Demons of Desire (34 page)

I didn’t really want to know what Irix was doing. We needed plane tickets on the next flight to New Orleans, which I’m sure he could manage. I had no idea how much money he had left from his bank robbery, but I’m sure he had plenty of credit cards in other people’s names to use. All I could think about right now was getting my damned phone to work so I could call Kristin or Ourson and get a status. That and the woman’s pained noises from next door.

Shoving the phone into my pocket with an irritated growl, I exited the restroom and looked for Irix. He was already in the security line, holding two tickets and a pair of duffle bags.

“We’ve got a problem.” He handed me a ticket for Amber Shania Lowry.

My mind screeched to an abrupt halt. “How the fuck do you know my middle name?”

I told no one my middle name. It wasn’t on my driver’s license, on any of my documentation. It was bad enough sharing the same first name with a gazillion other women my age, but to have my middle name inspired by a country music singer … times like this, I wanted to string my mother up.

“It’s on your birth certificate. Why? It’s a pretty name. Sounds very elvish.”

How did he ever see my birth certificate? I frowned, recalling what he’d said before I had a fit over my middle name. “What problem? You said there was a problem?”

We inched forward in the security line. “That storm is hitting New Orleans now. It’s not bad, but the one on its heels is gaining force. All the flights have been cancelled, so we’re going to Houston.”

My jaw dropped. “That’s nearly seven hours to New Orleans! Couldn’t we fly to Baton Rouge, or Mobile?”

“No direct flights, and given the weather issues, I was seriously concerned we’d wind up trying to drive in from Atlanta. Houston was the closest I felt we could realistically expect to arrive without a cancellation.”

I felt tears sting my eye, and glanced at my phone. Still not charged enough to power on. Damn the stupid gate from Hel that had drained every drop from my cell–phone battery.

We continued to the security checkpoint, Irix charming the TSA inspector who was scrutinizing our ID and tickets. Once clear, we headed toward our gate. I felt numb. Hopeless. Depressed.

“Hungry?”

“Oh hell no. If you’d been in the bathroom with me, you’d understand why. I may not eat for a week.” That was the closest I could come to joking. I thought I was going to rupture from anxiety. Stupid phone, and now we had to drive nearly seven hours into a storm to reach our friends. If I couldn’t contact them before we had to shut down our phones for the flight, I was going to go crazy.

An arm went around my shoulder, and Irix gathered me close to him. “Amber, please stop with the worry. You’re driving me crazy. I can’t stand to see you like this. Please.”

“I can’t help it. I don’t know what’s going on — whether Jordan is safe, or if the Crimson Moon group has replaced all the spells we broke.”

He kissed the side of my head, giving me a quick hug. “The vampires are on it. Crimson Moon may have a mage on their staff, but Ourson has a whole family on his side. You’ve no idea how dedicated a pissed–off vampire can be. Plus, Kristin and the other Wiccans shouldn’t be discounted. You gathered these people into your household for a reason. Trust that they’ll do what needs to be done.”

Trust. That word again. I’d spent my life trusting everyone I encountered, but ever since I’d learned what I was, I doubted everyone and everything. Maybe it was time to go back to the Amber I used to be. I returned Irix’s hug and glanced at my ticket. D9. We had another ten minutes before boarding, and I really wanted to drag Irix into a bathroom stall for a quickie. That idea went right out of my mind as I checked my phone and realized it had enough juice to power on. Seconds later I was dialing Kristin as Irix steered me through the crowd and toward the gate.

“Amber!”

Relief flooded me at Kristin’s voice. “Did they let Jordan go? Is she okay?”

“We have her. They let her go this morning. She’s okay physically, just really weak.”

“Can I talk to her?” I really wanted to hear her voice, just to convince myself she was truly all right.

There was a muffled noise over the phone. I got in line with Irix to board, hoping I had time to talk to Jordan and make another call before I had to shut the phone off. We were heading down the jetway when I heard Jordan’s voice.

“Amber, they put all the spells back in place on the levees. There’s a storm hitting the city now, and another right behind it.”

Jordan sounded terrible. Her voice was faint and raspy, and she sounded out of breath.

“We’re on our way, but need to drive in from Houston because of the storm. We’ll be there by nightfall,” I promised.

