Blood of the Demon (The Silver Legacy Book 3) (2 page)

So I think I’ll sign off now, and try not to worry about Peyton’s absence.

But I know I will. I’ll lie in bed for a few hours just wondering.

Where are you, Peyton?

***

C
losing her worn leather bound journal with an oak tree carved on the front, Denny leaned back and studied the thousands of books lining the walls in her lair.

She was only six months into this gig and yet, was managing a fairly good pace at reading the books left to her by her mother.

Her mother.

A hunter in her own right until tragedy struck.

“No sign of Peyton I see,” came a disembodied voice from the top of the roll top desk.

Perched like a statue on top of the desk sat Rushalyn Holbrook...a ghost. “You seem overly concerned with Peyton’s activities. You keep checking that book like a girl looking out the window for her prom date. What’s going on?” Rush was wearing a Grateful Dead tie-dyed T-shirt and maroon corduroy bell-bottoms. She was shoeless.

Denny looked up at Rush. The room was warm during the summer months making Rush easier to see.

“What’s with the seventies’ outfit?”

“Oh, this old thing? I was listening to oldies but goodies over at the Inn. We’ve started a seventies’ night.”

Denny chuckled. “Of course you have. I should have known.”

Rush smiled softly. “Come on. No better decade for music than the Woodstock generation, and what’s not to love about peace and free sex?”

Denny chuckled. “It was free love, sweetheart.”

Rush waved her off. “Now answer my other question. What’s with the concern? You don’t even know this guy. What are you looking for any way?”

“Four days in a row now and no word from him. I can’t help but wonder if he’s all right.”

“You don’t really have time to worry about another hunter, dear. Your plate continues to be full.” Rush floated down to the desktop. “I worry when you don’t take time out to the smell the flowers, and I can’t remember the last time you did.”

“I smell plenty of flowers. I just feel better knowing my people are safe.”

“Bull crap. First off, Peyton is not
one of your people
. You don’t even know him. You have learned to love the hunt. Period

“So what if that’s true?”

“Baby, you know so little about the demon’s world. I see you reading in here as if you’re cramming for an exam when what you should be doing is living your
real
life.”

Denny chuffed. “My
real
life? Rush, that life died half a year ago. How can you or anyone expect me to go back to living a
normal
life when they share a body with a legacy demon? Ever. I can’t un-ring that bell.”

“I’ve noticed your favorite witch hasn’t been over for a booty call for a couple of weeks. Weeks. You two still...you know...doing it?” Rush bumped her two fists together repeatedly.

“Don’t be gross. I told you, Cassandra has no claims on me. She goes and does...”

“Whoever she wants. Yeah. I got the memo. She has quite a reputation, you know? All the other ghosts talk about her and her sexual prolifities.”

“It’s proclivities, and are you guys sitting around gossiping?”

“We’re dead, not stupid. Of course we gossip. That’s how we keep from going crazy. Anyway, good for her for getting around the way she does. She gets a lot. And by a lot, I mean a
ton
. Not so much with you, though. Why don’t you take another stab at Brianna?
She
is way more your type. Way more.”

“She’s seeing someone. That ship has sailed. Besides, I am way too busy to have a girlfriend right now.”

Rush folded her arms and glanced away. “That is so lame. So totally lame.”

Denny started to reply then stopped and leaned in closer to Rush. “Wait. What is it? I know that look. You
know
something.”

Rush shook her head. “It’s just ghost gossip. I guess you could call it ghost-ip.” She laughed at her own joke.

As the most haunted city in America, Savannah had quite a network of ghosts—many of whom spent their days gabbing about the living. Rush was one such ghost and had no issue flapping her gums to anyone who would listen.

“Out with it.”

“I don’t know. You have a tendency to go all postal when you think your people are being...um...”

“Out. With. It, or I swear to God I’ll turn that T.V. off.”

“Fine, geez, don’t get your undies in a bundle. Rumor has it Brianna’s new girlfriend is a bit...how shall I put this? Heavy handed.”

Denny felt her Hanta immediately stir. It was a feeling like early indigestion in the deepest pit of her stomach that would spread out to her limbs.

“What did you say?”

