparently, that was a thing.

Benny just wanted to go home. Her parents had started some kind of extension on the dower house, so Benny was stuck in her old room at the big house with Jessamine haunting her day in and day out. With nowhere to be alone, she was closer to cracking at home than she was having the crap kicked out of her at work.

After the congratulations, she hit the showers and grabbed her bag. If she could manage to get changed, Freddy had asked her out for a karaoke night. Howling into a microphone was right up her current mood.

Pooky was waiting for her, and he revved up the moment she entered the parking lot. Benny flexed her swollen knuckles around the steering wheel and whispered, “Take me home.”

Pooky did as he was told. He took her home at a safe and sedate speed. Her muscles were alternately tensing and twitching, so it was better that she wasn’t driving.

The shower had been nice, but she was going to run around in the greenhouse the moment she got home. She was healing fast, but not fast enough to go out in a tank top. She would have enough time to administer a healing draught, but she would not be able to drink when she went out with Freddy. Given her friend’s penchant for getting her into trouble, it was better that when Benny went out, she stayed sober.

Benny and Freddy leaned in close to the mic and howled along with a full-moon love song. Freddy’s other form was canine, so she thought she could hit the right notes. Benny could hear Freddy’s voice swing and miss over and over again.

Some of the members of the crowd had their hands over their ears, but others were listening with rapt attention. Those enjoying the music were usually of goblin descent. They enjoyed the notes that were up beyond standard hearing.

As the song concluded, Benny laughed and leaned back, heading for a glass of water. She sat to the side as the next singer took the stage.

“Well, your voice hasn’t suffered now that you are all official and stuff.” Freddy grinned and slugged down her cocktail.

“I have done a lot of shouting and grunting this week. It is a bit more physically challenging than I am used to, but it keeps me busy. I think I am going to enjoy this.” Benny shrugged and nodded to the waitress for another glass of water.

“We miss you at work. You used to bring in samples. The new food writer doesn’t bring in samples.” Freddy pouted.

It hurt to think that she had been replaced already. “That is too bad.”

“You are telling me. I have had to start
paying
for food. It is horrifying.”

The water and another cocktail arrived. Benny tipped the waitress and gulped down the water. It was all she had been drinking for the past week. When she needed to heal, it was water or nothing.

“So, are you still going to be driving around with those agents? The photos in the articles were extremely frustrating.”

Benny grinned and sipped at her water. “Why was that, Freddy?” She already knew the answer.

“They were fully clothed.”

They sat giggling as a baritone crooned a classic from the forties.

Freddy turned to her. “Do you want to do another?”

“Want to? Yes. Should I? No. I have been getting plenty of attention this week. I don’t need to jump on stage.”

“How are you dealing with that?”

“The freak trying to rip away my humanity or the fact that my great grandmother was behind it?”

“Both.”

She didn’t mention the role her parents had played. That was something that was going to be dealt with later.

“I am dealing with it. The training has helped.”

Kobar came up to the table, and he slipped Benny a piece of paper. He whispered, “Please.”

She looked at the song on the slip and listened to the warbling of the current singer and nodded. He walked away in relief.

Freddy looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “What was that?”

“Folks are starting to leave. He has a request.”

“Well, I will leave you to it. I believe this calls for a solo.” Freddy flapped her hand and waved her toward the stage.

Benny got up as the last of the song died away and took her place behind the microphone. The watchers perked up, and she began to sing a vampire love song about love and death, blood and pain, all coming together to haunt the new vampire for eternity.
Love Never Dies
was always a classic.

The few vampires in the audience were crying tears of blood by the time she finished her song.

Benny felt the same rush that she always did when the applause followed her off the stage. She finished the water that Freddy had guarded, and she waved her hand at her friend. “Come on, time to get something to eat.”