“Hold up. Hold up. I
feed
it?”
“Yes. You feed it the souls of dead demons and it stays strong and healthy. Together, you work for the greater good and to keep each other alive.”
“So when I killed that demon and it exploded...”
“Your Hanta ate its soul. You fed it. It protected you. Symbiosis.”
“And that’s the legacy. Someone in my family made a deal with the devil.”
“There is no devil, Denny...or at least, not that ties in with the Hantas. This was a deal that was struck centuries ago for reasons you’ll have to read to find out. It is different for each Hanta.”
Denny crossed her arms. “And if I decide this is not a legacy I want anything to do with?”
Ames shrugged. “Then you need to find another host. As far as I know, unless a family is completely wiped out before any progeny are born, there is no other way to destroy a Hanta Raya. If your family is wiped out, the Hanta has no place to go, no one to feed it and so it will die.”
“Wait. Host? You mean, it could move to Pure or Quick?”
Ames shook his head. “Not Quick. Not Sterling. Pure. It seems the Hanta skipped over your oldest siblings for some reason.” He held his hand up. “And no, I have no idea why. Conjecture, yes, but I don’t know why for certain.”
“You know about Sterling and Quick?”
Ames pulled a three-inch folder out and handed it to Denny. “I told you. I’m not one to mentor just anyone. You think I’d stop what I’m doing in my life for a nobody? I knew who you were the moment Brianna called me. I’ve known about you and your siblings for years. I’ve known about Rushalyn Holbrook as well.”
Denny hefted the file. “Jesus. Do you know the color of my underwear?”
“You don’t wear any.”
Denny stared slack-jawed. “How the hell––”
Ames laughed. “It was a good guess.” Squatting down, Ames pulled a tray out of the cupboard and set it on the counter. “I’m sure you have a million questions, and we have a lot of work to do to get you ready. Now that the Hanta is awake, there’s not much time.”
“I haven’t decided if this is something I want in my life.”
Ames shook his head slowly. “That’s just it, Goldy. You keep making it sound like it is a decision that is still within your grasp. Don’t you see? The dark side has already made that decision for you. Why do you think they took Rush? They’re drawing you in while you are young and inexperienced in the hopes that those two ingredients get you killed. Quite frankly, I’m a little surprised you’re still alive. By the looks of that eyebrow, I’d say you came awfully close to cutting your own head off.”
“Wait. You...you know about Rush being gone?”
“I know exactly why you had them come and what you hoped to accomplish. I take it the spirits saw your Hanta and bolted.”
Denny nodded. “Pretty much.”
“Yeah, well, next time you have an idea to do something as foolish as open the gates to the demonic world, I hope you talk to me about it first.”
Denny set her mug on the counter. She looked at the tray, which contained different kinds of leather, metals, and cloth. There was thread, leather cording, beading, and straps of varying lengths.
“The demons that attacked you obviously did not know you were possessed by a Hanta. Lower level demons know better than to mess with one.”
“So you’re saying my mother had this Hanta Raya demon living inside her my entire life and I didn’t know.”
“Yes.” Ames straightened the items on the tray. “She took possession of it long before she met your father and at a very young age. It’s all in her journal.”
“And at some point, it leapt to me.” Denny handed the file back to Ames. The pieces of the demon puzzle began falling into place. “What did you find out about me when you went snooping around?”
Ames put the file back in the cabinet before standing up and looking Denny in the eye. “That you are exactly like your mother in certain, important arenas in life. I discovered a woman of integrity who is well-liked and more responsible than most people her age. You are loyal, competitive, fiery, and tough. You have the right temperament for this job.”
“But what about my life? I have plans.”
“Your mother had a life. She had a family, four kids, interests and hobbies outside of hunting. She hunted only to feed the Hanta. Some legacies make it their life’s work. It’s up to how you want to handle it.”
He motioned to the tray in front of her and said, “Choose materials for your weapons.”
“What for?”
“Well, you can’t carry them around in a backpack. That’s inefficient.”
“Oh, you mean we’re making sheaths?”
“No.
I
am making them. You’re just choosing the material.”
Denny picked out black leather.
