Counselor of the Damned (11 page)

She opened her eyes and studied the youth’s aura. Her visual inspection confirmed what she’d felt. Caden had no permanent ties to the demon he and his coven had summoned.
So what’s the problem?

Tegonni swept her hand in front of her, two fingers pointing toward Caden’s chest.

Pulling all the energy she’d called, she visualized it flowing out her fingertips as she drew the healing glyph in the air over Caden’s heart. Bright-orange light burned in a trail following her fingers’ path. The power filled her vision like an afterimage as if she’d been staring at the sun. She mentally stretched it around Caden and let the energy sink into his aura. The young man shivered. Then yawned.

Sorry to bore you
. Tegonni couldn’t believe his nonchalance.

The glyph faded, pulling on the taint, but the stuff didn’t budge. Caden’s aura brightened, shining around the miasma, and pushed the glyph away.

Tegonni flinched.
That’s a new one.

Caden crossed his arms and slouched deeper in his chair. “So, am I cleansed or what? I’ve got plans tonight.”

“No, Caden, you aren’t.”

He gave a pout as he rose from his seat. She was pretty sure he meant it mockingly. “Ah well, thanks for trying. Am I done?”

Melissa said, “No, you are not. Miasma can leave you open to demonic influence. We need figure out why it’s not coming off.”

“Hey, no worries. I can handle a few nightmares.”

Melissa huffed, and Caden winked at her. Melissa bristled.

Cheeky
. “Caden, okay if you and I have a chat before we try the glyph again?”

He shrugged.

“Great. Melissa, how about you ask Dr. Jenson if he has someone else ready to be cleansed.”

“Sure, Dr. Ellis.” Melissa headed toward Nat on the other side of the room without even a token protest.
Guess she’s had her fill of weird cases
. Tegonni felt the same. Too bad she didn’t have a more senior counselor to shove the case over to. She bit her lip as Caden slouched in the chair again, legs spread and arms crossed.

Nat would take the case if she asked. Unfortunately, she had a strong sense of duty. Her intern’s client, so her case. She scowled and then turned it into a tight smile for Caden.

Tegonni leaned back in her chair and tried to relax. Maybe he’d respond better if she mirrored his casual air. “Melissa says you regret being part of the summoning. Is that right?”

He jerked his head in a single dip. “Yes, definitely. If I’d known what a loose demon could do… Well, that idiot Kirkland promised he’d keep the thing contained. Not my fault he didn’t know what the fuck he was doing.”

“You trusted him to keep everyone safe.”

“Yeah!” Caden leaned forward, elbows going to his knees. “I mean, what kind of dumbass puts together a demon summoning using protection glyphs from a Wiccan spell book? Even I know ceremonial magicians are the ones who deal with demons.”

“So you wouldn’t have helped summon the demon if you’d known the protections were inadequate, but with full containment you’d participate again?”

He shook a finger. “Don’t try to trip me up, shrink. I know demon summoning is wrong. Not that I care much. But it’s also dangerous and I’m lucky to have woken up unscathed. I won’t do it again, okay?”

“Unscathed? What about the satanic miasma?”

He shrugged. “The hell goo? What about it?”

Tegonni struggled to keep the surprise off her face.
Does he want to be soiled?
She tried a different tactic. “May I ask why you participated in the first place?”

He stared, his lips thinned in a tight smile. “If I tell you, will you cut me loose?”

“You can go anytime you want. You’re not a prisoner.”

“I know, but I don’t want any do-gooder caseworker types following up with me for the rest of my life. I want you to sign off on my case.”

She rubbed her eyes. Her Lightworker colleagues did have a habit of helping people long after said people wanted the help. Whether they needed the continued assistance or not was debatable. She believed in free will and stopped her phone calls and home visits as soon as clients requested. Usually. But what if he was hiding some convoluted plot to harm himself or someone else? She didn’t see how a botched summoning could help, but he’d had a reason for doing it. “How about I agree to close your case as long as I don’t see potential harm in whatever you share?”

He seemed to consider that. “That’ll work. Ain’t hurting no one.”

“Good. So…?”

“Getting splashed with the black stuff was my only reason for helping Kirkland with the ritual.”

