Red House (21 page)

Confusion turned to something I couldn’t quite define. “He’s a corrupt entity, made of anger and hatred. I thought something imbued with innocence might break his hold.”

I waited but he said no more. “What did you use?” Reluctantly he pulled a small colorful figurine from his pocket. I moved to take it but he closed his fist around it, then shoved it back in his pocket. “You used Hello Kitty?”

He started to turn away but I caught his arm. “What’s up with this?”

“It was Delia’s.” He wouldn’t look at me. “So what do we do next?”

Delia, the girl his demon lover had inhabited. A beautiful young woman facing her impending death, Delia had chosen to be possessed by a spirit of chaos that went on a killing spree before I put her down. Shortly after the spirit died the girl followed, succumbing to the brain tumor she’d been so desperate to cheat. I knew that Blake’s relationship with the demon was closer than his relationship with the hostess, but still, there had to have been something there. What kind of understanding must they have shared? What kind of bond? It had been easy to assume at first that Blake was power hungry and wanted a playmate, but I’d learned quickly that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t power Blake wanted, it was communion.

I had to push those thoughts away and focus on the job. “We need to make sure Shelby’s okay. We need to find Daniel and get him up here with us. Then we trap Haschall and see what we can do with Shelby’s summoning spell.”

Blake chuckled. “And a fiancee to murder and Guilder to frame for it?”

The sight of his smirk warmed me all the way down to my toes. “Something like that, yeah.”

“We got one of them out at least.”

I was glad of that but still a little worried about the brother’s attitude. “He’s going to be a problem for Shelby when this is over. God knows what he’ll tell their mother.”

“Their family business isn’t our business. She’s got her grandmother.” He returned to the table. I could hear him murmuring to the girl. She sat up, pulling the heavy tablecloth around her as a blanket.

Yes, Shelby would have the support of her grandmother, but would that be enough? Did she have anyone in her life she could be herself with, anyone who would not be afraid of her? Being treated like a freak was bad enough, but to see fear in people’s eyes, especially people who are family, the ones who are supposed to know and love you best no matter what–seeing a mix of fear and disgust in their faces changes a person. It makes you hate looking in the mirror. What if one day you see the same thing they hate?

Blake waved me over.

“No, listen to me, listen to me. I think that this man Haschall had some power when he was alive. Maybe he didn’t understand it or know what to do with it. It might have driven him insane, or maybe he was insane anyway. And I think because you have magical ability is what attracts him to you.”

Shelby looked dubious, the guilt not wanting to let her off the hook. I said, “You’re a natural witch, honey, we can tell. We can feel it. I can see it.”

“She can see auras.” Blake placed a hand on my shoulder. “Your aura looked different when Haschall was in control.” A sudden panic flared in him. “She did look different, didn’t she?”

“Yes! Very different. What I saw all around the house, this red energy, very angry, very dangerous. When Haschall was in control of you I could see that same red all over your aura just like you got this wrapped around you.” I tugged on the tablecloth blanket. “Your eyes too, they were red. That’s not you, Shelby. Not you at all.”

“I should have been able to stop him. That man is dead because I’m weak.” She tried to sink into the folds of the tablecloth. Her small hitching sobs tore at me. How did I explain about Daniel being a vampire? Would she be able to accept that because of her experience with magic and ghosts or would it be too much?

Blake stared at her with recognition. When he stepped forward and took her in his arms I realized of what–guilt. He rocked her back and forth as she cried, her tears wetting his shirt. Murmuring against her hair he said, “Sometimes you do bad things. Sometimes bad things happen to you. Sometimes you catch a lucky break.”

He spoke to her but he was looking at me, dark eyes glistening. His energy brushed up against mine, like a stray cat looking for warm place to curl up and hide. I welcomed the touch, twining my energy with his.

The dead flower arrangement in the center of the table began to straighten, color returning to the petals. Shelby noticed, pulling away from Blake to watch. “Are you…is that you guys?”

