Demon's Triad (26 page)

“If it is someone on your staff, how can you be sure Aleeza will be safe in the custody of whatever unit you choose?” Dorand spoke for the first time, but his question obviously gave Gavyn pause. Aleeza was learning fast that though Dorand was a man of few words, the one’s he did speak were usually very well chosen.

“I’ll pick two of my strongest coven members,” Gavyn said, shooting Dorand a measured look.

“That’s fine if the Daeisthai theory is correct. But what if it is a Gunera female who fasted with the demon? She’d need to be powerful to break the curse. Weak or strong, every Gunera is a suspect,” Dorand said.

“Which is part of the reason we came to you for help, Gavyn,” Aleeza said.

“Oh, my being your boss and head of this company wasn’t enough to earn me the truth? Good to know, Aleeza. I’ll keep that in mind the next time I’m handing out assignments.” Gavyn scowled but held still, crossing his arms over his chest. He was at least listening, so she’d better make her request while she still had the chance.

“I want a detailed list of every assignment for the past six months. I want to know who worked what and when. I’m hoping I’ll be able to narrow down my list of suspects, find out who might have had the motive and opportunity to get in with this Daeisthai witch or—”

“Or who might have been strong enough to form the demon fast herself,” Gavyn finished with a nod. “That makes sense, but that’s work you could do while you’re in seclusion. If you don’t get taken into custody, then our leak is going to know that we’re 135

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on to them. Your mother, the Amiantos council and I all know that you’re curse-free.

It’s only a matter of time before word gets out to the rest of our coven. It will look—”

“What?!” Aleeza fisted her hands at her sides, resisting the urge to punch something. How could he? How could he have shared her secret without letting her know?

“It will look suspicious if I don’t take you into custody. You could, after all, be a suspect.”

“How could you tell the Amiantos? Gavyn, I—”

“They’re the client—they deserve to know what’s going on with this case.”

“But they could have a leak on their side! Those men who were following me, they knew I was on the case almost before I did, and—”

“You hadn’t met an Amiantos in years before you were assigned. There was no way they could have gotten hair or the fluids they would need to form a hex portal,” Gavyn countered.

“They could if they’d broken into her apartment,” Dorand said. “I don’t like to think one of my coven is responsible, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility.”

“Even more reason to protect Aleeza. She can’t go back up to those woods without being a target for either a lingering demon spell or an Amiantos coven member with a demonic agenda.”

“Gavyn, I can’t sit on my ass in some safe house while someone I care about is in danger!” Aleeza regretted the words the second they were out of her mouth.

“You just put the nail in your coffin, honey. I’m sorry, but you’re not going to think clearly if you’re letting emotions cloud your judgment. You’re going into hiding, end of story. I’ll get my best people on the case and they’ll get to the bottom of this, thanks to the good work you’ve done so far.” The knock came at the door. Perfect timing for Gavyn. “Come in.”

“Sir, you asked for a team?” Pater asked from the doorway, a lit cigarette in his hand. His brother Sean stood beside him, also smoking. Both of them were dressed in regulation Gunera Bounty uniforms. Everyone who worked in a collections unit was required to wear the navy blue jumpsuit. Only investigators were granted the privilege of street clothes.

“Aleeza’s going to safe house five. Take the back way and make sure you don’t have any tails. Keep the phone enabled but don’t let her make any calls without running it past me first.” Gavyn sat down at his desk and began to shuffle paper, clearly finished discussing the matter.

Aleeza shot Dorand a desperate look. She couldn’t go with Sean and Pater, but she couldn’t
not
go either. If she refused a direct order, she’d be up for coven-rejection or worse. If she went with them quietly, she could be condemning Ferrin to a horrible fate and helping usher in a reign of evil. No matter what Gavyn said, she knew that she was 136

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the best woman for this job. She and Ferrin and Dorand had an undeniable connection, one that she knew would prove valuable in helping track Ferrin down.

“Don’t worry Aleeza, I’ll keep looking.” Dorand pulled her close for a hug, then bent his head and whispered in her ear. “You want to get out of here?”

