Demon Night (45 page)

“He deserved it,” Angie said as she wiped her eyes again.

Charlie frowned, and her brows drew together. “If he deserved it, why were you faking it before, and why is it real now?”

Angie and Cora exchanged a glance before Cora said, “He was a prick, but he saved our asses. It doesn't hurt anything if the others remember that we were crying when we came in; it gives something back to Manny.” She gestured toward the one-way and the vampires in the lounge. The shield was up, so they wouldn't be hearing anything now.

Angie added, “And we talked a lot in that trunk—about making some changes, getting a new line of work. We'd heard Drifter was opening up a theater, and would be hiring vampires.”

The waterworks had been an audition? Charlie appeared too confounded by their response to tell them the Heritage would be owned by Colin and Savi, and Ethan just studied his boots again.

“And we wanted to get Drifter here as fast as possible, so we laid it on thick—but your boss was so sweet, trying to help us out, we didn't stop,” Cora said.

“Now
that's
a man,” Angie said, and looked through the one-way again as if she'd like to eat Old Matthew up.

Though Charlie's eyes widened, Ethan relaxed a little. Taken all together, the foolishness they were spouting was finally starting to make sense. “You're aiming to take Manny's place.”

“Yes,” they said in unison. Angie added, “And we want your approval.”

Ethan shook his head. “That ain't my decision—it's for your community to determine.”

Cora smiled as she said, “Do you know what we've heard from every vampire since coming out of that trunk? ‘Drifter and Charlie, Drifter and Charlie.' Your support will go a long way for us.”

The truth was, Ethan could easily see Cora and Angie heading the community, but he sure in blazes wasn't going to get pulled into a discussion of vampire politicking now. “You ladies stay in Vladimir and Katya's house, keep your fingers in everyone's business like they've always been, get some legitimate income, and you'll be in a fine position to take over. You won't be needing me.” He held out his hand for Charlie's; a moment after her cool fingers clasped on his, another thought occurred to him, and he pinned a stare on Cora. “I sure hope you ain't figuring to use me as an enforcer.”

“No,” Angie said, and coolly examined one of her long red fingernails. “I can handle that part of it.”

“Unlike Katya and Vladimir, we'll own our responsibilities.” Cora's smile became thin and sharp. “And we definitely won't be killing any humans. Now, didn't
that
come back to bite them on the ass?” Cora let out a hard laugh.

Ethan paused at the door; Charlie's grip tightened. He met her gaze, saw the same unease that flashed through him, then turned back to Cora. “How's that?”

Eyes narrowing, Angie glanced between them. “Manny told you about how Vladimir and Katya died.”

“That he did—and that it was the same method the nephil used. How's that relate to them killing humans?”

Cora leaned forward. “Manny put up the spell just after you mentioned how the nephil killed the rogue in that alley. And Manny told
us
that he told you about the guy who did it—are you saying he didn't tell you?”

“He didn't,” Ethan said. Reining in his impatience wasn't easy. “How about you tell us now?”

With a laugh, Angie said, “The weasel chickened out. Probably thought you'd slay him for his part in it.”

That was just about enough of that. “How about you tell us what goddamn part you're speaking of?”

Cora lifted her brows. “Do you have time for a long story?”

At his side, Charlie shook her head. “No. Give us the condensed version.”

“Okay.” Cora hooked a strand of black hair back from her forehead. “You know what's-his-face, the senator, was trying to get Vladimir and Katya to go public about six months ago?”

“That we do,” Ethan said. Just the mention of Brandt was giving him a bad feeling.

“Well, he paid Vladimir as compensation for coming out and for submitting to whatever testing needed to be done to prove vampires existed.”

Charlie said slowly, “We've seen something like a payment from the Brandts.”

“It was supposed to be the first payment of many,” Angie said. “Except once Manny told us what Vladimir and Katya were planning, Cora and I went and talked some sense into them. Coming out wouldn't do anyone any good—human or not.”

