A Demon's Work Is Never Done: Latter Day Demons, Book 2 (13 page)

While the weather was usually chill in San Francisco during late October, it was ideal in Las Vegas. Anita and I surveyed the clothing spread across my bed, attempting to decide what I should take.

"I'd say nice jeans and blouses, with one dress for a night out—have you ever seen a big fight in Vegas?"

"No. Have you?" I turned to her.

"Only on television," she pursed her lips. "But the people who show up for those things can get really dressy. It always amazes me that they want to look as fancy as they can to watch two men beat each other up."

"I don't want to see Tibby get beaten up," I said. "Farin will faint."

"What would you do?"

"Be pissed enough to go after his opponent."

"Not good," Anita frowned. "We don't want the world at large watching a short blonde beating the hell out of Lover Boy Landon."

"At least you acknowledge that I can do it."

"Hell, I can do it," Anita snorted.

"True. What are you packing?"

"Watson made me pack two dresses," she huffed. "I'm not fond of dresses."

"Since when can Watson make you do anything?"

A slow smile curved her mouth. "Oh. Never mind," I turned away to study my clothes again. Since Watson admitted he sort of cared about Anita, they'd been to bed together every night, while Kory and I, well.

Mason, too, was slowly working his charm on Sandra, so it probably wouldn't be long for them, either.

Everybody got sex except me.

It had to be good, right? Everybody was doing it every chance they got. I wanted to do it; Kory wanted to wait until I wanted the bite that went with it. Honestly, being High Demon and female sucked most of the time.

"Take that red dress." Kory walked in and weighed in on the clothing situation while I silently bemoaned the race of my birth.

"I've never worn it. Red looks good on other people, but I always feel like I'd look like a neon light," I said.

"Nah, take it. I'll take you out for a nice dinner, somewhere, if we can get away." He pulled me against his chest and wrapped arms around me from behind, while breathing on my left ear.
Wear it for me, onion
, he pleaded.

I'll wear it for you
, I promised.
You have to dress up, too, you know.

Davis brought me a suit. It'll have to do.

Okay
.

"What if that woman really is Hannah? What if she isn't under a duplication spell?" I wondered aloud. "If that's a brain transfer, I'll bet she's pissed they didn't find a body with blonde hair for her to exploit."

"And the body everyone thought was Hannah's was an innocent victim," Anita sighed. "Just as Lexsi thought."

Kory hugged me tighter for a moment.

"I'll take one pair of heels," I said, pulling away from Kory. "Not too high—I hate running in heels."

"Who said you had to?" Kory looked disappointed.

"Just in case. You never know about these things," I said. "I sure as hell don't want to beat the crap out of Hannah while wearing heels."

"Oh, no," Anita chuckled. "Wear those heels. Put some holes in her ass while I watch."

"Take these," Kory lifted the black pair of three-inch heels with the narrow straps that went around my ankles and buckled with tiny, gold buckles. "They'll cause some righteous holes."

"We don't know for sure it's Hannah," I pointed out.

"What does your gut say?" Watson wandered in and put his arms around Anita.

"It's her." I hung my head and sighed.

* * *

Tibby, León and Diego were more than happy to board a private jet with us to fly to Vegas. Farin was so excited she vibrated with joy. Not only was she riding in style with Tibby, but she had a huge, new engagement ring on her finger.

Yeah, if Tibby won, it would add around a hundred million to his bank account. "Maybe we should rethink your employment as a fighter," I teased Kory.

"No." He rubbed his nose against mine and settled into the seat beside me.

"Okay." I wanted to kiss him. Really, really kiss him.

Right. Then.

I sighed and dropped my head against his chest. Perhaps he knew what I was thinking and kissed the top of my head before gently pushing me upright in my seat and checking my seat belt.

"You know, between you, Anita and me, we could get everybody off the plane if it were necessary."

"You'd let it crash with nobody on it?"

"No. I think," I turned to him and blinked. "I think I could turn the whole thing to mist and put it in a safe place while you and Anita got the others off."

"Let's not talk about emergency measures," Anita turned in her seat to look back at me. "Flying makes me queasy enough."

"Sorry." I understood she'd rather fold space than ride in a jet, even for such a short flight.

