Demon's Moon: A Celia Winters Novel Book 2 (6 page)

They were halfway to the coven house when she tensed up, and
for a brief moment regretted not listening to Mia… she probably would have been
safer.  She’d caught a glimpse of something moving in front of a parked truck
on the street, a moment later a spike strip slid out in front of the car. 
There was no time to warn of it, or for Ed to react as the front tires blew followed
quickly by the back tires.

She barked at Mia in the back, “Get on the floor.”

Mia looked mutinous, but slid off the seat and ducked down
right before another man stepped out from behind a van a mere thirty feet away,
and opened fire with a fully automatic weapon as she ducked behind the dash.

Ed leaned towards her and hit the gas, steering the car as
best he could blindly, with flat tires, and right at the weapon wielder.  The
guy emptied his whole clip into the hood and windshield which cracked and
shattered around all the holes.  She was more worried about the guy behind
them, she was picturing him throwing a grenade under the car, or maybe with a
sniper rifle waiting for a good shot.

Either way Ed couldn’t be happy, two cars in as many days.

Her heart was pumping fast and she could feel the
adrenaline.  She peaked and saw the guy dive back behind the van and reach for
a reload.  She opened the car door, pushed off hard against the center console,
and her whole body uncoiled as she shot out and tackled him.

The man grunted and they started to close quarters fight as
they wrestled and rolled on the ground, mostly with elbows and knees.  The
rifle flew a few feet away and she had the presence of mind to drop a glamour,
anyone looking out their windows would just see a car with a flat tire, as if
it’d blown out.  But she couldn’t cover that second guy with it, and didn’t
know what he was doing, which made her shoulder blades itch and lent urgency to
her attack.

She used her control over air and yanked the air out of his
lungs and denied him breath.  He probably could have continued to fight another
minute, maybe two as a shifter before his performance suffered, but the shock
of it made him freeze and gasp for air, she didn’t hesitate to grab his head in
both hands and smack it down hard on the concrete twice, and then twist.

She heard behind her, “You’re gonna pay for that you stupid
bitch.”

She turned her head and the guy had a shotgun pointed at her
from ten feet away, finger on the trigger.  It was her turn to freeze, her
wards might… just might take the first round of buckshot.  But before he could
pull the trigger his body went up in a pyre, it was so hot she flinched away as
his body incinerated and partially exploded.  What was left wasn’t
recognizable.

Then Ed pulled her up and into a hug, “Are you alright?”

Her body melted against his, it felt… really good to her
actually.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said a little unsteadily.

He grabbed her shoulders and held her away a bit to her
disappointment, “Are you sure, you sound like you’re in shock.  And why didn’t
you use your magic, I know you prefer fighting but…”

She frowned, he’d misinterpreted her shaky voice, it hadn’t
been shock causing it.  She smiled at him and took a deep breath.

“Yes, I’m sure.  Thanks,” she said more firmly, ignoring his
question about her magic.

Sure, she should be able to turn a shifter into a bonfire,
she just couldn’t because of reasons she couldn’t explain.  As she looked into
his eyes she felt the confusion inside.  The attraction and her confusion
towards her new body and its reactions as he held her in his arms caused a sort
of epiphany.  She wouldn’t be able to meditate, logic, or think her way to
understanding her new self.  Her real self, since the part of herself that had
been locked away all her life was released last month.

The only way to truly learn was through experience.  And
that meant… taking a chance, even if people could get hurt, emotionally.  It
didn’t mean she had to sleep around or anything stupid like that, self control
was still a major part of it.  But Ed was pretty hot, and her feelings toward
him were changing.  Especially since he just saved her life, and the very
amorous reaction her body had while being against his.  The affect he’d had on
her was undeniable.

Silva who didn’t speak much, merely shared her feelings and said,
“
Yes, I agree.
”

The mental picture Silva then shared with Celia didn’t bear
describing in polite company and seemed to increase the tingling in her lower
torso.

She really wanted to explore that, but now wasn’t the time. 
Right now she was covered with burnt exploded shifter, her clothes were ripped
from her rolling fight on the pavement, and the car was busted.

Plus, the sun was going down and they were still a few miles
from the coven.  All those things served to cool her ardor and she was able to
think straight again.  She’d have to take a chance on things later…

She knelt down on the ground and searched the dead guy…
keys.

