The Demon King and I (2 page)

It wasn’t easy, but I made myself smile. “No man is worth crying over.” It was something Mom had lectured me and my three sisters about since we first noticed boys. “They are a tool for sexual satisfaction, and they are good companions. Nothing more.” Mom never minced words, even when we were twelve. I’d probably be really warped if I hadn’t seen how much she loved my father. They never agreed on anything, but there was a deep connection between them.

Mom had a different way of looking at the world than most people, but she had her reasons. She’d be really angry if she saw my tear-stained face as I stood hiding in the gallery bathroom.

I dabbed the powder under my eyes and then around my red nose. Taking another calming breath, I searched for my favorite MAC Solar Plum lipstick. The color made me smile, and I needed that right now.

After taking one last look, I straightened my little black halter dress and smoothed the tiny tendrils escaping from the chignon trapping the rest of my light brown curls.

The piece of granite went into the wastebasket. Opening the door, I slipped into the crowded gallery. My sister Alex had helped me transform the abandoned warehouse into a maze of large partial walls with the perfect lighting to show off the art. It was our second showing and all of São Paulo had arrived for the party.

With my best fake smile on my face I said hello to the guests.

“Gillian, you’ve done it again,” said Mark Michikin, the editor of
Art
magazine. He was a harsh critic, so any praise was a small miracle.

Giving him a light squeeze on his arm, I air-kissed his cheek. “Wonderful. Are you having a good time? Looks like you need a new glass of champagne.” I pointed to his empty glass and motioned to a waiter to replace it.

As I moved through the throng I spotted Emilio. He smiled and reached out to me.
Jerk.
It was obvious he and Maria hadn’t noticed me watching them for the few seconds I caught their erotic act. They had arrived separately and were acting as if nothing had happened between them.

My smile faltered when I looked at him. I wasn’t sure I could do this. We hadn’t made our relationship exclusive, so he had the right to date whomever he wanted, but not the woman who managed my gallery. A woman I had trusted.

I could rip off her head.
Pausing, I grabbed a glass of champagne and made myself take a sip.
Jeez, Gilly, that’s a little drastic. Calm down.
I always had conversations in my head—it was the way I sorted out things—but usually they weren’t so murderous in intent.

I willed myself to get Zen. Emilio had a strange look on his face, which meant he couldn’t read mine.

Then it hit me. What was life without a Caruthers girl scandal? It’d had been awhile since the tabs had zeroed in on one of the four sisters. We were known for our parties, our men, and our jet-setting lives. It was a ruse we all perpetuated for the greater good. I was about to give the press, and the elite of São Paulo, the show of a lifetime. It would be great for business. People loved a scandal.

“And here, ladies and gentlemen, is the most beautiful woman in the world.” Emilio opened his arms to embrace me and seemed startled when I handed him my champagne glass.

“Funny, did you say the same thing to Maria when you screwed her on my bed an hour ago?”

There was a collective gasp, as if I’d thrown cold water on the crowd. I’m usually the sister who shies away from public drama, preferring to keep the press guessing, but I was in a weird mood. Out of sorts, I guess, and I just couldn’t stop myself.

“Bad form, Maria.” I turned to look at her. “Biting the hand that feeds you. You really should have been here early to make sure everything was set up properly. I’m afraid your work ethic is going to be called into question.” They both stepped back out of the circle, and the gallery went very quiet.

“Gillian, you are mistaken,” Emilio sputtered.

Maria’s jaw dropped. It wasn’t very attractive. I decided right then that I’d really never liked her.

“No, I don’t think so. I had a very good view of both of you. Maria, you may want to have that large mole on your back checked out.” She blanched.

I paused and pointed at Emilio. “I suggest you get your things out of my house tonight, as I’m selling it in the morning.”

“Gillian. You don’t understand. I was using her as a ...”

I gave him a wicked smile. “I know exactly what you were using her for, Em. I just don’t like sharing my playthings. I’m selfish that way.” The group around me snickered.

His frown made his brow crinkle, and I knew I’d struck something within him. He didn’t like the idea of being a boy toy. Too bad.

