Whoever this was, they were short. Really short. But if they were a demon, short didn't mean squat. Ha-ha.
I hoisted my duffel at the person's head, then rolled across the floor in the direction of the safe. I'd been a state champion in high school gymnastics, which was coming in a lot more handy than I'd ever dreamed.
I doubted I'd get the safe open in time to shoot, had no idea if the silver bullets I now habitually loaded into my Glock would work, but I had to do something.
The duffel connected with the intruder's chest. I heard a soft "Oof," then "Hey!" just as my fingers touched the keypads. I lowered my hand; I recognized that voice, should have known from the tiny stature who was here even before the lights went on without either one of us touching them.
Tiny and blond, the woman in the doorway resembled a pixie with a country-western fetish. Her tight jeans, fringed halter top, cowboy boots, and white Stetson were slightly out of place in a land where people wore cheese on their heads.
"What the hell do you want?" I climbed to my feet.
She lifted her eyebrows and pursed her perfect mouth. I wanted to slug her. I usually did, but I refrained. Summer Bartholomew was the only one of my demon killers, or DKs, still alive and available. She was also a fairy.
Really.
To fight supernatural evil, more than just plain folks were required, so most of the DKs were breeds— descendants of Nephilim and humans. The added influx of humanity with each successive generation diluted the demon enough so that breeds could make a choice about which side they fought for.
The ones who weren't breeds were angels who hadn't succumbed to temptation but were caught on the other side of the golden gates when God slammed them shut on the fallen. Not good enough to go to heaven, but not bad enough to go to hell, they became fairies.
'There's a problem," Summer began.
"I know. I was on my way to New Mexico."
"He's gone."
"Gone? That's impossible."
"No," Summer said. "It isn't."
"How long?"
She shrugged. "I hadn't seen him for weeks. Then I stopped by and ..." She spread her hands.
"Weren't you supposed to be his keeper?"
"He goes missing every year. He always comes back."
I suddenly remembered—once a year Sawyer went hunting.
For his mother.
That she'd showed up at my place was becoming more and more interesting.
"If he always goes off, why run across the country to tell me about it?"
"I'm not here because of Sawyer," she said. "I'm here because of Jimmy."
I forced my fingers to uncurl from the fists they'd automatically made at her words. Stupid to be angry and jealous over his leaving me and choosing her. We'd been eighteen. Grade A idiots, both of us. But mostly Jimmy, since he had to have known the next time I touched him I'd see her.
I'd been born psychometric. Basically when I touched people, I saw things. I'd seen way more than I ever wanted to of Jimmy and Summer.
Imagine—your first love, your first time, all rolled into one. Alone and lonely, a street kid who'd found a home, found him. Thinking he loved you, believing you'd be together forever, then "seeing" him in the arms of someone else. I'd reacted badly—for the past seven years.
"What about Jimmy?" I asked.
Something in my voice must have tipped Summer off to my mood because she inched back.
"What are you afraid of?" I moved forward. "You're a fairy. You've got powers, too."
"You know damn well I can't use them on you."
I smiled and Summer stepped back again. If she kept it up she'd fall down the stairs. Not that it would hurt her any.
"I do love the fairy rules," I continued. "Can't use your magic against anyone on an errand of mercy. And since my whole life is one long errand of mercy ..." My smile widened. "Sucks to be you."
"You have no idea," she murmured. Before I could ask what that meant, she went on. "Getting back to Jimmy."
My smile faded. "I don't know where he is."
She glanced down, the brim of her hat shading her too beautiful face. Fairies could practice glamour, a type of shape-shifting that made them more attractive than the average human. However, since fairy magic didn't work on seers, I had to think that Summer was truly gorgeous. So how much could it suck to be her?
"I do," she said reluctantly.
"You do?" For a second I forgot the question. Then I stiffened. "You know where he is? He called you? Came to you?"
"I saw him." She waggled her fingers—manicured and painted pale pink—toward her head.
"I thought you could only see the future."
"Right."
"What good does that do me today?"
Summer's gaze lifted. "There was a Fourth of July parade, right down the center of town."
"The Fourth is in two days."
"Which makes it the future."
"What town?"
"Barnaby's Gap, Arkansas."
"And you think Jimmy's there why?"
"I saw him watching the parade." Her lips, the same shade as her fingernails—who does that?—tightened. "He didn't look good."
My heart took a sharp leap, then fell with a heavy thud. Jimmy hadn't exactly been himself the last time I'd seen him.