A Demon's Work Is Never Done: Latter Day Demons, Book 2 Read online

  While Laurel Rome gaped at me, Granger, or rather Hannah Tilton, looking like Granger, stepped out of the garden and onto the path behind Laurel.

  "What are you going to do, bitch?" Hannah spoke with Granger's voice.

  I shot her first.

  * * *

  Opal

  With Thomas, Jorden and Davis behind me and Kell and Klancy on either side, I went looking for Dervil inside the house.

  I didn't find him; those around me sniffed him out.

  He hid inside a safe room, behind a hidden doorway. Kell and Klancy didn't bother looking for the release to open the door; they tore into the wall until they found the metal wall behind the original.

  A vampire's claws can cut through steel, if it's less than three inches thick.

  Dervil should have protected himself better.

  We found him cowering with the prick who'd taken Jamie Rome's place. Both shrank back at the sight of Kell and Klancy's claws.

  "Should we kill them?" Kell turned to ask.

  "Let's take them with us. We have to have a scapegoat or two, don't you think?"

  * * *

  Zaria

  I was forced to change to my other self. My taller, bluer self. Lexsi and Kory, both barely breathing, were unconscious. It hadn't been the library's intention to kill either of them.

  What it had intended frightened me.

  In all the Larentii Archives, nothing was said or hinted at regarding this.

  Meanwhile, the library had disappeared. Relocated to who knew where, and sending Morgett, Deris, Daris and V'ili who knew where.

  Perhaps it was because at least three of those four had roles to play in the future. I hoped their roles had ended on Earth in the past, but I worried that wasn't the case.

  "I can't take the memory of the pain away," I said, touching Lexsi's head, first. "All I can do is heal the pain troubling you now."

  * * *

  Opal

  "You didn't kill her?" I stared at Anita; she held Laurel Rome at gunpoint at the designated gathering spot around the pool.

  Loftin Qualls' body, savaged by Watson and Jorden's wolves and then dragged to the pool area, lay in a spot by itself. Vic Malone, covered in bites and standing nearby under guard, couldn't take his eyes off Loftin's body or Jorden and Watson's huge wolves.

  Thanks for taking out the N'il Mo'erti, I sent to Zaria.

  I didn't, she said. The library did.

  "Holy shit," I mumbled to myself. "No wonder she didn't say anything until now." Any idea where the evil twins and V'ili are? I asked.

  None. I think the library sent them elsewhere. I have a theory, but can't prove anything. I'm worried they'll be back to trouble us again.

  That makes two of us, I replied. They have parts to play years from now, but Morgett? How does he figure into all this?

  No idea. You taking prisoners to Washington first?

  Yeah.

  Meet me at the San Rafael house when you're done.

  Will do.

  * * *

  It took two days to convince the President and Congress that the threat in Peru was over. Fields of deadly drakus seed were burned, the smoke covering miles upon miles of the country. I worried about stores of seed and smaller fields we hadn't found yet, but that was a concern for another day.

  Dervil couldn't prove his existence on Earth; he only had faked identification. He, Laurel and Berke were taking the brunt of the blame, while all three refused to speak to anyone, including their lawyers.

  I visited Laurel at the federal prison where all three were held; extra guards were posted—not because they might get out, but because people were calling for their deaths.

  Laurel didn't look good in orange or beige.

  She even offered to bribe me to get her out, or, failing that, to get her a more comfortable cell.

  "Jamie sends his regards," I said, then smiled at the shocked and sour face she made. "You're lucky to still be alive, you know."

  "Come back here, bitch," she shouted at me as I rose and walked away.

  I laughed for the first time in days.

  It was time to go to California; time to assess the damage done to our High Demons. I was terrified that they'd sicken and die, after their experience in the library. As far as I knew, something like that had never happened before. With a worried sigh, I found a suitable place and folded space to the San Rafael house.

  "They're sleeping," Zaria informed me when I appeared in the kitchen. "Come with me; there's something I have to tell you."