"We have news," Davis stood beside Kory's seat. "A recon plane flying near Peru's border just got shot down. Word is that it was obliterated before the pilot and crew could eject."

"One of ours?" Watson turned in his seat to ask.

"UN," Davis replied. "Sort of makes it worse—they weren't armed while they investigated one of the passes, where bodies have been piling up."

"There are bodies piling up? I only heard about women," Kory began.

"This looked like a mass grave. We didn't tell you, because we had no solid information. The images sent back from that plane before it was shot down are pretty damning."

"Sounds like the Peruvians didn't like the takeover of their country."

"We think that, too, and the Secretary of State is demanding answers. He's as likely to get a reply as he is to fly to the moon in a motorboat."

"We'll have a meeting after we land in Vegas," Davis said before heading back to his seat. "Opal and Kell will be waiting for us."

"Too many things happening at once," Kory grumbled as the jet lurched forward.

* * *

Watson, Anita, Sandra and Mason went with Tibby to the hotel hosting the fight; Kory, Klancy and I went with Thomas and Davis to meet with Opal at a different hotel.

Kell and Klancy nodded at each other when we arrived; they liked and respected one another already.

"This is what the UN Peacekeeper plane sent back before they were blown out of the sky," Opal tapped a tablet to bring images onto the screen.

"That's inexplicable," Kory blew a smoky breath.

It was inexplicable. I'd seen similar photographs from the past in countries that engaged in genocide, killing off large portions of their populations because of race, beliefs or other, equally as disturbing reasons.

"These bodies are mostly intact," Klancy observed.

"Yes," Opal agreed.

"This means that the weapons turned on that plane—and upon Kory recently, were not employed in these deaths, otherwise, there would be very little left to photograph." Klancy spoke, but Kell nodded his approval; they'd reached the same conclusion.

"That's why we need to go in—while there are still bodies left," Opal's eyes were dark and unblinking. "We need to collect a few at least, to determine the way in which they were killed. It'll give us better ammunition when we approach the President and the Secretary of State again."

"When?" Kory asked.

"Tonight. Kell and I are prepared to go with you. We have special suits and body bags ready."

"You think they'll get rid of the evidence, don't you?" Kory asked.

"That's exactly what we think. You can skip us down," Opal added.

"Then let's go," Kory said simply. I nodded at his words.

I took Opal, Kell and Davis with me; Kory took Thomas and Klancy with him. Opal had given us detailed photographs of where she wanted each of us to land, and, as all would stay within a few feet of Kory and me, they'd be protected from any spells lobbed in our direction.

The plan was as sound as we could make it on such short notice. Kell and Davis held two body bags apiece, as did Klancy and Thomas.

Opal checked her weapons before we left Las Vegas for the mountain pass on the border of Peru—she was armed to the teeth, as Gran would say.

The first part of our plan was executed flawlessly. I set my crew down at the designated point; Kory did too, about a hundred yards away.

The stench from rotting corpses assaulted my nose; it had to be a hundred times worse for Kell and Davis.

Bodies had been tossed carelessly in a heap, like a fallen game of stacking logs. "Probably been here close to a week," Opal covered her nose with a hand and strode after Kell and Davis.

"No!" I shouted before Davis could reach out with a gloved hand to pull a body off the pile and stuff it into a body bag.

He stopped immediately.

I heard Kory's Thifilathi roar from yards away as the mass of bodies exploded into a seething pile of snakes.

Kell was ahead of me, turning Davis and Opal to mist. I misted toward Kory, whose Thifilathi held Klancy and Thomas in his arms while huge snakes lunged and bit at his scaled legs and wings.

No poison can harm a High Demon, I reminded myself of that while enveloping Kory and his burden inside my mist.

Rising above, I could see that only the edges of the enormous pile of corpses hid snakes.

Kory, can you skip home with the others?
I sent.
Kell has Opal and Davis in his mist, but he can't transport them back to Vegas.

I will. What are you going to do?

Gather a few bodies in my mist. I'll be there in a few, just—get a space ready for me to dump them
.

Baby, no
, he objected immediately.

I don't think they'll harm my mist,
I said
. Opal needs them. Just—make sure everything is locked and quarantined before you tell me where to drop them
.

