The Devil You Know (25 page)

“I need some time to think,” Betz said quietly. “Would you leave us alone for a few minutes?” I nodded and stood, leaving the tigers to their reunion. Not looking at me, Betz leaned forward to touch her fiancé but stopped and clasped her hands between her knees. Thankfully, Van was better and had left the room. This was awkward enough without adding an injured demon to the mix.

Just as I closed the door behind me, I heard her whisper, “You damn tiger. You always had to be the hero. Now what are we to do?” Not as unaffected as she had appeared, Betz’s voice was full of grief. I couldn’t help but wonder if the arrangements for their marriage had been more than a pact between the Lo and Legion Alphas. Perhaps the bride and groom had their own agreement. But if so, why had Rom run? I shook my head and headed downstairs.

Unless another miracle were to occur, and soon, we would probably never know. And while that wouldn’t bother me, I suspected the tiger now softly crying on the other side of the door was a different matter entirely.

* * *

I entered the kitchen just in time to hear Van ask Aunt Helena, “What is this disgusting porridge-like substance?” He looked at the bowl my aunt had placed in front of him and smiled, only half-teasing. “Where is the meat? Can we not slaughter a cow or perhaps a large goat? This seems truly inadequate for a man such as I.” Sitting tall with one long leg crossed over the other, he gestured to his large frame. Even half-dead, the demon was still flirting. He sat at the table in only pants and a half-unbuttoned shirt (whose I did not know), which revealed the white bandage circling his chest and the hard-to-miss fact that he was a remarkably hairy man.

If my stomach hadn’t been empty, I might have gagged.

I answered for my aunt, who looked too tired to make polite conversation. “It’s oatmeal and you’re in no shape to eat a cow, much less slaughter one and haul its bloody bovine carcass back to the kitchen.” My voice wasn’t as bad now that Jacq had set my nose. But I hadn’t allowed her to drain more of her power to fully heal it, seeing as she still looked tired from last night’s fight.

Aunt Helena threw me a grateful smile. It turned into a frown as she saw my face. “Catherine Delacy,” she said sharply, “you were fully healed last night. Now you’re all black and blue again. Did you come down the stairs on your head?”

Van snickered.

I shot him a glare. “No,” I said dryly, fixing myself a bowl of sliced peaches and cottage cheese. “Our tiger guest’s fiancée showed up while everyone was out working on the wards. She was under the impression that he had left her at the altar to have an affair with me.” I wasn’t able to hold in my snarkiness.

“Is she dead?” Van asked around his oatmeal. Pushing it aside, he eyed my breakfast. “She should be killed for the offense. None are allowed to strike a member of the royal court without retribution.”

“The only thing royal about me right now is the pain in my a—”

Aunt Helena gave me a pointed look.

“Ah, nose. Pain in my nose.” I sighed and fixed Van a bowl similar to my own, sprinkling his with walnuts. He dug in with gusto.

Forgetting his question, he said around a mouthful of peaches, “These taste remarkably like a woman’s—”

I kicked him under the table. Hard.

He turned red. “Forgive me, ladies. I speak out of turn.”

For a change, Aunt Helena looked amused at Van’s crude near slip. She added some peaches to her oatmeal before winking at me.

I briefly contemplated the possibility that another body-jumper had made it past the wards and possessed my normally prim aunt, then answered the red-faced Van. “No, she’s not dead. We don’t go around killing people for misunderstandings.” Even if a small dark part of me had wanted to. “While in our world, please remember to check with one of us before incinerating someone.”

I didn’t bother to explain further. Thankfully Aunt Helena switched the subject, explaining that Kathryn and Nana had checked the wards early this morning before retiring to the dining room for tea and toast. During our talk the afternoon before, I’d told Aunt Helena and Nana about what I needed to help Gemini retrieve her father’s body. The Council wanted to know how Domini Roskov, a powerful vampire, could have been possessed by Nicodemus so they could prevent such possessions in the future. The Council thought Domini’s corpse was the key to their research and they wouldn’t quietly stand by while I took his remains unless they already had their answers. Knowing Nana, she had taken it upon herself to talk this information out of Kathryn. Or at least I hoped that was the reason for all this recent buddy-buddying between the two.

I was only half listening to Aunt Helena and Van discuss last night’s events when Van said something that had my aunt and I choking.