“Okay,” Aleeza answered. She’d made her decision. If Dorand had a plan to get her out of here, she was ready for it. She’d risk coven rejection or worse for either of the men she loved. She couldn’t let Ferrin down, not when it had been her spell in the woods that had led the bad guys to him in the first place.

“Think fire,” Dorand whispered, then he kissed her. Not just any kiss, but a soul-deep kiss. His tongue pushed past her lips, claiming her mouth, causing blue-white light to flare between them almost instantly. Within seconds, green-gold joined the white-blue, and Aleeza knew exactly what she had to do.

“What the—” Pater screamed as the cigarette in his hands burst into a roaring flame. He dropped the fireball to the floor and backed away, leaving the doorway clear except for the flame itself.

“Let’s go.” Dorand pulled her after him. They ran and jumped quickly through the fire. Aleeza felt the heat for only a second before they were on the other side. And then they were running, booking it down the hall before Sean could pull Pater to his feet.

“Get your ass back here, Aleeza!” She heard Gavyn screaming but she didn’t turn back. She’d made her decision. Now all she could do was pray that she’d survive to face the consequences.

* * * * *

Ferrin woke slowly, fighting consciousness. He knew what awaited him in the waking world, and he wanted no part of it. Kali had been at him for what felt like weeks, but it could have been only a few days. He had no concept of time. The room she kept him in had no windows, and he’d been able to snatch only a few minutes of sleep at a time.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty.” She laughed, her breath hot on his cheek. She’d moved him to a bed at some point, maybe yesterday. By that time he’d appreciated the softness, his spine aching from lying pinned to the hardwood floor. Too bad she hadn’t given his cock a break as well.

She’d raped him again and again. As soon as her demon brought him to erection, she was on him. So far, they’d yet to conceive, but it was only a matter of time. Kali had a potion that put her body in a state of constant ovulation. She dropped an egg every day. It was just a matter of time until—

“I’ve got some good news, sweet brother.”

Gods, please no. Let her kill me. Anything but good news.

“Open your eyes. I know that you’re awake.”

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He turned his head away. Fighting did no good, but it made him feel better. He couldn’t control his cock but his head still belonged to him.

Her fingers closed around his chin in an iron grip. She yanked his head to the side.

“Don’t disobey me, brother. I may be pregnant, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still have my fun with you.”

His heart sank. His prayers hadn’t been enough. “You got what you wanted—now let me go.”

“Oh, no. We still have work to do.” She smiled like the Cheshire cat. “We’re going to cheat nature.”

* * * * *

“Turn right,” Aleeza commanded. “And pull into one of those parking spots over there, out of sight from the road.”

Dorand swung the car in, straddling two spaces, and braked. Good enough. They didn’t have time to waste.

Even coming here was a risk, but they had to go somewhere. They needed to get on the Gunera Bounty website database to get the records Aleeza wanted. The only Gunera she knew who had a computer with an approved i.p. address and might be willing to give them access was Raven. Aleeza had never particularly liked her cousin, but at least Raven wasn’t blinded by obedience to Gavyn or anyone else for that matter. Her cousin’s blasé attitude when it came to work and coven was finally going to prove itself useful instead of a royal pain in the ass.

They sped up the rickety stairs to Raven’s furnished efficiency on the third floor.

Please let her be home, please let her be home. Aleeza had no doubt that Gavyn had people on their trail. It was only a matter of time before they gave Raven’s apartment a drive by. If they were safe here now, it was only for a few minutes. She pounded on the door even harder until the bones in her hand began to protest.

“Hold on, hold on.” Raven’s voice came muffled through the door as chains and locks rattled. “Where the hell have you—Oh. Aleeza.” Her gaze flitted to Dorand and back to her cousin. She tugged at her pigtails and bit her lip. “Hi. What are you doing here?”

“You were expecting someone?”

“Um, yeah. Just a—friend from school. Hey, come on in.” Raven scanned the street as she ushered Dorand and Aleeza into her cramped apartment. “It’s such a nice surprise, you know, to see you. And who is this?”