Kory cursed in the High Demon language—for what felt like forever. He didn't like the idea that any corpse could come in contact with me—even my mist.

I felt ill at the prospect, but what else was there to do?

Just do it for me. Please?

I'll do it
, Opal's mental voice intervened.
I'll get them back; show up here
, she sent a mental image of a forensics lab located at a military base outside Las Vegas.

I'll be there in a few
, I said, stunned that Opal would be the one to get the others back. I was learning that there was more to Opal than I originally thought.

Perhaps she and I needed to talk.

After I took bodies to a lab, then heaved into a toilet after a long, hot shower.

* * *

Kordevik

I wasn't sure how she'd done it, but Opal folded space to get the others and me back to Vegas. We landed at a military facility in Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas. I hit the ground cursing. She didn't attempt to stop me.

The others blinked as my smaller Thifilathi stomped from one end of the room to the other, waiting for Lexsi to arrive with the bodies.

"What kind of snakes were those?" Davis stretched his arms and shoulders, as if folding space caused them to cramp.

"Not native to here," I snapped in guttural English. My Thifilathi, when angry, has difficulty forming words. I didn't want to change in front of the others, either; I'd be naked.

One of the downsides that I hadn't yet told Tibby about.

"The bodies are here." A voice sounded over an intercom. "Do we ah, need to provide you with anything else? There's a naked girl in the hallway outside, puking her guts out."

"We'll take care of it," Opal said. "Kory, let's go get her."

I sheepishly followed Opal out of the room, breathing smoke the whole way.

Chapter 8

Lexsi

"I'm not dying. I just can't stop gagging," I said.

I had a cold, wet cloth covering my eyes and forehead, as I lay flat on my back on a hotel bed. I'd dry heave every time I thought about carrying decaying corpses in my mist, so I had to attempt to block those thoughts.

"I told Opal I'm not going anywhere until you feel better," Kory insisted.

"You have to go help Tibby and the others," I mumbled.

"I'm calling in sick."

"You're not sick."

"How did they get those snakes from Verbaan?" Kory asked, changing the subject.

"The same way they got their sorry asses here," I snapped. For a moment, I sounded like Gran. Verbaanese adders weren't the most poisonous snakes in the Alliances, but they came close.

Somebody had gone to a lot of trouble to stuff dead bodies with nasty snakes who could kill humans in moments. Werewolves or shifters could take longer, but they'd be just as dead—it took a special antivenin to counteract the poison.

The snakes didn't make me sick, although the memory of snakes crawling from bloating, rotted bodies could.

I barely hung my head over the side of the bed before I began to heave into the wastebasket again. Nothing was coming up; I felt like crap and Kory rubbed my back, hoping I'd stop heaving soon.

"Look at it this way," he said, sounding philosophical. "If we ever have kids, we'll be well-prepared for morning sickness."

"You want kids?" I coughed out between dry heaves.

"Well," he shrugged. "I might. Plus, Dad would love to be a grandfather. He's never been one, you know. My mother would dance a jig and taunt Jaydevik Rath for hours."

"Because Jayde's daughters have never had children?" I breathed a sigh and flopped back on the bed—looked like this bout of heaves was over.

"Not yet," Kory grinned at me.

"I didn't realize it was a contest."

"It's not. I'm just speculating."

"Would your parents be that happy?" I asked.

"I'm being conservative, in my estimation."

"Kory?"

"What, baby?"

"We need to plan our kiss."

His eyes widened at my statement. "But," he began.

"I think we should plan it. Set a date. Look at it this way, if we'd gone through with our wedding, it would have already happened, right?"

"Probably," he nodded after a moment.

"I love your eyes," I said. "And your mouth. I want to know what your kiss feels like. We just have to get over the initial—bump in our relationship, first. How long will I be out? Will it disable me in any way?"

"I'm not sure how long you'll sleep. You shouldn't be disabled—that's supposed to be how it works."

"Because I can't afford to be disabled in any way—not while this mess is going on."

"I hear that." Kory slid off the bed to stand and stretch. "We'll think of something, all right? Come on, onion, get fresh clothes on and let's go help the others."

