Two Parts Demon (12 page)

She looked at him archly. “You would like to quit the XIA to look after the child full time? I have just gotten a job where I can be myself out in public. I am not going to put a cork in that until I have had some life experience that doesn’t involve me hiding in the shadows.”

He crossed his arms and gave her a bland look, all confidence and buff security. “I would certainly resign my position to take care of my child.”

She blinked. “Well, that sucks the air out of my next statement, but good to know.”

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Think about it.”

Smith pressed a kiss to her cheek a moment later. “I am content to wait a while.”

She laughed and gave him a peck on the lips. “Me, too. Off you go.”

Argyle didn’t mention anything because he couldn’t father a child. He merely winked and headed out of her bedroom and toward the stairs.

The other two bowed and left her alone. She sighed and pushed the door closed. With her mind whirling with the mental image of a small person in her arms with pointy ears and her hair, she got dressed and then pulled on a set of denim shorts. She put on her favourite kitten socks and pattered downstairs where her family was, once again, gathered in the kitchen.

She came to a halt when she saw her father. “Dad?”

He turned to her with open arms. “Come here, Benny.” He hugged her.

She hadn’t hugged her dad as a human for over sixteen years. The lack of scales was weird and his thudding heartbeat was in her ears.

“What happened?”

He grinned. “Now that Yomra has lost his influence, I was able to use a glamour again. It feels solid, but I am testing it out at home.”

Her father’s hair colour was a shade darker than her own, but his dark-hazel eyes were the same ones she saw in the mirror every morning. He was just as handsome and reassuring as he had been when she was small and he was lecturing at colleges and universities around the country.

“You look...”

He grinned. “I know, sweetie. It feels pretty good, too. My demon form is losing its ferocity, but this will be a better transition for going out in public.”

She wiped tears off her cheeks. “It is just so nice to see
you
again.”

Benny could see her mom, and Lenora smiled while she finished putting lunch on the table. It appeared that the change to the old was a favourite all the way around.

After lunch, the guys took off and went in search of a change of underwear. Benny was not complaining.

She saw her parents eyeing each other once they had finished the dishes, and Benny chuckled. “I am going to take a walk to the dower house. I will be back later.”

Her parents didn’t respond, so she left out the back and started walking across the grounds.

Pooky galloped up to her and nudged her with his head. She grinned. “Fine. Let’s go for a ride.”

She hauled herself astride him, and he galloped off toward the dower house. Whatever was going on there, he was eager to have her see it.

They jumped the creek, crashed through the meadow and, finally, he jogged into what would be her back yard.

“Oh, wow.”

The back deck that hadn’t been there before had a huge hot tub large enough for all four of them to fit in easily. Benny walked into her home, and she noted that it was three times larger than it had been on the main floor. A gym had been added with heavy-duty machines, a larger kitchen and dining room took up the main floor, complete with a living space and a wide-screen television.

Benny snivelled as she walked up the stairs. Her parents and the house had gone above and beyond. She checked the guest bedroom, the upstairs bathroom and, then, she gingerly made her way into her own bedroom.

Her bedroom now took up two-thirds of the length of the house. Beds for the guys were arranged on one wall, but the focal point of the room was the bed that was wide enough for all of them. “Oh, geez. That is not happening.”

The house around her sent a wave of amusement out.

The wardrobes were empty and ready. There were bookshelves waiting for books, footlockers and a pile of pillows on a thick carpet. The bathroom was built for four people to brush their teeth at the same time. It was a home built for her group, and Benny sighed. “Is there a study?”

Silent laughter ran through the walls around her. She headed down the stairs and followed the silent nudging to a flat and nearly invisible seam in the wall under the stairs. It opened at her touch, and a staircase spiralled down under the house.

She followed the spiral down into a space that made her cry like a toddler. In a wood-lined room that felt warm and snug. She had bookshelves, desks and her personal spell books in place. Across the room, a lab was fully set up behind a blast spell. It had the texture of water when she entered it but was bouncy as a marshmallow when she struck it.

