Devil Inside (45 page)

Harley hesitated.  “Yeah…”

“You are a lot stronger than I would have expected for someone so young.  The strength just flows off of you.  I’ve never quiet encountered anything like it.”

Harley tried to not be offended by the implication that she was exceedingly young.  Apparently, age started over after you bonded with a demon devil from another dimension.  “You said you’ve never met a Nocte before”

“No.  It’s really not normal for us to associate.  Some Vigilum have.  But I haven’t personally.”

“I didn’t know how much communication there actually was.  I know Levi has been trying to communicate with the Vigilum.

“Levi?”

“Yeah”

Castor looked at her wide eyed and was clearly impressed.  “I’m assuming there aren’t a lot of Levi’s in the Praesidio?”

“Um, not that I know of…. Why?”

“I’ve heard of Levi.  He has a pretty incredible reputation.”

Harley couldn’t help a small smile and her Nocte gloated.  “Yeah, I guess he is pretty badass.”

Castor considered her carefully, “How well do you know Levi?”

“Uh…” Harley wasn’t sure how to answer that.  She had never tried to put a label on whatever they were before.  Maker? 
Too Cliché.
Lover? 
Blech!
Friend?
Not descriptive enough.
  “Well, he was the one who brought me into the Praesidio,” Harley finally settled with the simplest answer.

Castor nodded without comment.  She knew he was choosing not to pry into that on purpose.  “Wow,” was all that he said after a brief hesitation.  They continued to drink their coffee in silence for a few moments.  At one point she caught Castor watching her and their eyes met briefly before he turned away again.  The quick look left her skin tingling.

“So, tell me again.  What had you heard about me?” Harley asked, trying to distract herself from the effect he was having on her.

Castor looked at her from the corner of his eye.  “Why?”

Harley wasn’t sure how much she should tell him.  “It’s concerning that Ignis are talking about me—or at least we think they are, right?  You’re sure they were talking about a Nocte that hunts during the day?”

Castor thought about that for a moment.  “Yeah.  I’m sure that it was a Nocte that I heard about.  Why?”

“Have you heard anything about the murders?  The Nocte and Ignis that have been killed?”

Castor hesitated.  “Yes.  Some Lux have been killed as well.”

Harley nodded.  “The Praesidio has been investigating the murders.  We’ve had a hard time figuring out what sort of creature is responsible.”

Castor started to look a little worried.  “Same for the Vigilum.  How long did you say you had been a Nocte?”

“About seven months.  Why?”

Castor narrowed his eyes.  “The murders have been happening for about seven months,” he said simply.

Harley scowled at him.  “I am NOT the Rogue.”  Castor raised an eyebrow.  “Don’t be an ass,” she spat at him.  “And to the best of our knowledge the murders have been going on for at least eight months—thank you.”

Castor tilted his head.  “That’s news to me.  Are you doing the investigating?”

“No.  Levi is heading up the investigation for the Praesidio.”

“So, either an Ignis is killing Ignis, Lux and Nocte alike—or there is another one of you out there?”

Harley shifted uncomfortably.  She considered telling Castor about their suspicions that the Rogue was a Lux but she decided against it.  They weren’t positive and it wouldn’t improve Nocte/Lux relations to go around accusing a Lux of murder.  And she didn’t know what to say about the possibility that there could be another creature that could hunt in the day or night that wasn’t an Ignis.  It definitely made sense though.  She wondered what Levi and Nya thought about this.  Surely they had considered it—they just hadn’t discussed it with her so far.

They both sat in silence for a while.  Harley finished her coffee that had gone slightly cold.  Suddenly, Castor sat up straighter looking alertly as something in the crowd.  “What is it?” she asked him.

“Did you see that Ignis?”  Castor threw enough money on the table to cover both their coffees and a tip and jumped from the table.  Harley quickly followed.

