Demons, he muttered, clasping his hands into a ball between his legs. Great. Ill stay out of you ladies way and hope for the best.
So whats your soul like, CJ? Libby asked gaily. She smelled like sugar, which he liked, and her body nestled against his was all curves and softness, a direct contrast to Vikas slender sleekness.
Libby.
I mean, is it intact? Libby continued, ignoring her sisters admonishment. Do the demons control it all the time? Do you know if you left Daemonia with a soul?
Vika flashed the evil eye at her sister, but the rearview mirror was angled to catch CJs confused look. She rubbed a hand along his thigh, reassuringly.
Its in there, he said. But thats about all I know. An incorporeal demon wouldnt be able to hitch a ride if I hadnt a soul.
Thats interesting. I wonder what itll be like after the demons are gone.
Youre thinking my soul will be left in tattered condition?
Probably. I dont mean to be rude, but you know...
Its one of the drawbacks of practicing the dark magic, he offered. My soul has never been clean, at least not your sisters definition of clean.
Vika cast him a wonky look, but he merely shrugged at her. The idea that they had attracted one anotherdark to lightwas something he wasnt going to argue.
Libby asked, Why do you practice dark magic?
Vika and CJ said at the same time, Someone has to. They exchanged grins in the mirror, and CJ added, It balances the universe. Good and bad. Evil and bright. Without the dark there would only be good.
I dont see much wrong with that.
You would, if it were to occur. Trust me, the world needs the other side of the coin for balance. So, Libertie, you are Vikas younger sister?
Yes, by two years. Our other sister, Eternitie, is the oldest. Shes off tromping through the wilds of Africa.
I have a sister, too. Merrily is older than my twin and I by ten years. I have no idea where she is right now. Havent seen her for decades.
Thats awful.
It may seem like that, but I know wherever she is, shes fine. Shes an adventurer and often gets caught up in her travels. I think shes studying shamanistic traditions.
Sounds like Eternitie, Vika said. Shes an adventurer as well, and likes to learn new things. But she does check in with us every month or so. Id go mad if I went as long as you did without hearing from her.
Eternitie kicks shamanistic ass, Libby agreed. What kinds of magic do you practice, CJ?
At the moment, very little. Though some magics I still possess in full strength. Im a skilled allotriophagist.
An allo-what?
He can make others vomit strange things like pins, stones, worms, Vika said.
Toads are my favorite, CJ added.
Eww. So not hitching a ride on your vibes, dark witch, Libby said. Tell me about those tattoos on your hand. Theyre so black, and they look evil.
CJ turned his hand over and again caught Vikas look in the mirror. This hand hadnt served evil earlier this morning in bed with her. The designs are fine-tuned spells put there by an ink witch. This one here is bespelled for transprojectionary dislocation.
Ohmygoddess, you can move things through the air? Thats so cool. Can I look closer?
Vika slid her hand through CJs tattooed hand as she turned the hearse and pulled it through the gates to the cemetery. No time. Were here. You dont mind graveyards, do you, CJ?
Some excellent ingredients for spellcraft can be found on such grounds. I think Ill have a look around while you two are busy cleaning.
Pére Lachaise boasted over a million occupants, seventy thousand tombs and ten miles of labyrinthine paths. The Parisian necropolis also sat on unconsecrated grounds. Excellent shopping for a dark witch.
Certainly used his pocketknife to scrape the thick layer of yellow mold from the letter E on a tombstone around the corner from where the St. Charles sisters were cleaning up a pile of vampire ash. After hed asked for something to store his finds in, Libby had given him a few plastic zip bags. So far hed collected the mold and some grave dust, and he now headed toward the dead cat behind the next tombstone. It had been reduced to bone by the efficient rats that scurried around even now, unwary of human or paranormal presence.
He sat on the edge of the raised stone tomb, pinching his fingers along the zip bag to seal it. He closed the pocketknife. Observing the sisters revealed an exercise in efficiency and professionalism. They both had their roles, and each worked with zeal. The determination on Vikas face was impressive. She did take cleaning personally.
Cant believe she hasnt picked up my place yet, he said, sort of as a spoken wish, but then, Nah. That would be forward of me. He liked his disorder as it was, because within that array he knew exactly where everything was.
That she even tolerated him being around her was immense. Hed seen the bruise on her shoulder last night while theyd made love. The pain demon had shoved her around, and he was surprised, and thankful, she didnt have broken bones.
You allowed it to happen, he muttered, feeling he should be able to control the demons from within.
