Demon Hunters 3: Tainted (Stand Alone Series) (Demon Hunters.) (6 page)

Gabe didn’t get a chance to reply. At the flare of demon energy, the demon’s wings snapped out and he flew at them, claws extended. Gabe laughed as Cassidy blocked, spinning away from him to put space between them. “Now we have proof.”

“About bloody time,” Cassidy muttered. She warily watched the demon who hovered just out of reach. “Come down here and fight me.”

“What are you?” the demon demanded.

Gabe gestured towards the weapons she held. “Think I can have one of them daggers?”

Ignoring the demon’s question, Cassidy threw one towards him. “What do we do now?”

Gabe caught the dagger and tipped some of the contents from a vial of liquid over it. He capped the vial and called out, “Here.” When Cassidy nodded he threw the vial. “Tip some of that onto your blade.”

She did as he suggested. “What is it?”

“Holy water. They love fire and could bath in it. This feels to them what fire feels to us.”

“Great, now we’ve just got to get the creature to come closer.” Which looked like it might be a problem since the demon was rising higher into the air.

“No we don’t.” Gabe grinned and turned the dagger so he held it by the blade. “Get ready.” He tossed the dagger at the demon who howled as he plummeted to the ground.

Cassidy was on him in an instant, sinking her blade into his body. The creature howled again, striking out at her. She dodged and weaved, striking back. Then Gabe was beside her, having collected the dagger. He plunged the weapon into the demon and started to pray. Falling backwards, Cassidy swore at the pain Gabe’s words caused. Jumping to her feet, she struck out at him with her forearm. “Shut up you idiot.”

Gabe grinned up at her as he fought to keep the demon pinned to the ground. “What’s up, demon girl?”

She gestured at him with her middle finger before she launched herself on the demon again. The creature howled and fought, struggling to escape. Its skin smoked and Cassidy stabbed it again at the same moment Gabe did. The demon seemed to shrink in on itself, becoming nothing.

Rising to her feet, Cassidy barely had time to sheath her dagger before Gabe whooped and grabbed hold of her to whirl her around. When his lips came close to hers, she turned her head and pressed against his chest, pulling away from him. “No, don’t. Remedy will kill you.”

Gabe let her go. “You’re… dating him?” He sounded horrified.

“No!” She shouted the word then forced herself to calm down. “No. Never.” Date one of her father’s killers? Was he crazy?

“Then what?”

“He thinks he owns me.” She turned her back on Gabe and felt his hand rest on her shoulder. “It’d be safer if you left me alone.”

“Cassidy-”

There was a rush of air and Remedy forced himself between the two of them, his hand going around Gabe’s throat. “Don’t touch what’s not yours.”

Cassidy threw herself at Remedy, fear for Gabe rushing through her. “Leave him alone.” She pulled at Remedy’s hand, trying to help Gabe who was struggling to escape. “Damn you. Let him go, now.”

Remedy opened his hand and Gabe dropped to the ground where he staggered to his feet, rubbing at his neck. Remedy turned his burning gaze on Cassidy. “You were warned. I said I’d kill any who touched you.”

“We were celebrating getting rid of a demon. It was nothing more.” She yelled the words at Remedy, fear still racing through her. “Stop screwing up my life.”

“You are mine.” He pointed a finger at her. “Never forget it.”

“I belong to no one.” Her face was so close to Remedy’s she could see the individual flames in his eyes as she yelled at him. “Got it? No one.”

“I say different.”

“What would make you let her go?” Gabe asked.

Remedy and Cassidy both turned to look at him. Cassidy spoke first. “I’m bound to him.”

“Only death would break the binding,” Remedy said. “It would kill both of us. And I don’t plan to die.”

Gabe shook his head. “No. What would she have to do before you’d let her live her life? What favour do you need done?”

“My enemy made powerless against me.”

Cassidy’s anger faded and she stared at Remedy, hope struggling to form. “Your enemy.”

Remedy nodded. “The one who sent your father to me.”

Hope and anger rose together within her, hatred sprinkled amongst it. “Done. Now who is he?”

“Do you think you have the ability to make him powerless? He has ultimate power over me. How can you solve that problem?”

Cassidy shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

“He knows your name?” Gabe asked Remedy.

Remedy sneered at Gabe, refusing to answer his question.

“Yeah, he does,” Cassidy said.

Gabe slowly shook his head. “You’re screwed then.”

“No. It’s just going to take some time to figure this one out.”

Gabe stopped shaking his head. “Maybe not.” He stared silently at her for a moment. “Demon girl, it just might be your lucky day to be a sinner.”