There was a modest selection of ingredients and equipment, but it was more than enough for the standard alertness spells and healing potions that she made up for herself. Potions weren’t really her thing, but it was nice to have the option to fiddle with it if she had the inclination.

She had her personal space. If she wanted to share it, she could, but if she wanted privacy, she had it.

“Thank you so much.” She spoke to the house around her.

Her mom wasn’t able to tell her when the family noticed that the homes were alive, but she suspected it had something to do with spellcasting. At home, Benny was fairly relaxed about using magic, as were her parents. That casual power must have seeped into the walls somewhere along the way. It was either that or the wood had been alive when the houses were built.

With one last, wistful look at the space around her, she climbed the stairs and let herself out the back door.

Pooky shook his head and turned, pawing at the ground. A huge stable was visible where an empty field had stood.

“Shall we take a look?”

She walked with Pooky at her side to the barn and looked around at the space for the entire herd as well as a currycomb and brushes.

He nudged her to the care equipment.

“Can’t I just run you through the car wash?”

He snorted, so she began the hypnotic process of brushing his hide while he stood with his eyes half closed. Dust and loose hairs flew for a few minutes, and then, it was all about taking care of the pukha who had come into the demon zone with his buddies to save her.

His mane was silky smooth and gleaming, as was his tail, by the time she finished.

She stopped and he stamped. “Dude, there is nothing left to do unless you want me to put braids in it.”

Her arms were throbbing, and he looked at her with narrowed eyes for a moment before he nodded.

She put the gear away and asked him. “Take me back to the manor?”

He nodded, and she slipped onto his back; the door to the barn slid shut behind them. She held onto the well-groomed mane as he bolted with the speed of a thoroughbred across the meadow, over the creek and onto the manicured grounds of the manor.

She slipped off his back near the terrace. “Thanks for that.” She patted his back.

He butted her chest with his head and then wheeled around to show his pretty hide to the others in the herd.

Benny shook her head and walked into the house, finding both her parents studying in the library. “Thank you, both. That had to have taken a lot of energy.”

Her dad looked up. “We did it before the Yomra incident. If I had known what was coming, we still would have done it.”

Her mother smiled. “So, you like it?”

“Yes, but how did you know about...” She waved her hand vaguely to indicate the guys.

Lenora smiled. “Even your father could see the way they looked at you. Hell, even Kyria mentioned it to me.”

Benny sighed. “Well, I am exceedingly grateful. I wonder how she is doing.”

Lenora got up and came over to give her a hug. “We can wonder, and I think we might one day find out. If she got free of Yomra, she might be with her mage and trying to have that family she has always wanted but been denied.”

Benny’s dad got up and joined the family hug. For that one moment, they were together with fond memories of the succubus that had gotten them to this moment.

Moving into the house was going to have to wait until after the party. Benny got dressed and finished fussing with the bow on the gift.

What could a girl get parents that had been together for five decades? The box contained charms that she had put together with Tremble’s help. The vines that surrounded the wedding-day images were made of minerals, wood, gems and iron. They were the most powerful protection spells she could manage, and friends and family had donated the materials. The photo of their first kiss as man and wife was in a spiral of magic and love.

Benny slipped the present onto her pocket and prepared to take her parents out for
dinner.

She came downstairs and smiled at Harcourt and Lenora Ganger. “Are you two ready?”

Her mother was wearing an elegant midnight velvet gown, and her father was wearing a tuxedo that suited him admirably.

“You both look amazing.” She brushed at her tears when her mother took her father’s arm.

“Thank you. Now, where are the boys?” Lenora insisted on calling them that, even though Argyle and Tremble were older than Lenora was.

“They are finishing moving into the house. They are going to meet us at the restaurant.” Benny smiled brightly. “Come along. Pooky has something special for tonight.”

They left the manor together, and the stretch SUV in the drive revved the engine.

The door opened, and her father helped her inside where she started the illusion spell.

