Fire Within

chapter Eighteen

Ari banged on the door. The agency appeared deserted. Blinds drawn, lights off. Where the hell was the night staff? A closed sign on the door hung unevenly on its string support. Breaking the front window to gain entrance, she charged across the waiting area and into the large main room. All the office doors were closed, but a light glowed under the door to Shale’s conference room. A thud shook the floor, followed by a clatter of breaking furniture, and Ari sprinted toward the sound, vaulting over a couch. Otherworld magic sizzled in the air. The sounds of a battle were distinct now. She grabbed the conference room door and tore it open.

Raw, unleashed power nearly knocked her to her knees. The stench of evil hit her, as nauseating as rotten eggs. Snarling, clawing, fangs and pointed teeth flashing, the vampire and the demon were locked in combat. Ari edged in and flattened against the wall, throwing her arms out to steady herself against the swirling winds of energy. The combatants spun in dizzying motion, each grasping for the advantage and desperate to shake the hold of the other. Blood splashed the walls and floor. Ari’s nostrils flared.

As she stared at the battle, her face contorted in dismay. She’d spent two days preparing to confront this thing in human form. Wasted days. For the creature was in full demon glory, seven feet of fiery red evil. Her heart plummeted. The binding spell was useless. If they weren’t moving so fast, the banishing potion might do the trick. She would have to cover the demon with as much magical liquid as possible. A direct hit. Impossible as they spun around the room.

When Andreas yanked free of the creatures’ claws for a brief instant, Ari cringed at the amount of blood dripping from a deep sword slash across his back. An ambush injury. The weapon lay on the floor.

She started toward the demon, but Andreas charged in and re-engaged, continuing their deadly dance at lightning speeds, no more than spiraling blurs. Inseparably locked, the combatants offered no opportunity for her to intervene. Nor could she physically compete in the horror occurring before her. She dodged around the room, staying out of contact, peering, crouching, thinking frantically, uncertain how to tip the scales. When she darted in to kick the demon sword out of reach, blood splashed across her face, but at least the Shale creature wouldn’t be using the sword again.

She’d have to use the potion. Even if she made a lucky toss, she’d get them both, and what would the potion do to Andreas? Were vampires demonic creatures? She once thought so. Now she believed differently—but was she willing to bet Andreas’s life on that belief? Dammit, this was no time for a theological dispute. If she was wrong, Andreas would die from her actions. Ari wasn’t sure she could live with that.

In the second or two she debated, a change in fortune sent Andreas hurtling across the room. His body crashed against the wall, shattered debris in every direction, and fell among the rubble. Ari swallowed a scream. As the devil’s spawn whipped its head toward her, its eyes glowing with the fires of hell, she sent crimson witch fire arcing across the room. The demon blinked out of reach, throwing its head back and laughing. She fired another bolt with a similar result. The potion was her only chance, but not from this distance. She must lure the creature to her side.

The demon continued to laugh, a screeching, grating noise like crunching bones. It crossed its arms over its chest and looked down its long, spiny nose. It was a very arrogant, human-like stance for a hellborn son of Satan. The creature grinned, exposing sharp spikes dripping with Andreas’s blood. She closed her mind against the sight.

“How unworthy, Ariaaaanna.” The demon drew out her name, tasting it, a predator smelling its prey. “Surely a guardian witch can do better. You shouldn’t have come here. I might have been willing to let you live, for a while. But, here you are. I can crush you with one finger, you know, but perhaps you’d prefer a demonstration of real magical fire. No? I agree, something more inventive is needed. Mmm, I think you will earn me a nice bonus. If a little chaos and a few undead exterminations are worth so much, what do you think Prince Sebastian would pay to be rid of a troublesome Guardian?”

While the demon contemplated her fate, Ari’s mind raced, some of her jumbled thoughts inconsequential. Like Sebastian’s name. What did it matter now? The demon wouldn’t be gloating if it thought she’d survive to use the information. It was odd that this thing talked as if it knew her. It bore no resemblance to the form she knew as Harold Shale. It was the material of nightmares. If her witch fire was useless, how did she alone fight a nightmare?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a movement that gave her a sliver of hope. Andreas stirred. An arm, then a leg. If she could keep the demon’s attention on her…

“If you think I’m so easily defeated,” she said, “come and try. Hand to hand, your strength against mine.” She moved to her right so the creature’s line of sight would follow her. She hoped to buy Andreas time to recover—if he could. And, if the demon was unwise enough to come close, she would drench him with her little vials of surprise.