She smiled and winked at Ed as she walked over and unlocked
the van.  She then went back and threw the body in.  The other body was going
to be an issue, there wasn’t that much of it left.  Mia walked up with a
disgusted but determined look on her face and raised her hand at the goopy
remains.  Mia clenched her jaw and then water started to flow up away from it. 

She watched in amazement as the remains turned dry and
brittle and a large ball of water collected above the remains.

Mia said with a distasteful grimace, “Burn it Ed.”

Ed turned the rest of corpse two to dust in moments, and Mia
dropped the ball of water hovering over it which washed it away.  There wasn’t
even a bloodstain.

She ran back a few yards down the road and grabbed the spike
strip, threw it in the van quick and they all piled in.  Mia had pulled his car
over to the side of the road, he could get new tires later, not to mention the
hood and windshield.  At least all evidence of the fight was gone.  As Ed
pulled the van out she muttered the one word dispersal spell and her glamour
faded away.

Not only had she decided to give Ed a chance if the
opportunity came up, she also decided she was very tired of the damned
assassins…  That last fight had been a little more exciting than she preferred.

“Mia…”

Mia glanced over at her.

“Thanks for not say I told you so.  I’m sorry.”

Mia shrugged, “I can’t say it was fun, but I held it
together at least.”

She smiled back at the young witch.  Mia had held it
together.  But the girl was only seventeen, and not an enforcer, or a crazy
shifter.  She wished Mia hadn’t been there at all, that she hadn’t had to see
or go through that, but she was impressed by her all the same.

Dusk was giving way to night, the horizon was still a little
purple and pink, but they were definitely pushing it time wise because of the
assassins’ attack.  Hopefully those two working together were the last of the
second wave.  If things went right, they should be done with the vampire and out
of town before a third wave shows up.  That was her hope anyway.

She considered the risk for a second after she arrived, it
was almost completely dark, but she was too messed up not to shower.  So she
grabbed her bag and waved at the shocked faces when she came in bloody and
disappeared into the bathroom.  She felt much better when she was done, and a
little hungry.  She shook her head, she’d never taken a life casually, only in
self defense or in defense of others, but her blasé attitude toward gore still
surprised her at times.

She should be horrified and in shock, not thinking about a
nice juicy steak.  She half smiled at her reflection and shook those thoughts
off, it was how she was now.  Better that anyway, than feeling guilt and
despair over people that clearly needed killing.  She brushed out and put up
her hair, and then joined the others.  Fran and Berny fussed on her a bit, she
did have a few bruises on her arms which would be gone by morning, but they
didn’t fuss for too long, and there was food waiting for her.  She loved those
witches.

“So did you get enough circles up?”

Berny nodded, “Yes, the whole coven came over which is over
thirty.  So we got six circles done before they all had to head back home for
dark, so we don’t have to triple up.  I’m glad you’re safe, Ed and Mia too.”

She grinned, “If things go well tonight, Ed and I are taking
a trip to deal with the source, do you think you, Mia and Fran can hold the
store together for a few days?”

Berny, Fran, and Mia agreed right off, but Fran and Berny
both gave her a look she interpreted as you better tell us more later… or else.

She fought back a smile and ate some more steak.  She wasn’t
looking forward to that, they would freak out at the insanity of the mission. 
Luckily Fran changed the subject for her.

Fran’s voice was frustrated, “I wish the damn thing would
attack, waiting on it is worse.”

Ed shrugged, “It probably doesn’t know about the circles, or
the demon would attack now.  It’s probably waiting for you all to turn in for
the night before taking another go at Elaine.  We’re all wide awake, on edge,
and close the ritual room.  It’s just waiting for what it assumes will be a
better opportunity.”

Celia seemed to be even hungrier when she finished off the
first plate, so she just listened to the nervous chatter around her as she
refilled and demolished her plate a couple more times.  She both loved and
hated the bottomless abyss her stomach had become.  Sometimes it was nice, she
was able to eat a quart of chocolate ice cream without a trace of guilt, but
more often it was a chore to put down eight to ten thousand calories a day.

When midnight started to get close, she decided the demon
must be trying to kill her through boredom.  It wasn’t much longer when an air
elemental showed up again, in the corner of her eye.  It started to vibrate and
spin in an agitated fashion and all her senses sharpened in reaction.  It was
here, or an assassin, but she was almost sure it was the former.

Ed was in the room with her, inside a very small circle he’d
thrown together.  He hated that he wouldn’t be able to help much in the coming
fight, but he’d do what he could.  She looked at the front door, hoping the
demon would come through there, it would end the fight before it started.  But
no such luck, she heard the window break as the vampire demon jumped through
it, and she lunged at it just as fast.

