Heart of the Demon

chapter Thirteen



Keira sat on the sofa and stared down at her smart phone. Two days. It had been two days since she and Finn had made love. Or, rather, had sex. There had been plenty of lust. Affection, even, but no love. Not on his part, anyway, even though he’d told her he cared about her. “Caring” was not the same thing as love. And that certainly was borne out by the fact that he hadn't contacted her at all since he’d walked out her door and went into a house with another woman.

Maybe she’d read the signs wrong. Maybe that other woman did mean something to him. Maybe the reason he hadn’t called Keira was because he was too busy shagging that hussy.

At first she’d felt relief that he was apparently putting some distance between them. Distance was good and allowed her to get a better grip on her emotions, to try to stuff them back deep inside where they belonged. But then the second day without any contact from him rolled around, and relief turned to irritation and outrage. Just who the hell did he think he was to hop into bed with her and then go into silent mode?

Then irritation and outrage became hurt. Being intimate with someone wasn’t something she did easily. For all her acting like she was into casual sex, she really wasn’t. Not in the way most people meant it. She had to have an emotional connection to a man before she could bare her body to him. Because with the removal of clothing came a removal of pretense, like the removal of a mask so the lover could see the real person beneath.

She looked at the text message she’d typed moments before and still hadn’t sent. Miss you, it read. Please call me. It certainly was more polite than the last one she’d typed where she called his parentage into question, but this one made her sound desperate. With a scowl she deleted the message. There was another rogue group meeting scheduled for tomorrow night. If she hadn’t heard from him by then, she’d talk to him there. One way or another, she’d find out where they stood.



The next evening, Keira took her seat at the meeting and watched while other members entered the room. The next rift was only a week away, and excitement and tension filled the air. As Stefan stepped up to the podium to start the meeting, Finn walked in. He saw her and paused, a split second of indecision flitting over his face before he walked over and sat beside her. All the emotions she’d been battling for the last few days surfaced again—relief, irritation, outrage, hurt, and anger all rolled into one big, messy ball just waiting to slam him upside his hard head.

He must have picked up on some of what she was feeling, because he leaned over and murmured, “I’m sorry I didn’t call. Demons have been particularly frisky lately, what with the next Influx due soon.”

She shifted on her seat to look at him. For a moment she debated having it out with him here because she didn’t want to cause a scene, but her emotions were too raw to sit there and say nothing. “How long would it have taken for you to text me with a ‘How are you?’ message?” she said in a low voice. “Let me know you were thinking about me, that our being together meant something more to you than just a quick poke in the whiskers.” She shook her head and faced forward again. “Typical male. Handing me a crock of shite like that. You’re a real wanker, you are, Finn Evnissyen.”

“Look, I said I’m sorry, and I am.” He leaned closer. “I should have called you, or sent you a quick text. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to say.” He shook his head and took her hand in his. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, Keira, and I’m a little off stride here.”

She was shocked at the hesitancy in his voice and twisted in her seat to look at him. That same hesitancy was reflected in his eyes. She squeezed his fingers. “We both have a lot to learn about relationships, I guess.”

She started to say more but Stefan called the meeting to order. She contented herself, for the time being, with giving Finn’s hand another squeeze before releasing it and turning her attention to the front of the room.

As Stefan began speechifying, she couldn’t keep from covertly glancing at Finn to gauge his reaction. He was focused on Stefan, seemingly rapt with attention. It crushed her to see how very much he bought into all this crap.



Finn had never had to put his acting ability to use as much as he did right now. God, this guy was a total nut job.

“With the death of Deoul Arias,” Liuz said, “we see the end of order and the beginning of chaos. First the council, then the local human government, then the Western states. We have members throughout the West who are dedicated to the path of anarchy.” His eyes glittered with fanaticism, a slight tinge of crimson circling his irises.

“But the council already has another president in place,” someone said. “Shouldn’t we strike at every member?”

“And we will. Imagine, if you will, the fear that is rippling through them even now,” Liuz responded. He lifted one hand, index finger pointing upward. “First we took out their newest member, Tobias Caine.” His gaze held Finn’s for a moment, and through all the crazy shining in his eyes there was a brief glint of approval. Liuz held up a second finger. “Now we’ve removed the president. Believe me when I say, they are more panicked than you will ever know.” He went droning on, more of the same claptrap he’d been spouting from the beginning.