“Forget the theatrics and spit it out.”

“You could bind him to an object.”

“No she couldn’t,” Remedy said. “He’s too powerful.”

“He’ll be imprisoned in the object?” Cassidy asked.

Gabe ignored Cassidy’s question to meet Remedy’s eyes. “How powerful is he?”

“As powerful as me.”

“I want to try,” Cassidy said.

“No,” Gabe and Remedy answered in unison.

Cassidy glared at them, refusing to believe she couldn’t do it. Instead of arguing she shrugged her shoulders. She wasn’t about to waste her time in an argument she didn’t need. Somehow she’d figure it out, with or without their help. She turned her gaze on Gabe. “Do you want a lift home?”

Gabe’s eyes narrowed, their intensity increasing. Then he chuckled. “You’re still going to do it, aren’t you?”

“I will not allow it,” Remedy said.

Cassidy’s hands went to her hips. “Do you want a lift home or not?”

With a nod Gabe handed the dagger back to her. “It’d be easier than hitchhiking.” He grinned. “Not sure if it’d be safer though.” He shot a glance at Remedy.

Remedy pointed a finger at him. “Just remember she’s mine.”

Gabe met his stare, saying nothing, then turned to Cassidy. “Think you can remember how to get there?”

Cassidy nodded before she strode to her motorbike, swinging her leg over the seat as she donned her helmet. She waited for Gabe to hop on the back, smiling when his arms wrapped tightly around her middle. She wondered if it was for Remedy’s benefit or because of the way she rode. She took off, hoping it was for Remedy. That demon did not own her.

When they pulled up out the front of Gabe’s home, dawn was starting to streak the horizon with colour. She was tired, but energy still coursed through her making her wish there were more demons to hunt.

“Thanks for the lift.” Gabe stood beside her. He grinned. “And the hunt.”

Cassidy nodded, removing her helmet. “It was different fighting with someone else. And I want holy water. Hundreds of litres of it.”

Gabe laughed. “Blood thirsty, aren’t you?”

“And you’re not?”

Gabe’s grin faded. “I’ve never had a problem with the hunting part. It’s the not sinning I have an issue with.” He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “Temptation’s always been my weakness.”

Cassidy met his gaze and her mouth dried at his expression. She reached for him then pulled her hand back before she could touch. She shook her head. “Don’t. He’ll kill you.”

Gabe’s lips curved slightly. “Temptation and danger. My greatest weaknesses.”

“Then I won’t be very interesting once I deal with Remedy’s enemy.”

“Oh you’ll always be dangerous, demon girl.” Gabe grinned. “Wanna hunt tonight? I’ll bring my own weapons this time and enough holy water for both of us.”

She remembered the satisfaction it had given her to vanquish the demon. Hunting alone might be her preference, but she’d actually managed to get rid of a demon with Gabe’s help. “Deal.” She pulled her helmet back on and headed for home, still smiling.

Cassidy glared at her home phone when it rang out again. Where was Gabe? She’d rung him at least four times already today. She’d waited until lunchtime to give him time to sleep. Where the hell was he? Or was he ignoring her calls? He’d been the one to offer his help. So why wasn’t he answering the phone? She slammed the cordless phone back in its cradle when it rang out again.

She spent the rest of the afternoon pacing the house, too restless to do anything else. When Gabe finally returned her calls, she demanded, “Where’ve you been?”

“Sleeping. Not all of us run on demon energy.”

“I need to know more about binding a demon.”

“Look, I shouldn’t have said anything about it to you. My cousin wants to come and talk to you.”

“Riley?”

“No. Scarlett. Well, she’s actually my second or third cousin. Possibly even my fourth. It gets confusing. Anyway, you haven’t met her. Can I bring her over? And where do you live?”

“Does she know how to do it?”

“More than she wishes sometimes.”

“Then I want to talk to her.” Cassidy rattled off her address then had to wait until Gabe found pen and paper to write it down.

“We’ll be there in about an hour.”

The next hour passed far too slowly for Cassidy. She continued to pace through the house, occasionally stopping to look at an object and remember better days. And to think she’d thought nothing could get worse than her mum having early onset Alzheimer’s. But how could she have even considered demons existed? No one believed in them. Or if they did, it was usually because they were crazy. Isn’t that what she’d thought of her father? How many other people who were considered crazy for believing in demons were actually sane?

When she heard the knock at her front door, she raced through the house to throw the door open. Three people stood on her doorstep.

Gabe grinned at her and pointed to his companions in turn. “Jesse. Scarlett.”

