Heaven's Key (Demon Hunter Book 1) (8 page)

Four pillows over my head and the knocking still wouldn’t stop. I wanted more sleep and I really wasn’t ready to face Cole. That kind of awkward I’d never be ready for, but I guessed I couldn’t avoid it forever. Throwing off the pillows, I jumped from the bed. My head was really pissed at me for doing that and it felt like an atomic bomb had exploded in my brain.
Hello, hangover. How are you?

“I’m coming, Cole. Hold on to your panties.” I rushed to pull on a pair of yoga pants and threw on a t-shirt. Sleeping naked wasn’t something I normally did. Being ready to run at a moment’s notice wasn’t something you could do when you were nude. I guess I had Cain to thank for that.

A smiling Cole greeted me with pastries and coffee when I opened the door. “You are way too happy for this early in the morning.”

“It’s one in the afternoon. I had to pay for a second night so they didn’t kick you out.”

Snagging one of the coffees and a giant Danish, I crawled back in bed. “I’ll be better in a minute. Food and coffee can do wonders.”

“Don’t take too long. We have a job.”

“No we don’t. I haven’t heard from anyone. We have nowhere to get to.”

“A friend of mine called me. An old friend I served with. He asked me for a favor. I said yes.”

“I decide what jobs we take, Cole. Not you. You think after one night between my legs and that changes?”

His jaw tightened and his Danish went down his throat like an ostrich swallowing a golf ball. His fist clenched, crushing the paper bag.

“He’s a good friend who needs my help, Jael. We rushed non-stop to crazy dildo lady’s house when Bevie called. I owe him, and he asked for my help.” His voice was tight and he wouldn’t look at me when he talked.

Now I felt like a total bitch. “I guess we can take it then, since you already said yes. Just don’t make a habit out of it.” He was right and I shouldn’t have said what I did. Having a partner involved a lot of censoring what came out of my mouth.

“Is that your way of saying ‘I’m sorry, Cole. You’re right; when a friend is in need, we go, no matter what’?”

“Close-ish.”

“I’ll take it because I know that’s as close as I’ll get to an apology. What’s that beside you?”

On the pillow next to me sat a piece of paper. It looked like an invitation to a fancy wedding. It was sealed with red wax that had a symbol on it with the mark of Cain. I carefully picked it up.

“I know who it’s from.”

“Good for you.”

“Why the fuck are you getting Hell mail?”

“I don’t know. Why are you giving me the third fucking degree?”

“Open it. What does he want?”

“I don’t need you to tell me to open it. I was going to open it.” My voice sounded a little crazed. I was a little freaked out at having a physical reminder of Cain. It made it all the more real.

The wax seal was hard to get through and Cole looked like he was going to take it from me until I gave him my death stare. Inside, etched into the paper in fancy calligraphy, he had written:

When you realize we are meant to be together, when you know I am yours as much as you are mine, then whisper the words “Cain, your hunter needs you.” I will be there.

Cole had been reading over my shoulder “What the fucking hell does that mean?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Was he in your head last night?”

I didn’t want to tell him and I didn’t have a good reason not to. “Yes, he promised he wouldn’t visit my head anymore. If I wanted to talk to him, I had to call him. I guess he left me his calling card.” I knew it was corny, but I laughed anyway. “Get it? His calling card?”

“I get it. I just don’t find it funny. I don’t find any of this funny. The second in command in Hell wants you and something from you. What do you think he’s going to do when he doesn’t get his own way? Why aren’t you taking this more seriously?”

“Because if I sit here and take it seriously, if I think hard on the fact that the son of Satan has a key to my brain and he has been using it to try and seduce me, not to just fuck me or corrupt me. That boat sailed a long time ago. No, he’s in there to get me to let Lucifer into Heaven and to get me to rule with him in Hell. If I take that seriously, I will lose what’s left of my mind. So what you think is me being reckless with my life is really me being very fucking careful with my sanity.”

He looked like I had slapped him. The crumpled paper bag shot into the garbage can across the room. He cleaned up the table, throwing out all the garbage, lining up my make-up in a straight line, and then pushed in both desk chairs. I think I broke him.

He cleared his throat. “Fair enough.”

“So where is this job?”

“Boston. I promised we’d be there by the weekend.”

“I know you’re rich, Cole, but I wasn’t aware you had a time machine.”

“We’ll make it and we’re also dropping by a friend of mine. He lives in Naperville, Illinois. It’s going to cost us some time, but he’s an expert on talismans and protective spells. He might be able to ward your body so Cain can’t come for any more visits.”

“I highly doubt he has anything that can keep the Prince of Hell out. Wards and talismans are mostly fake.” This felt like a giant waste of time.

“I agree most are, but Buzby’s the real deal. His family has dabbled in the art of protection for generations. He’s the first to tell you most of it is bullshit, but he knows his stuff, trust me.”

“You know a guy named Buzby and I’m supposed to believe… you know what? Fine, I’ll meet Buzby. What can it hurt?”

