Night of the Demon: Paranormal Romance (Devon Slaughter Book 2) (14 page)

SARAH’S FUNERAL was held at a cemetery across town, not too
far from the river.

Rain pelted my car. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, as
I drove.

I parked behind a line of cars.

I hadn’t brought an umbrella, but I wore a black hat with a
brim and a veil. I had on one of my favorite dresses. The skirt was black and
ruffled, long enough to graze my ankles. The bodice was black lace. The only
jacket I could find to match was a black velvet blazer with faux ruby buttons.

I should have brought an umbrella.

I made my way to the grave site, carrying a bouquet of white
peonies. Cold rain soaked through my clothes. I shivered, and stood in the
back.

There were so many people, like the funeral of a celebrity.
Everywhere I looked I saw black umbrellas.

I thought of the poster Scarlet had made, and felt faint
with deja vu, as if the poster had been a warning I should have heeded. 

The peonies trembled in my hands.

Afterwards, I lined up to lay flowers on Sarah’s grave. When
it was my turn, I gave my condolences to Scarlet.

“I’m so sorry,” I choked out the words, hating their
hollowness.

I had been in Scarlet’s shoes. Of course, no one went to my
mother’s funeral, except my grandmother and I. And the pastor.

Scarlet leaned down to hug me. Whatever we’d argued about
seemed to have happened another lifetime ago.

When I got back to my car, I thought I caught a glimpse of
white blonde hair. I sucked in my breath. Lately, I saw Zadie everywhere, but
it was like the time I’d lost my mother in the mall, and everyone looked like
her but they weren’t.

Though I knew Zadie and Inka could be seen by others, I
didn’t know how much of what had taken place—the dancing, my terror—was just me
… falling down into the black abyss of my mother’s legacy.

I got in my car and locked the doors. The rain had ceased,
for the moment. I took off my hat and laid it on the seat.

I was about to put my key in the ignition, when I saw a
light arc across the cloudy sky.

A tingling sensation stole over my flesh. Images came to me;
a cat with one blue eye and one green, hands on my flesh, the curve of
beautiful lips, a wedding dress. Blood on white sheets.

The scenes unleashed memories. I remembered what I’d read in
Scarlet’s diary. She had described (in great detail) a sexual encounter with—I
slumped forward—
Devon
.

Was it possible? Wasn’t he
my
personal fantasy? My
Heathcliff? Or had Scarlet seen him too?

Nausea coursed through my veins. The steering wheel felt
cool on my forehead.

I had to ask Scarlet about the diary, to decipher what was
real, or I would lose my mind, right here, in the cemetery.

A feverish ache had me in its grip. I peered out the
windshield and watched people get in their cars and drive off.

Don’t bother Scarlet with your lunacy. She is grieving.

And yet, I climbed out of the car and made my way back to
where Scarlet stood, gazing down at the flowers covering her mother’s grave.
She glanced up. “Miss Rain?” there was surprise in her voice.

“I’m sorry, Scarlet. I don’t mean to interrupt. I just—I
know how it feels. I lost my mother too. When I was young.”

It was a lie. I had no idea how Scarlet felt. Her mother had
been a compassionate person, doing for others. My mother was the opposite.
She’d brutally taken a man’s life to sate her own jealousy. Scarlet’s loss had
to be so much greater than mine.  

Still, (like my mother) I pressed on with my agenda. That
was the nature of madness. It took precedence. “Scarlet, I wanted to apologize
for … for the way I acted. You know, with what happened with your diary.”

She blinked.

I licked my lips. “We argued …”

“
Oh
. Yeah. The day I realized I was done with high
school,” she said. “You did me a favor, Miss Rain. I hated every day of high
school. Except for art class. And your class. You were right to be concerned.
If what I’d written in my diary was true, I’d have been in serious trouble.
Having sex with a stranger who showed up on my doorstep?” She shook her head.
“It was just a fantasy. I was
so
lonely back then.”

Just a fantasy … a fantasy
.

“So the man you described was pure fiction?”

“No. I didn’t invent
him
. He was trying to steal my
cat. That part was true. Crazy as it sounds.”

“Did you … happen to get his name?”

She gave me a puzzled look. “His name? It was a random,
weird
encounter,” she cocked her head. “Why?”

“He sounded familiar to me.”

Her mouth formed an O. She seemed about to say something,
then changed her mind.

“I shouldn’t have brought it up,” I said.

“It’s okay, Miss Rain. I get it. Look, nothing happened, I
promise.”

“I know,” I said. “That wasn’t actually what I was worried
about. Anymore.”

“Was he your boyfriend? Or, I mean, did you think the guy I
described might have been your boyfriend. At the time?”

I shook my head. “Some things happened to me I can’t
remember.” A chill snaked down my spine. I shuddered. 

“Is that how you knew my mother? She was helping you
remember?”

“Your mother felt sorry for me, Scarlet. She wanted to help
me, the way you would a drowning kitten, or a starving dog.” I pulled the
amulet from under the collar of my dress. “She gave me this.”