Finn knew in order to keep the trust he’d earned and move further into the inner circle, he would have to continue to act like he completely agreed with the narcissistic son of a bitch. He tried to ignore the fulminating glances Keira kept sending his way. It didn’t help that the shiny bluish-green blouse she had on reflected in her eyes, making them look even more gorgeous than normal.

He knew he’d screwed up, big time. But there wasn’t much he could do about it now. As a matter of fact, if anything had come out of these last few days it was the certainty that until this mission was complete, the less he saw of Keira the better.

She distracted him, as his father had figured she would. The other day, when he’d left her to go to Nix’s house, he’d been so inwardly focused that he hadn’t taken the ordinary precautions he would have to ensure he wasn’t being followed. Even if he had been, it wouldn’t have been all that unusual for his almost stepsister to have called him in her time of need. His presence at her house could easily have been explained.

Then something Liuz said caught his ear. “I and my comrades on the other side have been working on this plan for centuries. It wasn’t until the last few years that technology on this planet has allowed a machine to be built that will keep the naturally occurring rift open longer than normal. What does this mean for us?” He paused and smiled, looking like a proud father announcing the birth of his first baby. “It means that more of our kind can come through the rift, perhaps double the normal numbers. Maybe even triple.”

Finn frowned. Granted it had been a couple thousand years ago, but he himself had been born here on Earth. He hadn’t traveled through the rift like Liuz. And like Keira and probably at least three-quarters of the people in this room. Unless there’d been a mighty increase in crime in the other dimension, he didn’t see how those numbers were possible.

“My comrades have been gathering likeminded individuals and sending them through the Detention Center on the sly. There is no record of them being stripped from their bodies, and no record exists of which holding cells they’ve been placed in. The authorities on either side of the rift are completely in the dark, and will remain so until it is much too late.”

Finn shared a glance with Keira. She looked alarmed, and he was sure the same feeling was plastered all over his face. And it shouldn’t be, not if he really wanted to get deeper into the group. He schooled his face to impassivity and whispered, “Isn’t this great?”

“Yeah,” she murmured, her brows drawn in a slight frown. She didn’t sound like she was thrilled. Far from it, in fact. Before he could comment on it, she looked forward again.

Finn did, too.

“This machine is waiting for one final part,” Liuz said, “and then it will be operational. Don’t worry, it’s in a secure location that very few of us know about. Myself, of course, and three or four of my most trusted lieutenants.” He wrapped his hands around the edge of the podium and leaned into the microphone. “My friends, our time has come. With this machine I will be able to keep the rift open indefinitely. Our compatriots from the other dimension will join us, and soon, very soon, we will outnumber the humans on this planet.” He waited until the cheers died down and then said, “And then we shall rain chaos down on them, and take control. It will be glorious.”

“Oh, my God,” he heard Keira whisper just as applause broke out again.

He glanced at her but couldn’t tell if she was appalled at Liuz’s batshit craziness, as he was, or enamored by the vampire’s alleged brilliance. Liuz adjourned the meeting and Keira hopped up right away. Without sparing a glance for Finn, she headed toward the end of the row.

He frowned. That was definitely a woman with a mission, and he had the sneaking suspicion she meant to go up to Liuz and offer her praises like a lot of other prets were doing at this moment. Finn stood and walked to the back of the room where he could keep an eye on things. Damned female. He let out a breath. She was brighter than that, he knew. She was one of the most intelligent people he’d ever met. But for such a bright woman she was being too goddamned stupid right now.



Keira walked slowly toward the front, casting out with her empathy abilities to pick up on the emotions of those gathered in the room. Mostly she felt the highs left over from the galvanizing speech, but there was something, coming from two vampires just ahead, that seemed like secretive excitement. One of those I know something you don’t know kind of things that she reckoned required further investigation. She stopped at a group of five other fey talking quietly on the opposite side of the vamps. Pretending to partake in that conversation, she focused her attention on the vampires. One of them mentioned a mine, but he didn’t say the name or anything about the location.

Frustrated, she excused herself from the fey and turned toward the vampires. As she was about to outright ask them about the machine, she heard her name being called over the din of voices. She looked around and saw Stefan beckoning her.

