Born in Fire (Page 29)

“I wondered if I would recognize you when I did see you,” she said. “And look, here you are. I absolutely do. There is so much of your mother in you, amplified by your father’s good looks. He was a stunner. We were all very jealous when he gravitated toward your mother.”

“You were probably relieved when you found out what he was.”

“I can’t get pregnant, honey. I would’ve used him and let him go, like I should’ve done with that vampire.”

I sidestepped away. “Okay, then. That’s… I’ll get going.”

“Yes, of course. That vampire of yours is probably planning which village to pillage.”

She waved her hand as we neared the door. Magic fizzled away. She’d placed a ward and I hadn’t even noticed. Very good at finesse indeed. I’d definitely need to get some spells from her after Darius paid me.

I walked out of the room and immediately met the vampire driver, who’d followed us in after all. He gave me his usual glower. “Trying to hide something?”

“Trying to look creepy?” I passed him by, half expecting him to reach out and grab my arm. That’d get him stabbed, of course. Which he probably knew.

“We’re ready to go,” he said, following me.

“I’ll see you out.” Callie followed behind us, moving a bit slower down the stairs to the main floor.

For a brief moment, I found myself alone at the bottom with the driver.

“What were you talking about?” he asked in a low voice.

“I can still hear you, love.” Callie waved, halfway down the steps. “And I am the distance-casting winner in all of Louisiana. Not to mention I always have a spell ready to go. Castration at a moment’s notice? No problem. Keep that in mind if you decide to manhandle that girl.”

I grinned at the driver.

His eyes narrowed, but he held his tongue.

On the front porch, Dizzy was staring down at something in his hands as Darius looked on. “Callie, look at this. It seems familiar, but I can’t place it.” Dizzy glanced up and caught sight of me. He smiled. “Oh. I thought you were my wife.”

“What’s that?” Callie stomped onto the deck, pushing the driver out of the way. The poor guy was not having the best of days. “Where did you get this?” Callie asked with a sharp voice, taking the object from Dizzy. They were looking at one of the casings we’d picked up in the Realm.

I told them and then explained the spells we’d encountered.

Callie’s eyes came up slowly, soaked in wariness and fear. She shook her head slowly and angled the casing so she could study it in the porch light. “I’ve seen one similar to this. Not exact, but similar. Sometimes the police have me look at a crime scene when the Magical Office is befuddled. I found a casing similar to this at one of those scenes.” She turned it around in her fingers. “No marking. This mage wants to stay anonymous.”

“Ah right, yes. Yes, I remember.” Dizzy took the object back. “That was a horrible scene. The skin was peeled off the victim. A human.”

“What good would skinning someone do?” Darius asked.

“Why, create a lot of pain, of course. A lot of pain.” Dizzy tsked. “A mage who could create that kind of spell would also be powerful enough to capture the energy the human exuded. Pain is a great way to amp up adrenaline.”

“Adrenaline can be turned into kinetic energy, which can increase power,” Callie said. “It is a more extreme version of a dark sacrifice—something used for personal gain rather than good will to the gods.”

“Can that power be ingested?” Darius asked.

Dizzy frowned as he studied the casing. It was Callie who answered. “Not to make the magical user stronger and more powerful, no. But if that mage were trying to invoke a stronger spirit to guide and help him, then indirectly, yes.”

“A spirit…like a demon?” Darius asked.

“Could be a demon, though they are usually self-serving. An experienced magical person would avoid that route and go with something more…amiable. Something easier to get rid of, like a poltergeist or half-banished banshee, that kind of thing.”

“Half-banished banshee?” I asked.

“They’re mute, but just as powerful,” Callie said. “Happens when the person who’s sent in to banish one from its haunting area doesn’t do a thorough job. It strips the area of the racket, so if the banisher is quick enough, they can get out of town before the folk realize the banshee is still hanging around.”

“Well, that’s not so bad. I’ve heard their wail is the worst part.”

