Authors: Cindi Madsen
“So, you finally showed up,” Dean said from behind her. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? Not cool, Persephone, not cool.”
“Geez, I’m sorry, guys. Sun’s up, though. It’s cool.”
Danielle crossed her arms. “It wasn’t up all night long, when you were all alone in your house. Those hell beasts are after you. They could have attacked you last night and we’d never know.” She gripped Persephone’s shoulders, her voice taking on an edge of hysteria. “You shouldn’t be living alone, Persephone. It’s too dangerous!”
Now they really had the attention of the people around them.
Persephone leaned in, keeping her voice low. “This is why I didn’t tell you guys earlier—not that you would’ve believed me if the demon hadn’t dropped his projection. Now, let’s find somewhere else to talk before we get crazy alerts issued on us.” She looped one arm through Danielle’s, the other through Dean’s, and walked away from the students gaping at them.
And here I thought it was going to be a low-key morning.
People Persephone had never talked to before were suddenly very interested in her living arrangements. Luckily, no one seemed to hear the demon part of her, Dean, and Danielle’s conversation, but they’d definitely heard the living alone part—several of them were interested in making it party central, and one guy had offered to keep her company so she wasn’t so lonely. Months of work, all undone because she skipped first period, and her friends freaked out. Clenching her fists, she stormed into the cafeteria, ready to let Dean and Danielle have it.
Then they looked up at her, worry etched across their faces, and she couldn’t be mad at them for caring about her. She tossed her sack lunch on the table and plopped on the bench.
Danielle bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Persephone. I wasn’t thinking, blurting it out like that. I know people are talking, and I wish I could take it back.”
Persephone ran a hand through her hair. “It’s fine, D. It’s nice to know you care so much.”
I just wish your voice didn’t carry so well.
Dean leaned forward, his expression all business. “So, what are we going to do?”
“About the fact my secret about living alone is out?”
“About the demons. Do crosses work? Should I start gathering buckets of holy water? I feel like an idiot just saying it, but we’ve got to do something.”
“I appreciate you guys want to help,” Persephone said. “But
we’re
not doing anything.
I’m
going to deal with this, so you guys don’t have to worry. And I’m not going to have to do it alone, I’ve got my best men on it.”
And when they come together, I hope the two of them will remember they’re on the same team.
Which reminded her, she should give Mara a call and let her know help was arriving tonight. After all Persephone had put her through, it’d be nice to deliver some good news.
Dean scowled. “So we just sit around and wait to see what happens?”
“Yes. Inside your house, if it’s after dark.” She looked from him to Danielle. “Don’t worry, guys. The people coming to help have been fighting demons all their lives—our ancestors have been doing it for centuries. With the help of the gods, we’ve kept the balance, and that’s what we’re going to keep doing.”
Laptop tucked under her arm, Lucy approached the table. “Have you guys heard what’s going on?” She sat next to Dean, opened her laptop, and twisted it toward them. “Apparently, some psycho’s on the loose. They found a sixth body near the river. The killer took the heart and everything.”
Persephone’s blood ran cold as she read the headline:
Local attorney killed.
She read down the page, her heart sinking the more she read.
Isadora Verga, attorney at Klein, Klein, and Lindeman, dead. She’s the sixth victim to be found missing her heart and branded with a two-pronged symbol.
“I told her to leave,” Persephone whispered. Her mind flashed to the image of Isadora’s head in the box. Where it probably was this very second.
“Persephone?” Dean’s voice sounded far away.
The world went fuzzy and she couldn’t catch her breath. The vein in her forehead throbbed. How had she forgotten about the murders? The ceremony? Between the fight with Lamia, Jax’s subsequent departure, and the demon attack last night, the heartless—and headless as the article on the screen left out—murder victims had taken a backseat.
And now the demons had six of everything, she was sure of it.
Only one thing was left to complete the ceremony. The person the demons thought was their queen.
***
The blurred countryside outside Jax’s window sharpened to individual trees and buildings as Mom slowed the truck and pulled into a gas station. The SUV and the two vans behind them followed.
The smell of gas and exhaust assaulted Jax as he got out to fill up, not doing his already pounding head any favors.
Kaia, one of Mom’s friends, climbed out of the van. “There’s a diner a few blocks down,” she said, pointing at a brown-roofed building down the street. “After we fuel up, let’s head over and get a good meal.”
Jax left the gas pumping and stepped around the hood. “We can grab something on the way. The diner will take too long.”
Kaia turned, and he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “We’ve been driving all night and all day. The kids need a break. Everyone needs a break.”
He hated to push, but he hated the thought of leaving Persephone unprotected one more night even more. “We can rest when we get to New Orleans.”
“That’s a while yet,” Mom said. “No need to make everyone go hungry.”
Jax didn’t like it, but figured she was right. The diner, and then they’d get back on the road.
As they wrapped up dinner, Jax drummed his fingers on his legs, growing more restless by the second. When he saw Kaia coming toward him, eyes narrowed and jaw set, he tensed.