“What?” I sputtered, spitting orange juice in a wide arc that splattered my new cousin right in the face. “What did you just say?” I set my glass down with a clunk and grabbed napkins, passing some to Van before wiping my dripping chin and chest. More demure, Aunt Helena simply coughed into her napkin.

Irritated, Van wiped his face, giving me a nasty look. “I said, Denoir needs a Queen, even if it is a very young one. If you won’t return with us, we would take your firstborn.”

“Look, Rumpelstiltskin—”

He held up his hand, cutting me off. “There is no need, cousin, to hurl anything else at me, words, juice, or otherwise. That
was
our request. But it is no more.” Van’s tone gentled. He smiled. “Almost in spite of me, you saved my life last night. The Queen and I agreed we would not force the issue…not at the present moment.” His smile slipped. “But our time runs short. Many of our people already suffer and more will as well if a Queen is not found.”

Van looked to Aunt Helena, and something passed between them. Silently, my aunt stood and left the room, touching my shoulder on her way out the door. I looked after her, wondering what she and Van had discussed before I came downstairs.

I turned back to the demon, saying softly, “I promised last night to listen. So I apologize for the outburst.” I laughed, realizing how funny Van looked covered in orange juice. “And for dousing you with my breakfast.”

He laughed also and the tension eased. Van again began to eat.

“What is it?” I asked. “If you won’t force me to be queen or give you my child, at least not right now, then what is that you want? I can see there’s something.”

Van chewed slowly, watching me carefully. Finally he swallowed and said, “Come home with us. Come see our land and people. Come see what it is that we offer. But especially, come meet your father.”

“Why isn’t he here asking these things of me?” The question had been at the forefront of my thoughts since Van’s introduction Monday night.

Van’s eyes briefly flared before he said with resignation, “He’s hell-bound…has been since before your birth. The gates deny his commands.”

I let that sink in, having a better idea now as to how that might have occurred.

“You and I have no such limitations,” Van said. “Come, and if you want to walk away after, we will let you go and damn the consequences.”

“And if I don’t?”

Van smiled, grabbing a whole peach from the fruit bowl. “Then you may find yourself with a very permanent demon houseguest.” He bit into the fruit, smacking his lips, unfazed by my stormy scowl.

Van wasn’t joking, and I wasn’t about to head to Hell. I had the unpleasant notion that my grocery bill was about to mirror my blood pressure and go
way
up.

I wanted to tell Van exactly where he could put his trip to Hell, but I could hear company approaching from the hall. This was a conversation better left for a more private moment. I stood and held up a hand, saying as diplomatically as I could, “Hold that thought.”

Mynx walked in with JJ, former paralegal for Benito Carmel, Seth’s man-of-business. We had fought with JJ during the battle against Nicodemus. JJ had proved herself a capable fighter, which was why I hadn’t thought twice about hiring her as our new secretary. The beautiful black-haired woman was dressed nicely in black slacks and a black shirt. The hair bun and glasses made her appear sedate, but I’d seen her magically toss Seth’s sister, Serena, a vampiric Viking hulk of a woman, across a room without a thought. Very impressive considering JJ was my height. She had olive skin much darker than my own and a small white streak in her hair, similar to Van’s. The streaks looked natural. I had made a mental note to ask both JJ and Van about them but hadn’t had the opportunity.

My smile wide, I turned to greet JJ. “Welcome. How was the drive?”

Before she could reply Van stood from his chair and lifted her hand, kissing it. “My name is Vanguard. And who might you be, lovely lady?” White teeth flashing, he fluttered his lashes at her.

JJ removed her hand from Van’s, giving him a tight-lipped smile before turning to me. “The drive was fine.”

“I’m heading to the offices now.” I swept my hand toward the back door, laughing silently at Van’s obvious consternation. “I’ll help you unload your car.”

Annoyingly persistent (clearly a family trait), Van looked between us. “I shall join you.” Again all charm, he asked JJ, “Perchance are you available for marriage and of good breeding stock?”

Mynx’s cheek twitched. JJ gave me a questioning look. I pinched the bridge of my nose and shrugged. “He was kicked in the head last night.”

JJ nodded knowingly. “We used to have a coffee machine like him at Carmel’s. Another swift kick usually resolved the issue.”

