Devil Inside (48 page)

Harley didn’t explain.  “Yes, Kentucky.  Cutter was there about seven months ago.”  Castor slowly made and “ah ha” face but didn’t interrupt.   “But I don’t recall hearing about any strange murders or disappearances.  And Levi or Nya never mentioned any.  I just can’t figure out the connection.  If Cutter is connected to the Rogue, why wasn’t the Rogue in Kentucky?”

“My best guess?”

“Yeah?”

“I think Cutter is running the cooking operation.  He probably has cook shops in Kentucky.  Small southern towns are infested with meth labs.  He may just be based here, or distributing here but manufacturing in Kentucky.”

Harley thought about what Castor told her.  It definitely sounded plausible.  “But I don’t think he’s based here,” she said continuing her thoughts out loud.

“Why not?”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure he has spent a lot of time in Kentucky.  But what do you think drugs have to do with the Rogue murders?  If drugs aren’t the cause.”

“That we haven’t figured out yet.  Money probably?  How do you know he has spent a lot of time in Kentucky?”

Harley took a deep breath.  She was conflicted.  She didn’t want to dredge up the story of her childhood again.  And she definitely didn’t want to talk about Jamie.  Telling the story would make her remember all of it and she would have to deal with it again.  She wasn’t ready to work through another serving of misery right now.  She was so tired and exhausted.  She just wanted to feed and feel better.  Then she could face telling Castor the story.

“Can I feed first?  It’s a long story.  And I need some fortification before I try to go into it.”

Castor looked annoyed.  “How quick can you be?  The sun is starting to set and if I am going to keep sticking my neck out I want to know why.”

“I’ll be quick.  I know where we can find a Burner quickly.

Harley was right.  She easily found an Ignis a few blocks away.  Despite the renovation process much of the neighborhood was going through, you didn’t have to go far to find a remaining seedy area.  It was an area where a lot of prostitutes hung out and quite a few of them were Ignis.  Prostitution, unsurprisingly, provided plenty of opportunity for a Burner to feed.  Harley thought it was almost lazy seeing as how it was so easy for them to con and manipulate their johns.  From about a block away she caught the eye of a light haired Ignis working the corner.  With the distance and the sunglasses the Burner wouldn’t be able to tell she was a Nocte.  She looked respectable and clean and was sure that the Ignis would just figure that she was a middle-class college student slumming it and looking for some kink or drugs.  Harley nodded towards the alleyway to her left and stepped inside.  As she had hoped the fair-haired Ignis didn’t hesitate to follow her.  The alleys made New York an easy hunting ground.  Whatever kind of trouble you were seeking—it was easy to find in an alley.  For that reason, Harley found them an indispensable tool in hunting Ignis.  Burners were willing and expected to do business in dark secluded places and most normal humans avoiding trouble also avoided alleys.

As soon as the Ignis stepped into the alley she realized her mistake.  Harley and Castor took her down quickly, together.  After feeding Harley felt refreshed and more in control.  She and Castor walked towards his car that was about ten blocks away.  She told him the condensed version of the story.  She had a crappy childhood.  She was sure that Cutter had messed with her parent’s lives.  They died in a fire.  She grew up in foster care.  He then came across her in a bar and must have recognized her.  She blew him off.  This apparently inspired him to come after her.  Whether it was for fun, long standing grudge or simply because he felt like it—he sent two Ignis after her and her friend.  Her friend died.  Levi helped her out.  Brought her into the Praesidio for a chance to fight against Cutter and all Ignis.

When she told Castor the story she left out the emotion and the heartache.  She watered it down to just facts.  By separating the emotion from the story she was able to separate her emotions from her history.  It allowed her to maintain control and dignity.  But she knew that it didn’t fool Castor.  He listened silently and didn’t interrupt.  When she finished the story he put and arm around her shoulders and drew her to him.  Harley immediately stiffened against the contact.  When he stopped walking she ducked out from underneath his arm.