Rush pretended to study her cuticles. “Her new girl has a bit of a mean streak. She’s the rough and tumble kinda—”

Denny pushed back on her chair and slowly rose to her feet. “You better not be fucking with me, Rush.” The gravelly voice of the Hanta slowly came to life as Denny became the hunter once more.

“Easy tiger. Like I said...it’s just a rumor everyone is bantering about.”

“Bullshit. You know something more, Rush. Spit it out.”

Rush faded a little. “I hate that voice. It’s creepy and scary. Reel it in, babe, or I’m outta here. I can always watch T.V. over at Luellen’s place, though she prefers those stupid reality shows.”

Denny inhaled slowly through her nose to still the demon inside her. “Okay. Better?”

Rush shrugged. “Not sure if it’s been an ongoing thing but word has it the witch dumped her after the girlfriend slapped her. So far that’s just speculation.” Rush smiled slightly. “Good to see you still have some spring in your step where that witch is concerned. I have always liked her. Meat on her bones, sweet in her heart, she’s a kind one. Right up your alley.”

Denny regained control of the Hanta and slowly sat back down. “She is a witch for God’s sake. If Brianna doesn’t kick her ass, the coven will. She doesn’t need my help.”

“Maybe she does.”

“If she needs help, she wouldn’t come to me for it. If she does, I’ll open a can of whup-ass on her girlfriend.”

“Good. I was beginning to think you were becoming heartless.”

“Gee, thanks. Look, as much as I’d like to help, it’s really none of my business.”

“Seriously baby? Wow. I was gonna saddle your white horse for you. Evil is evil, right?”

“Nope. It isn’t. Like you said. I’ve got enough on my plate. If Brianna chose poorly, it’s on her. She doesn’t need me and I don’t need to saddle up. I fight evil, Rush, not assholes.”

“Well, maybe she doesn’t
need
you, but did it ever dawn on you that maybe she
wants
you to show you still care? Or at least she might want the friend you could be if you weren’t so pig-headed.”

Opening a book on demonology, Denny waved Rush away. “I’m not into the damsel in distress type, you know? Now scoot. I’ve got work to do.”

“You did
not
just dismiss me, Golden Silver.”

Denny paused, book in hand. “Sorry. Fine. Well, since you’ve been to gossip central, any word about my sister?”

“Sister Self Righteous Sterling is as boring as ever. She’s so boring, nobody ever talks about her. How pitiful is that?”

“Not pitiful. Good. I’ll take boredom over danger any day.”

“Well, that she’s got in spades. I’ll let you get back to work.” Rush started to fade, then came back stronger than ever. “And if you ever dismiss me like that again, not even your stupid Hanta will keep me from kicking your ass.”

Then she was gone.

***

D
enny’s Journal

I might be working less, but I’m studying more. There’s a never-ending amount of knowledge, and the more I know, the less I know. I’ve learned so much from mom’s journals, but I’ll be damned if I can find anything about Valeria anywhere.

I met her three months ago during a battle with some nasty demons, but Mom’s vague in her journals about the powerful witch. A short sketch here, a line there. It’s as if Gwen was being purposely elusive any time she brought her up.

Rush told me that she and my mom would sit on the porch for hours when my dad was gone, just drinking lemonade and chatting.

Ames says they were more like allies than hunter and witch.

Now, Cassandra is saying they were what? Lovers?

Curiouser and curiouser.

This evening Rush told me Brianna’s girlfriend was abusive. The Hanta wanted to take care of it then and there, to do some damage. I almost couldn’t get it under control.

Almost.

It’s not like we struggle for control. We don’t. It’s just...there are times when it suits me to let the Hanta take over. I get stronger, faster, more mobile, and wield Epée and Fouet with more force. The Hanta Raya, when at its peak, is nigh invincible. It protects us at all costs.

Us.

Me and my Malaysian spirit.

Clearly, I was the only viable choice.

It’s also taken me half a year to get used to being possessed by a demon that’s been passed down through my family for over eight hundred years. For six months, I’ve been adjusting to a life lived as a possessed person. It’s hard to write that word,
possessed
down. Even harder to live it. It’s not been easy carrying a thing that is also the very creature you hunt and kill, and I’ve made many changes as I transformed from college student to demon hunter.

Did I say demon hunter?

I mean bad ass-don’t-fuck-with-me-or-I’ll-pop-your-head-like-zit-demon hunter.