“You’re much too eager,” it said. “What do you have in your hand, witch? A weapon? Holy water? Nothing will work. You are no match for Chzebar. Yes, I freely give you my name,” the demon bragged with another laugh. “Behold, your destroyer. Your vampire lover lies dead, and you will soon follow. That was your mistake, you know. Love makes you weak, vulnerable. It delivered you into my hands without my trying.”

Stifling a chill, Ari took another step to her right to keep his focus. Andreas’s leg moved. “Is that how you chose the others? Lovers bother you? Or is it jealousy?” Ari didn’t care what she said, she was only talking to keep his attention. Anything that would annoy him was preferable. “Are you upset that no one loves you? Or even likes you?”

“Why the chatter, Guardian? Hoping for rescue?”

“If I’m going to die, I’d like to know what this was all about. Why you hate vampires so much.”

Chzebar was disdainful. “I don’t hate them any more or any less than other beings.”

Andreas was on one knee. His head came up.

“Then what’s the point of all this?” Ari demanded, lifting her empty hand in an all-encompassing wave. She edged farther from Andreas, the demon turning to keep her in sight.

“You know the answer. Money, dear Arianna, and all that lovely violence. A pity there was so little shedding of blood.” The demon frowned, or at least that’s what she thought it was doing with the eye scrunching and the odd twist of its nose. “Daron’s vampires have become too tame. War would have been such fun.” Chzebar’s eye sockets flared with a brighter, burning red. “It can’t be helped. I’m afraid that was your last question.”

As Chzebar spoke, Andreas charged, catching him by surprise. The demon roared with fury. The sound rattled the building, as they went down in a tangle of arms and legs and a lashing demon tail. Andreas barely missed an attempt to sink his fangs in the demon’s neck. As he flipped over the creature's head, he was crushed in a bear hug, and their clenched bodies crashed into the conference table, chairs, and walls. Each fought to land the killing blow. Ari darted around the edge of combat, following their movements, waiting for an opportunity to do something. Anything.

Andreas’s strength quickly began to fade. His movements slowed, the demons’ claws more frequently caught him on a shoulder or arm. He was bleeding freely. Ari couldn’t afford to wait. There was no guarantee of the potion’s benign effects on Andreas, but if she didn’t act soon, he’d be dead anyway. The floor was slick with his blood. Time had run out. She made a decision and asked Andreas to do the one thing he said he wouldn’t. And she risked his life by asking. “Hold him!” she yelled.

With all the noise of battle, he gave no sign of hearing her. She slipped in the blood, nearly falling, endangering the precious bottles. With one hand supporting her against the wall, she threw months of fear to the wind. She lowered her mental defenses and projected her thoughts and an image of the demon pinned to the floor. Her magic reached out to his. If the link was real, Andreas would know what to do. Then, she’d find out if trust went both ways.

An instant later, Andreas used the last of his strength to wrap his legs around the demon’s legs, and they crashed to the floor in a heap. Ari leaped forward and hurled the potion, both vials, at the tangled forms.

“Begone, Chzebar!”

A loud explosion and hissing erupted on impact. The room flashed a brilliant red. The force threw Ari off her feet. She landed hard, sliding across the floor, wet with blood, until she smacked against the wall. A pungent, smoky steam filled the air. Batting the fumes away, she peered through the mist. A lone form lay on the floor.

“Andreas.” The word was more a prayer than a certainty. Unable to regain footing on the slippery surface, she struggled to her knees and crawled toward the still figure. She reached out her hand, confirming his identity, and pulled Andreas’s head into her lap. For one awful moment of déjà vu from Yana’s death, she waited, searching for a spark of his magical energy.

This time she found it, and his eyes fluttered open. “Am I still alive?” he asked.

“As alive as you’re going to be.”

Ryan burst through the door, gun in hand, followed by Lilith, Russell and Marcus. Grim-faced, they were ready for action. Ryan looked around in confusion. “What a mess! Is everybody all right? Where’s Shale?”