Ames stood back and looked at her. “Would you wear a leather vest?”
“If it was cool looking, yeah.”
Ames held his hand out and Denny handed him her weapons. He traced around them before handing them back to her. “No more séances, understand?”
Denny nodded as she watched him measure her shoulders. “Copy that.”
“And no more visiting another plane to talk to your mother. That is seriously risky business now.”
“Why?”
“The Hanta could jump back into her, thinking that was where it belonged, and we have no idea what that kind of trauma could do to her. It might very well kill her.”
“Fine. No more visits.”
“Good. Any other questions?”
“Too many to fire all at once, so I’ll ask them as they come up.”
“Fair enough. I have one. What, exactly, happened to your eyebrow?”
Denny told him about the demons in the cemetery.
“They might have been testing you. They will come at you to kill you before you become too skilled.”
“What are you saying? A
bunch
of demons are out to get me?”
“Yes. They know the Hanta left an experienced hunter and is now vulnerable in you. They see this as the perfect time to rid the world of a Hanta. Like ants on candy, they are drawn here. I’m afraid the first attack was just the beginning.”
Ames shook his head. “The Hanta will protect you as much as it can, but if you do nothing, if you refuse to feed it, it will let you die so it can move on to a stronger host. It will, if given the chance, jump into Pure if it feels you are no longer useful to it. Remember always, it is a demon just like the ones you kill. It is not benevolent simply because it gives you power. It is symbiosis. I’m sorry, Denny. I wish I had better news for you, but this is the lay of the demonic land in your life now. There’s just no getting around it unless you want Pure to take the reins.”
“Oh hell no. Uh-uh. Not Pure. I am a far better choice than she. No, if anyone has to carry on the legacy, it’s going to be me.”
Ames glanced at her split eyebrow. “You’re lucky you didn’t cut half your face off. Fouet is an amazing and terrifying weapon, and very dangerous to the uninitiated. I told you not to use it until I told you that you’re ready.”
“Then initiate me, Mr. Walker. Make me ready. I don’t have time for baby steps anymore. It’s time to take that leap of faith.”
Ames’s cool blue eyes studied her a moment. “A Hanta is nothing to play with. They become part of you. They watch over you, but they are unpredictable at times. They rise up when threatened. They are moody and temperamental. Most of all, they are ruthless killers of other demons and will stop at nothing to feed on the souls of others. If you think you are ready to handle that, all righty then.”
“It seems I have no other choice, Mr. Walker, but to learn how to handle this demon inside of me. It would appear it’s time for you to teach me how to kick some ass.”
***
T
he only ass kicked was Denny’s as Ames Walker put her through her paces. He went over Tae Kwon Do moves, showed her how to get out of half a dozen different choke holds and demonstrated how to keep the Fouet from “biting back.”
More than once, the Hanta joined the party when Denny became angry or frustrated. Ames taught her how to calm herself and the demon within. That was the hardest part of the training for Denny–– to actually
feel
the demon–– to know it existed inside her, and to have to wrestle it for control. She didn’t like that. It was creepy and invasive.
Ames explained that the Hanta Raya did not
want
to control her physical being––that was not part of the deal. It needed her to stay alive and, safe, otherwise, it would die along with her. He revealed much of the demon world to her, but she knew it wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg. She needed to study. She needed to read her mother’s journal, know the Black Book inside and out, and be more versed in demonology than she was in history. She needed to become an expert, because if she didn’t, she would die and so would those around her.
The sun was up when they finished training. Ames excused himself to go to the Tae Kwon Do studio. They had worked all through the night and Denny was exhausted, but Ames Walker was the Energizer Bunny. He grabbed a mug of coffee and walked her to her car.
“Education is the key to your survival, Goldy, not just nifty moves. Get in the lair and bone up on this stuff because, mark my words, they are coming. They want you dead as soon as possible.”
“I am a nobody. The idea of a brigade of demons coming after me sounds ludicrous, sir. Sorry, but it just does.”
Ames smiled. “Does it now? In time you’ll learn that nothing should be considered ludicrous until proven. Get some sleep. Remember to eat. You have a lot of work to do.”