“That's a fact,” Ethan agreed. “So I take it Vladimir and Katya tried to pull out—and weren't going to return the money. From what little I've seen of the senator, I reckon he didn't take kindly to that, threatening to expose them anyway.”

And if Vladimir and Katya had killed someone, obviously whomever Brandt had sent to collect them hadn't been properly warned of what he was facing.

“Yes. Broke his neck, and then they asked Manny to dump him—”

“Him?”
Charlie was blinking, and Ethan thought he probably looked as confused as she was. “They killed Senator Brandt when he threatened them? But—”

“Yes. And no.” Cora grimaced, lifted her shoulders. “Manny said that he'd just driven the body to the highway when he heard thumping in the trunk. The old guy was still alive, even though Manny said he could have sworn he was dead. So he dropped him on the side of the road, still wrapped up in sheets, and took off.”

Christ Jesus.
A dead man walking.
And the senator wasn't a vampire—though apparently he'd developed one hell of a grudge against their kind.

“Maybe we should go talk to Mark,” Charlie said quietly. Her face was telling him she'd just come to the same conclusion he had.

He nodded. No more pussyfooting around.

Ethan began cursing as they flew over Madison Park. Charlie turned in his arms. Far below them, she made out the passing cars, the pedestrians…and Mark and Jake, leaving the restaurant.

The trip to Cole's had only taken twenty-five minutes; they couldn't have finished dinner in that time.

“You'd best have a good reason for this, novice,” Ethan said.

A few seconds later, Jake pretended to play with his hair, and replied with a gesture over his head. Ethan drew in a sharp breath.

“Well, I'll be damned,” he said quietly, and met Charlie's eyes. “He's got Jane.”

“
Mark
does?” Startled, Charlie glanced down at the two as Mark opened the passenger door of his car, and Jake slid in.

“Yes.” Ethan raised his voice. “All right, Jake—we'll follow you. Be certain you don't do anything to obstruct his free will; if he tries to keep us from taking Jane, Charlie can handle him.” He hesitated before adding, “And if you see his father, you run. We've got reason to think the nephil has possessed him.”

Charlie watched the car pull away from the curb, then looked back up at Ethan. “This will change things.”

Ethan hadn't wanted her anywhere near the nephil; they'd intended to speak with Mark here, then Jake would return with Charlie to the lake house and Ethan would locate the senator. But if Jane was locked behind the spell, Charlie needed to be there.

“Not all that much,” Ethan said. “If the senator's at home, you ain't going in. We'll get Jane after I slay him.”

Charlie hesitated for just an instant, but it needed to be asked. “Are you going to do it when he's in his human form?”

“I'd prefer it.”

“Can you be sure, though? What if Manny was mistaken? What if the senator's neck wasn't really broken, and he was never dead? And there are all those stories about people doing impossible things, coming back to life…” She trailed off as she realized, “Oh. Those are you.
Us.
”

Guardians, vampires, and demons, performing miraculous feats.

“Yes.” His chuckle was warm, and his arms tightened briefly. “All right, Charlie. It looks as if Brandt is heading on home, and we're flying slow enough you should be able to use the phone. I need you to tell Selah to be ready, and then let Lilith know she's going to have a senator's death to cover up.”

His cell appeared in her hand, and she began scrolling through the address book. “How do you think she'll do it?”

“Most likely, a Guardian will take his form for a week or two, then he'll have a heart attack in public or some such thing.”

“That's scary,” she said softly. “That the truth can be twisted so easily.”

“It's necessary.”

“I'm not arguing that.” She smiled a little, shook her head. “But it's still scary. I'm glad you're the good guys.”

“I don't rightly know about that. Mostly, we've just got better intentions than the demons.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You'll never convince me you aren't a hero, Drifter.”

“Well, hell,” he said, and a hint of color appeared on his cheeks. “Then I sure hope I never do anything to disabuse you of that notion.”

Satisfied, she placed the two calls. By the time she'd finished the second, they were almost across the lake, headed toward Bellevue.

Ethan flew lower, said loudly, “Jake, you have any idea whether his father's at home?”