“Believe me, I’m considering it.”

Mynx coughed into her hand. Van looked from one of us to the other, confused. “What is a coffee machine?”

Alighting on an idea, I grabbed Van and steered him toward the den, saying with forced brightness, “Excellent query. Let me introduce you to our educational device. It will answer all your questions.” I plopped him down on the couch, grabbed the remote, and turned on the flat screen that sat above the fireplace. “We like to call it satellite TV. Watch for the things we call commercials. Those are especially informative.”

“That’s just cruel,” Mynx said under her breath, following us into the room.

Van’s eyes glazed over in wonder. I waved frantically behind my back for JJ to make her escape. Mynx, fighting hard to keep a straight face, gave Van a bag of Cheetos and an oversized football jersey so we could wash his OJ-splattered dress shirt. When we left, the enraptured Vanguard was switching between SuperHGTV, NASCAR…and oddly enough, several women’s channels.

It was early. The Darkmirror wasn’t yet open, but the phone was already ringing when I unlocked the front door of the small house. I rushed into my office and grabbed the call.

“Ah, Miss Delacy, just the woman I wanted to speak with,” said a cultured NOLA voice.

I threw myself into my desk chair. “Mr. Carmel. Good morning.” Through my open door, I saw Mynx and JJ walk in. JJ twitched at her old boss’s name but merely dropped her bags at the open door and left to grab more.

“Good morning, Miss Delacy. I apologize for the early call. I have two pieces of most urgent business to discuss.”

My ears perked up. This had to be important. I could count on one hand the times I’d spoken with Carmel personally. Normally the busy lawyer’s assistant was the one to call.

He continued, “One is in regard to my previous assistant, Miss James.” That would be JJ. “Her Majesty, the Vampire Queen of Mississippi, wishes to inquire as to Miss James’s health and location.”

I bet she does.
The blond bloodsucker was smitten. She and JJ were the only two who didn’t know it.

“Really. And why would Serena think I would know your assistant’s location?” I drawled as JJ walked back in the door.

Scowling, she dropped more bags in the reception area, stalked toward my office, and attempted to close my door, clearly not wanting to hear the conversation.

She was a better woman than I.
Had I been in her shoes, I would have been hovering over the phone, listening to every word. I waved, letting her know to keep it open. I didn’t plan to say anything she couldn’t hear.

“That I could not say,” Carmel answered. He was paid big bucks to sound truthful and sincere, but that statement didn’t need any help. Serena rarely if ever revealed her motives. “I have the authority to hire your agency at a premium rate to locate her.”

Premium, eh?
That was tempting. Too bad I couldn’t help him out.

“Please extend my apologies to Her Majesty, Mr. Carmel.” I kept my eyes on JJ. Under the scowl, there was a perplexed expression. Was it me or Serena who had my new secretary’s panties in a twist? “I cannot at this time accept the offer to locate Miss James. Please advise Serena that my
official
recommendation would be to check under her bed. That’s usually where I find what I’ve lost.”

JJ covered her mouth, muffling a snorted laugh. Behind her fingers was a smile. I returned it, grinning broadly. But there was no sarcasm or humor in my tone. JJ and Carmel might think I was joking, but assuming Seth’s man-of-business delivered the message as given, Serena would understand. Or so I hoped. Otherwise, I’d have one very pissy vampire on my hands.

“It shall be relayed.” Carmel cleared his throat, obviously not liking my answer. JJ left the room as her old boss said, “The other matter is regarding Denoir’s Queen and her escort. My Master apologizes for the danger their presence has rendered to yourself and your home.” His voice was a bit stiff. Delivering an apology to such as me, even one given via proxy, must stick in the man’s craw.

I started to tell Carmel to cut the bullshit but merely bit my cheek. There was no rushing a lawyer. If I tried, he’d drag this on just for spite.

“His apology is accepted, although unnecessary.” My tone hinted at my frustration. “As I invited his guests to visit, any danger they brought was expected. However, I am concerned as to their transportation home. When will their escort be arriving?”

Carmel cleared his throat again. “Unfortunately, that is my other reason for calling.” There was a rustling sound as he fidgeted in his chair. “We will not be sending a car. Upon his head guard’s recommendation, my Master has rescinded his offer of protection.”