Read Secrets of the Demon Online
Authors: Diana Rowland
Secrets of the Demon
Table of Contents
Raves for Diana Roland’s Kara Gillian Novels:
“A nifty combination of police procedural and urban fantasy. Not too many detectives summon demons in their basement for the fun of it, but Kara Gillian is not your average law enforcement officer. In the course of Rowland’s first book, Kara learns a lot about demons, her past, and above all, herself.”
—
Charlaine Harris
New York Times
bestselling author
Charlaine Harris
New York Times
bestselling author
“Rowland spins a tale that is riveting, suspenseful, and deliciously sexy. With a unique take on demons, and with one of the most terrifying serial killers ever, (Rowland) will keep you up late at night turning pages.”
—
Jenna Black
, author of
The Devil’s Playground
Jenna Black
, author of
The Devil’s Playground
“A fascinating mixture of a hard-boiled police procedural and gritty yet other-worldly urban fantasy. Diana Rowland’s professional background as a both street cop and forensic assistant not only shows through but gives the book a realism sadly lacking in all too many urban fantasy ‘crime’ novels.”
—
L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
, author of the
Saga of Recluse
L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
, author of the
Saga of Recluse
“
Mark of the Demon
crosses police procedure with weird magic. Diana Rowland’s background makes her an expert in the former, and her writing convinces me she’s also an expert in the latter in this fast-paced story that ends with a bang.”
Mark of the Demon
crosses police procedure with weird magic. Diana Rowland’s background makes her an expert in the former, and her writing convinces me she’s also an expert in the latter in this fast-paced story that ends with a bang.”
—
Carrie Vaughn
,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Kitty Norville series
Carrie Vaughn
,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Kitty Norville series
“Utilizing her real-world experience as an ex-cop/ forensic assistant, debut author Rowland pulls together an edgy new urban fantasy novel that’s both a police procedural and a demonic thriller . . . that also possesses a dangerously sexy edge. . . . Brava to Rowland for creating a vivid heroine and several transfixing secondary players.”
—
Romantic Times
Romantic Times
Copyright © 2011 by Diana Rowland.
All Rights Reserved.
DAW Book Collectors No. 1533.
DAW Books are distributed by Penguin Group (USA).
All characters and events in this book are fictitious.
All resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
First Printing, January 2011
eISBN : 978-1-101-47682-6
DAW TRADEMARK REGISTERED
U.S. PAT. AND TM. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES
—MARCA REGISTRADA
HECHO EN U.S.A.
S.A.
To my sister, Sherry, for accepting and supporting the nerds in her life.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I tried to tell myself I didn’t need to write a lengthy acknowledgment, but the truth is that every single book requires enormous help from a variety of sources and it would be a travesty if I didn’t at least make the attempt to thank everyone who contributed to the creation of this book.
Therefore, huge thanks and appreciation go to:
Dr. Michael DeFatta, who continues to be an absolute goldmine of information on forensic pathology, and, amazingly, has not yet filed a restraining order to force me to stop texting questions to him.
Roman White, Michael Buckholtz, and Scott Gardner, for answering my numerous questions about the music industry with incredible detail and unwavering patience.
Sgt. Ben Eshleman and Detective Stefan Montgomery, for filling in the many gaps in my knowledge of financial crimes and the paperwork involved in investigating them.
Sgt. Roy McCann, for explaining the best way to shoot various things.
My kick-ass agent, Matt Bialer, and his lovely and awesome assistant, Lindsay Ribar, for not giving up on me or this series. I can’t imagine being in this line of work without them.
Betsy Wollheim, my incredible editor, for
everything
.
everything
.
Debbie Roma, for being such a great friend and fan.
Nicole Peeler, for helping me find the good stuff in the book.
And, of course, my mom, for the many varieties of support and motivation she’s given me.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
While I do my very best to ensure that all of the Kara Gillian books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels, there is an overarching storyline to the series that I hope readers will enjoy as well. I advise those readers who are interested in earlier books to begin with
Mark of the Demon
and follow that with
Blood of the Demon
—both of which are available from fine booksellers everywhere. Thank you.
Mark of the Demon
and follow that with
Blood of the Demon
—both of which are available from fine booksellers everywhere. Thank you.
Chapter 1
The heavy music pounded through me, making my teeth vibrate and the muscles in my back tense in reaction. I leaned against the wall, as much as to have a good vantage to watch the seething mass of people in front of the stage as to ground myself from the incessant beat. Cigarette smoke burned the back of my throat and the stench of stale beer and sweat coiled around me in a noxious miasma. Every now and then I’d get a whiff of something putrid, letting me know me that I’d picked a spot too close to the bathrooms. I was in a good position to see the majority of the bar, but the raised alcove I’d claimed for my use suffered from a distinct lack of air flow—which probably explained why it was empty.
A few feet below me the dance floor was getting some vigorous use—its denizens clad in fishnets and corsets, PVC and leather, ball gowns and “Little Bo-Peep” outfits, and every possible combination thereof. Past the dance floor and through a broad brick archway I could see that the long bar was packed three deep. I was in serious need of some ice water, but I wasn’t quite desperate enough to brave the crush at the bar.
I jerked in surprise at the feel of the demon’s voice in my head. I’d summoned tenth-level demons before, but this particular
zhurn
was the only demon who had ever chosen to speak with me mind to mind. I replied, tensing with the effort of communicating with the demon in this fashion. It wasn’t as simple as merely
thinking
a sentence, which is what I’d always imagined it to be. Instead it felt as if I had to push the thought along the mental bindings that held the demon in this sphere. It was creepy and unsettling, and I couldn’t help but be relieved that the
zhurn
were the only demons who ever chose to communicate this way.
zhurn
was the only demon who had ever chosen to speak with me mind to mind.
thinking
a sentence, which is what I’d always imagined it to be. Instead it felt as if I had to push the thought along the mental bindings that held the demon in this sphere. It was creepy and unsettling, and I couldn’t help but be relieved that the
zhurn
were the only demons who ever chose to communicate this way.
I waited for a response from the demon, but my answer had apparently been sufficient.
Maybe it’s bored?
Unfortunately, there really wasn’t much for it to do. I’d only summoned Skalz as a contingency backup, even though I thought it very unlikely that we would need one. It had also been a while since I’d summoned a
zhurn
and this had been a convenient enough excuse.
Maybe it’s bored?
Unfortunately, there really wasn’t much for it to do. I’d only summoned Skalz as a contingency backup, even though I thought it very unlikely that we would need one. It had also been a while since I’d summoned a
zhurn
and this had been a convenient enough excuse.
“You’re supposed to look like you’re having fun,” FBI Special Agent Ryan Kristoff said from beside me. It probably should have been a whisper, or at least
sotto voce
, but the music was so loud it ended up being more of a shout.
sotto voce
, but the music was so loud it ended up being more of a shout.
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