The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers (17 page)

"Oh yeah, because that's what demon slayers do. We hide from the demons
while our boyfriends fight our battles for us."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"You can't protect me from the entire world, Dimitri. I don't want you
to." I'd walked into tonight determined to take my place as a demon
slayer. Max had taught me more in one evening than Grandma had since we'd set
foot in Vegas. And he'd launched a demon at me. And, yes, I'd been marked.

The war was on and I wasn't ever going to become a true demon slayer without
facing down creatures like the ones I'd battled tonight.

Every urge from my old life would have had me clinging to Dimitri. That's
why I knew I couldn't. It was like the winter I'd wanted to learn to ice-skate.
I'd been so scared of falling that I kept to the wall of the indoor rink, never
risking a trip onto the seemingly endless stretch of ice, knowing for sure that
I'd fall. And, yes, I didn't fall that winter. But I didn't skate, either. I
had to get off the wall.

"I'm doing this," I told him.

"I'm making sure you survive."

"What are you going to do? Lock me up like a terrier?"

"I heard that," Pirate's voice echoed from the other side of the
wall.

Dimitri let out a string of curses I wouldn't say in front of a roomful of
biker witches, much less our entire hotel floor, who was no doubt listening.

"Stuff it," I said, stomping down the hall toward his room. If he
wouldn't get out of the hallway, I would.

I yanked up the straps of my ruined dress, venturing a glance at my marked
palm. Times like this, I really missed my old life.

Last month, nightclubs were nightclubs, concierges were human and the demons
were the name of the local high school football team. Now my shape-shifting
griffin boyfriend couldn't seem to get along with my biker-witch Grandma, much
less a half human/half demon potential ally, who as far as I could see was key
to helping us stop an invasion of succubi that could not only kill my Uncle
Phil and "turn" me, but could also go all biblical on the good
citizens of Las Vegas, Nevada.

And right when I was working up a really good rant, I reached Dimitri's room
and realized I didn't have a key. His shadow fell over me as he popped open the
door.

We were barely in the room before Dimitri slammed the door closed behind us.

"First of all," was all I managed before he pinned me to the wall,
his body hard against mine as he assaulted me with his mouth. The man did
amazing things with his tongue, his teeth. Yum. I ground against him. Pushed
him harder. I heard him groan. Or was that me?

He pulled back, his lips almost on mine. I tried to close the gap, just for
a moment. The temptation was too overwhelming. It wouldn't cost much, I told
myself.

But he resisted. "I'm not stupid," he said. "I know what you
have to do here. But it doesn't mean I have to like it, and it doesn't mean you
need to go riding off with assholes like Max. He's half demon, Lizzie. You
remember demons, don't you?"

Like I could forget.

"Here's the deal," I said, ready to lay it out as plainly as I
could.

I told Dimitri about my night with Max, how I watched him suck the life out
of the she-demon at Pure. I told him about Max's abandoned mental
hospital/prison and the succubi Max held captive there.

Dimitri had to get it. I watched his face for signs of understanding.
"Vegas is on the edge," I said. "This is the gathering place.
You said it yourself. Something big is about to go down. Uncle Phil is
involved, and now I am too. We only have one choice in this. One. And that's
whose side we're going to be on."

Dimitri gave nothing away. "Not his."

"Oh, come on."

"He's sucking out their immortal essences, Lizzie. He's no better than
they are."

"Yes, but he's doing it to destroy a demon." At a huge sacrifice
to himself. I might not agree with how he did it, but it didn't make the demons
any less dead.

Dimitri's jaw tightened.

"Fine," I said. "We'll agree to disagree." It seemed
like we'd been doing that far too often lately. "The only thing I can't
figure out is how my Uncle Phil fits into any of this."

Dimitri considered it, his expression darkening. "If the succubi are planning
a war, fairies could be incredibly useful. That's right. Grandma said the
fairies could anticipate events, fly undetected, even change the near future.

"But Uncle Phil's only half fairy."

"Exactly. He's half human. They can get to him." He took my hand,
heading for the door "Come on."