Castor looked at her and his features were softened.  Her Nocte bristled at the sympathetic look.  “Why are you looking at me like that,” Harley asked.

Castor seemed surprised.  “That’s a horrible story.  I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”

Harley sneered.  “I don’t need sympathy or pity.”

Castor was taken back.  “I didn’t say that I pitied you.”  He held his hands up in defense.

Harley forced herself to calm down.  “I just need information.  I need—want—to find Cutter.”  Her words were brittle and sharp.

Castor nodded but continued to look at her as if he wanted to hug her.  It made her want to punch him in the face.  His arrogance at believing she needed comforting burned through her.  He saw a weak spot in her and he was coddling it.  She clenched her teeth and worked really hard at not reminding him that she was stronger than him.  He still hadn’t completely healed from his Ignis bite.  She could see it at the yellow tinged edges of his eyes and in the shallowness of his skin.  “And don’t give me any crap about not seeking revenge.  You don’t know me or know what I need.  I appreciate the help—but if you think you are going to talk me out of this then I can do it on my own.”

Castor shook his head.  “I get the feeling that arguing with you isn’t going to do any good?”  Harley shook her head, glaring at him.  “OK then.  I got the number of the Burner that was on the phone with the one I killed last night.  The Vigilum are tracking it for me now.  I wanted to let you know that whenever I get his address I’ll help you find him.”

“How about you just give me the address when you get it?  I don’t need to babysit a sick Lux while I’m trying to get the information I need.”

Anger flared through Castor’s eyes and wiping the softness from his features.  Harley knew it was a low blow but didn’t care at the moment.  An angry Castor was not a patronizing Castor.  “I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything,” he spat the words at her.  They had arrived at his car and he turned towards it.  Harley had just turned away when his voice called her back.

“You know—” he started and then seemed to think better of it.  He started again.  “Be careful Harley.  The Ignis aren’t the only monsters we have to fight.”

She rolled her eyes at his clichéd words of wisdom and walked away without a backwards glance.  She felt guilty for being so harsh with Castor.  He was offering to help and he didn’t deserve her anger.  Her regret over her words hung heavily in her chest.  But harsh or not, she didn’t have the time or the patience for handholding.

When Harley woke up the next afternoon she had two text messages.  The first was from Levi.  He had sent it just after Harley had collapsed into bed at the first light of dawn.

“I have some information for you.  I’m going to come to NYC ASAP.”

The next text was from Castor.

“I’ve got the address.  I’ll meet you at the café two hours before sunset again.”

Before showering Harley replied to Levi’s text:

“See ya when you get here.”

Harley dressed in comfortable clothes that would be easy to fight in.  If Castor had the address of a Burner who had a direct connection to Cutter then there was a good chance there was going to be a fight tonight.  She wore stretchy jeans and a loose tank top and running shoes in addition to her usual hoodie that hid her knife.  She still included the chain around her waist but hid it underneath the tail of her shirt.

In no time Harley was sitting down at Castor’s table at the little corner café.  Coffee and a bagel were already on the table.  She looked at him questioningly.

“It’s a peace offering,” he said with a shrug.  “I didn’t intend on pissing you off yesterday.  I just know what it’s like to lose someone you care about.  It hurts—and you don’t have to pretend that it doesn’t.”

Harley spread cream cheese on the bagel and took a sip of coffee.  She knew that Castor was trying to be nice, but it still annoyed her.  She didn’t want anyone telling her how to feel about her childhood, or Jamie. 
Good thing I didn’t give him the uncensored version
. 
He’d be buying me a teddy bear and a balloon for sure.
  Her Nocte huffed in agreement.  She brushed her annoyance aside.  It was hard to stay mad at him since he was helping her out—and the faint Irish accent didn’t hurt either.

“Is that why you chose to become a Lux?” she asked, accepting his peace offering.