Ari gave a short laugh. “We’re just peachy.” She jerked her chin toward the vampire in her arms. “He’s lost a lot of blood, but the demon is gone.”

Russell was already on his knees next to his boss, examining the injuries.

“Gone? He’s escaped? You should have waited for backup,” Ryan said. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“Not a scratch. I’m afraid the demon wasn’t in a waiting mood, but he’s gone for good. The potion worked.”

“Thank God.” Ryan squatted beside Andreas. “What can we do for him?”

“He needs blood. The wounds are slowly closing, but he’s already lost too much blood.” Ari felt how low his energy was. He was too weak to block her out, and he was fading.

Andreas surprised her by asking, “Are you volunteering as a donor, little witch?” A faint smile touched his lips, but his lashes had fallen closed. He needed an infusion soon. Ari might have to consider a donation.

“I was thinking more along the lines of the blood bank,” was what she said.

“Hmm. That would be my second choice.”

“So, do we call the paramedics or what?” Ryan asked, getting back to his feet. He looked uncomfortable with their conversation.

“Not necessary,” Marcus said. “Got it covered. Help is on the way.”

As if on cue, two vampires hurried in the door carrying bags of blood and a rather large IV. Ari was relieved to see them. Andreas had fallen silent. She shifted her arms, so they could hook him up, but didn’t move his head. As soon as the blood began to flow, her witch senses detected a difference.

Ari looked up and nodded to reassure the would-be rescuers, and then the questions started. She brought them up to speed on the events of the last hours, while keeping one eye on the vampire, waiting for a clear sign he was out of danger. She kept the information about Sebastian to herself until Andreas was aware enough to hear the damaging admission. Ten minutes and two bags of blood later, she knew he was faking the weakness that kept his head pillowed in her lap.

“Okay, sleeping beauty, time to wake up.” She nudged his shoulder.

“You must have the wrong fairy tale,” he murmured. “I am sure that one required a kiss.”

“You are clearly delirious.”

His eyes snapped open, and his hand caught her wrist. “I do not think so. Your magic spoke to me, showed me what you needed.”

“I was shouting at you.”

“Inside my head,” he insisted. “This is the second time.”

Ari sighed, giving up the pretense. “Yeah, I guess it happened again. We need to talk sometime. In private.”

“For so many reasons,” he murmured, watching her face.

She gave him a cheeky grin and slid out from under his head. As she scrambled to her feet, she realized their private words had been the center of group interest. Lilith in particular had an interested smirk on her face.

“Well, are you just going to stand there?” Ari asked.

Since no one had anything to say, it was fortunate Andreas chose that moment to sit up. To Ari’s relief, it diverted their attention.

“You can really recover that quickly?” Ryan demanded. When the vampire nodded, the cop muttered, “That must come in handy.” Then he got back to business. “So, what happened before Ari arrived?”

“Shale called, asking for help with a newborn vampire. He let me in the front door, said the nestling was out of control, and hiding in his conference room. When I entered the room ahead of him, he attacked me from behind. Up to that point, I did not suspect a trap.” He gave them a wry look. “I assume Binderman is innocent. Anyway, I heard a swish of air, so his swing with a large blade sliced open my back instead of taking off my head. It was a standoff for a while. He stayed out of reach, waiting for me to weaken from blood loss. I guess he got tired of waiting and attacked again just before Ari arrived.”

“Did he say anything? Who he worked for? Or mention the murders?” Ryan still wanted answers.

Andreas pointed toward a bloody ceremonial sword in the far corner of the room. “When he was swinging the sword around, I asked if he used it on Vanessa. He said she’d seen him in the alley, just back from feeding. He was switching forms, and he used the first thing handy.”

“It’s a demon sword,” Ari said. “All demons carry them. So Vani’s death had nothing to do with Sarah. It wasn’t because they were lovers?” Ari knew the answer was important to the young counselor.

Andreas shrugged. “Wrong place, wrong time.” He looked at the interested faces surrounding him. “That is all I can tell you. We did not spend much time talking.”

