Demons (Darkness #4)(29)

Oops.

It was all his fault, obviously.

The mousy girl raised the pepper spray, her face pointing to the area between Dominicous and Charles. In other words, between the two trees. Time tumbled by, soaking the area in silence. A dry leaf clicked off another dry leaf above us, like miniature skeletons dancing. Still the women stared. Still we froze.

What were we all waiting for?

Jonas put his hands on his h*ps on the other side of the clearing.

Oh, good, I was developing Jonas’ impatience. Fabulous.

“Did you hear that?” one of the twins asked into a hush with an unlit lighter hovering over a corroded silver candleholder. She had forgotten about the candle part of the whole affair.

“Are we not all staring in the same direction?” the leader asked with a verbal rolling of the eyes. “But I can’t see anything, and there’ve been no other sounds, so…”

The pepper spray dropped a fraction.

“Well?” the leader prompted.

The lighter clicked as the twin got back to business. “Oh.” She went rummaging through the bag for the missing candle.

“Should we not head out?” Dominicous whispered, the words barely reaching my ears.

“Yes, but…just a second. I want to see what they’re up to.” My gaze was riveted to the leader, stretching out. Loosening her joints. For what? An intense game of thumb war? I’d bet these people scratched that pentagram—I had to know why.

Chapter 8

“Boss, something’s come up.”

Stefan looked up from the desk where Sasha’s text message from earlier lit up his phone, letting him know of a potentially uncomfortable dinner later that night. Just this once he’d love to say no to her. He hadn’t been able for the diffidence he was supposed to be showing the Regional lately, grinding the two of them nearer an altercation. But that woman had him by the balls. All she had to do was bat her eyelashes, or pout, or smile, or—hell, text message, and he couldn’t help immediately bending to her whims. He’d turned soft with regards to her, but…

No. End thought there. She’d turned him soft.

Stefan unconsciously flexed. Jameson stood in the doorway, cell phone clutched in his hand.

“What is it?” he asked his second in command.

Jameson stepped into the room, the dim light reflecting off of the sword hilt at this back. “I just got word from the West Three. We’ve got another one.”

“Grade?”

“Low. Probably not much better than a Dulcha. It’s confined in a circle. Creator is nowhere to be found.”

A low-powered demon meant Stefan’s magic, and that of his more powerful Watch, would be enough to dispatch it. He wouldn’t have to involve Sasha.

Stefan stood from the desk in one quick, fluid movement. “Who else knows?”

“Some humans found it. They were sitting around, staring at it when we showed up.”

“Their memories?”

“Wiped. They were relocated.”

Stefan nodded, feeling adrenaline fill his body for what he knew lay ahead. He rolled his shoulders and shook out his hands. No distractions this time. No mangy animals, Regional, or fear for Sasha. Just him, his Watch, and his sword. It was time to test his resolve.

A grin worked onto his face as he hefted his sword and some battle leathers.

“Should I contact the mage?” Jameson asked in a level voice.

“No. Get a crew together and meet me out front. Ten people should be fine, with an additional ten on call if something goes wrong.”

Jameson nodded, phone already at his ear.

Stefan brushed passed his Second and out into the hall. A younger female startled at his appearance and shuffled out of the way with a red face. He strode powerfully toward the weapon room. Members of his clan always gave him plenty of space, but now everyone jogged out of the way, sensing his mood and reading his body. It was time for battle, and the wise got scarce or joined in.

After gearing up, he nodded to Tace, a stout male with spikes on his shoulder piece, before heading toward the front of the house. At the end of the hall by the door waited the bleached blond head of a huge pain in the ass.

“Guards are generally on the outside of the building,” Stefan growled as he neared, Tace right behind him, ready for war.

Toa didn’t so much as blink. “Were you planning to alert the mage that a magical anomaly dictates her presence?” he asked in his quiet tone.

“A nothing of a demon doesn’t dictate anything. I can handle this just fine.”

Toa glided from the wall and followed Stefan out the door. It took everything he had not to knock the meddlesome male through the wall he’d just been resting on.

“So, you did not tell her,” Toa accused conversationally.

“Correct. She is otherwise engaged.”

“I see. What about the Regional? Does he not deserve to know what goes on in the territory he is currently occupying?”

A flash of rage swept across Stefan’s consciousness. He stopped suddenly, muscles flexed. His eyes bore into Toa, having the other male’s back snapping straight and a foot retreating, his brain no doubt begging to find somewhere safe to hide. “This is my territory. I will run this territory as I see fit. If you keep meddling in my affairs, I’ll silence you, regardless of your higher level of magic. Is this clear?”