“Not so bad? Their whole function is to herald the death of a family member. When business slows down, they’ve been known to drum up their own business, so to speak. Trust me, you don’t want one of them hanging around. A town drops in number pretty quickly.”

“Is a demon more powerful?” I knew a few things about demons, but nothing about banshees. “Because this guy is definitely big on power.” I thought back to the spells I’d extinguished in the Realm. “And knowledgeable about how to construct his magic.”

Callie was shaking her head with a vague look in her eyes. “I seem to recall the police thought the killer was out of state.” Her eyes focused again. “But if the styling is similar, it could be the same person. They didn’t catch him, I don’t think.”

“A demon is more powerful?” I asked again.

“A demon is much more powerful, yes, but they don’t like to share a body. Oftentimes, they’ll start off by sharing, prove to be lovely roommates, and when the body gets complacent, the demon takes over.”

“Then what?” Darius asked.

“Well, they find a larger source of power, of course. Demons always crave more power, in themselves and in their masters. It is always about power with them, which is why inviting them to the surface is trouble, no matter how insignificant the demon starts out. They can grow and generate more power, and they constantly seek to do so, much like humans.”

“So, what if the body had ingested a very potent source of magical power?” I asked, trying to be as vague as possible. “A crazy-days boost of power, we’re talking. One that could destroy a magical person as easily as boost them…”

“Then hell would be invited to earth, and the seas would boil in the blood of the lost.”

Chapter Thirteen

“Well, that was a terrifying and horrible end to a lovely visit,” I said conversationally as Darius and I drove out of the Garden District.

“Mrs. Banks seemed overly familiar with you when we parted,” Darius said in an even tone.

He could say that again. Before releasing me into the car, Callie had given me a fierce hug and a mighty pat on my back, promising me she’d see me again. The warning in her eye said I better not try to get out of it. I was stuck with her, which was a good thing, most likely. If she knew my lineage, she was someone to watch.

Plus, the thought of actually having someone in my life made my middle squishy. My mom’s passing had left a gaping hole in my solitary life. I was lonely, whether I would admit it out loud or not. Having a friend, regardless of her age and liberal take on screwing and killing vampires, would be welcomed.

Not like I could tell Darius any of that.

“Yeah,” I said in answer to Darius’s hinted question. “I told you. I’m likable.”

“Moss mentioned that Mrs. Banks muted her conversation with you upstairs.”

“Moss?” I turned my focus to the front of the car. I smiled at the dark eyes that flicked up into the rearview mirror. “Is that his real first name?”

The eyes in the mirror narrowed. When I laughed, he glowered.

“Why did she feel the need to keep your conversation private?” Darius asked.

“You’ll never know.” I entwined my fingers in my lap. “What a strange first name. Moss. Was your mom a hippy?”

Moss’s gaze went back to the street. I could barely see the nerve pop out in the side of his jaw from irritation. Why this tickled me, I had no idea.

“Dawn is fast approaching,” Darius said. “We will stay in my residence for the day, and tomorrow night will acquire more information.”

It turned out his “residence” was a massive corner house in the French Quarter. I hadn’t closed my mouth since walking in the front door. Over six thousand square feet of a sort of modern elegance I’d never seen before, let alone actually experienced. Gorgeous furniture graced the well-appointed and spacious rooms. Art like I’d seen in the Dungeon hung on the walls, perfectly accenting other decorations. Fresh flowers sweetened the air. Freshly painted walls hinted at the total makeover this older home must’ve had in the recent past. It was…extraordinary.

“I am nowhere near classy enough to hang out in this place.” I flinched away from the arm of a light-colored sofa. “I’m dirty. Do you have any plastic I can put down before I sit on stuff? Even the floor looks too clean for the likes of me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Darius directed me up a stairway, where I marveled at the textured walls. Strings of flowers periodically draped down from the bannister. They were real, too. Fresh.