As Denny drove by the coffee shop, she saw Brianna getting out of her car, so she rolled the window down and smiled. “Hey,” Denny said. “I wanted to thank you for last night.”
Brianna walked over to the car. “Now that’s a line every girl wants to hear in the morning. Oh my.” The smile on her face slid off. She reached out and lightly touched Denny’s eyebrow.
“What? You saw this last night.”
Brianna took Denny’s chin and turned her face side-to-side. “Yes, but it sure as shit didn’t look like this. Your wound. It’s—that’s impossible.”
Denny pulled her visor down and examined her eyebrow in the mirror. It was almost completely healed.
“Oh. That. I...uh...I heal quickly.”
“Wow. I guess you do. But the real question is have you recovered from the séance? That was off the hook. Everyone is still talking about it.”
“I have for the moment, yes. How’s Cassandra? She seemed a bit rattled when she left.”
“It wasn’t her first rodeo, Denny. It takes a lot more than a pissy demon to rattle her chains. No pun intended.”
Denny felt exhaustion roll over her. “It was definitely worth it. I learned a lot. Please thank Cassandra and the rest of the coven for me.”
Brianna pulled away from the window. “Will do. If you get hungry, I’m thinking of grabbing sushi at Kane’s if you’re interested. We can try that eggplant spread. Say, six or six-thirty?”
When Denny hesitated, Brianna knelt down beside the car. “I think I need to make something really clear. I understand, as bizarre as it is, that Rushalyn is your girlfriend. So every time I ask you to do something, it’s always as friends, okay? You don’t have to get your panties in a wad thinking I am making a move on you. I’m not.”
A hot blush colored Denny’s face. “My panties aren’t in a wad...I just...” she hesitated. She was too tired to think or speak clearly, her filters useless. “It would be easier if I didn’t find you so attractive.”
The final word hung in the air between them like a balloon that couldn’t decide whether to pop, deflate, or rise into the air.
“Oh.” Brianna looked away as a slow blush crept up
her
neck. “Well...um...this is awkward.”
Denny closed her eyes and laid her forehead on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry to make this weird between us. If I wasn’t so damn exhausted, I wouldn’t have let that slip out. I haven’t had any sleep. Sorry. I don’t self-edit very well.”
Brianna slowly rose and laid her hand on the back of Denny’s neck. “I’m kinda glad you did. I was beginning to think I needed to go on a diet or something.”
Denny lifted her head. Brianna’s warm,
living
hand felt so good on her skin. “Oh hell no. You are smokin’ hot. What I can’t understand is why you’re single.”
Brianna chuckled and removed her hand. “I’m not like other women, Golden. I don’t want to be with just
any
woman. I want to be with the
right
one. I’m a Wiccan and that brings many different layers into a relationship. We are not easy to be with.”
Denny smiled softly, thinking the Hanta demon inside her trumped the many different layers of a witch. “Well,
I
think you’re gorgeous, and from now on I’ll stop panicking every time you want to do something nice with me.”
Brianna’s face softened and her eyes showed gratitude and appreciation. “I’d like that. A lot. I’m late for work. Go get some rest, Denny. If you’re hungry or awake at six, give me a call.”
“Will do. Thank you.”
As Denny watched Brianna walk away, she pictured herself shouting, “I have a demon inside of me!” But thought better of it. Instead, she headed home to an empty house, an empty bed, and a head full of unanswered questions.
***
W
hen Denny was younger, Rush would sit on the edge of her bed and sing to her. That would put her right to sleep. It was some lullaby her mother had sung to her.
As she got older, Rush would tell her stories––stories about Savannah in the seventies, what life had been like for her as a little girl. Sometimes, she’d tell stories she made up. Those were Denny’s favorite.
God, how she missed her.
She
would have helped Denny sort through all of this demonology shit. Denny pictured her perched up on the roll-top hutch while she flipped through the Black Book. Rush could tell her what to read, what not to read, and what a boob she’d been for not––
She sat up.
Wait.
How much did Rush know about all of this? Had Rush known the demon was in her? Is that why she was being held hostage? Or did they simply snatch her in order to bring the Hanta out in Denny? Had Rush’s knowledge put her in harm’s way?