Whiskey Witches, F.J. Blooding [ap literature book list .TXT] 📗

>“He’s a friend, Balnore.”

“He’s a demon hunter who befriended a summoner only after her gift had been banished.”

A frown flickered across her brow.

Dexx fought the invisible force and gritted out, “I didn’t know you, not really, until you came to New York. That’s when I became your friend. He’s trying to manipulate you. Don’t let him.”

She narrowed her gaze. “I distinctly recall you threatening me.”

“If you lost control of your gift again. Pea, I had to try.” Even if he couldn’t actually follow through with it.

She flexed her fingers.

Dexx shoved the knife in his belt and held the gun with two hands. “You’re here for information. Nothing more. Just tell us what she needs to know so she can send you back.” He glanced at Paige before returning his gaze to the demon. “Before I do.”

The demon tipped his head toward Dexx. “This should be fun.”

Paige crossed her arms over her chest. “Why didn’t you break the bonds Grandma put on me?”

“Paige.” Dexx clenched his fist. “Tell me you didn’t summon him to dredge up the past.”

“Well, ” Balnore said gently, walking over to the bed. His long, bare feet made no sound.

Dexx backed up a step, keeping the demon in his sights without giving the thing an advantage.

“I wasn’t really that tore up about it.” He sat down and smiled up at Dexx, revealing sharp, pointed incisors.

Dexx bit down on his pride and his fear, seeing the hook for what it was. The damned demon was baiting him, daring him to do something stupid.

“It wasn’t really a bad idea at the time. You didn’t handle things very well. Especially for you. You have responsibilities. You can’t just hare off and—” He flung one hand in the air. “—and do the things you did.”

“What exactly did I do?”

Balnore looked at her through narrowed eyes. “How much do you remember?”

“I remember everything.”

“No blank spots? No unexplained situations?”

She shook her head.

“What about the day Alma knocked your block off?” Balnore asked. “Do you remember that?”

Paige raised her chin.

“You raised a demon for the sole purpose of killing your mother.”

Emotion finally flitted across her face. Surprise.

“I went to your grandmother myself and suggested this. It was only supposed to be temporary, mind you.”

“But why did she block my gift?”

“Actually, I did that.”

“Wait,” Dexx said, taking two steps back. “I’m confused.”

Balnore folded his hands in his lap. “By which part?”

Dexx narrowed his eyes at the demon. “Isn’t she here to protect us?”

The demon nodded serenely.

Dexx pulled out his knife as he set the gun on the table. The damned thing was getting heavy. “Then why did you block her gift? To make it easier for the demons to take advantage of her?”

“Dexx,” Balnore said calmly, “try to remember that your brother killed himself.”

“To be rid of the demon inside him,” Dexx said, voice heated.

“He couldn’t face what he had done.”

Dexx’s face screwed up in disbelief. “What he’d—Shut up. That has nothing to do with this. Keep my brother out of this.”

“That has everything to do with this. Demons walk the earth to save the soul of man.”

Paige said much the same thing. “That damned thing possessed him. It twisted his mind.”

“Demons only possess to make someone face something they’re hiding from,” Paige whispered. “It goes back to their belief of self-responsibility.”

“That demon ruined my brother,” Dexx said fiercely.

“The demon was within his right,” Balnore said softly. “He raped a woman and got away with it because she never had the courage to stand up and talk about it. But we heard her.”

Disbelief slammed into Dexx. His brother would never do something so low. “Liar.”

“Enough,” Paige said loud enough for her voice to bark through the room. “I need information before he sends you back.”

Anger seethed through Dexx’s veins.

The demon faced Paige. “I did what I had to. You were falling apart. There comes a point where facing your demons doesn’t help. It hurts. With your gift, you should never have had a child. How many times did I tell you that only to be proven right? She was used against you.”

“You’re telling me Rachel is on the enemy side?”

“She’s…” Balnore raised his eyebrows delicately. “She’s not on ours.”

“And what about now?” Paige asked. “Am I any stronger now?”

Balnore was quiet for a moment, eyes flickering over her face. “I don’t know. Are you?”

“We have a killer to find.” Dexx spoke through clenched teeth. “Can you help or not?”

The demon rolled his head on his neck. “Remember what we talked about years ago?”

Paige pressed the butt of her hand to her head. “Which time?”

“In Dallas, when you asked if there was a demon convention.”

“Yeah. I guess.” She sat down. “Leah learned to ride her bike that day.”

“Lucifer lost control. There was a demon uprising. Do you remember why?”

“Something about The First being dead.”

“Yes.”

“The First?” Dexx asked.

Balnore offered a tight smile. “Lucius. He was born hundreds of years ago, but then Lucifer discovered him and found his soul worthy.”

“He turned him into a demon?” Dexx fingered his blade. “I thought demons were born demons.”

“Not always, no. Lucius Kane is still a man. His life has been lengthened.”

“To what end?”

“To guard the Gates of Heaven and Hell.”

Paige raised her chin, drawing the demon’s attention back to her. “Is Lucifer concerned for the man or the gate?”

“I’m not in a position to know.”

“So, what are you saying?”

“Lucius was the last guardian,” Balnore explained slowly. “Gabriel was involved.”

“Meaning what?” Dexx asked.

“Meaning,” Paige said, “that Gabriel probably trapped Lucius somewhere in a different dimension where he’s not alive and he’s not dead. The only way to keep Lucius out of Lucifer’s hands.”

“There’s a lot of Luci’s.” Dexx rubbed his eye. “Why didn’t Gabriel just kill the man and take him to Heaven? Didn’t his soul count?”

“There, he could have been reborn.” Balnore folded his hands over his crossed legs. “Which means that if someone talked to a demon who would like to get a hold of Lucius and open the gate…”

Paige thumped the table with her index finger. “Or Lucius could be trying to open it himself.”

“I’m just saying maybe Lucius is the one you’re looking for.”

“But you said he’s not a demon.” Dexx glanced at Paige. “She was nearly possessed by him.”

Balnore screwed his lips to the side. “Did you ever wonder how the human body could survive longer than a hundred years without looking like a decrepit prune?”

Dexx cleared his throat. “Why would I ever wonder about that?”

“He was given a demon soul, hunter, and the two became sort of a hybrid, of sorts. Lucius started out a man and hasn’t spent any real time in Hell, hasn’t been initiated into the demon pack, if you will. For all that, he still has demon powers. Which means—”

“He’s able to connect to Paige and possess her.”

“Huh,” Paige said, blinking. “It’s not who I thought it would be.”

Balnore frowned. “Who’d you think it was?”

Paige looked at the demon. “Sven Seven Tails.”

“Then let’s be glad it’s only Lucius.”

“Who the hell is Sven Seven Tails?” Dexx asked. He didn’t enjoy being in the dark.

Paige licked her lips and studied the demon.

Balnore bowed his head. “He’s a very powerful demon. He has no love for humanity. He doesn’t follow the rules, and has been outside of Lucifer’s direct control for a very long time.”

So? Why did any of that matter?

“We thought he was the ring leader for the demon insurgence in Texas.” Balnore took in a deep breath. “Right before Leah was taken away.”

Puzzle pieces clicked together with such ferocity inside Dexx’s head, it almost hurt.

Powerful demon.

In Texas.

Five years ago.

Demon uprising.

Angel whisperer rides in.

Takes the demon summoner out of the equation.

Demon summoning gift removed from the playing field.

Same demon.

Present day.

Brings demon summoner…here.

They needed to get Paige as far away from St. Francisville as they could manage. Now.