The transformation complete, I’ve come to accept this lifelong role. I don’t really know where it’s going to take me, but one thing’s for certain: I can kick anyone’s ass once I get there.

***

D
enny pulled into the parking lot of the old Miller Place, the home base for the coven, and sat there staring at it. The Wiccans inside had spent a pretty penny making the old Victorian the gem of the street. Light lavender paint with white trim adorned a three-story mansion surrounded by purple roses Denny was certain had been created with Wiccan magic.

Exiting the muscle car she’d traded in for her Prius, Denny made her way to the house, knowing full well the occupants had already seen her coming.

“Look what the black cat dragged in,” came a sultry voice in the rose garden.

Standing with clippers in her hand was Cassandra, the High Priestess, a tall handsome woman with piercing blue eyes that bordered on sapphire and long black hair too dark to be real. Denny knew it smelled of vanilla and mint.

Hugging Cassandra, Denny stepped back and kissed her warmly on the mouth, letting her lips linger there a moment. “No dragging required. I came of my own free will.”

Cassandra set the clippers down, took Denny’s face in her hands and kissed her long and hard, giving Denny her tongue as her hands sought purchase on Denny’s ass cheeks. “Where witches are concerned, can you be so certain of that?”

Denny laughed. “Why, did you hex me?”

Cassandra slapped Denny’s ass as they headed for the stairs. “Oh honey, if I’d cast a spell on you, you’d have shown up here naked with a bottle of champagne, a pizza, and sex toys.”

Entering the Victorian, Denny inhaled the scent of freshly baked bread. “My God, that smells delicious.”

Before Cassandra could reply, a young blonde woman came bouncing out of the kitchen with a loaf of bread on a plate. “Yay! My first guinea pig.”

Denny inhaled the warm aroma. “Iris, you have a whole house full of guinea pigs.”

Iris set the plate on the coffee table and motioned for Denny to sit. “Are you kidding me? I’m in a house full of women watching their weight. No one wants to try it for fear of liking it. You’re not like that.”

Denny eyed the bread as Iris sliced it. “What are you saying? That I’m fat?”

The young girl giggled. “No, silly. Just that you’re a hunter in need of real nourishment and not just soul food. The rest of these women live on celery and water.”

Denny barked out a laugh. “Just for that I’ll give your bread a try.” She picked up a warm slice and brought it to her nose. “Is there any better smell?”

Cassandra, who had remained stoically quiet, leaned over and whispered, “I can name a thing or two.”

“Geez Cass, you could have waited for me to leave the room before you went all sex torpedo on her.” Iris watched Denny take a bite.

With closed eyes, Denny murmured how delicious it was. “You nailed it Iris. That’s the best bread I’ve ever eaten.”

Iris blushed. “Thank you. It was part of my lesson this morning.”

Denny paused in mid chew, lowering her slice. “Lesson?”

Cassandra chuckled as she trailed a nail across the back of Denny’s neck. “Let’s see, Hunter. We have a coven and freshly baked bread not one witch here would eat. You think you came here of your own volition, but you’re not really certain of that. Do the math, lover.”

Denny lowered the half-eaten piece of bread. “Oh shit. You didn’t.”

Cassandra took Denny’s hand and helped her stand. “Don’t worry. It’s just a short-term potion that renders you temporarily immobile. I’ll see to it that no harm comes to you.”

“You...paralyzed me?” Denny took a step, but teetered slightly. “A little warning would have been nice.” Her lips felt like they barely moved.

Cassandra threaded her arm around Denny’s waist and escorted her to her bedroom. “Well met, Iris,” she said over her shoulder. “Tell Marta you passed with flying colors.”

Once in the bedroom, Cassandra laid Denny on the bed. “I would love to take advantage of you in this condition but it seems so unfair. I prefer to give my lovers a fighting chance with both hands. After all, you know how I enjoy a good rough-and-tumble between the sheets.”

Denny glared at her. “How long, and how come I can still talk?” Denny felt her muscles go slack.

“That’s the beauty of this particular potion. It enables a person to interrogate someone without fear of physical harm. It renders you motionless from the neck down. It’s a hard, hard potion to concoct. Your little Iris is a great find for our coven. She will be a powerful witch one day.”