Tegonni frowned. “Satanic miasma? Why would you want that?”

He leaned closer, grinning like a four-year-old revealing a big secret. “Because it makes you immune to vampire compulsion.”

Her jaw dropped and a straggled sound escaped her mouth. “Ah…what?”

Caden laughed. “You should see the look on your face. Vampire compulsion. The goo, like, negates a vamp’s magic on your will when they feed on you. My girlfriend is a sired vamp. I dig the biting, but not being a puppet. So we decided…”

Tegonni lost focus as she plopped back in her chair. Feeding without compulsion? This was what Fernando needed. An acceptable way to feed on human blood. Matanji had agreed taking free will was the real problem. She’d have to see this as a tolerable, if not ideal solution. Tegonni exhaled. The prospect of a workable solution was such a relief.

“Oooh.” Her young client studied her face. “Why the huge grin? Someone know a bloodsucker they want to get
confidential
with?”

Tegonni’s face burned, and chills danced along her skin. “No! I—”

“Relax. Your secret’s safe. Why wouldn’t you want to do a vampire? The bite is wicked hot.” The more she spluttered, the more he laughed.

“Everything okay, Dr. Ellis?” Nat asked from the opposite end of the room where he presided over a knot of counselors and clients.

“Yes, fine. Thanks.” She turned and gave him a quick smile, then looked away before he could realize her expression was fake. He knew her too well. She glared at Caden. “I’m not looking
to do
a vampire. My interest is related with a case I’m working on.”

Why did I tell him that?
She took a deep breath and schooled herself back to some semblance of neutrality. Her anger was out of line. As was thinking about Fernando while counseling another client. Her stomach tightened. “I’m sorry, Caden. I should be focused on you.”

He shrugged, his grin still in place.

Twenty minutes later, she had to concede Caden wasn’t a danger to himself or others. Though having a stained soul was far from encouraged, she couldn’t go against his will to remove it. Same for being a vampire’s blood donor. Not considered the best choice by the Lightworkers, but it was a human’s right. Tegonni’s attempt to refer the youth to their rehab division was halfhearted and immediately rejected.

“Trista and I are a couple. It’s like…sharing souls when she feeds. Not her leeching off me.” He stood and stretched his lean arms above his head. “So, I’m done, right?”

Mouth slack, Tegonni nodded woodenly.
Sharing souls?

“Sweet. Oh, and ah, good luck with your
case
.” Caden chuckled as he sauntered out of the conference room.

Tegonni sat, staring at nothing.

“Okay, what’s up now, hon?” Nat sat in Caden’s empty chair.

“I found our loophole.”

“Dr. Ellis!”

Tegonni jerked her head toward Jaime’s curt voice. Her boss stood in the doorway, and she did not look happy.

“My office.” She stormed out.

Silence filled the room in Jaime’s wake.

As everyone resumed what they’d been doing—carefully not looking in Tegonni’s direction—she looked to the ceiling and shook her head. Of course karma would strike now. “I guess I didn’t make my report vague enough.”

“Or maybe too vague. That would set her off. It might not be about Fernando at all.”

She glanced at Nat as she rose. “Right.”

“Good luck.”

* * * *

As soon as Tegonni sat, Jaime threw a piece of yellow paper across the desk. “What the hell is this?”

Tegonni glanced at the receipt and the tightness in her chest eased. Jaime wanted to argue over appropriation of resources.

She picked up and scanned the top of the paper. With everything going on, she didn’t feel like justifying her pencil budget, or whatever stupid thing had set Jaime off. Thank goodness this wasn’t about the report.

The
Requested By
line only showed their building’s address. No name. Next to that was an interdepartmental stamp. She didn’t bother reading the rest. “Jaime, Nat and I haven’t ordered anything from another department in the last two months. Only external orders for office supplies.”

“Yes, I pulled your official requests when I found this while investigating the Deveroe disaster.”

“You’re not going to put that on us. Intake is responsible for reading clients’ auras for possession. How did he get past them?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. And no, it wasn’t due to a judgment error in your department. However, this receipt makes me think something else is going on. Take a look at what was ordered.”

Disgruntled, Tegonni glanced down. And froze.