Moving so that I stood toe-to-toe with Maria, I gave her another evil glare. “Security will be escorting you out. And I’m afraid there isn’t going to be a severance package.” I motioned to the guards by the door and they stood on each side of her.

“You can’t—” she said in her heavy Portuguese accent.

“Oh, but I can. And if I were you, I’d go back to school and try a new career. I have a feeling you’re going to have a very difficult time finding a job in any art gallery—anywhere in the world.” No one in the room had any idea how much harm I could have caused her in that moment, and it wouldn’t have fazed me.

She must have had some inkling I had murder on my mind, because her lips tightened to a thin line, and then she stared intently at her shoes.

I turned my back on her and kept my power in check.

“Gaston will see to your needs for the rest of the evening,” I said to the crowd. “Please enjoy yourselves. Emilio is a cad and a cheat, but he’s also very talented.” I glanced at him patronizingly, as if he were a petulant child.

Gaston walked up to me. “Are you okay, Ms. Caruthers?” His face held genuine concern and it was almost my undoing.

I reached out and touched his arm. “I’m fine. Congratulations on your promotion, Gaston. Even if events hadn’t gone the way they had, you deserved it. I’ve been very impressed with your performance the past few months.” I smiled at him. “I’ll call you later and check on the sales. Please make sure our guests have a wonderful evening.”

“Yes, Ms. Caruthers.”

“Oh, and something fell against the sink in my private washroom and broke it. Please have that replaced.” No way could I tell him what had really happened.

He nodded.

After locking my office door, I stepped out the back through my private entrance. Touching the tiny star-shaped tattoos on my wrists together, I disappeared into the night.

 
 
A few seconds later I teleported into the control
room at the family estate in Texas. This was the big hub where we lived and worked. The room felt cold after the heat of Brazil.

Straight ahead was a glassed-off portion where our security personnel monitored any dimension travelers. Jake, the head of our team, gave me a short wave before he turned back to the monitors.

Mira, my sister, waited for me. “What happened?” I heard the worry in her voice. One of Mira’s many powers is that of psychic empathy. Anytime one of us experiences any strong emotional stress she picks up on it, no matter where she happens to be in the universe.

Dressed in khakis and a tank with big hiking boots, her bright red hair was tied in a knot at her shoulders. She’d probably been researching herbs in one of Earth’s dying rain forests.

I pulled off my Christian Louboutin pumps and stepped onto the cold steel floor. It was grated and not very kind to narrow heels. “I’ll tell you later.” I motioned to the window, where three security men watched the screens in front of them.

They took incoming calls from Xerxes, Maunra, Kose, and Prent. The security team also kept an eye out for dimension jumpers on the state-of-the-art equipment my brilliant brother, Bailey, had designed.

My sisters and I were Guardian Keys protecting Earth from beings that shouldn’t be here. Each of us had been blessed—or cursed, depending on how you looked at it—with magic and powers to help deal with a specific world. I was lucky enough to get the demon world Maunra. Yay, me.

We were born with the powers we needed, and in our late teens we were each assigned a world to correspond with our particular talent. Since I could rip demon heads off as easily as some people open a box of cereal, I had the pleasure of dealing with Maunra.

Circling my head, I tried to ease the tension from my neck. “I need to change. Why don’t you make us some tea and I’ll meet you in the kitchen? Do you have time? Were you in the middle of something?”

“I always have time for you, Gilly.” Mira put a hand on my shoulder.

From the outside, the Caruthers enclave looked like a sixty-thousand-foot American Gothic-styled mansion, and it was. Only a chosen few knew there were several more levels beneath the three on top of the ground. That was where our security teams, weapons experts, and other people who helped us protect Earth worked. After going up two floors in the elevator, we stepped through the door into a carpeted hallway that led to the main house.

The great thing about being able to travel through space in the blink of an eye was that we four sisters could always be there for one another. It also helped us do our jobs more efficiently.

“Was it Emilio?” she finally asked.

I nodded.

“He’s an idiot. Whatever he did. You know that, right?”

“Yes, he’s definitely a moron. And he’s no longer a factor in my life. I’m okay, I promise. I just need an hour or so to get myself back on track.”

