The Devil You Know (33 page)

Kathryn had donned reading glasses. I did a double take. That was the
second
time I had seen her in those. Now that I knew her better, I no longer thought the glasses an affectation to appear human-like. An immortal as powerful as her shouldn’t need glasses. But clearly she did.

Why?

An unsettling supposition surfaced in the back of my mind. However this wasn’t the moment for that discussion so I filed the question away for later.

Watching me above the silver-rimmed lenses, Kathryn asked, “The explanation of how your vampire was possessed and the mechanism to prevent such again, did you find it satisfactory?”

“Yes.” I smiled at her. “Thank you both for the assistance. A copy of the prepared papers will be delivered tomorrow morning by anonymous courier to a gentleman with ties to the Council. He’ll see they get where they need to go.”

Kathryn frowned. “Not to one of the Primes?” The Primes were the most powerful of each group in the Council—Witch, Fae, Vamp, Were, etc. Together they created and enforced the laws that governed Supernaturals. Cassie’s great-aunt, Lucine, was the Witch Prime and head of all the witch covens.

Obeying Nana’s subtle brow wiggles and nose twitches, I placed plates of food in front of Kathryn and Van. Van, who had been carefully sipping his water, turned green and put the glass down quickly, clamping his lips together tightly. Kathryn looked from me to the plate and then suspiciously to Nana, who again had the paper in front of her face.

And people thought I got my gracious bossiness from my mother.

“It may sound strange,” I answered Kathryn, “but a bad feeling stopped me from sending a copy to the Primes. I’ve lived this long by following my gut, and it says the Council Leaders can’t be trusted.” I turned back to the stove but felt Kathryn watching me.

After a moment, Kathryn said, “You do well, Cate, to trust your instincts.”

And with that, the subject was closed. Nana put aside her paper and began to chat with Kathryn of lighter things, leaving me to wonder what Denoir’s Queen knew of the Primes that she would agree with my assessment.

While they spoke, I fixed enough breakfast to feed a small army, ate a large chunk of it, and fixed more when Nana scowled at the remains. Brittan came in cuddling a happy Wrin. Kathryn wasn’t surprised to see a terrier-shaped hellhound in our kitchen, which I found very interesting. Brit offered to wash up after eating, so I snuck the funnies out of Nana’s paper, loaded down a tray with food, and headed for the hall. Van stopped me as I walked past. The green was gone from his face and his eyes looked almost cognizant again, but he still looked ill, as if less now from a hangover and more from remembering the events of the night.

“Cate,” he said with breath so rank it could wilt flowers, “I owe you an apology for my deplorable behavior the night before. There is no excuse. I have never lost myself in drink as I did last night, especially not when responsible for the Queen’s safety. I hope in the future you will grant me an opportunity to show you such fair hospitality and consideration as you have shown us as well as the opportunity to regain my lost honor.”

I took a large step back before he could breathe on Jacq’s food on the tray. “Your apology is accepted. I think your honor will be fine in the future so long as you stay away from mixing alcohol with Were phers and kicks to the head. As to the rest we will have to see. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go upstairs for a few minutes before everyone else arrives.”

“Of course.” He nodded, eyeing the food tray, and said almost bitterly, “Detective Slone must be hungry after her activities last night.”

Silent, I stared at him before turning away. I felt his eyes watching me as I left.
That had been a short-lived apology.
If I didn’t know better, I would think Van was jealous. But of Jacq? Or of me? And why? I shook my head. It didn’t matter. Van and his Queen were going home tomorrow.

Don’t discount your cousin so quickly. You’ll see him again if you do as his Queen wishes and join her in the Otherworld,
my demon-half said in my head, her voice stronger, clearer. She too had benefited by the magic absorbed from Jacq.

I shushed her, continuing up the stairs, my steps slower than a moment before. Kathryn’s need for my decision was already a weight dragging behind me with each step. I didn’t need anyone else, even a part of myself, adding to the burden. And I couldn’t think on it now. I had to focus completely on today’s run to retrieve Gem’s father. One false step and I wouldn’t live long enough to decide anything.