“This is Dorand.” Aleeza watched the two shake hands, alarm bells buzzing in her head. When had her cousin started dressing like that? Her plaid skirt was way too short and her blue sweater tight enough to leave nothing to the imagination. She looked like some Catholic schoolgirl fantasy run amok. Not to mention that Raven was fidgeting 138

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nonstop. The girl was never nervous, at least not that Aleeza could remember. Now she looked ready to jump out of her skin.

“Nice to meet you,” Dorand said.

“Sure, hi. Nice to meet you.” The room was spotless, another surprise. Raven was a notorious pig, and it had always amazed Aleeza that she managed to look clean and tidy when Aleeza knew for a fact she picked most of her clothes out of wrinkled piles on the ground.

But right now, there wasn’t a pile of semi-clean laundry to be seen. The place even smelled nice with candles burning on the tiny table, and soft music playing on the stereo. Aleeza had suspected she wasn’t the only Gunera who tried to build a sexy, seductive atmosphere in her living space. If you couldn’t live it, at least you could find some comfort in the trappings of romance.

“Raven, I need some help, I want to use your—” she began, then stopped.

Something clicked in her mind, and suddenly Aleeza knew exactly was wrong with this picture. She enjoyed a little luxury in her bedroom, yes. But she didn’t light candles or dress for sexual role-playing when she was expecting company. What would be the point? Until a few nights ago she hadn’t been capable of seducing anyone, and Raven shouldn’t be either.

Shit. She’d come here looking for a way to track down the Gunera leak. Instead she’d found the traitor herself. Raven, with the shadow-walking skills of someone three times her age. Raven, who had been working as her apprentice during the months when the dreams were the worst. Her cousin had sold her out—there was little doubt in her mind. Now she just had to find out if she was merely a leak or the demon-fasted witch they were looking for.

“Sure.” Raven’s blue eyes widened above her eager smile. “Anything I can do to help, you know that.”

Aleeza reached out and took Dorand’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze. If her suspicions were correct—and the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach told her they were—she needed to handle this very, very carefully. Dorand seemed to read that light touch because he moved back toward the door, blocking the only exit as Aleeza turned back to Raven.

“My apartment has been contaminated with black magic, and I’m afraid to go back there until I figure out how it happened. So I was wondering if I could use your computer to get on the Gunera Bounty site?” Aleeza moved into the room, quickly locating all the doors. There was what looked like a bathroom to her left, and the doors to two bedrooms on her right. The first bedroom was dark, but in the second, more candles burned.

“Oh my god, that’s horrible.” Raven moved casually to the bedroom door and closed it but not before Aleeza had a good look inside.

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There was no one there, no Ferrin tied to her bed, which made Aleeza think Raven was merely an accomplice, not the demon-fasted witch. But why would she agree to such a thing?

Don’t be dumb, ‘Leez.

Of course. Not money, not power but the very thing Aleeza herself had been willing to risk her magic, her place in the coven, and her mental wellbeing to gain.

Raven had wanted to get laid. Wanted it badly enough to help someone work black magic in Aleeza’s apartment. But she hadn’t had a hex portal under her bed to help persuade her—she’d just been selfish and horny.

The little, fucking bitch. Aleeza gritted her teeth and walked closer to the romantic table set for two.

“I know. I couldn’t believe it. A hex portal, under my bed.”

“That’s…wow. That’s really scary. Do you have any idea who might have done it?”

Her voice was free of guile, and when Aleeza turned to face her, she saw that Raven’s eyes were the same. She looked shocked, frightened and completely innocent.

“You know, you really are very good. If someone had told me it was you, I never would have bought it, even with your less-than-stellar record of service to the coven.”

Aleeza smiled and casually crossed her arms, eyes glued to Raven’s face, searching for the slightest break in her act. “You’re a fantastic actress. You should consider a change in careers.”

“What do you mean?” Her look of sweet confusion was priceless. Time to up the ante with a little creative truth-telling.

“I mean, if I didn’t know for a fact that you’d sold me out to get your fuck on, I would totally buy this innocent act.” Aleeza held her breath as the girl met her eyes in confusion, wondering if Raven would keep up with the denial, and what she would do if her cousin refused to take the bait. Luckily she didn’t have to wonder for long.