whiskey witches 01 - whisky witches (31 page)

“Grounds keeper called it in.”

She blinked and raised her face to the brilliant blue sky. What was going on here?

“What did you see? What was the message? Wait. What kind of message? Magickal? Demony?”

She nodded again.

“Which question are you answering?”

“The last one. Or two. I don’t remember. I saw letters, the kind I’ve never seen before. Then, something in my head translated them. I don’t know how. Maybe they were in the language of demons? Perhaps that’s something I can read? I don’t know.”

“And the note said?”

She ducked her head and looked at him through her eyelashes. “It was a love letter. He started off with poetry. All I remember is that it was E.E. Cummings, but now I don’t even recall how I remember that. I’m not a fan of poetry anyway, and that one’s not ringing any bells for me.”

Dexx dropped the foliage and crossed his arms over his chest. “Poetry.”

“And then he went on to say that I’d understand one day. That he and I were meant to be together, and that he’d protect me as only he could.”

“Bullshit.”

She shrugged.

He pulled the vines away again. They drooped in place. “Is the note still there?”

She shook her head.

“Maybe we can get some trace evidence off the body.”

“It was magickal, Dexx. There won’t be any trace evidence.”

He dropped his chin to his chest. “What’s going on here?”

Paige knelt, reviewing the scene in more detail.

The victim’s abdomen split open and a swarm of dazzlingly blue swallowtail butterflies shot into the air.

Dexx reeled out of the way, shielding his face.

Paige reached out with one hand, feeling with her gift to see if she could find some clue, some reason as to why this man had been chosen to carry the message.

For you.

The fiery letters disappeared from the man’s chest before she’d had a chance to do more than note their existence.

A branch broke directly behind her.

Paige spun and swung.

Agent Scott parried her attacks and took a step back. “What happened?”

Dexx walked into Paige’s line of sight and studied her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ll repeat,” Scott said. “What happened?”

Dexx paced away two steps, turned, his fingers interlaced on his head, and paced back. “Sven, the murdering scum we can’t seem to catch, is leaving her love notes.”

Scott blinked. “Where?”

“On the body.”

“Evidence?”

“Magick.”

Scott licked his lips and glanced at the body behind Paige. “What kind of love note?”

“Poetry.” Dexx threw his arms down. “Pea, come on. We have got to get you out of here.”

She was ready. Good grief, she was ready, but she couldn’t. “Not without the key.”

“Right. What are you going to do with that?”

“Keep it safe. I have to.”

“How?”

Frustration ripped through her. “I don’t know, but I’ll find a way. I always do.”

“No, you don’t!” Dexx spun, rubbing his eyes with one hand. He turned back to her. “No. You don’t. You’re over your head.”

“Do you have enough to summon him?” Scott asked. “Even if you didn’t have his true name, if he’s leaving you love notes, wouldn’t that mean he wants to come?”

“Interesting concept,” Paige said, dread filling her chest. “Except I can’t summon.”

Dexx frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

“I saw you summon yesterday,” Scott said. “You seemed to do it quite well.”

“You’re right. I’m fine.” She placed her fingertips on the scar on her chest. “I’m open to possession. As soon as a demon comes close, he possesses me.”

“But—” Dexx shook his head. “No. You were in the car with Lucius and Balnore. Neither of them possessed me.”

“Apparently, I’m getting stronger and so is the need to take over my body.”

“This doesn’t make sense.”

“No,” Paige agreed. “But it doesn’t matter. Sven needed Lucius. I brought Lucius back. We need to talk to Lucius and see what happened two hundred years ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, they disappeared at the same time. We may have figured out where this plan hatched from. Where’s Lucius?”

Scott pursed his lips.

Dexx shoved his hands in his pockets. “In a demon trap in jail.”

Paige pressed her thumb to the side of her nose and closed her eyes for a second. “Great. It means he’s protected. Let’s go. I have some questions to ask.”

D
EXX HADN’T BEEN
kidding. Lucius sat in a jail cell with a demon trap surrounding him on the floor, on the ceiling. Demon traps littered the bars.

Paige released a breath, but didn’t enter. “Do you feel the need to possess me?”

He raised his bald, tattooed head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“It’s likely because I’m a bit different than the rest, love. I take it someone’s had the talk with you, told you what happened?”

Dexx blinked, his chin jutted. “Why not Lucius?”

“Does it matter?”

“If we’re going to figure out how our new world works? Yes. Now, talk. Luce, why not you?”

The demon lifted one shoulder. “Because I’m not like the rest? How would I know?”

“Do you know anything about why my globe’s not working?”

“The summoner’s sphere, you mean?” He leaned against the gray-painted CMU wall, his hand splayed on his legs. “Probably for the same reason you can’t control the demons, why they want to possess you.”

Paige fingered the scar on her chest.

“Yup. That right there, love. It’s all it takes.”

“It’s a scar.”

“That goes straight to the bone. I don’t know what the plan here is, but you seriously need to get out of here.”

“Before what?”

“Before another demon, not nearly as nice as I was, takes over your body and uses that gift of yours.”

“To what?”

“To summon demons? What are you? A freakin’ genius? Come on now. I didn’t scramble your mind that much.”

“No. I mean why? Why summon them? What do they gain? What does Sven gain?”

Lucius pursed his lips, his black gaze unfocused.

“What happened two hundred years ago? How did you both disappear?”

“I don’t remember much.” He winced.

Maybe it was the wince, or maybe it was the pained expression that followed. She didn’t believe him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing. It’s none of your business.”

“Will it help me keep the gate closed?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s my charge to keep it closed. You can kick up your feet, love. I’m here now.”

“And you’re capable of doing that this time?”