Chimp blood with stasis spell—one week supply

“No one in any department in this whole office is working with vampires. The only person I’ve talked to about vampires is you. Though I seem to remember forbidding you from getting involved with that supposedly repentant bloodsucker. Something you care to share?”

Tegonni gritted her teeth. “No.”

Her boss gave her an unfriendly smile. “I’ll make this simple. Stop what you are doing immediately. You may not find a problem with risking your life, but I cannot allow it. If you don’t let this ‘case’ go, expect consequences.”

“What, are you going to throw me in a cell next to Deveroe?”

“I absolutely will if I deem it necessary in order to protect this agency and the people I’m responsible for.”

Tegonni stared.
She wouldn’t
. “Aren’t I one of those people?”

Jaime stood and leaned forward, looming over the desk. “Not if you’re fraternizing with vampires. Be careful, Tegonni. You don’t want to find yourself in rehab on a permanent vacation.”

An icy chill washed over her. Jaime was serious. She was actually threatening her life.
Just like in the dream.

“Consider this your only warning. I’ll be checking for future receipts. If this happens again, you will have a starring role in a very unpleasant investigation.” She sat down and flicked her hand. “Now get the fuck out of my office.”

Tegonni went back to her office, leaving Nat to finish with the group session. Her chest throbbed as if she’d been hit with Jaime’s fists instead of her threats.
Not threats. Promises
. She would follow through with glee.

She slumped into her desk chair and leaned her head back. Jaime wasn’t going to kill her, but something almost worse. A life sentence in a rehab facility. A euphemism for jail. Maybe she was being harsh because of the Deveroe incident. That had been frightening. And to Jaime, vampires were as horrific as demons. But dammit, she was wrong about Fernando.

“And I just found the fricking golden key.” She was blank on how to make feeding off a person touched by satanic miasma sound appealing, but it was a chance at an acceptable life. How could she walk away now when she was so close to saving him?

Saving him. I would never use such language with a normal client
. She groaned. Fernando wasn’t a client. Time to admit the truth. If he were, she would give him the information and wish him well. Which option he took was his choice, and if he were a client, she’d be able to respect that.

But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t step back and let him kill himself. And more awful, die believing he was an unlovable monster unworthy of redemption.

“He doesn’t need redemption. He’s perfect.” She sat up.
What am I saying? A vampire who doesn’t need redemption. Do I really believe that?

“Oh goodness. I do.” Her stomach twisted. She wouldn’t abandon Fernando, but the thought of Jaime finding out and making good on her promise…

Fernando would see reason; she’d find him a donor, and she’d have no more need to order the blood substitute. She could keep this hidden from Jaime for a little while longer. And after the situation was resolved? She crossed her arms over her stomach as the twisting increased. Safest to end their…acquaintance.

She stood, shaking off the thought. She didn’t want to dwell on that right now. Helping Fernando was the focus. She picked up the phone to call his assistant. She needed to see him tonight.

Chapter Nine

Though she sounded unenthused to take Tegonni’s call, Ms. Preston delivered her message and called back right after dark to report Fernando would meet her at the church.

Tegonni rushed up the stairs still wearing the pantsuit she hadn’t changed out of after work. She was keeping her mind on business tonight.

She was halfway down the center aisle when she spotted him leaning against a column off to the side of the pews, his arms crossed. As she walked between rows, she took in the muscular outline of a thigh beneath his boot-cut slacks, then forced her attention to his face.
Business.

His amber eyes peering at her from his gorgeous honey-brown face did not help her resolve. He didn’t move from his casual stance as she stopped in front of him.

“Good evening, Fernando.”

He inclined his head.

She hesitated at this less-than-warm greeting.
What now?
Then she remembered how their last meeting ended. So much had happened since Thursday that she’d forgotten he’d been angry when she walked off. “Are you still upset with me?”

“No, but the last time we met, you could not get away fast enough, and today, you must speak with me urgently. I do not know quite what to expect.”

“I’m sorry. This week has been challenging.” She pushed back a stray hair that had escaped from her French twist.

“Has something else happened?” He moved closer, suddenly alert.

“Nothing you should worry about.”