  I followed her down the hall toward Lexsi's bedroom, puzzled as to what she needed to say that couldn't be expressed in the kitchen.

  Zaria didn't speak again until we were inside the bedroom and the door closed behind us. Lexsi and Kory lay on the bed, unmoving, except for the slow breaths they drew as they slept.

  "The library didn't intend to cause them pain, but it did when it marked them," Zaria's voice was soft.

  "What?" I jerked my head toward Zaria, who frowned at the sleeping figures on the bed. At least they were back to humanoid. The last time I'd seen them, they were still Thifilatha and Thifilathi, crumpled together in a sad and terrifyingly unmoving heap on the cave floor.

  The cave had disintegrated around us while the library relocated itself.

  I still hadn't forgiven it for allowing Morgett to go free.

  "You can't see it now. Only the powerful will see it when they change in the future, but it's there," Zaria whispered.

  "What is there?" I demanded.

  "The books. It's printed all over them—what the library holds is now embedded in those two High Demons. I wish I knew what that means."

  "May the Three be merciful," I breathed.

  * * *

  Kordevik

  I woke first this time. Lexsi, curled against me, slept peacefully with me in her bed. Someone had placed us together when they'd brought us back.

  I couldn't recall being brought back to the house in San Rafael. I barely recalled when the pain had stopped. A black pit yawned between that horrible, painful experience and waking in Lexsi's bed.

  Days, weeks or months could have passed and I'd not known of it.

  "Eight days," Anita said and yawned. She sat on a chair on my side of the bed. I'd awakened with my back to her and hadn't known she was there until she spoke.

  "Kory?" Lexsi stirred and whimpered.

  "I'm here, baby," I soothed, pulling her against me.

  "Hungry," she snuggled her head beneath my chin.

  "Me, too," I whispered against her hair.

  "I'll bring a tray," Anita said. I heard the door open and close behind her.

  "What happened?" Lexsi pulled away to look at my face, her sky-blue eyes examining me for injury.

  "I don't know," I said. "How do you feel? Does anything hurt?"

  "I don't think so," she said, although I watched a shadow pass over her features. She remembered just as vividly as I the pain the library caused.

  "I'd like a warm shower," she said. "I don't know whether I can get off the bed on my own, though."

  "I'll help," I offered. "Maybe we can prop each other up and skip in."

  "I have a better idea," someone spoke from the foot of our bed.

  Lexsi sat bolt upright, then scrambled to pull covers against bared breasts.

  "Stop worrying about that," the dark-haired woman said. "I just think it's time you two got married."

  "Huh?" Lexsi blinked in confusion.

  "Look, I can get you to your wedding, then bring you back here. How does that sound?"

  "Aunt Bree, I am so, so sorry," Lexsi began.

  "Honey, stop worrying. I hear that's the man you want to marry?" Bree pointed in my direction. I pulled Lexsi against me. I admit; a curl of smoke escaped my nostrils before I could stop it.

  "Yeah." Lexsi hung her head while her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

  "Then what's the trouble? There's a wedding waiting in the future. What do you say? We can s
how up, you do your thing and I bring you back here last night so you can wake up this morning."

  "I want to," I said. "Lexsi?" I tipped her chin up so her eyes met mine. "Remember my promise?"

  "I remember," she breathed.

  "Then come on," Lexsi's Aunt gestured. "Get up and let's go."

  * * *

  High Demon Palace

  Kifirin

  Kellik of Abenott

  "I thought you told me the wedding wouldn't take place," I frowned at Rigo.

  "The odds were certainly against it," Rigo said. "Come on, there will be cake. You know you love cake."

  "I do. I detest weddings, however," I said.

  "You need to see this one," Rigo placed a hand on my shoulder and grinned.

  * * *

  Lexsi

  I'd almost finished the plate of food brought to me before I had to dress in the gown my parents bought for me.

  My mother fussed with the fabric of the dress as it hung on the wardrobe door of a suite in King Jayd and Queen Glinda's castle.