They traded a few blows with none landing at first, but he
got her right in the chest with a flat palm strike that shoved her into the air
and across the room.  She flipped and landed on her feat.

The Demon’s voice was low, scratchy, like a thousand insects
grating just right to actually make speech.  It was the creepiest thing she’d
ever heard.

“Are you okay witch, I could kiss that better for you,” he
said with malicious sounding innuendo while staring at her breasts, “Speaking
of breasts, where is that delicious morsel Elaine.  Did you know that jackass
only told me I had to bring her back alive?  She’s a hot one, and that leaves
so many wonderful things we can…”

The demon stopped talking when she darted forward with as
much speed and strength she could muster, and then kicked out.  The demon
blocked, being just as fast, if not a shade faster.  But the kick still hit his
forearm, which made a loud crack and smashed into his chest, it was his turn to
fly across the room.

She ran to the front door trying to get him to follow her,
but he just laughed.

“I can feel your magic witch, if you think you can hide that
circle with a rug… your dumber than you are sexy.  I’ll tell you what, I’ll
give that little morsel Elaine another day if you agree to…”

She didn’t find out what he wanted, though she could guess. 
The coffee table lifted up off the ground silently and hit the demon hard in
the back, launching him across the room toward Celia.

The demon flew over the demon trap, and he grinned leeringly
at Celia.  Celia however had picked up the cast iron umbrella stand by the
door, and swung it overhead.  The demon saw it coming, but couldn’t adjust his
trajectory while in the air.  He raised a futile arm up, but it didn’t matter. 
She hit him with all her strength and his evil ass landed right in the center
of the circle.

Before the demon could move, Celia felt a surge of magic
that activated the circle, and she let out a deep breath while putting the now
bloody umbrella stand back in its spot.

Then with gritted teeth she said, “Get out here Berny, you
promised damn it, said you’d be in the circle.  What if it didn’t work?”

She knew damn well that coffee table attack wasn’t Ed’s
spell, which still needed major work.

Berny came out with a stony face, “I did not promise, you
told me I couldn’t help, and I nodded in acknowledgement, not agreement.  I’m
not a child Celia.  Besides, it did work,” she said the last four words smugly.

Truth.

She frowned and shook her head, she was still angry.  She
knew Berny was old enough to make her own decisions, but she wasn’t an enforcer
damn it, it was her job to protect Berny, not the other way around.  Damn
stubborn witch.

She sighed and looked at the demon.  It was going crazy as
it continually attacked the circle wall, and screaming its head off, no doubt
threats about rape and dismemberment… or something equally demony.  Of course,
she couldn’t hear a thing, the circle kept both him and his words contained.

“Fine Berny, you just scared me.  I know I can’t order you
to do anything.”

Ed cleared his throat, “The help was timely Bernadette, but
Celia is right.  This was ours to do, our job to guard the community.  You
didn’t have to be here.  Have you considered becoming an enforcer, doing more
for witches, or was this just about protecting your friend?”

Celia suppressed the desire to kill Ed at his suggestion,
which seemed like an overreaction.

Berny laughed, “Umm, I haven’t given it much thought, but
this here tonight, because Celia is my friend, and I was the only one that
could effectively fight him last night.  It just made sense to help, I waited
at first.  But he wasn’t going for Celia’s bait, so I whacked him when he was
being pervy.”

Celia snorted and wrapped her best friend up in a hug. 

Berny asked, “So what now, do we get the coven to do a
banishment?”

Celia frowned and pointed at the demon trap circle, “How
long will that thing last?”

Ed shrugged, “A long time, days… why?”

Celia grinned maliciously, “Why bother waking up the
witches, the front of the house faces East right?  Let’s just open the door at
dawn…”

Berny and Ed looked stunned for a second, and then they both
laughed.

Ed said bemused, “That would be rather easier wouldn’t it.

Berny nodded in satisfaction, “More painful too I’d
imagine.”

So that’s what they did.  They got back to sleep and woke up
at dawn.  Opened the front door and let the sun take care of the rest.  The
demon’s vampire body burned to ash in seconds.  She shook her head and closed
the door.  She supposed it was time to go to New York.  They didn’t leave right
away, they made some plans, and Celia gave a key to the store to Mia so she
could lock up at night.

She knew the plan was absolutely crazy, yet when she said
goodbye, she didn’t feel as if she’d never see her friends again.