“Well, he told me Sebastian hired him.” Ari gave a smug grin at the immediate attention. She repeated what Chzebar had said about the payment, the violence, and that Daron’s vampires were too tame. “Sound like Sebastian?” she asked Andreas.

“Has a familiar ring. He has, more than once, accused Daron of domesticating, even emasculating, his followers. He would be more than willing to point a demon in our direction and bring Daron to his knees.”

“Chzebar was disappointed there hadn’t been a war. I think he’d been promised one,” Ari said. She couldn’t express how grateful she was the promise had not been kept.

“This is a very fancy blade.” Ryan’s voice interrupted the discussion and drew all eyes to the blood-covered weapon he held in his gloved hands. Jewels sparked in the handle.

“Yes, very unique,” Andreas agreed dryly. “An ancient sword. But it does not look as inviting when wielded by a demon intent upon removing your head.”

“No, I guess not.” Ryan's lips quirked, and he dropped it into an evidence bag. He was treating this like a normal crime scene. Force of habit, maybe. Ryan’s need to get back to the facts, the details that weren’t as weird as speculation on some far-away vampire’s motives.

“I get why this thing dumped Vanessa’s body in the park. To get it far from the agency. What about her clothes? Why was she naked?” Ryan muttered.

“To delay identification, just like it did,” Lilith offered when no one else spoke. The others had stayed pretty quiet up until now, just listening. “Maybe he also wanted to make it seem different, so you wouldn’t tie it to the other murders.”

“Or worried about evidence,” Ari said. “I doubt if he understood forensics, but he kept pumping me for information, to see how much we knew.” Ari lifted a shoulder. “Now that the demon’s gone, there are some things we’ll never know.”

While they talked, the vampire attendants finished the transfusions. As soon as they detached the IV lines, Andreas sprang to his feet. Ryan stared at him. There was nothing that compared with a vampire’s recovery rate.

“We created a bit of untidiness,” Andreas said, waving a hand at the disarranged room with its pools of blood. He looked at Ryan. “How do we explain this to the press?”

Ari’s cop partner looked pained. “Serial killer,” he muttered, “It’s got to be a serial killer. But, damn, I wish we had a body.”

“Which brings up a good question,” Andreas said, addressing Ari. “What happened to our demon?”

“He’s in hell, where he belongs. His energy is gone. When I covered both of you with the banishing potion, the energy level dropped to almost nothing. Not enough to support two, even if one was a ghost. At first, I didn’t know which of you had survived.” She turned away, afraid of giving away too much of what she had felt, and addressed Ryan’s concern. “As for a body, who’s to know you don’t have one? Carry something out in a body bag. Announce his death. If anyone asks, he’ll be cremated at public expense. It’s not like there are relatives to complain.”

Ryan wrinkled his forehead in disapproval. He was a black and white guy, didn’t like deception, but appeared to be thinking it over. Ari figured he’d agree in the end. After all, what else could he do? He couldn’t tell the public about demons.

“OK, the demon’s gone, but how do we put a stop to Sebastian’s efforts?” Russell had helped the vamps pack their blood equipment, but obviously kept track of the conversation. “It may take a while for him to think up another scheme, but he won’t quit now. We’ve stopped him twice.”

“Next time, we will be better prepared,” Andreas said. “Although, I am not convinced Daron will wait for Sebastian to make the next move.” His mouth suddenly curled into a smile. “Whatever happens, the danger is over for today. The future will simply have to wait. I am inviting everyone to join me at the re-opening of Club Dintero.”

Ari jerked her head up. She’d temporarily forgotten about the opening. The sudden shift into the normal, everyday world was disorienting. She looked down at her blood-soaked shirt.

“Maybe some of us need to stop for a change of clothes first,” Andreas amended.

“I guess the club’s a fitting place for the day to end,” Russell said. “Considering what lies ahead.”

Lilith rolled her eyes, while Marcus barked a short laugh.

“What’s so funny? Did I miss something? Why is it fitting?” Ryan frowned, watching the others head for the door.

“He’s referring to the club’s name,” Ari said.

“Dintero? Why? What’s it mean?”

Andreas’s eyes met Ari’s, and they grinned at one another. He grabbed her hand.

Russell was the one who finally answered. “It means Destiny.”