He looked at her with confusion.  “No,” he began with the air of stating the obvious.  “The Lux don’t choose to join the Vigilum.  Well, not completely anyway.”

Harley was taken aback.  “How do you become a Lux then?”

“The Vigilum chooses you.”  Castor looked like he was surprised she didn’t know this already.

She wondered if he has assumed that it was the same with the Nocte.  Or if it was just weird that she didn’t know that Lux were chosen.  “I don’t get it.”

Castor’s shoulders stiffened and his green eyes hardened and she realized that she was prying at personal information.  Apparently, becoming a Lux was just as sensitive as becoming Nocte.  “I’d rather not talk about it right now if you don’t mind.”

Harley felt her face heat up slightly.  “Sorry,” she finally said.  “So what did you find out about this Ignis?” she asked.

Castor held her gaze a moment as if he was waiting on her to start prying again.  Finally, he shrugged it off and held up his phone.  “I didn’t get his real address because it was just some drop phone.  But I can track him.”  He grinned widely, obviously proud of himself.

Harley, impressed, smiled back at him.  “Where is he at now?”

Castor unlocked his phone and peered at the screen.  “He is at a church in Queens.”  He showed her the map on his phone.  When she saw the little dot marking the Burner’s location she grinned.

“I’m ready when you are.”  She gulped down the last of her coffee and they both got up from the table.

Castor drove them to Queens, weaving in and out of the heavy New York traffic.  Sometimes Harley missed having a car.  There wasn’t much need for one in the city, but she missed the feeling of freedom that a car gave you. 
Then again
, she thought to herself,
I don’t think I could deal with this traffic on a regular basis.
  Castor drove an Audi sedan that was a few years old.  It was nice but didn’t draw a lot of attention.  The inside of the car smelled like him and when she breathed in deep enough it warmed her skin and made her stomach tingle.  Castor didn’t say much—he just handed her his phone and had her play navigator.  He seemed to have forgiven her prying but it didn’t dampen her desire to know more about how he was CHOSEN to be a Lux.  She tucked the questions she had for him away to come back to another day.

“What do you know about this Ignis?”

Castor glanced at her.  “Not a lot really.  Mid-level drug dealer.  His name is Peter.  At least that’s what he goes by it seems.”

“I’m sure it’s his real name,” Harley chuckled.

Castor laughed.  “Why do you say that?”

“If you were a demon possessing a human to feed of the misery you caused, would you choose to call yourself Peter?”  Castor laughed and returned his attention to the road.

Harley’s attention was pulled from the glowing map she held when she felt a warm weight on her leg.  She looked down to see Castor’s hand resting on her leg just above her knee and her Nocte shivered in excitement.  Castor noticed her looking at his hand and met her eyes.  He looked unsure of himself and she didn’t know what to say for a moment.  Before she could figure out how she felt about his hand being on her leg he pulled it away.

“No?  Sorry,” he said, returning his attention to the road.

Her mouth flopped open and closed a couple of times trying to form words that she hadn’t thought of yet.  She didn’t get a chance to however, because Castor quickly swung the car into a spot at the curb.  She looked around confused.

“We’re still a couple of blocks away,” he said.  “But this will give us some room to sneak up and scope the place out.  I don’t know what is going on and we shouldn’t just rush in.”

Harley shook her head clear, forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand.  They both climbed out of the car.  Harley tossed her jacket on her seat and swung her arms to loosen them up.  Castor also left his jacket in the car.  He was wearing a short sleeved tee-shirt and jeans with boots.  His bone handled knife was buckled at his waist.  He opened the back door of the car and pulled something from underneath a blanket that was folded on the seat.

“Back up,” he said indicating the samurai sword he was holding up.  The blade caught the light from a street lamp and glinted beautifully.

“Oooo,” Harley breathed as he spun it around and secured it against his back.  She had to admit, she was a little jealous.  She might have to get one for herself she decided.

“Here,” Castor said, tossing something thin and dark to her as she came round the back of the car.