I entered my room quietly, placed the tray on my small writing desk, and sat on the bed, staring at the sleeping Jacq. I couldn’t resist running a finger over her body. With the lightest of touches, I caressed her cheek, lingering where her dimple hid, followed the dip of her collarbone, skimmed down the side of her lean muscled arm, and traced the curve of her thumb, shivering at the rough callouses. Finally I settled my fingers against the crease of her open palm.

Her magic had been extremely low when we’d returned home last night, most of it going into me and Wrin. But now it was strong again and growing stronger with each beat of her heart. Despite the hot power that rubbed against my skin even as I softly rubbed hers, this moment, this touch, wasn’t about magic. It was about love. Me loving her.

Me loving Jacq.

Jacq’s eyes moved behind her lids. Her limbs twitched, her face twisting with worry. Were my bad dreams catching? I thought so, especially when her magic spiked unexpectedly.

“Jacq.” I stroked her brow. “Wake up, my love.” When her expressive gray eyes blinked open, I leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. “Good morning. I brought you breakfast.”

Cradling my face with her warm hands, Jacq said in a voice thick with sleep, “I feared you were a dream.” She brought our lips together in a kiss so sweet it melted my bones. When we were done, she whispered against my mouth, “If you are a dream, I wish to keep sleeping.”

Heart achingly full, I threaded my fingers through her mussed auburn hair and smiled. “I’ve had those dreams. I’ll promise I’m real if you will do the same.”

“Then it’s a promise.” She sealed the words with another kiss, asking when we parted, “Good morning. You said breakfast?” She looked so hopeful, I couldn’t help but laugh. I brought her the tray. She smirked, eying me knowingly. “Have the mice been into my breakfast?”

Chagrined, I looked at the pancakes, which had a bite missing. “It was a long hike up the stairs. I got hungry.” I gave her a cheeky grin.

Jacq chuckled and dug into her breakfast while I read her the funnies and snuck kisses and an occasional bite…of food, mostly. Despite our levity, the knot in my gut was growing. And it wasn’t all from worrying about tonight. Jacq had a secret and I knew it thanks to my mother’s demon book. I needed to tell her, was desperate to tell her, even as I feared how she would react. But I bit my lip, holding in the words. It wasn’t fair to lay that on her then leave her alone to deal with it.

When Jacq finished eating, I moved the tray off the bed, plumped the pillows against the headboard, and sat beside her leaning against her side, one of Jacq’s arms around me as the other held my hand in her lap.

My curtains were open, showing the woods that surrounded the house in the distance. The night before, I had received pleasure and power beyond imagining in that wood. The night before that, I’d been tortured there by Ramus. Life’s twists and turns were strange sometimes.

I could hear muffled voices as people arrived downstairs. Our time alone was near an end.

“What troubles you, cher?”

I looked away from the window to see Jacq studying my face. “Are you reading my thoughts again, Detective?”

“No.” She traced the tense line of my jaw. “
This
gave you away.”

I bit my cheek. “Have I told you lately how beautifully perceptive you are?”

“No.” Jacq tapped my chin. “But you may tell me after you explain what has you frowning when you think I’m not looking.” She gave me a look that said she would not be distracted.

“A bad feeling, nothing more.” I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“I too have a bad feeling.” Jacq met my eyes. “You know my desire is to be by your side tonight.” Her fear—the fear that was for me—moved through our bond so strongly it stole my breath.

“I know.” The words were barely a whisper.

With determination, she said, “I have given my word that I will stay with your family. I will not break it. But—” She looked away.

“Tell me.” I stroked the side of her neck.

She grabbed my hand, her eyes turning to meet mine. “You exacted a promise from me that I would be the last to the battle against Nicodemus, keeping me from your side so I could protect the humans. Yesterday your grandmother promised my service to the Demon Queen, keeping me from your side tonight. Reluctantly, I agreed both times to these promises. Even so I will only stay here if you make me a vow.”

“What would you have of me?” There was little she could ask for I would not give.

“No matter what happens tonight, I want you to live. Return to me, Cate Delacy.”

I smiled. “You don’t ask much, do you?”

Jacq returned my smile. “No more than you’re capable of.”

“Then you have my vow. I will live through the night…one way or another.”

Jacq lifted my hand, kissing it, her eyes blazing as they met mine. “And you have my vow. After tonight, nothing and no one will keep me from your side when trouble approaches. I will be with you
always
.”

