The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1)(23)

“Freeze,” Rohan commanded in a steely voice.

“Anger,” Baruch said. “Not fear. That’s what turns you on.”

Rohan barked a laugh, smoothing out his expression at Baruch’s pointed stare.

I twisted my hands one way then the other, now glowing and crackling away. “So I just need to internalize you as my trigger?” I asked Rohan.

He batted his lashes at me. “Do what you need to, baby.”

“Baruch?” I pleaded.

Baruch pointed to the door. “Go.”

Rohan was undeterred. “You can’t send me away.”

Baruch quirked an eyebrow.

“Fine. I’m leaving. You’re welcome,” Rohan called out to me over his shoulder.

“Can you turn it off?” Baruch grasped my wrist, twisting my hand from side-to-side.

I closed my eyes, thinking about the switch inside me. I located it slightly down and to the back of my belly button, imagining it rooted there, with invisible cables snaking out to all parts of my body and the bright white switch set to on. Mentally, I flicked it the other way. Off.

I opened my eyes. My hands still crackled.

“They dimmed for a second,” Baruch said. “Tell me what you know about demons.”

“Nothing. Ari told me nothing.” My words came out in a rush.

His expression gentled. “He won’t be in trouble. I just want to know what information you already have.”

I lowered my hands. “Okay, well–”

“Did I say stop your visualization?” he barked. “Do you think you’ll be encountering demons with no distractions? Nothing else demanding your attention? Talk and train.”

I made a snarky face–okay, imagined it–but in my head, man, did I put Tree Trunk in his place. I closed my eyes, picturing my power switch. “There are different levels of demons. Some work on a more global scale either in the shadows or more overtly to bring about civil unrest or world wars.”

I tugged on my mental switch. I got the barest hold on it and it vibrated but didn’t flick off. My magic continued to thrum through me. “Hey, how did Vancouver land a spot?”

“This chapter is the Canadian HQ. The fault lines along the west coast draws demons because they like the seismic activity. A naturally occurring instability.”

“That’s the heart of it, isn’t it?” I asked, opening my eyes. “Instability. Natural, political, or emotional, demons thrive in those environments.”

Baruch blinked proudly at me for making the connection. For half a second. “Again.”

I threw all my mental power against the switch. “Some create more localized disasters, collapsing bridges or making sure levees fail.” I had my suspicions about New Orleans. “Then they rush in to exploit an already vulnerable population. Same with areas hit by earthquakes or famine or flood. They feed off the chaos and pain.”

My switch bucked to the halfway point, then crashed back to the “on” position. A sharp crack resounded through my hands. I shook them out.

“Again.”

“Demons are also drawn to big cities. Tons of humans easily tempted. The New York chapter house has at least a dozen hunters stationed there at any given time.”

I kept at my envisioned on/off switch. It took a while. A long while, but eventually, through sheer mind power, I made the electricity in my hands turn on and off at will.

“Mazel tov,” Baruch congratulated me.

I jumped over to him like a little kid and hugged him. “That. Was. So. Cool!” It reminded me of when my balance and movement had come together and I’d done my first perfect shuffle in tap, instead of the clunky, wobbly steps up to that point. The moment when it all just clicked.

I was super proud of myself. Sweaty, metallic-smelling, and tomorrow I’d probably hurt like crazy, but proud. I’d done it. I could access my power at will. Even if this was a baby step, I’d mastered it. I wasn’t sure anyone had thought I’d even get this far.

I wasn’t sure I had.

Staying alive and being an asset. Yay me.

Baruch disengaged. “Now we work on firing up the rest. It might require a kick or even a head-butt to hit the kill spot and you want your power coming out of all of you.”

Rohan popped back in. “How’s she doing?”

I held up a fist. “The sisterhood for the win.”

A paragon of blond-haired, green-eyed perfection stepped into the doorway. His loose, light brown linen pants and shirt really complimented his dark scowl. “As if a girl could become one of us,” he spat in a super sexy Italian accent.

“One did, so suck it up, honey.” I managed to give him the finger and waggle my Rasha ring at him, which was very talented of me, if I did say so myself.

Out in the hallway, Kane snickered.

Hot Angry Dude stalked toward me.

“Drio–” Rohan was cut off as Drio shouldered past him.

Baruch sighed and stepped into his path. Drio was a beautiful racehorse. Baruch was a bull.

“You said no one knew what to do with her. That that was why we got abruptly reassigned, with me and Ro on guard duty at the expense of our own mission. Remember?” Drio didn’t back down, even with Baruch blocking his way. It was quite the commitment to hating me. “Can you say you’re happy about it?” he asked Baruch.