Jake projected a carefree, relieved note.

“All right, then. It may be that Sammael's lurking about, so watch your back and stick close to Brandt. Charlie and I will fly on ahead, see if we can get Jane out before you arrive.”

 

The Brandt property was practically a mini-estate. A tall, decorative fence surrounded extensive landscaping and was lined with trees and shrubs for privacy. The residence had been built in a similar style to the house on the lake, but from the glimpses of the interior that Charlie caught as they circled above, it looked as if the Brandts had taken “lodge” much deeper to heart. The furniture was heavy and masculine, the colors dark. She wouldn't have been surprised to find animal heads hanging from a wall.

The house was eerily silent.

“The shield's up. Someone's got to be inside,” Ethan said, and the thrust of his Gift reverberated through her chest. “The symbols are on the front door, but let's fly around a bit, see if we can figure where Jane is before we go in.”

A few seconds later, Charlie pointed at a window on the third floor, overlooking the backyard. Yellow light peeked through the curtains. “There.”

Ethan nodded. “Those iron bars ain't exactly a match for the rest of the house, are they?”

Charlie swallowed her anger. “No.”

They landed on the front porch, and Ethan caught her arm before she could move toward the door. He unbuckled his gun belt and cinched it around her hips, replacing his revolvers with her automatic pistols.

“They don't fit in the holsters quite right,” he said quietly, adjusting the length of their straps so the weapons lay against her upper thighs instead of her knees. “But they'll be there if you need them.” He raised his gaze to hers. “If you need them, don't you hesitate to use them.”

She practiced drawing them a few times, then pulled in a deep breath. “Okay.”

Ethan palmed his own guns, stepped in front of the door, and peered through the panes of glass forming a semicircle at the top. His jaw was tight when he glanced at her. “I sure hate going in blind—”

His eyes narrowed; he spun around and fell to one knee, aiming out into the yard. “Show yourself, demon.”

Charlie turned, her hands resting on the holsters. A movement on the lower limbs of a tree caught her attention an instant before Sammael dropped to the lawn.

Oh, this was bad. Very, very bad. Charlie darted a glance at Ethan. He wasn't giving anything away, but he must be thinking that as soon as they got Jane, Sammael might try to kill him.

Ethan would be blind coming
out
of the house, too—and he'd be watching his back, watching for Jake and Mark, and watching for the senator all at once.

Slowly, Ethan got to his feet again. “I figured you might be around.”

“But I did not think
you
would. At least, not until I told you of her location.” Sammael's smile had a sharp edge of displeasure. He stepped in front of the tree trunk, and his shirt and pants changed from black to the color of the bark. “How is it that you discovered where she is?”

“Charlie had dinner with young Brandt,” Ethan said, turning back to the front door.

Sammael's gaze lit on her. “Charlotte's been a busy girl. I tried that, too, but he caught on to me when he touched my skin.”

Luckily, Jake's was the same temperature as a human's. “How long have you known she was here?” Charlie asked.

A yellow square of paper appeared in Sammael's hand. Even from across the yard, Charlie could read Jane's messy handwriting.
Mark, 1:00.

“She didn't come back from lunch,” Sammael said. His gaze lifted to the third floor, and his expression softened. “I've been here almost every moment since then.”

“Every moment, except those when you're shooting Jane's sister out of the sky.” Ethan held out his hand, pulled Charlie in front of him, and folded the sleeve of his jacket back over his wrist. “If the senator arrives before we return with Jane, it'd sure benefit us if you provide him with a distraction. Maybe go on up and give him a hug.”

His Gift thrummed through her and she bit, sucked in his blood and the sound of the lock. Steady, strong, soft—absolutely lovely, if a bit frayed around the edges. She held on to it for a long moment before projecting it back to Ethan.

He convulsed and pushed his way through; the door slammed open, the glass shattering.

Ethan didn't let them fall, but kicked the door shut behind him. His guns were out, and he made a quick sweep of the room before returning to her side, wiping the blood from his ears and nose.