One way or another.

* * *

The Burg, hours later…

The gate’s old guard leaned out of his booth and eyed my battered work truck. “You two look a mite old for school.”

He was one to talk. What hair I could see from under his sweat-stained cap was fully gray, and his face had more wrinkles than a fat cat’s. I leaned out of the truck, not bothering to smile. Playing Miss Pretty wouldn’t have looked well with the fiftyish, male faces my companion and I wore.

“We’re here to paint the roses.” Deep and gravelly, my voice sounded like that of a man who’d smoked every day since his teens. I had to give JJ serious praise. She could really weave an illusion.

“Thank goodness.” The guard swiped his red brow with a handkerchief before grabbing a temporary parking pass. “Them flowers are looking mighty poor. Mighty poor.” He shook his head sadly and leaned so close I thought he would fall out of the booth. He whispered loudly, “I hear it’s all those bodies. They say it was supposed to make the flowers smell sweeter, but it’s turned them poor blooms white as ghosts.”

“Yep.” I nodded, pulling on my own illusionary cap. I looked expectantly at the parking pass, but he wasn’t done, reminding me of why I’d always bypassed the gate on my way to class. If only we could have done that, but getting the pass would keep us from being hassled by security while we worked. They changed the color of the passes daily to keep students from forging their own.

“Don’t make sense if you ask me. What’s the school need all those bodies for? I think something strange is going on.” He waved the pass. “Who in their right mind would want to get frozen?”

“I dunna,” I drawled, pulling my cap once more. “Someone who got tired of this heat. Maybe decided when they died they’d at least get a temperature change.” We really needed to hurry this. I was as bare as a plucked chicken under my gardener’s coveralls and they were starting to itch. JJ, sitting beside me, was trying not to laugh. Maybe I should have let her drive. Her illusion looked less friendly than mine.
I bet the guard wouldn’t have tried to strike up a conversation with Miss I-Survived-Prison-Have-You.

“Huh.” He scratched his head. “Never figured that. I might could stand to be frozen myself if that was the case, but I don’t want none of those science-types poking and prodding at me, messing up my afterlife. Just stick me in a freezer and leave me there.”

I sighed with relief as a yellow Jeep pulled up behind us and the guard hurriedly shoved the pass through the window.

“Y’all try to stay cool now.” He waved us on.

“Yep.” I said again and slowly moved forward. Through the open window I could hear the helpful guard giving the young blond woman behind us directions to frat row, along with security’s number—just in case a “young gentleman became too fresh.”

Finding a good parking spot, I pulled over. We grabbed the pumpers from the truck bed and walked into the gardens.

JJ eyed the white petals of a rose whose spell had faded. “Did the bodies really do this?”

With one hand, I pumped the sprayer attached to my back, spraying a fine mist onto the plants. As it hit, the roses turned red again. We headed deeper into the garden, spraying as we went, making our way to the lake.

“No, the university got a grant—really a free loan from the Kin—to build a cryogenics lab. Supposedly, it’s for their new medical school. But the vamps and Council use it, too. For what I don’t know and don’t care to ask. To maintain the temperature, they put it underground. A pipe broke during construction, leaching magic-infused coolant into the soil. That’s what turns the flowers white. They tried planting new ones, but they simply turned white again. The university thought it would remind people of what was kept below the garden and depress the students, so here we are, painting the roses.”

We neared the lake, still spraying. Spotting the discreetly placed cameras near the lake’s small bridge, I hit them with the color-changing potion. The original spell was keyed to the color white. It changed only the flower petals red without disturbing the leaves and stems. But we’d set the magic to work on glass as well, and with the potion’s application, the camera lenses were quickly covered with an impenetrable red fog.

We ducked into a cluster of dense bushes at the water’s edge. As soon as I knew we couldn’t be seen, I slipped off the sprayer, downed Fera’s potions, and tucked the empty vials in the coverall pockets, all the while making a face at the horrible aftertaste. On lookout, JJ turned her back, and I undressed, laying my coveralls and the illusion charm that made me look like a gardener over the sprayer. JJ would take them back with her before stashing the truck and changing for her next part. I kept only two, currently inactive, illusion charms.