Chapter Twenty-six

“About time,” I mutter and lay back down. “I was wondering what was taking Evander so long. But not really. I forgot I asked for info on the witches.”

“That’s what fell through your fireplace?” He gets up and goes to the hearth, pulling back the cast iron door. “It’s a file folder. And a book.”

“Oh, good. Alice got the Book of the Beast to him too.”

“This is a witch thing…teleporting objects.”

“Yeah. It has to be set up in advance, and it doesn’t always work. But Evander is powerful.”

“He called you sister.” Lucas comes back to the couch, setting the folder and the book on the coffee table. I’m too tired to go through everything right now. “But you are not related.”

“No, we’re not. His mother is the High Priestess of our coven and was the headmistress of Grim Gate Academy when I first started. You know my real family isn’t magical. Tabatha had me stay with them for a while to help me get acquainted.”

And because I wasn’t sure I’d survive if I went back home, but that’s a tale for another time.

“Let me take you to bed,” Lucas says, gently lifting me up. He means take me upstairs to bed to sleep…I think. Though having lazy, sleepy sex with him right now doesn’t sound too bad either.

“Okay.” I hook my arms over his neck as he scoops me up, carrying me up the stairs. He lays me down on the bed, and I start to drift back to sleep when suddenly I remember that I can’t just fall asleep and wake up in the morning.

I have to seal the windows first.

My eyes fly open and I sit up, moving out of Lucas’s embrace.

“What are you doing?” he asks as I get out of bed.

“I need to seal the windows.”

“Right.” He sits up, moving his pillow against the headboard, and watches me. I pick up the bowl that I filled with herbs earlier and invoke them. Using magic, I set them on fire and waft the smoke around the window. “Smoke thick as clouds and black as night, keep this room safe from the harm of light.” The smoke fills the window frame, blocking out everything from sight.

“It worked,” I say with a smile. “You’ll be safe from all light in here during the day tomorrow.” I set the bowl down and lean over the bed, kissing Lucas. “I’m going to use the bathroom,” I tell him before leaving the room, coming back a few minutes later. We get under the covers together, and Lucas wraps me up in his arms.

I fall asleep almost instantly.

*

“Want some?” I ask Clark, another new employee Kristy hired. I’m so glad she decided to hire another person along with Vanessa. I looked over the schedule as soon as I got into the store and I think I can switch things around so Kristy and I are off in the evenings…just to be safe.

“No thanks,” Clark says. “I’m trying to cut back on caffeine. I had a really bad addiction last year that resulting in headaches if I didn’t drink coffee as soon as I got up in the morning.”

“I think I’m getting to that point.” I fill my cup and walk with Clark to the front of the store. He started after Vanessa and hasn’t opened solo yet. We try not to have just one person here at a time for safety reasons, but with only having the three of us for so long we kind of got used to it.

I sit behind the register while Clark turns on the OPEN sign and unlocks the door. A few people who were waiting for us to open pour in, eager to get their books. I told Clark I’d let him have the run of the place this morning for training purposes, but really, I’m tired and want to look through the Book of the Beast.

I take a big gulp of coffee and set my mug down on the floor next to me. There are two stools behind the register, but the floor is safer. I’m less likely to be spotted by a customer when I’m down here. Great customer service, I know.

But finding a demonic killer is a little more important. And I really don’t feel like dealing with people right now. Sometimes I question why I went into retail in the first place.

I yawn, wish I was back in my bed with Lucas, and pick up the Book of the Beast. Lucas has the files about the witches who were murdered and is going to look through for any sort of connection. I kind of hate admitting that he can look at them with a different perspective than I can, but I really need his input on this.

I slowly look through the book, using my phone to translate anything that seems promising. I should have left this with Lucas and taken the files for myself.

In school, we learned that there are several places on earth that are thought to be gates to Hell. A few have supernatural features to them and are guarded by the covens in the area. But they are no more than portals to hidden worlds, like our Covenstead. A gate to Hell wouldn’t be anything but accessible, and opening one requires a hell of a lot of power.

Powers witches don’t possess.

I find a chapter about demonic beings in their pure form and translate a page and a half before the store gets busy. Sighing, I stash the book in my purse and move to a register, ringing people up while Clark helps them find books.