Excerpt from
The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers:

Fairies: a species of magical creature that will drive you insane if you
let them
.

We jammed our Harleys into gear and drove straight to McCarran International
Airport.

"Let me do the talking," Dimitri said, as we left our bikes in
short-term parking.

It sounded good to me, considering I didn't quite understand who I'd be
talking to, anyway. I had a feeling I'd be adding another chapter to my demon
slayer handbook.

"The fairies in Vegas have to stay on the down low," Dimitri
continued, taking my hand as we walked. "Did you wonder why the DIP office
sent you a fairy?"

"Because he's good at going undetected?"

Dimitri nodded. "Also because he's expendable."

"Ouch."

"In a lot of places, fairies are considered second-class citizens.
Vegas is no exception. They don't allow fairies anywhere near casinos or gaming
halls. They're not even permitted inside the airport here. Management is
convinced they'll make a break for the slot machines." He rubbed a thumb
along a sensitive spot near my wrist and I had to force myself to stay on
track.

I leaned into him as we walked. "What and influence the near
future?" The magical world had much bigger problems than a few gambling
wee folk.

"Gambling is big money here. And it wouldn't just be the fairies who
win big. If a person's will is strong enough, they can compel a fairy to do
their bidding—in big ways and in small."

No wonder Sid Fuzzlebump was so defensive.

We jogged across two lanes of traffic to the taxi stand outside the Arrivals
gate. "They used to burn fairies as witches in the Middle Ages,"
Dimitri said. "Hold up. Dispatch said he'd be here soon." He found us
a spot next to the taxi line. Dimitri watched traffic as he continued his
explanation. "These days, ninety-nine percent of the population would
never recognize a fairy. I saw one in Tulsa once, working as a TV weatherman.
But as a race, they have trouble assimilating. A lot of the premier athletes,
Wall Street types, successful literary agents you see are only a small part
fairy. They don't even know they're influencing the future."

I hated to state the obvious, but… "It seems like fairies could
do a lot of good."

"Pure fairies aren't interested in making their mark in the human
world," Dimitri said, "and most magical places ban them."

"That seems kind of harsh." Good thing Uncle Phil was only part
fairy. Still, his mom must have had it rough.

"I don't make up the rules," Dimitri replied. "In any case,
expect the fairies you meet to be on guard. Don't take it personally."

"But if they're not allowed inside the airport, where—?"

"There!" Dimitri lunged forward into traffic, taking me with him.

An aquamarine Gossamer Cab veered away from us, jamming into a mass of taxis
right before an airport limousine blocked our path. We sprinted past a honking
BMW and a Ford F-150 exhaling hot engine air. We dashed alongside the limo and
when I thought we'd make it around, we almost missed the cab again as the light
ahead turned green and traffic surged. Dimitri yanked the door open and I dove
in, with him right behind.

Sid Fuzzlebump, DIP officer and cab driver, glared at us through the
rearview mirror. "Get out of the cab. I'm off duty."

Dimitri slammed the door closed behind him. "Like you didn't see this
coming."

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't know everything. Now scram."

"We need to talk." Dimitri said. "It's not like the DIP
offices are going to send us another fairy."

Sid threw a stubby hand over the seat and glared over his shoulder at us.
"The DIP offices are a little busy trying to verify your count. I was the
laughingstock of Temp Area Three when I turned in your esteemed findings."
Horns blared behind us. He pounded on his horn in response and made an obscene
gesture out the window with a certain stubby finger.

The fairy cursed under his breath. He hit the gas and made a hard left,
stopping at the curb as traffic whizzed past. "I did my job. I met you
once. Now beat it."

"Did you see anything unusual on your cab route?" I asked.
"You said you'd check." I looked him straight in the eye, willing him
to answer me, to help us.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sid said. "And stop trying
to compel me. It's annoying."

"Fair enough," I said, almost throwing up my marked right hand,
catching myself at the last moment. "But we need your help. Phil Whirley
is my fairy godfather."

His eyes narrowed. "No kidding. I think I saw your dance recital tape.
Nice to meet you. Now vamoose."

