Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(11)

She let out a breath of relief, but why had he passed up this chance?

When the approaching car’s headlights flashed on the demon, the creature sprinted ahead then disappeared to the left down a side street.

Evalle sucked into a recessed doorway until the car passed her then rushed forward, holding her breath as she leaped over the vagrant, who reeked of body odor and urine. Man, that stench gave the demon a run for his money in the stink department. Maybe the demon had paused to wonder if the guy was kinfolk.

At the corner, the side street turned left and shot through a dark shadow cast by buildings on each side.

The street stopped at a railway embankment.

Empty. No demon.

Damn. She couldn’t have lost him.

Evalle moved ahead carefully, sniffing for any wisp of sulfur in the air. Luckily, she caught the scent by the time she reached a weed-infested concrete pad twenty feet square at the end of the street.

The demon, now in solid form and hunched over, sat on a stack of tires, patting his scaly head above the horns. He mumbled incoherently. The scent of rotten eggs stank up the air, but the smell would be even more overwhelming at this distance if he’d fed on a human recently.

“What’re you doing here?” She spoke with authority even though she doubted he’d just blurt out the truth. Had to open the conversation with the Cresyl somehow.

He slowly lifted his head. Drool slid off one side of his wide mouth. His dull yellow eyes were unfocused. He started muttering again, a low guttural sound. “You.”

Huh? What was wrong with him? She took another step but kept a ten-foot separation. “You working with anyone?”

“You.”

For a Cresyl, this one didn’t act dangerous. He acted demented … or drugged.

Or maybe sad. Could he be sad about something? And why had she sensed it? She’d have thought her emerging empathic side was more discerning. “Who killed the human?”

His eyes moved around in strange circles, then focused on her. “You.”

“Guess I should make it multiple choice. Got any more words, or do I have to buy a vowel?”

Where are you, Evalle? Tzader called to her telepathically.

Off Peters on the south side of Atlanta. Not far from where we busted that Midnight Moon Fae ring last year. Why? Where are you?

In Atlanta. What are you doing?

Thank the goddess Macha that Tzader was back. Evalle wouldn’t turn down his help. I’ve cornered a—

The demon snarled and jumped to his feet, shoulders hunched in an aggressive stance. His eyes glowed white hot. “You killed her.”

“Killed who?” She pulled out the dagger and spun it once, preparing for him to attack.

“You killed her.” He started howling, and his body shook as if reacting to a drug, but drugs didn’t work on demons, did they?

He took a step and stumbled.

Had someone cast a spell over this thing to accuse Evalle of killing the woman? “Who’s your master? Who sent you here?”

Evalle?

Get back to you in a minute, Tzader. Busy right now.

“She died. You. Die.” The demon launched himself at her.

He had to be talking about someone else. A Cresyl would never avenge a human.

She dodged to the right and swung around when he missed her. “Who killed the woman?”

“You.” He stumbled around and snarled.

“Could we fast-forward to a new answer?” She needed a question he couldn’t answer with “you.” “Where’s your mate?”

That had been the wrong question.

He lifted the stack of tires and threw them at her, but she was too quick and spun away.

Or he was too slow for a demon. When she stopped spinning, she faced him. He curled over his chest, moaning so pitifully she almost felt sympathy for him.

Why wasn’t his mate coming to him?

If he stopped making that horrid sound long enough to talk, she might get some answers out of him. She’d planned on his fighting her so she could catch his tail. Cresyls were like opossums. If you could wrap one’s tail around your forearm, he was under your control.

Something had screwed up his mind.

Maybe he had some kind of weird sickness. Did demons get sick? Like demon Parvo or something?

She couldn’t hurt something that wouldn’t fight her.

Evalle softened her voice and eased toward his tail as she spoke. “Look, buddy. Just tell me who sent you here and I’ll find someone to help you feel better. Or tell me where your mate is and I’ll go get her for you.”

The demon howled a screeching sound so high-pitched no human could hear it. His tail lengthened, whipping around to slap her legs out from under her. She slammed backward, her skull bouncing on the concrete.

Dazed, she blinked and touched her sunglasses, which were cockeyed on her face. No one had told her Cresyls could do that with their tails.

He dropped down over her, landing his knees on each side of her legs, arms arched above his head with claws extended to attack and a mouth full of teeth open to rip a chunk off her body.

Survival instincts shoved her mind past the pain in her head. Someone called her name from far away … or had it been Tzader in her mind?

The demon swung downward in slow motion.

She kept her eyes locked on the crazed look in his gaze. Blood rushed through her ears. Her heart pounded like war drums in her chest the closer his sharp fangs came to her face.