Around noon, we slow down for a bit, and I have Clark go on his lunch break while I sit at the register. As soon as he’s out of sight, I go back to the book, translating as fast as I can. I reread what’s typed out on my phone, and then call Lucas.

I get his voicemail and assuming he’s dead asleep, I leave him a message.

“Hey,” I start, keeping my voice low since there are still a few people in the store. “I found something in the book that says demons in their true form are basically super strong and hard to kill but can be killed while on earth. So, if something did get out…I can kill it. I’m not sure how yet, but I knew there was a way to fight it.” A lady starts to walk toward the front of the store with her purchases. “I gotta go, bye.”

I end the call and ring up the woman, spending a few minutes chatting about books and how weird it is that no one writes about vampires anymore now that we know they are real. Then the store gets busy again and stays that way for the rest of the afternoon.

We hit a slump again around three-thirty, which is pretty typical. I’m re-shelving books when Freya trots in, making a beeline to me. I crouch down, petting her as she purrs and rubs against me.

“I missed you too,” I tell her, scooping her up. “How did everything go last night?” She responds by pressing her head against my chin. It was uneventful with Kristy, as it should be, thank goodness. Holding her in my arms, we go to the front of the store, looking for Kristy.

She’s behind the counter, putting her purse away and talking to Clark.

“Hey,” she says smiling when she sees me. “We’ve been busy, huh?”

“Nonstop all day.” I set Freya on the counter, and she goes right to the jar of pens we keep by the register and starts batting at it. “Which is good for business.”

“Very good.” Kristy accidentally knocks my purse down as she puts hers under the counter. The Book of the Beast falls out, and she looks at it and then at me before quickly stashing it back in my purse. “Can you go over the inventory lists with me?” she asks, and I know it’s a cover. I have no idea what an “inventory list” even would be. We log everything in the computer.

“Sure. They’re in the back.” I grab Freya right before she knocks the pens over and walk briskly to the back, keeping my eyes down so I don’t get flagged by a customer.

“Why are you reading the Book of the Beast?” Kristy asks as soon as the door closes in the back behind her.

“I’m trying to figure out how to kill a demon in its true form.”

“Have you gone crazy?”

“Not entirely.” I make a face and then let out a breath. “I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for.” It’s warm in the backroom, like it usually is. During the day, the sun heats this place up fast. I take off my sweater. “I’m skimming for information, basically. I don’t know why something would come from Hell and start killing witches.”

“I don’t get it either.” Kristy chews on her thumbnail. “I mean, if it was a revenge thing, you’d think it would be tearing through covens, right? I mean, I’m glad it’s not but…”

“But you’re right. Because that’s what would happen. It wouldn’t be picking witches off randomly. Though Lucas doesn’t think it’s random.”

“So you’re back to thinking he’s not the killer?”

“He’s not.” I slowly let out a breath and tell her about the woman who was found dead near the beach last night. “He was with me all night. There’s no way it could have been him.”

“Was that woman a witch?”

“I’m not sure. She wasn’t part of a coven but that doesn’t mean she didn’t have powers.”

“She might not have even known she was a witch.”

“Right. Evander sent over files on all the witches who’ve been murdered. Lucas has them right now and is going through trying to find a connection. He’s at my house, by the way.”

“Did you make it lightproof?”

I cock an eyebrow. “Yes, I remembered not to let the sun kill my boyfriend. We also made the shed lightproof to house the vampire we’re holding hostage.”

“What?” Kristy shakes her head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. Okay, yes I do.”

“It’s pretty interesting, actually. And could be a disaster now that I’m thinking about it. Lucas told me there are a handful of vampires who don’t want to assimilate, and they go around trying to make things difficult for those who have. I’m not sure the specific details, but he made it sound like these vampires are going after the businesses he owns or something like that. Basically fucking shit up in order to get back at him for following the rules of the Vampire Council. Three vampires showed up at my house last night after they got my address from Eliza, Lucas’s vampire daughter or sister or whatever you’d call her, and he was not happy.”

“Oh, wow. That is interesting and you’re right. That could end terribly.”

“Right? One issue at a time, though, and I really don’t want to get in the middle of vampire politics.”