Blake said nothing. I shrugged. “I think so.” I tried to joke. “That’s new and different.”

Shelby hopped down and stepped closer to the flowers. “That’s incredible.”

Eyeing Blake I said, “It’s mostly you, isn’t it?”

He took his time answering. “What can I say? I’ve always liked flowers.”

“How very special for you. Now one of you get over and break this salt line long enough for me to get through the door.” An aggravated blood-soaked vampire stood in the doorway at the opposite end of the room, dark blond hair sticking up like an anime character and his shotgun over his shoulder.

I sprinted the length of the ballroom, using my foot to break the salt line and pulling Daniel into the room and into a fierce embrace. It was one thing to know on an intellectual level that he would be okay, but seeing the proof was another thing entirely. Heedless of the blood staining his front, I hugged him as hard as I could. “I hate it when you die, Bubba.”

“It’s no fun for me either.” He let go of me and waved at the salt on the floor. “Now fix that before something sneaks in. This place is a fucking insane asylum for crazy ghosts.”

Daniel was right, that line needed repairing. I poured more salt, closing the ward with focused intention.

Approaching Daniel with trepidation, Shelby said, “How is this possible?”

“Roxie can explain,” Blake said, ever helpful. “It’s complicated.”

“Ah, no, it’s not complicated at all.” Daniel’s aura dipped from its usual golden daylight to a bloody sunset. “I’m a vampire.” Hissing, he opened his mouth, his fangs popping out with an audible click.

A scream like a tornado alarm, loud and shrill and a kick to the gut, filled the ballroom. Blake dragged Shelby behind the table, trying to quiet her. I slapped Toothy on the back of the head. “What the hell? Put those things away!”

“She literally stuck a knife in my heart and twisted it. Do you have any idea how bad I need blood right now?”

“Keep your fangs in your mouth. And it wasn’t Shelby, surely you could tell it was Haschall possessing her when that happened.” Fragments of the conversation between Blake and Shelby reached me. It didn’t seem to be going well. Fire was mentioned. Shit.

“You don’t have to worry about Daniel,” I said.

Shelby ignored me, repeating her question to Blake. “Can you kill it with fire?”

“Yes but–’’ Blake wisely closed his mouth when he saw my expression.

“Nobody’s killing anybody. Daniel is perfectly safe.”

Blake said, “Yeah, think of him as a neutered animal. He might try to hump your leg but he’s not going to bite you.”

Daniel whipped out his fangs again, waving the shotgun. “Fuck you, Harvill.”

I waved my hands in frustration. “Stop it. Everybody cool off.”

Shelby raised her right arm, hand out and palm up. A softball-sized ball of fire erupted above her skin. “Stay away from me, glitter bitch, or I will light you up.”

Daniel screwed up his face in indignation. Pushing him away I said, “Go sit down over there.” I pointed to a chair in the far corner. “Let me talk to her.”

“She killed me once already, now she’s threatening to do it again, but I’m the one that gets a time out?” Gesturing with the shotgun, covered in blood, the tips of his fangs peeking out, Daniel did not exactly inspire confidence that he could behave himself at the moment. A knife to the heart must have cost him a huge amount of blood.

Because what the situation really needed was a hungry irrational vampire as the cherry on top.

“Everyone needs to chill. We got a lotta work to do together, we can’t be fighting. Please, just try to relax and give me a chance to talk to her.” I placed my hands on his arms, wishing I knew how to do that trick of Blake’s so I could transmit calming energy to Daniel.

“Fine.” He glanced at the far end of the table where Shelby and Blake were deep in conversation, the fireball still hovering above her palm. “That girl’s trouble. Jailbait always is.”

“She’s eighteen.”

“Whatever, she’s trouble. I don’t like her.”

“Duly noted. Go sit down. And could you please keep your fangs up and stop waving that thing around.” I pointed at the shotgun.