“So are we going to talk about what happened last night or are we just going to let it be a thing that feels awkward for a while until enough time has passed and we begin to forget about it?”

“Totally the latter.”

“Okay, so awkward silence during a five-day road trip. Always something to look forward to with you, isn’t there, Jael?”

“I’m a ray of sunshine.”

The journey to Illinois was a blur of fast food, bathroom breaks, and the occasional stop for hygiene. I liked to speed. I know it’s wrong and dangerous, but I’ve been cruising down deserted highways using the speed limit as a guideline only for a very long time. Cole didn’t even take it into consideration. We flew across country like we were in an actual plane.

He had this uncanny second sense when it came to speed traps. When the car slowed down, I knew we’d soon come upon a cop car. He truly was good at everything. It irritated the shit out of me. I suppose his need to have everything neat all the time could be a fault, but that meant even his faults were good ones to have. Fucker.

Naperville was a welcome sight. I needed out of the car longer than it took to pee. I put my foot down and insisted we get a room, even if we didn’t do more than nap and shower. I didn’t care much what this Buzby thought of me, but I stunk. Last time I looked in the mirror, I scared myself. I almost drew my gun.

Cole tapped his foot and rushed me the whole time I was getting ready. I threw all my clothes over the bed before my shower and I took what I was going to wear into the bathroom. I knew it would give me a few extra minutes. When I got out, my bag was neatly packed and ready to go by the door. I promised myself not to abuse this small power I had over my partner. I’d keep it for desperate times… and the occasional revenge.

I had been to a few shamans, a couple of Wiccans, and even a practitioner of the dark arts, and every single one gave me the willies. There was something about a human that was plugged into the supernatural that just wasn’t right. I had used some of the things they peddled in--hex bags, charms, and natural remedies--but it always felt wrong. A tie, no matter how small to magic, was a knock on a door you didn’t want answered.

The house was set in the middle of a quaint little neighborhood. A group of kids were playing street hockey down the road and the mailman waved to us as he walked by. The house was yellow with white shutters. Daffodils and tulips lined the small garden. It was a home out of a Hollywood movie.

Cole rang the doorbell. A tall, dark-skinned god answered. He towered over Cole; his full lips and chocolate eyes had me forgetting why we had come here. His White Stripes t-shirt barely contained his well-muscled chest. Buzby was one sexy motherfucker.

“Cole, man, it’s been too long. I have to wait for you to need my talented ass before you come to visit?” He gave him a big man hug.
Don’t I get a hug?

“Buzby, this is my partner, Jael.”

“Nice to meet you, Jael.” I only got a handshake.

We followed him into a tiny living room, the most amazing room I’d ever been in. It was decorated with artwork from all around the world. Wards were painted on canvases and hung so they blended with the rest of the decorations. Two antique leather sofas faced each other in the middle of the room. Even the pillows were embroidered with protective symbols. I never thought about living in a permanent home, but if that ever did happen, this was going to be my living room.

Buzby excused himself and came back with coffee and fresh baked cookies. The perfect host, impeccable taste, and a banging body.
That’s it; if he’ll take me, I’m staying.

“Cole was kind of vague, Jael. He said you were worried about possession.”

“Not exactly. I’m not being possessed; he visits me in my dreams.”

“A demon who doesn’t try to possess you— he just comes into your dreams. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure it isn’t just a freaky dream?”

If it had been anyone else who said that, it would have angered me, but Buzby got a pass. “I can understand your skepticism, but the first night he visited me, he healed a very nasty cut I had on my arm. I had stitches from my elbow to my wrist and when I woke up, it was gone. Not even a scar.”

“I saw it happen. Inch by inch, the cut slowly disappeared.”

“That would take a boatload of power. I can only think of a few entities that would be capable of that.”

“He claims to be Cain.”

His eyes grew wide and he took a bite of cookie. “Cain, as in the son of Satan? As in the Father of Murder?”

“Yes.”

“He’d certainly have the power. Please don’t say his name again. I don’t want any beef with him. Jael, I’d love to help you, but I don’t know if I can. I don’t have anything that would work against something that powerful.”

“Seriously? We drove all this way and there is nothing you can do?”

“There are things I can do, but I honestly don’t think they’ll help. I don’t say that lightly. Cole is a good friend of mine and I have some very powerful spells and talismans, but he’s in a class all his own. I didn’t even think he existed. Honestly, I’m still not sure.”

“I get it sounds like I’m just a lunatic, but I’m not. I’ve had this freak in my head too many times and I want it to stop.”

“The main problem, besides the fact that this guy is incredibly powerful, is he isn’t technically a demon, and anything that wards off a demon isn’t likely to work. Cain, if he exists, is the cross between a human and angel. He’s a Nephilim.”

“Yes, I know. He keeps reminding me of that.”