"You're the most obnoxious fairy I've ever met," I said, digging
into my utility belt. Let him think I'd met more than one.

"And yet you're still here," he sniped.

"Okay, Sid. Let's bargain," Dimitri said. "What will it take
for you to help us?"

"Look, you two," the fairy said, the bubblegum air in the car
thickening, growing even sweeter. "I'm not talking with you, I'm not going
anywhere with you and I'm not driving another inch. I've got enough going on
without running a charity for displaced demon slayers. Now scram."

"We need your help," I said, holding up my cell phone. "What
is the DIP not telling us? Why would demons want my uncle? Are they going after
any more fairies?"

"You want me to bash you over the head with that thing?" He took a
swipe for my phone.

I yanked it back and hit the button for a ring tone I should have erased
after last Christmas. A chorus of bells blared through the cab. Fairies hated
bells.

Dimitri looked like he wanted to kiss me.

"Gaaa!" The cabbie threw his hands over his ears. "Stop it!
Shut it off!"

I hit the volume until it maxed out at ten.

Sid cringed. "We'll talk. Did you hear me?" he yelled, "We'll
talk!"

I snapped the phone shut. "It's a deal."

"Yeah, well goodie, goodie gumdrops," Sid muttered, flooring it.

Sid the fairy hit every green light as we sped straight east down Highway
160.

"So?" I asked.

Sid ground his fingers around the wheel. "Yes, okay? The demons have
been going after fairies for the past few years. They haven't been able to
catch a full-blood. We don't keep track of the rest."

The cab's radio crackled and Sid picked it up. "Fuzzlebump here."

Sid took much longer than he needed to talk to dispatch. Yeah, well the
fairy could stall all he wanted. We weren't getting out of this cab without
some answers.

I flopped back onto the seat. "Why taxis?" I asked Dimitri.
"Why not highway construction or farming or anything else you can do
outside of town?"

"Fairies like to stick to the same routes their ancestors
traveled," Dimitri said. "This way, they can draw on the strength of
their community while they work their magic. They know which traffic spots to
avoid, they can keep lights green longer, steer out of accidents. Fairies can
tell by looking who'll tip them, who will have the higher fares."

And who would be trouble.

Sid cranked up the theme song to
American Bandstand
, a dance tune
guaranteed to get into my head worse than any demon.

"The thing is," I said, leaning over the front seat, catching a
strong whiff of bubblegum. It wouldn't hurt to have Sid on our side, or at
least understand where we were coming from. "Last month, when I thought of
fairies, I pictured Tinkerbell."

He raised his bushy brows.

"Now I picture my fairy godfather. He saved my life, and I'm going to
save his."

Sid huffed, his ears reddening.

"My uncle's name is Phil Whirley. He's half human."

Sid's bushy brows lowered. "Then he's not very powerful."

"Whether that's true or not," I said, refusing to get into fairy
politics, "a succubus has him."

The pudgy fairy squirmed in his seat. "Look, I'm sorry to hear about
your loss, but let's not drag everybody else into this, okay?"

"He's not lost." I hoped. "She married him. We watched it
happen. There's something she wants bad enough to keep him alive. But she
controls him, body and soul. Any idea why she'd do that?"

He rubbed his lips together while considering the question. Finally, he
said, "Well you're right about one thing. By marrying him, she took
control. As far as why? I have no idea. If your uncle is only half fairy, he
can't do much about the future other than give someone a lot of luck." Sid
made a right turn onto Wayne Newton Boulevard. "Whatever she wants him
for, it isn't fairy magic. He's not powerful enough."

Focus
. "If they don't want him for his magic," I said,
more sharply than I'd intended, "what in the world—"

The fairy stiffened. "Switch your ring tone."

It took me a moment to understand. "On my phone?" I asked. My
phone wasn't ringing.

I dug it out of my utility belt and found the ringer switch. "Sure."
I turned off the fairy bells.

"Good. Now answer this—after you try to save your uncle, why do
you give a rip about a bunch of fairies? And no games. I'll know if you're
lying."

"I'm in it to stop the she-demons," I said, "once and for
all."