Embarrassment replaced some of his attitude. “Yeah, okay. Sorry.” He fumbled for more to say then gave up, kissing my cheek and going to sit in his corner like a good little vampire.

I made a mental note to start bringing booze along on jobs, then I remembered that I had a small bottle of whiskey in my bag. I’d need it later though, so I pushed aside the temptation to start drinking. Tired of all the crap I was seeing in the auric field, I found my glasses and put them back on. Joining Blake and Shelby, I pointed at her fireball. “That is seriously cool. Could you put it away?”

Shelby glanced at Blake, who gave her an encouraging nod. She focused on the fire for a moment then it disappeared.

“Thank you.” I sat on the edge of the table. “Let’s go over some things. Yes, vampires are real. No, Daniel will not hurt you. No, you will not hurt him. Can you move on from this? Because I really need you to.”

She looked at Blake again. In a display of unusual wisdom he avoided meeting her eyes and took a step closer to me. For the first time I was glad he’d gotten a look at my ex Deputy Hot Pants.

“Okay, yeah,” Shelby said. “I guess I was just in shock or something.”

I patted the surface of the table. She hopped up, crossing her legs and straightening first her t-shirt, then her ponytail. These little gestures seemed to help her compose herself and reminded me of her grandmother. The resemblance was quite striking. Shelby was a hipster version of Julia, a comparison I thought they might both find amusing.

“The four of us need to work together,” I said. “I’m not sure if we can all get out of the house, and even if we could, we need to get this house clear. So I’m gonna call Daniel over here and we’re gonna talk about this and come up with a plan. I don’t want to have to waste time refereeing you two.”

“You won’t, I’m cool.” A flurry of panic seized her. “Wait, did you get my brother out?”

Blake answered. “Yeah, he should be with your grandmother now. She was parked at the end of the drive waiting.”

Shelby calmed. I called Daniel over. He laid his shotgun on the table several feet away and retrieved chairs for himself and Blake. Wow, he must have really felt bad for showing fang in anger earlier.

“Okay, listen up everybody.” I called our little meeting to order. “Here’s my plan.”

Chapter 17

All the tables and chairs moved out of the way, I marked out a five-spot on the floor with chalk. The four corners of the room were prepared with candles, incense, and various herbs and other items. In the center of the artificial crossroads I created a small altar.

Blake watched me pull items out of my bag. “That’s a hell of a lot of crap you got in there.”

“Everyone thinks you can’t learn real magic from Harry Potter but I used Hermione’s extension charm on this.” I hefted the bag.

He didn’t bother to laugh at my joke. Tension drew lines in his face and darkened his eyes.

I found the bundle of sage I’d been looking for. Holding it up, I focused on the soft gray leaves with a residue of black from the last time it was burned, visualizing it smoking again. In seconds it lit, a nice pungent stream of smoke issuing from it.

I stood, taking his hand. “Do you need to do anything? I mean, to get ready?” I passed the bundle over him, willing it’s protective energy to keep him safe.

He squeezed my hand. “I need to sit quietly for a few minutes at least. Get my head in that space.”

Magic space, he meant, where Blake became Kalidas. What we were going to do really called for hours, if not days of preparation, but we had minutes. Haschall could find us at any time, go after Shelby or any of us. We were at Defcon Two here, with little time to spare. “Do it now. We need to get started.”

Blake kissed me before walking to a far corner. I looked for Shelby, finding her sitting against a wall. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, one arm wrapped around her legs with the other hand tapping a rhythm on the floor. I could see her lips moving but couldn’t hear what she said.

Sitting next to her, I waited for her to acknowledge me. I recognized her chant.
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna.
A Goddess chant popular with Wiccans, even someone undeclared in the religion department like me found it soothing. The names flowed easily, cool water over stones. I found myself saying it with her, sliding into the spiraling rhythm. It helped that she treated it more like a song than the type of chanting I’d never been able to work with.

“I’m scared,” she blurted.