“I can give you a few things that might help. You guys are professionals, so I’m going to assume you put up all the usual wards. If you’re a believer, pray every night before you go to bed. He isn’t likely to even feel those things, but there is one talisman that might help. St. Benedict, who founded the Benedictine monks, an order that fought demons in secret for centuries, has a talisman that can repel evil. In my opinion, it’s the most powerful talisman in existence, and I think it might be able to keep him away.”

“Where can we get this medallion?”

“That’s the bad news. It’s in a private collection in Houston, Texas. In fact, this collector has the mother lode of religious talismans. He let me take a peek last time I was in Houston. It’s the biggest collection I’ve ever seen and Benedict’s happy death crucifix is the prize piece among them all.”

“How much money are we talking?”

“It’s priceless, but rumor has it that he paid 300 million.”

Even Cole didn’t have that kind of money for jewelry. I didn’t
think
he did anyway.

“Can you get us this guy’s name and anything else you know about him? It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?”

“Hunting must pay better than I thought. I’ll be right back.”

“Why do we need this guy’s address? We can’t afford it and he likely doesn’t want to sell it anyway.”

“You can’t afford it, but you’re right. I doubt he would want to part with it willingly.”

“So what? We steal it?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“If he doesn’t leave you alone, we’ll be stealing the happy death crucifix.”

“I’m not going to jail, Cole.”

“You only go to jail if you get caught, and we won’t get caught.” So “thief” was on Cole’s resume too.

Buzby came back into the room and we chatted for a bit, but Cole looked at his watch the whole time. He wanted to get moving to Boston. I wanted to stay and visit with his friend for a week or two. Before I had a chance to finish my third cookie, he had us at the door, saying our good-byes.

Buzby gave me a hug this time. “Jael, if he is coming to you, I assume he wants something. Cole has told me you’ve been hunting for a long time, so I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but he’ll get harder and harder to resist. Demons are like that. They infect you each time, breaking down your resistance until you can’t remember why you ever said no in the first place.”

His words bothered me. They mirrored my own fears. I gave him another hug--I might have leaned in a little—then made my way to the car while Cole had a quick private chat with his friend.

We headed to the highway immediately. Cole was quiet and at first I enjoyed the peace, but he was never quiet for very long and it went from nice, to strange, to maddening. I didn’t want him to know he was getting to me, if he was trying to get to me.

“You have no reason to be mad at me. I didn’t do anything wrong. I think I’ve been really good. You haven’t let me sleep or wash or anything I normally enjoy. You’ve been rushing me across the country at the speed of light and then you made me go visit your friend, which was a total waste of time. So whatever is up your ass, you can pick it out and carry on.”

“No one makes you do anything, Jael.” He hung his head for a second, then he raised it again. “I don’t think you minded our visit with Buzby.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were drooling, Jael.”

Was I? “I was not. I found him attractive, yes, but I think I played it pretty cool.”

“I thought you were going to dry hump him when you said good-bye.”

“Cole, for fuck sakes.”

“Sorry. I’m not mad at you; I’m just not looking forward to seeing my friend.”

“Why?”

“Because he isn’t the best character and because I don’t think you’re going to want to do this job. I’m not looking forward to you complaining about it.”

“You have such a high opinion of me, Cole. I promise I won’t do that. I said I’d do the job and I’m committed. Now, are you finally going to talk about what this job is about or are you going to let me go in there cold, looking like an idiot?”

“It’s a Selkie My friend’s son is in love with one and he thinks she’s been killing people.”

“I doubt it. Selkies usually kill the one they’re with, not others.”

“I know. That’s why we’re here. His son’s just confessed his girlfriend is a Selkie. He’s a regular guy, Jael; he doesn’t believe in this stuff. He grew up in a fishing town where there were legends, of course, but he thinks his son has lost it.”

“So we’re going in to find out if his son’s girlfriend is a murderer and, if so, we’re going to kill her? I’m not entirely comfortable with that. Selkies are generally a peaceful race. They sometimes kill the one they’re with when they won’t let them return to the sea, but they aren’t a danger to anyone else. They certainly aren’t demons, and killing one feels like murder.”

“I know, but we served together and I owe him to at least to check it out. He was frantic on the phone. I’m not a big fan of his, but he got me out of a jam or two.”

“Okay, you clearly owe this guy. We’ll check it out and see what is what, but if she’s murdering people, then we give that evidence to the police. I only kill demons.”

“Fair enough.”

We drove the rest of the way in silence, talking only when we had to. I was thinking about Cain. He hadn’t made a return to my head. He had kept his word. What did it mean, though? What did it mean that I kept the note he left me? I had every intention of throwing it out, but it made its way into my purse instead.

Things were off. I didn’t feel myself. I hadn’t heard from William, and my mind was constantly drifting to Cain.. My life felt out of control. There was no hate when I thought of him and that scared me more than anything. I needed him out of my life, but a tiny part of me wanted to keep that letter. Cole and I had had sex. Hot, mind-blowing, never-going-to-happen-again sex. I put myself in danger for no reason at the casino and, to top it all off, Cole was the one who had to rescue me. Things were totally fucked up and I didn’t know where to begin to put them back together.