Demons (Darkness #4)(34)

“I never get in over my head.”

“What’s Toa doing that he’s in over his head? I’d love to witness that.”

“I’m not sure,” Dominicous answered quietly, “but whatever it is, it’s made him feel inferior.” His gaze hit mine as we stepped onto the pavement. “That’s between us, of course. As family.”

Warm fuzzies bubbled up my body. I shrugged with a shy smile. He turned to our followers, the group of women getting a better view of my crew as a streetlamp rained down light. Wide eyes there were in plenty.

Except for Birdie. She didn’t seem fazed by much. “So what is this, then? Bodyguards?” Those fists found her h*ps again.

Jonas stepped away and pointed out towards the distant street. Charles did likewise, pointing back towards the park. Ann loitered near the Hummer, eyes always moving. You’d think we were in a combat zone instead of a deserted park.

“Did you feel a…presence back there?” I asked hesitantly. I didn’t know how to come out and say, “Hey! You’ve got magic. So have I! Let’s make a club!”

Birdie eyed me in speculation. It was Delilah that answered. “Was that you? We’ve always managed to call the corners successfully, but then…we just can’t seem to direct our focus. We stalemate.”

“You can’t direct the focus, you mean,” Birdie huffed. “I don’t know how you do half of the things you manage.”

“And what is it you manage?” Dominicous asked. “And these corners you speak of. That is…the elements? Magical forces?”

Delilah scrubbed at the ground with her toe. “We just mess around with our energies.”

“Don’t be bashful,” Birdie interjected, stepping closer to her friend. “It is nothing to be embarrassed about.” She faced off to Dominicous defensively. “We practice a form of Wicca—a modern pagan, witchcraft religion. While we don’t rip off our clothes in the moonlight and praise the Goddess and God, we do celebrate nature. We focus our energies and open up to the world around us. To the trees swaying, to the air displaced by a tiny insect, to the awe of watching the sunrise after a long night. We—”

“Are long-winded,” Jonas growled. His plans for this night had been shot all to hell. Poor bugger.

Birdie didn’t know the backstory, though. Her fisted arms rammed down at her sides. “This belief system goes back to the Paleolithic peoples, I’ll have you know. To the cave paintings of the Hunter God and Fertility Goddess. It is old, passing through time and space—still around. And Witchcraft, something you might deem a silly little hobby idiot women get up to, is actually something known in ancient history as ‘The Craft of the Wise’ because most who followed the path were in tune with the forces of nature. Witches were anything from midwives to healers. We don’t prance around, waving wands and sacrificing things to open fires. We are useful, damn it!”

“And do you practice tarot, perchance?” Dominicous asked softly.

One of the twins started fidgeting. Delilah lowered her head further as a shadow passed over Birdie’s eyes. They thought they were beaten. They thought tarot proved their silliness. And they couldn’t be more wrong. Not with this lot.

“Because I’ve been meaning to get my tarot read,” I jumped in. “I’ve tried and I have no idea how.”

“Me, too,” Ann spoke up. She glanced at me, a sparkle in her eyes. “Seriously, I have. I tried to do it myself, but I have to read that stupid book that tells you what the cards mean. And there are different meanings when it’s inverted, and…”

Charles glanced over at Ann. “You’re a Shifter. Leave the magic to those who know what they’re doing.”

“I have magic, you dick. It just works differently than yours,” she shot back.

“Can the preschoolers shut up for a second?” I rubbed my temples. I needed a more professional outfit. In defeat, I said, “Okay, I think we still have things to do tonight—”

“No,” Jonas interrupted. “The Boss was called in to the other site. Toa has looked at it.”

“Stefan…?” What I’d felt earlier swirled around me. “There was another demon? Stefan was called in without me?”

I looked down at the glowing face of my phone. Only one message: “Dinner will be fine. Dress up?”

“Why wouldn’t he call? Wait—” I rounded on Jonas. “He was supposed to call. I was supposed to be contacted, right? As the mage of this territory?”

“Toa went in your stead. He qualifies,” Dominicous countered mildly.

“That was my decision to make. Plus, Toa probably forced his way there. He doesn’t trust Stefan not to freak out—” Another puzzle piece clicked into place. “He did freak out, didn’t he? He tried to keep me away so he could go crazy.”

“I think we need to first address the, very confused, young ladies in front of us. Then we can address the glitch in communication.” Dominicous smiled down at the foursome.

I covered up the link. I didn’t want Stefan to feel the anger headed his way. With a guy like him, you had to spring it on him, or you had no hope of it sticking.

“Yes, fine,” I conceded. “That makes me mad, but okay.”