“You need to know… .” Jordan paused for a few loud breaths. “They called Bev first, and she told them I was no longer Bon Nuit, that I was acting alone. They were going to kill me, but I convinced them to call you. Told them you were a powerful witch who had divided the coven. That the group was split and Bev was on her way out. They don’t know you’re one of the demons.”

I could barely hear Jordan. Her words were coming in little gasps. “Rest. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

I’d take care of those Crimson Moon assholes, protect the city, then I was going after Bev. I felt the rage bubble up inside me — a deadly anger I hadn’t felt since I was five. I had desperately wanted to put this part of myself away forever, but some actions could not go unpunished. And some people just needed killing.

“Wait,” Jordan croaked. “Basteau. He is their mage. White–haired guy is like you.”

There was an alarming series of coughs from the other end of the phone. I begged Jordan to take care of herself, again reassuring her I was on the way. As soon as I hung up, I dialed Ourson. We were already in our seats. I only had a few more minutes.

“Amber!”

I buckled the seat belt one handed and saw Irix talking to a flight attendant out of the corner of my eye.

“Ourson, I can’t talk. We’re taking off in just a few moments and flying to Houston. Once we land, we’ll drive to New Orleans.”

“What do you want me to do?”

I loved this vampire. He understood urgency better than anyone.

“That list of Crimson Moon members you had? They’re all yours. Go get em. I’ll owe you a favor, whatever. I really need your help with this.”

There was a few seconds of silence, then Ourson’s voice, full of affection. “Amber, this is our city too. We’re just as concerned with this problem as you are. There’s no need for favors. Plus, you’re my friend. That’s good enough for me.”

I was going to start crying. He was more than a friend: he was part of my household. “Thanks, Ourson.”

“No problem. Call me when you land.”

I turned off the phone and gratefully took the coffee and granola bar Irix handed me.

“Jordan says the white–haired guy, Weaver, is a demon,” I said, stuffing bits of the granola bar in my mouth. “Basteau is the mage.”

Irix frowned. “I wonder if Basteau bound the demon into service, or if it’s working for them on its own.”

“Would it matter?” I mumbled, my mouth full. Either way, the thought that we may have to face a demon once we got back to New Orleans was daunting.

“It matters a lot. A bound demon is compelled into service. Once you kill the summoner, it’s free. And it’s often very grateful to those who have freed it. One working voluntarily won’t be as easy to deal with. Depending on what level it is, we may not be able to defeat it.”

Shit. Wondering what we might be facing tonight, I took a sip of my coffee and just about choked to death.

“Holy shit! What’s in here? It tastes like a pint of whiskey with a teaspoonful of coffee.”

“Drink it,” Irix instructed, quickly kissing my cheek. “You need to sleep if you’re going to be at all functional tonight.”

He was right. I’d been up for over twenty–four hours. Three hours on the plane, and another few while Irix drove, would really help. I eyed him, hoping he’d do the same. I would need his strength tonight.

“Bottoms up.” I drained the coffee–flavored whisky in a long gulp, shuddering as the alcohol hit my senses.

“Mmmm. I truly love it when your ‘bottom’s up’,” Irix teased.

I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder, drifting into sleep as the plane pulled away from the gate.

35

T
he bump of our plane touching down awoke me. My head still rested on Irix’s shoulder, but the demon had clearly been up to something, or someone, while I’d been sleeping. My hair practically stood on end from all the energy he held.

“Mile–high club?” I wasn’t exactly jealous. Sex in a tiny plane bathroom was no picnic. There would have been no room for me to join in, even if I had been awake.

“About half the plane can now cross that one off their bucket list,” he said cheerfully.

Shit. Half the plane? There wasn’t likely to be an angel nearby, but I couldn’t help glancing out the window as we taxied to the gate. I was glad he had the extra energy to handle whatever we’d face tonight. If only I had time for a sex–spree, but we’d need to bolt out of the airport, steal a car and drive like crazy if we were going to make it to New Orleans before nightfall.

Powering on my phone, I saw a text from Ourson and one from an unknown number.

We have three. Rest are in hiding. Wiccans all together for their safety.

Three out of our hair was better than none, and I was glad Kristin and her crew were taking precautions. Without looking at the other message, I dialed the witch.