Scarlet made a sound in her throat. “God, I miss her so
much. I never got to tell her good-bye.”

I touched her arm. “No one ever does,” I said. “Not really.
I like to think it’s because the best parts of the ones we lose are always with
us. Until we meet again.”

She sniffed. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand,
then turned her gaze on me. “You have to trust your instincts. My mother would
tell you the same. Of course, she would help you
listen
to your
instincts.” Her eyes misted. She reached out and touched the blue stone on the
amulet. “There’s a reason my mother gave this to you. It’s angelite. To ward
off evil spirits. Don’t lose it, Miss Rain. Sew it to your chest, if you have
to.”

I thought of Sarah taking off the necklace, and clasping it
around my neck. As I walked back to my car, over wet grass, my body ached with
fever. And guilt.

Would Sarah still be alive if she hadn’t taken off the
amulet?

I PUSHED my mop back and forth on the marble floor. Outside,
the night glittered. Above me, a shimmer of stars arced across the open dome,
showing off the unreal sky.

I tried not to think but that was as futile as mopping.

I thought of Zadie. And Ruby.

I felt torn between them, as if I would ever see either of
them again. I figured I was losing my mind. Which would be a blessing.

I mopped around the pillars.

A scurrilous sound alerted me to the top balcony and I caught
a glimpse of a shadow. I saw the tell-tale sweep of dreadlocks, before she hid.

Unbelievable. She was spying on me now?

Treacherous bitch
.

I moved away, under cover of the stairs.

I still had my fists. If she came anywhere near me. And I
had the mop. I’d gauge out her lying eyes.

Didn’t she know? I was capable of anything. What could they
do to me? Drag me back to the dungeon?  

I heard her coming down the stairs. I gripped the handle of
the mop.

“Devon?” her voice was tiny, coming from somewhere above me.
She was scared, as she should be. “Devon, I need to talk to you.”

She wanted
me
to come to
her
.

I stayed where I was.

My traitor of a heart thumped. Why did I care? After all my
vows not to?

I heard her breath, as she ventured closer. “Devon, listen …
just listen to what I have to say.”

My jaw clenched.

“Please …” there was desperation in her voice.

She’s nothing but a liar
.

And yet, I stepped out from under the alcove, to look her in
the eye.

Light spilled down and lit her face. She was dressed up, in
diamonds and jeans, like a movie star, like a dark angel. “I—”

“
Don’t
,” I said.

“Devon—”

“You need to leave, Claudia.”

“I want to help you. Please listen.”

“I’m going to lose it in about five seconds.”

“Can you just—”

“
One
one hundred …”

“
Devon
…”

“
Two
one hundred.”

She lurched toward me and I jumped back, dropping the mop.
To my horror, she fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around my waist.
Ruby’s memory lashed at me.

“I’m so sorry.” Her voice was muffled.

“Get
up
,” I grabbed her arms, like I’d done with
Ruby, worlds ago. I wrested her to her feet. She let herself go limp and
dropped to the floor.

“
Stop
it.”

But she stayed on her knees. She took my hands and kissed
them.

I stilled.

“I can get you out,” she whispered.

I didn’t believe her.

“They’re closing the realm, Devon. You have to go. Tonight.”

I would be insane to trust her.

“They’re killing all the wayward demons. When the last
soldier comes home, the realm will be sealed.”

I was at her mercy. She could lead me straight to my death.
In fact, I figured she would.

We walked out into the street, an angel and her demon.

We left the heart of the city, passing by the glowing
capital. I cast a glance up at the light-filled windows. Zillah was in there
somewhere, in her royal purple gown.

We turned down more streets. Lamps cast our shadows.

As we approached the demon quarters, the lights got fewer
and far between. We turned into an alley, and went through a back door.

Music throbbed, bootlegged (old school)
The Jesus and
Mary Chain
.

I thought of Ruby playing the piano the night we met, the
night I followed her home. There had been a crystal chandelier, casting her in
a pink, fractured light. She’d sang that song, plunking out the notes on a
piano that needed tuning. I’d watched her from the shadows; invisible,
dangerous, the worst kind of predator, the kind who wants your soul.

“Hey,” Claudia said. “This way.”

I followed her around the corner. A hulking shadow stepped
out to block our path, a demon. I braced myself, in case he aimed a steel toe
at my crotch, but he shoved a leather bag into Claudia’s arms. 

“Come on,” she led me down a skinny hall, into a dingy
bathroom. She slid the deadbolt across the door.

A bare bulb hung above us, naked and ugly. I had got used to
the pretty side of town.

My gaze dropped to an image of my face on the grimy wall. My
lips were red. A drop of blood fell from my fangs.

 “Just kill me already, why don’t you?” I said to Claudia.

 “Don’t be so melodramatic.” She unzipped the bag and took
out a bundle of clothes and threw them at me. “Put those on.”

“Oh, shit.” They were leather, like Decimus wore. “This
doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

“It
is
a good idea. It’s the only idea.” 

