Pale Demon (The Hollows #9)(118)
Author: Kim Harrison

"I was there," he said, trying for a light air and failing. In his eyes was his remembered anger at how they had made him helpless. "It’s of no never mind."

I licked my lips, glancing past Vivian and Oliver to the driver. "He gave it to me to give to Ku’Sox so I can banish him to the ever-after for good, but I need a collective to make it stick."

Vivian’s gaze became sharp on mine. "He planned this? Then why did he leave?"

Trent was gone? Crap, maybe I was wrong.

"Ku’Sox must be killed, not banished," Pierce said tightly. "The elven bastard will simply summon him again. I’m of a mind that the double-crossing scoundrel is the one summoning him now."

"We’re not clearing your name if the demon can come back!" Oliver blustered.

"I don’t think I can kill Ku’Sox," I said, glaring at Pierce. "And second, Ku’Sox is here on his own, unsummoned. He’s special, created after the ever-after and not bound to it or to the pull of the sun. The demons don’t want him, which was why he was banished here by using the same curse Trent gave me. Trent figured you wouldn’t hold to our agreement at the FIB last spring. That’s why he freed Ku’Sox. Trent thinks I can best him. Slide the curse onto the insane nutcase." My eyes went to Oliver, holding his. "After you promised me my citizenship, of course. This whole thing is your fault, Oliver."

Oliver took a breath. "Kalamack freed Ku’Sox!"

"You stupid…political…bastard!" Vivian exclaimed.

I shrugged, looking out the window to see that we were down by the waterfront and the tourist traps. When Trent wanted something, he didn’t care who got hurt to get it. "He freed Ku’Sox because he knew Oliver wouldn’t keep his promise unless forced to," I said, not sure how I felt about it. "Trent promised me my freedom, and Ku’Sox is his leverage."

"You can’t make this my fault," Oliver protested, and Vivian rounded on him.

"Shut up, you oversexed, flabby warlock!" she shouted, and the driver glanced back at us through the rearview mirror. "This is your doing! All of it! If you’d just kept to what you promised her instead of trying to soothe your ego by bringing her down, half the city wouldn’t be destroyed, Leon wouldn’t need therapy, and Wyatt and Amanda would still be alive!"

"You cannot blame this on me!" Oliver exclaimed, and Vivian glared at him.

"I do," she growled, "and if any of us survive, I’m bringing you down. Count on it." Breathing fast, she looked back at me, flushed. Oliver gaped like a fish, shocked. And Pierce snickered. "Thousands of lives," Pierce said, his voice soft. "And the free world left in jeopardy if you should fail. Trent must believe most powerfully that you can put Ku’Sox back in his place." The young-looking but wise witch glanced at Oliver. "And by that you win your freedom, no matter what they call you, Rachel."

My breath slipped from me in a puff of sound. It was hard not to be flattered. All of this to make good on his promise to me? Trent was still a murdering drug lord, but he had honor. Not to mention a huge disrespect for innocent lives.

"If I can curse Ku’Sox and dump him in the ever-after, then we can all go back to being who we want to be," I said, then mentally added, Sort of. I’d still be a day-walking demon, but at least I would be in reality again. Vivian’s expression eased, and I added, "I’m tired of being nice, though. If you ever screw me over again or piss me off, I’m letting him out."

"That’s blackmail!" Oliver exclaimed.

Stiffening, Pierce turned to him, but before he could say anything, the van stopped with a tight squeal of brakes. My hand went out to stop my momentum, but Pierce was faster, holding me back from falling on Vivian. As one, we all looked to the front.

The unassuming-looking driver had unbuckled his seat belt and turned to us. His face was thin, and his expression from under his straggly brown hair severe. And his eyes…had gone vampire black. I shivered, feeling an ancient force take over the car, vampire incense filling me to overflowing. I stifled a shiver, a hand against my neck. Shit, this guy wasn’t a driver. This guy was I.S. Inderland Security.

"Oliver," the man said, his voice causing ripples of sensation across my skin, "we at the I.S. think you’ve f**ked this up far enough. If Rachel permanently eliminates the threat of this day-walking demon, no one will care if she’s the queen of the damned and eats live kittens for breakfast in front of kindergarteners. You will leave her alone, or you will find yourself disgraced."

"Who the hell are you?" Oliver spouted, red faced, but he was scared. So was I.

Vivian flicked her eyes from Oliver to the driver, inching away from Oliver. Pierce, too, was staring with openmouthed awe. I just wanted to get out of this car before the vampire toxins sunk in my neck had me throwing myself at the guy. He was a living vampire, seeing as the sun was still up, but he was channeling a dead one. A really powerful, really old dead one.

"I’m your downfall, Oliver," the man said, and I shivered. "If you push, I will be on you with bodies in your pool and satanic symbols etched into your children’s foreheads. But if all you put your faith in is titles, then I am the acting head of the I.S. west of the Mississippi, and as it stands, your coven is useless." His eyes went to mine, and a small sound slipped out. "You need to replace them with people not afraid to get dirty for the greater good."

I didn’t think he was talking about the rock dust, and I smiled, letting it fade when he glanced at me.

"We’re as close as we dare get," he said, and my pulse pounded when he leaned between Oliver and Vivian to take my unresisting hand in his. Pierce bristled, and amusement danced in the man’s black eyes. "We at the I.S. wish you luck, demon. Letting you wallow amid mediocrity was our error." He looked at Oliver, then back to me. "Our grave error. Good hunting, Rachel."

It took me three times, but I stammered, "Th-thank you." Oh God. If I could pull this off, the I.S. would be…well, they’d probably not be on my side, but I’d probably not be on their hit list anymore. They’d grant me respect, maybe? Oh crap. Did I want their respect? They’d probably want me to do stuff for them.

The vampire kissed the top of my hand-and a thrill of desire spiraled through me, pulled into existence by a slip of teeth and the scent of incense. And then…he was gone, his door thumping shut behind him and his quickly moving figure getting into the first car. It drove away fast, the car behind us following. Silence crept in my open window, and fresh air coming right off the bay. We’d passed the chocolate factory on the way in, and I thought I could smell it.