“Agreed. Where did you get the book?”

“I astral projected to the Academy library, befriended a wonderful student named Alice, and had her give the book to Evander.”

She looks at me, blinking for a moment. “Your night was so much more eventful than mine.”

“Things escalated quickly.”

Her eyes go to the bite marks on my arm. “I can tell.”

I purse my lips. “It’s a little weird, I know.”

“It is, and I’m trying hard not to be judgmental or anything. But I just can’t imagine.”

“I couldn’t have either, before. But Lucas is…” I trail off, smiling. “He makes me laugh. He’s actually really thoughtful and is easy to talk to.”

“You like him, and he seems to really care about you.”

“Yeah.” My smile grows. “I think he does.”

“Well, good.” Kristy smiles.

“And how was spending the night at Daniel’s?”

“Very nice. He wants me to come back tonight.”

“You should,” I tell her. “You’re safer there surrounded by others.”

“I know. And I told him I’d consider it, even though I already planned on it. I mean, it’s for my own safety, right?” She flips her head over, gathering her dark blonde hair into a messy bun. “Better safe than sorry.”

“Of course.”

We go back up front and I help Clark count down his register drawer. He’s getting along just fine, and eagerly writes his name on the schedule when I ask him if he wants any of Kristy or my evening shifts, telling me he’s saving up for a trip to Florida and will take all the extra shifts he can.

He takes my evening shift tomorrow, and then Kristy’s the next day. Two days. A lot can happen in two days, yet I still feel like it’s not enough time to find this demon and send it back to Hell.

I lock up the office and find Kristy in the mystery section, organizing books.

“I’m going to head home for a bit,” I start, picking up a book someone left lying on a shelf. “But I’ll be back with Lucas once the sun goes down. Just in case.” I find the book’s spot and slide it in between two others.

“You don’t have to do that.” Kristy looks over her shoulder. “Betty will be here in an hour, so I won’t be alone.”

“I know. But something is on the loose and it’s only been attacking after dark.”

“I’ll call Daniel. He and his brothers got all riled up when I told them something dark was in the forest. Damon was mixing potions late into the night.”

Damon is Daniel’s younger brother, who went to the Academy the same year as us. “He was always good with potions, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah, and he’s come up with a few new ones I think he’s all too eager to test out. I’ll make sure he’s here before I even think about locking up for the night. This thing only attacks when witches are alone, right?”

“I think so.”

She shelves the last book and shakes her head. “What do you think it wants?”

“I have no freaking idea.”

“I don’t like this.” She pulls the band out of her hair, raking her fingers through it. “I don’t like feeling scared to go out in my own town.”

“I don’t either.” I take her hand. “We’re going to figure this out. The council will be looking into it too.”

“I know. We just have to play it safe for a while and then it’ll be back to normal.”

“Right. Call me if you need anything. I’ll have Freya stay too. Just in case.”

“Thanks, Callie.” She gives my hand a squeeze. “You be careful too.”

“I will.” A customer comes up, asking Kristy if we had a certain book, and I take it as my cue to go. I get my stuff from the front and head outside. It’s bright and sunny today, and the air is warm. I get into my Jeep thinking about how nice it’ll be to open up all the windows in the house when I get home, well, all except my bedroom window since Lucas is hiding out the day in there.

I call him again on my way home and get his voicemail. I don’t leave a message. I’ll be there soon enough. Rolling down my windows, I turn up the radio, enjoying the sunshine now before I go into the dark.

Both Binx and Pandora are on the porch when I pull up to the house. They’re stretching out, sunbathing, and look just like ordinary cats.

“Hey, guys.” I give them both a pat as I pass by. “I might join you out here if Lucas is still sleeping. The sun feels good today, doesn’t it?” I magically open the front door, take off my shoes, and drop my purse near the bottom of the stairs.

“Lucas?” I call, knowing he can hear me. The stairs creak under my feet as I walk up. My bedroom door is still shut, of course. “Lucas?”

He doesn’t respond, and my heart speeds up a bit. And then I realize sunlight is shining under my door. Oh my God. I run up the rest of the stairs and fly into my room.

The magical smoke isn’t blocking out the light anymore.