Jesse had eyes dark enough to be black, an angular face with slashing cheeks, close cropped dark hair, broad shoulders, a row of earrings up both ears and in one eyebrow. Scarlett wore a small gold cross on a cord necklace around her throat, had warm brown eyes, a wiry frame and short blond hair that feathered around her fine boned face. The three of them were dressed in black jeans and short sleeved shirts and had demon marks around their left wrists.

Cassidy stepped back so they could enter and led them to her lounge room. She waited until they were seated before she spoke to Scarlett. “Gabe said you know about binding demons.”

“You should be trying to get rid of the demon currently bound to you instead of collecting more,” Scarlett said.

“No way. I wouldn’t survive a minute against demons without him.”

“You wouldn’t have to fight alone. No one should take on a demon alone,” Scarlett said.

“I prefer to fight alone. You can’t rely on people. Ever. This,” she touched her mark that moved slightly under her skin, “Is what allows me to kick demon butt. In fact, I could probably take on all of you and win.”

Jesse grinned, slightly predatory. “I wouldn’t count on that, demon girl.”

Heat flared in Cassidy’s mark and she was out of the seat in a second and across the room to grab one of the many daggers she’d stashed around her house. “What are you?” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Jesse, the dagger unsheathed and pointed towards him.

All the demon hunters were on their feet, but before Jesse could reply, Scarlett stepped forward, a hand gesture holding her companions back. “We’re not here to hurt you, Cassidy.”

“Then what is he? And how could he get past the salt across my front doorstep?”

“He used to be a demon, but he’s human now.”

Cassidy shook her head at Scarlett’s words. “That wasn’t human I felt.”

“There’s a slight trace of demon still left in him. But he won’t hurt you. None of us are here to hurt you. We want to help you get rid of Remedy.” Scarlett took a step forward. “I’m sure we can figure this out.” Another step forward.

Cassidy still held her dagger protectively in front of her. “All I want to know is how to bind a demon. I’m keeping Remedy. I read Demonology. That’s not me. I don’t believe in all that religious crap.”

“How can you not believe? All these demons, don’t they prove anything to you?” Scarlett asked.

“Yeah, that humans aren’t top of the food chain like they believe. And those bastards better watch out when I’m around. I’m nobody’s prey.”

Scarlett winced at her choice of words.

Gabe grinned. “Didn’t I tell you she was extremely likeable?”

Scarlett sent Gabe a pointed look. “No wonder your mum was concerned for your soul, Gabriel.”

Gabe shrugged. “If she didn’t have me to worry over she’d find something else. I’m doing her a favour.”

Scarlett slowly shook her head at him before she turned back to Cassidy. “You don’t understand how dangerous it is to bind a demon to an object. You won’t live forever. Anyone could end up with it. A demon in the wrong hands can do a lot of damage.”

“That’s not going to be a problem.”

Scarlett frowned. “Dying?”

Cassidy nodded.

Jesse swore, ignoring Scarlett’s rebuke over his language. “No wonder Gabe calls you demon girl. Have you any idea what you’ve done?”

“No. And I wish people would stop asking me that.” Cassidy lowered her dagger, but continued to hold it. “No one will tell me anything. Well, not anything I want to hear. I’m not religious and not interested.” Not after everything she’d been through. “So don’t bother trying to force it down my throat. I’m keeping Remedy. That’s not up for discussion. All I need to know is how to get rid of our enemy.”

“Who happens to know his true name,” Gabe reminded her.

Cassidy shrugged. “Yeah, and?”

Jesse shook his head. “You’re screwed.”

“Jesse!” Scarlett glared at him.

It was Jesse’s turn to shrug, a half smile on his lips. “You know it as well as I do, Lady Knight.”

“I wouldn’t have worded it quite that way,” Scarlett said.

Jesse’s half smile became a grin. “It doesn’t matter how it’s worded, the fact remains. She’s got no hope in hell in retaining a grip on her humanity. A demon that powerful will eventually take her over.”

Cassidy stared at him, wanting to demand he take back his words. Remedy wasn’t going to own her. He’d already taken enough from her. “How do I stop that?”

“Sever the ties somehow,” Jesse said.

“Or become more powerful than him.” Gabe’s soft words caused bedlam.

Cassidy watched as an argument broke out amongst the hunters about the morality of binding a demon to an object. When it looked like it wasn’t going to end, she broke in. “What’s the best object to use?”

“Don’t even think about it,” Scarlett said.

At the same time Gabe answered her. “A ring.”