As she walked over to him, she saw Finn heading that way, too. Hmm. What was this all about, then?

Stefan smiled at them. “Ah, you two. My shining stars.” He took Keira’s hand, cupping it between his palms. “I have another assignment for you. We are setting up bank accounts throughout the world, so that when our new brothers and sisters arrive, they can make their way to one of the banks, give a verbal password and be allowed access to funds. I’ve set up Scottsdale as the hub for orientation and to determine where in the country these new preternaturals can best be utilized.”

“You’re assuming these newbies will be able to speak English?” Finn’s voice held a wealth of sarcasm and a darker tone that made her look at him. Flecks of demon yellow colored the bright blue of his irises, and his gaze was fixed on her hand in Stefan’s before he raised his eyes. Was he jealous?

A thrill zinged through her at that thought. Of course, jealousy didn’t necessarily equate to love, but it was a start.

Stefan shot him a sharp look. “No. I am not stupid, Finn, and don’t make the mistake of thinking that I am.” He looked back at Keira and his expression softened. She sensed that he was attracted to her and, even more, that he genuinely liked her. He gave a light squeeze to her fingers before releasing her hand. “We have people in place in these banks who can communicate with the newcomers in the standard language of the other dimension,” he went on. “However, we need more money to fund these activities. Which is where you two come in.”

“You want me to kill someone else?” Finn didn’t sound eager about the idea. As a matter of fact, to her, he sounded resigned. Resentful even. The bits of yellow had grown his eyes, making it clear he was going demon.

“No.” Stefan threw him another look. “Now that I see how good Keira is, I want you to have her back.” He glanced at her and then stared at Finn. “Or was I misinformed when I was told the two of you have a relationship?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it a relationship,” Keira hedged. She didn’t want this insane vampire to know how much Finn had come to mean to her. She wouldn’t give him that kind of leverage over her. “We’re not a couple or anything.”

“So, it’s a friends with benefits sort of thing?” Stefan barked a laugh. “All the better. None of those messy emotions to get in the way.”

He laid out the plan, and Keira bit back a sigh at learning she was to swap out yet more diamonds, though this time at another store.

And Finn was to be her lookout. Like it wouldn’t be odd for a guy like him to be in a jewelry store. She said as much to Stefan.

Finn’s “Hey! What d’ya mean, a guy like me?” was largely ignored.

Stefan said, “I see your point.” He looked Finn over. “He’s a big guy, good-looking enough, I suppose, but rather brutish. And that leather.” He shook his head.

Keira looked Finn over, too, and privately disagreed. He’d look good in anything he wore, even though she’d only ever seen him in, and out of, jeans. She bet he looked downright tasty in a tuxedo.

Stefan snapped his fingers, dragging her attention back to him. A glint lit his eyes. “Go in as a newly engaged couple looking for diamonds to create your perfect engagement ring.”

That wouldn’t do at all. She couldn’t go in and make googly eyes at Finn, pretending to be his fiancée. It would be too awkward and make her think all sorts of thoughts she shouldn’t have, about Finn and a future. “I’m not sure that will work,” she murmured. “I mean, we don’t exactly look like we go together.”

She ignored the disgruntled look Finn shot her way. She knew what Stefan saw when he looked at them. Finn was tall, broad, and aggressive, wearing his usual T-shirt, jeans, heavy boots, and leather coat. She was slender, gentle in demeanor, and wore a designer dress with shoes that cost as much as his coat had, if not more.

“Hmm. You may be right.” Liuz stared at Keira. “You’re a creative type, right? Let it slip that you’re an artist designing your own ring. The store owner will eat that shit up.” He pulled a familiar envelope out of the inner pocket of his suit coat and handed it to Keira. “At least three diamonds this time, please.”

“Of course,” she murmured.

“Go. Now.”

“Now?” Keira stared at him. “I was able to do the other job with little notice, but with two of us it takes some planning. I need to know where the cameras are, what kind of security they have—”

“That’s what he’s there for,” Stefan said, nodding toward Finn. “Let him act a little suspiciously, which should draw their focus away from you.” He took her hand in his again and this time brought it to his mouth. He pressed his lips to her knuckles. “I have faith in you,” he whispered. His pupils had dilated and she sensed a wave of pheromones directed her way. She should use this to her advantage, and if she wasn’t so completely disgusted by him, she would.