Harley followed Caster as he followed an Ignis with dirty blonde hair.  They stayed about a block behind the Burner and Harley didn’t interrupt Castor’s tracking of the Ignis.  She wasn’t overly concerned.  It was one Ignis and she was sure that even if he couldn’t take him that she would be able to back him up.  She liked the way that the Lux walked.  It was an easy lope that was deceptively relaxed.  Levi, on the other hand, stalked as he walked.  It was clear when Levi moved that it was with a purpose while Castor seemed to wander.  They followed the Ignis for five blocks before he ducked into the doorway of an apartment.

Castor crossed the street a block behind him and Harley followed him across.  They both stood in front a pawn shop window watching the door of the building that the Ignis had entered.

“Do you know this guy?” Harley asked.

Castor took a second to answer he was so intent on scoping out the building.  “Yeah,” he finally answered.  “I’ve been tracking the guy for a while.  He has been involved in a drug running ring.”

“Ah, I see,” Harley replied, her interest perking up.  “What are you planning on doing?”  She looked at the sky.  The sun was blocked by the buildings, but she could tell that sundown was approaching swiftly.

“I plan on killing him,” Caster said with ice in his voice.  “He’s gotten away from me twice before.  His name is Rex.”

“OK.  So…um…are you feeling up for a fight?”

Castor glared at her.  “I’ll be fine,” he snapped.

“Even fighting two of them?”

Castor looked at her sharply.  “Two?”

“Yeah.  Can’t you tell?  There are two of them in that apartment.”

He looked at her, his face showing his surprise.  “How can you tell that?  And which apartment are they in?”

Harley looked back towards the apartment.  “I just can,” she mumbled.  “And they are in the apartment on the corner—the third floor.”  She could see Castor shake his head in amazement from the corner of her eye.  Castor started across the street again but Harley stopped him by reaching out and grabbing his arm.  “What’s your plan?” she asked.

“I was planning on going over and breaking down the door.  Or maybe knocking and when they answer bust in.  I hadn’t decided yet.”

Harley stared at him waiting for him to say he was kidding.  When he didn’t she shook her head at him.  “Are YOU new at this?” she asked rolling her eyes.

He sighed because he knew she had a good point.  “Got a better plan?”

“Yeah.  The fire escape. “

He looked at the rusting metal frame against the side of the building.  It was old but looked as if it was sturdy enough to allow access to the window of the apartment.  Many of the buildings in this neighborhood were being renovated and restored, but this building hadn’t been “revitalized” yet.  Harley wasn’t surprised that Burners had claimed an apartment here.  “Not a bad idea,” he shrugged.  He looked at her for a moment before deciding something.  “Will you play lookout?  Yell if you see any other Burners?  Or, if you can, hold them off.”

Harley’s mouth fell open in a classic look of surprise.  “Are you serious?”  Castor looked at her for a minute as if he wasn’t sure why she was so outraged.  “Hello!”  Harley gestured to herself.  “Nocte.  Remember?”

Castor rolled his eyes.  “I am not trying to drag you into my conflicts.”

Harley laughed at him.  “It’s an Ignis, right?  Two actually.  They are both our problems, even if they haven’t personally started problems with one of us.”  Besides, Harley thought to herself.  She wanted a chance to investigate anyone associated with drug operations that she could.

Castor scowled at her.  “If something were to happen to you because you were fighting alongside me, we would both be in a world of mess.  Especially me.”

Harley threw her hands up.  “Why especially you?”

“You’re what?  ‘Friends’ with Levi, right?  I told you, he has a reputation.  I’m not going out of my way to piss him off.”

Harley laughed again.  “I don’t know what you think you know about Levi.  Or what you think you know about Levi and me.  But he isn’t my keeper.  I decide what I do.  And, right now, I want to kill those two Ignis.”  She paused and took a deep breath.  “The other one in the apartment is pretty vile too.”  She got the impression he had raped and murdered in addition to his drug activity—plenty of blood was on his hands.  She was too far away to get a good read on him but the air coming from the apartment smelled sour and decayed and she could just pick up on slight impressions.  “I want him.”

Castor looked at her bewildered again.  “Do you know who is in the apartment with Rex?”