Must be more than half a dozen remaining. It wasnt as if he could do a roll call, but he suspected hed experienced all that occupied his soul. There was or had been: Carrion (whom Vika had obliterated that first accidental meeting), Menace, War, Lust, Protection (whom he wished would appear more often), Chaos, Pain, Grief, and, well, he hoped that was it.
Why hadnt a desire or gratitude demon hitched a ride? Any man could appreciate either of those two. Although he should be thankful hed attracted the one benevolent demon, hed yet to notice that any of the protection sigils worked against the other demons, save to make them flinch.
Sighing, he waggled his tattooed fingers, smirking at Libbys curiosity and Vikas sudden discomfort when her sister had asked to examine them more closely. Vika had swooned at the use of his magical touch. He hadnt been aware of that particular magic since hed only recently completed the glove tattoo. Nice bonus. He suspected Vika wouldnt mind if he practiced on her until hed achieved mastery.
Ready, CJ? Vika called.
Ready, CJ? Vika called.
Ready for what?
His heart stuttered. She must have found another wandering soul. Plastic bags in hand, CJ dashed down an aisle between tombstones and rushed over to the hearse.
Stand right there!
He stopped abruptly at Vikas held-up hand.
She nodded at him, as if anticipating something big. He couldnt see the corpse light, but he noticed her eyes followed something in the air before her. Sweeping out her hand, Vika chanted an air spell.
The brightness blasted him in the chest and toppled him backward to land on the aboveground stone coffin of Jacques Letendre, Beloved Father. Arms splaying back and chest lifting as the soul traveled through him, Certainly gasped in the fetid air. Brilliance burst through his extremities and tugged at his muscles, as if attempting to peel them from his bones. He clenched his fingers, his entire body stiffening. The entrance ward on his palm burned, and then his muscles relaxed. As the soul moved through him, he cried out joyously to experience the warmth and utter gentleness. It all happened within five seconds.
Libby rushed to the tombstone and preened over his prone figure. A red curl slipped out from her Tyvek cap and dangled over her purple-dusted eyelid. Hell. That was some kind of kinky! Did it work?
CJ slapped a hand on his chest. Goodbye, Menace.
Vika leaned over him. I got the bastard who tried to total the hearse? She pumped a fist. Yes!
He pulled her down onto him and kissed her, she in her hazmat suit and white Tyvek hat, and he with his bags of grave dirt near his head. The two made out there on the coffin while Libby packed up the back of the hearse.
Thank you. Again, he said, tugging the white cleaning cap from her head to let the garnet waves spill over his chest. Was that the only soul?
No, Ive collected half a dozen at least. They are already attached to my soul. Cant use them. But I felt one approaching apprehensively, so knew I could use it. Now, let me see if I can find it.
She climbed off him and wandered about behind the tombstone, and gave a triumphant whoop.
Thats my girl, he said, sitting up and brushing the grave dust from his sleeves. My Intrepid Gatherer of Corpse Lights. Were they all vampires?
Yes. Libby hitched her hip onto the tombstone and sat beside CJ. She tugged out the earbuds and they dangled at her chest, tiny strains of rock music echoing out. Weird, huh? Weve had a rush of multiple vamp deaths. Generally Vika and I are never called in for such a job. Whos taking out all the vampires? And theyre going for the hearts first.
The hearts. How do you know that?
The heart is the last to ash if its been previously removed from the body. We found one tossed under those dead weeds over there. Completely drained of blood, and not ashy. You want to see?
Uh, no, I get the picture. So its not a slayer?
I doubt it. Why would a slayer take the time to rip out the heart? Unless hes a psycho. And I do have a fond place in my heart for The Order of the Stake.
Is that so?
Dated a knight from the Order last year. She gave him a sidelong look through her lashes. Sexy Scandinavian man, but I think he also fell into the psycho category, too.
Soul bringers and mortal vampire slayers? This chick had some strange passions. But she also had the patented St. Charleses oh-so-sexy lash-glance. Are you reporting this finding to the Council?
Of course. But what are your suspicions? She leaned closer to him and fluttered her lashes. Her eyes were as green as Vikas. Think its a witch looking for a source?
I have trouble with that suggestion.
Me, too.
A witch only needs one vampire heart, once a century, he said. How many have you come upon lately?
Half a dozen at the very least. Could be a coven.
Certainly hadnt an idea what it could be, but this information gave him pause. Hed been out of the loop since his return from Daemonia. Generally he had a good idea which witch was up to what witchery, and why. And if the Council got wind of dirty dealings, that wind usually drifted below to the archives.