“We should be on our way, then,” Finn said, and gently wrapped his fingers around her upper arm. His action moved her hand away from Stefan’s mouth.

The vampire straightened, his hard gaze going to Finn. “Yes, you should get moving,” he said, though the look on his face promised retribution for Finn’s continued lack of obeisance.

As they walked out of the room and down the hallway toward the stairs and the exit, Keira jerked her arm out of his grasp. “What is wrong with you?” she demanded.

Finn didn’t respond until they were out in the parking lot. “What do you mean?”

“You know perfectly well what I mean.” She stared at him, frowning. “Why are you being so adversarial with Stefan?”

“Oh, you’re on a first-name basis with him, are you?” Finn shoved his hands in his pockets. His eyes glittered with demon gold and bad humor.

“I’m informal that way,” she murmured. Then she laughed. “There’s no need for you to be getting your knickers in a twist, boyo. You’re the one for me. And anyway, stop changing the subject.” She headed toward her car. “You keep trying to alienate him, and you’re going to get your head handed to you.”

“On a platter, no doubt.” He sauntered after her.

She stopped beside her car and took a bracing breath. “I mean it, Finn. Stop provoking him.”

“You worried about me?”

He said it with humor lightening his face, and she responded in all seriousness. “Yes, I am. He’s dangerous. Look, let me go in first and get settled with a tray of diamonds. Then you can come in being your sly, shifty self and distract them.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m not shifty.”

She noticed he didn’t deny being sly, and laughed at his dry glance. She sobered and said, “Well, just try to look as if you’re about to nick something. That’ll make you look right shifty enough.” She used the remote to unlock her car. “Why don’t you meet me at the jewelers?” she suggested. “That way if something goes wrong, we have a chance of at least one of us getting away.”

“All right,” he answered easily enough. “I’ll see you there.” He grinned. “I’ll practice looking shifty on my way over.”

Keira shook her head at his playfulness. She got in her car and watched Finn walk back to his motorcycle a few rows over. He was multilayered, that was certain. And the most exasperating man she’d ever met. He was going to drive her to drink before this was all over. She only hoped they could salvage something from whatever they had between them once he found out she was a spy for the council. Or, at least, for the new council president.

Caladh as head of the council. That would change the dynamics of things around here, for the better, she hoped. Only time would tell.

She blew out a breath and started the car. It was time to pull another job. This time with Finn.

The thought filled her with a mixture of excitement and dread. But mostly dread. These days she didn’t get him. She really had no idea what to expect. One minute he was a lover, the next a stranger. She felt like she was caught in a landslide, unable to find her footing. Which meant she should keep her distance as much as possible until this whole thing was over.

She parked in front of the store and watched Finn direct his motorcycle to the small alley that ran between the jewelry store and the adjacent building. She waited until he reached the front facade of the store before she got out of her car. He paused, his head bent as he looked at his cell phone. “If you get into trouble in there,” he murmured barely loud enough for her to hear, “just call out my name.”

“Right-o.” Keira drew in a bracing breath and entered the store.

After the manager seated her at a small table, he went into the back to retrieve some of their raw diamonds. Keira took the time he was gone to palm a couple of the fake stones she’d brought with her. When the manager returned, he carried a tray covered with a square piece of black velvet and sat across from her. He uncovered the tray and pushed several of the stones across the surface, putting distance between each of the diamonds.

She leaned over to look at them. Glancing up at him, she said, “May I?” with one hand reaching toward a diamond.

“Oh, by all means.” He smiled. “You really can’t get a good sense of the stone unless you hold it.”

“No, you can’t,” she agreed. Again, she would replace the real stone with a fake that was the same approximate size and weight. As she picked up one she thought might work, from behind her she heard Finn mutter a swear word.

Then in a louder voice he said, “This is all worthless crap. I thought you were reputable jewelers here.”

“Sir,” the saleswoman said, “I assure you these are the highest quality stones in these settings. Perhaps you’d rather see something in platinum instead of gold?”

Finn capitulated but within thirty seconds had become belligerent again.