“Now that I have my own body? Sure. Locked and cinched.”

She didn’t believe that either. “How’d they get the drop on you the last time?”

“The witch used earth magick. Won’t be able to hold me this time. Trust me, love. I have this handled.”

“Really? Dexx, who isn’t a witch, isn’t a sorcerer, nothing. He was able to trap you using earth magick. So what’s keeping you from being bound this time?”

Lucius let out a long breath, then stood. Between one blink and the next, he’d left his cell and stood beside her.

Paige frowned at the traps laid in the cell.

Dexx jerked in surprise. “How’d you get out?”

“Like I said, love,” Lucius murmured in her ear, “I won’t be held by your earthen magick again.”

“How?” she asked in a mere whisper.

“You gave me your magicks, showed me how they worked when you gave me a body. This isn’t a vessel. This is a body you created using the power of the earth, the wind, the water, the bloody fire. You did this, infused me with it. Sven doesn’t stand a chance.”

“And you stayed in the cell of your own volition? Why?”

“To see the look on his face.” The tattooed demon grinned. “Really, it was worth it.”

Paige took a step toward the bars, peering inside. “What happened two hundred years ago?”

“Asking the same question won’t brook a different response. I said it wasn’t your business and I meant that. Sincerely. Now, then, if you don’t mind, I have places to be.”

“Lucius.” She empowered his name with her will. “You will stay.”

He swiped his hand, clearing the air. “No. Actually, I won’t. You see, it’s not only the fact you’re broken. You’d probably be able to control other demons. But me?” He shook his head. “Not me. You created me with your will. I am you.”

With her gifts? What had she done when she’d released him from her body? How had she managed it?

“I don’t know how, and no, I don’t have your gifts.”

“How did you know what I was thinking?”

“Because, love, you were thinking with your face. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really do have to be off.” He headed down the hall.

“Where are you going?”

“To find my brethren. I need to know where they hide. They were not destroyed, for if they were, they would be reborn.”

“Lucius!”

He disappeared in a cloud of shadow smoke.

Dexx pursed his lips, pointing his finger in the direction the demon had disappeared to. “What just happened?”

“I’m losing my touch.” She spun on her heel and walked into the main room of the precinct. Maneuvering around desks, she entered the conference room. Low book shelves and file cabinets cluttered the space, leaving little room for the long table and hard-backed chairs.

Special Agent Scott stared at the whiteboard, reviewing a few of his notes. He looked up, his thumbnail between his teeth. “What did you find out?”

“Nothing.” Paige perched on the end of the table. “Not a damn thing. Except that he doesn’t follow my command.”

“Why not?”

“He’s a different kind of demon?”

“Are you sure?”

She didn’t know anything anymore. What was she even doing there? Gods! “Pretty sure. Yeah.”

“Hmm. Well, maybe you have to command him differently?”

“Yeah,” Dexx said, joining her on the edge of the table. “Maybe command him with an accent and call him ‘love.’ I bet he’d like that.”

“No.” Her heart raced. Everything was so out of control. “I need to think of something else. He changed because of my magick. I don’t know. Anyway. Evidence. Were we able to process anything?”

“A lot of its still in the lab, but we were able to—”

A commotion rose in the precinct.

Paige stood and headed for the door. “What’s going on out here?”

An officer stepped aside.

Paige froze.

Eddie Lopez, victim number three, stood in the doorway, a confused frown on his face. “Can someone tell me where I could find my car?”

“What the hell?” Dexx stopped next to her.

“I don’t know. I’m about to find out though.” She walked to Eddie. What the fuck was this now? Shit? Would the crazy never stop? “Mr. Lopez, hello. How are you feeling today?”

“Fine. Why?”

“How’s your day been so far?”

“I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

“Can you humor me? What did you do so far today?”

“I don’t know you. Duke, who is this person?”

Paige kept herself in the center of his attention. “I’m Detective Paige Whiskey. Please answer my question, sir.”

Eddie narrowed his brown, alert eyes. “I just got back from the game.”

“What game?”

“The softball game. My nieces were playing.”

“Oh. Did they win?”

“No, but softball isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about playing.”

Every twitch, every flicker of expression seemed genuine. What the hell? “What else do you remember?”

“Going home. Why? What is this about?”

“Where did you wake up, sir?”

“In my bed. Why are you asking these questions?”

“When did you wake up in your bed?”

“This morning. Would someone tell me what’s going on here? This is ridiculous.”

His timeline wasn’t jiving. Did he even realize that? “Do you remember being kidnapped, tortured?”

He started to shake his head, then stopped, his gaze dimming for a moment. The X’s that had been carved over his eyes flashed a burning orange for a fleeting moment.

“Where did you wake up, Eddie?” Dexx asked, stepping closer to the man.

“In the morgue. I woke up in the morgue.”

“How did you get here?” Paige asked.

“I—” He closed his eyes, then reopened them. “I hit the doctor in the head. Then I searched for some clothes. These aren’t—these aren’t my clothes.”

They appeared to be a bit frumpy, but that didn’t matter. Not these days. Paige couldn’t judge a person by the clothes they wore. At least, she hadn’t figured out how yet. “Why are you here?”

“For my car.”

“What are you going to do with your car?”

“Go home.”

“Why?”

“I—I don’t know.”

This wasn’t getting her where she needed to go. She needed a different tactic. “Was anyone else with you in the morgue?”

“Yes.” He spoke as if he were in a daze or a trance. “Sven. Sven was there. He told me—” His eyes lit up. “He told me to find you. To give you a message.”

“And what’s the message?”

He paused, staring at the ceiling in thought. “The time’s not right for us, m’dear. But one day soon, you’ll come to me. A love like ours cannot be shared. For all who dare, beware.”