This can’t be good.
Kaia sat across from Mom. “We’ve all been talking. Everyone’s tired, and one of the wheels on the van keeps getting low. I’m thinking we find a place to buy a tire, relax for awhile, maybe even rest for the night.”
“The night?” Jax shook his head. “We can’t stop now. Not when we’re so close.”
“It’s been a tough couple of days. We’ll be no good if we’re too exhausted to fight. Even then, very few of us can fight.”
He glanced back at the people who’d had their homes burned, lost family members, had been surviving in the woods, and then were forced to drive for hours on end. No one looked ready for a fight. Dragging them into battle now would probably get them killed.
He was even feeling it. Fighting all those demons he’d felt indestructible—more powerful than he’d ever felt—but it was like the strength was gradually being drained from him, replaced by a headache that wouldn’t go away.
Zapped energy or not, the thought of not getting to Persephone tonight made his stomach churn. He tried to tell himself she would be okay. She was well trained, and she knew to be careful and to stay indoors after dark—in theory. Mara and her friends would be there helping her, too.
Blocking everything else out, he tried to focus on his instincts. On Persephone. He felt the pull to her, but he wasn’t getting any vibes that she was in danger.
“We’ll take off early tomorrow morning,” Kaia said. “Then we’ll still get into town early. I just can’t ask any more of them.”
Another glance at the others’ tired faces, and Jax understood what she meant. He couldn’t ask any more of them either.
He slowly nodded his head. “Find a hotel then.”
The phone hanging on the wall next to the diner caught his eye. With nowhere to charge it, his cell had been dead for days.
I wonder if they’d let me make a call. At least then I could talk to Persephone.
He missed her like crazy and needed to hear her voice. Then he could tell her he’d see her tomorrow—that she only needed to wait one more night for him and then they’d come up with a plan. He wasn’t sure how exactly yet, but together, they’d figure it out. Jax glanced across the table at Mom and found her watching him, eyebrows knit together. He shot her a smile, wanting to keep her from worrying. “I’m just going to go make a quick call.”
The afternoon had passed by in a numb blur. Persephone found herself sitting on her bed, with no recollection of how she got there. There was a strange ringing in her ears, too. Thoughts drifted around in her head, but it was hard to catch hold of one and keep it.
She shook her head, trying to shake the fogginess from her brain.
At one point, she’d considered not going to meet Adrastos, but right now she couldn’t remember why.
Why wouldn’t I go meet him? That makes no sense.
Her gaze moved to the phone on the end of her bed. “That’s right. I was going to call Mara. To check in and see if she could meet me and Adrastos, so we could come up with a plan. And there was something else I really needed to talk to her about.”
Only she couldn’t remember what it was.
She reached for the phone and noticed she was wearing black lace gloves.
When did I put these on? Where did I even get them?
Looking down, she saw she was wearing a swirled pattern, black corset. Tiny jewels glittered as she moved. The tiered, taffeta black skirt made a crinkling noise as she stood to look in the mirror. Her hair hung in waves over her shoulders and light bounced off the chalcedony stone on her neck.
“Why don’t I remember getting dressed?”
Something about her outfit—her whole look—seemed so familiar, yet she couldn’t quite put a finger on it.
Mara. I think I need to talk to Mara.
Skirt whooshing around her, she crossed the room and picked up the phone. The display showed one missed call.
When did I miss a call?
The number didn’t look familiar.
Area code 334? Where is that?
There was a message as well. As she went to retrieve it, the phone rang.
Mara.
Persephone answered and started down the hall. “Hey, I was about to call you. I’m having the weirdest afternoon.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve had all these people coming in, wanting me to curse their exes. How many times do I have to tell people I don’t do that kind of thing?” Mara sighed. “Anyway, I’m about to work on a demon locator spell and see if we can’t find where they’re nesting and torch a few buildings before they wake up for the night. Want to come over and see what we find?”
“I’m not sure. I keep blanking out blocks of space. Like I’m losing hours, Mara. It happened to me yesterday in the mall, right before all the demons attacked me. Then today, I’m suddenly sitting in my bedroom, no recollection of even coming home from school, and I’m wearing… Well, an outfit I’d put on if I was going to some kind of Halloween ball.”
Persephone walked into the kitchen and filled a glass with water.
What was that other thing I was going to tell her? It was important.
Something she’d found out at school.
“That sounds bad. I think you better come see me. And you better hurry, because the sun will be setting soon.”
Banging sounded on the front door. “Just a minute,” Persephone said to Mara. “Someone’s here.”
Persephone lowered the phone and looked out the peephole. Mrs. Lewis stood on the other side.
Mrs. Lewis raised a hand and knocked again.
Why is she here now?
Planning on ignoring it, she turned around. Her shoe caught and she stumbled. The glass slid from her hand and shattered, and her phone dropped and skittered across the floor.