He met her eyes, his gaze clear and focused despite the bleeding around his irises, the blotches of crimson. “Let's go find her, then, before Jake arrives and is an easy target for Sammael.”

She nodded and followed him toward the stairs. He wasn't moving as fast as he could—or even she could—and she felt his psychic touch probing the spaces around them.

They passed a library, and Ethan quickly ducked in. He was out an instant later, shutting and locking the door behind him. A game room was on the other side of the hallway, and she caught a glimpse of an elk head before he closed that door, as well.

“I knew it,” she said quietly. They'd reached the stairs, and Ethan was gazing upward.

“What's that?”

“The hunting thing. Although I can't really see Mark liking it—or even liking this house. It doesn't seem to fit him at all.”

“That it doesn't,” Ethan agreed, and she copied his stance as he moved up the stairs, keeping her back against the wall and her guns drawn.

“Did you feel what I sent you? That was him.” There had been strength, but no hardness. Nothing that would have made her think Mark could kill an animal—or kidnap a woman.

“Yes. A good man.” Ethan darted a glance at her. “Making some real bad decisions.”

“Those ragged portions?”

“I reckon. He's breaking up; it likely ain't a stretch to say that learning about demons and vampires has caused a lot of it.”

“And his dad. God knows what he's been getting from that end.”

Ethan nodded, then moved around the second-floor landing and started up the next flight. “It may be he'll pull himself together—but there's no telling which way he'll go before he does.”

Charlie sighed, and joined him at the top of the stairs. A window overlooked the front of the house. No headlights, and she could see the barest outline of Sammael's form against the tree.

“Ethan,” she said. “When we go back out, let me go in front of you.”

A smile flashed over his mouth, and he turned down the hallway taking them to the rear of the house. “No chance in hell, Charlie.”

“Just listen,” she said, her heart beating wildly. “You made sure I was protected by striking that bargain. Let me use it to protect you a little. If he has to go around me—”

“Then I have to worry about hurting you as I defend myself. It's best that you're behind me.” He stopped in front of a a heavy wood door. Both the dead bolt and the knob locked from the hallway; they had been supplemented with a chain and a padlock that popped open with a touch of Ethan's Gift.

Charlie frowned. “Why can't I hear her inside?”

“Spell's up. So either they've got her tied down so as she can't disturb the symbols, or she's determining when they visit her.”

“Probably the second,” Charlie said, holstering her guns. Ethan brought his wrist to her lips again, and yes, there was Jane, hard and bright and sweet, the chime of glass against steel.

This time, they fell—but Ethan controlled it, rolling immediately to the side, using his body to cover hers.

A moment later, his heavy weight lifted, and Charlie opened her eyes to Jane's stunned expression. She was sitting at an equipment-crowded desk, her computer open, with a rack of blood-filled vials beside it.

Charlie blinked. “You're using a microscope in your
underwear
? You are such a nerd.”

“Jesus. Charlie? How did you—” Jane stood, grabbed the robe hanging from the back of her chair. “How—?” She tore her fingers through her hair. “You're really here?”

Charlie accepted Ethan's hand, got to her feet. “Really. But we've got to go right away. Get dressed.”

Jane quickly began gathering up items from the desk, and Charlie went to her side, stopped her. “We've got to go
now
,” she said, meeting Jane's eyes. “Ethan can take all of this, if you give him permission.”

Jane looked over Charlie's shoulder, nodded. “Yes. Okay. All of the samples in the little refrigerator, too.” She pulled Charlie in for a quick hug, then ran off to the other side of the room.

Charlie frowned down at the now-empty desk. “What were you working on?”

Jane came out of the closet with a shirt and jeans. “Same thing I was at Legion, only the senator wanted proof vampire blood wasn't human.”

“Did you find any?” Ethan asked quietly.

“No. Wouldn't have with this equipment—and I told them it's a match down to the DNA level, anyway. The only difference is the healing behavior.” Jane zipped her jeans, then shoved her feet into a pair of already-tied tennis shoes. “They were talking about getting more lab equipment—”