“Sixty!” she squealed without preamble.

Huh? What a weird greeting.

“Forty more have left Bon Nuit and come to us showing support.” Kristin was breathless with excitement. “It got around that Bev refused to help Jordan, and people are ditching her left and right. Sixty of us with the vampires and you two — we’ll win this thing! We’re already setting up for a ritual to try and turn the storm away from us and back into the gulf.”

“That’s awesome news.” We were parked at the gate, and I juggled the phone as I grabbed one of the duffle bags Irix had brought on board. What the hell did he have in these things, anyway? “We’re deplaning now. Keep me in the loop, and we’ll be there as quick as we can.”

I hung up and looked at the text from the unknown number.

CB

Okay, but call back whom? I stuck the phone in my pocket, thinking it was probably a wrong number, or someone trying to sell me a home protection system. There was no time to be polite, and I could hardly manage a call while Irix and I half–jogged through the airport and into the parking lot.

Once there, Irix became a demon on a mission. We swooped down aisle after aisle as his head swiveled from side to side. Finally he stopped in front of a Cadillac sedan.

“Seriously?” I asked as Irix magically unlocked the door, disabling the alarm system as he slid into the driver’s seat. We’d passed up several Mercedes and BMWs for a Cadillac?

“Five–hundred–and–fifty–six horsepower V8.” He motioned me to hurry and get in. “Zero to sixty in three–point–nine and one–ninety–eight top speed. Plus it has a full tank of gas. We’d get there quicker on a bike, but I didn’t think you wanted to travel three–hundred–and–fifty miles on the back of a motorcycle.”

Most definitely not. I buckled in as Irix placed his thumb against the ignition. The engine roared to life. About halfway into our drive, I picked up my phone and saw another text from “unknown”.

CB

All right, dammit. But if this was a telemarketer, I was going to hunt him down and make him pay. I dialed the number, tapping my foot impatiently as it rang.

“Meet me at the warehouse in an hour,” a hushed voice announced.

Huh? This was clearly a wrong number. Although my succubus half was very intrigued at the idea of meeting some man at a warehouse for what sounded like a clandestine affair.

“Who are you calling?”

“Amber. The demon. It’s me, Steve.”

His voice was low, but I made the connection as soon as he said the name. It was the human formerly known as Wilcox, the doppelganger to my high school chemistry teacher. My blood froze in my veins. As far as he knew, I’d been banished, never to return unless summoned. Now that he knew I was back in this realm, all of Crimson Moon would be ready and waiting. I shot a warning glance at Irix and put the phone on speaker.

“You must have the wrong number.” I tried to keep my voice as casual as possible. “There’s no Amber here.”

I heard him take a deep breath, practically felt the tension through the phone. “I know a bogus banishing ritual when I see one, and I know what I had on my person when that vampire grabbed me. I kept your secret, made sure your friend was released. Please. I need your help.”

I looked over at Irix for guidance, and he nodded. Strange how such a simple gesture could convey such content.

“I’m five–plus hours out of New Orleans. What’s happening? Can you wait, or do you need protection?”

Not that I had much to offer him in way of protection. I’m sure he wouldn’t welcome Ourson and the vampires, and I was wary of bringing him to Jordan after her experience at the hands of Crimson Moon.

“I … I can wait. Can you text me when you’re close? I have information for you in return for your assistance. I want to leave Crimson Moon, but I’d prefer to not wind up dead or Owned because of it.”

He sounded so desperate that my heart went out to him. “I’ll personally ensure your safety. Sit tight, and I’ll let you know when we’re coming into town. I’ll meet you at the warehouse where we had the banishing ceremony.”

“Thank you.” His voice was saturated with gratitude. “Please hurry. They’re conducting magic to upgrade the storm, and I’m worried the city is in danger.”

I hung up and turned to Irix.

“Pedal to the metal,” he quoted, accelerating with a speed that pinned me to the back of my seat. “City to save, alliances to forge, a household to protect. Plus there’s the promise of a kick–ass battle tonight. Could be my personal best–night–ever.”

36

E
very careful footstep was magnified in the warehouse, echoing off the metal containers and steel girders. Heavy doors shut the storm firmly outside, leaving me in an eerily silent building.