* * *

Opal

"Looks like those victims were hit with several black spells," I said, sitting across the table from Kell. We were waiting in the coffee shop downstairs for Lexsi and Kory to arrive. I hoped Lexsi was over the dry heaves—I felt bad enough about that as it was.

"Using power to cause organs to explode is the cowardly way to kill. That alone would garner an immediate death sentence, were the one responsible standing before the King of Karathia."

"Either one—the current King or the King of the future," I agreed. "Although Rylend wouldn't waste time asking questions, I think."

"We know how things turn out in the future, although we also know the past can alter those events, should it change in any way." Kell's dark eyes were unreadable as he toyed with his mug of tea.

"Yes. I've seen it happen before," I agreed. "I've seen sacrifices made to make things come out right, too—when the timeline was altered too much."

"At least these bodies the young one transported for us did not contain snakes. That is also as vile as a witch or warlock can get, defiling the dead in such a way."

"I can't believe we have to hunt those snakes down—they don't belong on this planet," I complained. "The only good thing is that they're used to warm weather. Here, they're high in the mountains. I hope they freeze to death before they bite anybody else."

"My dear, there are many things they have brought here that do not belong," Kell said quietly. "We will handle this."

My breath caught when he called me dear. Somehow, Kell Abenott made me feel young again, and I hadn't felt young for centuries.

* * *

Lexsi

Tibby's suite was huge and sat atop the casino hosting the fight. When Kory and I walked in, people were everywhere. We were introduced to Tibby's agent and his agent's assistant. Tibby then led me to the ones he considered most important in the room—his mother and grandmother.

"Abuela, these are the ones who saved Farin and me," he introduced us, first.

I blinked in confusion for a moment at his grandmother. Yes, I knew she was a Packmaster in San Diego. What I hadn't realized was that she was also a ranking member of the California State Legislature.

"Mrs. Riveras, it is such a pleasure to meet you," I held out my hand. I couldn't help smiling at her; she wore a huge smile in return.

"You are both members of my family, from now on," Maria Riveras announced as she refused my handshake and pulled me into a hug instead. "My Tiburon has explained that without your help, he and Farin would be dead."

"It was the least I could do," I shrugged. "They're my friends and I love them."

"They are your family, now," she said. "Jenita, help me welcome your new daughter and son into the family."

Jenita, Tibby's mother, looked so much like Tibby. She smiled shyly and hugged Kory and me while speaking softly in Spanish. She welcomed us into the family in her native language.

"My husband wished to be here, but he had to work—he is the Chief of Police for the city," Jenita explained.

"And the local Packmaster for our kind," Maria winked at us. "Come, sit. Drinks and food are coming."

"Think you can eat?" Kory lifted an eyebrow at me while we followed Senator Maria Riveras to sofas set beside floor-to-ceiling glass walls. The view of Las Vegas from those windows was spectacular. Yes, I'd seen images on television and in movies, but this was my first time to see it in reality.

Casino City on Gran's planet was smaller, but glittered in much the same way. "I think my stomach has settled," I whispered as I sat on a sofa beside Tibby's grandmother.

"I hear you're an amazing cook," I turned to her. "Tibby says you make amazing enchiladas."

"I'll teach you sometime," she smiled and patted my hand.

"I would love that," I said, my words sincere.

"Tomorrow is the weigh-in," Tibby said. He settled Farin on the sofa opposite ours before sitting beside her. His drink was juice; everyone else had something alcoholic at hand. Farin looked as if she were in a daze—as could be expected of a sudden engagement, followed closely by a championship fight involving her new fiancé.

"That PR nightmare where you're expected to stare down your opponent?" Kory asked while accepting a glass of Scotch from Diego.

"That's the one. I hate those," Tibby shook his head. "Save it for the fight, man."

I didn't want to tell him what concerned me; that Charlene, Hannah and whoever was with them planned a nasty surprise for Tibby by employing a duplication spell and putting a bigger, nastier opponent in the ring.

"Is there some way I can get close to Lover Boy Landon?" I asked. "Not tomorrow, but just before the fight?"

"What the hell are you suggesting?" Kory demanded.

"I'm just concerned that somebody could make a substitution, that's all," I said.

Tibby cursed softly. His mother and grandmother looked at me in alarm.