  Veshtul was filled with crowds of people while the town itself was decorated for my wedding to Kory.

  No, I wasn't supposed to know him, when and where I was.

  I wanted to tell my mother to stop fretting. She thought she'd done a terrible thing, agreeing to this marriage.

  For a moment, my mind wandered back to Earth—we'd be going back, according to Aunt Bree. That meant one thing to me—our mission wasn't over. Something remained for us to do.

  I had so many questions I wanted to ask Zaria and Opal—questions about Morgett, Deris, Daris and V'ili. This wasn't the time to worry about those things. Kory said he'd take care of me.

  I believed him.

  He'd been the one who'd thrown himself at the library wall in an attempt to pull me away. Instead, he'd suffered the pain I was suffering.

  "Lexsi, you don't have to go through with this," Mom turned to me with a sigh.

  "Mom, I want to do this," I said. "Trust me, all right?"

  "Then let's get you into this dress," she said.

  * * *

  Kordevik

  We'd settled for a wedding that was untraditional, as far as High Demons went. Queen Lissa, Lexsi's grandmother, had made arrangements. As she was originally from Earth, there were plenty of Earth references to this ceremony, including an expensive dress and other finery.

  None of it mattered when I stood at an altar of sorts, waiting for Lexsi to appear. Music began. Lexsi, escorted by Torevik Rath, her father, appeared in the doorway to the palace arboretum, where the ceremony would take place.

  I could see the tight grip Lexsi had on her father's arm as they stepped forward.

  Baby, are you all right? I sent.

  I'm okay, just a little nervous, she replied.

  Don't be scared. I'll take care of you.

  I know.

  Slowly they walked toward me.

  I waited at the altar, alone.

  "I give her to you, Kordevik Weth," Torevik said, once they'd reached me. I held out my hand to Lexsi, who let go of her father and reached out to me.

  Gently, I pulled her forward. Her eyes reflected my face as she gazed at me.

  Trusting me.

  "Hala avilepha," I said, "m'seidra camethei refieoru." My mouth came down on hers. With a sigh, she went limp in my arms. She didn't fall; I lifted her body to cradle it in my arms.

  How sweet the kiss was, as brief as it had been. Afterward, the wedding guests would think I'd skipped away with her.

  Only I felt the rush of power as Bree sent us back to Earth.

  * * *

  Epilogue

  Morgett Blackmantle

  "You're telling me the library saved your life?" I stood before the Prince, who'd allowed me inside his private study. Outside, V'ili, Deris and Daris waited. Their lives were safe, for the moment.

  "Yes, my Prince," I bowed my head. "It could have killed all of us easily. Instead, it flung us away from the enemy, who was prepared to attack."

  "Where is the library now?"

  "I have some information on its possible whereabouts. In my opinion, it is now studying the situation, and may allow me to approach it again, when there are no others there. Perhaps it will approve of my mission, or will hand the dark books to me."

  "Why do you believe this?" The Prince handled a gold statue on his desk—a priceless artifact that meant nothing to him. It was merely a reminder of a world he and the others of my kind had devoured long ago.

  "I stand before you. It knew my hopes and dreams—I outlined that in the report on the temptations it set before me."

  "Yes, it did understand, didn't it?"

  "Yes, my Prince. That is why I wish to pursue it a second time. It beckons to us. To our race. We could rule all, with you upon the throne."

  "And you believe it is still on Earth, somewhere?"

  "From what I have heard, it has always been there. It merely moves from one location to another, whenever it is threatened or discovered."

  "Then go. I will allow you to search for it again, as it has left you alive to seek it a second time."

  "Thank you, my Prince. You have my loyalty in all things."

  I bowed and backed away.

  Yes, he had my loyalty—until I found the library and then found a way to unseat him. Once, he'd been a mortal, without power.

  I, on the other hand, had been born powerful and nearly immortal. We would see who would rule all—with the library's power behind him.

  The End