Harley didn’t meet his eyes.  “No.  As far as I know, I’ve never laid eyes on him.”

“Then how do you know anything about him?”

“I just do, alright?”  Castor stared at her waiting for more explanation.  “Well, are we going to do this or not?” she finally asked and started across the street.

Castor followed behind her.  He caught up with her underneath the fire escape.  She turned to look at him.  “Ready?”  Not waiting for him to answer she smiled, turned and jumped.  She caught the bottom rung of the fire escape and quickly clambered up with less noise than she had expected.  She hurried to move out of the way so that Castor could follow behind her.  Harley hurried up the steps making as little noise as possible.  She paused at the edge of the window of the apartment that the two Burners were in.  She could hear them talking about a shipment and arranging a trip west.  Castor tucked in behind her, not looking happy to be playing backup.

Harley was pretty sure that the two men were not facing the window.  Their voices seemed to be carrying away from them and not towards the window. 
I don’t think I will ever get tired of these abilities
, she grinned to herself.  She risked a look inside the apartment by edging her face around the window frame.  Sure enough, the two men were standing in the kitchen.  A tall, thin, dark skinned Burner was at a breakfast bar facing the back of Rex as Rex mixed something at the counter.  The apartment was filthy and Harley could smell the old grease, body odor and the usual burning smell that accompanied Ignis through the window which was lopsided in its frame.

She turned to look at Castor.  “I’m going to open the window and go in,” she whispered.  “It will catch them off guard.  You come in after they come for me.  It will throw them off even more.  You can have Rex; I’ll take the other one.”  She shrugged off her jacket and laid it to the side as she felt her eyes blacken out.

Castor started to protest but Harley turned away before he had a chance to try to play chivalrous, alpha-male.  She stepped in front of the window and quickly raised it.  Had she been human she probably wouldn’t have been able to open it.  As it was, the frame squealed in protest as old weathered wood scrapped against wood.  Harley swiftly climbed through the window and stepped calmly over the couch that was against the wall under the window.  The two Ignis swung around, clearly startled by the noise.  Their eyes flashed as they took in the woman now standing in their living room.  They reacted much fast enough that Harley was sure they couldn’t be young Ignis.  They both ran at her at the same time, but the darker-haired one got to her first because he didn’t have to come around the bar.

He swung at Harley and she ducked and returned the blow.  He pulled his own knife and came at her as Rex launched himself into the fight as well.  He tackled Harley and they both crashed to the floor.  She used his momentum to roll with his weight until she ended up on top of him.  She managed to land a blow before the other Ignis wrapped his arm around her throat and yanked her off Rex.  Rex started to roll to his feet but turned his focus towards the window when Castor swooped in.  He clutched the top of the window and swung himself in and over the couch.  His eyes were sickly white and he landed ready to meet Rex head on.  Harley had to admit—it made for a good entrance.

Castor’s appearance distracted both of the Burners enough that Harley was able to easily drop her weight and slid through her opponents hold.  She kicked his legs out from underneath him and pounced on him before he had a chance to recover.  She slammed her fist into the side of his jaw and heard the crack of his neck bones as he fell unconscious.  She looked back at Castor struggling with his Ignis and almost leapt into the fight.  However, she knew that Castor wouldn’t appreciate her stealing his kill and he looked like he was handling himself well enough that she wasn’t worried that he would lose the fight. 

Working quickly, Harley cut the string from the broken and stained blinds over the window.  She also grabbed a dingy looking shirt that lay rumpled on the floor.  She resisted the urge to drop it again when she felt just how nasty it was.  It smelled of filth and bodily fluids and she held it away from her face.  She used the string to tie the hands of the Ignis.  She knew that it wouldn’t hold him for long, but it was better than nothing.  She used her chain to secure his feet.  When he was relatively unable to move Harley prodded him awake with her Bowie.  She knew that Castor was still fighting with Rex behind her but she tuned them out.  When the Ignis was roused enough to glare at her through flashing eyes she jabbed the tip of her knife into his throat enough to get his attention.