Chapter 33 #2
My knees give out, and I drop to the gravel forecourt, landing on my ass. “No…” It’s barely a whisper.
“Stay calm,” Connor repeats. “It didn’t have to drive here, remember? Demons have other ways of getting around, but it chose to do this. It hasn’t hurt him yet.”
“How do you know?” I choke. “How do you know it’s not wearing him like a meat puppet?”
“What would that look like?” Johnny whispers to Carter, who shrugs.
The gates are fully open now, and the car starts up the driveway… then abruptly swerves.
“Tom!” I scramble to my feet. “What’s happening?”
We’re all straining to see the car and its occupants as it continues up the driveway.
“Is… oh my god, Tom’s grandmother is in the car and she’s beating on the passenger,” Kieran breathes.
“Yes!” Maisie shrieks. “Kill it, Giuseppina!”
“Hush up,” Joe snaps. “Let them concentrate.”
The car pulls up not fifteen feet from us, and I can see it clearly now: Tom’s nonna’s ghost has manifested and is smacking the… man in the passenger seat?
Is that supposed to be a demon? He looks like a businessman.
I blink and look again. A really hot businessman in a great suit. I’m about to ask if we’re sure the demon is in the car, but beside me, Josh shivers again and wraps his arms around himself, and Connor hefts his sword.
Gabe’s already halfway to the car. He yanks open the driver door and hauls Tom out even as my friend is yelling at his nonna to leave the man alone. “What the hell, man?” he exclaims as Gabe drags him by the arm.
“Tom, come here,” I call, my voice cracking slightly. He looks in our direction, sees us all, sees the swords and the hammer, and his face changes.
“Skye?” he asks uncertainly, even as he stops fighting against Gabe, who hustles him across the salt and into our midst. I let go of Daniel long enough to clutch my friend and assure myself he’s okay.
The passenger door of the car opens, and our attention zooms back to the demon as it gets out of the car, seemingly unfazed by the blows of Tom’s grandmother.
She’s shouting in Italian, and the only word I recognize is “diavolo,” which means devil.
I know because she always used to ask if I had the devil in me, and that was the word she used.
“Skye, what’s going on?” Tom asks, but before I can come up with an answer, the demon steps forward, and now that it’s closer, I feel the dreadful darkness of it. Sickness churns in my stomach. How did Tom not feel that?
Connor sucks in a breath.
“I tipped you thirty percent,” it says in a smooth, urbane voice. It takes me a second to understand. It… tipped Tom? Wait, does that mean it has a smartphone with the rideshare app? And a credit card?
“Uh…” Tom glances at me. “Thanks. Nonna, come here.”
For whatever reason, this time she pays attention, popping away from the demon and appearing beside the other ghosts, who cluster around her, whispering.
“And look at you all gathered to welcome me,” the demon continues. “How very gracious of you.”
“Stop playing around,” Connor says, his voice harder than I’ve ever heard it. He takes a step forward, crossing the salt line, and Kieran whimpers quietly. Gabe moves to flank Con, and my heart lodges in my throat at the thought of losing two friends today.
The demon, who has immaculately cut black hair and dark brown eyes, olive skin, and a blade-straight nose over full lips—in fact, it looks a lot like the heroes in the Harlequin romances I used to sneak out of the library—tips its head to the side and studies Connor.
“I believe we’ve met. Yes. The hunter with the fiery little brother.” Its mouth smiles, and if it wasn’t for the deadness in its eyes, I’d say the smile was charming. Instead, it makes me shiver. “How is your brother? All grown up into a hunter yet?”
“Forget my brother,” Connor snarls. “He’s not here.”
“Too bad,” the demon muses, actually sounding regretful. I make an immediate oath to myself and the universe to keep Connor’s brother Ian away from this demon or die trying.
“What do you want?” Gabe demands. “You want something. Why else would you get our friend to drive you here and stand around chatting?”
The demon’s attention turns to him. “You, I haven’t met.
Gatekeeper, yes? I presume you’re the one guarding the gateway in this house.
” Its gaze lifts to look past us, in the direction of the Garden Suite.
“Demon-made,” it continues. “But rather sloppy. That’s the problem with these lesser demons.
Even the ones with the strength don’t take the time to refine the skills. ”
My nerves are strung so tight, I’m sure they’ll snap any second. Why is it playing with us like this? Daniel tightens his hold on my hand, and I cling to him gratefully.
The demon sighs and lowers its gaze, skimming over us and landing on me. “Conduit.” It nods. “Wist said you had pretty hair.”
Shock explodes through me. Daniel stiffens. “You know Wist.” The words sound surprisingly casual, given how tight and dry my throat is.
“Who do you think sent them here?”
“We’re not going to ask again,” Connor declares. “What. Do. You. Want?”
The demon smiles again, and it’s no less creepy this time. “The same thing you do. Cato dead and his plans in ashes. I’m here to propose an alliance.”