Her mother smiled brightly, and her father settled next to her in the large space in the back of the vehicle.

“Anytime you are ready, Pooky.”

The door closed and the vehicle rolled forward, down the drive and toward the highway.

When they pulled even with the house, there was a flash of magic and Benny asked, “Pooky, can you stop for a minute? I need to get my wrap from the house.”

The SUV rolled to a halt, and Benny got out of the car, winking at the gathering of folk who were waiting to surprise her parents.

“Dad, can you come out here?”

He appeared a moment later, and his face was shocked and, then, he grinned. “Lenora, Benny can’t remember which shawl matches her dress.”

Her mother left the SUV and the gathering shouted, “Surprise!”

Over two hundred people had gathered, and Benny was delighted that she had managed not to blow it.

Lenora was crying and holding onto Harcourt. Benny went up to them and smiled. “Happy anniversary.”

Her mother grabbed her in a tight hug and squeezed. “Well done, Benny. I didn’t suspect anything until that last flicker.”

Benny chuckled. “Come on and meet your friends and family. Fifty years ago today, you two agreed to spend the rest of your lives together. Most of these folks were there.”

Her parents grinned and wandered into the crowd, accepting hugs of congratulation and many comments on Harcourt’s changed appearance.

Benny sighed and headed toward Argyle. He was looking devastating in a tuxedo, as was Smith. Tremble was rocking a fey formal costume. He was covered in a black tunic, tight black trousers and about three pounds of silver embroidered thread. He looked delightfully sexy.

Benny kissed each of them lightly and smiled. “Have you been having fun?”

Smith grinned. “There are leaders here from nearly every high family on the continent.”

Benny shrugged. “My family gets around.”

From behind her, she heard, “Benny!”

Benny turned, and a blond with her hair in an elegant twist that belied her appearance of youth immediately hugged her.

“Soph! You look...fourteen.”

Soph smiled at her. “Part of the curse. You look great. Are these yours?”

Benny stifled a snort as Soph waved at the guys.

Benny made the introductions. “These are my mates. This is Argyle, Smith and Tremble.”

Soph bobbed a curtsey.

“Gentlemen, this is Sophia DeMonstre, the Cursed One.” Benny inclined her head.

Soph exhaled. “That is my least favourite part of the curse.”

Smith raised his brows. “Curse?”

Benny explained with a grin. “Soph is part of a family that was cursed by a dying monster. She has to hunt and unravel curses that pop up randomly or are cast into objects. Her skill is to see the solution; her curse is to have to deliver it. Slow aging is part of the curse; she is older than I am.”

Soph made a face. “Funny. Well, I am here with my parents, and they would love it if you said hi. And I am only older by a month.”

Benny hugged her again. “I will be only too happy to say hello when I spot them.”

Soph leaned in. “Are you singing?”

“With this crowd? Of course.”

Soph bobbed another curtsey to the guys, and she took off, with the bounce in her step that was uniquely her.

Argyle blinked. “There was something very odd about her.”

Benny grinned. “With a look from those green eyes, she pulled apart the magic that animates you. She analyzed Smith’s shifting and took in Tremble’s grasp of natural energies. She analyzed me once, and then, she got a headache. Minerva made her so dizzy, she vomited.”

Tremble smiled, “I thought you had a more diverse bloodline than Minerva does.”

“I do, but hers was far more powerful when it intersected with humanity. I am like looking at a starry sky. Minerva is like staring into the sun.”

She looked around and linked arms with Tremble and Smith. “Come on, let’s mingle.”

They met with dragons, gargoyles, vampire kings, her namesake, the forest lord and Sabina. When Benny was ready to introduce them to her grandfather on her father’s side, Sabina whispered, “You need to start this now.”

Benny blinked. “I am the MC?”

Sabina took her by her shoulders and pushed her toward the stage. “Can you think of anyone better?”

Benny made a face and got up in front of the microphone. Her parents were ushered to a table on an elevated dais so that they could see the festivities.