"I think this is something to discuss with Opal," Davis said, handing me a glass of wine. "After the big blow up in San Francisco, we're a little worried ourselves."

"Do we have more information on the man with Charlene?" I asked Davis, who settled cross-legged on the floor at the end of our sofa.

"Nothing yet. He hasn't stuck his nose out of her suite again. Maybe he's worried they're being followed—because they are."

"If he's vampire, he'd know by scent," Klancy volunteered.

"Is this something I should be aware of?" Maria was suddenly acting in a governmental capacity.

"Mrs. Riveras, there are strange things happening. People are reported as dead who aren't really dead, because, well, they've traded places in a disguised sort of way, with someone else, leaving innocents to die in their place," I explained. "Loftin Qualls isn't really dead. We don't know who died in his place."

"
Madre de Dios
," she sighed. "Not what I wished to hear, you understand, but good information to have. I will keep this to myself."

"It's better for now if you can," Davis said. "Our special paranormal division is investigating this. If word got out, the population could panic. They're worried enough about the recent events in San Francisco. They don't need to worry that the same thing could happen anywhere."

"Is this tied to the Rome family?" Maria had hit it perfectly with her speculation.

"Mrs. Riveras," Jamie walked over to stand in front of her. "I'm living proof that what Lexsi says is true. I'm James Rome, Jr.," he said, extending his hand to her, "I'm very pleased to meet you."

Jamie was invited to a private meeting with Maria; Kory and I were included in the invitation.

"This is difficult to believe," Maria shook her head for perhaps the fourth time after studying Jamie's face. "Some other man, wearing your body? That is incredible."

"It feels that way at times," Jamie admitted. "I don't recognize myself in the mirror, I forget the sizes of my clothing; it's going to be a long battle," he acknowledged.

"They're in Peru, now—the ones responsible," I said. "Things are going on there that will terrify just about anyone."

"I miss you on the news," Maria patted my hand. "I believed what you said, because you spoke the truth. Those others," she waved her hand in dismissal.

"At times I miss it, too, but I'm needed more where I am," I said. "These people—I don't know what their plans are in Vegas, but I don't trust them."

"Me, either," Kory agreed. "Whatever it is, it isn't good. You can count on that."

"If Laurel is behind it, it will be bad," Jamie confirmed.

"She came from behind and did this to you?" Maria was still having difficulty with Jamie's situation.

"I realize now that my money was the most attractive thing to her. I came in a distant second, until Berke Gillson arrived to turn her head."

"All a part of the same plot, you think?" Maria's guess was a shrewd one.

"Yes. I think this was the way to get to her and to my bank accounts," Jamie agreed. "By the time I realized something was wrong and confronted her, they were ready for me. I still held important information, so they kept me alive by switching bodies." He tapped his chest.

"Does this mean you are penniless now?"

"Practically. I'm just waiting for this to be over, so I can begin to invest again. I don't intend to remain poor for long."

"I don't think you will," Maria agreed. "Meanwhile, we must protect your secret and my grandson's life. Yes?"

"Yes." Jamie nodded. "After all, if certain people see me here in Vegas, they'll know I'm not dead."

"You mean the enemy," I said. "Laurel. Those she's backing. Nobody else knows Berke Gillson or what he looks like."

"Stick close to me," Kory said. "I'll do what I can to keep them away from you."

"I think she wants both of us dead," Jamie leveled his gaze on Kory.

He'd said exactly what I was thinking.

* * *

Kory was worried, or he'd never have asked to sleep in the same bed. I said yes, and honestly, I didn't care if he ended up asking for sex without a kiss.

He didn't, though. He just wrapped his arms around me and I fell asleep with my head on his shoulder.

We skipped to Tibby's suite the following morning to have breakfast with him; the weigh-in was scheduled at eight in the evening and there was still training to do before then.

Jamie stayed at our hotel, with Thomas and Sandra acting as guards for him, Klancy and Mason. The vamps had to be protected during the day, while they slept in darkened rooms.

* * *

Peru

Laurel

"Granger?" I held the phone tighter against my ear, attempting to get better reception.

"We have seen him," came through, but it was garbled.

"Who? Kory Wilson?"

"No. We saw germy."

"Germy? Who the hell is that?" I demanded.