Mira stopped at the hallway leading off to the kitchen and dining areas. “I heard a rumor that Mom left some bread pudding in the fridge.”

My head popped up. “I’ll throw on something more comfortable and meet you there.” I stopped. “Wait, Mom’s cooking? Is she upset about something?”

Mira shrugged. “Don’t know, but she’s not here so don’t worry.” She smiled. “I love you, Gilly.”

I hugged her. “I love you, too.”

Once I was in my suite of rooms, I stripped everything off and put on a black silk robe. Pulling the pins from my hair, I shook out my shoulder-length curls and pushed them behind my ears.

My room was a soothing combination of blues and creams, with dark rich wood furniture. My sanctuary. I sat on the edge of my bed and assumed a meditation pose. I cleared my mind and searched for tabula rasa. It was difficult, as the anger at Em and Maria flared, but I let it go. They weren’t worth the stress. Putting my hands in a prayer position, I concentrated on my breath. Eventually I found that lovely white space of nothing-ness. Ten minutes later, I was relaxed. I took a cleansing breath and released the last of the negativity.

My cell phone rang and I pulled it from my evening bag. Thinking it was Mira tempting me with dessert, I answered without looking.

“Hey.”

“Ms. Caruthers, it’s Jake with security. We have a message for you.”

I fell back on the bed and my hand moved to my forehead. “Yes?”

“Ma’am, the demon king Arath requests your presence.”

I rubbed my temples. “Now?” I sighed.
Stupid question, Gil, of course now. Demons didn’t call for playdates.
“Arath? Wait—there’s a new king?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Great.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. Maunra was overthrown every six months by whoever had garnered the most power. Bloody coups were business as usual there.

“I’ll be down in a minute.”

I grabbed the remote to open my closet door. Pushing the fast-forward button, I watched as my wardrobe flew past on the electronic trolley.

New demon kings were known for being pompous and full of themselves. As a liaison between worlds, I had to be courteous and respectful of the new monarch. Of course, all bets were off if they happened to cross through a portal to Earth.

That’s when I enjoyed my job the most. Nothing quite like going hand to claw with a Morgre demon who wanted you dead. Made me appreciate the simple things in life. Like slicing off the heads of the offending creatures.

This particular species of demon had so many breeds that you never knew what you might run into. The last demon king had been a Klon, a horned beast who could do little more than grunt but had the strength of Superman and then some.

It was important to dress ready for battle. On Maunra, women were considered equals, a good and a bad thing. They expected the women to fight to establish their status. If called to prove myself, I’d have to hold my own against the king—or his chosen one.

Picking clothes for kicking demon butt wasn’t as easy. I needed something that would withstand the claws and teeth (they fought nasty), and I also had to be able to move fast.

I stopped the trolley at the leather section of my wardrobe. A leather bustier and pants with graphite inserts to keep the claws at bay.

My phone rang again. It was Mira.

“Don’t eat all the bread pudding,” I begged her. “I’ve got to meet a new demon king.”

“No promises,” she said with her mouth full. “This is good stuff. She used her special bourbon sauce. Sorry.” She had the nerve to laugh. So much for sisterly love.

I growled. Now I was really mad.

Stupid demon king was making me miss my favorite dessert.

I’d killed for less.

CHAPTER 2

“Explain again why I’m in charge of the demon
hordes?” I snapped a small vial of poison into my pants leg. One never knows when one might have to slip a death mickey into a demon’s teacup, or mug of blood. The beverage depended on the creature du jour.

The weapons room at Caruthers Corp., a steel box with computers, metal tables, and no windows, was cold and I flexed my fingers to keep them warm.

Mira met me there with a small cup of bread pudding, all that was left after leaving her alone with a dish full of the stuff. “Well, you look really good in leather, and you have that lawyer’s kind of patience, so very diplomatic when you need to be. And when all of that fails, you rock at kicking ass. I mean, no one rips off a demon head like you do, Hercugirl.” She handed me my sword and pushed her long red hair behind her ear.

I winced at the Hercugirl comment. My sisters had tagged me with that name when my powers came in and we discovered I could pick up a small car with one hand. I could also run fast. My powers weren’t that glamorous, but both helped against the demons.