Keira glanced over her shoulder to see him standing there, arms akimbo while the biggest scowl she’d ever seen hung on his face. “Oh, dear.” She turned back toward the manager. “Perhaps I should come back at another time,” she said and started to place the diamond back on the tray.

“Please, give me a moment.” The manager sent her a harried look and stood, motioning to the saleswoman who was dealing with Finn.

Keira let the fake diamond slide between her fingers and put it on the tray, keeping the real diamond hidden in her palm. She dropped the real stone into the hand she rested in her lap. While the manager stood in front of her, talking to his employee, Keira went through the motions of looking through the other stones. She picked up a few and set them back down without making an attempt to swap them. When Finn started up his noise again, the saleswoman hurried back to try to appease him, the manager watching the scene. Keira made one last swap, holding the real diamonds in the palm of her left hand while she prodded at the ones remaining on the tray with her right index finger.

“Do you see one that will work for what you want?” the manager asked.

She pointed to one of the fake ones she’d just deposited on the tray. “This one, perhaps.” She looked up at the manager and pushed at him with her empathic abilities. She filled him with a sense of goodwill and well-being, and anticipation of making a big sale. She stood, dropping the real diamonds into her clutch purse while she fastened the clasp. Between the glamour and her adroitness at sleight of hand, the man never saw it.

“I won’t be shopping here again,” Finn exclaimed and stomped out of the store.

“Thank God,” the manager muttered. Then his face turned pink and he apologized. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s quite all right,” Keira responded. “It does take all sorts to make the world go ’round, doesn’t it?”

“It certainly does,” he agreed.

Keira glanced at the tray again and then lifted her gaze to the manager’s face. “Thank you for your time. I hope to be back soon.”

“It was my pleasure, miss. Shall I set this aside for you?” he asked, the hopes for a fat commission swimming in his eyes.

She pretended to think it over. “Ah, no, I don’t think so,” she finally said. “I’d hate for someone else to lose out on a great stone while I try to make up my mind. If we’re meant to be together, it will be available when I come back.” What a load of claptrap, but he seemed to buy it.

“Well, now, you come back anytime.”

“Thank you, I will.” When Keira went outside to her car, she saw Finn leaning against the side of the building, a big smirk on his face.

“Was I shifty enough?” he asked.

She shook her head and then shot him a grin. “You were bloody perfect, actually.”

His answering smile tightened her belly. “Good,” he said. He sobered. “I guess you should get those to Stefan.”

She gave a nod and got into her car. With the lift of a hand she waved farewell and drove away. She only hoped that Stefan would be satisfied and it would be the last time she had to do something like this.



Finn pulled out into traffic and marveled at how adept Keira was at grifting. Man, she must have been something to see back in the day when she was doing it for a living. Her sweet face looked so sincere, so innocent, so lovely that any man with a heartbeat would have a hard time believing she could be as devious as she was.

He still had a hard time with the fact that she was doing this. He knew it was irrational, but he felt personally betrayed by her actions. Like if he couldn’t look up to her, use her as a role model for striving to be more than he was, then what was the point in any of it?

He knew she remained upset with him for being in the rogue group. Which, now that he thought about it, made him pause. He knew at one point she had wanted him to be more than an enforcer. But if they were both on the same side in this new fight, what did it matter? He would have thought she’d be happy to have him as an ally.

And yet, as much as he’d like to tell her what was going on he couldn’t confide in Keira only to have her betray him. He knew he had to completely win over the delusional Liuz’s trust in enough time to find the rift machine and destroy it. If he didn’t, not only would it mean the mission would fail, but it would most likely cost him his life. And maybe even hers, because Liuz might not believe Finn had acted alone.

He knew not calling her after they’d made love had caused her to draw back, to put emotional distance between them. She’d seemed genuinely concerned about him, and he still couldn’t tamp down the jealousy he felt every time he thought of her interactions with Liuz. She’d let him hold her hand, had even seemed to enjoy his touch. What the hell was she doing? Was it possible her role in the group wasn’t what it seemed, like his? Though for the life of him he couldn’t come up with one reason that she’d be playing Stefan, except that it was what grifters did. They played with people’s emotions.

He exhaled. Whatever her motivation, he could only be responsible for his actions. He hoped, once his deception came to light, she forgave him and would give him another chance.