I caught her eyes on me, as I dressed. We’d never done
anything, not even kissed, despite the evidence sealed away in my permanent
record.

I laced up the tall boots.

She had planned everything, down to the smallest details, I
realized, when she produced a barber’s kit from her bag. “Come here, darling.
Let me make you pretty again.”

I had to sit down, for her to reach high enough to shear my
hair. Dark curls fell on the floor around me. I stood up, and leaned against
the sink, while she combed and snipped at my overgrown beard.

Her eyes were amber, a shade darker than Zadie’s. Her tongue
came out to wet her bottom lip a few times. I had the desire to kiss her but I
held back, as she brought the sharp blades of the scissors to my face.

After she was done, she nodded with satisfaction. “That’s
better.” Something flickered in her eyes. She pressed her lips to mine.

I kissed her back.

I heard her scissors drop to the floor. Her pulse leapt into
mine, before she pulled away. “Sorry,” she said. “We shouldn’t.”

“Because I’m a demon?”

She shook her head. “No, silly.” Her hand came out to touch
my cheek. I caught her wrist. “You’re not my passion, Devon. And I’m not
yours.”

“We only get one passion?”

“For tonight. We have the same ruling passion. To get to the
human world. We both wanted it too much. That’s how we fell.”

That’s how you fell me
.

But I knew she was right. It would have come out, sooner or
later. I was no angel, and I never would be. 

She turned away, to pull one last trick from her bag, a gray
pelt which she placed around my neck.

“You don’t look like Decimus,” she said. “He’s a sorry
imitation. But if anyone sees us, you’ll pass … maybe for just long enough. If
we’re lucky.”

She took me back through the same alleys. We were headed
uptown.

Wait.

No.

What is she playing at?

I grabbed her arm. A couple of demons came out of a
warehouse. I pulled her into a doorway, out of sight. “What the hell are you
doing?”

“I’m taking you through the passage.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Devon, listen to me.” She held my gaze. “I’m going too.”

“What … how can you?” I pushed up the sleeve of her silk
blouse. My mind raced with fear, as I searched her dusky flesh.

Where was the tattoo? The purple heart of bravery to protect
her? And keep her alive. “Did you—”

“Get inoculated?” she said. “Of course not. They’re closing
the realm, Devon. Think about it. This is the only way.”

“You’ll die …”

“You don’t know for sure. We only know what they tell us.
Maybe I’ll thrive in the human world.”

“Forget it. Look, I’ll go to the night witch, and pay her
for one of those escape route maps.”

“Pay her with what? Your good looks?”

“Exactly. Give her what she wants.”

“I’d like to see
that
.”

“Maybe she’ll make herself pretty for me. I hear she
shape-shifts into Helen of Troy sometimes.” 

“You’re full of crap. Anyway, there are guards everywhere.
They’ll
catch
you. And who knows where you’d come out. Don’t you want to
see Ruby again?”

“No.”

“Liar. You’d give anything to see her. Which is why I hate
her,” she laughed, tough but sweet. “The only thing I ever truly wanted was to
go to the human world, Devon. There is nothing for me here. Let me have this
one thing. Let me save you.”

I thought about it. “Okay,” I said, finally. “If it’s what
you want.”

“It’s
all
I want.”

As we wound our way through the demon quarter, I saw more
graffiti with my face, my name slashed beneath it; hearts and arrows and blood.

Ahead of us, white streets shimmered. The skeletal shadows
of palm trees hovered. We turned away, down the hill that sloped to the sea.
Only there was no sea. It was a mirage.

We went down a stairway, down and down, into the passages,
where luxuries from the human world came in.

“This is the tricky part,” Claudia said. “Try not to attract
attention. But, at the same time, be Decimus.”

“What's our story?”

“Decimus goes where he wants, when he wants. No one
questions it.”

“Isn’t he in the human world, as we speak? Slaying demons?”

“He’s already back. I told you, the realm is closing
tonight. We just need to get to the bridge.”

We passed by a couple of soldiers smoking. They dropped
their cigarettes and stood at attention. My heart thumped.

“Walk faster,” Claudia said.

I saw the bridge rising up, black steel, arcing over
darkness.

My boots pounded the grid, ringing out, announcing our
crossing with every step. I glanced back, sure someone had noticed and watched.

But I caught only glowing embers of cigarettes, the back and
forth of industry that never stopped, workers in rhythm, doing what must done,
before the gates closed.

We stood on the edge, holding hands. Claudia offered up a
prayer, or a spell, in her angel tongue, whatever magic would open the portal
at the right moment. At the right time.

Or not.

We jumped.

It was soundless.

Starry, like the night sky over the desert.

I lost Claudia.

When I hit water, I swam. I swam up and up, until I broke
through the surface.

Nausea hit when I gulped air. I stumbled onto a beach. There
was a body … lying on the white sand, naked.

Claudia.

I fell down next to her. I put my arms around her, and
breathed her energy. Her heart beat into mine.