Archer seem to think about the implications of this statement. “You’re saying you have a magic gun?
I shrugged. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“You want to know why I became a cop?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I wanted to make a difference, to put animals that hurt the little guys behind bars. But this city has a bigger problem than crime, doesn’t it? Let me help you, Raven. That’s all I ask for.”
“I’m public enemy number one to the Man Below. I don’t think it’s a good idea to get too close to me.”
“As far as I recall, you once told me that no one is safe in a cursed city.”
“This isn’t just your battle. Whatever is happening in this city, it’s affecting everyone.”
Damn, she made a lot of sense. And she looked far better than a woman who’d just been pointing a gun at me should. “You want to help? Look the other way and let me go.”
“You can’t fight this battle on your own.”
She was right, of course. Fighting the forces of Hell wasn’t a solo act. With Skulick out of the picture, I was vulnerable. I needed someone to cover my back. Could that someone be Archer?
She’d asked the right question, but the answer would have to wait. Even she seemed aware of this and stepped aside, nodding at the exit again. The sirens were deafening now.
“Go!” she said.
I took a step closer and fought the temptation to touch her shoulder. I caught a whiff of her perfume and flashed back to the passionate night we’d spent together. She stepped aside before I could make up my mind to try to reach out. I backed away and slipped through the art gallery’s back door.
Archer had not completely forgiven me but maybe I could make things right in the future.
Sometimes all you need is hope.
Hope, a magic gun and enough ammo to make Hell take notice.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
NIGHT SKULKED THE buildings as the city streaked past me. Noticing the Equus Bass’ climbing speedometer, I willed myself to slow down. Getting pulled over at this point wouldn’t help anyone. It would take about an hour to make my way to the Horne estate if I followed the speed limit. I hoped I would be in time.
The clock on the dashboard read 8:13 PM. By now Eric Horne must’ve landed at the airport and was probably on his way to his daddy’s estate. According to Skulick’s intel, the place was impenetrable, with both human and electronic security measures turning the property into a fortress. Celeste’s magic would give her an edge. Fortunately, I wielded some supernatural firepower of my own.
The urban sprawl gave way to rolling countryside as the city’s skyline receded in my rear-view mirror. My phone rang, and I had a good idea of who it was before I picked up. I tapped the answer button, and Skulick’s voice filled my car.
“Kid, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the last hour. The news is going nuts over the second Horne murder. Talk to me, what’s going on?”
I felt bad for ignoring my partner’s calls for that long, but I’d had my hands full. Zombies, graffiti monsters, attractive women trying to kill me, and confronting the demon that had killed my parents—it had been a busy day. “Robert Horne is dead. Celeste got to him first. And apparently low-level sleeping spells are only the tip of the iceberg of what she’s capable of.”
There was a beat of silence before Skulick said, “What do you mean?”
“Has a painting ever tried to eat you?”
“Well, there was that time in Scotland…”
My partner can be a real comedian at times but maybe he was telling the truth. The man has faced some crazy shit over the years.
“Never mind,” I said. One thing’s for sure. Celeste has been studying magic for years. And you know what that means?”
“She must’ve known about her father’s Faustian pact long before she called us.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I said. We were on the same page here.
“Something else has been bothering me. How does a child raised by a maid turn into a skilled spellcaster?”
I’d been asking myself the same question. There was only one possible explnation.
“She’d need a teacher and mentor to reach that level of skill,” I said.
“Exactly. Perhaps in her frustration she conjured her own demon.”
The thought of possibly having to go up against two of Hell’s servants made my stomach churn.
“Let’s say Celeste’s story was true but she changed the timeline,” I said. “She finds out about her father and starts looking into her options. She begins to study magic and ignores the risks to her soul. After all, he girl has nothing to lose.”
“Still doesn’t explain why she waited until the last moment to go after the Soul Dagger.”
“Maybe she only recently found out about the relic.”
I ruled out this notion as soon as I brought it up. The more I thought about it, the more I became convinced that we were missing a part of the puzzle.
“Maybe she lied about the date when the demon is going to collect her soul?” I wondered out loud.