“Why a ring?” Ignoring Scarlett, Cassidy turned to Gabe.

“Jewellery is best since you can always have it on you. A bracelet or necklace risk being broken in battle. The only way you’ll lose a ring is if your finger is cut off or you lose weight.”

Cassidy shuddered at the thought of her finger being cut off. “So I get one that’s tight on me now and avoid axe wielding maniacs.”

Gabe laughed. “Want help choosing one?”

“No.” Scarlett grabbed his shoulder, turning him to face her. “Stop encouraging her, Gabriel. Your mother didn’t leave you with us so you could get into more trouble.”

Gabe’s eyes narrowed. “Stop calling me that. Only Mum calls me that stupid name. I’m not an angel and I’ve got no interest in becoming one. And stop treating me like a child. I’m an adult, Scarlett. Quite capable of making my own choices.”

“Really? Then think about what you’re doing. You help her and you imperil your own soul,” Scarlett said.

“Like you did?”

Scarlett looked away from Gabe’s intense stare. “Sometimes one must choose the lesser evil.” She looked at Cassidy. “But this isn’t the case here. We can solve this problem without sin. We’ll find a way.”

“You’re already too late. My sins can’t get much worse than they already are.” Cassidy’s lips twisted into a mocking smile as she remembered the night she’d first met Remedy. “You can’t save me from hell. You’re a few months too late.”

Scarlet walked towards Cassidy, compassion filling her gaze. “All sins can be forgiven. You only have to be sorry, never do it again and ask forgiveness. All sinners can repent.”

Cassidy laughed, short and sharp. “This one is impossible to repeat, except in my nightmares.” She made a sharp motion with her hand. “Forget it. I can’t follow your way. I have my own way of doing things. Now are you going to help me or not?”

Scarlet shook her head. “I can’t. I’m sorry. Not again. If you’re willing to try other paths then I’ll help, but this,” she glanced towards Jesse before meeting Cassidy’s gaze, “Is a sin. One I can’t repeat. Not and live with my actions.”

Jesse stepped close to Scarlett, draping an arm around her to pull her against him. “If you want help getting rid of the demon call us. In the meantime,” he pulled a vial from his pocket and tossed it to her. She noticed a black feather tattooed on his left palm. “You might want to think about why holy water would hurt a human.”

Cassidy stared at the vial in her hands. “What?”

“Spill a few drops on yourself. Maybe on that cut across your mark. And try praying,” Jesse said.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to prove.” Cassidy slid the vial into a pocket. It would come in handy when she hunted later. On her weapons, not herself. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

Jesse smiled slightly. “I never claimed there was. I just want you to think about what it means.” His smile widened. “I have nothing against demons. They’re a little like humans. Some choose to practice evil, some choose more innocuous pursuits.”

“And what about you? What was your sin when you were a demon?” Cassidy asked.

Jesse laughed. “Lust.”

“That’s not a sin,” Cassidy protested.

It was Gabe’s turn to laugh. “And you wonder why I have issues with being a hunter.”

Cassidy’s eyes rounded. “You can’t have sex if you’re a hunter?”

“Of course you can,” Scarlett said.

“As long as you’re married,” Jesse explained.

“And wanting to sleep with someone isn’t a good enough reason to get married,” Gabe said.

Cassidy shook her head. “You lot live in the dark ages.”

“Yeah. Is it any wonder I want to escape?”

Scarlett’s gaze turned to Gabe. “No one is holding you prisoner. No one is making you be a hunter.”

“It’s not hunting I have an issue with. In fact, that’s the only thing I don’t have an issue with.” Gabe turned his intense stare to Cassidy. “Want help finding a ring?”

“Gabriel-” Scarlett broke off at the glare he sent her way.

“Yeah,” Cassidy said before another argument could break out.

Gabe nodded at Cassidy before he turned back to Scarlett. “I’ll find my own way home.”

“I hope you can.” Scarlett pulled away from Jesse and wrapped her arms around Gabe. “Take care, Gabriel. You’re family. No matter the path you take we’ll pray for you.”

Gabe’s arms tightened around her before he stepped away. “Thanks, little cousin.” He grinned. “Maybe you should have Father Joe make a vat of holy water.” He glanced towards Cassidy. “I reckon we’re going to need it.”

“There’s more holy water at Gran’s,” Scarlet said.

“Here.” Jesse tossed a vial to Gabe.

“How many of them do you have?” Cassidy asked.

“One left.” Jesse shrugged with a grin. “I like to be prepared.” He turned to Scarlett. “Ready to go home?”